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The Rashis: The First Cycle: The Primordial Age

The Zodiac is more than a cyclical progression of symbols that analogue the stars which distantly circumference the planetary ellipses of our solar system – the Zodiac is a complex cipher that describes Time and the Semantic Essence of a given span of Time on every possible scale. The Zodiac can encompass a moment, a season, an age, or even the life-span of the Universe.

The most immediately instructive Description that the Zodiac can provide is that of the Human Life. From Birth to Death, from Incarnation to the Projection of the next Incarnation, from Creation to Creator.

When we begin to understand our lives as a series of Preparations and Transformations, demarcated and indicated by the Zodiac’s Duodeciform Progression, we become knowing participants in the process of our own physical, mental and spiritual development. This is the true purpose of Astrology, to enlighten us to the possibility that we might have a hand in our Fate, rather than merely being victims of circumstance. At each stage of our lives we should take the time to review our course through the Lens of the Zodiac – our lives are an alchemical process which will take its own course in our ignorance if we fail to Understand and Perform the Work.

As the Soul matures through the Houses of the Zodiac we will see that the basic image of transformation is that of a movement from Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), to Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), to Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and finally, to Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). In each phase, the conditions for the next transition are prepared and the soul approaches greater and greater plateaus of autonomy, agency and thus greater consequences (both good and bad) for all actions taken are accrued as the process continues.

— Aries (Mesha) —

Ruler: Mars

Element: Fire

Exalting for: Sun

Debilitating for: Saturn


This is where every Incarnation begins. Aries is the Rashi of Cosmogenesis, the Creative Dynamo which propagates All Things. Aries represents the explosive expression of potential, the unleashing of all that has been pent up, stored and prepared. The Watery Abyss of the Womb yields to the Fierce Daylight of Emergence.

The significance of Mars’ rulership over Aries is perhaps best understood through the relationship that Aries has with the Labour of Birth. Mars deals with violence, erruption, emotional intensity, blood, wounds and the overcoming of obstacles via War. Aries thus expresses a pure and uncontemptuous facet of Mars, the glyph of the Arrow Emerging from the Circle is here the glorious emergence of Life itself from its Generative Matrix – through struggle, strife and pain, the Will brings Potential into Actuality. One may even notice that the Glyph for Aries bears a striking resemblance to both the Male Genitalia (unerect and in a passive, post-coital state) and the Female reproductive system (Vaginal Canal, Fallopian Tubees and Ovaries), this resemblance is no coincidence and refers to the very Genesis which Aries encompasses. When we examine the Nakshatras contained in Aries in the next essay, the rather counterintuive designation of the Martian Aries (Mars typically only being associated with the Masculine Essence) as the Advent of Sexual Dimorphism in the Zodiac will be fully elucidated.

In Aries, the Individual is almost entirely the culmination of a prior process, they are wholly contingent in this phase and Karma is reaped rather than sown. This state of contingency will persist to varying degress until the Soul develops into the Leo phase of life.

In the manner that Aries is the First Sign, it also represents the essential character of the First House in every natal chart. From this we can discern that the First House rules over the Body as it is inherited from the parents, the ease or difficulty of the individual’s birth, the Self, the general constitution of the individual and the overarching trajectory of the individual’s life. The notion of Trajectory is salient here, again the Glyph of Mars is evoked – as the Emergent Spear, Mars represents Aim, Ambition, Direction – Aries and therefore the First House are the Aim of the Incarnation, this is the stuff of Destiny with which the now incarnate soul may Work.

The raw material of Becoming is cooked out and produced here, thus it is incredibly sensitive to influence, it is volatile and extremely pliable, like an ingot drawn from the fire that can be pounded into shape and molded as one sees fit. We see this in the incredible plasticity of infant brains, which dramatically respond and adapt to stimuli in ways that more mature brains cannot. This plasticity recedes as the Prime Materia cools and the transition into the later phases of Zodiacal Alchemy begin.

— Taurus (Vrishabha) —

Ruler: Venus

Element: Earth

Exalting for: Moon

Debilitating for: Ketu

Taurus is the First Solidification, the very Clay from which mankind is made in myths the world over. It is here that the first inklings of agency coalesce from the fiery aftermath of the Ram’s Forge. Here, the Spirit and Design inherent in the projecti(le) on which shone out from Aries takes the first steps towards self-direction and therefore the construction of a Body. Taurus is strongly associated with the Mouth. Whereas the Ram of Aries charges forth, the Bull of Taurus grazes, fattens and proliferates. The Mouth as an alternate symbol of Taurus suggests two important facets of this sign’s functioning: Metabolization and Vocalization.

Metabolization: The construction of the Body requires the metabolizing of the environment. The Fire of Aries is the initial consumer of this exotic material, but the majority of what it consumes is repurposed for constructions of a far subtler nature than the Body of which we now speak. The explorative and appetite-driven Taurus congeals various elements into a steadily and rapidly expanding Form, the Body – the very Vehicle which will serve the Incarnate Soul throughout the rest of its life. Selfhood is largely determined by lower, more instinctual tuggings on the Soul, the Ego is still subordinate to the Mother (for much of the material from which the Body is constructed is the Mother’s Milk) and the environment which she has created for the Incarnate Individual. This process is manifest in the mastication children engage in as they teethe and the fact that much of the world is processed/ experienced by infants via Taste and Chewing. At this stage, a person has little use of their limbs and the hands and arms serve only as attending mandibles for the Mouth. The Bull symbolism of this sign yields to the Sow, the giver of Milk, the more we examine Taurus’ nature.

Vocalization: Taurus represents the first mode of expression and articulation: the voice. Here, vocalization has no precise or rational semantic content and is effectively a sort of glossolalia. The voice is a primal expression of proto-semantic emotion, an uttering wholly bound up in the Now-ness of Becoming, of Instinct, and the delirium of dreams absent lucidity. In this way, Taurus could be seen as representative of the Animal Innocence of Eden prior to the advent of Knowledge, the total absence of Guilt in lower forms of manifest consciousness. A failure to reconcile with later phases of development often leads to the consumption of various substances which recreate the hazy immediacy of (lower functioning, regressive) Taurus consciousness, such as alcohol, opiates and morphine. Through the exercising of the Voice, the newly formed Body is able to permit rudimentary exertion and assertion upon the environment, compelling through pure emotion and desire, the attendance of more developed Incarnations.

It is instructive (in relation to Taurus) to consider the Sanskrit term for Venus, Shukra. Shukra means “Bright” or “Clear” and is often used to refer to Semen or other Sexual fluids. Shukra can also be translated as “White” and may be considered to be expressed through other creamy or *milky* substances. The Milk of the Sow is one of these expressions and Venus’ rulership over Taurus deals explicitly with the vitalizing, producing and nourishing aspects of Venus. Unlike the Bodies constructed in the later Earth signs, much of the material in use here is provided quite directly and tangibly by the Mother. Although there are also Subtle Substances transmitted by the Maternal Power during this phase of development, the focus is primarily that of the physical Body that operates in the world of Matter. It is this softer, cooler aspect of Venus which permits the Fiery preparation of Aries to congeal and toughen, producing the Clay/Flesh. Venus’ Taurus Aspect represents the transmission and reception of Nourishment.

