Marketers won’t spare even a single occasion in luring their prospective consumers, not even Independence Day. No wonder, business houses have been selling dreams on the occasion of our 72nd Independence Day. The most interesting part is that they are trying to exploit impressionable minds of the consumers, by exhorting their sense of freedom of making a choice. In a way, they are seducing people to fall in their trap, to serve their vested interests. So, from the consumer’s point of view, by no account it would mean exercising their sense of freedom. And, if the marketers could draw attention of even a few, they have their luck.

In terms of marketing skills, the stakes of political class is still higher.  They also sell dreams. But their target is huge. They try to hoodwink a large majority seeking their votes. If the ruling clan in a schematic way try to trap people into a web of their well-crafted messy words, it is difficult to figure out the underlying truth. The opposition, while trying to unmask the ruling clan, goes on selling their dreams. The Prime Minister markets himself and his party from the ramparts of the Red Fort. The opposition uses whatever platforms available to them. Whose trap, the commoner’s impressionable mind fall into, time will speak.

The irony of the whole situation, however, is that in course of the war of words, both classes speak in similar terms — freedom from hunger, poverty, slavery, right to education and health.  But do voters weigh how much has been delivered in real termsij Public memory been short, often commoners are susceptible to get carried away one way or the other. What ultimately sells, remains just a matter of chance, you may call it destiny. For, very few are found doing a reality check before exercising their freedom of making choice.           

But all said and done, be it the political class or the business houses, both try to beguile people into their trap to serve their vested interest. So, both are marketers anyway. And, at the end of the day, a large majority ends up a slave.  Truth remains that since ages, those enjoying power — political or economic — have always tried to enslave gullible people. In fact, even religious leaders too have been selling beliefs in the name of God in their bid to enslave people. The question now is: Why do we succumb to such inducements so easilyij

A dispassionate look into our individual frame of mind suggests that inherently we are all born a slave to our inherent mind-trends, in terms of our desires, habit tendencies, and ego. And in the usual run of life, we seldom care to look beyond our predefined limits to pick up the most appropriate lead. So, the sense of slavery ingrained in our minds, we fall prey to external inducements. No wonder, Rousseau said:  “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they are.”

Here again a question arises: Is there any scope to enjoy our inborn right to freedom in sense and spiritij  If so, then what’s the way forwardij We shall have to free our individualistic minds of its sense of slavery by dropping all such memory imprints as would limit the scope of our vision. Once, mind is purified of its fault lines, its full landscape becomes accessible, and with its wholesome powers. We shall then look at issues in hand with and open mind, free from any preconditioning or external tempting influences whatsoever.  Following which, one shall be able to view things in the right perspective due.  And this is what sense of freedom truly means.

A case in point is that of a very potential guy, who could not make desired headway in life despite best of efforts. For, he has failed to make right choices, and in time.  look at his astrological pointers. Both the luminaries, the Sun and Moon, are ill-disposed off to their adversary Saturn. It speaks, in the first place, of preconditioned mind, bound by self-defined limits. Second, mind carries a strong sense of fear and insecurity, and is therefore, always suspicious of other’s intent. Third, he habitually doesn’t respond quickly.  The Sun also place adverse to Jupiter speaks of his swaggering ego. Mercury, placed adverse to Uranus and Neptune account for his insensible reasoning and judgment. Mars opposite Uranus and Neptune makes him temperamental, and also susceptible to inferiority complex. And the result is there to see. 

The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him at G-102, Bharat Nagar, New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 110 025, Tel: 91-11-49848475/9818037273, Email: pioneerqueries@bharatastro.com, Website : www.bharatastro.com