The Cosmic Kaleidoscope

Winter 2024 Newsletter

“ We cannot cure the world of sorrows but we can choose to live in JOY”
- Joseph Campbell

The great Leonard Cohen penned a beautiful song called Anthem which is particularly relevant in times like this. I would like to highlight the chorus of this song as it is the inspiration for this particular newsletter written on the winter solstice. I have linked a video of him singing the entire song in The Media Corner.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

I dedicate this newsletter to bringing in the light. How do we do it?

Studying the Light

There are many among you reading this newsletter who have an abiding interest in the ancient wisdom tradition of Jyotiṣa - the study of the lights of the heavens. The planetary patterns are a language. If we could but learn that language, we might understand and communicate the destiny patterns of own-selves, of others and even of great nations. For those inclined to bring in the light through this study, we would be honored to have you join our new student group beginning in January.
https://www.cosmickaleidoscope.com/

Understanding the Light

There are probably many among you who have had their destiny patterns unfolded for them by skilled practitioners of Jyotiṣa. In that unfolding is the story of the play you wrote and how all of us come into this lifetime with an even measure of light (sattva) and darkness (tamas). Understanding the river of karma, which cannot be detected by our senses (adṛṣṭa) and yet propels us towards actions, is a powerful tool. Those actions can bring us grace (puṇya karmas) or create future obstacles (pāpa karmas). Conditioning patterns that are brought to the conscious awareness can be worked on whereas those operating below the conscious level may continue to undermine us. This is a rich source for moving towards a more illumined version of ourselves.

Spreading the Light

One of the great beacons of light comes from those who commit to what might be called “the yoga of the tongue”. This concept is taught in the Bhagavad Gītā, the Manusmṛti (a great text on dharma) and other śāstras. It addresses perhaps the most pervasive way that we turn away from the light. The ancient texts relate that the most important trait of a person who is sattvic is the one who does no harm—ahiṃsā. It is thought that the most harm is done through speech—something as simple as arguing and bickering all the way to hate speech that incites violence.

The yoga of the tongue is not easy but would change the world. The teaching is that considered speech would have three qualities. It would be appropriate (hitam bruyāt), pleasing or at least constructive (priyam bruyāt) and truthful (satyam bruyāt). One of my teachers demonstrated this in a riveting way when he brought us into a room where there was a lovely young girl of around 20 sitting with tears rolling down her cheeks. With fire in his eyes, he told us that some jyotiṣi said to this young girl “You will never marry”. Was this appropriate to say to a young girl especially if she did not ask about relationships? Violation of hitam. Was it constructive? Neither constructive or pleasing. Was it true? Possibly in the chart it might have shown an issue but two out of the three strictures were violated and great harm was done to this girl. Could some difficult patterns around relationships be communicated in a constructive way? Absolutely but that requires skill and a sense of timing along with the person asking for input in that area of life.

Being the Light

The great Vedānta guru Swami Dayananda Sarasvati always had an answer when someone came and asked what they should do. He said “do what needs to be done”. Implicit in that answer was always do what is dharmic. Dharma means to be in accordance with natural law, that which supports and upholds. Following dharma can be very inconvenient, but adherence to the golden rule brings in sattva as the very epithet “golden rule” implies. This concept appears in some form in all the great teachings be they religious or philosophical.

Thoughts From Others

In the days following the November election, there was and still is a lot of despair. I got communications from many seeking to contextualize, understand and come to terms with the consequences. Perhaps the most impactful is one I sent around right after the election but worth republishing for any who have not seen it. It is a Facebook posted by Rosa Harper, a student in our sangha and also studying Ayurveda.It spawned many responses some of which I include below:
“This morning as I was pondering what the purpose for this choice we made was and what the outcomes might be, my mind (as it so often does these days) circled back to Ayurveda. 

The Ayurvedic perspective on disease and healing is elegant, simple, and all about balance. Disease starts with an imbalance. If the imbalance goes unchecked, disease will naturally spring up in the most vulnerable area of the system (which varies person to person). If still nothing changes and the environment (internal and external) continues to support the disease process, the death process will eventually come in to reestablish balance by taking things back to zero.

There are many ways to reverse the disease process. In the early stages simply applying opposites through diet and lifestyle can bring a system back into balance. If the imbalance continues to a point where disease has taken root (established qualitative changes in the tissues), the body actually starts to crave the very things that created the imbalance, making the road to healing even harder. This is an interesting phenomenon that seems like a mistake on the part of nature/biology, but might actually also be aimed at balance. It takes great will power to say no to an unhealthy craving. Exercising this willpower can awaken a great healing force within. Sometimes it takes a “wake up call” to summon the power of our own commitment to health and well being, as individuals and as a society. 

Panchakarma is one of the primary tools used in Ayurveda to help reverse the disease process and restore balance to the body. Translated it means “five actions” and these actions are all purgative measures. I won’t get into the details of Panchakarma now, but I bring it up to point out that purgation is an essential part of the healing process. Some of the purgative measures actually involve provoking the causes of the imbalance first in order to bring them to the surface so that they can be eliminated (for my Ayurvedic friends, think of vamana therapy). Another classic example of the provocation method is bringing a boil “to a head” by the application of heat and other irritating substances. 

