Navigating By The Stars

Written by Vaughn

Paul Manley, M.A.

Created: 30 November 2005

Have you ever considered following a star? Many ancient cultures relied on the stars to chart their
destinies. Polynesian navigators discovered the Hawai'ian Islands more than 1500 years ago by primarily
following Arcturus or 'Hokulea' - the star of happiness. They followed a star map to accomplish the
amazing feat of voyaging thousands of miles in small double-hulled canoes. Astrologers in India have
used a different kind of star map for more than 4000 years to navigate the less tangible terrain of ones
life journey. Their sophisticated system of astrology is renowned for its accuracy in charting planetary
influences on time. The Polynesian system of star navigation, on the other hand, is renowned for its
precision in charting influences on space. Whether navigating the turbulent seas or the complexities of
our personal lives, these ancient traditions have much to teach us about living in harmony with life and
staying on course with our purpose.
Lets face it - our lives are a journey into the unknown. No matter how clear we are about our direction we
often hit moments when we feel uncertain or perhaps blown out to sea altogether. Its not easy to get our
bearings amidst the chaos of our immediate environment. We often step outside and gaze up at the stars
to gain perspective. They help us step back, way back, and get the broadest perspective possible. To the
Polynesians the stars were the eyes of heaven, and knowing these celestial bodies gave them sight
when it was otherwise difficult to see. They are steady and reliable reference points in a world of change.
Because the wayfinders could see direction when others couldnt, they were given royal status in the
Polynesian culture and were trusted to safely guide their people. The same is true for the astrologers in
ancient India who were originally consultants to the king and sages of the royal court.

To navigate uncertain times the Polynesians set a wise example - follow your inspiration or bright star
and dont look back. In their cosmology bright stars were believed to have their zenith point in the sky
over large islands much like the shepherds star hovered over Bethlehem. For instance, the star above
Tahiti is Aa or Sirius, and above Samoa shines Hikianalia or Spica. The bright star Hokulea or Acturus
became their guiding light to Hawaii, inspiring their voyage of over 2500 miles to the North. Consider the
courage that this must have taken. For much of the journey they were more than 1000 miles from any
landmass, vulnerable to storms and huge ocean swells. They left everything behind to venture into the
unknown.
In our complicated modern lives with myriad distractions, its not always easy to know our 'star of
happiness.' Astrology has been used as a tool for centuries to help us see the big picture of our lives. In
the astrology of India, known as Vedic astrology, ones bright star is called ones dharma. Although
sometimes translated as 'duty,' dharma more aptly means 'doing what we were born to do.' It is the
inspiration that gives our life meaning, our unique life purpose. This is seen at the time of birth in one's
astrology chart, which is a snapshot of the planetary positions in the sky. The planets that influence
certain key locations in the chart will reveal one's dharma. In India, the family astrologer often reads the
newborns natal horoscope to the parents so that they can raise their child according to his or her
dharma. The astrology chart is laid out in time periods like chapters in a book, called 'dashas,' which are
governed by different planetary influences. This shows the map of the souls journey. With this knowledge
a person can make wise, informed decisions about any time period in his or her life. "There is no better
boat than a horoscope to help a man cross over the troubled sea of life," wrote the Indian sage
Varahamira nearly 1500 years ago.

Hand drawn Vedic Astrology Chart

In 1992, while traveling in India, I decided to consult a Vedic astrologer in New Delhi,
the late R. Santhanam. I was at a crossroads in my career as a schoolteacher and
was uncertain about my next direction. Santhanam was renowned for having
translated many of the ancient Sanskrit texts on Vedic astrology into English so I
was very curious about what he would say. He calculated my chart, and after
studying it for a few minutes, slowly began to reel off events that had happened in
my life: parents divorce, achievements in athletics, interest in spirituality, etc. I was
amazed because I had told him nothing about myself. He eventually said that my
dharma was to be an astrologer and suggested that I get a masters degree in
psychology, thereby combining both disciplines. This again amazed me because it
confirmed what I had already intuitively felt. I later had two other readings with Vedic
astrologers while traveling in India who suggested the same life direction.

