Log 02: my Neptunian film "After Paris"

My first film ever, is the perfect example of Neptunian energy, influence and experience. The very process of making it was a Neptunian journey. It began as a casual, fun loving, compilation of shots of our Paris trip of 2009, pieced together, creating a journey of 20 mins. And though I showed it around, it remained unfinished for years and years. But early this year, 2014, my cousin Sangram, a budding cinematographer/ film maker, showed an interest in completing this long unfinished film, piling up on my computer since years. I was really dazzled by his first few shots. I felt he perfectly expressed the long, brewing Neptunian energy, emotions of my narrative. And we began shooting the second part of the film with his better camera, better skills, and better cinematographic vision. Our original plan was to shoot ten minutes more, and make it an half hour film. But Sangram's shots were oozing with Neptunian energy, he had completely caught my Neptunian vibe, mood, feel. We finally ended up with a much longer film. After we edited it, and Sangram sliced out a lot of the shots, we ended up with a full length feature of 90 minutes.  I'm very thankful for this very long journey, but one that helped me capture the Neptunian experience, emotion, vibe, and experience in the full 90 minutes of my film. Ennui, dissolution, gravitas, brooding, emotions, subjectivity, exile, churning and the final resolution, flood tide of emotions, release. The Neptunian journey and experience. Thanks to all the co actors for their spontaneous performance in this Neptunian journey. One that helped me synthesize cinema, personal biography, music, astrology, life, exile, all into one combined expression of a Neptunian feature film. Prayers to lord Varuna!

Log 01: Why Neptune ?

In this long journey of seven years of blogging,  I thought one my three blogs should express the highly subjective, psychological and extremely personal aspects of the astrological experience. Such a narrative would Help the reader, the psychologist, the mystic explorer astrological enthusiast to draw his own personal inferences. And by comparison, understand their own personal planetary experience. And comprehend their own spiritual and astrological journey. And hence I take this liberty of transforming this blog of mine, formerly dedicated to the investigation and analysis of the eclipse nodes of Vedic astrology, namely Rahu Ketu. Now to the subjective, personal, ethereal, cloudy, abstract realms of the 11th planet appropriated in the astrological calculations. Adopted also into the Vedic pantheon as Varuna. 

Rahu Ketu and Mahjong

Day before yesterday while playing Mahjong Titans on windows at my friend Susmits place, one thing came to mind: the problematic Tile matching process of the game was quite similar to the problematic. Rahu Ketu always came in pairs: Problems/ solutions, and often the problem of One would lie in the Solution of the other. If Rahu was your problem, Ketu was your solution, and Vice versa. Infrared and Ultraviolet, Heads and Tails, two sides of the same coin. Like in Mahjong, problematic PAIRS of the same symbols. The very heart of deconstruction itself..

Concept 01: Serpentine digressions

With the Serpentine nodes Rahu Ketu, things are always paradoxical, ironic, contradictory. And since their influence is strong upon my chart, I always end up far and away from all my originally intended objectives. In the Serpentine journey, what is objectively intended, and where we finally reach, is far apart! Like for instance, here I had started out with great zest to write about my music composition in my recent event: The Sound we See: Guwahati City symphony, but immediately while digressing on one of the Occult groups saw two fellow two fellow occult explorers writing in great Zest about Logocentrism/ holistic thought/ monadic One-ness. And, conradictorily, witches and warlocks were supposed to be "far out and wild", rebelling against Centric thought! How paradoxical! Immediately as a knee jerk response, I landed up on this neglected blog of mine, passionately writing about the Serpentine/ post structuralist viewpoint. That also, in the ill timing of 3:15 am at night, at a friends place, where I had arrived for a screenplay endeavor. In the influence of the Serpentine Nodes, things always turn out differently than intended. It's a roundabout, meandering, serpentine path, completely digressing from the original objective/ goal...

