Devotees Vaishnavas: ¿Qué es Astrología Védica? - Shyamasundara Dasa, Sastri Jyotish

Un horóscopo en sus manos es un mapa del destino. Los secretos que contiene puede ser revelado sólo por mayoría cualificada, astrólogo védico. Ahora usted puede preguntarse - ¿Qué es la Astrología Védica?

Usted probablemente ha oído hablar de astrología - que no tiene?

La mayoría de la gente sabe cuál es su signo solar es en el oeste de Astrología, pero muy pocos saben acerca de la astrología védica, el objeto del presente informe.

Incluso personas que sólo tienen la más mínima pizca de conocimiento acerca de la astrología quieres saber lo que es la astrología védica y cómo se diferencia de la astrología occidental que están acostumbrados.

Para responder a estas preguntas en primer lugar quisiera explicar muy brevemente un poco acerca de la astrología védica y en qué se diferencia de su primo occidental.

Védica contra la astrología occidental

Los Vedas son las escrituras más antiguas conocidas de existir, siendo así más de 5.000 años de antigüedad.

El vasto océano de conocimiento védico abarca tanto materiales como espirituales conocimiento, es el conocimiento perfecto que fue revelado por Sri Krishna (La Trinidad) a los Rishis, los sabios de la cultura védica.

La astrología es parte de la literatura védica, y la han conservado y transmitido en el guru-parampara, la cadena de apostólica sucesión, desde tiempos inmemoriales.

Astrología Védica es la forma original de la astrología que existió hace miles de años en lo que se conoce ahora como el subcontinente indio. Poco a poco se extendió por la difusión en otras culturas como la babilónica, persa, Griego, chino, etc Las principales diferencias entre la astrología védica y moderno

La astrología occidental son tres: En primer lugar, la astrología védica es técnicamente se denomina un "sistema sideral", mientras que La astrología occidental es "tropical". Lo que esto significa básicamente es que hasta en el cielo hay estrellas que componen las diferentes constelaciones del zodiaco, como Virgo, Acuario, etc astrología védica se basa en las constelaciones estelares reales (Sideral), mientras que la astrología occidental se basa en un zodíaco ficticio que poco a poco se mueve hacia atrás en el espacio en función del tiempo ("trópico" en latín significa "dar vuelta"). Estas definiciones se pueden encontrar en cualquier buen diccionario.

Al escribir estas líneas (octubre, 1993), el comienzo del imaginario occidental del zodiaco - su primer punto de Aries - se encuentra en 6.25 ° de la constelación de Piscis.

Esto se conoce como la Era de Piscis en el oeste de Astrología.

Este primer punto se moverá en un retrógrado (hacia atrás) de movimiento a una velocidad de alrededor de 1 ° por 72 años hasta su entrada en la constelación de Acuario.

Ese será el comienzo de la Era de Acuario famosos que todos hemos oído hablar.

En la tasa de de movimiento de 72 años / 6,25 × grado ° se tomará 450 años antes de la llamada Edad de manera Acuario tiene lugar.

Fuera de la ignorancia de la astronomía, la Era de la comunidad Nueva ha "Saltó el arma" por casi la mitad de un milenio en el que se declara que ya estamos en la Era de Acuario. En segundo lugar, como ya se mencionó, la astrología védica se basa en una muy antigua, intacta tradición desde tiempos inmemoriales, mientras que la astrología occidental ha tenido una muy cuadros de la historia.

Astrología prácticamente desaparecido en Occidente durante la Edad Media (Alrededor de 500-1000AD), que resurgió en el Renacimiento, sólo para caer en desgracia durante la llamada Edad de la Razón así.

De hecho, totalmente desaparecido de la Unión Europea continente hasta finales del siglo 19.

Se ha mantenido apenas con vida en Inglaterra durante ese momento.

La astrología occidental como la conocemos hoy en día (en su forma moderna) existe desde hace unos 130 años, ya que sólo comenzó un resurgimiento a finales del siglo XIX.

El punto es

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que la tradición védica es muy fuerte y vibrante, con el patrimonio de muchos miles de años de conocimientos acumulados, mientras que la astrología occidental no tiene la ventaja de una tradición ininterrumpida. En tercer lugar, la astrología védica, que es un apéndice de los Vedas, está completamente lleno de Pensamiento y la filosofía védica.

Esto significa que el practicante serio de la la ciencia debe tener seriamente asimilado la filosofía védica y vivió la vida de un Védica Brahmana, con todas sus prácticas espirituales asistente.

Por el contrario, moderno astrología occidental es un reflejo de la cultura occidental permisiva, en la que "nada. Vale "la astrología occidental no tiene fundamento filosófico consistente o real, lo que pasa de una base se diluye, distorsionada, de tercera mano la filosofía védica.

El Occidental Astrólogo tiene (en comparación con el Astrólogo Védico) sin formación filosófica, ni ¿Sabe lo que significa seguir una disciplina espiritual.

El efecto combinado de filosófica del conocimiento verdadero, junto con un estilo de vida espiritual auténtica. Nunca se insistirá bastante en lo que respecta al desarrollo de la visión divina y la capacidad que es tan necesario para permitir a un astrólogo para orientar adecuadamente los demás.

Véase también La filosofía de la astrología védica. [Actualización de 2007, la mayoría de los que practican la astrología védica llamada fuera de la India y muchos de los occidentalizados más jóvenes en la India son ignorantes de la cultura védica y la filosofía y están en el mismo barco que los astrólogos occidentales.

Son védica en el nombre solamente.] Apenas he hecho justicia al tema de la comparación-contraste védica y occidental Astrología, pero espero que lo que he dicho le dará al lector una idea de la diferencias.

Estos no son sólo diferencias de carácter técnico sino que dependen de un completo visión del mundo diferente.

Ahora que hemos completado nuestra digresión, volvamos a la objetivo principal de este tratado. El nacimiento del mapa, o el horóscopo, es una representación simbólica de la Tierra, los planetas y estrellas en el momento del nacimiento.

Se trata de un lenguaje divino, un criptograma místico por que Dios lo ha comunicado el destino de una persona será, sabiendo que un sabio persona ejercer su libre albedrío para optimizar el resultado. El destino libre albedrío y la Astrología Védica El punto de vista de la astrología védica es que la vida es un juego de tanto destino y libre albedrío suerte de ser la reacción de nuestro ejercicio anterior del libre albedrío.

En nuestra vida a menudo nos frente a las opciones que nos presenta las circunstancias ambientales.

Tenemos el la libertad de elegir "a" o "b", pero una vez que se tome la decisión que debe aceptar el reacción a nuestra elección. La reacción puede ser inmediata, o puede ser retrasado por miles de vidas.

En cualquier caso, la reacción, agradable o desagradable, vendrá a la hora determinada por las autoridades superiores.

Como Canakya Pandita dice: "Así como un becerro puede encontrar su madre en una cabaña de 10.000 vacas, en el mismo forma en que su re] acciones [va a encontrar." Las reacciones a las acciones de la vida son ineludibles por todos, excepto los que son totalmente dedicada a Dios (a través de Bhakti-yoga).

Cuando una reacción kármica madura y

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fructifica crea una situación nueva, un nuevo entorno que nos presenta con más opciones sobre el que ejercer nuestro libre albedrío.

Por lo tanto, la vida es un juego de suerte y tanto libre como se ha indicado anteriormente. Veamos un ejemplo de cómo funciona esto.

Supongamos que alguien ha nacido en una pobre familia a causa de su mal karma de una vida anterior y así se plantea en un gueto acosado por la delincuencia y la pobreza.

Digamos, hipotéticamente, que tiene dos opciones.

Él se puede culpar a la sociedad de los males que enfrenta y por lo tanto dad para victimizar a la sociedad mediante la adopción de un vida de crimen para adquirir riqueza, o que pueda asumir la responsabilidad de su situación y tratar de mejor a sí mismo por la educación y el esfuerzo honesto.

Supongamos que elige la primera opción del delito y priva a varios establecimientos.

Con el tiempo se van a agarrar (si no mató primero) y enviado a la cárcel, una reacción natural de su conducta delictiva.

Pero incluso mientras que en la cárcel que aún tiene opciones, aunque más limitadas que las de un hombre libre.

Él puede elegir ser un criminal o ser un prisionero modelo y la reforma de sí mismo.

Cada elección tendrá una reacción.

Así, podemos ver que la vida es un juego complejo de destino (karma) y el libre albedrío.

Astrología como Lengua

Volviendo al horóscopo, mirando un gráfico, el Astrólogo Védico estudia la interacción de los planetas, signos, casas, y los aspectos entre ellos.

Este es el lenguaje de las estrellas.

Todo lo conocido está en la cartera de uno o más planetas, signos, o casas.

Y, es mediante el estudio de las tendencias interactivas en la tabla que el astrólogo puede conocer mucho acerca de la información para una persona. Los diversos elementos en la tabla - planetas, signos, nakshatras (mansiones lunares), casas, elementos, modalidades, polaridades, y los aspectos - son los componentes de este celestes lenguaje divino y actúan como sustantivos, verbos, adjetivos, adverbios, etc, con las normas de la gramática y la sintaxis como en un lenguaje normal, pero mucho más complejo, como un podría asumir.

Para dar una idea de lo que estamos tratando, considere lo siguiente significados muy superficial de los planetas y las casas.

Y, por favor, tenga en cuenta que completa libros se han escrito acerca de cualquier planeta dado, signo, o una casa, así que lo que soy presenta sólo roza la superficie aún no dan una imagen justa de lo que está ocurriendo. Los planetas representan lo siguiente: Dom?: Atma (alma), auto, auto-realización, influencia, prestigio, poder, valor, la salud, los ojos, bienestar general, el calor, el esplendor, el padre, el rey, la realeza, el favor real.

Luna: El corazón, la comprensión, las inclinaciones, las emociones, el sueño, la felicidad, la buena nombre y la fama, el brillo facial, la madre, el favor real, la riqueza, los viajes, reservas de agua.

Marte?: aguante, coraje, el deseo, la ira, el escándalo, las enfermedades, los enemigos, la oposición, controversias, las armas, el comandante de un ejército, la tierra, bienes inmuebles, El hermano menor, las relaciones como primos.

Mercurio: la inteligencia, la discriminación, el habla, la expresión, la educación, el aprendizaje, las matemáticas, la lógica, la astrología, el conocimiento médico y la profesión, la escritura, la edición,

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actuando como un intermediario en el comercio o la política (diplomacia), el baile, mezcla de cosas, árboles frondosos, las pruebas de piedras preciosas, dijes (amuletos), tíos maternos, amigos.

Júpiter: la sabiduría, el aprendizaje, corpulencia, los actos de mérito religioso, la devoción a Dios, antepasados y seres superiores, los lugares sagrados, las escrituras, la competencia en el aprendizaje, la filosofía, la limosna o donaciones, la benevolencia, la riqueza, el respeto, los hijos, la religión, preceptores, frutas, árboles frutales.

Venus?: cónyuge, el matrimonio, las cuestiones sexuales, los placeres de los sentidos, el canto, la poesía, perfumes, adornos, joyas, todos los artículos de lujo, la cooperación y de los demás, flores, árboles en flor, la belleza, compra y venta, las vacas, lugares con agua.

