PUNARVASU NAKSHATRA: MOTHER OF GOD
The deeply suspect terraformed satellite known as “The Moon” is in Punarvasu nakshatra today! 😂 So let’s talk a bit about the way this one manifests in people:
Before patriarchal religions put a stranglehold on the world, it was acknowledged in almost every spiritual tradition that a Goddess was the source of all existence. In Sumerian mythology, she appears as Nammu. In Taino lore, she’s Atabey. In some Gnostic schools, she’s the self-impregnating Barbelo. This wisdom is even covertly kept alive by the Catholic church, in the emphasis on Mother Mary — though her virgin nature is mistakenly taken to be literal, as I’ll explain in a moment.
In Vedic astrology, this Creatrix concept is seen in the nakshatra of Punarvasu, whose presiding deity is Aditi: mother of the gods. The perpetual “virginity” of Punarvasu is not literal — rather, it’s a testament to how she manages to maintain her pure chaotic potential at all times. Her endlessly regenerative nature is conveyed by this nakshatra’s symbol, a quiver full of arrows. It’s important to note that these aren’t normal arrows, but rather, arrows that always return to their source. (The Chaos Star ❇ tattoo on my back [pictured] suggests the same concept.)
Hang around a Punarvasu long enough, and you’ll start to feel like anything is possible. Due to this nakshatra’s Jupiter rulership, this native can often be found exploring the most mind-expanding ideas, such as the nature of the universe, the reason humans exist, and various permutations of God. This is probably why Punarvasu nakshatra is found in the natal charts of surrealist icons like Salvador Dali {Ascendant ↟}, who once famously said, “I don’t do drugs. I am drugs.”
In essence, Punarvasu can’t help but inspire those around her. She compulsively encourages and comforts others, viewing everyone as a child in need of spiritual nourishment. However, Punarvasu’s characteristically Jupiterian inability to ‘get her feet on the ground’ causes her to spread herself too thin.
For this reason, she may over-apply her archetypally maternal drive to inappropriate outlets, for instance by becoming “the mom friend” who burns herself out taking care of others, or by dating child-like romantic partners who subconsciously expect to be re-mothered by her, throwing tantrums and failing to appreciate the life she gives. (For an insightful example of this relationship dynamic, I recommend “Walk Through Walls,” the memoir of Marina Abramovic {Ascendant ↟} — who is also called the “GrandMother” of Performance Art).
As Punarvasu continues to pour her abundant energy into mothering all the wrong things, a brooding resentment towards those she “gives” to develops under her seemingly sweet surface. This can manifest as all the stereotypical emotional manipulations associated with this nakshatra’s Western translation: the zodiac sign of Cancer. Though on the surface this “s-mothering” behavior looks like the opposite of generosity, Punarvasu is paradoxically demonstrating what she wants, which is for someone to meet her boundlessness with loving limitation.
Luckily for Punarvasu, her yoni consort (or for those of you unfamiliar: most compatible partner) is Ashlesha, who is symbolized by the tightly coiled serpent 🐍. Complementarily to Punarvasu, the uptight Ashlesha outwardly appears to demonstrate the opposite of what she really wants, which is to loosen up. Like almost everyone, she tends to express her truth in code, so that only those who ‘speak her language’ will hear and respond.
And boy, do these two respond to each other! When these cat yoni consorts get together, a beautiful alchemy takes place. With Ashlesha’s help, Punarvasu can finally relax in a real way, knowing her incredibly self-controlled partner will probably never “take too much” from her. In return, Punarvasu gives Ashlesha vast spiritual waters to unfurl and play in, where she may finally relinquish control and explore the many forms her serpentine self can take on, free of judgment. Together they become a breathtaking interplay of chaos and control… and this is how they discover that their seemingly opposite natures are actually the same nature at the core. 💕
