With Open Eyes
Mar 01, 2026 12:31 am
Dear Friend,
February has been a crazy month for me, but I hope it has gone well for you.
With Mars entering Aquarius, it suddenly feels like everything is moving forward, even things that were not previously under consideration. There is a shift in momentum. This is a phase to engage more thoughtfully with people, both in real-life and on social media. At times, matters get out of hand online, and most often it turns political. I have seen people wage wars of words over picking sides. Principle is always internal, and I believe that strongly. If we remain true to our own principles, according to our own rules, we will stay on the right path.
Social issues will come into the limelight. With Mars conjoining Rahu, and the Sun joining this combination, it becomes a volatile period from a mundane perspective, especially with potential risks for national leadership. Without going too deeply into those possibilities, I would simply advise staying away from the madness outside.
Early in March, the Sun will trine Jupiter. This will be an important moment in realizing what lies within our control and what does not, particularly from an external perspective. The Sun represents awareness and illumination. It allows us to see what was previously unseen. Jupiter represents expansion and wisdom. With a trine between them, there is an opportunity to look at the bigger picture without impulsively rushing into action.
However, with Mars in Aquarius conjoining Rahu and the Sun, we will need to filter what we perceive. What we see is not always what we truly see. There can be momentary illusion or obsessive desire that clouds judgment and prevents us from seeing reality clearly.
A powerful illustration of this is Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna in the great epic Mahabharata, entering the Chakravyuha to fight the Kauravas, ultimately losing his life. He went in there with courage but incomplete knowledge. Perhaps it was his destiny, but it also reflects the symbolism of a Sun–Rahu–Mars entanglement: brilliance mixed with blindness.
The Mars–Rahu conjunction speaks to obsessive desire. It reminds me of Gollum’s relentless need to possess the Ring of power in The Lord of the Rings. An even clearer example might be Boromir’s obsession with taking the Ring, which drives him to attempt snatching it from Frodo, only to realize his mistake at great personal cost.
At this time, obsessive desire is not necessarily helpful. It may be wiser to wait. I believe the Sun–Jupiter trine will offer the perspective needed to pause and see clearly before acting. (More on Mercury Rx in another letter)
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Monthly Astrology Kit
The Monthly Astrology Kit is designed as a tool to stay in touch with the transits through the month. It includes an ICS calendar file that can be added to your personal calendar.
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Diploma in Indian Astrology - Batch 3
The course I began in July 2025 has taken shape and progressed wonderfully well, thanks to those who study with me. With more zeal and motivation, I look forward to welcoming you if you are interested in studying Indian astrology.
Personal consultation slots for March 2026 are open now. If you are interested in a session, I’d be privileged to work with you.
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Inward Glance
Epictetus' Discourses: A Retelling
Book I, Chapter 9, 1.9.1 to 1.9.9
Epictetus begins chapter-9 of book-I with a bold claim. If it is true that human beings share kinship with God, then this truth must change how we see ourselves. It cannot remain an abstract idea. It must reshape identity.
He recalls Socrates, who did not define himself narrowly by city or birthplace. When asked where he was from, he did not limit himself to Athens or Corinth. He called himself a citizen of the world, and it is philosophical living.
Epictetus then goes to the logic. Why do we prefer to say we are Athenian rather than simply identifying ourselves with the exact patch of land where our bodies were born? Because the broader designation carries dignity. It includes ancestry, heritage, shared law, culture, and belonging. It is a higher form of identification.
If that is so, then why should we stop at the level of city or nation? If we truly belong to something greater, if our rational nature comes from a divine source, then our highest and truest designation is not geographical at all. It is cosmic. (As we are very much part of the ONE - The Platonic understanding of the existence).
Epictetus is leading us upwards step by step. We already understand that identifying with something larger gives us greater dignity. So if our rationality connects us to the divine order, then our real citizenship is in that universal order. We are not merely bodies dropped into a location. We are participants in a rational whole. In a way, this echoes Plato and the Rig Veda’s teachings about our integral place within the grand scheme of existence.
What follows from this is immense. If we are related to God through reason, then our worth does not come from birthplace, status, or accident. It comes from our capacity to think, choose, and align ourselves with universal reason.
This also dissolves small identities. To insult another human being is to insult someone who shares the same divine source. To act shamefully is to forget one’s lineage. If you claim to belong to a noble house, you behave accordingly. If you claim descent from the divine, you must live in a way that reflects it.
Epictetus is not speaking about pride. He is speaking about responsibility. To say we are related to God is not to elevate ourselves above others. It is to bind ourselves to a higher standard.
So the real question becomes this. If we truly believe you we a citizen of the universe, born of divine reason, will we live like someone who remembers that, or like someone who has forgotten it?
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Have a wonderful time.
Until Next Letter,
Love,
