Astrology

Astrology is not a magic or business of predicting once future; this is also a science like physics or chemistry, it is a science which is evolved by our ancient sages. Astrology can be defined as a study of the positions of celestial bodies in the belief that their movements either directly or indirect Influence life of earth. Astrology helps to look into past, present and future of any human being. With the help of this science one can look into his day to day incidents and can have remedies for it.

Purpose

The purpose of Vedic Astrology is to avoid problems before they arise. The aphorism, "Pull weeds early" describes a major purpose of astrology. Another quote from India states, "If you want to get rid of a snake, get rid of it when it is really small". In fact, Patanjali, a famous Indian philosopher who wrote the "Yoga Sutras", stated that it was important to know how to "avoid the danger which has not yet come". A good astrologer uses the tools of Vedic Astrology to forecast the times to promote events in one's life or to pull back, recognizing the indications point to some obvious serious risk.

Methodology used

It is important to know that Vedic astrological calculations are different from what most of us have seen in the Western systems. Vedic Astrology is sidereal or based in reference to the stars. All its calculations are constantly adjusted for a back slipping motion of the earth called precession. The earth's axial spin retards or moves back about one degree or one day every 72 years, in relationship to a fixed star. The astronomy of the sky that you observe each night in our modern times is nearly matched to the zodiac constellations used in Vedic Astrology calculations.

In Western astrology, the planetary positions presented in their Zodiac do not represent today's astronomical positions. They tend to focus more on the seasons as markers of time. The Tropical zodiac remains unchanged from what was seen in the skies almost 2000 years ago by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Babylonians. The two systems are about 23 days apart (called the "ayanamsa") from where they mark the first point of the sign of Aries, which is the start of the circle of the zodiac (you have to start a circle somewhere). Again, this is due to that slow precessed, backward slipping of the earth. What this means, astrologically, that unless you were born somewhere between the 15th and 20th of the month, your Sun sign will most likely move back one sign in Vedic Astrology.

Benefits

Vedic astrology is linked to other Vedic systems, such as Ayurveda for health, Vaastu for dwellings (like Feng Shui) and other philosophies. Vedic Astrology is part of a holistic, integrated knowledge system and its effects can be bolstered by interoperating with its "sister" sciences. The Vedic Astrology system is kind in that not only is a person told what might happen, but they are presented a list of potential remedies or corrective actions to offset the quantity and quality of karmas that are returning to them, as seen in the birth chart. After all, it is held that the natal chart is a list of the karmas or previous actions that we have brought into this life. The chart, called a Janma Kundali in India, represents our starting point in this life and where our pluses and minuses lie throughout our lives. These fortifying practices, which should only be accepted from very qualified Vedic astrologers, include such measures as gemstones, rudraksha, mantras, balancing rituals called yagyas, and small acts, called Shantis, used to propitiate or soothe the impact associated with unfavorable planetary positions.

The astrology of India is known for the quantity and quality of its analytical and forecasting tools. Most beginners are amazed to find not only the basic natal chart called the "rasi", but also a chart system employing 27 signs of the Moon, called the "nakshatras". There is an additional set of birth charts called the "shodasavargas" which give the practitioner of Vedic Astrology 15 extra charts to examine. The most famous of these is the "Navamsa", which is analyzed carefully for marriage matching and to uncover more subtle aspects of a person's nature.

The most widely recognized Vedic forecasting tool is called the "Vimshottari Dasa" system which can track the karmic influences promised by planet in a chart out to a span of 120 years, with each planet ruling a specific period of a person's life. There are many other techniques, too numerous to mention in this small introduction. In fact one would be hard pressed to be bored in the study of Vedic Astrology with its magnitude of techniques and practices and its links to Vedic philosophy and the development of consciousness.