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Shukra
Zaukra - Amaraari - Asphujit - Surazatru - Asuraguru - Bha - Bharga - Daityaguru - Bhriguputra - Bhaargavapriya - Bhrigunandana - Ekanayana - Ekekshana - Ditisuta - Sita - Maghabhava - Sodhazaamzu - Sodhazarcis
Pasang (Tib.)
Venus
The morning star & the evening star
morgensteorra - æfensteorra (Old English)
"Guru of the Demons" - Attraction / Distraction
Marriage, spouse
Affection, attraction
Vehicles, airplanes
Sugar, sweet tastes, sensual pleasures
Patriotism
Music, Art, beauty, women
Sensual love; need-based love
VENUS:
O.E., from L. Venus (pl. veneres), in ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of beauty and love, especially sensual love,
from venus "love, sexual desire, loveliness, beauty, charm,"
from PIE base *wen- "to strive after, wish, desire, be satisfied"
cf. Skt. vanas- "desire," vanati "desires, loves, wins;"
cf. Avestan vanaiti "he wishes, is victorious"
cf. O.E. wynn "joy," wunian "to dwell," wenian "to accustom, train wean," wyscan (ween) "to wish"
Applied by the Romans to Gk. Aphrodite, Egyptian Hathor, etc.
Meaning "second planet from the sun" is attested from c.1290 (O.E. had morgensteorra and æfensteorra).
amarAri
- an enemy of the gods; an Asura
- Name of Shukra , the planet Venus
Asuraguru
- teacher of the Asuras
bha
- semblance , delusion , error
- appearance , resemblance , likeness
- a star , planet , asterism , lunar asterism or mansion (and so also the number 27 nakshatra)
- light or a beam of light , lustre , splendour
bhRgu
- name of a mythical race of beings (closely connected with fire); they are also said to fabricate chariots
- Shukra or the planet Venus (called either Bhrigu or the son of Bhrigu ; his day is Friday)
- of Krishna or of Rudra
- a declivity , slope , precipice
bhArgava
- relating to or coming from Bhrigu
- descendants of Bhrigu
bhArgavapriya
- a diamond
ekekSaNa
- "one-eyed"; name of Shukra or Venus (the teacher of the Asuras)
Venus secures sexual delight & the society of fine women; the pleasures of pictorial art, fine apparel, wealth, cattle, vehicles, gems & precious stones, musical concerts, dancing parties, lordly magnificence, good fame, great liberality & association with the virtuous.
~~ Jataka Parijata, Ch. 17, Sloka 43
Venus rules diamonds, ornaments, marriage, scents, friends, wreaths, females, cow dung, diagnosis. (Apart from meaning diagnosis also indicates end, purity, rope to tying up a calf etc.) Education, sexual enjoyment, & gold.
~~ Saravali, Ch. 7-13
Venus isn't really the Love planet, in the spiritual sense of Love.
Venus rules attraction & distraction - sensual experience that claims our profound devotion and attention.
Moon rules pure & unconditional mother-love.
Guru rules supreme love of the divine.
Venus is the karaka for marriage, sexual relationships, promises & agreements, exchanges, and understanding between two people. Marriage is attraction, and also it is a contract. Affection in marriage is contractual, depending on multiple levels of agreement (private services provided in exchange for protection, fulfillment of public expectation, etc.)
The "love" of Shukra is not unconditional like mother-child love, nor transcendent like devotee-deity (sometimes, guru-sisya) love. Shukra's marital love is the result of attraction to sensual pleasures. As a result, Shukra is not really the "love" planet at all, but a rather misleading & even fraudulent substitute for pure love.
Sensual experience isn't really love. That is why Shukra is called "Guru of the Demons".
Venus is charming, has a splendorous physique, is excellent or great in disposition, has charming eyes, is a poet, is phlegmatic and windy, and has curly hair.
-- BPHS Ch. 3 [Planetary Characters and Description], Shloka 28
Shukra:
Some Important Yogas
Shukra mutual aspect [opposition] to Shani
Loneliness. Socially awkward & disconnected, oppressed/repressed emotionally. Hard worker, reserved. The spouse (Shukra) may be glamorous & social butterfly while the native is reserved & disciplined. Altho you may love them deeply & delight in the charms of your children, you may feel old and cumbersome in their presence.