Saturno: la longevidad, la vida, la muerte, la adversidad, las calamidades, falta de respeto, las enfermedades, la pobreza, Servilismo de los medios de vida, la conducta injusta, el aprendizaje de las ciencias y lenguas extranjeras, actividades agrícolas, minerales, aceites, cosas enterradas en el suelo y sale de los mismos, los funcionarios (hombres y mujeres), de servicio, robo, actos crueles, la malicia, la cojera, muy antigua, las personas.

Abuelo paterno, falaz argumento, duro) (Rahu Nodo Norte de la Luna discurso, el juego, el movimiento, viajar, sin casta, los extranjeros, serpientes, mordedura de serpiente, el robo, la maldad, viudo (a), la intriga con una viuda (o), enfermedades de la piel, picores, eccemas, o agudo dolor agudo en el cuerpo, hipo, inflamación en el cuerpo.

Ketu (Nodo Sur de la Luna): su abuelo materno, el consumo, dolor, fiebre, la herida, la brujería, causando problemas a los enemigos, los animales con cuernos, perros, gallos, pájaros manchas o de colores abigarrados, la filosofía, la salvación.

Los significados de los signos del zodíaco son bien conocidos por casi todo el mundo y se puede investigado con facilidad, por lo que no les explican en este documento.

Los significados siguientes breves de las doce casas del horóscopo son adecuados para nuestra educación básica propósitos:

En primer lugar de la casa:, director de auto, el cuerpo, la personalidad, el temperamento mental, la salud.

Segunda casa: ojos, cara, dientes, parte superior de la garganta, el habla, la riqueza, familia.

En tercer lugar de la casa: los brazos, la parte inferior de la garganta, los hombros, hermanos, hermanas, valor.

En cuarto lugar de la casa: el pecho, el corazón, la madre, propiedad de la tierra, amigos, medios de transporte, la felicidad.

Quinta Casa: el estómago, la educación, la inteligencia, hijos, hijas.

Sexta Casa: la región del ombligo, la enfermedad, los enemigos, las deudas, la angustia.

Séptima Casa: la colaboración, las relaciones sexuales, el cónyuge, la parte del cuerpo por debajo de la cintura y hasta los genitales.

Octava Casa:, ano, genitales, la muerte, legados.

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Novena Casa:, muslos, caderas religión (Dharma), la devoción a Dios, la prosperidad, religiosos Preceptor (Guru), padre.

Décima Casa: las rodillas, la espalda, situación y posición en la vida, la actividad, el honor de gobierno.

Undécima Casa: las pantorrillas, los amigos, los ingresos.

Duodécima Casa: los gastos, la pérdida, el placer sexual, el ojo izquierdo, los pies, el confinamiento.

La información anterior es extremadamente simplificada, pero da una idea de lo que se trata con.

Teniendo en cuenta que hay nueve planetas, doce signos y doce casas, una fácil imaginar la magnitud de las posibles combinaciones y permutaciones de estos. (Y esto sin tener en cuenta los grados individuales y de las divisiones gráficos.) Las energías de los planetas, signos y casas de interactuar unos con otros en miríada de formas.

Mediante el estudio de las combinaciones, una formación astrólogo así puede saber un increíble cantidad de información sobre el tema de un gráfico - una hazaña notable, teniendo en cuenta que los datos de entrada original constaba de sólo la fecha, hora y lugar de nacimiento.

Natal de lectura

La carta natal es la carta natal.

La lectura de este cuadro es lo que la mayoría de la gente consideran que la suma total de la astrología.

Con respecto a la astrología védica, el metáfora que me gusta utilizar es el de la fotografía.

En la fotografía no son diferentes tipos de lentes que se pueden usar.

Un objetivo gran angular permite a uno ver el panorama general, el vista panorámica de todo, pero no permite ver mucho detalle.

Lo hace, sin embargo, dar un escenario general, desde donde se puede ver puntos de interés.

Si uno quiere a que siga examinando, que usaría un objetivo zoom, que se centra en una mucho más estrecha campo de visión, pero con la ventaja de una mayor profundidad y detalle.

Y se podría ir aún más fino en los detalles utilizando un lente microscópico. La astrología védica tiene herramientas similares que nos llevará desde el macroscópico al nivel microscópico de la investigación. La lectura general de la carta natal sería como el gran angular de nuestro metáfora fotográfica.

En ella, el astrólogo es capaz de pintar su vida con una amplia pinceladas, mostrando el objetivo general y la trayectoria de su destino, el campo de que ejercerán su libre albedrío. En esta lectura inicial hay que esperar que se dijo que él es, donde ha estado, lo que sus potencialidades son, y donde su actual acciones lo llevará.

Dependiendo de lo que el destino es, uno puede querer cambiar Por supuesto. En verdad, la mayoría de las personas no se entienden, y de hecho son bastante confundidos acerca de quiénes son, cómo su mente trabaja, por qué funciona de esa manera, etc gran mayoría de la gente no sabe realmente quién o qué son, ya sea en el o espiritual plano psicológico.

Por lo tanto, lo primero que hace es astrólogo védico analizar la configuración general de la tabla. Este análisis le dará una buena indicación de la persona de la psicología, el carácter y potencial de vida.

El astrólogo discutir persona las cualidades, capacidades intelectuales, y la aptitud; habilidades de la gente y relaciones con la familia, amigos y seres queridos; perspicacia financiera y el estado;

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educación, viajes, salud, etc potenciales de vida indica la predisposición de una persona y predilección en ciertas áreas.

Por ejemplo, una determinada combinación de los planetas puede designar a una persona con aguda inteligencia y amor por el conocimiento, lo que daría una fuerte potencial de rendimiento académico o una carrera en la investigación, la docencia, becas, etc

Este análisis inicial sirve varias funciones:

1) Haga que la solicitante de un gran paso más cerca para alcanzar el ideal socrático de "Conócete a ti mismo."

2) Para verificar la exactitud de la luz tiempo y el horóscopo.

(Un buen astrólogo será capaz de pintar un cuadro que debe se reconoce al instante por el solicitante.

El buscador debe sentirse iluminado por la conocimiento, así como seguros y confiados de que se trata de un cualificado astrólogo.

Esto es especialmente importante, ya que en la mayoría de los casos esta será la primera vez que el solicitante se habrá reunido el astrólogo.) 3) El astrólogo también entenderá la naturaleza psíquica del solicitante y estar en mejores condiciones para guiarlo.

Dependiendo de la situación y las necesidades del solicitante, el astrólogo suele comenzar para leer la línea de tiempo de vida de la persona, desde el nacimiento hasta el pasado reciente y al la situación actual, que le llevó a consultar al astrólogo, en primer lugar.

Esto pondrá el análisis original en una mayor perspectiva.

Entonces el astrólogo proceder a examinar las tendencias de futuro próximo y los períodos planetarios que el buscador puede esperar a la experiencia, tanto externa como en el mundo e internamente en términos de actitudes psicológicas.

Las realidades internas y externas son muy íntimamente relacionados, por una actitud mental negativa puede atraer, y es a menudo el precursor, también las experiencias negativas en la realidad externa.

Lo contrario también es visto, que revierte en la vida puede inculcar una visión del mundo y deprimido negativos en el buscador, creando así un círculo vicioso de muerte y la oscuridad.

(Se debe explicar que la lectura de una carta es un proceso de descubrimiento, al igual que una excavación arqueológica, al leer la carta, que representan diferentes combinaciones planetarias las cosas se presentan.

A medida que se adentra en la lectura y se vuelve más familiarizado con el terreno, astrólogo reúne más y más los bits de información, que las piezas juntas para resolver el rompecabezas.

A menudo será que un patrón consistente emerge y que los datos confirma este patrón. Pero a veces nuevos información se presentará, lo que llevó al astrólogo para reevaluar la situación. A continuación, puede tener que retirar una declaración anterior.

Un error no debe creo que el astrólogo se contradice - en cambio, a través del proceso de descubrimiento que ha encontrado nueva información que suplanta a una conclusión anterior.) Aquí es donde la verdadera habilidad del astrólogo es probada.

Un astrólogo védico real no simplemente hacer algunas predicciones y luego a un lado.

Más bien, él es un Brahmana védica que ha sido entrenado en el yoga, la filosofía, NiTi sastra (conducta racional, la prudencia, la política) y dharma, etc

Si se prevé dificultades por delante, el astrólogo debe ser capaz de proporcionar el solicitante con las estrategias para cumplir con las dificultades en un madura y sabia manera.

Esto, después de todo, es el beneficio esencial de la astrología védica y la uso adecuado de nuestro libre albedrío: "actuar con sabiduría", en lugar de "reaccionar en la ignorancia. "Simplemente saber que la dificultad está por venir puede ser suficiente para evitar el real peligro.

Uno todavía puede estar influenciada por el problema, pero sabrá qué hacer, no tomado por sorpresa. En cuanto a cliché, "Hombre prevenido vale por dos."

En 1992 el huracán Andrew destruyó una extensa zona del sur de la Florida. No había enormes daños físicos a la propiedad, pero teniendo en cuenta la terrible naturaleza de la

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tormenta, la pérdida de vidas humanas fue prácticamente nula.

¿Por qué?

Debido a que el Nacional de Meteorología Servicio había advertido a los residentes de la tormenta que se acerca y por eso había tenido suficiente tiempo para prepararse para lo inevitable.

Se evacuaron las zonas peligrosas, tapiadas ventanas, caché de alimentos y el agua, buscaron terreno alto, y se refugiaron.

Actuaban con la sabiduría.

Podemos imaginar lo que el número de muertos habría sido si Andrés había se abalanzó sobre la Florida sin ninguna advertencia en absoluto.

La matanza habría sido astronómico, y la gente se han recuperado de aquel golpe de muerte no, saber qué hacer a continuación.

Ese escenario es uno de la ignorancia, es decir, reaccionar a una situación después de que ya ha golpeado, sin conocimiento previo de que iba a suceder.

En general, hay mucho menos víctimas de los huracanes como en comparación a los terremotos, los huracanes, porque actualmente se puede predecir por el servicio meteorológico que ninguna agencia del gobierno puede predecir terremotos - que huelga sin previo aviso.

(No hay rama de la astrología que se ocupa de tiempo previsión como parte de la Astrología Mundana, no es muy practicado en estos días porque los gobiernos ya no frecuentan los astrólogos, como los reyes del pasado antes.) El análisis anteriorno debe poner nerviosos a uno a pensar que el astrólogo sólo lectura predicciones de ruina inminente y la calamidad existencial.

Esto es no es el caso. (Simplemente, hemos considerado un caso peor en primer lugar.) Así como a menudo, y mucho más fácil y agradable para el astrólogo, son las predicciones de los próximos períodos de buena fortuna y felicidad, libre de dificultad y lleno de oportunidades.

La gente le encanta oír hablar de la buena fortuna. Y hablando con franqueza, es mucho más fácil para este astrólogo cuando tengo que buen informe de noticias sobre todo. (¿Acaso tú sabes lo que ocurriría en la antigüedad para el portador de malas noticias!) Se suele decir: "Hacer el mejor uso posible de un mal negocio." A menudo, las dificultades traerá lo mejor de una persona. Se ha observado que la única diferencia entre el de carbono en un diamante, y que en un lápiz de grafito es que el primero ha sido sometidos a un calor tremendo y la presión durante mucho tiempo, a continuación, cincelado y pulidos a la perfección. Así, mientras que dar a la gente mala noticia no es tan agradable, que a menudo tome más en serio que cuando se les da una buena noticia.

