1. Kurdah - Xi Cepheus
0°22 Aries - 'The blaze' upon a horse's brow.
The Knock of inner spirituality on the brow. Inner Silence borne over the centuries and lifetimes makes heard its inner calling.
Divinity at the threshold knocking upon the third eye. The ancient Indians marked it as a mark on the forehead saluting this inner divinity.
The classical figment of the Horse sets this off. Aries Point, what in astrology is the end of process, consciously atleast.
How do you know a degree? This one says the world for many many centuries has known this Star to be the beginning of the Zodiac.
The star itself, Kurdah, is old language for a running horse. The blaze upon its brow, what the Indian mark as the ‘Tilak’.
The spot for the Horse, where would be the Unicorn’s horn.
But our world knows not of Unicorns, or flying horses in pegs & Pegasus-es, of centaurs or sea-horses, all vestiges of thousand of civilisations past.
The Star is the spot where the Horses look, inward in focus. As if running & chasing time itself where wonder and magic roamed free.
This is the First Degree of the Zodiac. It is said that the horse is the mind focussed to its thought(s). And thus the eyes like two horses, held in chariot of Focus.
The Point of Chariot, not quite the horse’s mouth, but rather the third eye, Ajna of the Horse.
The constellation that houses ‘Kurdah’ is Cepheus, of the King.
And like the Emperor’s messenger horse, we begin to know ourself in the stars.
The Message of this Star and Degree – Know Your Self.
To the Indian Nakshatra scheme, this is the first step station of the asterism Ashwini, of the Healing Horses. It is said to be ruled by the Tail of the Dragon or the Lunar Eclipse Ketu. And the Step station of this degree – Mars.
Naturally, this is a critical degree.
A coat of quotes and passing poetry
"From the Bhagavata Gita :
"Then, filled with wonder, with hairs standing on end, he, Dhananjaya, (Arjuna), bowing down with his head to the Lord, said with folded hands.Arjuna said: O God, I see in Your body all the gods as also hosts of (various) classes of beings; Brahma the ruler, sitting on a lotus seat, and all the heavenly sages and serpents.I see You as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; as having infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see not Your limit nor the middle, nor again the beginning!I see You as wearing a crown, wielding a mace, and holding a disc; a mass of brilliance glowing all around, difficult to look at from all sides, possessed of the radiance of the blazing fire, and immeasurable as the sun.You are the Immutable, the supreme One to be known; You are the most perfect repository of this Universe. You are the Imperishable, the Protector of the ever-existing religion; You are the eternal Person. This is my belief.I see You as without beginning, middle and end, possessed of infinite valour, having innumerable arms, having the sun and the moon as eyes, having a mouth like a blazing fire, and heating up this Universe by Your own brilliance.Those very groups of gods enter into You; struck with fear, some extol (You) with joined palms. Groups of great sages and perfected beings praise You with elaborate hymns, saying 'May it be!’" - Chapter 11, Bhagavada Gita.Scene from the Bhagavada Gita as Krishna, the charioteer shows his god-form to the archer hero Arjuna at the field of battle.The Bhagavada Gita is one of the holy books of the Hindu pantheon in India. And this painting and poetry are a scene from the epic battle Mahabharata as Krishna takes on his all powerful form, known as Virat Swaroop."
Virata Swaroop | Bhagavada Gita