5 things you must know before you visit an astrologer

Introduction:

Generally speaking the process of visiting an astrologer is filled with fear,confusion,intrigue and secrecy. It should not be so.

Visiting an astrologer should be like visiting any professional. You should do your research well, have your questions ready and be sharp.

You must have at least some knowledge of the following:

1. Your birth chart or janma kundli:

This is the basic starting point for any astrological consult. Without the birth chart , an astrologer cannot begin.

Simply speaking the birth chart is the map of heavens at the time of your birth.

Your date of birth , time of birth and place of birth are required to construct the kundli.

Keep in mind-

A. Indian jyotish uses a square shaped chart whereas western astrologers use round circles as charts.
B. It is preferable to have a computerised chart as compared to hand written one.
C. Always carry your chart with you for the consult.

2. Type of astrologer:

Astrology has different schools of thought and application. For eg injyotish we have the traditional north indian schools, the south indian schools and the K P practitioners.

Depending on the type of astrologer you are visting one can orient oneself.

Even the types of charts required depends on the astrologer.

3. Different combinations in your chart:

Indian astrology or jyotish has certain common combinations which we may have heard of like 'Mangal dosh' , ' Kaal Sarpa Dosh' or 'Pitru dosh'.

These are classical astrological combinations which you may or may not have in your chart.

If you do possess anyone of them , please try to read about them . They are very well researched and talked about. Do not be ignorant

It helps if you are better prepared when you meet an astrologer!

4. Time periods or dashaas :

The basic predicive tool for jyotish is the dasha system based on the position of the moon at the time of birth.

Dasha actually means condition. However in jyotish each planet is given fixed time periods called dashas

Eg. Venus dasha lasts for 20 years , ketu for 7 years etc

However do remember-
A. There are different dasha systems like vimshottari, ashtottari, yogini, char dasha. Hence astrologer decides the dasha system to follow and makes predictions accordingly.
B. Western astrology does not use dashas. It uses primary and secondary progressions which are complex mathematical techniques.

All the predictions given to you are based on the dashas or progressions.

5. Beware of frauds or quacks:

Like in any field , astrology has more than its share of fakes and self- anointed quacks. Hence you must seperate the chaff from the wheat.

Pointers-

A. The person must exhibit certain amount of familiarity with astrological grammar like dashas, transits, planets or houses.

B. A proper astrologer must be able to explain things in the astrological parlance like Shani in 5 house aspecting 7th house.

C. Hence it most desirable to consult someone on someones recommendation or word of mouth.

It is quite possible that you are visiting a psychic who uses astrology but then you must know who you are visiting!!!!!


Conclusion:

If you keep the above mentioned 5 things in mind, your visit to an astrologer will be fruitful , informative and useful.

Match Making of charts : Myths and realities

Introduction:

With the advent of globalization and liberalisation, our lives and cultures have been put under enormous strain. Our cultural fabric is being torn apart , slowly but steadily. The first telling sign of this our MARRIAGE SYSTEM. Marriages are now facing tremendous pressure to succeed.

One of the integral parts of this system, is the often accepted ,but heavily believed MATCH MAKING OF CHARTS OF THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM.

Can the match making process help make better marriages or does it in fact destroy happy and healthy to be marriages??

Objectives of Match Making of charts:

The match making process has been primarily designed for the following reasons:

-To help find the right couple who are mentally and physically compatible

-To ensure that the family would be happy and prosperous

-To see that the couple would be able to produce offspring and give birth to their own family.

The procedure of Match Making:

The process to be followed in math making is as follows:

1.Evaluation of the individual charts

2.Computation of the Gunas or points obtained by the couple

3.Mangal Dosh.

The flaws and objections to the match making procedure:

The current system as enumerated above suffers from the following objectionable flaws :

A.Too much emphasis given to Mangal dosh :

The current procedure followed is too biased towards ‘Mangal Dosh'.

A person is said to have Mangal Dosh, if Mars is posited in the 12th, 1st ,4th , 7th or 8th house in the horoscope.

A person who has the above placements of Mars is also called a ‘Manglik'.

People are generally scared to death with regards to their son or daughter being a Manglik and gloomy predictions are made with respect to their marriages.

B.Lack of individual evaluation of the individual charts :

The individual charts offer more information and insight with respect to the proposed marriage.

Let us look at the 2 scenarios that emerge from the point of view of the BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM.

From the point of view of the Bride the following are important and can be assessed from the horoscope:

-Does the boy have any vices like drinking , womanising etc?

( would depend on the position of Venus and the 5th, 8th and 12th houses in the boys'chart)

-Are the boy's financial prospects bright ?

