Most individuals have a smile or a smirk on their face when I tell them I have been passionately studying Vedic Astrology for the last three years and recently graduated as a Vedic Astrologer.
I recognize the common reactions of amusement and skepticism when I discuss my astrological pursuits, as astrology has often been reduced to entertainment in newspapers and online media.
Yet, my mission is to educate and advocate for the 5000-year-old Vedic Astrology as both an art and science that deserves mainstream recognition.
I delve into Vedic Astrology’s origins, applications, and predictive value by sharing real-life examples in different life domains
- Personal Relationships
- Career
- Health & Medical Wellness
- Money
- Business, Investing & Economy
- Politics
- World Catastrophic Events
I dispel the misconceptions that often label Astrology as a pseudo-science.
Vedic Astrology is a vast, intricate discipline, and even the most skilled astrologers typically achieve around 70% accuracy in their predictions at any given time.
To sum up Vedic Astrology can serve a navigation to lead one’s life and at the same time not lose one’ free will. Its potential to benefit humanity in the years ahead necessitates wider recognition and further research, urging its integration into the mainstream.
Origins of Vedic Astrology
The ancient sages/ mystics in India observed the night sky tracking the planetary movements with mathematical precision and how it influences human lives.
The vast knowledge was passed down orally through family-based lineages through several generations and the earliest written records date back to 5000 years.
Vedic Astrology is based on the concepts of Reincarnation and Karma.
Reincarnation is cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and the soul goes through numerous lifetimes, experiencing different physical forms and circumstances. When a being dies, their soul is reborn into a new body, and this cycle continues until the soul achieves liberation or moksha.
The planetary positions at the time of a person’s birth (as depicted in their natal chart or horoscope) are the reflection of accumulation of their actions and deeds in previous lives better known as Karma. These positions influence a person’s life experiences, challenges, and opportunities in the current life.
Good actions lead to a more favorable and elevated existence in the next life, while bad actions lead to a less favorable or lower existence.
“A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma.”
Shri Yukteshwar, the guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of ‘Autobiography of Yogi
Vedic Astrology was only accessible to kings and noblemen and there was Chief Astrologer in the royal courts who played the role of advisor predicting events- upcoming wars, natural disasters, child birth and other different events.
They used to corroborate and confirm the manifestation of events looking at natal charts of the different royal family members.
For example – If a royal couple was having a second child, the event could be seen from the king and queen’s chart as well as the chart of the first child showing the potential of having a sibling at given time.
Today Vedic Astrology is accessible to anybody who has an accurate birth time. There is astrological software that do all the mathematical computations whereby the Vedic Astrologer just needs to use his knowledge and intuition to make predictions.
In business school, one learns the various business concepts using case studies about different companies. Similarly in Astrology, you learn the concepts by studying the birth charts of famous individuals and celebrities as their life history is very well documented.
You can also learn from your own chart as well as from your family and friends’ charts.
Applications of Vedic Astrology
Source- Body Spiritual
The birth chart in Vedic astrology is divided into twelve houses, each representing different aspects of life. The planets in these houses are considered as agents of karma. Their positions and aspects in the chart are analyzed to gain insights into an individual’s karmic patterns, strengths, weaknesses, and life path.
Vedic astrologers use various techniques, such as dashas (time periods), yogas and transits, to predict the timing of specific karmic events or periods of one’s life. Ultimately it also depends on the intuition of the astrologer.
By understanding one’s birth chart, a Vedic astrologer can provide guidance on different spheres of life and how to navigate life’s challenges, make informed choices, and potentially mitigate negative karmic effects through remedies and spiritual practices.
Personal Relationships
Source – Michael Buckner Getty Images
Most individuals want to know about their personal love life and about their marriage. They want to know when will have an opportunity to meet someone or if know their current relationship will last.
The 7th house in the birth chart deals with the spouse/partner and predictions can be made depending if there are benefic or malefic aspects to that house. Whenever there is benefic planet influence, the relationship is strong and if there is malefic planet influence the relationship is challenging
In India, there is practice of matching the horoscopes of the bride and groom before they get married especially in arranged marriages.
The astrologer looks into different parameters for the success of the marriage such as the health, longevity, mental and sexual compatibility, progeny- potential for children, luck, prosperity and felicity.
George Clooney is Hollywood Celebrity who had multiple relationships. It was thought he would never settle down and he got married at age 53 to a foreigner, lived abroad as well as got children- this could have been predicted as he was running a favorable period in his natal birth chart.
Brad Pitt had a string of romantic relationships between 1994 and 2005- this is evident from his horoscope as he was running planetary periods dealing with relationships with benefic and malefic planetary influences (start and breakups in relationships).
Career
Source- Amy Sussman Getty Images
The 10th house deals with the career and one can determine what type of career, the highs of when a person gets fame, awards or elevation or lows when the person loses a job or business contract. You can also predict the relationship you could have with your boss or higher authorities.
In Vedic Astrology, there are divisional charts which help give detailed and more specific insights about a particular area of life. The D-10 chart gives insights into the person’s career, profession and public life.
Taylor Swift is one of the most successful musicians in recent years. Her natal chart shows her exemplary talent- she has got Saraswati Yoga (Goddess of Music, Art, Knowledge and Learning), Pushkala Yoga (Goddess of Wealth and Creativity) and Bheri Yoga (Kettle Drums- Makes noise and impact of marching band).
Albert Einstein and Elon Musk have similar astrological configuration of Mars- Rahu that shows that they are great researchers.
Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan have the planetary combinations that they will excel in sport.
Health & Medical Wellness
Medical Vedic astrology is a specialized branch that integrates principles from Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine.
By studying the birth chart, an astrologer can reveal the potential health vulnerabilities and strengths based on the positions and aspects of planets and stars. Planetary periods may bring about health challenges as well as improvements and can predict the timing of health-related events.