This entire phase of Life is encapsulated in the Second House of the nativity and it is here that we look to understand those years which span infancy to pre-pubescence. The capacity that Female Individuals have to Nourish and corporeally Sustain children is indicated by this House.

As the Soul (by way of the Flesh) explores its surroundings, matures and begins to foster independence from the Mother, the next phase begins.

— Gemini (Mithuna) —

Ruler: Mercury

Element: Air

Gemini represents the Advent of Genuine Self-Knowledge, which is facsillitated through the Dimorph – One-on-One communication with an Other. This is the significance of Gemini’s Twin Symbolism, the most fundamental form of communication and social interaction: the meeting of strange minds. Unlike the relationship with the Mother which dominates in Taurus, wherein there are no boundries, no privacy, no hard lines or demarcations between subjects and objects, in Gemini there is a distinct notion of Otherness, of Someone Else. This deals with at once the interactions which occur between siblings (absent parental observation or proximity) and the awakening of the latent Sexual Dimorphism which came about in Aries (and its Watery Antecedent in Pisces, more on this later) and thus the first interactions between Individuals of the Opposite Sex outside the Family. This is why Gemini has been both been associated with Twins and Lovers. It is also in Gemini that the ability to consider oneself from the Third Person begins to mature – the Ego divides into Two and Judges its Reflection.

Mercury as the Ruler of Gemini, thus represents the Advent Knowledge and Intellect as distinct and determinant factors in the Individual’s life. Now that the Body forged in Aries, nourished in Taurus has matured, it is now ready to permit its inhabiting Soul the power to explore the World, albeit in a limited fashion. If Gemini could be summed up in one word, “Curiousity” would best suit the role. Temptations, fancies, delights, fears and imaginations tug and pull upon the Soul, and the Intellect develops as cascades of internal dualisms are mediated by Mercurial consideration. This is the Essential Nature of Mercury: Mediator between Poles, Opposites – Mercury is the Interference Pattern, the Spectrum that blurs the lines between Distinctions, that Hidden Gas which permits transmission between Elements, Objects, Subjects, Ideas and Individuals. This Airy-ness, this confrontation with subjectivity makes Gemini at once a source of great joy and wonderment, as well as fear and confusion, it is the first yet uncertain step towards self-determination typified by actual self-awareness.

Mercury is also the Lord of Speech and the Word and thus it is here that the largely meaningless blabber of Taurus is finally imbued with Meaning. Language at once clarifies, distinguishes and classifies the environment, and muddles it with debate, argument, naked subjectivity and opinion. Mercury takes the maturing Soul both High and Low, as both the Intellectual and Sexual faculties come into bloom.

As the Social Consciousness fostered here expands and the Mind is exposed to Minds, a deeper stratum of dependence is discovered, a sort of membraneous collectivity that blurs egos, acting as a persistent solvent for identity, the individual is still highly impressionable and mutable, having thrown open the gates of the Mind the World now floods in. It is not so much that this aqueous barrier to self-determination has only just been formed, but that via the explorative process of Gemini, the limits that this Watery realm impose have finally impeded and constrained the individual whereas before they were untested and unaccosted. This brings us to Cancer.

— Cancer (Karka) —

Ruler: Moon

Element: Water

Exalting for: Jupiter

Debilitating for: Mars

Cancer represents the Individuals true first encounter with Darkness since the Womb. Here the grip of the Mother and the Family becomes smothering, claustrophobic and disciplinary. Cancer is associated with the Home and the House and thus it is both a shelter from the outside World and an insulator for dysfunction, childishness, sexual repression, failed individuation and over-dependence on others. It is here where things begin to fester in private, where unsightly things found in Gemini are sequestered away, this is a place of Secrets.

Here in Cancer, Moon is representative of Tribal and Collective Consciousness, the Receptivity and Submission to External Light and conversely, the rejection of that Light and the wallowing in ignorance and darkness, the unsightly combination of childish impulses with more developed sexual and intellectual faculties, thus begetting perversions and a burgeoning sense of shame.

All is not doom and gloom, however, for the Moon is also the ideal Student, the Devotee, who here learns the traditions of the family, takes on the responsibilities that come with maturity within the family unit and this is where traditionally the Individual would be prepared for Initiation. This Lunar phase of development is the Key to transcending Infantilism and the grip of the over-protective Mother. It is at once the defensive reflex of the Maternal Matrix at the moment when the child truly begins to test maternal authority, the last and most desperate effort to retard the progress of the maturing Individual, and the Test without which true individuation and maturity cannot occur. This gripping, restricting and limiting aspect of Cancer is represented in its symbol, the Crab. The Crab is limited in its ability to leave the ocean, being able to only survive on the shore for limited amounts of time, often dwelling in the shallows where its claws drag its prey into a watery grave, like the Child, the Crab is dependent on what the Watery Realm of the Mother deigns to provide and is ill-equipped to escape its bounds.

The Crab also feeds on detritus and sea-carrion, representing Cancer’s role as a repository for that which we relegate to subconsciousness, and the liminal consciousness of shame, guilt, and fetishization. All that we wish to keep hidden from outsiders is “Kept Within The Crab”. We often naively believe that those things which we hide here will remain hidden or simply be left behind, but as we shall see, the Watery Fourth Phase of each Rashi Cycle, will bring us back into contact (and confrontation) with the Depths of our Soul, each time plunging us Deeper and Deeper.

In the Nativity, the Fourth House assumes the Mantle of Cancer, the House indicator of the Mother, the Home, our sense of Security and it is our Refuge throughout the rest of our Lives.

Cancer represents the End of a Cycle, the dissolution of prior norms and it is the Trial for which the previous three Rashis have prepared the Individual. To emerge victorious from Cancer is to be Reborn, to rise up out of the Abyss and venture out into the World outside the childhood Home and the Playpen. It is only the failure to confront the Darkness latent in this sign that begets the more monstrous and undesirable outcomes and phenomena alluded to and discussed above.

Harry Neal John Macrae lives in the beautiful Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he operates as a professional Vedic Astrologer under the name Iron Age Jyotish.

Watch DWTV Podcast Episode #3: “Mysteries of Jyotish: The Rashis” with Neal John MacRae of Iron Age Jyotish on the Dharma Warrior YouTube Channel!

“DWTV Podcast Episode #2: “Mysteries of Jyotish: The Planets” with Neal John MacRae of Iron Age Jyotish

Read the first installment of “Mysteries of Jyotish”, a series of guest blog posts with Neal John MacRae of Iron Age Jyotish!
“Mysteries of Jyotish: The Planets”

Watch the first installment of “Mysteries of Jyotish” on the Dharma Warrior YouTube Channel! DWTV Podcast Episode #2 “Mysteries of Jyotish: The Planets” With Neal John MacRae of Iron Age Jyotish now available!

