Vedic Astrology — A Perspective

Lessons from Jyotish:

1. Astrology is a legitimate science

A very basic lesson but one that must be mentioned. Many people dismiss the legitimacy of Jyotish because they do not understand it or because of other motives. They say that the future can’t be predicted, Jyotish is just educated guesswork, and so on and so forth. I disagree with these assessments. In my own life, I have seen countless predictions come true even if the odds of those were low, to begin with. Like any legitimate science, Jyotish too can deliver results that are reliable and replicable.

But Jyotish is not just about making predictions. It is about understanding ourselves deeply so that our lives may be filled with discernment and gratitude. The true gift of Jyotish is the self-understanding that it gives to its practitioner. 

2. Astrology does not solve anxiety

I got into Jyotish looking for answers to my own anxiety. I believed that if I knew how the future would turn out, I could be better prepared to deal with its challenges. Unfortunately, it does not work this way.

Anxiety is not the product of logical analysis and thus you cannot reason your way out of anxiety. Time and again, people would come to me anxious about an interview, a job change, a marriage selection etc. Even if I shared hopeful news with them, the anxiety would just shift onto something else. Anxiety is like a shape-shifting creature that adapts and finds excuses to present itself in our minds over and over again. There is very little help that can be given by Jyotish here.
In my own life, the best cure for anxiety I have found is consistent meditation on the Ajna chakra.

3. Ethical Dilemmas are a part and parcel of an astrologer’s life

In the book ‘A fistful of wisdom’, Swamiji mentioned how a large number of astrologers sell remedies by stoking fear in their clients. This stayed with me ever since I first read it and once I started practising astrology, I made it a point to keep the horoscope reading as hopeful as possible. But what if you have no hope to give? Should you tell a comforting lie or should you tell the painful truth? Such dilemmas are a part and parcel of the astrologers’ experience.

This is the single biggest reason why I have nearly stopped giving astrology readings. It started becoming more and more difficult for me to share bad news. I try to sugarcoat bad news as much as possible but there is only so much one can do. Because sometimes the only answer available is the answer people don’t want to hear. 

4. Remedies work (Terms and conditions apply)

Simply put, remedies work only if your karmas allow them to work. By karmas, I mean the karmas from past lives and the karmas that are being done in the present life. There is a misunderstanding that remedies can help overcome past karmas entirely. This is simply not true. In the marathon of life, remedies are basically the water bottles along the way that help us in finishing the race with lesser fatigue. The extent to which these water bottles can help depends entirely on your own conditioning and fitness levels. If you are not a fit individual, no amount of water is going to help you cross the finish line safely.

In my opinion, unconditionally surrendering to the Divine Mother is the best solution to all of life’s problems. If this type of unconditional surrender is difficult, the next best solution is to at least remember her as much as possible through regular prayers and meditation. 

5. Jyotish is a fantastic psychometric tool

My favourite part of reading any horoscope is to find out the answer to the question “Who is this person really”? Sometimes I like to think of Jyotish as ancient India’s version of modern psychometric tools. To be able to give effective readings, it is important to understand the individual and Jyotish offers fantastic insights into human nature. For me, this is the real juice of Jyotish, which is to understand the individual and then guide them towards empowering life choices after taking into account their strengths, weaknesses and other proclivities. This is not so different from how modern psychometric tools operate.

Jyotish has helped me personally on two fronts. As an amateur astrologer, it has given me an outlet through which I could help people. As a student, it has helped hone my thinking and given me a deeper understanding of myself. The more I learn Jyotish, the more I realize how little I know.

In a follow-up article, I shall be sharing book recommendations for anyone who wishes to study this divine science for themselves (edit: the follow-up article has been published and can be accessed here: https://os.me/short-stories/vedic-astrology-book-recommendations/)

Thank you, Swamiji for being my inspiration and my light. During the astrology camp, you mentioned how you would be happy if even one person decides to take inspiration and study Jyotish more deeply. Somehow, those words have stayed with me and they continue to inspire me on this path.

Thank you Ma for always being there for me