Lo contrario de "Hacer el mejor uso posible de un mal negocio" es "desperdiciar una buena oportunidad "o" para descansar en su "futuro" laureles ". Sorprendentemente, la gente suele pensar que si los buenos tiempos están por delante no tiene que hacer nada. Mal. Cuando un astrólogo indica que no hay viento en popa por delante, no es el momento de tomarlo con calma sino más bien esforzarse más. Porque la resistencia es menor, es más probable que tenga éxito; sin embargo, aún debe esforzarse con determinación, aunque ahora las cosas serán más fáciles. Y quién sabe el ciclo puede cambiar. Por lo tanto, es la práctica de un sabio astrólogo aconsejar a su cliente para mantener e incluso aumentar su impulso en los buenos tiempos. En ese Así, si los acontecimientos deben a su vez para lo peor, el buscador será capaz de superar la problema. (Por ejemplo, si se está conduciendo en los pisos y acercándose a una colina, se acelera arriba, el impulso del coche se lo llevan en la parte superior con menos esfuerzo).

La situación habitual entre la gran mayoría de la gente es que su karma futuro ser una mezcla del bien y del mal. Por lo tanto, es hasta el astrólogo de resolver, tanto como posible, cuál es cuál, y que recomiende a la forma de minimizar los efectos negativos y maximizar lo positivo con estrategias adecuadas.

El proceso descrito anteriormente es como el astrólogo indica al solicitante de "quién es", "donde que ha sido ", y" a dónde va."

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¿Cuánto tiempo tomará?

Usted debe estar preparado para pasar de una a tres horas (o en algunos casos más) con su astrólogo de la lectura inicial. La longitud de tiempo será determinado por el los temas tratados, haciendo preguntas, y la complejidad del caso. He descrito un primera lectura en general. A veces una persona tiene un problema específico que quiere tratar con, como carrera, matrimonio, salud, etc El astrólogo debe ajustar para adaptarse a la necesidades del solicitante. Al hacerlo, sin embargo, varios de los elementos descritos anteriormente pueden omitirse.

Si el tiempo de nacimiento no es correcta o es desconocido, el astrólogo puede tener que corregir pidiendo a ciertas preguntas y ajustar el tiempo de acuerdo con las respuestas. Este requiere tiempo adicional. Otro factor que puede variar la longitud de la lectura es la tipo particular de leer el solicitante quiere: predictivo, espiritual, psicológico, o un combinación de ambos.

Predictivo de lectura En este tipo de lectura se hace hincapié únicamente en la predicción, sin ninguna explicación que subyacen causas espirituales o psicológicas que puedan existir. Esto es muy útil a la gente que sólo tiene que planear para el futuro.

-Psicología de lectura espiritual

En este tipo de lectura que tratar de entender más acerca de la mentalidad de los individuales, ¿por qué él es el camino que es, y también el más profundo significado esotérico de por qué ha tomado su vida actual y lo que él tiene la intención de aprender en esta vida. Cada elemento del horóscopo signo -, el planeta, casa, etc - tiene un profundo significado espiritual. Por análisis de estos elementos, el astrólogo puede ayudar al solicitante a comprender lo que es él debe aprender en esta vida, y cómo debe actuar para llevar a cabo esa misión. Este tipo de lectura es muy útil para aquellos que están en una búsqueda espiritual, tratando de encontrar una significado más profundo a su vida, la búsqueda de la autocomprensión, etc

Predictivo y psicológico de lectura espiritual

Esta es una combinación de ambos tipos de lectura, predictivo y espiritual, es un tanto más compleja y la lectura larga, ya que ambos elementos se combinan. También es el más útil de todos.

De la Parte

Hasta ahora hemos hablado de los procedimientos que el astrólogo es probable que emplean, y qué temas se hablará sobre. Pero, ¿qué hay de ti? ¿Qué debe decir o hacer?

Si dicen algo, o simplemente escuchar? Las siguientes recomendaciones le ayudarán que más se benefician de su lectura:

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o Antes de ir al astrólogo saber si va a grabar la sesión. Si No, pide permiso para grabar a ti mismo. Lleve una grabadora MP3 con cobrar lo suficiente para cubrir adecuadamente la reunión.

o Antes de iniciar la sesión antes de acordar con el astrólogo para apagar el grabador cuando usted hace una señal en particular, lo que indica que usted desea discutir algo off the record.

o Es bueno preparar las preguntas o aspectos de su vida que usted desea cubiertos en la lectura. Por lo general, mejor dejar que el astrólogo sabe esto en adelantado de modo que será capaz de centrar la atención extra en esas áreas. Algunos temas que pueden requerir investigación adicional.

o Evite romper su tren de pensamiento, mientras que el astrólogo está hablando. Lleve una Notas, y si usted tiene una pregunta que escribir, si no se resuelve en la curso de la lectura, entonces usted debe preguntar en la final. Rompiendo el de tren de pensamiento astrólogo hará digresión, de manera similar, pidiendo otra cuestión que la anterior ha sido contestada se distrae. De Por supuesto el cliente debe ofrecer comentarios, tanto positivos como negativos, de modo que el astrólogo sabe que está en el camino correcto. La astrología es, después de todo, un la ciencia difícil. Si el astrólogo comete un error, que lo sabe - que se ajustar sus cálculos. Si tiene razón, lo confirme un guiño o un gesto tan simple que el astrólogo puede continuar en la confianza. En cualquier caso, no sólo se sienta allí como un pedazo de madera.

Interact.

Pero hacerlo de tal manera que se propicie a la lectura. Esto puede significar que usted tiene que entrar en una larga explicación de su situación, o puede significar que simplemente escuchar al mismo tiempo, explica. La el punto es que ambos deben mantenerse en el camino.

o Sea honesto con su astrólogo. Usted no mentiría a su médico, se que?

Si usted no se siente cómodo al hablar con el astrólogo la verdad acerca de su situación que entonces encontrar un astrólogo que usted puede confiar. engañar a su astrólogo podría tener graves consecuencias. Y no trates de engañar o prueba de él.

Si usted tiene la intención de tener un pie-larga relación con nadie, ni qué hablar de su astrólogo, no sería bueno para empezar a cabo en un pie. La astrólogo podrá decir que hay algo en marcha, y que sólo se obstaculizar el proceso.

¿Qué se ha dicho sobre su parte en una lectura de parto de manera similar se aplica, con específica ajustes, a otros tipos de lecturas.

Tabla de actualizaciones

Anteriormente se utilizó la metáfora de la fotografía en lo que respecta a la astrología y dijo que la lectura natal general era como usar un lente de ángulo ancho. Una vez que uno tiene un idea general de que su vida se va, él lo desea, puede "zoom in" en un momento determinado marco para obtener más detalles. Esto se llama una "lectura de actualización."

La vida de una persona no puede ser encapsulado en unas pocas horas. Debido a que es imposible hacer todo en una sola sesión, las personas suelen tener un seguimiento lecturas que cubren cierto tiempo

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13 marcos.

La gente suele preguntar acerca de lo que los próximos seis meses o un año llevará a cabo en para ellos. Muchas personas tienen sus listas actualizadas de todo el comienzo de la Año Nuevo, o cerca de su cumpleaños, y por lo tanto tener un informe para el próximo año.

Uno puede desear un gráfico actualizado, porque de la contemplación de un nuevo negocio, el cambio de su residencia, que, legal o de salud problemas matrimoniales, etc No hay duro y normas rápida sobre cuándo o por qué tener un gráfico hecho, o por lo lapso de tiempo. Uno de necesidades deben ser la guía para esto.

Seguimiento de lecturas son casi exclusivamente de naturaleza predictiva. Ellos se manifiestan en mayor detalle los tipos de situaciones, tanto física como mental, que uno de ellos encontrar en sí mismo - los momentos de fortaleza o debilidad, la felicidad y la tristeza, el romance, el amor, salud, enfermedad, viajes, educación, etc Este tipo de lectura es muy popular entre los gente de negocios, ejecutivos y cualquier persona (que incluye) que debe tener la mejor información disponible para la toma de decisiones y la planificación. Este tipo de personas conocer el valor de un buen asesor que puede sugerir la estrategia para avanzar en el material o vida espiritual.

relacionados con actualización de gráficos, pero en general, de duración son más largas listas de cerca que se centran en un planeta determinado período o sub-período. Estos normalmente cubren los plazos de varios años de duración. Es recomendable para cualquier persona que tenía un pronóstico más hecho de tener su gráfico actualizado al menos una vez al año no, si cada seis meses. La razón es simple: cuanto más corto el lapso de tiempo investigado, más detalles revelados.

La necesidad de abogado Ahora brevemente se divergen y echar un vistazo a lo que los pensadores védicos han dicho sobre la necesidad del buen consejo, y luego vamos a volver al tema. Desde la antigua tiempos, buenos astrólogos han sido reconocidos como uno de los mejores de los asesores.< Canakya Pandita (alrededor de 1550 aC) ha dicho que cada rey debe tener ministros

Guía de él:

"Uno sin un asesor no tiene la certeza de un abogado."

"Todas las cosas comienzan con un abogado."

"El país prospera por un abogado ministerial apropiado."

"A través de" otros ojos las deficiencias ministeriales se ven. "

"Los consejeros (ministros) son los que ven las verdaderas implicaciones de lo que debería hacer y lo que no debe hacerse. "

"La gobernabilidad es posible sólo con ayuda. Una sola rueda no se mueve. Por lo tanto los ministros deben ser nombrados y sus abogados escuchado. "

De los muchos ministros del rey, Canakya explica que: "El astrólogo real debe saber leer, escribir y contar, explicar bien e interpretar los secretos de los planetas. "Y," El brahmana sabe que matemáticas, interpreta los scripts, está interesado en las antiguas escrituras, y es capaz de interpretar los secretos de los planetas, es digno de adoración como un dios. "

Y finalmente Varaha Mihira dijo: "No hay mejor barco que un horóscopo para ayudar a un el hombre cruza el mar en tempestad de la vida. "

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Aunque puede que no sea un rey, todavía puede hacer uso del mismo consejo astrológico buena para ayudarle a planear su vida.

Jataka-vicara Tablas de compatibilidad

El potencial de la carta natal no se ha agotado todavía, sino que también se puede utilizar para determine marriage compatibility.

It is said that " Marriages are made in heaven." And the cynics have added: "But often end in hell." The situation is common: you meet someone, you are attracted, become attached, get into the relationship, but after sometime find out that it is not right for you--usually after much pain. There must be a better way. There is! It is a time-honored tradition in India to compare and match horoscopes of prospective marriage partners. This is usually done by the parents (who were detached from the effects of their offspring's' hormonal interactions.) Not surprisingly, the guidance of good astrologers has resulted in a high marital success rate for happy marriages.

A main problem is that many Vedic astrologers nowadays don't know how to do compatibilities correctly. They rely on a very simplistic system called the Kuta método. In the Kuta method the Moons in both charts are compared by a set of twelve criteria based on their position in Nakshatra and Rasi (lunar mansion and sign of the zodiac). Points are allotted for each of the twelve criteria. El valor máximo theoretically possible is 36 points, yet in practice no two Moons can get a compatibility rating of more than 33 points out of 36. There are tables available which give the result of all possible combinations. (I once taught a non-astrologer how to do this Kuta method of chart compatibility in 15 minutes. It is that simple, yet many astrologers are charging $50-$60 for this service, which is little more than looking up a number on a table.) I have recently seen a website that does a computerized version of this service for $4.95. It should not be surprising to discover that this method has a high failure rate.

