Jyotish Astrology

The area of Kama in Jyotish can be used for understanding relationship compatibility.  India has used this for hundreds of years to assist parents in arranging marriages their son or daughter. It can bring great insight into relationship issues and deeper understanding of one’s mate, which can allow for less judgment and more acceptance. There was one woman who came to me who wanted some understanding into a relationship before she chose to move in with her partner. Their charts were extremely compatible except for one point. He had a quality that liked to go by the books, follow the rules and be the nice guy. She had a quality that was a bit more rebellious and didn’t want to always follow the rules.  She was okay with playing the role of the bad guy if needed. If they could both accept this point about each other, and not argue that the other should be different, then it would help the relationship. She understood, and felt this information would be helpful in their new life together.

            Another common practice of parents in India is to have their new born child’s chart read by an astrologer. This can give great insight and guidance to the parent to know in what ways they can guide their child. This way one would know not to push their child into playing sports if their chart shows the child has great artistic abilities, or one can prepare their child if they have the tendencies for a doctor or lawyer. I have seen children suffer because the parents insist they get involved in sports and the child is not interested but does it to please their parents.

            An example of Artha is in the area of the chart that deals with finances. The planet Jupiter, that is known for expanding things, when it moves through that area in one’s chart may bring increased finances or opportunities for increased finances. Jupiter is the planet that expands whatever area of the chart it goes into.  It has a 12 year cycle. One person I know, during both her 12 year Jupiter cycles, had a large amount of money come into her bank account. That was really fun to see.

Moksha or “liberation” in Jyotish is to guide us in understanding our life path until we reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. Some areas of the chart give insight into where it would be helpful for us to be less attached. I have seen numerous cases where a persons chart will show an emotional distance from one of their parents and it is meant to guide them to look within their own being for the love they were seeking from that parent.

            Jyotish is meant to relieve suffering by bringing clarity.  One example of this is a friend of mine who had wondered why she had just not been able to get the kind of work that inspired her. She kept thinking she must be doing something wrong and creating some type of unconscious block. When I checked out her chart, the good old planet Saturn, which is known for delaying things, was moving through the part of her chart that ruled her career. Saturn likes to delay things so we can gain maturity in an area before it opens up. It looked like, in a couple of years, that would change and something would then open up for her. It was a relief for her to discover this, knowing it would not always be this way. Jyotish is great for showing our cycles of in life.  It can bring great understanding and clarity. Once we learn the cycles we can work with them more harmoniously rather than fighting against them. 

            One thing that brought clarity to me, that I learned the first time I had my chart read, was about the feeling of separation or loss around my mother, and the possibility of my mother having an early death. I was fascinated that could be seen in a chart. Recently, I read an 18 year old girls chart and saw the same configuration, but for her father, and he had died a few years earlier. Additionally, I was able to look at the time of Rock’s death in my chart and gain a deeper understanding of what the cycles were at that time.  I gain a sense of relief knowing there is a divine plan taking place.

            Jyotish doesn’t state that everything is set in stone and can’t be changed. It actually brings awareness to the cycles of life.  Having this awareness allows one to develop the beneficial cycles as well as preparing for the challenging cycles. It is like finding out there is going to be a storm and preparing by wearing appropriate clothing.

Jyotish is a sacred subject and takes a lot of discipline, diligent study, and practice to learn.  It absolutely fascinates me as I continue to see many connections between the planet’s cycles and the events in people’s lives. I hope to continue my intense training and better assist others in gaining greater clarity in their life.

            There are usually a few Jyotish astrologers available for guidance during Amma’s programs in the U.S. The question was asked of Amma, why would someone need an astrologer when they have her as their guru or have faith in God. She replied,  “If someone is fully able to surrender their life to God then there is no need, however, because there are so few who can do that, understanding their planetary cycles can be helpful.”