Shukra

Shukra in Sanskrit means “bright” and “luminous”. Shukra is one of the brightest celestial entities, closest in size to the Earth and the hottest planet of all. So there is naturally an intensity to Shukra, but at the same time, Venus has a gentle nature. While all the other planets rotate from West to East, Shukra is the only opposite rotating from East to West ~ this is a unique expression we can see at twilight times from Earth’s perspective. This unique Venusian expression of the cosmos is associated as well with Aphrodite in the West, giving relevance to “aphrodisiac”.

In India, Shukraacharya is seen as one of the ministers of the solar system, keeping an eye on the asuras. The reverse rotation of Shukra is relevant to the role it plays in the cosmos. Shukra is deeply associated with the process and creation of life. In a chart, Shukra is one of the main significators of creativity. Shukra is also another name in Sanskrit for the reproductive fluid produced by the human body for procreation.

In the Himalaya Kriya yogic system, Shukra is located at the Anahata chakra ~ at the heart centre symbolizing our longing for love and connection, which shows up as the two fundamental forces in nature of attraction and repulsion. This is why Venus is associated with supreme devotion ~ love that shines as compassion, gratefulness and joy. On a human level it points to our capacity to experience love, affection and connection.

Venus is our capacity to attract and therefore is associated with one’s magnetism. On a higher level it is the value of Beauty ~ all levels of beauty as in the eyes of the beholder. Each of us experiences different forms of beauty from our level of consciousness. In Sanskrit, beauty is the value of Shri. We recognize that for there to be beauty to appreciate, the Divine must take form and so we honour and appreciate that form ~ from a flower to the Milky Way…

We live in a Universe that is so beautiful and also has the remarkable ability to revel in its own beauty…. for, the seer is the seen. The Creator is in awe of Her creation ~ the highest form of self-love. Our appreciation of beauty, harmony and Sri. So we see in human civilization that the highest forms of expression are in the forms we call art. Anyone walking through a temple has probably experienced the power of sublime art.

Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the more in beauty the beholder resides, the more beautiful the world becomes. When one is stuck in self-loathing and comparing oneself to other expressions and people, one finds great competitiveness around beauty, which is a lower level of Shukra’s expression. When our sense of beauty is limited to a perverted sense of beauty, that is really a desire for control and a clinging to very narrow ideas of beauty, we are experiencing the lower expressions of Shukra. All marketing is ultimately directed at this level of Venus.

To create beauty is to truly care for something. When we take care of ourselves, we feel good, but with an imbalanced Venus, this can become self-obsession and self-loathing. Venus has an addictive element to it, because it is a planet of desire and when that desire is coming from the lower levels of possession, competition, greed and the pursuit of some kind of eternal youth, that desire can become destructive. It is endless desire and becomes addiction and pursuit of an idealized kind of perfection that does not exist. It becomes shallow and materialistic. A person may be jealous and obsessed with what others think of them. When Shukra expresses this way in human, there is much healing and soul work required to balance this internal psychological warfare which can and does create a lot of pain for people.

Low Venus is the cultural obsession with idols, celebrity and fame. People are in awe of famous people and at the same time resent them subconsciously and celebrate their downfall. Cultures that celebrate the low expressions of Venus create loneliness in the elder years, because self-worth is intertwined with a very narrow idea of beauty captured only in a brief snapshot of youth. Sadly, wisdom is lacking greatly and as a result, so much beauty is missed. This is all unrefined Shukra. When we take away a person’s or a culture’s self-worth, what follows is the loss of high level Shukra and the person’s desire comes from a place of lack rather than a heart-state of fullness, abundance and beauty.

However, in an authentic way, the luminous brilliance that is associated with beauty and magnetism is true Shukra energy because it comes from the heart, not the ego. Therefore, when we come from the heart, our aura radiates and people are naturally attracted to us without the need for propaganda. When one comes from the heart there is no need be a “character” or pretend. We become who we are in Truth and love emanates from our cells.

Venus is exalted in the second chakra representing our ability to create. All kinds of creativity ~ art, dance, writing, jewelry etc are Venusian. Also our sensuality, sexuality and desire for intimacy. However, on the higher levels, that sexual energy (which on the lower is lust) is transmuted into Divine expressions of love and spiritual experiences. From the Yog-Vedantic perspective, sexuality is a very healthy thing. Suppression of sexuality causes disease, but also obsession with sexuality causes disease. Therefore, we need to refine Venus and learn how to properly elevate and understand the Divine sexual energies.

Venus is debilitated at the throat chakra representing our need to refine our expression. To release our attachments to comfort and opinions. Without awareness around comfort we risk becoming “comfortably numb”… Venus is exalted in Pisces at the Swadisthana chakra.

The very charming and beautiful Lakshmi is the goddess of Shukra. So Venus is our ability to detect charm and beauty, to be charming and beautiful in an authentic way. Lakshmi often rides the elephant and has an owl with her ~ both representing wisdom. Lakshmi represents prosperity and abundance, which requires wisdom to stay in balance. Otherwise, it becomes the endless pursuit of always wanting more and never having enough.

Shukra is a vata graha requiring vertical and horizontal harmony and balance. Shukra dasha is the longest at 20 yrs ~ a very creative and abundant time for one who is balanced and aware. Wherever Shukra is in the chart on a higher level that becomes the individual’s ability to be creative in that domain of activity which that house represents. It gives us great insight into a soul’s gifts, desires and karma. Shukra is a benefic graha and teacher so one generally experiences Venus in a gentle way, but if very afflicted and tied to heavy karma can give insight into patterns of addiction and self-sabotage.

Divinely aligned, Shukra’s dasha follows the often intense 7yr Ketu dasha. Ketu is the tail of the serpent and draws one within to heal trauma and karma. The Ketu dasha can be a time of intense karmic shedding and can be very liberating ~ it’s going into the cave, doing sadhana and deep healing. This time is followed then by Shukra’s earthly, passionate, creative, outward pull to ideally help us to manifest from a higher, heart-healed, Ketu-inspired evolved place. However, when one does not receive the teachings in Ketu and remains psychically disturbed for having resisted the great lessons of Ketu, then it can happen that Shukra activates as the chase of the desire rather than its fulfillment.

To get the most out of one’s Shukra dasha, one has to be aware of the energy and take the time through daily spiritual practices to tune in and refine their relationship to Venus to really be able to embody it in its highest expression possible. Gratitude is recognizing the abundant life one has and from the Vedic perspective, on Earth, we are all abundant. Even if we misuse Earth’s abundance and make life very hard for many people through human conflict, Earth remains a planet of unconditional love and abundance.

Ultimate creativity, the creative genius, are born out of silence ~ the empty vessel who is the channel for the Divine is the creative flow of Spirit which requires no validation from anyone else. While low Venus is looking for compliments and approval, high Venus is in awe and gratitude and humbly witnesses creativity happening through them.

The Vedic traditions celebrate beauty and abundance. It celebrates and honours the Divine feminine and there are many rituals, practices and ceremonies to honour Divine Mother, because this helps us to connect to the highest aspects of Venus within ourselves.

Venus in our birth chart points to our intimate partnerships, our ability to be inclusive, community and relationships. It shows generosity, attraction, desire, creativity and expressions of love and our ability to be in love.

To be in love with one’s life is perhaps the greatest abundance one can experience. This is why all devotional practices are very profound for balancing and harmonizing Shukra.

May you all experience the highest values of Shukra in your life ~ supreme grace, gratitude, abundance, beauty, creativity, love and Shri!