Om Shree Ganeshaya Namaha
Traditionally our society has always respected ancestors and the traditions they followed. Our ancestors were intelligent beings who ensured they passed on the most important aspects of how to survive and thrive in the ever-challenging situations of life by giving us customs and traditions that had to be followed seasonally; by which we could get through every difficult life situations. They had the power to identify the divinity in nature and create special circumstances that would make it easier for us to be aligned and get the blessings of higher consciousness from time to time.
As the seasons change around June; the Sun follows the downward path or Dakshinayana, we have a series of festivals that come up. One of them being Ganesha Chaturthi.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates Lord Ganesh’s birthday and it falls in the Bhadrapada month which can either be in August or September as per the Hindu Almanac.
Ganesh or Vinayaka or Gajanana are some of his many names. But primarily he is the Nayaka or leader of the Ganas. He is the one who can control the uncontrollable since Ganas are supposed to free spirits of various kinds. When Sun starts his southward descend, the seasons change from summer towards autumn and winter. Dakshinayana is related to Rahu as per some texts. Interestingly studies have shown that autumn/winter onsets virus attacks (related to Rahu) more compared to summer. By worshipping Ganesha and seeking his blessings we are protected as we enter Dakshinayana.
Ganesha is also the ruling deity for the planet Ketu. Hence, he is also related to our Pitris or ancestors since the Nakshatra Magha (ruled by Pitris) falls under Ketu ruled Nakshatra as per Vimishottari Dasha system. Immediately after Ganesha Chaturthi is when the Pitru Paksha or the time when we honor our ancestors begins. No wonder Ganesha is related to the Pitris. In fact, the Vahana of Ganesha, the mooshika or mouse is the animal related to Magha Nakshatra as well.
In many ways worshipping Ganesha is a way in which you can respect your traditions and your ancestors.
Every Nakshatra is associated with a form of Lord Ganesha – To find out which form of Lord Ganesha is associated with your Janma Nakshatra, you can download the Cosmic Insights App
Looking at the Kalapurusha kundali, Scorpio rules the 8th house of uncertainty, changes, death and rebirth. This house is co-lorded by both Mars and Ketu. Ganesha can be strongly associated with this house due to the association with Ketu. He is worshipped as Vighnaharta the one who absorbs any difficulties. Ganesha as per one puranic story blemished the moon with his tusk and made Chandra (or moon) reduce his efficacy in a way. This is quite in sync with Scorpio since it is where the moon or the mind is debilitated. Here Ganesha tells us to look beyond the outward beauty and look deeper into the inner beauty for the better.
The other deity associated with Scorpio, Narasimha (related to Mars) is a ugradevata and only the prudent can invoke him. Interestingly both Ganesha and Narasimha have more than Scorpio Rashi in common. Both have been associated with Puranic stories associated with the threshold where one dominion ends, and the other dominion begins. On one side Ganesha stood at the threshold as per his mother’s advice, stopped his father from entering his mother divine’s bathing quarters by doing so was decapitated while Narasimha put an end to a demon by sitting at the very threshold.
The Jala nature of Scorpio followed by the Agni nature of Sagittarius is one of the most powerful Gandata of all the three, the other two being Pisces to Aries and Cancer to Leo. Can this be considered as a threshold? We do respect the threshold a lot in our culture and there are several ceremonies that occur around the threshold that are extremely integral to our festive practices. I strongly believe our puranic texts have so many embedded codes in them that many a lifetime is not enough for mere mortals like us to decipher. In a way whether you want to stop something from entering your life or you want to put an end to a miserable situation it is up to you; you need to have the grit and courage to do so.
By understanding the deities involved, we can throw light on how to approach life situations in general.
You can also purchase the most detailed course on Nakshatras from Dr. Arjun Pai here and if you are a beginner i highly recommend the Basics of Nakshatra course by Dr. Pai and Dr. Kanholy.
For this article let us take Ganesha as the focal point. Now Ganesha related to Ketu owns three Nakshatras as per Vimishottari Dasha namely:
Ashwini Nakshatra is related to Horses; also, the deity Ashwini Kumaras were born out of the nostrils hence Ashwagandha, an herb is likely related to this asterism and to this day it is used as a revitalizer and it is in general very beneficial for health especially respiratory ailments. Also starting a medicinal treatment on Ashwini Nakshatra day can be beneficial to get the necessary benefits of the medicine.
Honoring your ancestors in any way, possibly reviving a dish that your grandma used to make and serving it at the next family gathering can be respecting your Pitris. It does not have to be something big, but small acts in which you remember, respect the wisdom that they have passed on comes a long way in which you can get their blessings. They are your true angels and always want your welfare. Home remedies that have been passed on since generation is another way in which you can tune in to your ancestors.
Earlier temples built by ancestors were being maintained by the current generation for the generations to come in some parts of India. All the traditional festivals were celebrated there, and it gave the entire family time to rejoice and get the blessings from the family deity be it wealth, health or any other wishes they may have. In our current times, this has changed due to people moving out to the cities and abandoning their family temples and deities. This does show up in many ways in the kind of life situation the people face now be it with respect to progeny, health, happiness etc.
The simple act of being rooted (for Moola) in every way you lead your life, being humble, researching things well before coming to conclusions and not acting in haste etc. are simple ways in which you can honor this Asterism. Roots do teach us patience in a way since they are the basis on which the plants stand tall. Roots of some plants like the Chinese bamboo grow downwards for years together without any activity above the ground, before which they suddenly sprout out and grow at speeds unprecedented comparatively.
Let us enjoy this festive season with our friends and family by being in tune with the Nakshatra energy. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
Hi,
I live in Australia, so we are leaving Winter and entering Spring. Appreciate if you could provide some insights how we can observe traditions here as the seasons are all reversed.
[…] the 32 forms of Lord Ganesha and is related to the Magha Nakshatra. It is interesting to note that Lord Ganesha is the deity of Ketu and Ketu is the planet that rules Magha […]