In Jyotish the most fundamental concept which the practitioner, the client and the hobbyist alike should understand, is the nature of the NavaGrahas, the Nine Planets. Too often, in Western astrology, these Celestial Lords of the Firmament are reduced to mere objects, simple lodes whose effects are attributed to pseudo-scientific material forces, waves, energy, or other New Age hokum. This perception not only leaves the sacred science of astrology open to (deserved) criticism from the astronomy/science community, but also disarms those who adhere to it of any genuinely useful spiritual merit or context.

The Nine Planets as they physically appear to the astronomer, are mere metaphors, simple material expressions of deific consciousnesses. It is not the material planets themselves that exert themselves upon the narrative of our lives, but rather the deifics they represent. These celestial bodies are moved and thus we are moved, to know one is to know the other.

NavaGraha roughly translates as “The Nine that Lay Hold”, “The Nine that Seize”, or “The Nine Holders”, Nava meaning ‘nine’ and Graha meaning ‘Grab, Hold, Seize’. The significance of the meaning of Graha cannot be understated – the Grahas pull upon, capture, grip and drag, rather than outright determine or ordain.

The rule of the Navagrahas can be likened to the very gravity of the physical planets that represent them, that is to say, with sufficient force their will can be resisted or even outright defied. So, although they are extremely powerful the Grahas are not All Powerful. However, this “gravity” is not overcome by mere desire, but rather by those processes peculiar to the shedding of Karmas, the deconditioning of the Soul.

The nativity is thus, not a Doom, but a map of the net our Karmas have cast for us, the tracts of fate which every prior incarnation has produced. If Jyotish could only describe the inescapeable, the condemnations and caprice of the heavens, then there would be little use in its study, for it would be in vain. We study Jyotish, rather, because the best way to navigate our Karmas and our Fates is by understanding them, that we might better face the challenges ahead and fair better in the enduring of them than we would have if we had never availed ourselves of our natal chart and its secrets.

Of the Nine Planets used in Jyotish, seven will likely be familiar to the Westerner: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. The other two are known as Rahu and Ketu, or as they are sometimes referred to (obscurely) in Western astrology as the Northern and Southern Nodes of the Moon. These planets are known as Chhayagraha, or “Shadow Planets” in that they have no physical body to represent them in the material universe, rather they are mathematically determined points in the elliptic of the Moon, always 180 degrees apart, which are used to track eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

Some may have also noticed that the Outer Planets (Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, etc) are not included in this system. This is because these planets represent domains of consciousness and agency which transcend human apprehension and understanding. Whatever influence the relevant deifics of these planetary bodies exert is simply on too large a scale (both in terms of time and scale) to be useful in determining anything of specificity in the chart of the relatively short-lived human being.

The Nine Planets:

Sun / Surya: The Sun is the Soul, the Eternal and unchanging core of Human consciousness. Surya is the King of the Navagrahas, Alpha and Omega of Creation, the Grand Conflagration at the Beginning and End of Time. The Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are all facets of and focused expressions (in specificity) of the Sun’s faculties, powers, domains and aspects. In this way, the Sun is the totality of all the Planetary Powers – the Plurality as a Regal and Refined Unity.

The Sun is associated with and in its highest expression manifests Authority, Mastery, Bravery, Moral Clarity, Truthfulness, Dignity, Regality, Bodily Health, Ressurection and Immortality. The Sun is also the source of all Divine Authority and Moral Substantiation. Jupiter’s Writing of the Laws of Nature only serves Dharma insofar as this Law is in accordance with the Truth and Moral Righteousness of the Sun, the same can be said of Saturn’s Punishments, Mercury’s Investigations, Venus’ Artistry, Mars’ Wars and Moon’s Explorations. The Sun, when at its worst, produces Despotism, Tyranny, Abuse of Power, Egotism, and Narcissism.

It is the Light of Lord Surya that illuminates and is refracted through the other six Grahas (the Nodes do not reflect, but rather consume Surya’s Light). Thus, for the conditioned and incarnate soul the experience of Self-hood is mediated through that which Surya shines upon, rather than through direct apprehension of Its Light – this is akin to the mundane experience of trying to look directly at the Sun, more often than not, its brilliance is overwhelming and even harmful and it is easier to appreciate its light through the appreciation of what it reveals, rather than the source of the light itself. Thus, Surya is the Riddle of the Self which lies at the heart of all Religious Endeavour.

In the Natal chart, the Sun represents one’s Soul (the unchanging core of the Personality), the Father, how the native relates to the State and Authority figures, the Body and one’s Health.

The Moon / Chandra: Chandra is the Mind, Phenomenal Consciousness, Experience itself. The Moon is the Vehicle through which the entirety of Life is experienced, the very Stage upon which the Cosmic Drama unfolds. As the recipient of Light, which produces no Light of its own, Chandra represents the Devotee, the Initiate who seeks Illumination from his Guru. It is this eternally moving, exploring and seeking quality of the Moon which defines its relationship with the stoic and unmoving Sun – Self-Image (Moon) and Self (Sun) in the process of Reunification and Reconcilitation.

Chandra’s domain is that of Flux, Change, Cyclicity, Experience, Contemplation, Devotion, Curiousity, Inspiration, Receptivity, Transformation, Now-ness, the Senses, Initiation, Guile, Fertility and the Plant World. Chandra is also sometimes referred to as Soma, thus making the Moon the ruling deity of the Nectar of Heaven, the Mead of Inspiration, and all Entheogenic Substances, Medicinal Herbs and Subtle Fluids. The negative qualites of the Moon are Fickleness, Infidelity, Unreliability, Deception, Materialism, Hedonism, and Lunacy.

In the nativity the Moon represents the Mind, the primary domain of focus in the native’s life, the native’s frame of reference, the Mother, the subtle fluids of the astral body, the native’s dream-life and areas of life subject to frequent change and flux.

Mercury / Budh: Mercury is the Cosmic Intellect, the Analyzing and Synthesizing Spirit through which the Experiences gathered by the Moon are processed, organized, named and continually revised. Mercury is language, communication, designation and categorization – the very stuff of Information itself, the Logos. Mercury is also the only planet which is not considered to be weakened or “burnt” when it is conjunct the Sun, this symbolizes the imperviousness of genuine inquiry (Mercury) to the revelations of Truth (Sun). Mercury is also the Psychopomp, the Guide of the Dead and the Wanderer of the Realms who is welcome in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell, travelling freely between them all.

Mercury is the Lord of Investigation, Knowledge, Language, Logic, Mathematics, Discernment, Communication, the Voice, the Written Word, Metempsychosis, Money and Trade, Study and Travel. Mercury is also, however, also responsible for Deceit, Misinformation, Manipulation, Cold-Bloodedness, Discrimination, Theft, Usury, Mercantilism, Materialism, and Hyper-rationalism. Mythologically speaking Budh (Mercury) is the child of Brihaspati’s (Jupiter) wife Tara and Soma (Moon), this represents that Mercury is the product of Jupiter’s Wisdom and Lawfulness with that of Moon’s Sensuality and Experientiality.