( evaluation of the 2nd , 9th ,10th and 11th houses)

-Does the boy have an intolerant nature or a very foul temper? ( which can result in violence)

( domination of Fiery signs and placement of Mars in the 8th and 12th house )

-Has the boy had any broken affairs or engagements?

( Proper examination of the 7th house and 7th house lord and Jupiter)

-Does the boy have any serious medical problems like impotency?

( dominance of Barren signs , a weak Venus and the 6th house )

From the point of view of the Bridegroom the folllowing are important and can be assessed from the horoscope:

-Is the girl having a good character?

( examination of the 4th house and Venus and Jupiter )

-Has she had any previous affairs that she has not revealed?

( the 5th ,8th and 12th house)

-Has she had a broken marriage or engagement that have not been revealed?

( the 2nd, 7th house with Jupiter and Venus )

-Does she have any serious medical problems?

( overall examination of ascendant , 6th , 8th and 12th house )

The following questions need to be answered:

A.Would you get your son married to a girl with whom :

the Mangals match perfectly and

the point are 31out of 36

BUT WHOSE CHART REVEALS THAT SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL PREVIOUS AFFAIRS?

B. Would you get your daughter married to a boy who:

has a perfect mangal match

the points are 35out of 36

is extremely rich

BUT WHOSE CHART REVEALS :

he is an alcoholic

has a very foul temper

and has numerous sexual relations with other girls?

ADVANTAGES OF MATCH MAKING:

1.Insight into a person’s personality:

The horoscope helps reveal the entire personality of an individual in a very unbiased manner. For example the horoscope will reveal :

2.The person’s intellectual level

3.The person’s sex drives

4.The person’s attitude towards life

Hence the examination of horoscope would reveal wealth of information about the prospective bride or bride groom.

5.Horoscopes help find the right personality matches :

6.Potential offspring problems:

One of the other benefits of match making is that it informs the couple about their capability and problems in childbirth.

This is done through a proper assessment of the 5th house and position of Jupiter in both the charts.

IT IS ALSO NOW DESIRABLE TO HAVE THE BLOOD SAMPLES OF THE COUPLES CHECKED PRIOR TO MARRIAGE AS COUPLES WITH THE SAME RH FACTOR HAVING TROUBLE WITH OFFSPRING.

How do pujas help your home?

Introduction:

Have you ever asked yourself , why is it necessary to perform pujas or havans in the house? Why the compulsory aartis in certain households? Why the dhoop in the evening?

Well , the answers to these questions lie in the art and craft of space clearing.

Meaning:

Simply stated , space clearing is the ancient art of clearing the energy of a space of all it's negative and dull vibrations.

In order to understand space clearing, we must examine some of it's basic underpinnings:

Energy or chi:

It is a basic belief of most ancient cultures that every space ( which may be a house or open playground ) has an energy of it's own.

This energy is called Prana in Hindu scriptures and Chi by the Chinese.

The chi of a space tends to either positively or negatively affect it's inhabitants, which are mostly humans.

Hence space clearing tries to positively charge spaces to enhance their productivity.

The building blocks of energy:

Many of the scriptures state that ,what surrounds us consists of :

Water

Fire

Air or ether

Hence every space would also consist of the above mentioned elements.

Space clearing utilises each of the above elements with some other elements to bring about a positive Chi in the space.

Techniques of space clearing:

Our ancient Vedic Seers were masters at the art and craft of Space clearing. They performed havans or big pujas which generally consisted of :

the Sacred Fire ( Fire element )

Water was sprinkled ( Water element )

Incense was burnt ( Ether)

The recitation of Mantras and intonations.

Sound is another important element which influences the Chi or energy of any space. The use of bells and Mantras is to enhance the sound element.

Some tips for simple space clearing:

Though we cannot perform elaborate pujas and havans in the house everyday , some tips can be used:

Use of incense daily in the house keeps the house light and nice

It is desirable to light a diva in the morning in the house to appease Agni Dev.

The use of dhoop is recommended once in 15 days at least.

A simple puja can be performed every morning to charge the atmosphere of the house.

Symptoms of weak energy in the house:

Perpetual sickness in the house

Loss of appetite of the family members

Continuous stress and tension in the house

The desire to stay away from the house or space.

Example :

On a Vaastu visit to one of my clients home , it was found that the Vaastu was perfect but the Chi of the place was extremely weak.

I advised certain space clearing procedures to be performed continously for 3 months.

The client reported drastic improvements.

Conclusion:

Space clearing is a powerful practical tool that can be used by us to improve our living spaces.

Selection of houses using Feng Shui

Introduction:

The house is an important part of a person’s life as it provides you with shelter and protection.

