Our natal charts are essentially a spiritual study of all that which has been consumed by time. The stars, the moon, the planets, the constellations, are all only great indicators of the signs of time – of how time consumes us and how things are woven into the cosmic fabrics of consciousness – it is our understanding of a current moment, it is a language longed to be understood but will forever remain somewhat mystical because it is our desire and curiosity to learn it that drives us forward in life, and to become life. So essentially, our re-incarnation allows us an opportunity for a deepening also.
The concept of time regarding planetary energies is something that Vedic astrology and philosophy deeply understand. While I am not a Vedic astrologer, I use many of its techniques in my professional astrology practice, such as nakshatras, karakaras and the Navamsa chart, and I find that these deepen the analysis for my clients in beautiful and meaningful ways.
Vedic astrology has depth of esoteric wisdom that it holds and through which one’s understanding of the planetary energies deepens also. What makes Vedic astrology truly different from Western astrology isn’t the sidereal vs tropical calculations, isn’t the nakshatras and divisional charts – it is that it comes from the understanding that time is god himself, and that various planets and stars are his different aspects and messengers.
Today I’ll share with you about the planets as the avataras (incarnations) of god Vishnu, to hopefully give you a deeper understanding of what they mean and how you can perhaps better understand them as energies and movements in your natal chart.
Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra compiled by sage Parashara introduces Vedic cosmology, and how material universe comes into being, unfolding from god’s divine consciousness, and sustained by just a fraction of his energy. The navagrahas or nine planets in Vedic astrology – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Ketu and Rahu – are not mere planets, they are divine manifestations, controlling the karma of human beings in order to maintain balance in this world. Lord Vishnu, known as the supreme being god, descents upon earth in each incarnation bringing dharma – and each of his incarnations is associated with a particular planet.
According to the Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra:
From the Sun came the incarnation of Rāma, from the Moon that of Kṛṣṇa, from Mars that of Nṛsiṃha, from Mercury that of Buddha, from Jupiter that of Vāmana, from Venus that of Paraśurāma, from Saturn that of Kūrma, from Rahu that of Varāha and from Ketu that of Matsya occurred.
Each incarnation is known as the avatar of Vishnu, and each of the main avataras represents a particular stage of consciousness or evolution, as well as one of the nine primordial energies through which the entirety of life experience is manifested. Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi, associated with the energy of Venus, also took her own incarnations, travelling with him in each of his avataras. Learning about the planetary energies through the incarnations of Vishnu and the esoteric wisdom within their stories deepen astrology understanding.
Ketu as Matsya, the Fish
The first incarnation of Vishnu was Matsya or the fish, who appeared to warn and save the first man Manu on earth, thereby restoring balance, wisdom and guiding him through the stormy waters. Once Manu was washing his hands in a river, when a little fish swam into his hands and asked him to save its life. Manu put the fish into a jar, but it soon outgrew the jar. He then moved it to a larger water body, but the fish outgrew that too. No matter where Manu put the fish, it kept growing bigger and bigger. The fish then revealed itself to be Lord Vishnu as a Matsya Avatara, and told Manu that a great flood was coming that would destroy all life on earth. He then helped Manu to save all the plants and animals he could find, and peace was restored.
The story shows us that Ketu is the fish continually outgrows the body of water it is put into. As the fish we swim in the open waters, oceans, where all boundaries dissolve and unite us – but – as the fish we only go with the flow of the currents and wave. Ketu, and our past lives, is that which outgrows where it’s been, like the fish too outgrew her body of water and evolved to the next for a fresh new start, allowing for a dissolution of our judgments, limits, biases and conditions. Ketu begins with a perhaps a feeling or level of limitation, but each time the limitation is felt and we feel stuck in old patterns from past lives or early childhood, wisdom and faith will pull us.
Ketu teaches us to trust the higher powers and that no matter how deep in the waters we are, no matter how we can’t even see the shore from the big waves, god will hold us. Humility, surrender and trust are what Ketu offers us; and he teaches us how to listen to the voice of silence and trust in our intuition. Only when the mind is calm we can hear that which is silent. And we can learn a lot from silence. Ketu also shows us to make space for the divine, leave some pages blank so that God breathes there and moves us – sometimes our life is dreamed by a bigger dreamer than us dreaming us into a more beautiful dream than we could have imagined. Trust the timing and unfolding of your life, we were never meant to know it all anyway.
Saturn as Kurma, the Tortoise
In the second incarnation Vishnu appeared during the great process of churning of the ocean, which is a metaphor of our consciousness, as Kurma or the tortoise. He silently went underwater to stabilise on his back the great Mandara mountain, and assisted the gods and the asuras in the churning process; on his back he essentially carried and supported the weight of the cosmos and whole consciousness.