In the chart Mercury tells us about a native’s mode of cognition, capacity for Learning and Speech, writing ability, Rationality, relationship with travel, Business Savvy and the native’s innate Talent.

Mars / Mangal: Mangal is the Lord of Energy. All that comes to be must harness Mars to effect its manifestation and realization, it is the very stuff of Effort and Action. As the Lord of War, Mars is that Force which contests with Present conditions, it is Ambition. Mars is Lust for Result and the State of Disatisfaction, hence its long association with marital difficulties, the male libido and war (which is often waged out of disdain for poor present conditions). Mars is generally responsible for all emotions, but it is especially tied to Anger, Jealousy, Pride, Excitement, Euphoria and Hatred. Mars is the Great Avenger of Injustices, the Enforcer of Jupiter’s Law and the Maintainer of Dharma in the Material World, a role defined by Struggle, Conflict and Sacrifice. However, since Destruction and Construciton are the natural results of Ambition, as the Lord of Ambition, Mars is also the Lord of Architects, Carpenters, Gardeners and Agriculturists, and Engineers. Mars is also the ruler of all fuels and the vehicles which consume them, thus Mars and Moon co-rule the Blood which flows through the body, and Mars and Sun co-rule the Body itself, with Mars ruling moreso over athletic ability and energy levels, whereas the Sun pertains more to general constitution, receptivity to medicine and overall health.

Mars is War, Conflict, Vengeance, Violence, Anger, Emotion, Dissatisfaction, Action, Energy, Aggression, Lust, Power, Design, Pride, Construction, Destruction, Conflagration, and Struggle. As one might surmise, Mars has a great capacity for many things which are widely considered to be negative, hence its categorization in both Western and Vedic Astrology as a Malefic. Mars is however, still the primary source of Motivation, Energy, and Determination for mankind amoungst the Planets.

In the Chart, Mars rules over the Libido of Male natives, Athletic Ability, Vehicles, Emotion, Ambition, Brothers and close Male Friends, boyfriends and sexual partners (in the charts of Women), Cardiovascular Health, Accidents, Injuries and Violence. Mars placements also often directly impact marital happiness and success.

Venus / Shukra: Shukra means “Semen” or “Semen of God”, “The Brilliant One” and “The White One”, thus Shukra represents the Fertilizing, Fructifying and Materializing process whereby the Ideal becomes the Actual. Shukra is the Lord of Procreation, Birth and Art. It is Venus who brings Life into the world of Matter, and propells the forces of evolution, invention and artistic expression. Venus is the very essence of Sexuality and Copulation, Love and Romance. Whereas Mars is Lust, Venus is the object of Lust, it does not desire, but rather it gives – Shukra is bountiful and replete, ready to dispense with seed and potentiating essence. The interplay of Mars’ ambition with Venus’ limitless fertility is the Secret to all Begetting.

Venus is from whence proceeds all Fertility, Artistic Mastery, Beauty, Love, Sexuality, and is one of the primary forces involved in technological, cultural and artistic innovation. Venus is however also responsible for Perversion, Sexual Abuse, Rape, Materialism, Hedonism, Racism, Elitism, Black Magick, Sadistic Behaviour, and Egotism.

In the nativity, Venus represents one’s Creativity, Fertility, Libido (both male and female), Sexual Preferences, Women in the native’s life, the Wife or Sexual Partners of Male Natives, and Venus can also indicate material Wealth and Luxuries.

Jupiter / Brihaspati: Jupiter is the Great Arbiter, the Judge of the Cosmos and the Great Guru. Jupiter is the regulator and codifier of Solar Authority, Morality and Truth. Thus Jupiter is that which imparts the Law unto Mankind and guides him in his adherence to it. It is important to note that Jupiter itself is not the Source of Moral Authority, but rather merely its Interpretor, and that when Jupiter is deprived of or separated from the Solar Influence, it becomes arbitrary, amoral and chaotic. Jupiter is Expansion and Prosperity, the nurturing force which rewards religious adherence and the implementation of the exoteric elements of religion. Jupiter does not impart gnosis or genuine spiritual insight, but rather provides those favourable conditions in which these things might be achieved. Jupiter is also Chance and Luck itself, the Rewards of Karma and the Bounty which Comes Unbidden.

Jupiter is the Priest of the Gods, the Lord of Ceremonies and thus is also associated with all rituals, customs, formalities and dogmas. Jupiter is Law, Order, Custom, Religion, Philosophy, Civilization, Reward, Chance, Luck, Wealth, and Prosperity, but also Arbitrariness, Oligarchy, Tyranny, Demagoguery, Bureaucracy, Legalism, Literalism and Blind Faith.

In the nativity, Jupiter represents the Guru, Luck, Wealth, the Husband (in a woman’s chart), and one’s disposition towards the Law, Religion and Philosophy.

Saturn / Shani: Saturn is often called The Great Malefic, the Most Feared of the Planets, the Lord of Death and Loss. Saturn is the Suffering we endure throughout our lives, the Loss of things we hold dear, the aging of our bodies, the endless march of Time and material destitution. Saturn aims to teach Mankind to turn towards the Internal and Spiritual Realms by frustrating our material conditions. Saturn is the Task-master, who doles out our Karmic challenges (in conjunction with Rahu and Ketu) and he is the End of All Things. Saturn is also the Lord of Slaves, Labourers, the Working Class, the Poor, the Homeless and the Elderly. Saturn dwells at the very edge of the visible Solar System, thus He represents Limits, the very Horizon of what is Possible. Saturn is that which regulates Jupiter’s excesses and prevents Jupiter’s rewards from spoiling incarnate souls, introducing poverty and desolation wherever greed, satiety and luxury blind human beings from the deeper reality of the Spirit.

Saturn is Death, Deprivation, Work Ethic, Suffering, Rebellion, Class Strugglee, Servitude, Loss, Submission, Labour, Time, Limitation, and the Hardships of the Material World.

In the birth chart, Saturn indicates Suffering, Karma, Work Ethic, Elders, Injuries, Death, Loss, Servitude, Restriction and Limitation.

The Northern Node / Rahu: Rahu is the Head of the Dragon, the Devourer of the Sun and Moon, the Spirit of Delusions, Progress, Confusion, Chaos, Distortion and Karma. Rahu is that which obscures the Light of Truth and thus produces nihilism, obsession, falsehood and madness. Rahu seeks to test and tempt mankind, to hasten the process whereby Karma is resolved and confronted, by dragging mankind through the most infernal states of consciousness, bringing the soul into confrontation with the Demonic that it might be overcome. Rahu is the Lord of the present age, the Kali Yuga, and thus also the ideologies of Progress, Liberalism, Nihilism, Modernism, Aburdism and all of modernities political modalities. Rahu opposes authority, norms and stability of any kind, favouring instead chaos, upheaval and ambiguity. Rahu is also the Lord of Technology, Innovation, Novelty and (alongside Ketu) is a gateway through which strange and otherwordly forces may enter our reality in defiance of the laws of Surya and Brihaspati.

