The Adityas are Sun gods traveling in a chariot through the sky and they are 12 in number. Each Sun god travels a distance of 30 degrees on the Ecliptic. The Adityas correspond to Tropical Western Signs but only in a spatial sense. They should not be mixed with the meanings of Western Tropical Signs.
The Adityas travel with a retinue of six other beings that represent specific, concrete worldly phenomena and internal, psychological and emotional states.
The Adityas are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Puranas. The Puranas and Srimad Bhagavatam do not always agree which being belongs to which solar month of the year of to which Sign of the ecliptic. This method follows the assignments of the Srimad Bhagavatam mostly.
The Adityas are the children of Aditi, the Divine Mother Goddess, who represents completeness, perfection and boundlessness. She is the Ecliptic circle that represents divine love and her children, the Adityas, are portions of that circle. When an Aditya chariot is traveling through its portion, a specific ray of divine love with unique qualities is shining upon and influencing the world.
The Aditya itself is the manifestation of a specific ray. The Chariot is the body, the individual human. In addition, the retinue of six other beings are as follows:
Naga
The Aditya and Naga forces are the most powerful forces and dominate all the others. Nagas are the Serpentine Race and equate with snakes. They align with the Moon and do not have an astral element. Their job is to free the chariot from its fetters so it can move forward in connection, understanding and Divine Love.
The Nagas were cursed by their Mother to die therefore they represent the most basic level of separation trauma and mother issues. All emotional wounds and traumas ultimately stem from separation trauma from the Mother in the first 3 years of life.
Nagas are described as beautiful and luminous, but also poisonous and angry due to unprocessed pain and separation and they were also victimized by humans. Their cruelty or poison arises from acting without understanding, yet their true nature is to illuminate darkness. In difficult planetary states (bad avasthas), Naga energy operates in darkness but still seeks connection. Separation panic can manifest as addictions to people, sex, or substances.
They can light our way through the Underworld. They rule over fears and anyone who has fears or phobias. The fears exist because of an imbalance in our Life Force which is the Prana or Chi in the body flowing through channels called Nadis. The largest Nadis are the Ida and Pingala on the left and right side of the spine.
The Nagas are incredibly intelligent. Distorted Nagas can be master manipulators. Purification of energy currents in the body calm and align the life force and allow the Nagas to free the chariot from its fetters.
Originally, there were 8 Nagas, one of whom is Sesha (Adisesha), meaning “the eternal” or “that which remains”. The 8 Nagas correspond to Rahu, which represents snake energy and intense experiences of separation.
When the chariot stops, Naga energy becomes stuck, leading to difficulty expressing love due to unresolved mother issues or separation trauma. These issues are not caused by the mother herself, but by how separation is processed. Healing separation issues requires continuous movement forward with the Love of the Aditya, never stopping or becoming stagnant. Emotional wounds remain in consciousness as “that which remains” (Adisesha). According to Hindu mythology, the world was created so Rahu can experience deep separation, which motivates striving for greater connection.
Rishi
A Rishi is a Seer and Sage. They are the original sages whose energy and wisdom flow from the Divine Source. They are Divine Law and Truth in Creation and are aligned with planet Jupiter and the astral element of Ether. Their job is to sing the Truth behind the Aditya in the Chariot. The Rishi always gives the Law of the Aditya. It is a law to live by if the Aditya is healthy. If afflicted, the Law of the Aditya is broken by the person due to their emotional and psychological wounds until these are healed with awareness and repetition.
Rakshasa
Rakshasa means demon. They are guardians and protectors and are aligned with Saturn and the astral Air Element. Their job is to push the Chariot from the rear due to their strength. They represent those who protect us, in addition to what we must defend ourselves against. In the early years of life, they protect us. As we grow into adults, their power becomes distorted turning them into a monster against which we must defend. Most of our psychological issues have a basis in Rakshasas.
The Rakshasas are only beneficial when they are behind the chariot, pushing it. Saturn is what you leave behind. It is the wind of letting go of the past. The minute we let go of something, the energy to move forward is dramatic. Holding onto resentments from the past is like a wind in our face, keeping our chariot from moving forward.
