Jyeshta means “Elder Sister,” and this division of the zodiac can swing in one direction, or abruptly the other. It’s ruled by Mercury, who gives a dual nature (twins) to everything he’s involved with.

Jyeshta is also known as Alakshmi — the goddess of Bad Luck.

But! All hope is not lost on this New Moon. We’re just called to have a deeper understanding of the teachings. Nothing should ever be taken literally... hopefully we’ve learned this by now! The archetype of the “older sister” is esteemed, and connected to our destiny. Consider your older sister — or, if you don’t have one, consider older women who you consider sisterly. They guide us throughout life, and lend an understanding ear when we need advice.

So then, to approach this Goddess of Bad Luck, it’s simple: We need to redefine what bad luck is. We cannot allow our mind to run away with our thoughts... when we do, we fuel a downward spiral of negative thoughts that ultimately beget unconscious actions we may regret. Mercury Retrograde is on deck for Wednesday... so the potential to misunderstand others, or our ego-self is high.

When we truly understand Alakshmi, or Jyeshta Devi, we can see that WE are the creator of our own misfortune. Mercury doesn’t make you a bad communicator. Jyeshta doesn’t make your mind crazy.

The common denominator is... you.

As the wise Taylor Swift once said, “It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem it’s me.” 🙋🏼‍♀️

Yoga and meditation during times like this are crucial to wellbeing. The symbol of Jyeshta is the Deer — so think of shedding antlers and growing new ones. Yoga helps us learn to control our senses (and our mind) which are required in order to evolve, shed our skin, and transform. If we don’t have practices to work with, we feel frantic and uncertain — like a deer darting one way or the other.

Here’s some “elder sister” advice for today: You *already know* what helps your mind survive troubled waters. If you’ve been slacking in that realm, there’s no better time than the present to get back on track. Inner agility and discernment are available to you if you stick to what helps you ground and grow.

You’ve got this! 
Sending love, Mollie

When I first tried yoga in 2009, I was a clean slate. I knew nothing about it.


I was trying fitness classes at my new gym, and I saw “Forrest Yoga” on the schedule. The magazine-editor-in-me noticed they misspelled forest, and wondered: Maybe it’s all about looking like trees and tuning in with nature?


I chuckled years later when I found out that “Forrest Yoga” is a style founded by a woman named Ana Forrest. 


I was the same way getting into Vedic Astrology. Sure I’d read my horoscope like every teenage girl... but I couldn’t list all the signs, nor could I tell you (with confidence) the order of the planets or anything about them.


And yet, here I am. Once I answered my calling to dive in, there was no turning back. Immersing in the archetypal wisdom of the cosmos is part of my yogic path. I’m here for it — and I completely respect that not everyone else is.


I’ve since discovered that some people insist astrology is anti-god, wonder if it’s against religion, or assume it’s on the same level as fortune-telling... all of which Vedic Astrology is not.


So, I set out to discover why we think astrology is weird.


*Note: I researched astrology’s reputation in the USA. Vedic Astrology is, and has been practiced in India for thousands of years.*

I learned that our ingrained assumptions in the west run deep.


There have been so many individuals over the past 2,000 years who have worked hard to uphold astrology’s place as a respectable method for organizing our place in the cosmos — from theologians like Italian priest Thomas Aquinas, to business tycoons like JP Morgan, and famous astrologers like Evangeline Adams:

Fun fact: In 1914, astrologers in the state of New York like Evangeline Adams were arrested for practicing astrology. She felt so strongly that what she was doing was not fortune telling, that she went to trial and won-over the judge, and thus, successfully overturned the ruling for good.


Evangeline gave astrology a mainstream respect it hadn’t had in a loooong time. She went on to lead one of the most prolific astrology practices in history with an office in Carnegie Hall, serving many high profile clients, stirring up curiosity and devotion to planetary influence during a time where uncertainty reigned. 


The debate about whether astrology is “moral” and “just” has been happening for a long time. And from my view, it distills down to one crucial misunderstanding. Here's the truth: 


Astrology is NOT predicting the future. 


Although there have certainly been those who’ve tried, succeeded, and duped their clients, any decent astrologer will tell you that nothing in life, a reading, or in the cosmos is certain. 


Sure, we can predict when the eclipses will happen, and the transits of the planets, etc. But when it comes to how those heavenly bodies influence life on Earth, the interpretation is largely influenced by the lineage of the astrologer, and the client. It’s all about archetypes, stories, symbols and learning to go with the flow of life. 


I laugh, thinking if I’d had my birth chart read by a Vedic Astrologer even 15 years ago... Teaching yoga, living in the arctic, and studying Vedic astrology and reading people charts? 


C’mon. 


No one could've guessed that was my future! (Pun intended.)


All this to say, I hope today’s story can break up some cellular memory of the many many many years where astrology was weird, because it’s not. It’s just another way of explaining why we’re here — which resonates for some and not for others.

In light,
Mollie