Rahu is Delusion, Illusion, Addiction, Toxicity, Distortion, Egotism, Obsession, Mania, Horror, Death, Anarchy, Maya and Insurrection. Rahu also begets Novelty, Evolution, Change, Innovation, and relates to the secret processes of Manifestation and Magick.

The Southern Node / Ketu: Ketu is the Tail of the Dragon, Sun-Eater and Moon-Swallower, Lord of Ego-Death, Spiritual Liberation, Moksha, Karma and Disillusionment. Ketu is that which yearns for release from the bonds of Karma and the Manifest Universe, Ketu is that which desires the Peace and Serenity of the Void. Ketu disregards all Cosmic Laws in pursuit of Liberation and Spiritual Transcendance, this is because Ketu is the manifest aspect of the Void in our Reality, it is that which remembers what was Before All Things. Ketu is also the consciousness of Ancestors, the Realms of the Dead, the Shells of all prior incarnations and the identities of Tribe, Nation, Family and Lineage. Ketu is the Sum of Karma, the Totality of All that has Been. Whereas Rahu is concerned with the Future, Ketu is instead a backwards flowing current consumed by the Past.

Ketu is Moksha, Transcendance, Liberation, Ego-Death, Absence, Death, Lack, Disillusionment, Karma, Memory, Ancestry, Group-consciousness, the Past, Detachment and Intuition.

In the nativity Ketu represents our Past Incarnations, our Ancestors, things which we are detached from or that we lack, Memories of Past Lives, Karmas, and our relationship with the past and that which no longer exists.

Harry Neal John Macrae lives in the beautiful Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he operates as a professional Vedic Astrologer under the name Iron Age Jyotish.

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Watch the first installment of “Mysteries of Jyotish” on the Dharma Warrior YouTube Channel! DWTV Podcast Episode #2 “Mysteries of Jyotish: The Planets” With Neal John MacRae of Iron Age Jyotish now available!

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“The passage of the mythological hero may be over ground, incidentally; fundamentally it is inward–into depths where obscure resistances are overcome, and long lost, forgotten powers are revivified, to be made available for the transfiguration of the world.”
-Joseph Campbell

“You are the hero of your own journey.” We’ve all heard sayings of the like; intended to spark inspiration, but often having little meaning, little real impact upon the intended audience. I, however have come to take this idiom to heart of late. I have been greatly impacted by this particular quote, and found great meaning and inspiration in its words.

The concept of the Kshatrya, the Dharma Warrior, has become integral to my being in recent days. In the past months and years I have persevered through suffering and adversity I never dreamed I could endure. Looking back, my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual struggles over the past 5 years are almost unbelievable. In recent days the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita has brought me toward light from the deepest darkest recesses of what felt like a personal hell.

My daily Yogic practice has literally saved my life. In July of 2014 my pancreas suddenly stopped producing insulin and I was diagnosed with late onset type 1 diabetes. The past few years have been difficult to say the least. Learning to regulate my blood sugar with diet, exercise and insulin therapy is slowly becoming easier, but still I struggle. Undiagnosed type 1 diabetes has taken a toll on my body in a number of ways. The nerves in my fingers and toes are badly damaged. My bones and the enamel on my teeth are very weak. My vision has deteriorated and I have developed chronic stress, IBS and sexual impotency which come and go with my physical health and stress levels.

Since my earliest childhood I have known my dharma, but like most people I doubt myself. I have suffered indecision. I have suffered illness both physical and mental, but most importantly: I have persevered. Many nightmares have come true, but so too many dreams. Many visions that were once cloudy have become clear.

Always in pursuit of spiritual wisdom since childhood, I found myself exploring many avenues of mystical and magickal practice. From a young age I also developed a keen interest in martial arts. At the age of five my brothers introduced me to the popular film “The Karate Kid”, which spurred a life long pursuit of martial mastery. Having taken the first step on the path of warriorhood in my mind, I began to wear a black bath-robe regularly and could be found practicing made up forms and drills or shadow-boxing around the house day and night. My sister is 17 years my elder and her boyfriend, now my brother-in law, was quite skilled in kung fu. Seeing my ambition and likely knowing my parents were not going to put into any sort of martial arts class, he began teaching me basic blocks and attacks when he was at the house.

I get both the Witchblood and the heart of a warrior from my Mother’s side. My middle name, Douglas, comes from her uncle Doug Odo who was an acclaimed amateur boxer. A small number of my cousins also pursued amateur boxing. Myself, my true initiation to the pugilist arts came in the form of real life self defense. In retrospect, rural Nova Scotia was not the easiest place for a person like myself to grow up. I am not cut from the same fabric as your average rural Nova Scotian. I made life hard on myself growing up. I was a freak by nature, and the older I got, the more I was forced to persevere through the judgement and ridicule of my peers, something snapped and I stopped caring. I started to enjoy the fact that my simple existence could shake the fragile egos of my schoolmates.

I’ve never picked a fight in my life, but I’ve found myself a number of times needing to defend myself physically or sticking up for others who can’t stick up for themselves. I like to think that a life of martial arts training and spiritual practice has prepared me to handle violent situations and aggressive people in a manner I couldn’t without this experiential wisdom. Any true warrior will tell you that the best way to survive in any confrontation is to avoid physical confrontation, but unfortunately not every situation can be resolved with words or by running away. I have been attacked within minutes of my life. I have witnessed acts of violence that I truly wish I had not.

Living in Halifax, Nova Scotia I am fortunate to have had access to the Shambhala Buddhist tradition which has a vibrant community both in the city and elsewhere in the province. A number of Shambhala Buddhists migrated to Nova Scotia after their founder Sakyong Trungpa Rinpoche visited in the 1970’s, declaring these lands a sacred place and founding Gampo Abbey, the home of the Shambhala Monastic Order, on the island of Cape Breton in 1983. In summer of 2006 I began working as a barista at the local cafe Steve-O-Reno’s Cappuccino. Steve-O-Reno (Steve Armbruster R.I.P.) was among a small group of Shambhala Buddhists who emigrated to Nova Scotia in the 1970’s and 80’s from the Western United States in hopes of spreading the teachings of Shambhala.

I was first exposed to the concept of the Dharma Warrior via Sakyong Trungpa Rinpoche’s book Shambhala : The Sacred Path of the Warrior which I found behind the counter at the cafe and borrowed after my first shift. I had developed a sincere interest in religious studies throughout my life but had not yet discovered Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana. Shambhala has a very unique take on Buddhism which focuses heavily on the concept of the Sacred Warrior and many aspects of the teachings resonated with me on a deep level.

