An empath is someone with the unique ability to mirror the feelings of another person even without undergoing their circumstances. In its purest form, it means being able to be in another person’s shoes emotionally or having that extra dose of empathy within you.  Being an empath is not easy, and sometimes it takes a toll on you. The good thing is that when you know what type of empath you are, you can use your gift in a healthy way and create a lasting positive impact on people and the environment around you. Or you can even build a fulfilling career!

You see, empathy is a true gift when you know how to use it. You can heal, guide, protect and deeply understand the lives of the people, animals, and the environments around you. Or, maybe you can predict events and even save lives?

The key is to know exactly what type of empath you are and how to open up your potential so that you can be helpful and, at the same time, protected from negative energies you could be picking up.

Types of Empath

There are many empath types that deal with different aspects with empathy with their own specifics and unique expressions. In this article, we decided to focus on the 6 most common types that represent the most common expressions of empathy.

You may ask, “Why label ourselves when we can all just be called ‘an empath’?” Well, you see, being an empath can have its many positives and benefits, but it can also weigh us down heavily with confusion, disorientation, and anxiety. That is why it makes sense to put a name to what we individually experience to better understand ourselves, and identify others who share the same abilities as us. By understanding who you are, what gifts you possess, and where you stand in life, you will be able to understand your life purpose much better.

Take the quiz below to find out what type of empath you are and what special gifts you brought to this world!

Quiz: What Type Of Empath Are You?

Vasudhara is a goddess of wealth, prosperity, spiritual wealth, and wisdom. She is considered to be one of the 21 Taras, also known as “Golden/Yellow Tara“. This beautiful Goddess blesses anyone with spiritual and material abundance to anyone who recites her mantra. In this article, I will introduce you to Yellow Tara and share with you her sacred mantra that can help you significantly improve your spiritual and material wellbeing.

Who Is Vasudhara (Yellow Tara/Golden Tara)?

Vasudhara, whose name means “stream of gems” in Sanskrit, is the Buddhist bodhisattva of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. She is also known as Golden Tara or Yellow Tara.

The goddess originated in Indian Buddhism and was later transmitted to Tibet. In India, Vasudhara is compared to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and abundance. Both goddesses have identical iconography and often appear with their husbands. Lakshmi’s husband is Vishnu, and Vasudhara’s husband is Dzambhala.

Vasudhara’s heart is filled with compassion and loving-kindness toward all beings. She is the embodiment of the boundless generosity which is the first of the six transcendent perfections that are fundamentals for the Bodhisattva path. According to the Buddhist tradition, Vasudhara is able to materialize the wealth for the one who chants her mantra and performs the rituals that invoke the goddess.

The origin of Vasudhara in Buddhism appears in the Buddhist text “The Vasudhara Dharani”. According to a legend “The Inquiry of the Layman Sucandra,” described in the text, an impoverished layman named Sucandra came to the Buddha Shakyamuni and asked if he could give him a way to obtain large amounts of gold, grain, silver, and gems in order to feed his large family and engage in acts of charity with the surplus fortune. Shakyamuni said that the Vasudhara mantra would suit this purpose. He gave Sucandra the Vasudhara mantra and sacred ritual that when followed would result in good fortune and prosperity brought on by Vasudhara herself. Upon commencing the rituals and teaching them to others, Sucandra began to prosper. Noticing his success, the monk Ananda asked Shakyamuni how he had obtained this fortune so quickly. Shakyamuni instructed Ananda to also practice the Vasudhara mantra and the ritual and told him to “impart it to others ‘for the good of many’.

Vasundhara is a bodhisattva-liberator, who gives a person piously acquired wealth. This beautiful goddess also ensures that spiritual wisdom is accompanied by favorable circumstances: high standard of living, longevity, and happiness.

Yellow Tara Symbolism

Yellow Tara is beautiful and attractive. She is youthful as a sixteen-year-old, and her golden body scintillates with radiant light.

Her skin color is golden-bronze. This color is associated with precious metals and symbolizes nobility and generosity.

The goddess has three beautiful smiling faces. Her right face is red, which represents control. The middle face is golden, which represents increase. And her left face is red, which represents compassion.

The goddess is adorned with the five divine silks and the eight jeweled ornaments.

Usually, Golden Tara is depicted seated on a lotus flower base in the lalitasana, or royal pose, with one foot tucked in towards her and the other hanging off the flower base but resting on a small treasure. She can, however, also be depicted in a standing position.

The number of her arms may differ from image to image. She can have as few as two arms and as many as six. The two-armed representations are more common in Tibetan and Indian art, while six-armed representations are almost exclusive to Nepalese art. Although the six-armed image originates in India, they are rare and only a few examples have been found.