Astrologers using this method will simply calculate the charts, look up the lunar positions, look at the table, and then declare that the couple has X% marital compatibilidad. For example, if the boy has got his Moon in Scorpio in the nakshatra Vishaka, and the girl has got her Moon in Sagittarius in the nakshatra Purvashadha, then according to the Kuta method the table says that they have only 16 points out of a possible 36, or only a 44% compatibility.

Before having a compatibility reading done, ask the astrologer if he uses the Kuta método. If he says yes, then avoid him.

"The kutas or the units of agreement should be considered only when there is general sympathy between the horoscopes of the parties to be reunidos. The existing practice almost all over India and particularly in the South is highly defective and dangerous as horoscopes are rejected simply because they do not conform to certain

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kutas, while the most important factors such as longevity, widowhood, etc., are completely ignored." BV Raman, Muhurta, chapter 11.

A well trained and experienced astrologer employs a system that thoroughly examines the two horoscopes on three tiers:

1. The general strength of each chart individually, with special attention paid to capacity for relationship and marriage;

2. A detailed examination of compatibility between the two charts based on all the planets, not just the Moon;

3. Calculations to determine the durability of the relationship. (Many couples are attracted and seem compatible but later end up in divorce court, giving rise to the saying: "Marry in haste; lament at leisure.") For persons who are capable of maintaining a relationship (for it will be impossible to match up someone whose karma is not to marry), this Vedic method of horoscopic matching is quite useful. It saves the client much time, energy, and money, and protects sensitive emotions from unnecessary pain. One needs to know only the date, time, and place of birth of the subjects.

So be sure that the astrologer you are considering to do a compatibility reading is experienced in this area and that he uses a sophisticated technique such as outlined above.

Though compatibility studies are generally done for prospective marriages, they are not limited to this use. For example, the same principles can be adjusted and utilized in conjunction with other astrological techniques to develop an excellent method for choosing personnel.

Let's say you are prepared to pay someone a salary of $50,000 or $100,000 (or more) por año. It would be wise to hire someone who not only presented a good resume (which could have been forged) but who fits the job, fits in well with the others on your team, and, most importantly, works well with you. An astrologer could easily determine if the candidate is honest or a cheater, and if he has the capacity to fulfill la posición. And by comparing his chart to the others he would be interacting with, it could be quickly determined with whom he would get along well and with whom he would not. If he fits in with most of your people, you could decide to take him on the team but being careful to minimize his interaction with those whose charts showed a negative reaction. Thus by nicely harmonizing workers into an effective team, esprit de corps is instilled, and competitiveness is greatly enhanced.

Parent-Child Relationships

Parents often consult astrologers to find out how they can best guide their beloved los niños. Astrology can point out what the compatibilities and incompatibilities are

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between parent and child. An astrologer can suggest strategies for dealing with problem areas in the parent-child relationship, and can guide the parents in understanding the nature of their child, what the child's creative potential is, what areas should be encouraged, or what areas may be problematic.

Mundane and Financial Astrology

An expansion of astrology from the personal to the global level is mundane (or political ) astrology. This is a complex and enthralling system that uses various astrological methods to track the horoscopes of countries, institutions, and political líderes. On the Machiavellian side, astrology has been used to track business and political competitors, and to know their weak points and how to take advantage of ellos. I'll give you an example of this by recounting an anecdote from my own practice: Several years ago (1980) when I was living in Manhattan, New York, some clients of mine wanted to do business with David Rockefeller, President of the Chase- Manhattan Bank. My clients had never met Mr. Rockefeller and knew practically nothing about him--what he liked or disliked, what were his quirks, what was the best way to approach him, or which of the men among my clients, if any, would get along well with him. Since they didn't have the financial resources of either the CIA or FBI, with which to create an in-depth dossier of Mr. Rockefeller, they approached me en su lugar. The leader of the consortium asked if I could fill in their gaps of knowledge and reveal the essentials traits of Mr. Rockefeller, in order to ensure a most successful first meeting with him.

I accepted the challenge. My only significant problem was to find out Mr. Rockefeller's birth data. First I called the NYC Public Library reference desk. Ellos could not give me his birth data but did give me the telephone number of his private secretary at the Chase Manhattan Bank; this man was delightfully cooperative and supplied all the details I required. With that information I drew up his chart and made a report for my clients. They later told me that the information greatly helped them to assess Mr. Rockefeller and then formulate a plan for dealing with him. So one can understand that a large volume of vital information can be derived from the few bits of information that are required to erect a horoscope. (Throughout history and up to modern times, the leaders of India have had court astrologers to help them form policy.) A sub-branch of mundane astrology is financial (or stock market) astrology. La super-wealthy financier JP Morgan is reported to have said: "Astrology is not for
millionaires-it's for billionaires. " But the caveat is that there are many who claim ability to predict the market's fluctuations (ie when the prices of oil or gold will go up or down), while their actual success rate remains unknown (one would have to take their word for it). This is not to say that there are no astrologers who can predict market fluctuations-just that one must be careful, especially when it comes to investing big money.

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What most people, including some astrologers, don't realize is that the personal chart contains information about one's financial success or failure; therefore all the "hot tips" in the world will not help one whose karma is not to be wealthy in this vida. Better than going to someone who claims to know how the market will turn, and then investing accordingly, is to consult a good astrologer to have one's own chart read, to see what economic opportunities reside in the future. If from one's chart it is seen that finance and fortune shine brightly, then one can safely invest in anything according to his inspiration, and most particularly in those items found via the chart to be lucky. If on the other hand destiny is against one, then no matter what he may you do, his investment will go bad; it would be wiser in such situations not to gamble on the stock market. To illustrate, let me give an example from my days a (1977-83) as an astrology student in India.

I was studying prasna(which will be explained later) in South India with my teacher Sashi Kant Jain. I was training under the supervision of Mr. Jain's fourth son (he had five astrologer sons), Dr. SK Jain (who is now a very famous astrologer in South India with his own TV program in Bangalore). One day a successful businessman came to us with a problem. (Let's call him "Mr. Patel.") Mr. Patel had somehow become involved in " playing the ponies" and had lost about 200,000 rupees (which in India in 1982 was a significant sum). His plea to us was to help him win back his money. If he could recoup his losses, he would quit gambling. I told him that now he should just cut his losses by not playing anymore. "No!" He insisted that we use astrology to help him win back his money. On taking up his chart, it became very clear that he didn't have the necessary karma to win by gambling; so again I advised Mr. Patel to quit now and lose no more. But he wanted to proceed. Since he didn't like the advice I had given him, he went to my astrology teacher's second son, Chandru (now deceased ), who specialized in gambling- astrology.
Chandru had the ability to pick at least six winning horses from a total of eight races.

He was so good that he himself didn't even bother to bet. Gamblers would come to see him, and Chandru would tell them which horses to bet on. Invariably they would win and then come back and give him a good percentage of the winnings. (El acquired many rupees in this way!) Mr. Patel approached Chandru and apprised him of his problem. Chandru consoled him and gave the names of several horses to bet on at the races. Next day, Mr. Patel was about to wager on the horses that Chandru gave him, but at the last minute a wave of doubt overcame him and he chose different horses, none of which even puesto. Needless to say, most of the horses Chandru picked won their races. Hopefully, now you understand what I meant by "unfortunate in gambling." But the story does not end there.... Chastened by this experience with Chandru, Mr. Patel came back to ask me to help him recoup his lost fortune. I tried to dissuade him, but he would not relent. We took up the prasna chart for the time he had approached us; and upon examining it, I could see that at the next day of betting he would win but then again lose. What to hacer? Since he insisted on gambling to win back his money, I gave him the second best advice I could. (I had already given him the best advice, to quit.) I now advised him to bet 1000 rupees on the first race. After winning, which I knew he would, he should keep that original money aside and not touch it, but just play with his winnings. I told

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him this because I knew he would lose in the end; but that way, at least, he wouldn't lose the original 1000 rupees.

Two days later he came back with a very sad face. He had followed my advice, taken the 1000 rupees, bet, and won big! He had put the original money aside and played only with the winnings and had continued to win! By this time he was overcome with betting fever, and so at the last race he calculated that if he bet all his money, including the 1000 rupees, he would be able to recoup his losses from previous days. He therefore bet all the money-and lost.

After this debacle he no longer came to Chandru or myself for advice, nor would I have given him anymore. What was the use? But eventually, after losing about 400,000 rupees, Mr. Patel finally realized the wisdom of my first advice and thereby quit gambling. If he had listened to me initially, he would have saved himself 200,000 rupees.

While this example is not about stock markets per se, nevertheless day trading, commodities, and other short-term investments are very high-risk endeavors and are in every way like gambling, especially for the uninitiated. What this example illustrates is that no matter how determined one may be to win at gambling (or market speculating)--even through astrology-- he will not be successful if it is not his destiny to acquire money in that way.
Another example is of a man who was actually a broker in the stock market business.

From his chart I could see that he had tremendous insight into the trade, but because of a slight flaw in his horoscope he would be unsuccessful no matter what he did. Por example, he would tell his broker to do something and there would be some confusion, and so the deal would fall through. He was practically in tears, because he was doing all the right things and picking all the right stocks yet never realizing any éxito.

Another stockbroker client of mine had the knack to always pick winners and do things right. He was so successful that he eventually quit enrolling in medical school, his true aspiration. To pay for his schooling he would do a market trade or two and reap piles of cash. His chart showed that he would be fortunate in such endeavors.

One final example of business and astrology: In 1990 Doctor Manohara called me (he has given me permission to use his name and is available as a reference). Quería to buy a small hospital and set up a special clinic. To do so he would have to borrow $900,000. He had already consulted another astrologer who told him to proceed, but Dr. Manohara wanted a second opinion. I studied his birth chart, and also used prasna (explained later), and concluded that it would not be a good idea for him to buy the hospital; because later he would have financial troubles and then this huge debt would be a serious problem for him. After hearing my response, he told me that both his banker and accountant also thought it was a bad idea. In 1994, with the downturn in the California economy and the revolution that is still going on in the health-care industry, he was very happy to not owe $900,000.

Dr. Manohara recently (1999) called me and said that at the time of his original consultation with me, he had followed one piece of advice but ignored another. La first had concerned the loan discussed above, but he had ignored advice regarding a

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potential business partner. I had warned that the potential partner was not trustworthy, and therefore would cause much trouble. Dr. Manohara told me that he had stubbornly ignored my advice (we had just met) but that the future had proved me right. In 1998 Dr. Manohara had to file suit against his former partner, because it was discovered that he had been stealing millions of dollars over the years. Now, for over the past ten years of our relationship, Dr. Manohara has come to rely on my advice for making business decisions. He has had many consultations with me.

Throughout that time only once was my advice wrong, for which I offered him a refund but which he refused, saying, " You have been right so often. Even we doctors in our medical practice don't have such success rate. No give refunds if we go wrong--why should you?" Since we are now on the subject of medicine, this leads us to our next topic: Medical Astrology

Another derivative of natal astrology is medical astrology. While much medical information can be acquired through natal astrology and prasna, ie probable times of sickness, susceptibility to certain diseases, weak constitution, proneness to accidents, exposure to venereal disease, when to perform surgery or give medicine, choosing a physician, etc., medical astrology is actually strictly the domain of Ayurvedic physicians, who have the natural opportunity to thoroughly study so many medical cases.