In the following weeks, in the summer of 2006, I met my good friend and martial arts teacher Glenn Knockwood. Glenn is a true Dharma Warrior, a master of Chen style Taichi, Wing Chun Kung Fu and a black belt in Bujinkan Ninjutsu. Having suffered much hardship and loss in his youth, Glenn has used his martial and spiritual practices to transform his life in a way that I found very inspirational and helped me to spur a great change in my own life. Glenn has been very involved with the Halifax Parkour community who were a great inspiration to me at the time. The philosophy of Parkour is to learn to move freely through one’s environment; to train the body and mind to overcome obstacles with ease.

From the summer of 2006 on I practiced Taichi and Wing Chun Kung Fu daily for a number of years until i fell into ill health in 2014. Looking back there was a time I felt borderline super-human. I had become quite skilled at climbing walls and buildings, jumping from heights I almost can’t believe and landing graciously. Nowadays I have trouble going up and down the stairs at times…

It was the spring of 2014 when things started to change in a bad way. I was beginning to feel waves of lethargy. My mind felt very foggy and my memory was starting to get really bad at times. By early June of 2014 I was starting to crave sugar at night and noticed i was dropping weight. Friday the 13th of June I awoke at precisely 3:33am basically pissing myself and feeling dehydrated and incredibly weak. I crawled the 10 or 12 feet from my bed to the bathroom where I sat upon the toilet urinating for about 3 minutes straight while pounding back cup after cup of water. The following 2 weeks were a living hell. I went to my family doctor who sent me to have blood tests. Before I received my test results, on June 29 I had one of the most profound and traumatic experiences of my life.

I went to bed feeling very lethargic. At some point in the night I awoke but everything was black. There was nothing but my thoughts, a consciousness lost in space….”Is this death?” I remember thinking, “Am I dead? I guess it could be worse…I can think about anything I like…it’s generally pleasant…” This went on for an unknown period of time but I assume hours. Suddenly something happened and I had a realization…I was in a semi-comatose state but could still see. As the sun began to rise and its rays shone through the window I could see the red of blood and the veins in my eyelids. Some time later when the feeling started to come back to my fingertips and toes, and eventually my hands and feet I was slowly overwhelmed with burning pain all over my body. I was totally paralyzed but could still see the red veins on the pink background of my eyelids. I could feel my beloved dog Braxton pawing at me with concern and eventually he alerted my roommate who took me to get a blood test at a local sexual health clinic who do weekly free blood tests.

When the doctor entered the room his jaw dropped. I looked very pale and skeletal. I had dropped from 175 lbs down to about 130 lbs in a matter of weeks. I was urinating every 15 minutes. I forget the ancient Sanskrit term for diabetes but I remember it translates to “flesh falling from the body via urine”…pretty accurate. The Latin term diabetes mellitis also implies the disgustingly sweet and honey-like smell to the urine of the untreated diabetic whose body is attempting to excrete excess glucose by way of urination (it turns out this isn’t very effective.) After explaining my symptoms the doctor said “When I came in here I thought you had…I thought you had something really bad. I’m not allowed to diagnose you for anything in this scenario, but off the record, you have every sign of type 1 diabetes and you have to promise me that when you leave here you’re going straight to the E.R.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake it and I did.

Early in the evening of June 30, 2014 I ended up at the E.R. My blood sugar was 47, which means that there were approximately 47 sugar cells trapped in each hemoglobin cell on average (about 7 times the healthy amount of sugar to have in the blood). I stayed in a bed in the E.R. for about 48 hours on I.V. insulin. This was maybe the most confused and fearful couple of days of my life. After about half an hour of having insulin in my body for the first time in a good couple of weeks I felt like Superman. The will to live, to persevere, is strong in the human organism. I realized at this point that I had been dragging my corpse around for weeks and months as my pancreas was slowly giving up. Late onset type 1 diabetes is a mysterious auto immune disease that is not understood in the depth that normal type 1 or “juvenile” diabetes is understood by the modern scientific community. Where it seems to come out of nowhere there is little known about the factors leading up to late onset type 1 diabetes by nature. All that is known for sure is that the immune system for some reason begins interpreting the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas as a threat and turns on the pancreas destroying the insulin producing cells. It is believed that this may be due to the afflicted person having been born with a pancreas that does not produce sufficient insulin, similar to juvenile type 1 diabetes, but for some reason the body is able to carry on into later life before the immune system kills the insulin producing beta cells.

One would think feeling like Superman physically in that moment would be encouraging or provide some comfort, but really it just put into perspective how much change was on the horizon once they took that I.V. out of my arm. I was destined for a life of blood letting, injections, lifestyle and dietary restrictions. I had never looked at the nutritional information on a package in my life; I had no reason to; I was healthy and active my whole life. I spent my life fighting, skateboarding biking, hiking, climbing and generally just being really hard on my body I guess, but energetically I was always very healthy. I always ate well (well enough anyway…), I would eat junk food in my youth but by my early 30’s I had spent much time on a vegetarian diet, and cooked most meals at home. I was very committed to my yoga and martial arts practices as well as my spiritual practice. Ultimately none of this could have prepared me for the struggles I would face in the following years.

July 1st being Canada Day I had to stay in E.R. for an extra day as none of the specialist I needed to see were on duty. I had to have an appointment with a diabetes specialist and a nutritionist to teach me the basics of diabetic nutrition and blood-glucose regulation via insulin therapy before I could be released into the world to live my new life. Though it felt like a long 2 days it was brightened up by my parents and a few friends visiting. I remember texting my friends and trying to get them to bring me burgers and cigarettes. I was starving and totally addicted to nicotine at the time so i was starting to crawl out of my skin. A good friend walked me home the following day. I was never so happy to see my dog Braxton in my entire life. Braxton was an incredibly intelligent and perceptive dog. He knew something was wrong with me. In the weeks prior to my diagnosis he began acting very defensive of me when walking on leash and was constantly looking at me with anxiety. He was incredibly happy to see me come home, and I’m sure happy to see a spark of life in my eye.

It is difficult to summarize the way my life has changed in the past 5 years. I am slowly learning to better manage diabetes but there have been many bumps on the road. The better I get at keeping my blood sugar in range, the more I experience episodes of low blood sugar, leaving me a sweaty shaky mess of a human until I consume enough glucose to bring me back around. Twice I have experienced low blood sugar in my sleep and was lucky my hyper-intelligent canine friend Braxton was there and somehow understood that he had to awake me and call for help. Living in a small servant’s house attached to the back of a Victorian home, I live alone but next to a family of dear friends who include Braxton’s niece Audrey. The first time this occurred was the worst. I awoke to Braxton’s nose in my armpit as he was growling and barking and rocking my body trying to wake me. I was convulsing and dripping sweat. My feet and hands were cramped and useless. As soon as I showed signs of consciousness Braxton ran down the stairs and barked at the back door to alert Audrey who promptly headbutted my kitchen door open from outside and the two of them began howling to alert Audrey’s owners. The second time was pretty much the same but a bit less dramatic as I still had feeling in my feet and was able to walk downstairs to say I’d be okay once the packs of granulated white sugar kicked in. I recently learned that glucose injections exist, that’s nice to know.

