The Sun moves into the sign Libra from October 17th until the November 16th. The Aditya is Pūṣaṇa. He is called that because he feeds the world – puṣṇāti sarvān iti pūṣā (पुष्णाति सर्वान् इति पूषा). As per the Samba Purana, Pūṣaṇa is the in-dweller of the food and is responsible for nourishment and rejuvenation of all creatures at all times. Libra is a sign associated with prosperity and Pūṣaṇa is the keeper of the flocks and herds and bringer of prosperity. In Shiva Maha Purana it is said that the weekday Friday ruled by Venus was created for puṣṭi, which means nourishment, comforts and luxuries. Moon in Libra is considered as extremely auspicious for wealth.
Pūṣaṇa Aditya is also the ruler of fruitful journeys, invoked for protection from dangers on the path. One worships Pūṣaṇa to throw light on the auspicious path and to find the lost things too. He conducts the safe passage way of souls to the other world by lighting up the path. I wrote last year how Pūṣaṇa is invoked for realising the ‘Truth’ at the time of death (the last journey) from the verse 16 of the Isavasya Upanishad. Verse 15 of the same Upanishad is a poignant prayer to Pūṣaṇa for unveiling himself to a practitioner of truth (satya-dharma).
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् ।
तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ १५॥
hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitam mukham,
tat tvaṁ pūṣan āpāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye
The face of Truth is covered by a golden lid; remove, O Pūṣaṇa, that for me, the practitioner of the Truth, so that I may behold it.
At a deeper level death can also means a ‘dying ego’. The Sun is debilitated in the natural 7th house in a horoscope representing fall of an ego. Therefore it can also be the plea of a spiritual seeker to shake off his ego. Only a completely integrated personality (when there is congruence between thinking, feeling and doing and at body, mind and intellect) can identify with the ‘Truth’ as is said in verse 16.
This is a month of eclipses. The partial solar eclipse is on October 25th in Libra in Swati Nakshatra and the lunar eclipse is a fortnight later on the Nov 7th in Aries in Bharani. This solar eclipse is caused by the descending node Ketu, and hence there is a need to pull away from materialism. This is the opportunity to transform whatever Libra represents in our individual horoscopes. Saturn aspects the eclipsed sign Libra from Capricorn. The only other planet that is involved in the eclipsed sign is Venus the lord of the sign. Libra is also the market place and nidhi rashi (store of wealth). Swati, where Saturn is exalted and the Sun debilitated is good for trading gains. We have been suffering bad news on the economic front for months now, I did mention in my write up earlier in the year and during the BAVA conference that the transit of Ketu in Swati Nakshatra should be terrible for the stock markets and perhaps, it will represent a turn as we look for balance in the ways and means of seeking security. (Ketu is in Swati Nakshtra 18th October 2022 to 26th June 2023). For more details on October solar eclipse read my article https://vijayajyoti.com/eye-on-the-sky-solar-eclipses-of-2022/. The remedy for solar eclipse is to worship the teaching form of Shiva- Dakshinamurthy. A lunar eclipse following a solar eclipse is fortuitous and Lord Narsimha is worshipped on that day.
This is a challenging month for Sun and what it signifies -power, ruler-ship and authority particularly the two weeks between the Solar and Lunar eclipse. Sun joins Ketu in Libra on the 17th October and Venus follows on the 19th October cancelling the debilitation of Sun until the 11th of November. However Venus is heavily afflicted this month, being the lord of the solar eclipse. Sun will be going towards its deep debilitation on the day of the eclipse and reaches 10° of Libra on the 27th October. Sun will meet Ketu on the 5th November before the lunar eclipse and there will be close conjunction of Sun, Mercury and Ketu on the 5-6th of November, after which a resolution may emerge. It is very important to remain calm and it will pay to trade pride for humility. The combination of Sun and Ketu is said to give an auspicious yoga of Shiva and Venus is own sign also can access the energy of Shiva which is the Truth.
Mercury, the significator of business and communication is not affected by the eclipse itself but is in close conjunction with Sun and Ketu and as it enters Libra on the 27th October, two days after the eclipse. Mercury will remain in Libra until the 13th of November. Venus, moves into Scorpio on the 11th Nov while remaining combust. Caution is warranted in affairs of heart as Venus in Scorpio can cause rains or tears. Mars the planet of action and war in Gemini is not involved with the solar eclipse directly, it will turn retrograde on 30th October and enter Taurus on the 14th November. A retrograde Mars and the Venus will be in exchange between 14th November and 6th December creating conditions for passion and vengeance, both are lords of lunar and solar eclipses respectively. Mars will also be in trines to Saturn again till Saturn moves into Aquarius on January 17th, creating a difficult influence for Earth signs. Mars in Taurus will be retrograde until 12th of January and then in forward motion until the 12th of March. A retrograde Mars can create conditions for haste and impatience.
The real good news is that Saturn in Capricorn will turn direct on 23rd October gaining momentum to finish its business in Capricorn for the last few months before it moves into Aquarius in January. I am hoping we can truly leave COVID behind after that.
We celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights which is symbolic of victory over evil on the 24th October. This festival is celebrated on Amavasya tithi (after 12.57.39 BST on the 24th Oct) in the North of India as Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana, along with the Lakshmi Puja. In the south of India, the festival is always celebrated on Chaturdashi tithi in the morning.
Lets us worship Pūṣaṇa Aditya for guiding us to an auspicious path in these turbulent times and to keep us nourished and warm in the hard winter months ahead.
ॐ घृणिः पूषणादित्यः
om ghṛṇiḥ pūṣaṇādityaḥ