An article on Swati Nakshatra by a student

Swati Nakshatra- Symbolic and metaphorical interpretations


Swati Nakshatra is the 15th Nakshatra, it lies completely within the Libra sign. It extends from 6 degree 40 minutes of Libra to 20 degree of Libra.


Symbol - A blade of grass, a young plant shoot blown by the wind, coral, sword


Deity - Vayu, the God of wind


Secondary Deity - Ma Saraswati


Nakshatra Lord - Rahu


Sign Lord - Venus


Gana– Dev Gana


Animal symbol – Male Buffalo


Primary Motivation – Artha


Shakti - Pradhvamasa Shakti (The power to scatter like wind)


Swati can be understood as being etymologically derived as a conjunction of two words


Swa (self) + Ati(excess), which simply meaning excess of self


It can also be seen in an alternate way, that is,


Su (good) + Ati (excess), that means, excessively good


Swati is represented by a tender young shoot, being blown by the wind. This symbolism can suggest a number of interpretations. Let’s go through them one at a time.


The Young Shoot Symbolism


1. It can indicate self confidence and self reliance. They are extremely independent and do not desire any kind of help from anyone.


2. The fact that it is a single plant, standing alone, may show that they are fearless to explore yet uncharted territories. They can be very determined and may have a strong will to succeed.


3. They may be more interested in solitary pursuits and may be too self-centred to actively engage in family life.


4. They tend to hold themselves back and do not participate in group activities as they feel that somehow, they do not fit in.


5. The fact that it is a young shoot, easily blown by the wind may indicate a lack of experience, the lack of maturity. There may be no fixed opinions and they may be quite gullible. It is easy to influence them.


6. On the Positive side, it may indicate that they are not rigid; they have an open mind, willing to listen to opinions. It can indicate their flexibility and adaptability. As Bruce Lee had said “Notice that stiff trees collapse, while bamboo or willow survive by bending with the wind.”


7. It may also suggest that these natives may be too soft hearted to hurt anyone. They are willing to go by the opinion of the majority to maintain peace and avoid any kind of conflict. They do not thrust their opinions on anyone.


8. They may however be too independent and do not take other’s suggestions easily. It is difficult for them to accept criticism too which may lead to egoistic tendencies.


Swati and the Relationship Life


9. Libra is a sign of relationships and socialising and Swati is the nakshatra of independence and aloofness. This can lead to a lot of confusion in their minds. When they are with people, they may want alone time and when they are alone; they may feel isolated and detached. On one side, they have an inherent desire for relationships and partnerships(being venus ruled) on the other, they do not like being tied down. It is very important for them to maintain a right balance.


10. This can make relationship life very difficult for them if the 7th lord, Darakaraka or relationship oriented planets like Venus are in Swati Nakshatra. Relationships can survive well only when they are given space and freedom at all levels- physical, mental and emotional; else it may get claustrophobic for them. Having a mature, understanding and non-clingy partner is therefore very important, which only a well-placed Venus can give.


11. Because they do not have any fixed opinions, about the kind of relationship partners they want, they are quite open minded and flexible, (add to it Rahu’s lordship over Swati) they may get into relationship with a variety of partners, no fixed criteria for race, ethnicity, cultural background (or maybe even Gender in today’s day and age)


12. A pleasant blowing wind can take the form of a hurricane if uncontrolled. It is therefore very important for these natives to have a grounding influence in their lives. They need someone calmer and wiser (older? because it is a young shoot) to keep the flowing nature in check. Else it can lead to restlessness, fidgetiness and a desire for change in relationship matters (unrestrained and impulsive)


13. The fact that the shoot is blowing with the wind may indicate, that these people may love travelling/driving and frequent changes.


The Coral Symbolism


14. The creation of coral is not a quick process, it grows as slow as a millimetre in a year. However, when it grows, it is the most impressive sculpture of nature. Swati Natives should therefore learn to remain patient. They tend to scatter, like the wind. It is difficult for them to focus. They need to learn to persevere. Good things take time and effort to develop.