Saturn is one of the most spiritual planets in our natal chart, and is the ruler of time itself. Saturn is that which is the cycles of the land, the stability found within through our strong spiritual core, the wisdom that time gifts us, the devotion. We can’t push seeds into the frozen ground in winter, flowers will not bloom, it is not their time yet; we’ll only hurt them and we’ll frustrate ourselves.
Saturn teaches us discipline, wisdom, patience, perseverance, endurance and dedication – and this is a path to walk, there are no short cuts. Saturns teaches us humility, and humility is the bridge to God, bridge to love, it is what grounds us. Humility comes from the words meaning “of the earth”, so it grounds us and shows us our right proportion within the universe and life. Saturns rules many of the virtues development also. And so – as you see, this is the spiritual path itself. Without mastering Saturn, we cannot get far in life spiritually. And perhaps there is no greater symbol of spiritual wisdom that the turtle or tortoise – she is wisdom itself.
Rahu as Varaha, the Boar
The path from Ketu to Rahu is known as the path of consciousness; Ketu was the fish, Rahu is the boar. After assuming the forms of watery creatures – the fish and the tortoise – in his first two avataras, Vishnu appeared as the boar Varaha in his next manifestation to save the earth and rise her above the waters of chaos, restoring her rightful place in the universe. This is actually a very meaningful and beautiful progression we witness here: In the form of Matsya, the fish, Vishnu taught us how to navigate through the waters of chaos or material existence. As Kurma, we saw how to find stability amidst its waves; and now as Varaha we are inspired to rise above the waters of chaos and material existence with the power of our own effort; and this is something that Rahu teaches us as well in our natal chart.
In the story, Varaha lifts the earth, known as goddess Bhumi, out of the cosmic ocean, or the ocean of milk, and saves her, returning her to the universe. Basically, Hiranyaksha stole the earth and hid her in the ocean of milk, the primordial waters, and Vishnu appearing as a boar dove into the ocean and rescued her – he lifted her on his tusks and restored goddess Bhumi to her rightful place in the universe.
Rahu connects to the boar as it is a very grounded energy connected to the earth and the material – it is that which brings spirit into matter and shapes something tangible. The higher manifestation of Rahu is alignment to higher values, integrity, clarity of vision and discernment. Rahu is referred to as maya, and many people will tell you how it is obsessive and materialistic and malefic – but that’s only if we don’t know how to approach it and embody it the right way.
Rahu is that which pulls us into the wild unknown territories because it is the path of our consciousness, and naturally any new land will feel unknown. And in such lands we can get lost following the sparkling false things, or falling into wonderland with strange creatures. Discernment is needed, this is what Rahu asks of us. So if we know how to enter his lands, we’ll be able to walk them in beauty, clarity and intentional creation, rather than be lost in maya.
Rahu is that which pulls us into the wild unknown territories, so that we shape something new and tangible – but if we want to be able to move through these wild unknowns, we need to have discernment and strong spiritual core – we need the strong center that our Ketu may give us. And this is the beautiful dance of Rahu and Ketu – because both are needed for us to have balance. Ketu is that which outgrows where it’s been, and when it feels a level of limitations or stagnation, whether in conditioning from this life or past life memory residues, Rahu the boar comes diving in and pulling us out of the comfort zone as part of our path of consciousness evolution.
Mars as Narasimha, the Half Lion Half Man
In his fourth avatara Lord Vishnu appears as the half man, half lion, Narasimha, in order to protect his devotee, Prahalada, and defeat demon Hiranyakasipu, end calamity on earth and restore dharma. Hiranyakasipu wanted to kill Vishnu devotee Prahalada, but each attempt failed because of the power of devotion. Vishnu appeared as Narasimha because he responded to the prayers of Prahalada; and he responded to them because they were sincere and strong in faith. As half lion half man, Narasimha had the most powerful roar making three worlds tremble with it; and we see the power of Mars here in its highest expression, which is: protection.
The highest manifestation of Mars is integrity, discipline, self control, protection and honour, and walking the rightful path. Mars is often greatly misunderstood in our society, often associated with sex and passion and lower urges just like Venus too has been negated in a similar way; but Mars is not like that at all. He is fire yes, he is a warrior yes, but in many cultures he was a god of both war and celicacy. The only one for whom he takes his armour off and kneels at her feet in his own vulnerable self also is Venus; and Venus is that which is pure, devoted and wise.
Mars has one rule he follows: integrity; and he protects those more vulnerable, he protects those he loves, he protects the honour and voice of those who can’t even hear him. Mars is the gas pedal, the fire, but without discipline and self knowledge he will go off the rails; so this is why Mars is an energy that needs mastery.