Serpentine Rahu Ketu paradox illustrated in Zizekian/ Lacanian perspective
I was browsing through Slavoz Zizek's "Interrogating the Real" and as usual read some stuff which really highlighted concepts that separated the paradox of Serpentine nodes from rest of the planets.
In the Solar/ logocentric viewpoint, the Sun/ the Creator/ the King is at the Centre of the universe, and all other planets organised around it. But from the Serpentine/ Rahu Ketu/ post modern viewpoint, there is an ontological incompleteness of reality itself. Instead of the Sun at the centre, there is a Void/ Gap looming at the centre. There is "reality" only insofar as there is an ontological gap, a Crack, in it's very heart. It is only this gap/ void that accounts for the mysterious fact of transcendental freedom. Zizek, in his "negation of the negation" illustrates the difference between Cause and Law. In the Law, signified by the rest of the other Vedic planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, things are logical,  Action and Reaction, ONE does not come without the OTHER. But in Cause- Affect zone, influenced by the Serpentine nodes, there is always a paradox, something inherently anti-conceptual embedded in the axis of Cause- Affect.

Contradictory Hegelian relation between Universal and the Particular
Zizek furthermore illustrates, the serpentine and paradoxical Hegelian logic of "reconciliation" between the Universal and the Particular. The most radical, absolute particularity is indeed that of the Universal itself. As long as it has a negative rapport of exclusion towards the Particular. And furthering along that line, the Lacanian viewpoint according to which Good is only the mask of Radical and Absolute evil.Behind all Good, there is Radical evil. Insofar, as it obsesses us in an indecent, obscene way, it makes it possible for us to untie ourselves, to free ourselves from this looming centre of Great evil. Personally, i see this analogy in the stories of H.P. Lovecraft,  where the Alien invaders, monsters Chuthlu do not come from far across the distance of space, but rather, lie in the very primitive roots of our own human history from another forgotten time.

Rahu Ketu and Desire: a post modern perspective

     Rahu Ketu Contrasts as explained by a Deleuzian thinker 

15th Nov, Friday, 2013. the  BEST thing about blogging as opposed to writing a book is the opportunity of dynamic, human interaction to be part of the narrative process. Morning, in the  facebook group on Deleuze a fellow member Ivan Krisjansen responded to someones query about Desire. In his explanation, I saw a vast platform, of definitions raised which was perfectly descriptive of the Rahu Ketu contrasts. Desire as everyone knows is the embodiment of Rahu, and surrender of desire/ fanatical righteous zeal is embodiment of Ketu. Hence, in Ivans descriptions I found a lot of Rahu (and hence, by virtue of anti thesis, Ketu) definitions. He wrote.. 

"First thing to avoid is confusing the object of desire (e.g., a woman, a person, new clothes , travel, etc.) as a single entity, as a single thing on its own. You never desire someone or something on its own, instead the object of desire – for example, the woman – is desired in the form of a construction of elements", 

IMPLYING: Rahu is always an aggregate or summation or series, or a conglomerate of fragments combining together to form a cloudy being, an anormophic entity. Ketu on other hand is a singular, seprated, fanatical single minded instance. You seek something for the pure essence of it's being.  Nothing else. Something like Truth for Truth's sake. hence, Ketu can lead to much more sigle, minded , fanatical obssession , than Rahu. As a contrast, in the Rahu desire, there is always a consequentiality involved. If I get A, then it leads to B, C, D.. a series of desirable consequences.

"For example, the woman – is desired in the form of a construction of elements,a collection of relations, an assemblage that connects with the woman you desire and your own family, your friends, your social life, your world. The woman you desire, like all objects of desire, becomes an aggregate, a collection of relationships that fit your world order, only then does desire begin to emerge. The object of desire becomes both a woman and a landscape and she is desired all the more only when the landscape unfolds, that is, you will not attain happiness in desire until you have resolved the aggregate woman/landscape. Just how and in what way will she fit into your world? This landscape needs to be resolved before she becomes desirable."

IMPLYING: With Rahu, the backdrop, the background is extremely important for  something to be placed in it's scheme of things. In fact, more than ITSELF, the objects total relations/ relationship/ connections, position with the backdrop/ environment/ comes TOTALLY into consideration! Hence politics, society, diplomacy is a important Rahu domain!!