The astrologer can recommend a person to select auspicious dates and times for important health-related events, such as surgeries, medical treatments, or the commencement of a wellness programs.
There are remedies to mitigate negative health influences and include gemstones, rituals, prayers, and lifestyle adjustments to enhance overall well-being.
Each of the 12 houses signify a body part and whenever there are malefic planets in a certain house- it gets triggered during transits and planetary time periods.
This area of Vedic astrology definitely helps in early detection of diseases so that the right medical treatment is given
Money
Source – Patrick Demarchelier
Individuals are always concerned about their finances and want to know about money. The 2nd house of personal wealth, 8th house of income from other individual’s money includes inheritance & lottery wins and 11th house of gains give financial insights to an astrologer.
There are certain Dhana Yogas (wealth combinations) in the natal horoscope that clearly indicate the financial status. There are transits and planetary periods that trigger to gain wealth.
Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey and many billionaires illustrate these wealth combinations
Business, Investing & Economy
Businessmen have been consulting Astrologers for centuries and JP Morgan, founder of the world largest financial bank is known for his quote
“Millionaires don’t use astrology, billionaires do”
His astrologer advised him not to board the Titanic on its fatal maiden voyage, which surely benefited him.
W.D. Gann was a prominent figure in the financial markets during the early 20th century, who used techniques involved aligning planetary movements (eclipses, planet stationing and retrogrades) with price and time cycles to make predictions about financial markets.
Gann believed that specific planetary aspects and positions could influence market trends. He developed the Gann lines, which is still used in modern technical analysis.
In my personal research, I have studied the birth charts of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs and also studied the birth charts of first stock trades of Microsoft, Amazon and Apple respectively. There is no coincidence that these founder’s charts are interconnected to the successful companies that they have founded and performed well in the equity markets.
The planetary movements of Jupiter, Saturn and the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu have an influence to predict economic downturns.
Politics
Source- CNN Getty Images
Politicians in India are known to consult their Astrologers and generally do not share the birth information so that their political rivals do not take advantage.
In America, astrologers make their predictions during US presidential election years. In 2016, many of the astrologers favored Hillary Clinton to win the election against Donald Trump, however that did not happen as Hillary Clinton’s exact birth time was not disclosed.
Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton’s original birth data was released as it became a public record in the state of Illinois whenever a person reaches the age of 75. Had her correct birth time been available, it could have been possible to predict her loss.
You require the accurate birth timing of the candidates to assess their planetary periods and transits on the day of election to make an accurate prediction.
World Catastrophic Events
Mundane astrology is a subset of Vedic astrology that involves predicting natural calamities, accidents, terrorist attacks and analyzing the destiny and characteristics of nations and political entities.
Astrologers create “mundane charts” for countries and use techniques such as planetary transits, eclipses, and ingress charts to predict global and national events, political trends, and economic developments.
They also examine planetary combinations, retrograde motions, and the influence of leaders’ birth charts.
The recent attack in Israel is reflected in its natal chart (May 14, 1948 4PM Tel Aviv) as well in its leader’s Benjamin Netanyahu natal chart. The planetary configurations (Jupiter-Rahu opposing Mars-Ketu) were similar to 11 September 2011 attacks.
While not all predictions are correct, mundane astrology provides a unique perspective on the interplay between celestial forces and worldly affairs, offering insights into the potential impact of planetary movements on the world stage.
Misconceptions about Vedic Astrology
Critics dismiss Vedic astrology as a pseudo-science due to its perceived lack of empirical support, reliance on subjective interpretation, and propensity for confirmation bias, all without undergoing rigorous scientific peer review.
This skepticism persists as the scientific community shows limited interest in researching its empirical aspects.
Notably, the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) specializes in scientific investigations related to reincarnation and paranormal phenomena.
DOPS meticulously examines cases of young children claiming detailed past-life memories, aiming to provide empirical evidence and a deeper understanding of consciousness, past-life recollections, and near-death experiences.
However, DOPS’ work remains a subject of debate within the scientific community.
Even in India, Vedic Astrology’s place of origin, resistance to its adoption endures. In 2004, the Supreme Court of India had to get involved to uphold the higher education governing body University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision to introduce undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Vedic Astrology.
Individuals often turn to Vedic Astrologers seeking hope in times of despair, but they may fall prey to charlatans who exploit their vulnerability by charging exorbitant fees and recommending remedies that sometimes prove ineffective. This can change when there is more awareness and wider adoption.
It’s crucial to understand that Vedic astrology isn’t purely deterministic; it accounts for the influence of karma and free will. While planetary positions may indicate inclinations, individuals retain the power to make choices and shape their own destinies.
Conclusion
Vedic Astrology stands as a venerable discipline often underestimated and misconstrued in today’s world. Despite the skepticism and taboos that surround it, this ancient practice offers invaluable insights into various facets of human existence.
By shedding light on the intricacies of life’s journey, from personal relationships and careers to health, finance, and global events, Vedic Astrology serves as a beacon of wisdom and guidance.
While empirical evidence and scientific recognition may be lacking, an open-minded perspective can unlock the potential of this timeless art and science.
Vedic Astrology reminds us that our lives are a delicate dance between destiny and free will, and that seeking knowledge and understanding in both the cosmic and personal realms can be a powerful tool for navigating the complexities of existence.
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References
https://chat.openai.com/
https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/5-things-to-know-about-vedic-astrology
https://www.cnbc.com/2013/12/04/are-profits-written-in-the-stars-these-indian-websites-think-so.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/practical-perspective-astrology-vijay-sarathy/
https://medium.com/know-thyself-heal-thyself/steve-jobs-final-message-to-the-world-is-not-what-you-think-e0e154e5e86b