The half lion hald man shows this delicate balance and mastery – when the desires and passions and roar are aligned to the discerning mind, ethics and higher principles, Mars is the unstoppable energy within us; it is the unstoppable energy within us which awakens when we are sincere with ourselves and have a strong spiritual core, faith, a higher star we follow. This kind of power mastered within us gives us the energy capable to overcome any challenges.
Jupiter as Vamana, the Child Brahmin
In the fifth avatara we see the first full body human form of Vishnu incarnating as Vamana, a child Brahmin. After Indra was defeated by Mahabali, Vishnu came to earth disguised as child Brahmin to restore cosmic order. At that time Brahmins were highly regarded and given all they wanted by the kings, so the king invited Vamana and offered him anything he’d desire; and what Vamana asked for was three pieces of land, as he wanted to take three steps to build an altar. King Mahabali was surprised at this humble request and offered Vamana to ask for more, but the young Brahmin refused. Upon granting his wish, Vamana transformed into a giant form and in three steps encompassed all of existence and beyond – in three steps he restored the cosmic order returning the worlds to Indra.
The three steps represented transcending the three states of our consciousness – waking, dreaming and deep sleep – and the rapid expansion of consciousness, which essentially embodies the higher energy of Jupiter. Jupiter is a spiritual wisdom, a never ending learning that eventully dissolves all boundaties between us and becomes our spiritual growth. Jupiter is that towards which we should move and inspire to be – it is our dharma, right living, higher values and morals, spiritual ethics and principles, and devotion and commitment to do the right thing, not just sometimes but always, even when no one is watching to congratulate us.
While Jupiter looked only as a child, a body small and limited, he was Lord Vishnu himself, the limiless and expansive aspect of our consciousness. Through the story we are also reminded that true wealth and power are the spiritual ones. Any time you feel small in life, seek within your Jupiter spiritual wisdom, connection to your spiritual core, as this is the only power you’ll ever need to overcome any challenges or feelings of someone taking what’s yours.
Venus as Parashurama, the Immortal One
The sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, Parashurama, is depicted as a sage with an axe in his hand. He was born a Brahmin by birth to a sage named Sage Jamadagni. Vishnu incarnated as Parashurama to end the tyranny of the evil Kshatriyas, who misused their powers, made others’ lives miserable, and bring them to justice.
Parashurama is one of the Cheranjeevis – known as the Immortal Ones; and is believed he will appear again at the end of the Kali Yuga to be the guru of Vishnu’s tenth and last incarnation, Kalki. Kalki is the avatar who rejuvenates existence by ending the darkest and destructive period to remove adharma (i.e. unrighteousness) and ushering in the Satya Yuga. Satya Yuga is known as the age of truth, when humanity is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and humanity will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme. It is sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age”.
So what does this mean for Venus? Well, she is that which brings into balance all that isn’t yet – she is love, she is that which transcends the material to touch the spiritual, she is the bridge and the immortal one. If one looks at her symbol – it is a circle with cross above, and this is what it means: she is meant to be the one who transcends the material (the circle, the earth), and move it into the spiritual. When people get stuck in materialism or overindulgence in desires, they abandon what Venus truly is and cannot come into her higher manifestation. We also see through this avatar that Venus as love is a force and power able to conquer anything and everyone – Parashurama was a warrior, an immortal one, and love too discerns with clarity and the sword of truth.
Parashurama’s story is one of charm and fascination; he is both warrior and Brahmin, he is the protector against evil and the cultivator of goodness, wisdom and beauty by becoming a teacher, being a Brahmin. He understands balance, and this is what Venus is in her essence: balance, aligned to and rooted in love and integrity. This Brahmin avatar actually never married and was kind of a hermit all throughout his life; and yet in our modern society people often diminish Venus energy with materialism, sex, lust, indulgence, and deeds not necessarily of morality. Venus, at her higher manifestation and expression of energy, is about wisdom, grace, devotion, spiritual ecstasy, humbleness, vulnerability and sensitivity, higher values, gentleness, integrity and standing by what matters to us most deeply.
Just like Parashurama was immortal, so are the energies of Venus: love never dies, it is immortal. And it is only love that then becomes the guide to the final incarnation of Vishnu that takes the world to the golden age – because there is nothing more powerful than love, and this is our way forward. Love is where we should go, love is what we should fight for, because love is worth it all.