 "In this way the aggregate becomes something more than the woman desired - the desire is in the entire context belonging to the woman desired. You never desire something all by itself and neither do you desire an aggregate either, rather you desire from within an aggregate. For example drinking alcohol never means that you desire to drink and that’s it – rather desire will ‘flow’, that is, you may drink alone while reading or working, you may drink with friends at a certain pub or at a café. Desire flows across a spectrum belonging to an aggregate of territories, styles of speech, dress, ornamentation, and so on."

 IMPLYING: With Rahu, the aggregate, the overall summation EXCEEDS the singular point, or singular points of specatcular inconsistency! With Rahu, it's a vast series of variabilities, multiplicities, dualities, multiple variables which COMBINE together to form an composite AGGREGATE.  With Ketu, it's the REVERSE: one singular instance of inconsistency, one spectacular Singular instance, completely disrupts  the entire summation, the entire structure!! Whole scheme of things goes for a complete toss.

Oh, by the way, some good brains you got  Ivan Krisjansen!

Kalsarp Yog: 28 Apr- 2nd Oct, 2013

TUBE-LIGHT ALWAYS SWITCHES ON.. LATE
As usual, with me things are quite paradoxical/ ironic. I am one creature who's into astrological consultation, astrological transits etc, almost  24/7 with three blogs, facebook groups, sceret groups, phone calls, forums, around the clock.  But it took a message from our landlord Sunil on 11th august to wake me up to the most extreme and significant cosmic phenomenon.

LANDLORD SUNIL'S INTUTION
Sunil wrote: "Adim. I am under the impression that all major planets ie Jupiter, Saturn, and the nodes Rahu Ketu are in a straight line- how long will this last?". Sunil is a senior member of Soka Gakkai, (Nichiren Daishnin's Buddhism), and cpunsels his Chanting members all through their walsk of life. For the past eight years, more than being a landlord, he has guided us through many, many issues of our existence. And it's often, that we sit together, discussing about spiritual, political, national topics, and the effects of prevailing transits and analysis of different horoscopes. I find Sunil's analysis, always loaded with insight, wisdom, intution. Often picking out vital but obvious points that I ofetn overlook. His perspective is one of more balance and wider karmic perspective. So, when he hinted about this prevailing transit, I took considerable interest in it. And dived into the alamanac.

WAKING UP TO KALSARP YOG
Well, it only took me all of ten minutes to discover the obvious: the prevailing Kalsarpa Yog from 28th april- 2nd october, 2013! I am bored of repeating my classic dialogue, but yes, it's always at the fag end of things, that I find out about prevailing transits. And Kalsarpa Yog is no minor astrological phase.

WHAT IS KALSARP YOG??
Kalsarpa Yog occurs in the heavens, when all planets are hemmed  on one side of the straight line that forms the Rahu Ketu axis. This creates a watershed in the heavens. All planets can be said to be trapped in the semicircle formed by the Rahu Ketu axis. On one side of the Serpentine axis, all planets crowded together, and on the other side, emptiness, void. This creates a severe imbalance in the astrological energies. Like water on one side of the dam, and a deep valley on the other side. The natural flow of things have come to an
standstill/ imbalance/ watershed. Its a period of extreme energies.

KALSARP YOG IN MYTHOLOGY
In mythology, Kalsarpa Yog has an important role in the Vedic tale of the Churning of The Cosmic Ocean. Kalsarpa axis is represented by the cosmic serpent Vasuki who was wrapped around mount Meru, pulled by Devatas/ Light Creatures on on  side and Asuras/ beings of Darkness, on the other side. Both sides using the mount meru as the churning rod to churn the cosmic ocean. The churning of the cosmic Ocean rpresented a period of extreme, imbalance, havoc, turbulence before order was restored to the Universe. For more info, google: Vedic mythology - churning of the Cosmic ocean.

