The Nakshatras: The Stars Beyond the Zodiac

‘Nakshatra’ is the original language of the stars with which the ancient sages connected to intangible spirit. They tried to decipher the meaning of life from qualities beyond the zodiac, where the gods and goddesses lived in a  world that is free from pain and sorrow. The Sages felt that if they could understand the language of the stars and work with their cosmic patterns they could truly learn to override the daily turbulence of the human life and mind. The word ‘nakshatra’ literally means a star. Each nakshatra is a group of several thousand fixed stars comprising 13° 20′ of the ecliptic – the number of degrees travelled by the Moon in a 24-hour day. One rashi or sign has 2¼ nakshatras within it. Breaking it down further, Naksha means ‘to get closer’ and Tra means ‘to preserve’. ‘Nakshatra’ also therefore means ‘one that never decays’. The nakshatras’ cosmic remit is to be the guardians of the soul during its journey through many human lifetimes, and bring divine knowledge to earth.