A Journey with the Navagraha (part 5): Shukra- Venus
- brookecannoot
- Apr 16
- 7 min read
From the Ancient Temples to Your Eight Fields of Living
SHUKRA— VENUS
OM SHUM SHUKRAYA NAMAHA (listen to the mantra by Sarah Yantra here)
The Lover- Beautiful, Charming, and Harmonizing.
The Navagraha are not external planets exerting influence over you; they are reflections of the patterns of human experience woven into the very fabric of consciousness.
Venus is the 6th of The Navagraha and she is so pervasive in our collective consciousness as the Goddess of Love that just her name conjures images of charm, romance, beauty, and sexuality.
If The Moon represents the nourishing mother then Venus is the young, beautiful maiden longing for her “knight in shining armor.”
She is the force behind cupid’s arrow striking the hearts of two ‘star-crossed lovers.’ Venus governs idealistic relationships and romance- The Disney Effect on the traditional, somewhat tragic, fairy tales.
Venus embodies a natural charm—an effortless magnetism that draws others in with ease. She is inherently flirtatious, not through intention or strategy, but as an unconscious expression of her own sensuality.
Yet, she also embodies a radiant optimism—an idealism that sustains the vision of a peaceful and harmonious future. She thrives on sweetness, positivity, and affirmation that all is good and beautiful. She is ever the dreamer seeking eternal bliss.
Affirmation is a powerful weapon Venus wields. The ultimate bliss is Ananda or extreme joy, the highest state of being. Venus is able to shift perceptions of reality from negative to positive and affirmations are a powerful tool to aid in this transformation.
Venus governs how the gateways of the five senses receive raw sensory data or neural input—sound through hearing, form through sight, texture through touch, flavor through taste, and scent through smell—and how, through the mind and emotions, this data is transformed and integrated into a lived, felt experience: Rasa, the essential flavor of life.
There is no meaning to life when void of Rasa. Imagine food without taste, nature without beauty, music without emotion, a lover’s touch without softness, a summer rain without the smell of the earth.
It is Venus that provides all the “feels” when you nostalgically listen to your favorite song from college or look upon a piece of art your now young adult child drew in Kindergarten or salivate to the smell of baking bread or draw a sense of wonder and awe as you look up at the heavens or feel the rays of the sunset while sitting on a beach.
Without Venus’ influence on our consciousness, life is dry and methodical, all ones and zeros.
As Venus is the steward of the senses, she governs the Arts - Painting, Film or Media (sight), Music or Poetry (sound), Culinary (taste and smell), Dance, Theater, or Sculpture (Touch), Perfumery (smell).
Venus represents an enlightened use of the senses for discovering the ultimate beauty of life without addiction to sensory pleasures.
Venus rules Raja Yoga—the path of the senses—and is especially beneficial for those whose dominant graha in their Ancient Ayurveda Blueprint is Venus. These individuals are positive, idealistic, charming, romantic and have good taste or rasa- the flavor of life. They are the dreamers and the peacemakers.
Raja means Kingly or Royal and a king is surrounded by beautiful, lavish things and lives in a richly, adorned castle making it quite simple to activate the senses in the world. To a person whose dominant graha is Venus, it is use of this refinement of the senses that guides their experience in the world and can be used to draw them into the state of inner silence.
Meditation on this path is not one of strict, austere discipline but a use of the senses to refine the inner nature. To a Venusian being, Nature is church, the art museum is a temple, and Mozart’s Symphony 29 is a prayer. Inner silence gently reveals itself as they reflect upon the emotional impressions stirred by sensory experience.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is a guidebook for Raja Yoga. Venus represents the mind’s attraction to beauty, pleasure, and the richness of experience. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali guide that same impulse toward inner stillness and freedom—transforming the enjoyment of life into a realization of the quiet, self-sustaining bliss from which all experience arises.
The practice of Yoga Nidra, or Yogic Sleep is a Venusian technique and is a state of conscious deep relaxation, where awareness is maintained as the body and mind move into profound rest. In this practice positive affirmations are used in a very specific and powerful form called sankalpa—a short, clear intention planted in the mind, not when the mind is active but when deeply relaxed and receptive allowing it to settle more deeply in the subconscious for transformation.
A quest for beauty and harmony in our lives, in our environments, and in our relationships is a spiritual impulse for a Raja as they thrive on sweetness, positivity, and affirmation that all is good and beautiful.
