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Jyotish Star of the Month |
By Juliana Swanson |
| Juliana Swanson: Hello Pearl, and thank you for agreeing to share a bit of your life and times with us. It is also a great and joyful privilege to have you as our first Jyotish Star from the Emerald Isle of �ire. Please tell us something of this sacred, mythical, and mystical land where you live. Pearl Finn: Ancient lore tells us that Divine races visited Ireland to teach and uplift, which could account for our rich heritage of high learning, ancient pilgrimage sites, holy wells, decorative monuments aligned with the stars, fairy forts, and faith. We have our own unique culture kept alive in legends, as well as literature, music, song, and dance. One of these races was called the Tuatha de Danann, the people of the Goddess Danu (knowledge). Ancient Ireland was named Erin after the wife of one of the kings of this race who inspired wonder and reverence for life at all levels.
Pearl: George W. Russell (AE), one of our great poets, artists, and mystic visionaries from the time of our renaissance (Celtic revival) in the early 1900�s, captured that soulful �magical� quality very nicely when he said, �So this isle, once called the Sacred Isle and also the Isle of Destiny, may find a destiny worthy of fulfilment; not to be a petty peasant republic, nor a miniature duplicate in life and aims of great material empires, but that its children out of their faith, which has never failed, may realize this immemorial truth of man�s inmost divinity, and in expressing it may ray their light over every land.� Juliana: A divine land indeed! And what of the astronomical and astrological remnants left behind by your ancient ones? Pearl: Our ancestors have left numerous monuments on our landscape, which indicate their ability to calculate astronomy, but it is in India and the Veda that the knowledge survives and explains the profound significance of the monuments. The famous elaborately decorated Book of Kells on display in Trinity College, Dublin, uses the symbols of the fixed signs of the zodiac to represent the stories of the apostles Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Most of our ancient knowledge was recorded in Gaelic which has yet to be translated; therefore, there is a great hope there might be a treasure of astrological insights yet to be revealed from this source.
Juliana: Can you please share a favorite depiction of the Goddess as she is expressed in Irish lore? Pearl: Bridgit comes to mind, Goddess of Fire and Hearth, Poetry, Music, and Healing (very similar to Saraswati). It�s interesting that when Christianity came to Ireland, what they couldn�t suppress they took on as their own, which is why she became Saint Bridgit. Her life is celebrated annually on the 1st February. Legend has it she is daughter of the two powerful deities: the Sun God Dagda, whose symbol is the inexhaustible cauldron providing abundant sustenance to all; and the Goddess Boann (Milky Way) who flowed forth to become the seven rivers of Erin. The fish from her rivers became the Salmon of Knowledge with its power to awaken the mind, as told in the legend of Finn MacCumhaill. Juliana: These kinds of stories remind me of the myths of India! And now shifting slightly, but still in reference to the Goddess, what was your own birth mother like? Pearl: Actually, it was my good fortune to have been blessed with a patient mother who was named Bridget after the great Goddess (Venus in my 4th house in Libra as well as Moon, Mercury and Saturn). My mother knew how to �move placidly through the noise and haste�� and she was one of those powerful women who, with my father, had eleven children and ran a bar/grocery business where she was fondly addressed as �Mammy� by her children and customers alike. There were many occasions when our dinner table was shared with someone who had too much to drink or had no money. Juliana: What was that like for you growing up in a bar? Pearl: There were no holidays; Good Friday and Christmas Day were the only days off in the year. However, despite how busy my mother was, I always knew I was secure in the protection and care of her kind, watchful eyes. She taught us to pray to our angels and would be concerned about keeping the spirit alive and safe within all her children. She was quiet-spoken, quick witted, and extremely wise. One off her sayings was, �Life is a series of problems, and solving them is living.� Juliana: What beautiful expressions and advice. Truly, she embodied the Goddess in more than just name! Pearl: Oh yes, in many ways, and it was always calming to sit quietly in her presence; she had a way with her that made everyone at ease without saying anything. She also had a great memory and was very good at keeping records including the exact birth details of all her children, which meant I have had verified astrological data for the people I know best. Birth certificates in Ireland do not contain this information. My mother passed away the 15th January 2014 last year, and inwardly I do not miss her as I feel she is always with me and will be forever, and we are together in the Goddess now, and she has earned her place of rest. Juliana: Were you interested in the stars when you were a little child under your mother�s wing? Pearl: From when I was a small child I would look at the Moon and stars with wonderment. The night sky gave me faith in a higher order. When I was in distress