In periods and transits of Saturn, sometimes we will have old resentments, fears and sadness remerge in our consciousness. That is normal and to be embraced. As long as we allow ourselves to feel emotions without judgement or suppression, these painful emotions will move through our emotional and physical body and leave us for good. It is difficult to feel the emotion completely without judgement, that is why we hold onto so many psychological wounds.
Another way the Rakshasas promotes forward motion is by scaring the shit out of us. The force of the pain motivates us to move forward. Saturn is mortality which also motivates us to move forward. The most important, though, is to let go. Starting something new means letting go of the old.
Yaksha
Yakshas are powerful Nature Spirits and they align with Mercury and the Earth element. Mischievous and playful, they have been neglected in stories and myths or their legends have been lost in time.
Kubera, the Lord of Wealth, is connected to Yakshas. All wealth comes from the Earth, gems, gold, food, land, and resources. The Yakshas represent harmonizing with nature which creates health and wealth. They become problematic when a being is out of harmony with nature and are here to instruct how to benefit from nature. As we work in harmony with nature, wealth can be long-term.
In Jaimini Astrology, Mercury is Vishnu. In a deeper, spiritual sense Vishnu is forgotten. Everything is Vishnu. With the Yakshas, we respect the spirit of everything, respecting the spirit in the animals and the natural world. It is akin to animism, which was the default setting for the human race and still is in certain parts of the world. We have lost this respect and that is why the stories and myths of the Yakshas have been lost. Recognition that we’re working together with the Earth and respecting these Earth spirits.
Gandharva
Gandharvas are male Deities that guard the Soma, the nectar of immortality, protecting what is most sacred and refined. They are associated with Mars and the astral fire element. Symbolically, Gandharvas elevate the Sun (the soul) within an individual.
Gandharvas exist between humans and gods, acting as a bridge between the human self and divinity. Their role is to inspire, energize, and bring out the best in the solar (true) self, helping one struggle toward Truth. In older texts, Gandharvas are described as great warriors, representing exalted male qualities such as courage, strength, determination, and wisdom. The Gandharva symbolizes the spiritual warrior within, driven by logical Truth associated with Mars.
They are also portrayed as musicians, with music being central to their nature and function. Gandharva music is described as impassioned and inspiring, motivating action, effort, and forward movement.
Gandharvas allow only the worthy to access Soma, symbolizing the struggle to exalt the true self and achieve spiritual refinement. The word Ganda relates to fragrance, which represents the essence or truth of something. Sensitivity to smell is linked to compatibility, protection, and intuition, as danger and pathology cannot be hidden by scent. A failure to “smell” danger reflects unresolved pathology within oneself, leading to destructive situations.
Apsara
Apsaras are heavenly nymphs that are aligned with Venus and the astral water element. They walk in front of the chariot and their job is to create a mood, an ambiance, to elicit a feeling. They are dancers and are paired with Gandharvas. Sent by Indra to entice and tempt Rishis and Kings, their purpose is to show us how important Earthly feelings are and if our energy is fully absorbed in an activity. If our energy is not fully absorbed, then we will be enticed by the Apsara. This is not malevolent but honest and necessary to show us the power of the feminine force and how important it is in everyday life.
The Apsara exalts the lunar force. The Moon is the child mind and what it feels determines our needs. The Apsaras work on the level of emotions and allow us to see what we need. Apsaras do not come on strong with force or words. Rather, they appear subtly and elicit a feeling within us that we did not notice before.
Apsaras make sure we are aware of our emotional needs. They have the ability to awaken someone’s emotion to something they are not aware of in themselves. The Apsaras make our feelings a greater priority. The Child Mind Moon is living healthily when its feelings are satiated, satisfied and fulfilling. The Moon meets her needs so she can maintain her equilibrium as a balanced human organism.
Anything that plays on our emotions and makes us feel something is an Apsara force. The Apsaras can show up as a person and they are subtle, talking is optional. The feeling or the person is not definable, they just show up and we feel like doing something.
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