Guru means dispeller of darkness, and the yoga tradition makes clear that every aspirant on the spiritual path needs a guru. It does not specify, however, what form that guru should take. The Holy Mountain of Arunachala, a form of Lord Shiva, was guru to the great saint, Sri Ramana Maharshi. In Sanskrit, Jupiter is known as Guru. A radiant light in the night sky as well as a powerful deity, Jupiter (or Guru or Brihaspati) resides somewhere in the birth chart of everyone. In other words, your energy field contains the light of inner guru. Even though it may be shadowed by challenging (even sinister) forces at times, its natural luminosity is never extinguished. Eventually, in the fullest of time, when the veils of ignorance lift and all karma is exhausted, Infinite Light reveals itself as your birthright. Enlightenment is the ultimate destiny of all, and Guru provides a trustworthy path.
It makes sense to pay attention to the movement of Guru through the heavens, seeing how his transits are affecting your life . . and so understanding how best to navigate the shifting tides of karma. Guru represents higher knowledge, creativity, abundance, children, mantra and sacred ritual, teachers and priests, higher law and justice, dharma, good fortune, and wealth. His energy is expansive, so wherever he is, he brings growth.
All that sounds wonderful, and it is . . . when the higher octaves of Jupiter get activated. Most of the time, Guru is a positive force in life. A beautifully placed Jupiter brings boons and graces, cancelling a thousand blemishes, they say. But sometimes, expansion is not what you want. In certain alignments, Jupiter can increase the nasties—financial losses, cancer cells, the power of your enemies. He can increase desire, so you never feel you have enough. Scarcity as a state of mind is a poverty, no matter how much money you might have. Guru can even increase pride, anger, jealousy, greed, and emotional imbalances of all kinds.
Yet he’s still Guru, and his light will radiate with beneficence again as surely as the sun will rise. A difficult Jupiter transit can be assuaged (as can any difficult transit). Remedies exist for all manner of suffering. Jyotish offers hope, but it also provides medicine. However, as with all medicine, you need to understand the science behind it in order to apply it correctly. Which energy to strengthen in an astrological chart requires careful analysis. It’s a dangerous thing to do without the right knowledge.
In any other circumstance, I’d never give a universal remedy, because each chart’s requirements are unique. But to strengthen the beneficence of Jupiter, there is one thing that everyone can do, no matter what karma Guru is triggering for you now. This remedy is the safest, most effective, most universal medicine. Applied with a sincere heart, it can only bring healing to any situation, because it purifies the energy of Guru, raising it to the higher octaves of sattva, where it can bless you with the most enduring form of wealth.
It is spiritual practice. And a simple orientation of heart can invigorate yours right now. Spiritual fruit is the only wealth that lasts forever. Ruler of bhakti and prayer, Guru loves devotion. All meditation, but particularly Japa, the chanting of sacred mantras, raises the vibration of Guru. Acts of charity and compassion elevate it also. As you open your heart to others, you activate the higher energy of Guru, benefitting yourself, others, and the entire planet—necessary more than ever at this time. This year, Jupiter is extremely weak, and Saturn extremely strong—no elaboration necessary on the challenges of 2020! I wrote in an earlier blog about the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction in Capricorn. We’re not out of the woods yet! But spiritual practice provides the best antidote to all manner of suffering.
Here’s a simple practice for you, good at any time, good for all. When your mind starts wandering along negative pathways, if you’re feeling stuck, bored or lonely, frustrated with work, worried or anxious, grieving a loss, whatever is going on . . . repeat to yourself (mentally or aloud) the mantra of Guru, “Om Gum Gurave Namah”, and visualise that luminous star called Guru, beacon of hope in the night sky . . . and in your own heart too. He’s a portal to the Divine.
Jupiter shines brilliantly in the night sky, radiating an energy of exquisite harmony. I’ve been watching him all summer. You don’t see him when he first rises, which happens now at 16.35 (Rome time) because daylight conceals him, but as dusk falls on a clear sky, he becomes visible just above the southern horizon. He culminates higher in the sky around 21.00, then fades from view after midnight, setting into the southwest. Go out on a clear night to bask in his light, focusing your mantra on that point in the sky.
So many mantras exist for every deity (in some cases thousands!) and the same goes for the planets (grahas)—who are also deities. Specific mantras for specific purposes—individually targeted—possess a razor sharp accuracy. But for strengthening Jupiter, that simple Guru mantra has extraordinary power. Try it and see!
Guru and Lord Ganesha resonant with a similar energy — of abundance, good fortune, and the power to overcome obstacles. As the saying goes, ”Don’t tell your Ganesh how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your Ganesh is!”
The same goes for Guru. Let’s make him big . . . for ourselves and the entire planet!
Om shanti 🙏
Very interesting to read you
Good luck to you