May 2009 Vedic full moon astrology: Vishakha

May 8, 8:24 PMAstrology ExaminerMaria Barron

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The full moon in Vishakha May 9 is also the Buddha moon. Because of its link with key events in the life of Gautam Siddharth, the Hindu prince who became Buddha, the Vishakha full moon is celebrated as the Buddhist holiday Vesek or Wesek. His life amply illustrates the themes of the Vishakha mansion of the moon and of the sun opposite in Bharani. 

Moon in Vishakha constellation, ruled by Indra and Agni 
Planetary ruler: Jupiter 

Tonight, the moon is in Vishakha, the only constellation that has two ruling gods, Indra and Agni. Indra is the powerful king of gods, the warrior who renders mountains asunder with his thunderbolt and wins back the life-giving waters. Agni is the sacred fire, the flame within that purifies the heart, and the flame without that purifies raw food and makes it fit for consumption. Agni is the inextinguishable fire. Both Indra and Agni are inherently active and intensely so. While Indra signifies the actual performance of work on the physical or external plane, Agni denotes the work done on the spiritual or internal level. 

Vishakha’s ruling planet is Jupiter, teacher of the gods. A teacher, they say, is higher than God and entitled to be paid homage even before God because if the teacher had not taught “This is God” how would the pupil have known God? Moon in Vishakha speaks of goals, the ability to achieve those goals, and the desire to teach those goals to the world at large. 

Sun in Bharani constellation, ruled by Yama
Planetary ruler: Venus

The Vishakha moon is fully aspected by the sun in Bharani, ruled by Yama. In the RigVedic period, Yama was conceptualised as the Controller or the Supreme God. The word “Yama” means restraint. Yama later came to be identified as the chief of the dead, residing in the remote recesses of the sky. Yama’s heaven is the highest and is higher than that of his father, Sun. Yama chose death, abandoned his body, and moved up to the highest realm. He, thus, clears the path for mortals who die and guides them to the astral world. 

Venus, the refined and beautiful planet, rules Bharani. In Hindu mythology, Venus is a teacher and the only one who knows how to bring back the dead from death. In this aspect, Venus is superior even to Jupiter, the teacher of the gods, because Jupiter does not know the secret of raising the dead. Bharani has these two seemingly conflicting rulers – Yama (of death) and Venus (of creation), Yama of restraint and Venus of luxury. Bharani, thus, symbolises creative guidance born out of discipline and order. 

All these aspects of the Vishakha moon are beautifully illustrated by the life of Gautam Siddharth. Buddha was born with his moon in Vishakha, received enlightenment under Vishakha, and left his body for the heavenly plane under Vishakha. He embodies the wisdom of Jupiter with the Jovian large-heartedness to share it with whomsoever crossed his path (and whomsoever did not). The power and fiery drive of Indra and Agni pushed him to actively seek out people and show them his Light. The powerful (Indra) flame (Agni) of wisdom (Jupiter) is difficult to extinguish, if not impossible. Buddha exemplifies it.