When the Abbasids defeated the Umayyads, they eventually decided on founding a new capital city. Under Al Mansur they built the city of Baghdad, blending knowledge of astrology and urban planning to birth a city of wonder.

A thread on astrology and Baghdad -AAO

Al Mansur settled on Baghdad’s location in proximity to the old Sassanid cities & called upon Indian & Central Asian city-planners to build it round in the Persianate fashion, but in order to build a truly wondrous city he called upon the powers of astrology -AAO
He turn to the Persian Nawbakht and the Jewish astrologer, Mashallah ibn Athari. -AAO
Together they employed ikhtiyārāt, a type of astrology used to elect the most auspicious timing for an event.

Want to know the perfect day to get married, to sign a contract, or even to wage a war, ikhtiyārāt can provide the answer -AAO
Using ikhtiyārāt Nawbakht and Mashallah elected July 31 762 for the founding of Baghdad. The historian and contemporary astrologer, James Holden used the Persian Al Biruni's records to recreate the horoscope.

I’ve attached a contemporary version -AAO
Using the principles of ikhtiyārāt we can see that Nawbakht and Mashallah chose a time where Al Qaws or Sagittarius is rising and in Jupiter, its natural ruler.

This would was chosen to capture the influence of both stars on matters of the mind, philosophy, and justice. -AAO
We can also see, they chose when the Sun would be in Assad/Leo in the 9th House, the house of learning.

Along with the positive aspects all of this would add up to a city “birth” that would ensure a center of learning, wealth, justice, and splendor -AAO
And indeed for hundreds of years, Baghdad was the intellectual and cultural heart of the Islamic world. -AAO
For historians this story provides a unique example for understanding the intellectual Islam that emerges under the Abbasids, one that synthesizes Greek and Persian astrology with advanced Indian mathematics for precise astronomical calculations. -AAO
When Al Mansur built Baghdad, it was a crowning achievement for his Islamic empire, but also evidence of the way in which local and diverse cultures and intellectual traditions were synthesized and incorporated. -AAO

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Margatha Natarajar murthi - Uthirakosamangai temple near Ramanathapuram,TN
#ArudraDarisanam
Unique Natarajar made of emerlad is abt 6 feet tall.
It is always covered with sandal paste.Only on Thriuvadhirai Star in month Margazhi-Nataraja can be worshipped without sandal paste.


After removing the sandal paste,day long rituals & various abhishekam will be
https://t.co/e1Ye8DrNWb day Maragatha Nataraja sannandhi will be closed after anointing the murthi with fresh sandal paste.Maragatha Natarajar is covered with sandal paste throughout the year


as Emerald has scientific property of its molecules getting disturbed when exposed to light/water/sound.This is an ancient Shiva temple considered to be 3000 years old -believed to be where Bhagwan Shiva gave Veda gyaana to Parvati Devi.This temple has some stunning sculptures.
॥ॐ॥
अस्य श्री गायत्री ध्यान श्लोक:
(gAyatri dhyAna shlOka)
• This shloka to meditate personified form of वेदमाता गायत्री was given by Bhagwaan Brahma to Sage yAgnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्य).

• 14th shloka of गायत्री कवचम् which is taken from वशिष्ठ संहिता, goes as follows..


• मुक्ता-विद्रुम-हेम-नील धवलच्छायैर्मुखस्त्रीक्षणै:।
muktA vidruma hEma nIla dhavalachhAyaiH mukhaistrlkShaNaiH.

• युक्तामिन्दुकला-निबद्धमुकुटां तत्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम्॥
yuktAmindukalA nibaddha makutAm tatvArtha varNAtmikam.

• गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुश कशां शुभ्रं कपालं गदाम्।
gAyatrIm vardAbhayANkusha kashAm shubhram kapAlam gadAm.

• शंखं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्ती भजै॥
shankham chakramathArvinda yugalam hastairvahantIm bhajE.

This shloka describes the form of वेदमाता गायत्री.

• It says, "She has five faces which shine with the colours of a Pearl 'मुक्ता', Coral 'विद्रुम', Gold 'हेम्', Sapphire 'नील्', & a Diamond 'धवलम्'.

• These five faces are symbolic of the five primordial elements called पञ्चमहाभूत:' which makes up the entire existence.

• These are the elements of SPACE, FIRE, WIND, EARTH & WATER.

• All these five faces shine with three eyes 'त्रिक्षणै:'.

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This product has narrow appeal and, accordingly, is worth about as much as everything else on a 486 sitting in someone's basement is worth.

The other product is investment scams, which have approximately the best product market fit of anything produced by humans. In no age, in no country, in no city, at no level of sophistication do people consistently say "Actually I would prefer not to get money for nothing."

This product needs the exchanges like they need oxygen, because the value of it is directly tied to having payment rails to move real currency into the ecosystem and some jurisdictional and regulatory legerdemain to stay one step ahead of the banhammer.