Dear Friend,

Since late 2019, the world has been in a challenging space, yet humanity has endured through simple acts of kindness and love. We must continue to rely on it.

Mars in Aquarius without reception from Saturn has a tendency to amplify situations and push them out of proportion, which many of us may have experienced recently. Mars in Pisces, however, offers a very different expression. Moving away from outer events, this shift turns inward.

Mars is reduced to a planet of war, but in the Ṛgveda, it can be associated with Indra, who uses force not for destruction, but to restore flow and abundance. Aggression has a purpose. During the recent Mars–Rāhu conjunction, however, many of us may have found ourselves caught in patterns of agitation or fixation without a clear cause, expending energy on matters that, in hindsight, did not warrant it.

Mars in Pisces brings an opportunity to recalibrate.

This is a time to safeguard our emotional energy, to step away from situations that drain us when possible, and to act with greater deliberation. With Saturn also present in Pisces, there is a real possibility of emotional and physical fatigue if we are not mindful. Remaining aligned with our plans and avoiding unnecessary conflict becomes essential.

As Mars moves into Uttarabhādrapadā, something deeper may be stirred within us. This is not through force, but through the trigger of awakening. Small, deliberate actions taken now may carry far-reaching consequences.

I have explored this transit in greater detail, including its symbolic and practical implications, in my full article on the blog.

Read Here

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Enrollment for the year-long Diploma in Indian Astrology is open now. The classes will begin in June with 24 classes and 12 open sessions. If you are interested, I look forward to working with you.

Diploma Enrollment

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Inward Glance

Epictetus' Discourses: A Retelling

Book I, Chapter 9, 1.9.25 to 1.9.34

In this section of chapter 9 of Book I, Epictetus sharpens everything he has been building so far. I will stay close to your tone and keep it simple.

He begins by pointing to the ideal. There stands a person who truly understands what it means to be related to the divine. Such a person lives with dignity, not fear. But then he turns to us. Instead of identifying with our higher nature, we identify with the body. We become our stomach, our desires, our fears. And because of that, we start bending before anyone who can threaten these things. We flatter, we shrink, we lose ourselves.

He then gives a very practical example. A man who had lost wealth and status asked Epictetus to write to Rome for help. Epictetus wrote a polite and pleading letter. But when the man read it, he rejected it. He said nothing truly bad had happened to him. He did not want pity. This is important. The loss was external, but his judgement was intact. So he remained free.

Then comes the teaching from Musonius. When told that hardship is coming, Epictetus would casually say, this is how life is. Musonius challenges him. If you already have this strength within you, why seek help from others? Why go outside for what you can generate within? This is the turning point. What truly matters, strength of soul, dignity, clarity, is already available within us. To beg for externals when you possess this is a kind of ignorance.

Epictetus then draws a harsh contrast. Those who cannot see this live as if they are already dead. They reduce themselves to mere bodies, dependent on others for survival and validation. Such a person is no different from a carcass with a little blood left. The language is strong, but the point is clear. If you were truly alive to your nature, you would understand that no one else has the power to make you miserable.

The core message is simple. Our suffering does not come from loss, power, or circumstance. It comes from forgetting who we are.

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Have a wonderful time.

Until Next Letter,

Love,

Aswin