The key to managing this yoga is to not take yourself so seriously. With this yoga you are a seriously committed parent, partner, & provider. Normally faithful to the marriage vows unless Rahu/Ketu or other unstable influence upon Shani. Maintaining strength & security for your loved ones is a job you do well & for which you deserve recognition. But there is no need to be gloomy & overly serious about your role. Unfortunately it seems like spouse & children do not appreciate your efforts. Frequently disharmony in marriage. Spouse is a pleasure-lover who seems impractical, reckless & irresponsible - even while they might have other nice qualities such as a pleasant appearance or social skills.
Shukra & Shani are friendly grahas who can work together well with consciousness. Lighten up.
Shukra mutual aspect to Surya
Contradictory psychic signal pattern may attract a willful, pleasure-loving spouse who brings pleasures, but also seems to drain soul energy. Ego development is harmed. Surya gives moral leadership, soul knowledge & rational philosophical truth. Shukra is the sensual direct-experience human pleasure principle, who is pretty much the antithesis of knowledge. This yoga exposes a legendary conflict in human nature.
The native struggles to balance individual development against the seductive charms of the pleasure siren - often epitomized in the spouse. If Shukra occupies house-12, the pleasure siren may be a drug/addictive substance or fantasy, rather than a person. But Shukra-Surya opposed along any rashi axis will exacerbate the human dilemma of wanting sensual pleasure but needing to gain self-knowledge. So many distractions - so little time!
Shukra yuti Surya
" ... if Sun is the significator, & Venus, well dignified, makes the native soft & effeminate, fond of fair sex & greatest ambition will be being in their company.
If Venus is combust, the native will be extravagant, & an attachment with persons whose affairs are always in a deranged or ruinous state, & his property will be continually wasted in retrieving them.
If Venus is ill dignified, he will keep company with none but an infamous woman who will speedily bring him to ruin.
If Venus is the significator, he will be proud & prodigal,
if Sun is ill dignified, extremely mean & poor withal, generally short lived, liable to consumption, fever and& full of crosses & vexation. "
Shukra rules beauty. Surya yuti Shukra = identity + beauty = Beautiful face & appearance, but some rashi are better than others for the beauty result:
Mesha: Surya is empowered in the rashi of Kuja but Kuja is Shukra's enemy. feminine traits diminished; a craggy, masculine muscle-y look, adolescent sizing. Looks good in competitive sport.
Vrishabha: Surya's power is diminished in the rashi of Surya's enemy Shukra, but Shukra gains strength in swakshetra. Feminine traits emphasized; Soft, rounded, sensuous, nicely balanced features. Looks good in fields, forests, and with textiles and oils.
Mithuna: Surya is neutral to Budha while Shukra experiences Budha as a friendly influence. The person with Surya+Shukra is very pretty and charming. Looks good in conversational settings.
Karkata: Surya is a good friend to the Moon while for Shukra Chandra is a neutral influence. Unless severely combust, the person with Surya+Shukra is moderately pretty, but willful. Looks good in domestic settings where they rule the roost.
Simha: Surya is too strong in this yoga; Shukra's beauty is lost, burned up, charred. If combust, Shukra has no power at all in Simha. Native may have a charming personality (or not) but the appearance is not classically beautiful. Looks best independently.
Kanya: Surya is neutral to Budha while Shukra experiences Budha as a friendly influence. However Shukra = neechha in Kanya rashi. However attractive the native may appear to outsiders, the native cannot perceive one's own beauty. The person with Surya+Shukra is mildly pretty and charming, but often some flaw in the conventional beauty such as an unusual body type or a mark on the face. Looks good in intellectual settings. Their attractiveness increases through added intelligence if Budha also joins Surya + Shukra in Kanya..
Thula: Surya is diminished in the rashi enemy Shukra, but Shukra gains strength in swakshetra. Feminine traits emphasized; Soft, rounded, sensuous, nicely balanced features. Looks good in small groupings and pairings, in elegant surroundings.
Vrischika: Surya is empowered in the rashi of Kuja but Kuja is Shukra's neutral. feminine traits diminished; a dark, penetrating look which can be seductive but also a bit controlling. Looks good in exploratory settings.
Dhanau: Surya sees Guru as a friend, while Shukra sees Guru as a neutral. Expansive loveliness, with a golden, slightly plump, cheerful appearance. Looks good in ceremonial and educational settings.
Makara: Surya is much impeded in the rashi of Shani but Shani is Shukra's great friend. Fair complexion, good bones, attractive according to the mainstream values of the native's culture. Looks good in conventional costume, in large hierarchies.