If I had all of the time and money in the world to properly manage my blood sugar, eat properly and live a healthy and active lifestyle perhaps my challenges would not seem so severe, but unfortunately that is not the card I was dealt. I have had to continue working full time to support myself. I have been working a job for the past 2 years that was stressing me almost to death because I had health benefits to assist with the cost of prescriptions. By Autumn of last year, 2018 things were getting really bad. I had developed I.B.S. and adrenal gland dysfunction from chronic stress. My adrenaline and cortisol were through the roof and my testosterone was through the floor. I had developed total erectile dysfunction, my muscles were deteriorating and my weight was dropping. In September I suffered the loss of my cousin to a fentanyl overdose and at the end of November my dear dog Braxton passed away suddenly. My mental health took a turn for the worst and by Christmas time I was a frail skeleton person. I had an appointment with my endocrinologist on December 15 and I weighed in at a cool 122lbs. At 6’4″ I was far beyond underweight. For over a year my endocrinologist was telling me that my health problems were badly exacerbated by my chronic stress. My dietician was starting to agree with him as I had tried everything I could to remedy my IBS and nothing made a lick of difference. I was starting to agree with them too. I’d heard it my whole life: “stress will kill you”, and now I can tell you first had it is true beyond what I ever could have imagined. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office thinking to myself “You’re supposed to be a Yogi…you know how to de-stress…”

I had booked a week off for the holidays and decided to take up my old Yoga and meditation practice. Every time I thought of my ill health or my financial struggles I would think about something else. I would wake up at sunrise daily, and for 45 minutes to 1 hour I would practice simple breathing and postures followed by meditation. I repeated this same practice every night before bed. Within 2 days my IBS had become noticeably better. Without getting into the messy details I was either suffering with constipation or diarrhea for 3 or 4 days back and forth for well over a year at that point. The doctors were right, I was literally killing myself with stress. I usually see the endocrinologist once every 3 months or so, but with my state at the time he scheduled a follow up appointment for one month later. I continued my daily Yogic Practiced and was seeing gradual improvement in every aspect of my life. I had more energy in the morning, my blood sugar was much easier to manage, I was becoming more flexible, but most importantly I was gaining weight and putting on muscle. By January 20th when I returned to the endocrinologist’s office I weighed 149 lbs. I had put on 27 lbs in just over a month. “We’ll have to get you on the scale again…” he said as he looked at the results of my weigh-in. I remember the look of deep confusion in his eyes as he looked down at his clip-board. “No, that’s right!” I replied “I’ve been weighing myself daily.” I went on to inform him of the changes I’d made to my daily routine and how quickly I began seeing my health turn around. At that moment the look on his face changed to one of joy. With a big smile my endocrinologist lightly punched me on the shoulder and exclaimed “See! It was stress!”. I still look back on that moment and laugh regularly, both with the amusement that accompanied being given a brotherly shot to the arm from my doctor and with a warm feeling that accompanied seeing him overjoyed with my sudden improvement. I am very lucky to have a wonderful team of specialists including a dietician, diabetes specialist and endocrinologist who have been integral to my survival of late onset type 1 diabetes and the associated struggles. I am forever grateful for the miracle of modern medicine. Prior to the successful synthesis of insulin in the 1920’s diabetes was universally fatal.

In the early months of 2019 as my physical and mental health improved, something began stirring in me. My old self still felt far away, but I was starting to see glimpses of a light at the end of the tunnel. I was moving forward again and could not afford to turn back. I was starting to feel more and more inclined to get out and be more active. Yoga was really helping rebuild lost muscle and gain more mobility and flexibility in my spine and joints, but still I get easily winded. My blood pressure has been low for the past few years and I get light headed easily. This is mostly to be credited to my lack of muscle mass and the associated lack of blood flow. When the snow cleared that spring I began biking to and from work to get a bit more cardio exercise. I bought some resistance bands and a 20 lb kettle bell and began working out at home more regularly.

I was starting to read books regularly again. I always loved reading but in the past years the head fog of chronic stress, high blood sugar and un-diagnosed mental illness made it borderline impossible to get through a few pages and retain the knowledge. I was so happy to be doing Yoga again regularly and I was starting to dream of training martial arts again. My old self wasn’t feeling so far away anymore.

Looking for inspiration to keep the ball rolling with my recent improvements I picked up my copy of the Bhagavad Gita and decided for the first time in many years that I would read it cover to cover. The Bhagavad Gita takes place on a battlefield in India’s far distant past as a dialogue between Arjuna, a Kshatrya, or warrior, and Krishna, the living Avatar of God manifest as Arjuna’s charioteer.

An ancient warrior tradition once existed within Yoga, used to prepare the body and mind of the warrior for battle. Many of the avatars of the ancient Vedic pantheon are Kshatryas, or warriors. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna himself is incarnated as a Kshatrya the charioteer of Arjuna, the leader of a great army who is having doubts and is reluctant to lead his troops into battle. Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna encourages Arjuna to rise from his depressed state and lead his troops into battle.

“Arise Arjuna!”
-Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita

By the time of the relatively later writing of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas many Yogis were retired kings and nobility, who were encouraged to practice Yoga upon retirement. A popular ancient title for the practice of these more metaphysical aspects of Yoga is Raja Yoga: “Royal Yoga” or “the Yoga of Kings”. By this point in history the focus of Yoga was placed upon the metaphysical aspects, purporting that the more physical aspects of the Eight Pillars of Yoga (right and wrong action ,postures and breathing) are said to be employed to prepare the body and mind of the Yogi for prolonged periods of meditation. Of the last four pillars of Yoga, focused upon meditation, the first three pillars
(Pratyahara-withdrawl from the senses, Dharana- one-pointed concentration and Dhyana- meditation) are seen as preparation of the mind for Samadhi, the eighth and final pillar of Yoga, a liberated state of union with the absolute.

Throughout history Yogic practice was used by soldiers and other fighters to condition the body and mind for battle and other challenging aspects of warriorhood. Many soldiers would have to travel long distances on foot, often with injuries and often while carrying cumbersome loads. It only makes sense that these people would have used any tools they could to their advantage, and Yoga would have been a very powerful tool. The ancient Indian martial art of Kalaripayattu is perhaps the most obvious example of a tradition which incorporates Yogic practice into its teachings. Originally used by royal guards to defend the kings and nobles of Southern India, Kalaripayattu is questionably the world’s oldest known martial art. Many would argue that the teachings of Kalaripayattu have influenced some of the more popular Asian martial arts of the modern day.