15. The fun fact about corals is that like fingerprints, no two corals are exactly alike. This again points to the fact that they need to learn to find their individuality and not get swayed by the popular opinion (the wind)


16. Corals can reproduce asexually. New polyps bud off from parent polyps to begin new colonies. This indicates towards the self-sustaining nature of Swati Natives. They need to use this Independent nature to create something that is of immense value to humanity at large. (Dev Guna)


The Sword symbolism


17. Sword is a Sharp metal weapon, like a large knife.
On the more tangible level, these natives can be involved with Fencing as a sport. They may also deal with swords or Knives if Swati is associated with 10th Lord or AK in any way.


18. In Relationship matters, if relationship-oriented planets are involved, it can bring sudden endings to a relationship.


19. If Mercury, the planet of communication is in Swati, these people may at times say things that can be very hurtful. They really need to keep a check on their speech else they may repent it later.


The God of Wind Rulership


20. Wind is never static, it is always moving, wandering. And sometimes in the moving of wind, we find our true direction of life.


21. Vayu is the prana, the life force, something that differentiates, living from the non-living. Swati ruled planets and areas of life are extremely vital for the native. They are the life givers.


22. Chaotic winds can lead to stormy destruction. The Swati force when restless, uncontrolled and misdirected can lead to a lot of chaos. And therefore, as mentioned above the young shoot needs a more mature guiding force in life.


Hanuman- The VayuPutra


In the story of Lord Hanuman, he was born with immense divine powers but due to his mischiefs in the childhood, he was given a curse that he would forget his own powers and that they would lay dormant within him. It was the mighty and wise bear Jambavant who recognized Hanuman’s latent potential and reminded him of his divine origin and his forgotten powers. It was only then that Hanuman could use those powers to cross the ocean to reach Lanka.


Many a times, in the lives of the Swati Natives, they are unaware of their hidden potential and there comes a time in their adult lives, that they meet someone wise, who guides them on to the right path. It is then that these people become truly devoted to a person or a cause (Lord Ram) and achieve the highest Sattvic representations of Swati.


The Rahu Lordship


23. Rahu is the head of the demon Swarbhanu. It represents the senses, materialistic desires, and lust for life.


Also, the primary motivation of this Nakshatra is Artha, material gains, these people therefore can have strong desires for material prosperity in their life.


24. Rahu also signifies illusions and smoke, that makes things hidden. These people may have hidden potential that needs to be uncovered as seen in the Hanuman story.


25. Rahu Lordship also attracts them to foreign Lands and unorthodox choices in life.


26. Rahu energy coupled with the unrestrained wind can make them rebels. But they should be wise enough to introspect if there is an actual cause to that rebellion or is it just a scattering of energy with no real objective.


The Venus Lordship and Libra Sign


27. The Lordship of Libra sign by Venus also points towards their desire for materialistic pleasure and the importance of luxury, beauty and relationships in their lives. They can be very artistic and graceful, and the additional Rahu influence can give a unique touch to their creativity.


28. They can be very beautiful and may have a very balanced appearance in terms of facial features. (Beauty, however is a very subjective concept)


29. Being in the sign of libra, these people can be very diplomatic, tactful, and may be very fair and justifiable. They may have a strong sense of balance and a deep desire to maintain peace and harmony in their surroundings. They may have the ability to create harmony in distressing situations by using their tact and people pleasing speech


Maa Saraswati – Additional Deity associated with Swati


Association of Maa Saraswati with this Nakshatra makes the native very creative. They may have a lot of creative talents. They may have a sweet and pleasing voice and may be gifted learners. They may possess a good intellect and be fond of education. They may be very curious to gather knowledge and may have a great desire to share their knowledge with others. (Dev Guna- desire to share)


Animal Symbolism- Male Buffalo


Just like buffaloes, Swati Natives at some time in their life may turn completely vegetarian. Also, like buffaloes love to be in the water, Swati natives have a propensity to be in and around water. They may love to take long showers, or they may love to be around water bodies, that give their restless mind a sense of calm.
Pradhvamasa Shakti


Swati Nakshatra causes things to move and scatter. This can be destructive, if not put to good use. On a mundane level, it can also signify spreading information, knowledge or gossip, depending on the level of evolution of the soul. If used positively it can lead to complete transformation, blowing away all the negativities – soul cleansing, like chaff is blown to retain the clean wheat grain. Swati helps us to renew ourselves, be reborn, to reach a new level.


