Lockdown is being gradually eased out. People are trying to resume normal activities, but the problems confronting us are not yet over. It will take some time before things settle down. As nature goes through unforeseen twists and turns, we are faced with unprecedented situations. We can’t change nature’s course. But how we respond is definitely in our hands. If we negotiate with the challenges coming our way with fortitude and intelligence, we may be able to contain the damage. We faced similar pandemic during 1918-1920 in which more than 50 million people lost their lives, which included 2.25 million Indians. This time, however, the recovery rate is higher and death toll so far has been much lesser. It is not that world’s destiny has taken a different turn. It needs to be appreciated that it is the result of human endeavour that medical science has grown substantially and we are better equipped today.

In life too, we are often confronted with challenging situations, many of them beyond our control. Many of us become a victim of our own making also because of our flawed perceptions. But here again, what matters the most is how we respond to the situation. Some amongst us are able to face the situation bravely, intelligently negotiate the challenges and keep marching ahead in strength. But many, particularly the weak, come under great pressure, that is difficult to withstand, often at times calling for medical intervention. The question now is: Why given a similar situation, different people respond varied ways?

The answer lies in the unique character of each being, coming as it may as one’s karmic carryover from the past. In one’s life time, we would have learnt and unlearned many a things, acquired skill sets, developed habits and attitudes, acquired virtues and attributes, and also have unfulfilled desires left. Their imprints get carried over in the form of thought seeds to our successive incarnate body-mind organism. As and when the thought-seeds get a congenial ground, they come into play involuntarily. That may be to our advantage or detriment, depending on the character and content of the thought-seeds. To sum up, we are all invariably born with a preconditioned mind, which sets the premise of one’s thought process — the basic fabric of individual mind-frame — on which our future life takes off. Accordingly, each mind involuntarily develops its individual specific defining principles that guide all actions on our part — the desires nursed and pursued, the initiatives we take, or how we respond or react to a particular situation. That, of course, is subject to further modification as we go through learning lessons during ongoing life. With such a preconditioned mind, our scope of vision comes under restriction. That doesn’t let us look at the issues in hand with an open mind, and so often fail to perceive things in the right perspective due, and evidently to our detriment.

The beauty of human mind, however, is that it can self-reflect upon its own trends and could respond to fresh educative inputs also. That empowers us to watch our thought-trends and make necessary amends through conscious efforts. The paradox, however, is that seldom do we remain conscious about using the above exclusive privilege. Often, our ego also plays spoil sport, as it doesn’t let us identify and acknowledge our fault lines. Here comes the role of Astrology, which can dispassionately read your personality trends. For, it reads your individual energy signature with a fair amount of precision. And energy knows no bias.

Here is the case of a person who came seeking guidance on how to come out of acute stress he is undergoing. Look at his astrological pointers. The Sun conjunct Saturn in the lagna, a fixed sign, both opposed to Jupiter conjunct mischievous Neptune. That speaks of a hardened negative mindset. Second, he is stuck to his self-defined delusionary beliefs and perceptions . Third, has a swaggering ego, who wishes to live exclusively on his own terms. All the more because mind signifying Moon occupies a dual sign Gemini and afflicted by both the sign lord Mercury and lagna lord Venus. That clouds his vision and inter-personal relationship skill. If all that would not be enough, fiery Mars conjunct erratic Rahu, lock horns with both Mercury and Venus. He, thus, has a restive and a cynic mind, who habitually finds fault with others for all the wrong happening. I wish, he unlocks his preconditioned mind, and things will definitely turn better.

The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him atG-102, Bharat Nagar, New Friends Colony, New Delhi-110 025Tel: 91-11-49848475/9818037273 Email: bharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com