Kumbha: Surya is much impeded in the rashi of Shani but Shani is Shukra's great friend. Surprising beauty, a bit eccentric in appearance but very attractive. Looks good in unusual dress, in large assemblies.
Meena: Surya sees Guru as a friend, while Shukra sees Guru as a neutral. Striking beauty: Shukra = uccha in Meena. Musical and artistic talents matching a very lovely appearance. Fair complexion relative to one's gene pool, balanced features. Expansive loveliness, with a golden, slightly plump, cheerful appearance. Looks good in artistic settings, and with children.
Shukra is the natural lord of yuvati bhava and the main karaka for marriage
Venus is the planet responsible for much of our sexual & romantic experience in this life. (Of course, Rahu plays His own part!)
Venus is also the significator of women in general, with their unique culture of beauty and fashion. Very importantly Shukra represents art and music - the exalted feminine values of high civilization.
Venus always works in tandem with its worthy adversary, the planet Mars. In sexual communication, Venus represents the feminine, incoming energy. Mars shows the masculine, outgoing energy.
Do not confuse these energies with anatomical male and female bodies! Within any person and within any relationship, there is a mix and balance of male and female energy. But in general, within a sexual partnership, Venus will tell us what love energy each partner is pulling in, whereas Mars describes what love energy they are putting out.
Shukra is considered a benefic (Shubha) or positive planet
He creates life experience of physical pleasure, luxury, and sensual indulgence. (All the planets are masculine "He", because they all produce energy.)
Yet, spiritually, Venus has a bad reputation as "guru of the demons." The only spiritually useful fruits of Venusian desire are the tantric realizations, and these must be
What we call love, especially in its more base expressions, can be very distracting and even harmful to the spiritual life. Unless consciously managed -- ideally through proven tantric practice under supervision of a reputable guide -- sensual desires can totally enslave the person's consciousness. An endless quest for greater and greater five-senses pleasure can form an infinite loop, that becomes a trap for consciousness. The sad reality for many is that Shukra's desires do not bring satisfaction or long-term happiness - but rather devastation, disappointment, fear of loss of pleasure, and chemical addictions.
The higher Love of cosmic-connectedness bliss or ananda is represented by Guru (Jupiter). Guru is not concerned with the physical & emotional senses, but rather with the social and spiritual senses.
However it is important to remember that Guru is absolutely inclusive. Guru does not judge, criticize, or punish any desire. Guru does not find anything "wrong" with the natural desires of Shukra!
Brihaspati simply waits, like a doting parent; His wisdom always available; until the student is ready for more satisfying fare...
The two benefic planets Venus & Jupiter give two different kinds of pleasure.
If Venus is stronger there is more pleasure through sensation and the arts, but also the danger of becoming so addicted to these feelings that one aspires to nothing further.
If Guru is stronger there is more pleasure through knowledge and religion, and the huge benefit of knowing that knowledge gained through Guru is portable across incarnations (while physical-body sensations acquired through Venus are quick forgot!)
There is a reason that spiritual aspirants have traditionally sought celibacy. Seeking to shorten the cycle of repeating birth and death, and to reduce the body's craving for constant pleasure sensations, they maximize Guru by minimizing Venus.
Shukra is the karaka for all pleasures including addictive pleasures, and Shukra is the lord of Sugar. Shukra rules sex, drugs & alcohol. If Shukra is disturbed, He can over-do the natural pleasures which can result in sex addictions, drug addictions, and alcoholism
In any bhava, Shukra with Rahu/Ketu gives some attraction to obsessive/compulsive sensual behavior. Addictive tendencies are enhanced but not assured.
Swakshetra or uccha Shukra, yuti Rahu/Ketu, addictive tendencies are confirmed. Native has powerful sense of entitlement to pleasure & a love of extremes. Addictive substance is frequently very lovely: beautiful women, precious wines, magnificent diamonds etc.
Shukra in house-6 or house-12 particularly indicates imbalance regarding sugars & pleasures. Imbalances can .
Shukra in house-6: drug addiction & sexual exploitation can involve the native in underworld culture of decadence, poverty & crime. If Budha is also involved in house-6, expect lying & involvement with criminal monies.
An otherwise wonderful uccha Shukra in house-6 may give all the wealth, external beauty, & artistic talent expected; but in addition a profound underlying alcoholism or other pleasure addiction. (The native so blessed will be addicted to only the most delicious wines! E.g., beautiful, alcoholic film actress, Elizabeth Taylor.)
