Daughter of Isis, Lilian Nirupa [books to get back into reading .txt] 📗

astrological factor.”

He looked around for questions or comments; then he continued.

“The other sign you have to identify is the one where your natal moon is located. Please do that research now and write the name of both planets in your exercise books.”

He paused and went to the refreshment table for a cup of water. He loved coconut water but it always left him feeling thirsty after he had to talk in public. The desert climate was dry enough, he mused, as he drank a full cup of lemon flavored water.

Returning to the stage he asked the students, “Are you ready?”

Most people raised their hands.

“Now for the personal side of this exercise. As we saw before, the planetary spirits radiate their energy on the earth and on each other. Those vibrations that affect us most are the ones associated with the two signs we have selected. There is a mystery behind this that cannot be explained in human terms. The mystery is related to the secret mechanism of magnetic attraction between our individual karma and the time of birth, with its individual planetary set-up.
The Kala Purusha has a complex system of inner workings like most of nature. The laws of attraction and repulsion between planets, people and the combining relationships with time and circumstances - influence our destiny scripts written by the Gods, whose minds and hearts can orchestrate the complexity of these “coincidences” beyond our understanding. We must take on Faith what the holy sages teach us, because as you will learn, when we follow the rules they give us to make our calculations, they prove remarkably accurate.”

He waited for the students to finish their research, then he continued. “Now that you have identified your ruling life planet (ascending) and your mental ruling planet (the ruler of your moon sign), we must get to meet them personally.”

A whisper of surprise and fear rippled through the room. Suryananda laughed aloud and continued.

“Please don’t worry. We will not bring them into the auditorium.” The students joined in his laughter now. “No, we will meet them personally in the privacy of your own hearts. It will be a “dharana,” which is a Sanskrit word for a contemplative exercise. As the room gets darkened, you will hear the sound of the lyre music which will help to create a quiet environment. I will lead you into meditation and you will have the opportunity to let your ruling planet talk to you. We will do the same for the moon sign later. I will not disclose the nature of the planets or their characteristics. That will come later, so you don’t let your imagination interfere with your actual experience. Any questions?”

Annouk-Aimee was sitting behind Mikos. She felt compelled to raise her hand. “Is this safe?” The other students were either skeptical or sneered directly at the naïve girl’s comment.

Suryananda raised his own hand to stop the ripple of comments. Then looking at Annouk-Aimee with his wise burning eyes, he smiled softly and said, “Do not be afraid to ask. That was an excellent question. Yes, normally I would be concerned with that too. People in my country propitiate the planets with mantras, gifts, acts of charity and so forth because it is always dangerous to open your spirit to powerful forces. That is why I asked if you knew how to meditate. I am sure your meditation teachers have given you specific instructions on how to protect yourselves when you open up to cosmic forces.”

“But in this case you are safe for two reasons. First, your ruling planet’s influence is in you already. It feeds your energies, so all you are doing is to meet him consciously. Remember that the planet is following God’s will in helping unfold his creation, of which you are a part. The second reason is that I will lead the meditation session and so you will receive specific instructions on obtaining the necessary protection from a harming force, should there be any. Besides, this sacred temple is purified daily by the priestess of Isis’s rituals, prayers and chanting, so it is not a welcome place for demons. They prefer carnivals.” He laughed softly. “Any more doubts or questions?”

No one responded, so Suryananda raised his hand, and immediately the auditorium window curtains were drawn, leaving the room almost totally dark except for a band on the center of the Eastern window where a blue light filtered the rays of the sun through dark blue-stained glass. The calming blue light flooded the room and was soon accompanied by the soothing sound of several lyres.

Then Suryananda said, “Now close your eyes and let us all together recite the Isis invocation.” The sonorous voice of a selected group of chanters initiated the first verse of the Isis hymn. The students responded to the chant. When the hymn was finished, Suryananda’s voice was the only sound they heard in the semi-dark room as the lyres had stopped with the end of the chant.

The teacher said, “Now take a deep breath, breathe deep in and then long out. Repeat once again. Now let us do the OM chant.” The lead chanters initiated a powerful OM that filled the room with electrifying vibrations. The OM reverberated inside Lizla’s soul as she felt her heart expand and the feeling of going very deep into herself as the sound seemed to clear her mind and senses.

Suryananda interrupted the fourth round of OM and said very softly, “Now go inside yourselves and listen to your Ka as he shows you the voice of your ruling planet – as it may speak to you in the sanctuary of this sacred atmosphere we all have created.”

A deep silence fell in and soon the soft lyres resumed the lulling meditation music, filling the darkened room with ripples of caressing waves floating the students’ souls into the mystic stillness.