I would look up and yearn for understanding as well as release from the mess being created on the ground, especially being in the bar business where there was a lot of drunken ugliness and mockery. Customers could be dancing jigs and reels around the bar one day and the following week the same people could be at logger heads with each other. It was difficult to make sense of it all. Our village was the site of a great battle where over 7000 died among the conflict between strong Catholic and Protestant communities, with separate schools and churches which we were forbidden to visit. However, in business, these religious differences did not matter until there was too much drink taken and the row would sometimes start. Juliana: But that was the nature of the business, right? Pearl: We thrived on other people�s misery and had to smile through it all because yes, that is business. Yet when I looked to the stars I realized the rules and regulations, the prejudice and pain were man-made and had nothing to do with the beauty and order that is creation. The fear-based Catholic rituals or prayers within my culture gave me no relevance to this sense of the sacred of which I was instinctively aware. There was no education, book, or teacher who could or would provide me with what I later came to understand as the �esoteric.� Unfortunately, for a while I became part of the problem also, rejecting all teachers and entering the wilderness of addiction during what I now know to be my exalted Saturn dasa. Juliana: Of course we know that Saturn is a great teacher, and when exalted he can be even, one might say, �stronger� as a teacher. Pearl: I have no doubt about the malefic effects of a strong Saturn. He will bring me to humility and my knees in every situation. Under Saturn�s effect as an exalted natural malefic and 8th house lord, amends for the past have to be made. The houses he rules from his sign position must be developed to put him to his best use, which for me are the 4th and 5th houses; thus, mother/property and child/students are very prominent features in my life. What manifests from his challenges will be seen in A8 (8th house arudha pada), which is my 12th house Gemini occupied by Ketu, aspected by Mars and Rahu, suggesting unexpected challenges or shocking rows with spiritual writings and astrology. Saturn has a transformative influence in everything I do, so I have to make friends with him and welcome whatever he brings. Juliana: Astrologically, Saturn�s influence is always a great talking point as he helps us to identify the spiritual cause of our suffering. Pearl: Yes, especially via his third aspect which points to our sin from the past, the place(s) where we withheld love. His other aspects show where in our present lifetime our inadequacies and greatest fears are felt. As the old saying goes, �We are only as sick as our secrets.� We all have to own up and look to find creative solutions where he is asking us to make amends in repaying the old debts. Juliana: And speaking of creative solutions, how did you first find yourself interested in astrology? Pearl: It was from the News of the World that I first heard of horoscopes and astrology. It is an English tabloid Sunday newspaper which we sold in our shop; it had all the gossip of the week, as well as horoscopes with forecasts of what was in store for us in the week ahead. If it was a good outlook, there was great excitement, and if we didn�t like what it had to say, it was dismissed as nonsense. It wasn�t until my late teens in the early 1970�s when I moved to London that I discovered fascinating books on all forms of divination including astrology, and I had my chart read for the first time. Juliana: Since your early introduction to astrology in the tabloids, I�m sure we can agree that the world of astrology has changed a lot. Pearl: Well yes, with the wealth of knowledge being made available on the Internet today, astrology is slowly being rescued from the entertainment section of newspapers. Eventually, it will be taught in schools and appreciated along with the rest of the arts for the beautiful subject it is. While I know what is written in newspapers has little relevance, it does play a very important role in reminding us that astrology exists, as does all the Christmas pageantry with Jupiter represented as Santa Claus, and the motif of following our special star to find our divinity. There are powerful symbols with profound meaning for those who look deeper than the outer layers of commercialism. Juliana: How has astrology helped you personally? Pearl: When the entire world is at war, it is reassuring for me to look out at the heavens and know that there is a bigger plan. We may not be able to see it yet, but astrology is a key to finding many answers. What is hard to comprehend is how easily people who have not studied it dismiss it as a form of entertainment, or worse still, as rubbish. Vedic astrology provided me with the map of my life with its own built in clock and an agenda set. All the deception, addictions, successes, and failures were all laid out before me where anyone with a basic knowledge of its symbols and language could with a fair degree of accuracy make pronouncements on how the general themes in my life would unfold. It could look at specific areas of the life and diagnose the trends and preferences in this area. What really fascinated me was the way the priorities changed in my life with the dasa cycles.