Her first right-hand makes the gesture of generosity, while her other two right hands hold the ‘Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, – symbolizing the necessity of maintaining the commitments of refuge to the three jewels, and a golden rosary, symbolizing continuous practice and self-examination, vital to enlightenment path.

With her three left hands, she holds a small treasure-vase (a symbol of long life and initiation), an ear of grain (a symbol of abundant harvests and earthly benefits), and a sacred text (a symbol of wisdom).

Representations with more arms, such as the six-armed Nepali representation, also depict Golden Tara as a goddess that is holding a full vase and the Book of Wisdom. With her free hands, she performs mudras. The most common mudra in paintings and figurines featuring Vasudhara is the Varadamudra, also known as the charity mudra, which symbolizes the “pouring forth of divine blessings.”

When depicted with two arms and one face, Vasudhara has a golden body (which symbolizes the earth element) and Ratnasambhava in her crown. Sometimes she is depicted with two or three eyes. The three eyes depiction represents perfect awareness, understanding, compassion, wisdom, and insight into the past, present, and future. Her two hands holding a sheaf of corn represent the process of sowing the seeds of enlightenment. A single wish-fulfilling jewel or a bowl of wish-fulfilling jewels represent wealth and wish-fulfillment.

In Tibetan iconography, the goddess is depicted sitting beside her husband Dzambhala or in union with him. In these cases, she holds a stem with grains in her left hand and a rosary in the right.

In her Tantric depiction, the goddess is red in color, with ornaments of bones holding a stem of grains or precious gems in the right hand, and a skull cup with blood in her left hand. Her red form is also depicted in union with Dzambhala, who is in the same color.

Vasudhara Mantra

Vasudhara practice requires dedication and self-discipline. Therefore, before starting the practice make sure you’ll be able to invest your time and energy into it.

Preparation:

Before starting your practice, write down your intention on a piece of paper. Speak from your heart. Start with words: “I dedicate my Vasudhara mantra practice to … (describe what you intend to gain)”

Instructions:

• On the first day, you should recite the mantra 800 times.
• Then, every day afterward, recite the mantra 300 times. 100 times in the morning, 100 times in the late afternoon/evening, and the final 100 times before going to bed. Or, you can recite the mantra 300 times all at once at any time of the day.
• It is advisable to get a Vasudhara statuette or Yellow Tara thangka so that you can recite the mantra in front of it.
• While reciting the mantra, visualize Golden Tara and how her blessings are coming to you in a form of golden energy.
• Always express your gratitude to the Goddess before and after practice.

Mantra text:

Om Śri Vasudhara Ratna Nidhana Kashetri Soha

Though it may seem like a lot of work, such dedication will definitely pay off. It is said that devotees of this practice will accumulate seven kinds of prosperity – wealth, quality, offspring, long life, happiness, praise, and wisdom. Vasudhara will bless you with enough resources to be able to engage in spiritual practices without worrying too much about your finances. It also believed that this practice leads to spiritual enlightenment.

Short Vasudhara Mantra

If you don’t have enough time or energy to dedicate to the full Vasudhara mantra practice, you can recite a short version of the Vasudhara mantra. The practice of this mantra increases good luck and well-being, as well as helps to overcome difficulties and achieve progress in many directions.

The text of the mantra:

Om Vasudhare Svaha

Recite this mantra 7, 21, or 108 times.

On May 23, Saturn entered its retrograde phase, which will last until October 11, 2021. Saturn’s retrograde motion will encourage a return to our past experiences, rethinking, mistake analysis, and deceleration. Retrograde Saturn has an impact on global, large-scale processes. The period of Saturn retrograde will affect social life, business, government institutions, and the functioning of large companies. Saturn Retrograde often provokes a reorganization of structures, orders, rules, and a rethinking of goals and strategies.

In this article, I will share with you how Saturn retrograde will affect us, what karmic lessons this period can activate, and how we can soften the impact of this period on our lives.

Saturn Retrograde: What Does It Mean?

Like any other retrograde period, this is the time when Saturn is moving backward. Of course, the planet isn’t actually moving backward! It’s just that Earth’s position relative to Saturn makes the planet look like it’s moving backward. From an astrological point of view, this is an important event, since retrograde periods bring lessons and challenges in the spheres that the planet controls. In the case of Saturn, the lessons it brings are usually associated with our inner self, wisdom, responsibility, and discipline.

Saturn In Vedic Astrology

In Vedic astrology, Saturn is ‘Lord of Karma’ and time. As ‘Lord of Karma’, he is often the most feared of planets. However, it doesn’t punish you for your bad actions, but rather gives you the ‘harvest’ from the ‘seeds’ you planted yourself. If you planted the seeds of love, compassion, self-discipline, spiritual dedication, then you will reap only positive results of such actions. But if you planted the seeds of judgment, anger, cruelty, addiction to pleasure, and material possessions, then you will reap the negative consequences of such actions. Saturn always makes sure that we reap what we sow.