Sun as Rama
The seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu was the famous Lord Rama, embodiment of truth and righteousness, who appeared in the solar dynasty as the personification of Sun. Rama killed the Ravana to end his tyrannical rule and liberate Goddess Sita, whom Ravana had abducted; and Sita was the incarnation of Lakshmi, and Lakshmi is the beloved of Vishnu who too as he incarnated along his own incarnations. In this story we also see the love story – the never ending incarnations of the two beloveds, and how they fight for one another – love incarnates as love, and love asks us to protect it always with integrity and honour.
Rama never broke His word nor deviated from his dharma, even if his personal happiness was at stake. He is the embodiment of the power of integrity, perseverance and focus within us. With bow in his hands he reminds us that the arrow once shot cannot be stopped — and thus each of our words and actions, and even thoughts, have their consequences – which eventually becomes the river of the karmic impulse. Rama teaches us how to meet all life circumstances and bear the consequences of our own actions with grace, humbleness, elegance and peace, with courage, confidence and faith in ourselves, and without the resistance because the flow is the flow but we can still trust ourselves and have faith that all will be as it should and we have what we need inside of us to face it all. He helps us to stay true to ourselves, our values and ideals, and live our life in harmony with divine laws.
The Sun in our natal chart is our fuel of life, what drives us and moves, and it is our peeler – the one who peels us to unveil our true essence. It is the what we are meant to move into from a higher manifestation and embody its virtues and higher qualities, so that we too are a sun, a light, a lantern for others to shine. As our fuel of life, we need to have our values and integrity – and we need to learn to love. When we love truly, we embody the higher manifestation of any and all planets, and shine bright!
Moon as Krishna
The eight avatar of Lord Vishnu is the beloved Lord Krishna, the incarnation of unconditional love. Depicted in his playful tribhanga pose and with flute in his hands Lord Krishna reminds us to see the wonder of the world, approach it through the purity and innocence of heart’s eyes, and open ourselves for all beauty to move us in life. Krishna reminds us to stop worrying, stop taking life so seriously and to recognize that this entire universe is his divine lila i.e. divine play or playground.
He represents this ever playful, spontaneous and innocent part of ourselves – the innocence and purity of child’s love, the openness and playfulness, and our faith and trust. As the moon too he is musical, and sings us back to our heart, to that gentleness and belief in the goodness that the universe is; he sings us to our heart and to love fully, bravely and wholly – not just a little bit, not just sometimes, we should love always and fearlessly. Let love sing you back to skin.
In his incarnation of Krishna, Lord Vishnu always inspires us to create and deepen our relationship to God – which is why the moon is also associated with love, the maternal line, the lineage of the soul, what matters to us most deeply and sacred, our faith and church within, our emotional inner lands and what builds our bridge to God.
Mercury as Buddha
Siddhartha Gautam, later known as Gautam Buddha, is the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu. He left his family and all material possession in search of enlightenment. Desiring to dissolve the boundaries and barriers he reached his hands across the lines that separate us – both the mental ones and physical ones, and he founded a religion based upon love, compassion and service to others.
The Buddha avatar represents the spiritual seeker within us, and through this avatar Mercury becomes the awakened discriminating intellect that helps us on our traveling journey towards truth and self knowledge; it is the part of us willing to open ourselves for learning new things and see different perspectives thereby helping our expansion, growth and evolution; it is the childlike curiosity, the beginner’s mind described in Zen Buddhism, the learning and discovering, the re-learning and the re-discovering. In its highest manifestation Mercury is that which choses to move beyond the lines and structures of his inner mind and self, dissolve them and move into new territories of understanding. Just like Buddha avatar, it is to move ourselves from our comforts of our palace and kingdom and move into the new territories expanding in our learning.
Another aspect of this avatar is the “middle way” – which is essentially about holding two truths as one, realizing that absolutism sinks us in the water like stones. Mercury in its highest expression shows us the path to that understanding – that we can hold “and/both”, rather than separate ourselves through “or”. Through the adventurous quest for knowledge, Mercury, who is the beloved son of Jupiter, learns and opens himself to transcend all lines and divisions, resolving the inner conflicts and thereby harmony within and externally. He faces any biases and conditional thinking, sees the reality of the world and the extremes, and we holds it all within dissolving boundaries, and creating the ocean he swims in more harmoniously. This is the power of learning and ever evolving, being flexible and open, and practicing the beginner’s mind; and challenging ourselves to see different perspectives which essentially deepen our own understanding.
Mercury is all about expanding the mind and the learning, but to know the mind of others we must know the heart; the land of the heart is the only land that matters, and through our walks with Krishna and Buddha, with our natal Moon and Venus and all together in unison, we were reconciling it all, so that we can open our hearts and mind, harmonize and hopefully approach the world and others with respect, kindness, compassion and acceptance.
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Cover art: Vishnu with Lakshmi on a lotus, The San Diego Museum of Art, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.