#apah

Disclaimer: unlike the ☀️ solar signs, the 🌙 lunar signs, aka, the nakshatras, are not ruled by planets. They are ruled by deities. The planets you will find regarding the nakshatras are only associated to them. Planets do not rule the nakshatras. As some nakshatras overlap two signs, you will see this nakshatra and the same deity in both of these signs.

🐘 Uttara Ashadha — the Vishvedevas: In the Rig Veda, the Vishvedevas (Viśve Devāḥ, meaning “all the gods”) refer to the collective assembly of deities. Uttara Ashadha is unique among the nakshatras in that its presiding deity is not a single god, but the totality of divine forces itself. It symbolizes the integration of all strengths, virtues, and cosmic functions.

In later traditions, the Vishvedevas are sometimes described as a defined group—often ten universal deities—said to be the sons of Vishva, a daughter of Daksha, and her consort Dharma. The number and names of the Vishvedevas vary across texts.

Some modern interpretations draw a parallel with Krishna’s Vishvarupa (cosmic form) in the Bhagavad Gita to illustrate the Vishvedevas concept: the overwhelming power and majesty that arises when all divine principles are united.

🌊Purva Ashadha — Apah, Goddess of the Waters: In the Rig Veda, Apah is the primordial goddess of the waters, sovereign of rivers, springs, and all fresh, life-giving currents. She is the source of fertility, purification, and renewal, the flowing womb from which all beings arise. Yet Apah is not merely gentle or nourishing. Like water itself, she carries immense power: she can erode, overwhelm, and destroy when disturbed. In later texts, Apah becomes the consort of Varuna, the ancient god of the night sky and cosmic order, who later evolves into the god of the Ocean—vast, unfathomable, and moral in his depth. Varuna rules the nakshatra Shatabhisha, linking the waters not only to life, but also to mystery, healing, and hidden truths.

🫚Moola — Nirriti: Moola is ruled by Nirriti, the goddess of dissolution, calamity, and death. In the Rig Veda, she appears as a golden-haired woman who slips into dreams, provoking nightmares and existential dread. She embodies decay, loss, and the unsettling forces that uproot life at its very foundation. In later traditions, Nirriti is transformed into a male deity associated with the Southwest direction, ruling destruction and misfortune. Over time, her essence does not vanish but intensifies: she is eventually absorbed into Kali, the fierce and terrifying goddess of our age. Kali is not merely destruction incarnate—she is time itself, the devourer of illusions, the force that cuts through old structures so that new life can emerge.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the US! 

You can learn more about it on the official website, but the quick summary of it is: “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a rich heritage thousands of years old and have both shaped the history of the United States and had their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history.” 

This month, we’d like to celebrate some of the incredible Asian/Pacific American authors who have helped shape the NaNoWriMo community—from NaNo Coaches to Camp Counselors, from Pep Talkers to participants! If you’d like to support these authors, buy a copy of their latest book (or check out the e-book from your library). Links to the authors’ websites below.

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