Maya & woman as a mirror of desires

There is no direct relation between the individual and the sense objects. The connection is established only when the individual projects their desires onto the objects by means of the indriyas. Since the object naturally exists as separate from the subject, whatever is projected onto it is merely a reflection of the subject's own consciousness. To neglect this is to neglect one of the great obstacles to spiritual advancement. Maya's influence works in such a way that we imagine the problem lies outside ourselves, when in reality it is this very potency that hypnotises us into thinking this way. We project our desires outward and then attempt to eradicate the problem externally rather than internally. The feminine body evokes desire because the feminine principle is associated with Venusian qualities such as beauty, pleasure, and enjoyment. In society, the woman who embodies this Venusian energy is blamed for awakening desire, just as we tend to see Maya as an external impediment to our spiritual growth. If we take a plant from Mother Nature and use it for self-harm rather than for healing or spiritual purpose, why should the plant be blamed instead of our misuse of it, or our distorted perception of its purpose? Mother Nature loves us and provides for us, yet under the influence of the gunas and ahamkara we perceive her as the object of our enjoyment. To see the world and the objects within it as divine is one of the objectives of the spiritual aspirant as only then can one move through the world without being affected by it. It is our inner filter that must be cleansed so that we can perceive the divinity inherent in all things, like the beauty and divinity in women, rather than seeing them as objects of enjoyment. The woman then as embodiment of Venusian qualities has the power to reveal how clear or how impure the mind is, simply by the ways in which the perceiver reacts to her; she becomes a mirror through which the aspirant can measure their spiritual progress. Those who cannot accept the impurity within themselves blame the mirror and wish to destroy it to avoid confronting their own reflection; while for those whose consciousness has been purified, the feminine principle is perceived in its true nature as the bestower of love, beauty, harmony, and representative of the great goddess on earth. What once appeared as a binding force is revealed to be a force of liberation; and so Venus herself finds her exaltation in Pisces, the sign of liberation and complete immersion in the Divine.

It is interesting to consider how Venus, Shukracarya, is the teacher of the asuras (demoniac race). Venus creates the impulse which enables self-reflection, allowing us to place ourselves on the ladder leading toward enlightenment. One of the ways Venus does this is by shaping our environment and the people within it. Libra, the seventh zodiacal sign, is the environment where interaction with the outer world happens; it governs our relationships, who act as a mirror to ourselves as the 7th house stands directly opposite the 1st house of self. The only nakshatra that lies fully within Libra is Swati; it's ruled by Rahu (also a significator of mirrors and reflection), who awakens spiritual awareness through forceful, sometimes brutal means that are felt on the psychological level. Rahu is also associated with the feminine principle and with illusion, or the power to manipulate perception. Both Venus and Rahu are associated with the colour dark blue, the colour of Akash, or ether. Akash is also known as occult electricity which is one aspect of the Kundalini, indicating the immense power associated with it, especially in destroying those malefic forces that impede spiritual growth. Another commonality shared by Venus and Rahu is their association with regeneration and immortality. Shukracarya (Venus), through the mrityasanjivani, possesses the power of resurrection, continually restoring life to the demoniac forces over which he presides as their guru. Rahu, symbolised as the great serpent, is naturally associated with regeneration as the snake sheds its own skin. The repeated emergence of demoniac qualities serves a profound spiritual purpose as it forces the aspirant to see and confront those very tendencies within themselves; however this also indicates that Libra and Swati is the stage in which immersion in materialism reaches its fullest expression. The saturation of material desire that occurs as a result of the Venus-Rahu influence has a purpose to lead to ultimate disenchantment. Vishakha, though mostly situated in Libra, forms a bridge into Scorpio and signifies the first genuine urge to turn toward Divinity after material saturation has reached its limit within Swati. This is one of the lessons of Swati, and one of the ways that Maya & the feminine principle in general assist the individual on the spiritual path by testing them, compelling them to face themselves, and revealing the impermanent nature of the material world. This also reflects Libra's paradox, as it is associated with both relationships and independence (Swati, in particular, is one of the most independent nakshatras). While our environment and relationships are essential for our spiritual growth, serving as mirrors through which we come to know ourselves, the responsibility for transformation ultimately rests withourselves. It is only through one's own inner work (and the grace of guru) that liberation from samsara can be attained.