Shani (Saturn) is considered the greatest of teachers. His methods are not particularly gentle, but they teach discipline, restraint, concentration, and economy. Saturn teaches us to follow traditions and take responsibility for our actions. He is responsible for introversion, focus, truth, work, limitations, organization, democracy, fairness, and asceticism.

What To Expect From Saturn Retrograde 2021?

Saturn retrograde period started on May 23 and will last until October 11. During this period, Saturn will draw attention to such areas as work, career, and, in general, the scope of your activity. During this period, karmic situations are activated that require patience and the right focus. Instead of feeling frustrated that things are not going the way you want, look at challenging situations from a karmic lesson perspective. Remind yourself that you might be paying a karmic debt or learning a karmic lesson. Take any challenges with gratitude.

Saturn, as a planet responsible for living practical experience, helps us to accumulate the necessary knowledge and skills for the formation of our personality and teaches us to realize our life goals in the best possible way.

There may be tension in relations with elderly relatives or superiors, government officials during this retrograde period.

Three Things To Keep In Mind

In order to spend the period of Saturn retrograde as harmoniously as possible, you need to remember the following:

#1: Saturn retrograde teaches us responsibility, perseverance, restraint, compliance with the rules, seriousness, and control

Therefore, during this time, it is favorable:

• take on what you have been putting off for a long time and bring it to the end;
• review your plans and adjust them;
• to sum up the results;
• develop self-discipline;
• fast or eat only vegan food on Saturdays;
• think through everything to the smallest detail before taking action.

#2: Be prepared for the fact that you will be thrown from one extreme to another

Therefore, try to analyze your behavior and things that trigger your emotions. Many people may experience anxiety, worries, fears, pessimism during Saturn retrograde. Pay attention to your emotions and learn to control them! Daily meditations and pranayama will help you to balance your mood and emotions.

#3: Pay attention to your health

Problems can be associated with exhaustion of the body. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of your capabilities and do not overwork. Also, pay attention to your stress levels. If you feel tired, make sure you take time to recharge yourself in nature, meditate, and do breathing exercises.

How Will Saturn Retrograde Affect Our Health?

During this period, there may be an imbalance of Vata dosha (dry skin, allergic reactions, dry joints, respiratory problems). People may experience the following health problems provoked by Saturn:

• Injuries to the knee joints
• Increased acidity
• Skin diseases
• Dental problems
• Respiratory system problems
• Herpes
• Problems with blood vessels

People who are prone to arthritis should take precautions, as, during the retrograde period, a chronic inflammatory process is possible. The same recommendations are relevant for chronic diseases of the liver and gallbladder.

Saturn in Shravan Nakshatra

During this retrograde, Saturn is in Shravan Nakshatra which is a highly karmic position that usually causes pain, suffering, and turmoil in the world. Saturn’s retrograde effect in Shravan nakshatra intensifies and also takes more time to get over with.

If you look at the world events of the past, whenever Saturn was in Shravan nakshatra, there were problems at the national and global levels. There have been several wars, economic collapses, deaths of kings/rulers, deaths of large numbers of people, distress, and general instability. And now we will be feeling the influence of Shravan nakshatra until February 18th, 2022.

This nakshatra may force us to focus more on material aspects of life more than on our spiritual development. Material matters may become a priority for most people so that they may forget the true spiritual purpose in this life.

The lesson here is to remind yourself that material stability is important but we should always remember to influence everything we do with the spiritual beliefs and principles we follow in life. The goal here is to find a perfect balance between your material and spiritual life.

Recommendations For Saturn Retrograde 2021

#1: Refrain From Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol is not only bad for your health but also angers Shani Dev (Lord of Karma/Saturn). Therefore, it’s essential to refrain from drinking alcohol during the retrograde period, especially on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Also, avoid smoking and using any kinds of drugs or plants that affect your consciousness. All these habits add to your negative karma.

#2: Wear Black on Saturdays

On Saturdays, it is recommended to wear black or dark clothes.

#3: Chant Mantras

There are two mantras that are recommended to be chanted during the Saturn Retrograde period. You can choose one that you resonate with the most or chant both of them. Chant these mantras on Saturdays 108 times.

Mantra #1: “OM SHAM SHANICHARAYA NAMAHA”

Mantra “OM SHANTI OM”

Conclusion

Though this Saturn retrograde may seem like a challenging time for many, try to keep your focus on positive things. Observe the world events with a peaceful mind and trust the process. Remember that Saturn encourages humility, patience, the ability to wait, contemplation, a willingness to accept any outcome of the situation, asceticism, and modesty. Nurturing these qualities within yourself will help you to live the period of Saturn retrograde in harmony and reap the positive benefits from the seeds you sowed.