Lizla had not brought a copy of her astrological natal chart but she had memorized enough of it due to her desert training. Her ruling planet was Saturn for the moon sign and Saturn also was the ruler of the rising sign. In addition, her Ketu rising accentuated her psychic nature; that much she knew. But she did not feel comfortable with meeting either one of them.

Suddenly she saw herself in a deep forest. Tall trees, higher than the temple columns, surrounded her. In front of her there was a trail going into the depth of the forest. At its entrance there was a man with strange blue eyes. His hair was blonde and long, reaching down to his waist. But his beard was almost white.

Before she could speak, the strange man took her hand and, putting a finger on his mouth to indicate silence, led her along the trail into the forest. The trail ended at the edge of a cliff that opened up into an abyss. The strange man looked into Lizla’s eyes and without releasing her hand he announced, “I am Ketu.”

Lizla trembled at these words: wasn’t he a demon, was he going to throw her into the abyss? But Ketu smiled and his luminous blue eyes shone with further intensity.

“Do not fear princess. I am here to bring you a message from your destiny. Look down here.”

Lizla opened her eyes, but she was no longer in the room. She was standing in front of this abyss where clouds and fireworks of cosmic proportions were displayed. It was like universes were born and dying in seconds.

Ketu pointed down and solemnly said, “This is the cosmic pattern of creation and destruction. The mission of wisdom – my mission and yours – is to discover all this and by this knowledge glorify the handiwork of the Creator.”

He then disappeared as Suryananda had made the music stop. The chanting group initiated the Isis invocation. Dreamingly, the students left their meditation state by joining the chant.

When it was finished, Suryananda said, “Take a deep breath, move your fingers and toes, when you are ready, open your eyes.”

Next the big curtains on all the windows were drawn open and the radiant light of the desert sun flooded the auditorium, spreading in a magnificent array of colors as it was filtered through the stained glass windows.

Lizla looked at Mikos and saw he was entranced by the beauty of the room. Lizla smiled to herself. She too felt the touch of grace putting a tone of glory in the room. It was typical of deep meditation experiences. Sometimes she felt it in the food too, but she would never tell that to Mikos. He was such a rational thinker!

In addition, she had much to contemplate. Her experience has been unusual. Why did she not see Saturn? Was Ketu her ruling planet? She would have to discuss that with Ra-Ta next time they met.

Suryananda’s instructions took her out of her reflections. “Pick up your writing materials and describe the experience you just had. Please write until the chimes ring again.” For the next ten minutes the room was quiet with the student’s contemplative journaling.

Ten minutes later the sand clock weight agitated the chimes that announced the exercise was over. Suryananda looked at the students and asked them, “Do you have anything you want to share, any questions, surprises, concerns?”

Lizla raised her hand. “Reverend Teacher, I do have a question. I did – which is not unusual – have a very strange experience.” She paused as a ripple of soft laughing broke for a moment the solemn atmosphere. “I know this is not everyday fare but I was expecting to see nothing or at least a vision or image from my ruling planet.”

Suryananda put a finger on his lips. “Her highness, please don’t say his name. Ruling planets are most personal. Also and particularly for rulers or people in a position of power and privilege, you need to learn to be cautious about inner data, particularly in public.”

Lizla continued, a bit chastened but still determined to get an answer, “What I saw was not my ruling planet but another visitor, an old man with a white beard, strange blue eyes and long blonde hair.”

Suryananda raised his hand to suffocate the “ahs” and “ohs” from the auditorium floor. “Please continue. What else happened? Did he tell you his name?”

“Yes,” Lizla said, “he said his name was Ketu.”

Suryananda did what he never allowed himself to do when dealing with astrological knowledge: he jumped. That provoked many eyebrows raising and muffled comments. Lizla was feeling quite self-conscious now, her original blush turning to livid pale. Suryananda composed himself, and addressing Lizla he said gravely: “That is the south node of the moon; it is truly a geometric point in space although the legends point to a more colorful origin.” He paused and was happy to see that Lizla assented as she was well aware of it. “The south node of the moon was discussed in the class that we observed during the eclipse. Was he threatening you?”

In spite of Ketu’s being recognized as the lord of Mysteries, he was also reputed to create mischief and occult – hard to unravel problems to the people or nations that displeased him.

“No,” said Lizla, “actually I was concerned too when I heard the name, but he took me very gently to the border of a precipice and there he showed me down in it, how the worlds evolve and universes appear and disappear.” Lizla’s eyes almost closed dreamingly as she remembered her astonishing vision. The class was suddenly very still in quiet admiration.

Suryananda ran his hand