SIGNIFICANCE OF KALSARP YOG
Basically kalsarpa represents a cosmic churning period. Where, two opposing sides within our own selves come into conflict with each other. We pull and push, the giant serpent Vasuki, churning our emotional, psychological, spiritual, material universe within ourselves. We keep pulling back and letting go, back and forth between opposites. Often denoting the Karmic conflict within. Thereby, the period of Kalsarpa Yog can be said to be an universal Churning period. Of all starsigns, zodiac, planetary influences. Of all creatures on heaven and earth, whether they are demonic or angelic. THIS IS ONE ASTROLOGICAL PHENOMENON THAT AFFECTS EVERYBODY!! UNIVERSALLY!! Irresolution, vacillation, conflict, dialectical movement is the order of the day. Fluctuation, oscillation, inner pressures, flux, turbulence, flotsam/ jetsam. Often the energies brought by Kalsarp Yog are extremely powerful BUT not long lasting. The effects of Kalsarp yog is reduced, once the stranglehold/ watershed of the heavens ends, and one by one the planets exit the semicircle of Rahu Ketu. Slowly, balance is restored to the ordered universe, once Kalsarp yog ends.

CORRELATION WITH CHINESE YEAR OF SERPENT
This Kalsarp Yog coinciding with chinese year of the serpent only increases the serpentine energy in the climate. Because on either sides of the himalayas, even though the individual terminology, calculations, differ according to separate interpretations of the Chinese and Indian civilizations, the overall universal value system remains the same! some of the more occult Chinese astrology websites have a description of Serpentine energies, that provide a vast and deep insight into the workings of the Serpentine nodes. The deeper dynamics of our Vedic Kalsarp Yog!

PERSONALLY SPEAKING, SUBJECTIVELY SPEAKING
Despite being an astrological consultant myself, i have no regrets that I didn't foresee this cosmic, significant astrological phenomenon, until it's very peak was on, OVER me. And that too after our landlord  pinpointed my foucs towards it. I feel that as practitioners of this craft, it is more important to experience such enormously significant events  first hand and then after sufficient contemplation, rant about it full on! The prerogative should be to understand it completely from a personal, subjective, visceral level. Rather than, bombarding it with a vast arsenal of theories and textbook interpretations. It was very important for me to experience this highly significant astrological transit ON a very personal, karmic, level before commencing my analysis on it. the churning is happening within my body itself, as I am Libran ascendant, and since this Kalsarp is happening in Aries-Libra, this is the most BASIC/ FUNDAMENTAL/ UNIVERSAL Kalsarpa. Maybe the cosmic churning of the ocean happened during this Aries- Libra configuration.

SERPENTINE...
Another highly noteworthy thing's that, during this very Kalsarp Yog, I finally fused my Rahu Ketu blog under one singular word/ heading: Serpentine. With this word everything seemed to fall in place. there wasn't any distinction between rahu Ketu anymore, just one singular serpentine axis. I can't even begin to describe the long journey since forever to reach this one singular word. The number of changes I've had, the innumerable  descriptions, to this blog. Which, now in retrospect feel unimaginably dramatic,  heinously comic. Why did the word Serpentine wait so long to be found out? This one singular word? Was all my years of research on the serpentine nodes predestined to converge into one singular word/ concept during this prevailing, significant Kalsarp yog + Chinese year of Serpent? Sounds very Serpentine to me. Very Serpentine..

By-lanes 13: Herbie Hancocks "The Piano"

In By-lanes, I narrate essential Serpentine experiences. Name inspired by the song By-lanes by friend Lueit Parasar. Check: https://soundcloud.com/adimachine/

2nd Sep, 2013. For years, I had been searching for the ultimate Serpentine piano album. But had always overlooked my keyboard idol Herbie Hancock in favour of many other magical composers. THAT WAS, until I stumbled upon his albeit unheard album "The Piano". Suddenly I was transported into another world.. The Serpentine magic of romance, jazz, atmospherics, all rolled into one epic, sublime, serpentine album. All these Twenty Three years of listening to Herbie Hancock, but always had overlooked his most sublime, live, magical album "The Piano". Hear to the serpentine, romantic, magical, mutating, shady tracks on youtube. ( Herbie Hancock + The Piano ). Especially the tracks:
1. My Funny Valentine  2. Someday my Prince will come 3. Harvest time 4. Manhattan Island. 5. Sonrisa 6. Jessica 
An album that truly celebrates the qualities of the serpentine energies. Cheers to the great master, who's captured the sublime essence of the Serpentine energies..