In its sattvic (balanced) expression, Venus reflects beauty, harmony, and a genuine sense of positivity and appreciation for life. In its rajasic (restless/driven) state, it chases pleasure and idealism, often seeing through rose-colored glasses and mistaking appearance for truth. In its tamasic (dull/inert) form, it becomes heavy and stuck—losing sight of beauty, falling into negative patterns and world views. A danger is attachment to positivity and avoid dealing with the harsh realities of daily life.
VENUS KEYWORDS: Bliss, Beauty, Harmony, Idealism, Romance, Sensual, Charm
MESSAGE FROM VENUS: Apply sweetness, harmony, and positivity to your problem.
THE TEMPLE
Agneeswarar Temple is loccated in Kanjanur near Kumbakonam,Tamil Nadu and the oldest section of the temple is believed to be at least a millennium old. Legend has it that this temple was sanctified by Maharishi Parashara himself who is credited with the original texts on Vedic astrology, Jyotish.
At the Navagraha temples, Shiva is the principal deity, and uniquely here there is no separate shrine for Shukra (Venus), as Venus is believed to reside within the body of Shiva himself, resting in the lingam. In this symbolism, Shiva as pure consciousness manifests as Shukra, the principle of Venus.
Here devotees visit on Fridays (Venus’ day) and offer white flowers, white cloth for success in marriage, love, finances, and artistic endeavors. It is said that visiting this temple brings inner charm, abundance, and divine grace.
When we visited the temple, it was under renovation, which deepened the sense of entering an ancient realm that felt both rooted in history and yet strangely timeless. There were paintings of the deities on the stone walls in various stages of deterioration with sacred symbols etched with sacred ash by the thousands of devotees who passed through these halls across centuries.
A small band was playing music near the Shiva/Shukra shrine and we offered gorgeous, robust pink lotus flowers to the deity.
The most powerful part of the Shukra temple was the shrine to Shiva’s consort, Parvati. As if pulled by an unseen force, she was magnetic, calling me to her chamber. The stone room was permeated with the scent of oil from the hundreds of lamps burning near her shrine. A subtle vibration entered my vital body standing in her very presence. Her presence was piercing, there was no hiding here and yet, no fear.
Parvati, the feminine expression of the primordial creative force, Śakti and consort of Shiva, emerged as the most revelatory and transformative presence within this temple to Shukra, where devotees come seeking blessings for love and harmonious marriages.
How Does Venus Affect You?
The Ancient Ayurveda system describes The Eight Fields of Living: Physical Health, Vitality, Dharma, Creative Play, Career, Relationships, Desires, and—most importantly—Spirituality, or your Spiritual Path.
Each of us carries a unique cosmic blueprint. Within it, the Navagraha—the nine planetary forces—each govern a specific field of living, shaping the distinct expression of who you are.
Depending on which of the Eight Fields of Living Venus governs in your personal blueprint, reveals how aspects of the senses, beauty, positivity, idealism, and the arts naturally guide your life.
The Eight Fields of Living: Desires
This Field of Living defines what we seek for temporal fulfillment and happiness. It defines what we value, what we seek to obtain, what motivates us. Those with a strong desire nature, get what they want easily. For those whose desire nature is challenged, they often have difficulty putting their energy into the world and have low motivation or drive.
Desires are necessary as they are the motivation. It is important to remember that the desire nature only brings temporary happiness and satisfaction. In the end, the desire nature will always trick you. In the Far East there is an adage: “Treat your desire nature as you would a cobra. Give the cobra milk, make it happy, but don’t trust it.” We should use this same approach with our desire nature. Don’t suppress it, keep it happy, but don’t trust it.
Venus governs Gaia’s desires and she recently shared this…
Venus is the planet that rules my desires. This tends to manifest in my attachment to fill my life with beautiful things. I have a weakness for pleasant smelling perfumes, striking nail lacquers, stylish clothing, and cultivating an extensive collection of houseplants despite my evident lack of ability to care for them.
This extends to my desire to further my artistic ability, engaging the senses in an artistic way. I have a deep love for theater; I regularly have moments where I want to further my culinary ability, musical talents, or drawing skills.
But, these efforts never truly result in much because they are desires and not the core of my being, my spiritual nature. I have the tendency to idealize my life, or “romantacize” it, which I attribute to my Venusian desires.
DO YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW VENUS GOVERNS YOUR LIFE?
If you are curious to discover where Venus and each of the other Nine Forces reside within your Eight Fields of Living, I invite you to schedule a personal consultation. Your blueprint is entirely unique — and profoundly revealing. Book your session here.
CONNECT TO THE ENERGY OF VENUS
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