R. Santhanam and Vaughn Paul, December 1992

Although finding our inspiration can be a defining moment in our lives, the challenge then
becomes to maintain our focus and actualize it. Eventually we could hit storms that threaten
to throw us off course, become distracted by stray island paradises, experience times of
cloud cover when weve lost inspiration and cant see our navigational stars, or enter the
doldrums near the equator that take the wind out of our sails. The Polynesian journey is our
journey. The Polynesians had to learn to navigate under any conditions in order to survive
and stay on course. When there was cloud cover they read the currents, waves, swells,
wind, clouds, migratory birds, and any available signs from their environs. They used their
sails to collect drinking water and fished for food. Evidence of their extraordinary skill lies in
the fact that they had discovered most of the 10,000 islands in Polynesia, including Hawai'i,
hundreds of years before the European explorers reached the South Seas with modern
navigational equipment. When Captain James Cook arrived in the 1770s he was openly
astonished. He found similar people, language, and customs spread out across many
thousands of miles of ocean in what he called, the most extensive nation on earth.

Hokule'a, 1976
It took two hundred years to be proven scientifically that the Polynesians actually used star
navigation to accomplish such a feat. In 1976 the Polynesian Voyaging Society, based in
Hawai'i, sailed a traditional double-hulled canoe from Hawai'i to Tahiti without the use of
any modern navigational equipment. The canoe was aptly named Hokulea, and its
construction sparked an immediate renaissance of interest in the ancient system of star
navigation. The voyage was covered by National Geographic and later made into a 90
minute TV documentary.

The most challenging part of preparing for this historic journey was finding a skilled
wayfinder who knew the traditional methods of star navigation. Eventually they found
one such master navigator, Mau Piailug, on a small island in Micronesia called
Satawal. Recently I interviewed Makaala Yates, a respected teacher of Hawai'ian
healing, who was a crewmember on board the historic 1976 voyage. He told stories
that demonstrated Maus extraordinary navigation skills. For instance, during a 7-day
period of cloud cover, Mau was able to determine their location with one small
opening in the sky that lasted less than two minutes! He was able do this because
he had a detailed star map memorized in his head that consisted of over 200 stars
and their rising and setting points. Mau had also memorized about 15 different swell
patterns. One time he jumped up from his sleep and said that the canoe was off
course, which he could tell just by the subtle difference in the way the swells felt
while he was sleeping! Mau has since passed on his valuable knowledge to
Hawaiian born Nainoa Thompson who has navigated Hokule'a on many subsequent
voyages throughout Polynesia.

Mau Piailug
For Makaala the most significant moments of the voyage were when he felt a close
relationship with everything in the environment. Nowadays weve lost that connection, he
said. For me I knew in my heart that I had to be on that canoe and connect with the ways
of my people and their relationship to all living things. When we re-connect to the pulse of
life we no longer wander aimlessly. On the return journey to Hawai'i there were several
examples of how nature responds to us when were in harmony with that pulse. As the
Hokulea was leaving Tahitii, they were escorted by a large pod of pilot whales. In that
moment when I saw the whales swimming around us and under us I knew that I was
connected and the trip would be successful, Makaala said. However, his most amazing
experience was when they were 300 miles off the coast of Hawai'i. Out of nowhere came a
huge pod of Naia (dolphins). It was like a big welcoming committee that stretched as far as
the eye could see,he exclaimed. One moment the water was calm and then it became so
thick with dolphins it was like white water.

Maka'ala Yates
As we face the complexities of our modern lives, we can benefit by the wisdom of these
ancient traditions. We can use astrology as a tool to help us stay on course with our life
purpose as well as navigate the inevitable challenges of our journey. Navigating by the stars
is for today and not just a lost art. Its choosing to live from a broader perspective,
connected with spirit, and in harmony life. The Polynesian journey is a metaphor for our
lives. We always have the choice to stay on safe, familiar shores or to venture into the
unknown, to follow our bright star and not look back. We journey because we feel called.
Its a choice that often requires courage and leads to radical shifts in our lives. The form it
takes is entirely a personal matter that may or may not relate to our source of income. The
value we find lies in knowing were connected and that our lives have meaning. Ultimately,
life itself responds and may even surround us with dolphins as we align with Hokulea our
star of happiness.