Medical astrology is the full-blown investigation and diagnosis of medical problems via astrology. It was once very much in vogue. Even today in India, traditional Ayurvedic doctors are urged to study astrology. But the difficulty is that to properly practice medical astrology one must be a qualified physician. It is a valuable tool of the astrologer-physician, but few astrologers fall into this category. Unless the astrologer is also highly trained in medicine, he should limit his medical advice and refer the patient to a health professional. And likewise in other spheres-- such as law, financial planning, and marriage counseling--the astrologer does his part, then refers the seeker to the appropriate specialist to continue to pursue the problema. It is not expected that the astrologer should be an expert in all fields. Él should be very knowledgeable, but he should know his own limitations ; and for the sake of his client's benefit, he should refer him to proper sources of help when needed, rather than venture outside of his field of expertise.

Medical astrology is a conglomerate of many branches of astrological knowledge, and we shall mention the medical uses of other branches when appropriate. As has already been mentioned, from the natal chart the general health of the individual can be determined, periods of stress and disease can be seen, etc.

Relocation Astrology

Have you ever wondered if life would be different in another city or state, or even another country or continent? Well before you pack up your bags for Bali or the

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Italian Riviera, check with your Vedic astrologer. On the basis of your natal chart plus other methods specific to relocation astrology, he can advise you best where to live.

The approach that I use is two-tiered. First, I use a special computer program to generate various maps of the world with planetary lines on them based on the birth gráfico. Then, by analyzing the chart I determine which lines are most favorable. Esto es the more general approach, and it is useful in analyzing large geographical regions.

To narrow down to a particular city, I would use a relocation chart for the particular city one is interested in. I would also use prasna (explained later.) Relocation astrology is a very powerful and accurate technique which has become popular since the 1980s. This method can be used to find the best place in the world to make money, study, write a book, find a spouse, etc. Read more about Vedic
AstroCartoGraphy. Muhurta So far, we have talked about ascertaining the future from the time of birth. Sin embargo, suppose one is planning an important event or project and especially wants it to be successful. Logically, he should choose the best time available within a particular "window of time," to get the best results. This is called muhurta (or electional) astrology. Basically it is the science of timing, choosing the best time to start something in order to get the best result. There are certain events in life that we would especially like to see turn out successful, such as a business or marriage. Si one has undergone all the trouble to match charts for compatibility, then he should also choose a good muhurta for the wedding, in order to neutralize any defects that there may be in the match.

With a little imagination, we can expand the possibilities for muhurta astrology well beyond these two items, business and marriage: When to build a house, make a significant purchase, start any important project like writing a book, when to release a book or movie, or when to begin a long journey. Vedic Kings would consult their astrologers regarding when to begin a military campaign or sign a peace treaty. Védica parents would consult as to when to conceive a child and when to perform the child's samskaras (sacraments). Gurus and acaryas (great spiritual leaders) would choose auspicious muhurtas for conducting an initiation ceremony, installing a Deity, or laying the cornerstone of a temple (Example: Solar and lunar eclipses are considered very good for initiations.) Vaidyas (Ayurvedic physicians) would choose auspicious times for performing surgery or beginning a regimen of treatment (Example: Since the moon rules over fluids, it is considered very undesirable to have surgery near the full-moon day, because of the tendency for excessive loss of fluid and danger of hemorrhaging.)

Here is an example of a practical application of muhurta astrology. In 1992 some clients of mine had to make an important presentation to the board of directors of an important spiritual organization. By studying the charts of the men involved and the time slot available, I chose what I considered to be a perfect time.

Tenían previously wanted a much later time, but I put pressure on them to accept the date that I had chosen. Somehow they were able to arrange their presentation for the

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appointed day, and it went off perfectly. They later told me that in the days following their presentation, the mood of the directors had changed drastically, so had they waited until the time originally planned for making the very same presentation, it was very doubtful that they would have been able to carry it through.

Prasna I have saved one of the most useful and dynamic branches of Vedic astrology until last--that being prasna, which literally means "question."

We again remind you of the metaphor of photography, in which natal chart reading is like using a wide-angle lens. One gets the full view, but it seems far away, and one cannot see all the details. To get more detail one could zoom in and look at a smaller segment of time, say, the duration of a planetary major period or, even smaller, the planetary sub-period, or perhaps a year or six months. The real close-up shot or microscopic view would be to focus just on one question for a specific período de tiempo. This is prasna.

Imagine parents of a traditional Indian household, who meet a particularly qualified girl who perchance is the perfect match for their son. But they don't want to make any commitment just yet or reveal their intentions; thus they certainly don't want to jeopardize their interest by directly asking for the girl's birth particulars. ¿Qué hacer?

After suitably pondering the situation, they would ask a Vedic astrologer the question: What will be the result for my son if he marries girl X? The Vedic astrologer notes the time the question is asked, calculates the chart, analyzes it, and then gives a scientific answer. How does it work? The conception of a question is the thought which enters one's mind. Pondering, worrying, and brooding over it is the gestation period. Y asking is the birth of the question. You might be surprised to learn how accurately a trained astrologer is able to zero in on the correct answer.

Of course prasna is not limited to romantic ponderings, but can be applied to almost any situation wherein humans have questions. The following list is a small sample of the thousands of questions I have been asked in the course of my practice. He chosen them to show the wide variety and almost endless application that is limited only by one's own imagination and personal experiences:

Which of the following three places, A, B, or C, is the best place to sink a well?

My daughter is missing. Is she all right? When will she return?

Who murdered the victim; what can you tell me about the murderer?

What shall be the result for me if I move to Los Angeles next month?

Should I file a legal suit against X?

Will the IRS come after me?

My health isn't good. The doctor recommended some treatment; should I do it?

I have lost my wedding ring; will I recover it?

What is the sex of my unborn child?

Should I take [spiritual] initiation from X?

Should I purchase the land in India?

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What will be the result for me if I marry X?

Many people have heard of prasna and its power; but unfortunately they cannot always take advantage of it for two reasons:

o Prasna is very difficult to perform, and it requires extensive special training.

Even an astrologer capable to adequately read a natal chart will not be able to do a prasna chart properly unless trained to do so, because there are special rules in prasna that are not applicable to natal astrology, and vice versa.

o The person fails to ask the question properly. Even a properly trained astrologer will not be able to answer an ill-conceived question.

In the first case, the seeker should carefully ascertain if the astrologer he is dealing with has had any special training in prasna. If he has not had this special training yet is consulted, the results could be disastrous. I know of one case in which a woman asked a well regarded West coast astrologer the question: "Should I approach the man I am interested in?" The untrained (in Prasna) astrologer told her yes. But it was likely the worst mistake of her life; it led to a major scandal, forcing her to leave town in a rush, hurriedly giving away all her possessions. The astrologer was untrained in prasna, so he did not charge her much; but it turned out to be a very costly consultation indeed. It cost her thousands of dollar plus the complete ruination of her reputación. The pity was that when she showed me the prasna chart, it was obvious that she should not have gone forward.

The second case simply requires some basic training on the part of the seeker as to how to ask a prasna.

How to Ask a Prasna I have done literally thousands of prasnas since 1981 and the results are amazingly accurate (I have a 95+% success rate), provided the seeker follows a few simple rules when asking a question. The importance of correctly formulating a question
cannot be overstated. In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was famous for giving accurate answers. But sometimes the answers were so enigmatic that no one could understand them, the reason being that the question itself was unclear.

The astrological texts also state that the questions of certain persons should not be entertained

o One who asks in a casual manner

o One who uses abusive language while asking

o One who is a heretic or atheist

o One who comes empty-handed

o One who is proceeding on a journey

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o One who is answering the calls of nature

o One who asks questions at dusk

o One who does it in a nonchalant manner

For formulating a question to get a clear unambiguous answer, consider the following guidelines: o Pray to God that He will reveal His answer to you through the astrologer. o Keep your mind clear, and meditate on your question. If your mind is confused and you are thinking of many different questions at once, then the chart will reflect your nebulous state of mind and be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, para responder. This can be likened to a woman who gives birth to five or six children at one time; the survival of any of them is doubtful.

o Ask only one question at a time. If you have other questions, keep your mind clear and ask them only after you have received an answer to your first question.

o Don't ask more than three questions in one day. (Brghu Muni says that it is best to approach the astrologer with only one question, of an auspicious nature.)

o It is necessary to formulate a clear, truthful question in one's mind, getting right down to fundamentals and leaving out irrelevant details which can be added later if necessary, possibly by asking further questions. Decide exactly what it is that you wish to know. The clearer the question, the clearer the answer will be. Un vague or ambiguous question will be reflected in the prasna chart, and it will be impossible to answer.

o Always write your question before asking the astrologer. This forces you to think clearly and concisely. The question should be formulated into one sentence--not a novela.

o Don't ask convoluted questions. Keep them as straightforward as possible.

o Ambiguous, "either/or" questions must be avoided; otherwise, one cannot know which part of the question has been answered. Better to divide into two or more questions and ask them at separate intervals, as mentioned above.

o Similar to the "either/or" question is the "if/then" question; it also must be evitarse.

o To avoid confounding the meaning of an answer, one should be careful to ask questions in the positive, rather than the negative, attitude. Por ejemplo: Correct way Question: "Should I visit Mr. X?"

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If the configuration of the chart is positive, then the answer will be yes-- otherwise it would be no.

Incorrect way Question: "Should I remain at home and not visit Mr. X?"

If the configuration of the prasna chart is positive, does it mean that you should stay at home? Or does it perhaps mean that you should actually go to visit Mr. X? Which is correct? Or if the configuration were negative, does it mean that you should not visit him? Or does it perhaps mean that you should not remain at home? Which is correct?

An example of a convoluted question that would be impossible to answer is as follows: "Should I get into the herbal import business?

Si not, then should I get into real estate, or move back to England?"

The above example uses the "either/or", "if/then," and negative actitud. It should be divided into a series of questions, beginning first with, "Should I get into the herbal import business?" Depending upon the answer, the person would then ask the next question. En cualquier caso, one should not jumble so many questions into one.

o Do not ask the exact same question within a three-month period; allow time to act. Sometimes people don't like the answer they get, so they keep asking the same question hoping that they'll get a better answer. Or they are impatiently waiting for results to arrive. This is actually disrespectful to God. Don't forget that we are doing divination, that is, approaching God for our answer through the astrologer.

(It is also very irritating to the astrologer.)

o If your mind is set upon getting only a certain answer, then you should wait before asking the question. In other words, if you want only a "yes" and not a "no" to a question, then you are not really prepared to receive the mercy of God via the astrologer's reply. You must realize that which ever answer He gives (through the astrologer) is in your best interest, even a "no." If you are attached to receiving only one answer, then you are not really open to divine guidance. And the answer which you want could actually lead you to disaster.

o Some questions may have options which appear to be like multiple questions but are actually only one question. Suppose a person wanted to move to a different location and had several different options in mind. The questioner should try to narrow his choices as far as possible, with the understanding that he is allowed up to three options. Then he should write on paper: Should I move to 'A', 'B', or 'C' (where A, B, and C represent the names of the places he is considering)?

o When asking the astrologer, he needn't even reveal the actual names of the places, as long as he knows what they mean. But this method of using options can be used only when A, B, and C represent the same category of entity (in this case, locations). If the seeker has more than three options, then he will have to ask more than once in order to cover all the options.