The debilitation of Sun in Swati


Sun is debilitated at 10 degrees of Libra.


Libra is the sign of masses. Sun is the King. If the King comes down at the level of masses, in the marketplace, no one would respect his authority. That is why sun is debilitated in Libra.


Also, in Swati, because there is excess of goodness (Su+Ati), the person does not wish to hurt anyone. So, he avoids taking a stand, there is too much diplomacy, people pleasing behaviour. If a King puts so much emphasis on trying not to offend anyone, how will he take firm decisions. Also, Swati is represented by a young shoot, easily swayed by the wind. A person who is so easily influenced by others cannot stand on his own firm ground. Such a person is bound to be a bad king. Therefore, sun is said to be debilitated here.


Also, sun is our career, authority figures, the independent, sometimes non cooperative nature of Swati, may pose problems with Authority figures. It is therefore best, if these people can be self employed or be in job set ups where they are fairly independently handling their division.


Extra Information

a. Each constellation, is supposed to have a specific influence on the rain fall. If the rain falls on the pearl beds at the time of Swati, the oysters turn into pearls within 9 days, according to tradition.


b. As per mythology involved, it seems that Vajranabha, the grandson of Krishna, had some sort of enmity to Sakra. Still, keeping aside his ego, obeying the instructions given by Lord Krishna, he sat behind Sakra as a younger brother, to listen to the sermon. As he was ready to surrender, those sermons worked for him like rain in Swati nakshatra. It is believed that rain water collected during Swati Nakshatra can transform material things into divine.


Suitable Careers


Travel and Tourism, Yoga Teachers, journalists, media houses, fashion designing, singing and music, transportation industry, technology experts, matrimonial websites- aviation -pilots and air hostesses, Teachers, Lawyers, Judges, Diplomats, Party Organizers. All kind of creative careers


Vayu = Air = Vata element in the human body


If Swati Nakshatra is getting connected to the 6th lord or Ghatnikaraka in any way,


It may lead to Vata Imbalance and consequently Vata Dosha illnesses.

i. Excessive flatulence

ii. Dryness of skin causing eczema, psoriasis, Dandruff etc

iii. Sleep disorders like Insomnia

iv. Psychological disorders like anxiety, tremors, Palpitations, ADHD, Schizophrenia

v. Coldness of extremities due to feeble blood circulation

vi. Saturn here can cause restrictive type of lung diseases like asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis


What can we do about it?


a. It is very important for Swati dominant people to be out in the fresh open air.

b. Learning and practicing the yogic technique of Pranayama (praan + ayam) = breath+ to put a limit to = breathing in a controlled way which can help in keeping the mind calm

c. Staying mindful while doing any work, keeping the focus at one place instead of multitasking can also help

d. Avoiding eating too much of raw foods and adding a spoonful of Ghee on the top, in the food being consumed, can help balance the Vata energy in the body


Padas of Swati Nakshatra


Pada 1- Sagittarius Navamsa, ruled by Jupiter- Gaining Knowledge, high grasping power, optimism and open minded

Pada 2- Capricorn Navamsa, ruled by Saturn-grounded, stable and Very materialistic, highly goal oriented, business minded, workaholic

Pada 3- Aquarius Navamsa – ruled by Saturn and Rahu – Thinking of the greater good, altruism, large social group, out of the box thinking. Because of Rahu’s lordship, materialism here can become a lust. There can be too much greed and a predisposition for deceit to accomplish the desires.

Pada 4 – Pisces Navamsa- ruled by Jupiter- Most flexible and willing to swim with the tide, high emotional intelligence, great advisors and very respectful.


Conclusion


Swati, if functions well, can lead you to break free from the toxic restraints of the society and can often help you to find your own path, not imprisoned by other’s expectations.


If it is malfunctioning, there may be too much desire for change, with no real objective in sight. It can lead one to leave things in between, unfinished.


Let’s look into the functioning of our beings, in an honest manner, to lead ourselves on to the highest plane of functioning.


May we get the divine grace to lead us on to the right path. God bless us all 😊

-------------------------------

Very well written. Detailed and well-defined. Thanks for sharing.