Transcending Competition in Favor of Love

Have you noticed a lot of interesting, complex. evolving relationship dynamics lately? I sure have. For one. I went through the major life transformation of getting married in late August. Talk about shedding an old skin – thirty some years of ‘carefree single girl’ are officially behind me! Beyond that, I have seen many changes in my friendships and have seen a lot of action in clients’ lives in terms of relationships and friendships going through a lot of change and reorganization. I chock a lot of this up to Venus’s current transit, which is through the fascinating constellation Ashlesha, which resides within the emotional, watery sign of Cancer.  

In mythology, Ashlesha is ruled by the Nagas, which are the celestial serpents. Serpents are symbols of the underworld, the subconscious, and the kundalini. When a prevalent planet is in Ashlesha, it brings up themes related to the deepest imprints in our psyches. These imprints within the subconscious come to light during this time. With Venus there, this has a lot to do with how we give and receive affection. 

Some questions you might ask during this time, to yourself, your loved ones, and your clients are: what attachment issues from childhood are creating difficulty in how you show up in relationships and friendships? Is it time to move your relationship to the next level, or to redefine it in some way? Is it time to leave a relationship that isn’t working? How can you bring more honesty and awareness to your relationships right now? 

This is a positive time for these types of issues to emerge and be healed in the light of consciousness. Many of you have probably noticed an uptick in issues surfacing with your loved ones lately, whether it be communication issues, old hurts, differences of bonding styles, etc. During this time these patterns can ultimately work out for the better between you if you handle what arises in a mature, transparent way. 

However, with Ashlesha and with the sign of Cancer, the temptation to act out and create drama can sometimes win over the higher part of you’s desire for resolution. 

This is because there are lots of tempting ways to misuse the serpent energy. In mythology there are three types of Ashlesha serpents.  The lowest form is sleazy, manipulative, always gossiping or stinging others with their venoms. They get a rise out of creating and perpetuating drama. They tend to be too defended to connect to their authentic needs and higher self. This lower form of snake likes to get tangled up with others…their tendency can be to create entwined, unhealthy, codependent relationships, perhaps even using a hypnotic quality in how they relate to others. “Trust in me…Trust in meeee,” they like to deceive and control others to feel better about themselves.

The temptation during times when Ashlesha is prominent can be to get down and play dirty – calling names or changing your story so that it makes you sound better to others, using some manipulation to get your way in life. Sounds like an election is approaching, doesn’t it!? We will get to see lots of misused serpent energy in the media. Or you can go on Facebook and witness these unconscious serpent energies flying around.

The second style of serpent is perhaps a little less manipulative, and uses their serpent energy in a different way. They tend to be concerned with being a top dog, in their field or in their home. They want that position of authority where they are revered and praised. They are able to read others’ psychology, but instead of for healing and transformation they use that skill to know what people need and want, so that they can better their own position in life. They can be highly attractive and with a mystical, magnetic personality. They like to compete and win out over their competitors. They don’t collaborate well with others, as their energy is not about cooperation as much as it is dominance and winning over others.

Neither of these uses of the energy really works well for true love and harmony, as you can imagine, so it is a good time to take inventory and see where/if we have these energies running in our relationships. While we may sometimes take the upper hand in an argument or look good using these tactics, we are doomed to endless cycles of blame, drama, and arguments that never really resolve. It is only when we use the more transcendent form of serpent energy that relationships can really thrive during this time. 

This third type of serpent energy is characterized by Sesa Naga, the king of the serpents. He is depicted in a transcendent state of awareness, watching the dramas and dances of life around him, yet he is not thrown off by them. He holds equilibrium no matter what the circumstances. Though he has the potential to, he doesn’t strike or inflict pain on others. This is the awakened kundalini energy. We all have the potential for this. 

Serpents shed their skin and so are also a sign of metamorphosis. If we can use our skills of witnessing/detachment, this time period is actually very potent for transformation of how we give and receive love. We can go through a kind of rebirth within our relationships right now. Ashlesha is actually one of the most self-aware constellations when it is working well, and many Ashlesha people are excellent psychologists. However, as we all know, you cannot fix a dynamic that you are emotionally consumed by. The healing only starts to happen when you can accurately back up and see what is going on. 

Rather than lashing out at a friend or your child or a stranger who is acting badly, try to pause, find some detachment like Sesa Naga. Gather all of the information about why things are a certain way with a person, and see if in your witnessing you can reach compassion for them, for yourself, and all involved. Through this more patient, witnessing perspective, many relationship dynamics can be healed right now, on a personal and collective level. 

Ashlesha’s negative tendency is to point fingers and to blame, or to counter-attack when we feel threatened. But the truth is that this dance of life is a great co-creation, and rarely is a debate or argument purely one-sided. If we go into this time willing also to see our own part in creating pain, and willing to listen to different perspectives, we can much more effectively heal and grow together.

Words to enhance your life at this time: bravery, transparency, humility, transcendence

References: James Kelleher “Path of Light Vol. II,” Hart Defouw & Robert Svoboda “Light on Life”

#relationships #healing #transparency #kundalini #nagas #cancer #jyotish #2020 #astrology