It was upon discovering the teachings of Goraknath, the 10th – 11th Century CE founder of the Nath Sampradaya, that the vision of my Dharma was given to me in recent days. Gorakhnath is considered a saint in modern Hinduism having numerous temples and even the town of Gorakhpur named in his honour. At the time of Gorakhnath’s founding of the Nath Sampradaya, the ancient Yogic teachings were at risk of falling into obscurity. It is Gorakhnath who is single-handedly credited with reviving the ancient practices from obscurity at this time. Gorakhnath is often credited with writing the Shiva Samhita, being the earliest known text on Kriya or Kundalini Yoga. The Shiva Samhita outlines many aspects of Yoga which have greatly influenced the modern day practice. It is the Shiva Samhita which first introduces the human energetic system of the Nadis and the Chakras. Gorakhnath is also commonly credited with translating the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which have become the most influential text on Yoga of today. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines the ancient system now commonly known as Ashtanga, the Eight Pillars of Yoga. Many attribute the origins of Hatha Yoga itself to the Gorakhnath and the Nath Sampradaya, or to Gorakhnath’s teacher Matsyendranath, but this is a point of contention among many scholars.

I felt very inspired by Gorakhnath’s vision upon founding the Nath Sampradaya as a universalist band of warrior-monks influenced by Hindu Shaivism, Buddhism and Sufic Islamic practices alike. I saw parallels between the state of Yoga in Gorakhnath’s time and my own. Though in recent days Yoga has seen an incredible rise in popularity as a physical and spiritual practice, the warrior tradition of Yoga has once more been lost to the sands of time. The theory lives on in the pages of ancient texts, but only skeletal remains of the ancient Yogic martial practice have survived into the modern day. Aspects of various Yogic postures, or Asanas, give insight to some of the lost ancient Yogic martial arts. So too we can look to the ancient martial arts of India and the East which have survived into the modern era. These ideas will be explored in greater depth in a future essay.

At Spring Equinox of 2019 I decided to begin to focus more seriously on my Yogic practice in every way. I was beginning to feel very inspired to do more both for myself and others, having seen great progress in the weeks and months prior, thanks to my newly reinstated daily routine of morning and evening Sadhana, daily exercise, proper glucose management and diet. Though my initiation in Yoga is through the tradition of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, I began to formulate a personal daily practice based on my growing aspiration toward the priesthood of the Nath Sampradaya, which exists to this day in India and abroad, tracing its roots back to the earlier mentioned Gorakhnath. In the spirit of the Nath Yogis of old I dyed my grey jogging suit and a beloved white Indian cashmere scarf the traditional bright orange popularly worn by Yogis dating back to ancient times. This colour has been sacred in Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma since earliest history because the ancient Yogis would dye their garments with tumeric and saffron flowers. Honestly, prior to this orange was among my least favourite colours. Since youth I preferred black and a choice few colours which still I seldom wear. It was an initiation for me to wear orange, the colour of the Bramhacharya or student, every day even in my house let alone thinking of wearing it in public. Over the following days and weeks I would wear the jogging suit and the scarf as my outfit for practicing Kriya and Puja. With time as my practice began to take up a great portion of my day, I began to acquire more clothing in the traditional orange and even yellow! The bright colours began to possess me. I still sometimes find tones of orange belligerent. It is certainly a powerful colour, and one that I have come to embrace as an outward expression of the divine, solar, creative and healing forces of nature.

My daily regimen having taken a central position in my life I began to seek a more traditional Hindu perspective to my practice than I had developed through my initiation into Kundalini Yoga. My research on this subject was assembled and presented as lecture and class entitled Kundalini Yoga as Taught by the Ancient Yogis. A written version of this lecture was prepared including all original artwork comprising a 40 page booklet given to each student. During my research, via strange circumstance, I was introduced to two different gurus of the Nath lineage who have both had a tremendous impact upon me since early 2019; namely Sri Gurudev Mahendranath (founder of the International Nath Order) and Sri M (founder of the Satsang Foundation). The teachings of these most enlightened teachers greatly aided me in developing a powerful personal Kriya practice through which I have begun to transform my physical and mental health for the better.

The answer to many of my questions as a spiritual seeker were under my nose the entire time. I needed to look no farther than the traditional Hindu texts: The Vedas, The Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras. With this recent rejuvenation to my Yogic and martial arts practices I have been reaching out to my community and beginning to teach lessons which feels great after years of ill health. I certainly still have daily health struggles but it feels amazing to be in good enough shape to train, teach and fight again.

Nothing makes me feel better than helping another person become a better version of themselves; helping to inspire others to transcend their personal struggles. I’ve never felt a better feeling than watching a dream come true before my eyes, whether mine or that of another. For this reason when people speak to me of their dreams I always encourage people to chase them with vigor.

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”
-Oscar Wilde

I do my best to practice what I preach. I have always known I was meant to be a priest in one respect or another, though I have always struggled with taking on the role of the teacher. I like to think this is due to an acceptance of the fact that I will ever be a student. This is the beauty of life’s mysteries, one could spend a thousand lifetimes in seeking and still find themselves with plenty to see, plenty left to learn. For this reason many great minds have agreed that it is important as a seeker of truth to maintain a childlike state of unknowing, of learning and self examination. So too for this reason it is important to seek one’s personal Dharma; to find one’s true Will and to follow it like a beacon homeward. Each one of us is a unique individual with personal needs and desires which deserve to be analyzed and brought to fruition.

Where I often have found myself in life standing at a fork in the road, in recent days I look back to see paths once thought stray to have merged beneath my feet. I have come to know my Dharma; my will; my destiny. I have come to accept my task in this life. I have come to guide others toward their personal goals. All of my struggles, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual have all served to thicken my skin and open my heart. These challenges have earned me the necessary experience to help others who find themselves in a like situation. A devotion to the raising up of the spirit of my fellow man, this I have come to realize as my Dharma. Upon accepting this task in recent days, I have found myself growing more and more useful in this respect; becoming more and more helpful to the people in my life who are experiencing suffering of one kind or another; or even just those around me who are trying to improve their lives in general. “We can only help others once we’ve helped our self”…”You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else”… We’ve all heard these sayings, maybe even come to understand them to a degree, but until we are able to look upon the self non-objectively, until we find self-love, we can not truly know their meaning and virtue.

I’ve always felt a sense of purpose but now I feel it in my bones. I’ve always known life was short and sweet but now it seems ever more so. A new sense of purpose has granted me a new strength. A new way of looking upon my past has granted me a more clear vision of my future. I’ve come to not believe in wasted time or wasted energy…”There is nothing lost or wasted in this life” as Krishna says unto Arjuna in the Gita. A life of addiction, illness both physical and mental, poverty and struggle have made me who I am. My skin has grown hard and thick, but my heart has become soft and open. Fear and doubt have slowly transformed to strength and vigour. The chains have been broken. The Dharma Warrior emerges from the fires of transformation. Block not my path. Out comes the Wolf….

Life is short and precious. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not promised. Look deep within, find what you love and pursue whatever that is relentlessly. To those of us who search for meaning in this modern dark age, the self can be your worst enemy or your greatest ally. Will you live your life with fear and doubt in your heart or with love and courage? The choice is truly yours.

“…So with thy all, thou hast no right but to do thy will.
Do that and no other shall say nay!”
Aleister Crowley
“The Book of the Law”-Liber AL vel Legis Chapter I:42-43