However according to Feng Shui( the art of placement), the house is much more than this. The house is a living person who can bestow upon you wealth and prosperity or problems and illnesses as the case maybe. Hence the selection of a new house is a very important decision which one makes.

Feng Shui comes to the rescue of people in such cases by providing certain guidelines which can be adhered to while selecting a house. Feng Shui is simply the art of harmonising oneself with the environment.

This article will deal with the following scenarios that may emerge:

1.Buying a new house in a complex that is yet to be completed (that is under construction houses).

2.Buying a new house that is ready for possession.

3.Buying a house that is / was occupied by someone else and is being offered for sale.

A. UNDER CONSTRUCTION HOUSES:

Houses that are yet under construction or are yet to be completed pose a special problem as the house is not yet in front of the eyes.

In such cases the external feng shui plays a much more important role. The following factors would merit consideration:

How many buildings are there in the complex? Is there enough space between two buidings?

How is the pathway or route from the gate to the entrance of your building?

What is the view from the window of your house? Is it blocked or obstructed?

From a feng shui perspective, a clear open view is desirable.

Is your building close to the highway or electricity poles?

A combination of the above mentioned factors would help in choosing a favourable place for the client. In most cases however, it is recommended to see at least 7 to 8 flats and give them a rating of 1 to 10. The house with the highest rating wins.

B . HOUSES READY FOR POSSESSION:

Houses that are ready for possession pose a slightly lesser problem than under construction houses. But in selection of a ready flat the above mentioned factors also must be kept in mind.

The additional factors that merit consideration:

What is the shape and structure of the house? Is it regularly shaped or is it irregular in shape?

Irregularly shaped houses pose special problems from a feng shui perspective.

In which direction is the main door of the house located?

Where is the toilet of the house located?

Does the house present any structural leverages?

Ready flats are far more easier to chose than under construction flats. As is apparent form the above discussion, in case of the under construction houses , the stress is on the external feng shui and in case of the ready flats the emphasis is on the internal feng shui.

C. HOUSES WITH PRIOR OCCUPANTS:

In case you are buying a house that is or was occupied by someone else, the following are important:

Predecessor Chi:

This means that one must find out why the person selling the house is selling. Is it because of financial problems or bankruptcy or better prospects?

This is the most important facet of selecting a pre-occupies house as the predecessor Chi influences the new occupant of the house.

Apart from the predecessor Chi, all the points as mentioned in the selection of the ready made house are to be taken into consideration before selecting the house.

CONCLUSION:

Feng Shui is one of the most potent tools that can be used for selection of houses as the house is an all integral part of one’s life.

Mangal Dosh and Match Making

Introduction:

 With the advent of the marriage season, there is a great demand for one person- The Astrologer or Panditji. This is because he will Match the horoscopes and pass judgement as to whether a prospective bride or bridegroom is marriageworthy. If he finds something wrong in the chart , the marriage does not take place and if he gives the green signal the marriage is solemnised. So , what is this match - making of horoscopes?

Meaning:

 Match making is the process by which the prospective bride's and bridegroom's horoscopes are assessed for:
- physical ( sexual ) compatibility
- mental compatibility
-their combined ability to give birth to an offspring and
- Mangal Dosh.

 This process is carried out by :
1.Computation of Gunas or Kutas ( points):

 The minimum gunas that must be obtained is 18. If the gunas are less than 18, the match is considered unfavourable.

2. Evaluation of the Mangal Dosh:

 Meaning of Mangal Dosh: A person is said to have Mangal Dosh, if Mars is posited in the 12th, 1st ,4th , 7th or 8th house in the horoscope. A person who has the above placements of Mars is also called a ‘Manglik'.

 Importance of Mangal Dosh: It is said that a Manglik must get married to a another Manglik or a person with Shani ( Saturn ) in the above mentioned positions.

 MYTHS SURROUNDING MATCH MAKING OF CHARTS :

 Having understood the basic grammar of match making , let us examine some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding match making:

1. If a Manglik marries a non-Manglik , the person who is a non-Manglik will die:

 This is one of the most encountered and most baseless myths about Mangal Dosh. For a person to die after marriage the following factors would come into play:
-The person is fated to die only after marriage.
-The person should have a short life .
-The lady getting married to such a person should be fated for widowhood.
- The person should be fated for no married life .

It is only if all these factors come into play simultaneously, then would the person die. Can only one Mangal Dosh cause death??!! Seems illogical.