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o You don't have to directly name an object or person you can just call it or them "X" to maintain confidentiality.

o If you are consulting by mail, write each question on a separate piece of paper, fold it, and then number the questions consecutively. Maximum of three.

With these simple pointers, you now know how to ask questions properly in order to get a clear answer: perfect questions, perfect answers.

Example of Prasna Before we leave the subject of prasna, I would like to give an example from my files as to how it is used.

In December of 1988, I received an urgent call from a friend. His mother-in-law had just been rushed to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery for diabetes- related los problemas. The woman, an aged, traditional Indian lady, would not sign the consent forms until I was consulted and had given approval. I had noted the time of the call, so with that I began my calculations. My conclusion was that her condition was serious but not life-threatening. My client then conveyed this report to his wife and mother-in-law. But soon after, I received another call from my client: "Are you sure?

The condition is very serious, and my wife is doubtful." To alleviate her anxiety, I called the hospital emergency room to ask the wife why she was doubtful. Ella answered that the doctors had privately told her that her mother had less than a 5% chance of survival; naturally she had trouble reconciling this with my assurance that the surgery would be successful. I looked at my calculations again and saw no indication of death. So I told her, "If your mother dies during or because of the surgery, I will not be able to explain it astrologically. If that happens, I will give up the practice of astrology." I was serious. My conviction was so firm that the wife's mother then signed the consent forms and underwent surgery. Later that day when I came back to my apartment, I found a message on my answering machine: "Shyama, you don't have to give up astrology; my mother survived and is doing fine." Véase también Astamangala Deva Prasna.

How to Choose an Astrologer

" Astrology is perfect, astrologers are not. " Shyamasundara Dasa If this essay has been even somewhat successful, you now basically know what astrology is and what it can do for you. But best is to experience astrology first-hand, through a good astrologer. Only then will you realize how powerful a tool astrology is and how to apply it practically in your life. But that will be possible only if you consult a good astrologer.

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The good the bad and the ugly-How to differentiate the good astrologer from the bad?

Unlike doctors, dentists, engineers, architects, or other licensed professionals, presently there is no regulating body for Vedic astrologers such as the AMA, which polices allopathic physicians. (Of course quack doctors still exist, and some people scorn the entire enterprise of allopathic medicine; but at least, to be a licensed MD the license-holder has had to pass specific criteria of rigorous educational training spanning several years.) Vedic astrology is just now becoming popular in the West; unfortunately this has given rise to a number of poorly trained persons claiming rights to the title of Vedic astrologer, and in the process giving Vedic astrology a black los ojos. Typically, such pretenders have read one or two books and then claim to be astrologers, or are dilettantes who have dabbled in it for years but never undergone any serious training.

I once saw an advertisement by a Vedic astrologer whom I didn't know, and because I knew most of the contemporary practitioners, I was curious as to who he was. Así que telephoned him and asked if he was interested in the astrology software I had written.

During the conversation I asked him whom he had studied under and for how long. I was stunned when he said that he had never learned from any teacher; he had read an astrology book only a year prior and now considered himself an astrologer. And his is not a unique case. Some tyros have even written popular texts on Vedic astrology, more like "cookbook" astrology, with no realizations included therein. (How could there be? They had just come in contact with the science only a year or two before.) Therefore it is essential for the seeker to actually find a master astrologer, not a beginner; for it is an observed phenomenon that most people when first seeking astrological consultation are very much psychologically susceptible, credulous, and impressionable to whatever the astrologer will say. The novice astrologer can thus harm the seeker and thereby bring disrepute upon the science.

Para aid your search for a good astrologer, I offer the following guidelines and questions that you should ask before consulting a given astrologer: Q. How long has he studied astrology? Was it continuous study or sporadic?

Like medicine, mathematics, engineering, or any other science, astrology is very technical, complex, and subtle, with many branches and sub-branches. De hecho, el Vedas say that astrology is the most complex science of all, because of its unique interdisciplinary nature. It requires at least five to seven years of intense, rigorous, full-time study under qualified teachers. Therefore, you should be doubtful of any astrologer with less than five years of training And we must emphasize the important distinction between years of experience, and years of training. An astrologer may have ten years of experience, but that tells nothing of his training. (He may have studied for seven years and practiced for three years, or vice versa.) While field experience is very important, it is no substitute for a solid astrological education; the benefit derived from experience will be vastly different for an educated versus an ignorant astrologer.

Regarding the untutored astrologer, often the case is one of "re-inventing the wheel."

He will make many mistakes, with you as the guinea pig . For the learned astrologer, experience brings polish and elegance--he also expands his knowledge, but not at su costo.

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There are also persons who claim to have studied astrology for twenty years. Sin embargo, further inquiry reveals that twenty years ago a friend read their chart, and that over the years they developed an interest in astrology, reading a book here and there, having a chart done here and there. This rather spastic, unsystematic method of study should make you cautious, at the very least. This is like someone who had his tonsils removed when a child and then developed an interest in medicine; over the years, between occasional visits to the family doctor and reading a few elementary medical books, he decided that he was now competent to practice medicine. Would you want to be treated by such a person? Por supuesto que no. Then why consult the astrological equivalent?

Furthermore, any reputable educational institution sets time limits on its courses of study, to ensure that education is continuous, that the student is meeting course requirements timely, and that he is maintaining maximum retention of the study material. For example, if a four-year course is spread over ten or fifteen years, then by the time the student has finished he will likely have forgotten what he learned in the comienzo. (This is especially true in doctoral programs.)

Q. Where did he study? Who were his teachers?

India, especially South India, is the land of Vedic astrology. There one will find at least some recognized astrological organizations sponsoring astrological study, and some universities offering degree programs in astrology. But the best way to study astrology is the old, traditional way of guru-sisya (teacher-disciple); this is a very personal and intense way of learning from a master astrologer. While not every astrologer in India is worth studying under, still there are many eminent panditas who are recognized by their peers for their accomplishments as actual scholars and masters of astrology. Noted astrologers have written learned books on this science and/or are sought out by the elite and their own peers. Of course, being Indian is no guarantee that an astrologer is competent. There are literally millions of astrologers in India, but only a fraction of them are accomplished. If an astrologer says that he is self-taught from a book, then remember what the wit said: " One who teaches himself has a fool for a student." And we might add that he also has "a fool for a teacher." Yes, there are many books on Vedic astrology, but they can never replace a living teacher. Vedic astrology books were meant as mnemonic guides to help the student remember lessons taught by the guru. Como Varaha Mihira, a famous astrologer, has said: " Little is written but much is meant." In other words there is even more information, not in books, that can be taught only personally. And, there is also so much information within books that cannot be understood properly without the help of a guru.

It is also important to consider if his astrology teacher was himself a successful astrologer or an amateur. If the teacher could not support himself by doing astrology how good could he have been? At this time there are very few qualified teachers in North America, but this is gradually improving.

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In summary, if an "astrologer" says he has no teacher, is self-taught, or has never been to India, you should be doubtful of his qualifications.

Q. Is he certified?

This is closely related to the previous question. In India for a modest price you can purchase a certificate qualifying you in practically any subject including astrology. There are many such diploma mills. And of course some are not shy to say they have certificates when in fact they have none, (Too cheap to buy a certificate?) Since the 1990's several organizations have sprung up in USA, Britain, Australia, and other los países. that now issue certificates to their members based on different systems of pedagogy, fees paid and an examination. However a certificate is only as good as the people who are issuing it.

I was asked to be a founding member of one of these organizations but I declined because I could see that they were "Vedic" in name only . The teachers what to speak of the students had/have a meager understanding of what the Vedic world view is and how Vedic astrology fits in and is part of that world view. Vedic astrology is in fact the Vedic world view expressed as astrology just as Ayurveda is its application to medicine or the Dharma sastras to sociology, etc. Without this understanding one can not properly understand Vedic astrology and hence practice it correctly. Presently there is no spiritual or philosophical education for astrologers.

There is no sadhana (spiritual training) or brahminical (priest) lifestyle for the purification of the consciousness of the astrologer. ¿Por qué es importante esto? Because Vedic astrology was revealed to highly purified and spiritually qualified Brahmarsis (priest sages) like Garga Rsi and Brghu Muni by Lord Krsna. An astrologer is a Daivajna, one who knows the will of God, to do that to any great degree the astrologer must engage in purifying his consciousness so that he becomes a transparent via medium through which God may speak. So one should be aware of the consciousness of the person through whom God's message will be filtrada. If water goes through mud it becomes muddy, similarly if the consciousness of the astrologer is not clean then there will be anomalies in the message transmitted.

There are now many computerized tools available for the astrologer to use to make his calculating work that much faster. And, many a symposia with talented guest speakers to teach a vast array of techniques. But what is being done to purify and strengthen the one who uses the tools and learns the techniques? What is being done to conform and align the consciousness of the astrologer with the consciousness of Krsna so that he can truly understand what Lord Krsna is trying to tell him through this mystic cryptogram that goes by the name of Natal Chart? Nada. So if someone claims to be certified by XYZ or ABC it usually doesn't mean much. A fool with a tool is still a fool. Carefully study to find out what kind of person they are before you entrust yourself to them. Véase también The Philosophy of
Jyotish.

While on the topic of certification, one should be aware that in almost all cases the students must pay tuition and various fees . One should know that this is totally against the Vedic world view and is in fact against the laws of the Dharma sastras to charge for teaching. However the student is expected to give the guru a donation

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according to his ability (no fixed fee) after all study is over. It is not a business. Me never asked by any of my teachers to pay them a fee for teaching me. I gave them dakshine (donation) only after I was finished my studies even though they didn't ask. Similarly I do not charge my students any fee for tuition . They can give me something according to their ability when they are finished study. What is amazing is that many of those who now teach for money were taught by their own teachers for libre. It is a symptom of materialistic commercialization and greed. The capitalist creed run amok. This is another reason why these certificates are useless.

Q. How many branches of Vedic astrology did he study? There are six branches of Vedic astrology: gola (astronomy), ganita (mathematical astrology), jataka (natal astrology), prasna (horary), muhurta (electional), and nimitta (omens). A good astrologer will have studied five of these ramas. These days, with the advent of computers and ephemerides, few astrologers study gola. Expertise in ganita, jataka, and prasna are essential. Training in muhurta and nimitta is strongly recommended.

If the astrologer knows only natal astrology he is probably self-taught. Or even if properly schooled, he will likely be of limited use, for he will be lacking in versatility. Obviously the more knowledge and expertise, the better. Q. How much experience does he have?

Generally, more experience is better . But suppose you have a choice between one astrologer with little or no formal training but ten years of experience, and another astrologer with five years of formal training and only two or three years experience.

The astrologer with the formal training is most sure to be in a superior position of del conocimiento. Consider this: as a serious student of astrology, as he progressed to higher levels of knowledge he may have studied under two or three astrology teachers, each of them having had perhaps 50 years or more of training and la experiencia. In other words, the formal training he has received is the distilled essence of 150 or more years of his teachers' combined experience. Also, the training period includes apprenticeship in which the student practices astrology--it is not just teoría. Of course if the astrologer has both real formal training plus long experience, so much the better . But be careful of those who count their years of self-study as experience--that is not strictly honest, just as no one would count years spent in college as work experience. Thus when inquiring about an astrologer's experience be sure to determine if it is experience after formal study with a teacher, after self-study, or a combination of both study and active practice time.