As unflattering as this analogy is, it’s the best one I can find for our current situation. We’ve got some deep toxins that need to be purged. What American can honestly deny that? We had the choice to go in a direction that might have masked some of the symptoms for longer (but ultimately allowed the disease process to continue by avoiding real change), but we chose the option that seems likely to exacerbate the symptoms and bring them “to a head.” 

There is a healing force underneath the inflammation, the puss, the discomfort and the embarrassment that I hope we are able to be present with and utilize. Can we face the giant boil as it shows itself? Can we look at what we have created in this country without fear and judgment? Can we approach it the way Mother Teresa’s followers approached the diseased bodies of their brothers and sisters on the streets of Calcutta? It’s going to take real maturity and some trust in a higher power. 

I have to trust in what is happening and keep trusting in the intelligence of a system much larger than myself.  After seeing the way people have responded to a crisis here (which is making the election seem almost trivial at the moment) I believe it is not only possible, it’s already happening.”

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And here are some responses to this beautiful submission:

“It is always the light that arises and leads in our darkest moments”

‘This is a lovely reminder there are larger forces at work that we may not see at the moment. May grace flow through all experiences.”

“This really resonates. It’s what I have been coming back to, an abscess can’t heal unless it’s lanced and drained of the pus. It will take a lot of faith in a higher power. I am grateful for you taking the time to connect and to send comfort during this time of upheaval. The light with in me bows to the light with in you.”

“I have been leaning into the fact that we do not know the direction Reality will go with this new turn of events. But one thing I do know for sure: life always supports life, and endings are very much a part of that support.

We have been incredibly supported with the nurturing from this sangha and all the other teachers of how to apply grounded love and light in our lives. Now, we can put these gifts to use in the world. And we are endlessly supported in that.

Thich Nhat hanh said a garden will always produce refuse, but if you cut it away and put the refuse back into the garden it will make the garden stronger.

We will be challenged for sure! And we are supported by the greater force of life to meet these challenges and transmute/metabolize/nullify/digest the toxins of this world and allow Life to flow into its new creation that that endings always initiate.”
This is what we are being called to live. As we each digest and expel the refuse of the toxins in our lives and communities, the expression of the ground of Life and Being will get stronger. “

May we always recognize and lean into the unending support of that which is the Source of all. Om.🙏”

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My profound thanks to all the contributors. I am constantly in awe of the beauty of your hearts and profoundly grateful that you have chosen to be part of this sangha.

Media Corner Leonard Cohen Anthem

Takahiro Kyono, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Click here to view the video of Leonard Cohen singing

Thank you for reading
The Cosmic Kaleidoscope Newsletter
© Penny Farrow, Winter 2024

The Cosmic Kaleidoscope

Spring 2025 Newsletter

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
- Martin Luther

Announcements

The team at Cosmic Kaleidoscope is doing its first in-person retreat at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam May 2nd - 4th. It is open to our present and past students . The topic is Upāya, Tending Your Destiny.

On May 3rd, I have been invited by Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla to speak at the upcoming conference on “Ayurveda and the Mind”. For more information on this wonderful conference with international experts please navigate to the conference website indicated in the above graphic.

All four of the Cosmic Kaleidoscope teaching team will be presenting during the 2025 Jyotish Maha Kumbh. This conference will be an in-person and streamed offering. For more information on the schedule when it becomes available, please navigate to jyotish.com.

Basics 1 - Start Your Jyotiṣa Journey!

You are welcome to start a relationship with the fascinating and mysterious patterns of the sky which akin to learning their language as they speak to us about our journey in this lifetime. Our inauguration for the new cohort will be July 10th 2025 with classes starting right after. Please visit our website (https://www.cosmickaleidoscope.com/)
for more information about our online teaching program and how it is differs from the many other offerings. If you are interested in joining, click on the header announcing the date and fill out the form to which it navigates. You are also welcome to contact me directly (info@vedicchart.com)

The Mighty Saturn Moves

Drama is all around us including in the heavens. We have just passed through eclipse season and on the day of the solar eclipse, the great slow-walker Saturn moved from Aquarius into Pisces—a cosmic exclamation point. And further on that day Saturn joined FIVE other grahas! This change of rāśi of Saturn will initiate a new phase in our lives depending on the ecosystem of our individual charts. It might be a good time to update a reading with your usual consultant or one of our fine teachers listed on the above website.

Astrologers have noticed that when Saturn and Rāhu are together, it can be a time of great shifts and upheavals. Depending on where they are in their astronomical cycles, it could last for a long time. Fortunately, Rāhu will move to Aquarius on May 18th and though Saturn will retrograde and move towards Aquarius again, it will stop just short of sharing that space with Rāhu. It will be interesting to observe world events during this time.

Media Corner

The Cosmic Kaleidoscope website has just added a beautiful article written by our mentor Hart deFouw. You can navigate to it from our home page: We hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for reading
The Cosmic Kaleidoscope Newsletter
© Penny Farrow, Spring 2025