2. A Manglik will either have a late marriage or a broken marriage:

 This is another falsity about Mars. We must understand that Mars is only 1 of the 9 planets that form part of the horoscope. Late marriages or broken marriages can be caused by Rahu, Ketu and Shani also. If a non-Manglik marries a Manglik ,then that person's fate and progress are stalled: This argument is mostly put forward by men who unknowingly marry a Manglik girl. Just because their horoscope is weak and they are not able to achieve in life , the blame is put on the wife's chart and the Mangal dosh. The reality is that every persons individual chart is the most important.

 Yes it is true that your spouse's stars will influence you, but they cannot alter your fate.

ADVANTAGES OF MATCH MAKING:

 Though match making is plagued by some false myths , there are some merits to it:

1.Insight into a person’s personality:
 The horoscope helps reveal the entire personality of an individual in a very unbiased manner. For example the horoscope will reveal -the person’s intellectual level , person’s sex drives, person’s attitude towards life .
Hence the examination of horoscope would reveal wealth of information about the prospective bride or bride groom.

2. Horoscopes help find the right personality matches : 

This can be explained with the help of few live examples:

 A lady client of mine wished to get married to a prospective bridegroom. Form her chart I knew she was:
- Very aggressive
-Business minded Independent and
-Wanted to continue working after marriage.

 The boy’s chart revealed that he was:
-Slightly orthodox -
-Business minded Not very aggressive
- Obsessed with having a child.

I revealed these observations to my client , who did not get married as their personalities did not match. ( Their gunas were 24 and their Mangals matched!!)

 A typical case came to me where the boy and girl were madly in love with other. However , THEIR MANGALS DID NOT MATCH AND GUNAS WERE 14. The parents were highly reluctant to go ahead with the marriage as they were told that one of them would die.

The charts revealed that they were made for each other and there was no problem whatsoever. I managed to convince the parents for the marriage. They are happily married with 2 children!!!

 Other important matters of concern:

 The examination of charts can also help reveal:
- Is the person suffering from any chronic sickness?
-Has the person had any affairs in the past? -
-Is the person addicted to smoking or drinking or any other bad habits?
- Is the family under any sort of debt or indebtedness?

IT IS ALSO NOW DESIRABLE TO HAVE THE BLOOD SAMPLES OF THE COUPLES CHECKED PRIOR TO MARRIAGE AS COUPLES WITH THE SAME RH FACTOR HAVE TROUBLE WITH OFFSPRING.

 CONCLUSION: It maybe concluded that match making is a tool that must be used judiciously for mutual benefit.

Drug addiction and astrology

Meaning of drug addiction:

 Drug addiction maybe defined as a condition characterised by compulsive drug intake, craving and seeking, despite what the majority of society may perceive as the negative consequences associated with drug use. Drug diction has begun to raise its ugly head with alarming regularity targeting today's younger generation with cocaine, LSD, crack , ganja,and other addictive substances. How is one to fight this beast?

 Astrology can throw some light on the psychological mechanism at work and help in early detection of drug addiction.

Astrology and drug addiction:

 The above definition may be broken down into the following components for better understanding:

1.compulsion craving and seeking
2. complete lack of fear as to the consequences of the drug intake.

 The horoscope is a map of an individuals propensities and mental makeup. It gives us an insight into the personality and distinctive traits that define an individual. If an individuals chart does possess propensities or exhibited tendencies towards compulsion or pleasure seeking , he is more prone to getting into drug addiction.

 Astrological ingredients for drug addiction:

 The following planets would provide the receipe for addiction:

1. Rahu:

It would be pertinent to understand here that rahu is actually not a planet but a shadow planet. Rahu's job is to "cloud your judgement". Rahu puts a veil of darkness on your consciousness which makes you blind to the consequences of your drug abuse.

2.Venus:

Venus is basically the pleasure seeking element . Venus makes us crave and desire for pleasure . venus makes us hedonistic and takes us on a thrill seek.

3.Moon:

 Our ancient yogis were smart enough to understand that the mind plays a pivotal role in our lives. Hence jyotish considers the moon to be more important. Only a weak mind can get addicted and seek compulsion. The mind has the power to override the brain and still get back to a drug inspite of its negative effects.

4. Pluto:

 Pluto is one of the outer planets that always adds fuel to the fire. Many call it a ‘ticking time bomb'. It is the planet of extremities and higher consciousness . pluto can give you a ‘HIGH'after a shot of cocaine or heroine. It seeks newer and bolder mental experiences.

Astrological combinations for drug addiction:

 One must always take the entire chart into consideration before passing judgement. However the following combinations are potent for drug addiction:

- Combination of moon , venus and pluto in the eight house of the chart makes one prone to indulge in secretive pleasure seeking drug or other types of addictions -

- Venus , rahu and pluto together in the 12th house of the chart with a very weak jupiter can make one very susceptible to addictions.