Q. What is the astrologer's background education? A. Traditionally in India there was a natural screening process that allowed only the most gifted intellects to study astrology. First of all, the person had to master Sanskrit in order to read mathematical texts. After mastering mathematics, the student mastered astronomy in order to be able to calculate the planetary positions.

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(In those days there were no ephemerides, calculators, or computers-- only good brains.) Then only, at the culmination, would the student study astrology . Even today in India I have seen that the most respectable and able astrologers are scholars in fields other than astrology. I have met astrologers who were high-court judges, doctors, engineers, Sanskritists, etc.--men eminent and learned in several campos. For example, my astrology teacher from Calcutta, the late Harihara Majumdara, aside from being an author of several astrology books in English and Bengali, was also a barrister and Sanskritist. And, my astrology teacher in Bangalore, Sashi Kanta Jain, was truly a versatile genius who could: read, write, and speak at least ten languages; was a qualified Ayurvedic physician; was learned in mantra-sastra, philosophy, and the Vedas; and knew mathematics and Vedic astronomy; as well as being a first-class astrologer. And, Krsnan Potti of Trivandram, with whom I studied prasna, was a well-known scholar and author of over a dozen books. So it is important to know the background of the astrologer. Is he a scholar and deeply learned? If so, this indicates that most likely he is also a scholar of astrology.

If on the other hand an "astrologer" is devoid of scholarship and mathematical ability, or his other interests center on activities such as playing in a rock 'n' roll band, surfing, or some other incompatible activity, you might want to reconsider before having him do your chart. He doesn't exactly fit the prototype of the learned Brahmana astrologer, which might even be grounds to question his competence to perform the mathematics involved in astrology.

Q. Is he an intuitive or psychic astrologer?

If he answers yes, then be careful. These days, people who are too lazy to undergo the hard work necessary for studying astrology often present themselves as "intuitive" or "psychic" astrologers, which simply means that they speak whatever notions enter into their minds--wild guessing, you might say. Would you go to an "intuitive" mechanic or dentist (a dentist who doesn't take X rays to see if you have cavities--he just drills)?

If an astrologer has undergone the austerities required of him, then naturally he develops a feel for his art. In very rare cases one may be a prodigy with a gift for such things, but they are quite rare indeed. Even these gifted persons improve still further with training. A gifted student will aspire for a gifted teacher who can inspire him to become even better; there is always more to learn. And besides, it is the Vedic tradition for everyone to accept a master as teacher.

Q. Does he recommend wearing jewels?

If so, then maybe you should look elsewhere. Recommending and selling gems as an astrological remedial measure has become one of the biggest scams in the astrological world. The theory is that if some planet in your chart is giving you trouble, then, to mitigate the effect, you should wear the appropriate gem that will appease that planet. This is a bogus idea, unsupported by any authority in astrology-- neither Brghu, Parasara, Varaha Mihira, etc. Gems do have power, and the scriptures speak of the good and bad effects of gems, but never in astrological terms. The fallacy

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is in thinking that by wearing a particular gem one will neutralize all the negative karma associated with the corresponding planet. But planets are not causal agents ; they merely indicate where troubles in life originate, they don't cause trouble. In its portfolio, a planet has countless items including gems, trees, herbs, metals, fruits, flowers, directions, etc. By the above theory, a person should be able to neutralize negative planetary effect by utilizing any or all of the items associated with the planet, many of which are much cheaper than costly jewels. If a person is having problems with a weak Sun in his chart, for example, the theorized remedy is to simply plant a thorny tree (ruled by the Sun) in his yard, to help boost the solar energy.

Classical astrological texts do give remedial measures, but they do not include wearing jewels. In his book, "Parasara Hora Sastra," Parasara Muni has explained the perfect method for alleviating afflictions indicated by planets, and that is by the sincere worship of God . He writes that the planets are created by Krsna, and that each planet is a manifestation of a particular avatar of Krsna . So if a planet is signifying problems in one's life, then he should worship the particular avatar who controls that planet. T he avatars are as follows: Rama controls Sun; Krsna, Himself-the Moon; Nrsimhadeva-Mars; Lord Buddha-Mercury; Vamanadeva-Jupiter; Parasurama-Venus; Kurma-Saturn; Varahadeva-Rahu; and Matsya-Ketu. Actual remedial measures include fasting, chanting of mantras, worship of the cow, giving in charity, performing various sacrifices, etc. In relation to the appropriate avatar, this is a highly effective method. (By this is meant that the type of remedial measure will be different according to the situation and planets in question.)

Prescribing of gems for astrological purposes is fallacious at best, or at worst, even perjudiciales. It is fallacious because there is no scriptural authority to confirm the use of gems for such purposes. And besides, where do gems get their powers, if not from Krsna (God)? Then there is the expense. To get actually good effects from gems, one must use only the very best quality, which in the case of jewels like ruby, diamond, emerald, blue sapphire, and cat's eye, cost a small fortune. Or, if the stones are inexpensive, that means they are flawed, chipped, discolored, and in many ways unsuitable for therapeutic use. In fact, the scriptures say that they will create negative efecto. So unless you are willing and able to pay $20,000 for a two-carat "pigeon blood" ruby, don't bother. Better to spend your money, time, and energy for worshipping Krsna or one of His avatars.

It may seem that I have contradicted myself by saying that gems have powers, but I no. All items under the jurisdiction of a planet have some effect. Por ejemplo, un poorly placed Sun or Mars conjoined with Saturn could give indigestion, because of Saturn's suppressing the heat represented by these planets. A gem- prescribing astrologer would direct the subject to wear a ruby or red coral, to increase the power of Sun or Mars, respectively. But actually no such benefit would result. There might be some other benefit associated with these gems, as mentioned in Garuda Purana or Brhat-samhita, but not the improvement of digestion. A much simpler, effective, and inexpensive prescription would be to take more ginger, or chilies and hot spices, in one's food, eat only foods that are hot in temperature, avoid cold foods, etc. These are practical measures to counteract the cold effect of Saturn. And to effect Sun and Mars on the astrological level one could, if his health was bad enough to warrant the extra

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effort, worship Sri Rama or Sri Nrsimhadeva in a prescribed manner as recommended by the learned astrologer.

I'll give an example of the efficacy of sage Parasara's methods of dealing with the negative karma represented by the planets:

Once, while I was visiting some astrologers in South India, a gentleman came to us with a serious problem concerning his aunt who lived in Bombay. Apparently she had a wrong-headed landlord who wanted to evict her from the apartment in which she had lived for many years; and she was neither financially or physically able to search for another apartment. What should she do in order to keep the apartment? After examining the chart of the woman and doing a prasna, the senior astrologer suggested a remedy: a yantra (talisman) should be made and special tantric mantras invoked into it. It should then be placed under the doormat of the landlord. Cuando el landlord would step over the yantra, his mind would become changed. (In performing prasna there are ways to determine if a particular remedy will work. On applying the test, it was found that the yantra would not work.) Other remedies were suggested, including wearing jewels and making a special fire sacrifice, gathering the resulting ashes, and mailing them in an envelope to the landlord. On opening the envelope, the landlord would necessarily spill some ash on himself, and by the power of the sacrifice his mind would change. But all of these various potential remedies failed the test and so were abandoned.

Finally, after seeing the failure of the other astrologers, I offered a suggestion based on Parasara's advice. I reasoned that since the problem indicated in the chart was caused by Saturn, the prescribed solution was to worship Kurmadeva, the avatar of Krsna associated with Saturn. My recommendation tested perfectly--the best possible combination, indicating the infallibility of the solution. But what happened next both surprised and disappointed me. Even after having passed the test with flying colors, my suggestion was rejected. Very dubious reasons were given; then I understood that had my suggestion been followed, the astrologer--who was also a tantric--would make no profit . The aunt needed only to worship Kurmadeva on her own; she wouldn't need to buy a gem from the astrologer, or have him perform an expensive fire sacrifice or make a costly yantra. So the astrologer kept trying to find other more complex, self-serving ways to help the lady. Q. Does he sell jewels?

Worse than the astrologer who recommends gems is the one who sells them too. Él who only recommends gems may merely be ignorant of philosophy and advanced astrological theory, whereas the one who also sells jewels is often a total scam artist out to swindle credulous people who have misplaced their faith in him. Often such crooked astrologers work in cahoots with a jewelry store. In fact, tantric astrologers started this misleading practice, and jewelers support it. Low-level tantrics began this to deviate persons from worshiping God; and jewelers support it because it increases their business.

In India, particularly in a tantric-center like Bengal, if one enters a jewelry store, therein he will likely notice many small offices full of palmists and astrologers who

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read charts for a modest fee and then recommend an expensive stone to counteract troubling planetary influences. The customer buys the gem from the shop, and the astrologer gets a commission. If the astrologer both recommends and sells the jewel, he makes a sizable profit.

I know of a few so-called astrologers of very limited talent who specialize in reading innocent persons' charts, saying all kinds of ominous things to scare the heebee- jeebees out of them, then calming and assuring the client that all will be fine if he just wears a ruby or pearl or some other stone. Of course, it just so happens that he has some gems with him (usually inexpensive and of low quality), which he is willing to sacrifice for a handsome price to this now-relieved sucker--relieved of money as well as anxiety.

Before moving on to the next point I would like to clarify that some gems do have potency, and that in some rare instance they may perhaps be useful as a remedial measure. The point is that it must be ascertained through Prasna that that particular remedial measure, whether it be gem stone or whatever, must be guaranteed to work. This can only be found out by using techniques from Prasna before trying the remedial measure. My main complaint is that in a mercenary and mercantile way simply motivated by profit an astrologer will sell or recommend a gem without even knowing if it will work as he claims it will. I seldom recommend jewels, not because I am against them but because when I ever I have tested to see if a gem will decrease the problem I very seldom get a positive answer. I have nothing to gain on this point, unlike those who sell or recommend jewels.

Lesson: Don't trust any astrologer or palmist who sells jewels. They are more likely interested in increasing their bank balance than in truly helping you. Haga clic en el following link to find out more about legitimate forms of remedial measures.

Q. Does he recommend the worship of demigods such as Siva, Durga, Ganesha, Skanda, or planets like Saturn, Mars, etc.? (See previous answer in reference to wearing jewels.) Any person serious about advancement in spiritual life will spurn such practices. The planets and demigods are order carriers of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. One need only take shelter of Him.

Click on the following link for a detailed explanation of why we do not worship demigods.

Q. Does he tell you about your past life?

I know of one astrologer who always tells his clients that they were exalted personalities or beings from celestial planets in their previous lives. The fact is that one's past life is practically impossible to verify . Although it is possible to learn about past and future lives through astrology, it is well known in astrological circles that to do this with certainty is generally only possible for the greatest of the great astrologers-Rsis (highly elevated saints) like Bhrgu, Vasista, and Parasara. General texts of this age give some clues for determining past and future lives, but the science is not well developed. And even if an astrologer were to tell something about a past life, how could the seeker verify it? The subject can test the veracity of everything

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concerning this life as told by the astrologer; but regarding past lives of which one remembers nothing, it is impossible to know whether the reading is real or concocted . Astrologers who routinely discuss past and future births are generally sensationalists. I know of very few responsible astrologers who do this, other than in special cases that warrant such investigation. Only astrologers with access to nadi- granthas such as Bhrgu-samhita, Vasista-nadi, etc., can make accurate predictions about other lives, via the help of those great sages.