Shukra in house-12, there is a craving for the sweet comfort of escape into the personal imagination, and detachment from reality. Unlike house-6, matters of vyaya bhava are not always criminal, rough, or enslaved to the lower classes. There can be addiction to private sensuality such as extramarital affairs, a lifelong unrequited love, self-pleasuring fantasies. House-6 involves commercial trafficking but house-12 is by nature private and enclosed.
House-12 connotes the gracious alcoholic housewife, the artist or meditation student who needs alcohol or marijuana to achieve their intuitive state, or the otherwise pleasant person who increasingly needs a fuzzy, numbing chemical shield around them in order to keep things "sweet" in their inner terrain. Those with drug planets in house-12 are usually nice people with no connection to crime.
Shukra can cause addictions in any house. The stronger Shukra's influence in radix or navamsha, the stronger potential for compulsive sensual behaviors. See this beautiful young female alcoholic, destroyed by party drugs & red-wine Venus.
Shukra & Foreign Residence
Shukra drishti upon 12th-from-Lagnesha called "Vyaayapa" shows foreign residence, generally pleasant.
Vyaayapa itself shows type of lands you will visit.
When Vyaayapa is ruled or occupied by a shubha (benefic) graha, these lands are lovely and prosperous.
When Vyaayapa is ruled or occupied by a paapa (malefic) planet, the lands to which you travel will be poor and the journeying is stressful.
Shukra & Career
Q. What makes one an actor or a singer?
A. Generally Venus will have to be strong in the horoscope before one can be a good actor or singer.
If this is to be adopted as profession, Venus must be intimately connected with the 10th bhava in some way or other, e.g., if Venus occupies 4th or 10th Bhava or if Venus aspects the 10th house or if Venus is conjoined with the lord of the 10th, his means of livelihood will be singer and acting.
- B. V. Raman, A Catechism of Astrology, p. 9 - part II page 2
Q: What makes one an engineer?
A: If in a nativity, Venus becomes the strongest planet with reference to the 10th Bhava, and occupies powerful places from Lagna and the Moon and joins Mercury, the native becomes an engineer.
- B. V. Raman, A Catechism of Astrology, p. 9part II page 2
[BP Lama notes: Shukra rules buildings & artistic or structural design, whilst Mars rules the Land]
the 7th from Shukra... stand for consideration respectively in respect of ... spouse....
~~ BPHS Ch. 7, Shloka 39-43]
If Venus be posited in his own Rashi or in Mithuna, the native will be infatuated by love.
~~ Jatakalankara, Ch3 Shloka 20
Venus produces peril through such causes as drink and diabetes arising from the diseases of the beloved women associated with a result induced by addition to females endeared by excessive gallantry.
~~ Jataka Parijata Ch 2 Shloka 79
(not my translation! - BPL)
You know, music, art - these are not just little decorations to make life prettier. They're very deep necessities which people cannot live without.
~~ Pablo Picasso
"There are many kinds of power, used and unused, acknowledged or otherwise. The erotic is a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling . . .
As women, we have come to distrust that power which rises from our deepest and non-rational knowledge. We have been warned against it all our lives by the male world, which values this depth of feeling enough to keep women around in order to exercise it in service of men, but which fears this same depth too much to examine the possibilities of it within themselves . . .
But the erotic offers a well of replenishing and provocative force to the woman who does not fear its revelation, nor succumb to the belief that sensation is enough . . . When we begin to live from within outward, in touch with the power of the erotic within ourselves, and allowing that power to inform and illuminate our actions upon the world around us, then we begin to take responsibility to ourselves in the deepest sense.
For as we begin to recognize our deepest feelings, we begin to give up, of necessity, being satisfied with suffering and self-negation, and the numbness which so often seems like the only alternative in our society. Our acts against oppression become integral with self, motivated and empowered from within."
--Audre Lord
"The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow."
- William Blake
Laziness will stop your progress in your spiritual practice.
One can be deceived by three types of laziness:
the laziness of indolence, which is the wish to procrastinate
the laziness of inferiority, which is doubting your capabilities
the laziness that is attachment to negative actions, or putting great effort into non-virtue.
-- from The Path to Tranquility: Daily Wisdom by H.H. the Dalai Lama
"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water."
- W. C. Fields
updated: 31 July 2008
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