- Rahu , moon and pluto together generally indicate a propensity for seeking newer and bolder experiences. If this combination occurs in the 5th house , the drug addiction will originate at a party or disco or friends house.

 How to fight drug addiction ?

Along with proper therapy and medication from doctors , the following can help fight addiction:

1. Wearing rudrakshas has shown to be effective in curbing desire for drugs.

2. A daily dose of pranayam or yoga can be extremely effective in fighting addiction along with proper therapy like alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous.

3. There are special medicines called Bach Flower Therapy which work very well for drug addiction under a homeopath's supervision.

 Conclusion: 

In case of drug addiction prevention and early detection is better than cure. Astrology can help detect propensities that may lead to drug addiction as planets only incline but do not compel us. 

Do astrological remedies really work?

 The Grahas or The Nine Planets:

 Prominent among the many Faces of God stand the Nine Grahas of Jyotish. Though they are usually called ‘planets' in English, the Nine Grahas are much more that giant balls of matter. To comprehend what these Nine Planets mean to Jyotish, it is necessary to know something of the nature of the word that describes them.

 ‘Graha'(seizer) comes from a Sanskrit root meaning ‘ to grasp or catch hold of' which can mean both a sense organ and hand(‘which physically grasps and grips'). When you can ‘get a grip', you can make good use of what life offers you. Just as you, the individual, can grasp the objects in your external environment, other varieties of graha can get a grip on your internal you.

 The Nine Grahas which are the Nine Planets of Jyotish are the Nine Chief Masks of Reality, the Nine Greatest of the Graspers. The Nine Great grahas are the nine major personalities which arise from the primordial images which populate the world of the mind, images that resemble the archetypes that Carl Jung described. The patterns created in the horoscope by the Nine Planets indicate the form and intensity of the images that will be created within the horoscope's owner, whether he or she is aware of them or not.

 How do the The Grahas work?

Your destiny is the sum of your past actions and the Nine Planets see to it that you reap without fail, what you sow, for that are the Executive Officers of the Law of Karma which is the Law of Action and Reaction. Each graha acts on you according to his own unique job description and the sum of the graha-vectors aimed at your awareness can sometimes cause highly original deviations from the path you had planned to tread.

Meaning of Remedies or Upayas:

 A HOROSCOPE IS A MAP OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S KARMAS, DRAWN TO THE SPECIFICATION OF THE NINE PLANETS Astrologers read this map to discover in which directions success can come effortlessly and which areas life will will be filled with pitfalls

 Upayas or remedies are the means through which an individual aligns and attunes himself or herself with the pure essence of the Universal Principles that are the Nine Planets. As stated above the Nine Planets, tend to create their images in an individual according to their respective positions in the horoscope.

 The task of the Upaya is to manipulate these images either by- Overwhelming them with healthier images, by strengthening our own self-image or Creating a healthy relationship between the person's self-image and the image of the graha.

 A partial list of upayas includes-

1. the recitation of mantras,
2. the wearing of specific gemstones or other objects,
3. the observance of fasts and other vows,
4. specific acts of charity and the worship of fire.

 How do upayas work?

 There is considerable disagreement as to the mechanism by which the upaya delivers it's goods. Some authorities feel that upaya-derived effects develop mainly through faith. When an individual establishes an upaya ritual and follows it with full faith, fully believing in it's effectiveness, his own self-image will be strongly reinforced. Others would have it that since every action has some effect which may or may not be readily traceable to it's cause, it is the effect produced by the act of performing the upaya that causes it's result, in the same way that the fluttering of a butterfly's wings in the Amazon may create a typhoon in Taiwan. India's Mimamsa philosophers, for example, are among those who go so far as to deny any need for faith in action. Mimamsa doctrine teaches that every properly performed Vedic ritual is bound to produce it's desired effect, regardless of the performer's state of mind at the performance time.

 How to undertake upayas?

Some upayas can be undertaken on behalf of others who are incapable of acting on their own behalf. In such circumstances the intention of doing it for the other person, must be clearly kept in mind, so that the results accrue to the right person. In general, however,upayas must be personally performed by the individual who desires the result and must be done with honesty and exactitude. Only when you have tremendous desire will you be able to change your destiny. In most cases, the goal behind the upaya, and the upaya itself when possible must be kept a secret to prevent other people from generating obstructive energies that might disturb the process.

 CONCLUSION:

 In conclusion, it maybe summarised that the effectiveness of an upaya would greatly depend on the proper guidance and help of an experienced and seasoned astrologer. The astrologer must provide sound rationale and guidance to the clients and not leave them in a lurch.