Juliana: And after Mercury dasa?
Pearl: We had the privilege of having Sanjay come and share his wisdom with us at our only Irish conference in Vedic Astrology in 2002. We had over 50 enthusiastic participants and he met with the now President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, a meeting of great minds. Juliana: How was it for you to �convert� to Indian astrology? Pearl: As a student of Jyotish coming from the west of Ireland, I had no knowledge of India or its culture. Therefore, I climbed a steep learning curve to grasp many of the concepts. What inspired me to continue was the sense of peace and fulfillment I experienced every time I ventured into this territory despite its being so alien. If our Irish ancestors had not left us with monuments that are nearly indestructible, we would have no links to our past. However, what we are sadly lacking are teachers who know how to interpret these ancient messages being held out to us. What India offered to me was an extraordinary teacher in Sanjay Rath who could lift the veils of confusion through his simple instruction on how to interpret the lessons left by the ancient Maharishis (great seers) of 5000+ years ago India. Juliana: How do you reconcile the universal knowledge of Veda with the real cultural differences between Ireland and India? Pearl: Being Irish means that there will be cultural differences as to how to apply the knowledge and make it relevant here, but from the outset I have been mesmerized by the universal wisdom being sung out from this ancient source that speaks a truth that has to be experienced to be fully understood. I know I can never be more than in Kindergarten and the more I learn the less I know. I continue to be in awe of the generosity of Sanjay Rath, PVR Narasimha Rao, B.V. Raman, Chandrashekhar Sharma, Komilla Sutton, AV Sundaram, Saptarishis Astrology, and so many others who come from the Indian tradition and have kept the light lit for me despite my struggling to keep pace with their extraordinary knowledge. I think it is my exalted but cursed Jupiter in my 1st house which has caused me to suffer this fate. Juliana: What would you say is often missing in the modern New Age movement? Pearl: The book market is now flooded with books and tapes on how we can tackle the problems of our addictive and often destructive thinking patterns that for the most part keep us unhappy, and this is great. However, the formulas they offer are limited in applications as no two minds are the same, and unless we have some knowledge of our own blueprint, we are only exchanging one method of programming for another without valuing the unique needs of each individual. Unfortunately one size does not fit all for the body, mind, or soul; until we realize this, we are setting ourselves up for more disappointment and adding to our sense of inadequacy. For self-realization, we have to be willing to explore our deeper questions for ourselves. Juliana: And how does astrology help? Pearl: Outside opinions can help as they serve to mirror back to us who we are, but the greatest mirror of all is the natal birth chart. That moment in time when we arrive here marks the natal horoscope and is the seed that must become the tree. For the true seeker, the quest is lifelong, but having a road map like astrology is a great help, however arduous the task of learning to read it. Having someone else read it for you is like someone providing a meal for you, in that it can satisfy your appetite for that day. However, if you learned to cook, you would be fed for life.
Juliana: How does that work? Pearl: For instance, I will teach the concept of dasas from Maharishi Parasara�s Hora Shastra, where we read from what he has to say about what is uppermost in our minds during the different cycles, but I encourage students not to take what he had to say too literally as experience has shown that some of what is predicted is not as extreme as it sounds. When they get worried about their dasas, I remind them of how privileged we are to have all our faculties as well as the resources to be able to take the time to learn such a beautiful subject and therefore must have some very good karma despite how difficult things may seem, and the best remedy for difficulties is to remain loving� to live in love. Juliana: What does love have to do with it? Love is a remedy?
