The Secret of Birthdays

 

During my doctoral minor in folklore, I wrote a paper on my fascination with birthdays and why we celebrate them with the rituals of inviting people over for cakes lit with candles. The time just before your birthday is known to be a bit depressing and that is because the Sun is 12 houses away from its home. This can bring up depression, self-deprecation, low self-esteem, health problems, and losses. Yet when the Sun finally returns, it enlivens your solar plexus, reinvigorates your confidence, and recharges your health for the reignited start of another year. Having people surround you gives you the support to start a new year and journey. With the Sun reigniting your natal Sun, you become a new solar beacon and can bless your friends with your Divine energy. Hence, the real meaning of a birthday is to shower your dharshan on your friends and let your Divine light bless them.

 

One of my more clairvoyant friends once noted that the real meaning of birthdays is to celebrate the incarnation of the soul on the planet. We are remembering the excitement of the angels coming to bring us to the planet for the chance to take a human form again and continue our journey toward God-realization. The angels that brought us return every year on our birthday to bless and remind us to renew our spiritual journey and grant us 10 wishes so that we can be empowered for another year’s journey. So write down your 10 wishes and put them in front of a holy picture or your Guru to help manifest them more powerfully.

 

One of my teachers used to suggest that you divide the year into 7 parts and so 365/7 and actually the last 1/7 of the cycle is a vulnerable period of change and completing karma for the year. I have noticed that there is a low before one’s birthday before the Sun recharges and even the day before one’s birthday is the lowest point. I have had a number of health crises the day before my birthday for years and have seen it first-hand. Then the Sun comes and recharges and everything is fine but sometimes the official solar return can even be a bit later than your birthday!

 

My friend, Muhammad Imran, recently advanced a new theory. He noted: ” I’ve consistently observed that the month (approx. 30 days) preceding to one’s birthday often brings health concerns and sickness to native. Astrologically speaking, this coincides with transit of Sun in 12^th house from its own natal place … sometime native comes across other negative result of 12^th house” (e.g. over-expenses, sleeplessness, blame, painful detours, loss or theft etc.) (Special thanks to Muhamad for inspiring this piece though his FB post!)

 

So, the time before your birthday is one of rebirth and preparing to come out of the birth canal again and shed the challenges of the final trimester of forming a new life.

 

My Guru has started a new tradition of not blowing out the candles because the candle represents the light of the Sun and we never want to blow out the light so I put in a plant and let nature take care of itself on its own. Maybe this year I will get a 7-day candle and keep it glowing extra-long. My Guru also wrote a new birthday song:

 

“Today, is the day the wave remembers, the ocean from where it was born. And today is the day we all remember, this world is our very own. Happy Birthday to you!! We belong to you.”

 

If today is your birthday or if you have a birthday in the next month, have a great journey of the Soul.”