I have been at this article since over a month, but due to personal exigencies I have been unable to complete it.  I am quite sure if it was the position of the stars!!

Well, to progress we are getting towards the end of 2021 and what an eventful year it has been!  

An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!

A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.

The eclipse season started with November 19^th   with the Lunar eclipse (full moon) at 3 degrees in the Taurus/ Scorpio axis. It was conjunct with fixed star Algol. The fixed star Algol is a bright multiple star of the constellation Perseus, and located at 26° in the sign of Taurus, is known as the demon star or Medusa’s head.  It was one of the first non-nova variable stars to be discovered. The ancients mistrusted Algol’s blinking and inexplicable 8 hour disappearances. But it turns out it is a binary star, eclipsing itself every 3 days.

It is supposed to be one of the most treacherous stars. Infact alcohol derives its name from Algol.  

Lauri Jetsu, an astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki, studied Algol, this unusual star in the sky, which changes its brightness visibly changing every few days. His research suggests those fluctuations have been noted since at least ancient Egyptian times, and he believes observations made more than 3,000 years ago can contribute to the modern scientific understanding of why Algol behaves as it does. Algol takes its name from the Arabic phrase “Raʾs al-Ghūl,” meaning “the Demon’s Head”. You may recall that the villain in the film ‘Batman’ also shared this name. It’s long been considered an “unlucky star,” possibly because of its changes in brightness.

Astronomers have known since the 1880s that Algol is an “eclipsing binary” star. Its changes in brightness are caused by two stars orbiting only a few million miles apart, so that they look like one star here on Earth. The bright light from the larger star is “blotted out” every few days by its dimmer and much smaller companion. 

The Scorpion energy and flavour

On December 4th, the New Moon Total Solar eclipse happened in Jyeshtha Nakshatra of Vrishchika Rashi (Scorpio) at 18 degrees in the Scorpio- Taurus axis and these signs will be impacted most.  We had eclipses in the same nakshatra in June 2020 and December 2020, so similar themes may come up even now. The eclipse is caused by Ketu. Ketu is all about moksha or liberation and when the Sun (our soul) is eclipsed, it is period for meditation and prayer.  Vrischika Rashi is the 8th house of the Kaal Purusha Kundli. An eclipse in the 8th house is not considered very good but it also has an underlying spiritual energy.

• Jyeshtha Nakshatra means the eldest and in mundane astrology, it means important people or places are affected. The deity of Jyeshta is ruled by Lord Indra -the King of Gods. Hence world leaders as well as people in high offices needed to be extremely careful during this eclipse season. Especially those who are taking the common man for granted.

• Vrishchika means Scorpion and this eclipse is in the tail of the constellation and many difficult energies are released.  

• Moon is debilitated in the sign of Scorpio and further is lost in the light of the Sun. In addition Ketu also creates mental tensions for the moon, hence, many of us will find sudden events which increases our tensions.

• Soon after the eclipse Mars- a malefic planet also crossed the eclipse point (5^th December), and will hover around this degree till 30/31^st December 2021. Vedic astrology or Jyotish says that whenever a malefic cross the eclipse degree after the eclipse catastrophic events and violent incidents are predicted.  For instance, on 21^st June 2001, there was a total solar eclipse. This was the first eclipse of the 21^st century. This was again in Vrischika Rashi (Scorpio) – the 8^th house of Kaal Purusha kundali – the house of mystery, unknown, unforeseen circumstances and obstacles. The 8^th house is also the house of death and also rebirth. Soon after which Rahu crossed the eclipse point. Within 3 months, the catastrophic ‘9/11’ took place and changed the world forever.

Note: Barely 4 days after the eclipse we got the tragic news about the chopper that met with an accident in the Nilgiri Hills. The helicopter was carrying CDS, General Bipin Rawat and 14 others on board. (Read about Kala Sarpa yoga below).

• Mars and Ketu will also remain in Scorpio till 31^st December. Mars will conjoin Ketu on December 15, at 7 degrees. This Mars and Ketu conjunction has always brought challenges. Air mishaps, Mishaps in water and terrorist attacks are all portended. The last time this happened, the cases of virus also increased. Indeed, the Omicron variant has risen.
•  In addition, Mercury also entered Scorpio from December 1^st and remained till December 9^th.

So, Sun, Mars, Mercury, Rahu, Ketu, were all in Scorpio (Vrishchika Rashi) during the eclipse season. Scorpio is also known as a house of secrecy. Scorpio is represented by a scorpion which has a tail that stings. It is also a watery sign- more specifically stagnant water. Hot planets in the sign will cause the water to boil over. It means that there will be simmering tensions and the virus will also increase in the time period till April 2022.

An eclipse like this will bring out the secrecy out when Mars moves out of Scorpio into Sagittarius in January about what is happening now. Espionage activities will increase. There will be war like situations on the waters. Tornadoes, cyclones, water-related mishaps could happen anywhere in the world.

As it was in 2019, the eclipse was in Scorpio with Mars coming in the sign, the knowledge of the Corona virus was brought to light when Mars moved to Sagittarius in January. A similar pattern will follow in January 2022.

Looking at India’s natal chart, there are warning bells, with many planets being around the nakshatras where the Sun and Moon are located.

• Infact there are four planets which are nearly at the exact point of the solar eclipse, with Ketu, Mercury, Moon and Sun in the degrees around the eclipse.
• Rahu is right opposite them. Rahu is in Kritthika Nakshatra which is governed by the Sun.
• Jyeshtha is the nakshatra of media- there will be changes in this field.
• People power will prevail over government decisions and we have already seen this happening.

At the individual the Moon (mind) and Sun (soul) needs attention. Meditation and prayer are the only answer.

Kala Sarpa Yoga

Kalasarpa Yoga is formed when all 7 planets considered in Vedic Astrology (Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury) are placed between Rahu (Moon’s North Node) and Ketu (Moon’s South Node).

This month all planets are coming within Rahu-Ketu axis creating Kala Sarpa energy from 10th December.  We have spoken about this in an earlier article too. This is not a rare event but we can expect extreme highs and extreme lows throughout the transit when it comes to the economy and other world events. This is happening in the Taurus / Scorpio axis which deals with the economy, money, as well as psychological and emotional issues. Sun is throwing light and also represents people in power, Ketu exposes secrets, and the time period till April 2022 will expose secrets of people in power. Rahu and Ketu both represents viruses. However, Ketu represents research too, so new medicinal discoveries and vaccines will come about. But Sun which represents our immunity is suppressed in the Kala Sarpa Yoga and hence we need to be extremely cautious about our health. The period till April 2022 will certainly pose problems, but an excellent time to meditate and pray, leaving our false egos behind. This article is not to be pessimistic but tread with caution and surrender to the Almighty.

(My obeisance to Sage Parasara who gave us the treatise Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra; Sage VarahaMihira who wrote the Brihat Samhita Hora, and the current astrologers Joni Patry, Komilla Sutton, Satish Menon and a host of other experts who have made astrology comprehensible to the layman. I am attempting this essay only because of them. Any errors are only mine.)

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