EYE ON ASTROLOGY: THE SECRET OF BIRTHDAYS
When I was working on my doctoral minor in folklore, I wrote a paper on birthdays and have always been fascinated by them and why we celebrate them and the ritual with candles, cakes, having lots of people around us. Usually the time before your birthday is a bit depressing and that is because the Sun is 12 houses from its home and brings up depression, self-deprecation, low self-esteem, health problems and losses.  When the Sun hits, it enlivens your solar plexus and reignites your next journey for the year and recharges your health and confidence to start another year. Having people around you gives you the support to start a new year and a new journey.  With the Sun reigniting your natal Sun, you become  new solar beacon and can bless your friends with your Divine energy and hence the real meaning of a birthday is to shower your Dharshan on your friends and let your Divine light bless them.
One of my more clairvoyant friends once noted that the real meaning of birthdays is to celebrate the incarnation of the soul on the planet. We are remembering the excitement of the angels coming to bring us to the planet and the chance to become human again and take a human body and continue our journey toward God-realization. Â The angels that brought us return every year on our birthday to bless us and remind us to renew our spiritual journey and grant us 10 wishes so that we can be empowered for another year’s journey so write down your 10 wishes and put them in front of a holy picture or your Guru to help manifest them more powerfully.
One of my teachers used to suggest that you divide the year into 7 part and so 365/7 and actually the last 1/7 of the cycle is a vulnerable period of change and completing karma for the year. I have noticed that there is a low before one’s birthday before the Sun recharges and even the day before one’s birthday is the lowest point. I have had a number of health crises the day before my birthday for years and have seen it first hand. Then the Sun comes and recharges and everything is fine but sometimes the official solar return can even be a bit later than your birthday!
My friend Muhammad Imran recently advanced a new theory. He noted: “I’ve consistently observed that the month (approx. 30 days) preceding to one’s birthday often brings health concerns and sickness to native. Astrologically speaking, this coincides with transit of Sun in 12th house from its own natal place …  sometime native comes across other negative result of 12th house (e.g. over-expenses, sleeplessness, blame, painful tour, lose or theft etc.).  (Special thanks to Muhamad for inspiring this piece though his FB post!)Â
So the time before your birthday is one of re-birth and preparing to come out of the birth canal again and shed the challenges of the final trimester of forming a new life.
My Guru has  started a new tradition of not blowing out the candles because the candle represents the light of the Sun and we never want to blow out the light so I put in a plant and let nature take care of itself on its own. Maybe this year I will get a 7 day candle and keep it glowing extra long.
My Guru also wrote a new birthday song:
Today, is the day the wave remembers, the ocean from where it was born. And today is the day we all remember, this world is our very own. Â Happy Birthday to you!! We belong to you.
If today is your birthday or if you have a birthday in the next month, have a great journey of the Soul.