The other Mantra I recommend is Hari Rama Krishna as recommended by Sanjay Rath, to help remedy the shock, ignorance, and impatience ignited by Rahu, Saturn, and Mars respectively, and mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita as our main sources of weakness. Juliana: With the high importance of sacred fire ceremonies in the ancient Celtic tradition, I imagine you recommend pujas or yagyas too. Pearl: Sometimes when our problems are bigger than we can handle ourselves, we call on the experts at connecting with Divinity, for example, with �pujas,� special spiritual ceremonies performed to suit individual needs. This kind of intervention can give us the necessary strength to face life�s difficulties, many of which cannot be avoided, and can also help clear certain astral vibrations (especially when it is the proper time for them to release). Many Hindu temples perform these ceremonies and they will usually take note of the nakshatra placement of your Moon to decide when to do the puja. It is important for one to offer a donation as it symbolic of how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to help the situation. N. Suresh Swami at Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur, Karnataka (tel 0091-8254-58214) has been very helpful to me in this area both by telephone and when I visited there. With technology, it is now possible to witness a puja performed for you on the Internet, but nothing can match the power of a live experience. An especially good time to have a puja done is when a planet�s period of influence (dasa) is finishing and a new planet�s influence is about to begin. This is a method of clearing away old baggage and drawing on the strengths necessary to deal with the new time ahead. Juliana: I was fascinated by an article on your website about the Serenity Prayer as a lesson on how to use our Inner Solar System to understand the motivations in our lives: �God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.� Can you tell us about how this prayer has been important to you and how it links to astrology? Pearl: Many years ago I started a long struggle to attain peace of mind when I took refuge in a 12-step program, where it was recommended for those in the grip of despair or lack of faith to recite the Serenity Prayer. In more recent times I have discovered that this isn�t just a prayer but also a lesson on how to use our Inner Solar System to understand the motivations in our lives. Juliana: Please break it down for us. Pearl: This prayer teaches us that we cannot achieve peace and serenity without the grace of God (Sun). Our serenity is disturbed by the Mind (Moon) when it creates the illusion of self-importance where we think we alone are God. The cravings for excitement from thoughts (Mercury) and desires (Venus) are so strong that we are powerless to resist, but because we have free-will, we can choose to pursue whatever it is we are greedy for, fighting (Mars) for it if necessary. For those of us not blessed with the good fortune of faith in a power greater than ourselves, we struggle to achieve the illusions of the mind, which creates much distress, always ending in despair. My pursuit of pleasure has always led to disillusion, because, whether I achieved it or not, it was never enough. To become available to God it was necessary for me to exhaust all my own possibilities. The powerlessness I experienced eventually led me to meditation, breath work, and mantra, where I discovered that by giving my mind a rest from the constant bombardment of thoughts, I became more peaceful within myself, was able to think clearly, and was less pulled in different direction by every passing fancy. Juliana: And after balancing the mind? Pearl: As a result of balancing the mind, we are better able to face the reality of any situation with maturity (Saturn) � accepting the things we cannot change. We will have the strength of character to discriminate between right and wrong action (Mars) � having the courage to change the things we can. Our outlook and behavior become more positive, kind, and generous (Jupiter) as a result of having gained the wisdom to know the difference. Juliana: That is wonderful! Do you have any special advice for students of Jyotish? Pearl: First understand the roots and the purpose of Vedic astrology which sees human life as intimately linked with the cosmos and thus interwoven with continuous cosmic motion. Goddess Parvati requested that humanity be given this system in order to alleviate suffering by knowing the future and more importantly, for self-realization. It requires a combination of knowledge in astronomy, math, philosophy, mythology, along with a keen sense of awareness at an intuitive level. Keeping it simple becomes difficult because there are so many pieces of information to be brought together. Analyzing a chart and making correct predictions requires mixing many different principles and making fine compromises and judgments. Juliana: How can students work through the difficulty that you mentioned? Pearl: Sage Parasara said that it is difficult for even great Maharishis to learn. Be patient with yourself and with the knowledge. Learning Jyotish requires you to learn the language of astrology and its symbols. It has the added complexity of a foreign language which can also be a source of frustration. These concepts can become very confusing because we are bringing together many different aspects of life under a microscope hoping to grasp what lesson Divinity is taking us through to fulfill our purpose. Meditation is the key to steadying the mind and allowing the wisdom realm to show itself as we ask the questions and look for answers. Juliana: Thank you so much for your pearls of wisdom. You truly are both a pearl and a star! Pearl Finn Biography
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Juliana Swanson Biography
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