Q. Does he use the planets Neptune, Uranus, or Pluto in his calculations? Does he mix Western astrology with Vedic?

If he uses Neptune, Uranus or Pluto in his calculations, he is not practicing Vedic astrology but hodgepodge astrology. One should not debase Vedic astrology by mixing it with Western astrology and still call it Vedic astrology. Anyone who does so is falsely claiming to be a Vedic astrologer and is, at best, dishonest. Haga clic en el following link Fallacy of the trans-Saturnian Planets to find out in detail why actual practioners of Vedic Astrology do not use these planets.

Q. Does the astrologer have references? To be sure that the astrologer is reputable, you should ask him for a list of references, including competent professionals and educated persons whom you would expect to have sufficient integrity and powers of discrimination to be able to determine the astrologer's level of expertise. Call several of them to make sure that they are not just friends planted as decoys. Ask them if the astrologer is professional in his dealings.

Does he give good advice? Do his predictions come true? Is he honest? Is he a scholar? Is he versatile? Does he become too familiar with the opposite sex beyond professional necessity? See if their answers tally with what the astrologer told you.

Q. Does he follow spiritual practices and observe the life style of a Vedic Brahmana? Just as you should be leery of a self-taught astrologer, you should beware of an uninitiated astrologer with no spiritual master. Spiritual discipline as prescribed in the scriptures purifies the consciousness and gives the astrologer heightened astrological powers and increased wisdom through which to guide the seeker. Shun the astrologer with no authentic guru, or one having a guru but not following the discipline of the guru. Reject those who are non-vegetarian; who drink, smoke, or take intoxicants; or who lust after women, have affairs with their clients, or are #generally immoral and dissolute. For more details about why it is important for the Vedic astrologer to lead a Godly life read The Philosophy of Jyotish.

Q. Does he do consultations by telephone, by mail, or only in person? This won't indicate how good an astrologer is, but it will tell what options are available, especially if you don't live in the same area as the astrologer. Obviamente, would be more convenient if you could meet the astrologer in person and have

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personal interaction, but that is not always possible. I have clients that I've never met, in several foreign countries. I do all my astrological work for them as MP3 recordings, either through the mail or over the telephone (I record the phone conversation and mail it to them). Over the years I have done many consultations in person and also many via recording which I mail to the client. They both have their advantages. Si are in person you can correct the astrologer if he makes a mistake, as well as ask preguntas. But I also find that when I do MP3 readings I do more than I would if the client were there. I will stop and do some research on a point. Or, I will do more intricate calculations to see how long the person will live etc. Things I would feel uncomfortable doing with someone looking over my shoulder. I also give the client the option that after listening to the recording if they have any questions that need to be clarified they can ask. This seems to equalize the fact that they were not there with me in person for the reading.

Q. Does he provide a printed copy of his reading? Again, this gives no indication about his quality or training, but rather the extent of the service he provides. Most persons are satisfied with MP3s and even prefer them to typed documents; they just don't have the time to read, so they listen to the MP3s while driving or doing other things. But there are some who do prefer a printed report which they can study (and perhaps mark with highlighters) and refer to on a continuing basis. For these persons, the astrologer could provide an option, so that for an additional typing fee the seeker can have a printed report. The fee should just cover typing charges and not include profit. In this way the astrologer provides an extra service to those who desire it. But if a good astrologer does not provide typed reports, one can give the MP3s to a secretarial service and have them transcribed. (A note of caution : Give only duplicate recordings, not the originals, and only to persons who will protect your confidentiality.)

Q. Does he guarantee your satisfaction?

This says a lot about the skill and confidence of the astrologer. He should offer to make sure that you are satisfied with the "quality" of the reading. He can't guarantee that you will be "happy" with the reading, but you should at least be satisfied with the professional way in which the reading was conducted and the level of accuracy and expertise. I always tell my clients "If you are satisfied with reading then please decir a todos. But if you are not satisfied with the reading, for whatever reason-you are the judge and only your criteria matter-then do not tell anyone else but be sure to tell me and I will do whatever it takes to satisfy you." Q. Does he wear a big beard or wear his hair long? This may seem like a strange question but I have noticed a growing trend in recent years, especially in the West, of astrologers trying to imitate the way certain yogis behave without having the attainments of the yogis. One "luminary" in the Western Astrological world directly told me that he wore his hair long and grew a beard just to impress people. I was not impressed. It takes more than a lot of hair to be a good astrologer. You may deem it wise to avoid hirsute astrologers.

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Q. Is he able to support himself as an astrologer?

This can be a good indicator of the competence and expertise of the astrologer. Un astrologer who gets many return clients or clients recommended by others is obviously good and will be able to support himself and family adequately. Se distrustful of part time astrologers or those who have other jobs to supplement their ingresos. This suggests that they are not committed to their science or are not good at que. There is one proviso to this: if the astrologer derives a sizable amount of his income from dealing in gems then stay away because it indicates that he will probably convince you to buy a gem you don't need.

Directrices

Aside from the above questions, here are a few guidelines to help you find a good astrologer:

A good Vedic astrologer is characterized by a strong spiritual side, possessing: integrity, good character, honesty, and Brahminical initiation into a bona fide sampradaya (Vedic apostolic succession, there are four such Sampradayas: Brahma, Sri, Rudra and Kumar ); he maintains good sadhana (spiritual regimen) and follows the regulated principles of freedom (pure vegetarianism--no meat, fish, eggs, onion or garlic; abstention from intoxicants, gambling and illicit sex); he is a scholar in philosophy and yoga, and practices them; he is devoted to God and lives a godly life, etc. The following link will take you to a page giving links to websites of authentic Vedic Sampradayas just scroll about half way down the page. Véase también The

Philosophy of Jyotish for more details.

On the astrological side: he is a savant who has studied long and diligently with accomplished astrology masters (preferably in India), is versatile and shows dexterity with the many branches of astrology, has been in practice for some time, has several good references, does not sell jewels or recommend you to purchase them, etc. The readings he gives are truthful, balanced, and without self- motivation. His mood is to sincerely help you. These are some of the prominent characteristics of a qualified astrologer. The following are some questionable types.

Dr. Doom and Gloom Some friends of mine told me of a man who moonlights as an astrologer. Ellos llaman a him "Dr. Doom and Gloom," because he has the habit of homing in, like radar, on any negativity that might exist in a chart, no matter how slight. Once discovering something even remotely adverse, he would distort it and magnify it to awesome proportions, and then take Mephistophelean delight in mellow-dramatically describing all the odious implications this had for the seeker. His readings were reminiscent of " hell-fire and brimstone " and could be recommended only to those of a masochistic nature or seeking reasons to commit suicide.

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The Flatterer

Another dangerous type is the flatterer. He tells everyone: "I've never seen such a good chart as yours." He tells you only good things (that sound too good to be true!)

He continually praises you and tells what a great person you are. He may say you were some great or famous person in your previous life. He always paints a rosy picture of your future, although it never manifests. People are only too happy to give this person money, because he always gives them what they want. (For people who want to be cheated, there are those ready to cheat.)

The Exploiter

This person uses his knowledge of your chart to get you to do things that you would not ordinarily do. This exploitation of your trust may be in the form of borrowing

money from you, or getting you to invest in a business venture with him after building up your self-confidence for success in such enterprises. I know of one astrologer who tried to convince a person to give up his present occupation and instead dedicate himself to managing the astrologer's rock 'n' roll band. The client was keen enough to see through this abject attempt at manipulation. (Any astrologer attached to becoming a rock 'n' roll star is likely full of internal conflict and not sure about his own path in life, no less others'.) And some exploiters specialize in seducing their clients; indeed I know one so-called astrologer who simply uses astrology as a ploy to meet a woman, seduce her, and then proceed on to the next one. La following link takes you to a page maintained by former students of a well known and famous astrologer who cheated his own students, he is still active.

The Blabber

This person can't keep a secret. No matter how delicate the subject discussed, this person seems unable to keep his lips buttoned up. He always talks about So-and-so's chart, how it is like this or that, and how he was told such 'n' such. An astrologer who readily discusses other people's charts with you, will no doubt discuss yours when you are absent. So unless you want everyone to know your business, avoid this person like the plague.

One exception to the above is discussion of public figures who are not an astrologer's clients; another is to give anonymous examples from other clients' charts, either for astrological instruction or for the edification of a particular seeker. En ambos cases #(instruction or edification), the subject of the example chart must be kept anonymous. Strict confidentiality is the sine qua non of a good astrologer.

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Abuse and Misuse of Astrology by the Client

We have described how some unethical astrologers misuse this celestial science, but can a seeker misuse astrology? La respuesta es sí. People can be strange; some can find a way to misuse and abuse just about anything, no matter how good it is. Ellos figure that " if it's worth doing, it's worth over-doing." God has given us intelligence and discrimination, which we can and should use as much as possible. But there will come times when we are puzzled, dazed, or confused- -not knowing what we should do, even after fully applying our reasoning capabilities.

And some situations intrinsically are not amenable to our perception. En estos situations, a person with good sense consults an astrologer.

A seeker's misuse of astrology is when he gives up using his God-given abilities of logic, reason, and discrimination, and simply consults astrologers in the hope that one will tell him what he wants to hear. It is inappropriate to expect astrology to do our thinking for us. Astrology is a wonderful tool for forming policy, but it is not a substitute for responsible thinking. Astrology is an adjunct to life, not a
substitute for living.

How does one know if he has digressed from the judicious use of astrology into the realm of abuse?

If you find yourself consulting an astrologer for insignificant matters that previously you were able to cope with yourself, you are in trouble. If you avoid today's grocery shopping because you've read in the newspaper that it's a bad day for you, you are in trouble. If you wear a different astrological gem on each finger, you are an astro-junkie. (Some people who know little about astrology think that I calculate my own future down to the most auspicious time to go to the rest room. Esto es ridiculous.) Unfortunately, there are people who live in such an astrologically calculated world; practically speaking they have developed a mania for astrology. N responsible astrologer will let a client go to such extremes as these; but persons who abuse astrology generally go to many different astrologers, thus making it difficult for the individual astrologer to control. And as was discussed earlier, unethical astrologers take advantage of such persons, at the very least, getting as much money from the client as possible.

I would also suggest that you find one or two astrologers who you trust as being competent in their science as well as ethical, and stick with them. A typical sign of someone who misuses astrology is that they may go to a very good astrologer, but then if they don't like what he says they keep going to other astrologers until they find someone who will tell them what they want to hear. This is the last word in foolishness. They are either paying a person to lie to them or shelling out money to successively more incompetent astrologers who cannot read properly. Esto es guaranteed to wind the self-deluded person into a world of trouble.

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Conclusión

We have given a brief survey of what Vedic astrology is, in contradistinction to its

Western cousin; the Vedic view of fate and free will; the components of the language of astrology; the various branches of astrology and how they are used; how one can optimize his reading; hints for choosing an astrologer; what kinds of questions to ask; what types of astrologers to avoid; and the potential for abuse and misuse of astrology.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me via my website.

Shyamasundara Dasa www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com