ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि, देवी भगवती ही सा।

बलादाकृष्य मोहाय, महामाया प्रयच्छति ।।

These Sanskrit verses are from a sacred text called Durga Saptasati. These verses appear in the first chapter in connection with a Guru explaining the true force behind the functioning of this world to a King who lost his kingdom. Guru says “Māyā forcibly pulls all mental faculties of even enlightened beings and traps them in the realm of worldly desires. But if Māyā is pleased, you will be able to receive boons for Moksha''. 

After listening to Guru’s explanation, the King was curious about the enigma of Māyā. Upon being convinced that the King’s interest was pure, the Guru goes on to reveal the power of Māyā through the narration of a story. The guru tells the KIng the story of two powerful asuras Madhu and Kaitabha, and how they came to be killed.

After the end of a Kalpa, the world was dissolved into sea and the Preserver Lord Vishnu was in yoganidra (a form of Māyā) as the process of creation was yet to start. At one point of time, two asuras took birth from the ear wax of Lord Vishnu. When these asuras saw Brahma, they decided to kill him. Upon knowing the intention of asuras, Brahma started praying.

"But, whom did Brahma pray to?", asked the Guru.

A relevant question, that was unanswered with a bewildered stare from the KIng.

Brahma did not pray to Lord Vishnu to kill the Asuras, instead, he asked Māyā for help. Māyā, who put the Lord into yoganidra was pleased after listening to the prayers of Brahma and withdrew the yoganidra energy from Vishnu.

‍

‍

This is the first revelation of this story, that is, you should turn your awareness towards the Māyā to know the greater possibilities of your life.

When awakened, Vishnu saw that Madhu and Kaitabha were trying to harm Brahma. He began fighting with asuras but he could not win over them even after 5000 years of fighting. Then, Māyā heightened the ego of asuras and this made them feel superior over Vishnu. With an escalated ego, asuras asked Vishnu "Ask us of any boon, and we will give it to you" Vishnu then asked a boon to kill them and the asuras died by his hand. 

‍

‍

This is the second revelation of this story, that is, our mind and its thoughts are functioning under the complete control of Māyā. 

Thus, the Guru in the story teaches us “Māyā is not illusion, Māyā is the origin of illusion.” Astrology helps us to see where the intensity of Māyic wires will be felt intensely in your life and thus makes you learn how to shift your awareness towards the Māyic wires