I wish the valued readers a very happy Diwali. May the prayers offered during the auspicious occasion trigger a very productive and meaningful year ahead, which grants all your wishes. But remember, nothing comes just to one’s asking. One would need to make right choices, plan its execution well, and then put in quality effort. Accordingly, one would need to get well geared up.

If you look into the modalities of this festivity, the purpose of its presence in our annular calendar will be forthcoming. It is suggestive of preparing oneself afresh at regular periodic interval to take on the callings of emerging times in strength with ease and comfort.  Otherwise, caught up in the usual mills of life, often one forgets about the fundamentals of life, as if one would have outgrown its limit, and with obvious consequences.

Mark the timing of this festive occasion. It is scheduled on the darkest night of the year, as the Sun, the main provider of light in the world would be at its farthest end from this part of the globe. For, India is placed towards the eastern horizon in the northern hemisphere. Against that, the Sun traversing its southerly course reaches the penultimate point of the western horizon. We dispel this utter darkness by lighting up our houses heavily. Similarly, using our mind-power we could combat all challenges coming our way if we take it in stride.

We deck up our houses with flowers, festoons, and other decorative articles. Distribute sweets. At the dead of the night, we offer prayers to Mother Goddess lakshmi, the deity identified with wealth. We make our offerings carrying the hope that with emergence of fresh light, life begins with a new note, which may prove rewarding and fulfilling. The word wealth here has wide connotation, encompassing within physical strength, wisdom, and financial worth, vital to our sustenance and growth.

The preparation for this festivity begins much in advance. We thoroughly clean up our house and the adjoining areas. Clear off all the junk piled up during the previous year. Refurbish and give a fresh look to our house. We, thus, create a healthy living environment carrying positive ambience. The belief is that Goddess lakshmi shuns filth and so would make presence only in a clean environment. So, great emphasis has been laid on cleanliness, vital to health and hygiene. Of late, the sense of cleanliness seems to have lost sight of our collective consciousness. Otherwise, we would not have neglected our obligations towards keeping our villages and cities clean.

Even more important is cleansing of mind on a daily basis. Remember, all that we go through in life, good or bad, find space with our memory, major part of which goes into subconscious. Over a period of time mind gets overloaded with a huge stock pile of imprints. In fact, mind supposedly entertains somewhere between 60 and 70 thousand thoughts per day. Most of them would be inconsequential and even negative. This is over and above such indwelling imprints that hold the key to our habits and attitudes. Mind-space thus gets so cluttered that that we are hardly left with the space necessary to process our thoughts objectively.

Also, the thought imprints at the subconscious level keep rattling us from within. Consequently, mind’s attention keeps randomly wandering hither and thither, thus losing focus on our priority preferences, and with obvious consequences. That makes it incumbent upon us to clear off the clutters of mind on daily basis, which happens when you submit yourself to prayer regime.

look at the astrological pointers of a potential guy, to figure out how indwelling impressions in mind have marginalised his creative abilities. lagna lord Mercury, conjunct headless Ketu points to clouding of his mind, which holds the key to impaired reasoning and judgment. The Sun placed adverse to mischievous Neptune points to being stuck to self-delusions, distanced from ground realities. He may not acknowledge truth on its first appearance, and would move on hope against hope till pushed to the wall. The two read together will imply that he presents himself as a perfectionist by his self-assumed standards. He expects everybody around to prove true to his expectations, failing which, he becomes overcritical. He then begins passing caustic remarks, thus earning displeasure. As a consequence, he is neither been at peace by himself, nor allowed his near and dear ones live in peace. He has no friends, and in desperation has got into self-indulgent habits, as would Jupiter ill-disposed of to Venus imply.   

The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him at G-5, Basement, Jungpura Extension, New Delhi 14

Tel: 9818037273/ 24310031,Email: pioneerqueries@bharatastro.com, Website: www.bharatastro.com