"Hakuna Matata" sang Pumbaa, the warthog, and Simba, the lion. Disney's classic "The Lion King" draws on an ancient metaphor in its storyline, where the lion is regarded as the king of the animals. This metaphor provides us with many opportunities in our language to enrich our understanding vividly.
Brave, proud, noble, and hungry, like a lion, people can be. Without the need for reflection, the use of these comparisons immediately reveals how exceptionally brave, proud, noble, or hungry the person described is.
Metaphors and comparisons are valuable components of our communication.
But heaven forbid if someone gets the bright idea to examine the truthfulness of these metaphors and comparisons!
Could the cunning question be whether the lion is truly the outstanding wildcat? The cheetah is faster, the Bengal tiger is bigger and more dangerous, the puma has twice the biting power. Forget about Hakuna Matata (everything is fine). It would be better if we stopped using this fake metaphor of the lion as the king of the animals and removed Disney's classic from the program!
Of course, we would never do that, as we would then have to discard virtually every metaphor and give up all figurative language.
That would indeed be a problem because, as we know, pictures speak so much more than words!
Mars is the commander, forceful, ready for battle, loyal, fiery, cutting, passionate, brave, violent, proud, fast, efficient, piercing, and hurtful. Additionally, it represents strength, willpower, fire, bone marrow, muscles, real-estate, the south, mechanics, and technology.
Wait a minute! Is it possible that as a culture and civilization, we banish and ridicule a millennium-proven body of knowledge, namely Indian Astrology, because it operates with metaphors and simile? Metaphors and simile that dissolve upon closer examination (just like the king of the animals)? Because when looking through the telescope towards Mars, no commander is to be seen (surprise!).
Pictures speak more than words.
Jyotisha, the Indian astrology, assigns meaning to astronomical facts with the help of figurative language. The purpose is to convey knowledge that cannot be understood or utilized without this language usage.
The knowledge of one level of existence (cosmos) informs another level of existence (life on Earth). This is far from unusual. Artificial intelligence (AI) is based on the understanding of neural networks in the human brain, yet bits and bytes have about as much to do with human neurons as Mars has with bone marrow!
Nevertheless, ChatGPT, Bard, and other AI programs are capable of remarkable achievements and are rapidly improving.
Consider Jyotisha, Vāstu, Sāmudrika, and other teachings of the Indian wisdom tradition as the result of millennia of training, where different levels of understanding have been meaningfully integrated.
In the case of Mars, its position in the firmament determines:
whether it manifests in a person's life as loyal and courageous willpower or as a violent hothead
whether it favors the career of an athlete or an engineer
whether a person works independently or prefers to be an employee
...and much more
Mars has 360 degrees of arc in its orbit around the sun. Each degree is divided into 60 arc minutes. The particular one of these 21,600 arc minutes that Mars occupied when you were born represents the way you can align and utilize your willpower in various areas of life.
Is everything predetermined then? By no means!
Modern science speaks of genetic predisposition but illustrates in epigenetics that our conscious behavior can sometimes override genetic predisposition.
It is similar with Mars in your horoscope. It indicates your disposition and inclination toward certain themes. Furthermore, in conjunction with the other planets, it reveals what is coming your way.
That has power and grants you tremendous advantages (if you are appropriately informed). However, how you cultivate and utilize this power is ultimately entirely up to you.
With my consultations, coaching, and seminars, I support you in further expanding your understanding so that you can unleash your own unique potential. Inspired and with joy.