Vedic Astrology FAQs 2

Vedic Astrology FAQs 2

Summary: Vedic Astrology (Jyotish) basic FAQs, including questions about its origins, its relationship with Hindu beliefs, Jyotish as an “applied” Vedic science, its use of the sidereal zodiac, and why it works with only the nine ‘planets’ up to and including Saturn.

Q. What are the origins of Vedic Astrology?

A. Vedic Astrology was cognized more than 5,000 years ago by an ancient, fully enlightened sage known as Maharishi Parashara [1]. He is said to have discovered the mathematical and astronomical principles that enable future trends to be predicted and potential difficulties to be avoided. This ancient yet timeless wisdom has successfully endured through the ages. Its techniques have been validated through extensive use and observation across many generations.

The teachings of Maharishi Parashara remain the primary foundation for modern Vedic Astrologers.

Parashara was a highly evolved soul whose elevated consciousness was fully awakened and aware of both its own nature and the dynamics governing evolution. To him, the cosmos functioned as an intelligently ordered and interconnected whole, where one event naturally led to another and the unfolding of life could therefore be understood and predicted. Vedic Astrology thus illustrates the relationship between the individual and the cosmic totality, linking human life with the universe itself.

Q. As Vedic Astrology comes from India, is it connected to the Hindu religion?

A. A similar question could be asked about Yoga, which also originated in India. Most people recognize that one does not need to hold Hindu beliefs to benefit from practicing Yoga. The same principle applies to all Vedic Sciences, including Jyotish, Ayurveda, and Vastu.

The Vedic Sciences are intended for the benefit of all people, irrespective of race, religion, nationality, or personal belief system. This ancient body of knowledge is universal and remains highly relevant in the modern world.

Q. Is Vedic Astrology a science?

A. Vedic Astrology is certainly highly mathematical, logical, and systematic in the way it applies the rules and principles of Jyotish to chart interpretation and prediction.

Since Jyotish views the universe as a field of energy and information, its perspective is broadly consistent with many modern scientific ideas concerning the nature of reality. Although thousands of years old, several of its concepts show interesting parallels with contemporary neuroscience, cosmology, and particle physics.

Vedic Astrology functions much like a long-range weather forecasting system and is therefore essentially probabilistic in nature. It seeks to identify when and how actions performed in the past may return as present or future influences in our lives. If potential “storms” are visible on the horizon, appropriate steps can be taken to minimize or avoid difficulties before they manifest. Likewise, when “fine weather” is indicated, we can move forward more effectively and fulfil our goals with greater ease.

However, Vedic Astrology is not knowledge derived through experimental investigation. Rather, it is regarded as cognized and revealed wisdom, provided for the benefit of humanity. This wisdom was revealed to a great Sage more than 5,000 years ago. The ancient Sanskrit texts form part of India's Vedic tradition, which also includes the sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda. Today, there is a growing revival of interest in this timeless knowledge.

Q. When I had my Jyotish chart prepared, I noticed that both my Sun and Ascendant were in different astrological signs compared with my Western Astrology chart. How is this possible?

A. Vedic Astrology divides the celestial sphere into the same thirty-degree segments used in Western Astrology, and these segments carry the same names, such as Aries, Taurus, and so on. However, there is one important difference that accounts for the variation in planetary positions between the two systems: the starting point of the zodiac.

The Sidereal Zodiac used in Vedic Astrology remains fixed relative to the distant background stars. As a result, the segment called Aries always occupies the same position in relation to the fixed stars and constellations. In Jyotish, the beginning of Aries is always referenced to a fixed stellar point.

Western Astrology, on the other hand, uses the Tropical Zodiac, whose starting point is based on the position of the spring equinox. This equinox point gradually shifts relative to the fixed stars. Although the movement is small from year to year, over centuries it becomes significant.

The starting points of the two zodiacs coincided approximately 1,700 years ago. Today, because of an astronomical phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes, they differ by roughly 24 degrees. This difference, known as the Ayanamsha, causes many planetary positions to appear in different signs when comparing the two systems [2].

Of course, if you had been born around 300 AD, there would have been virtually no difference between them.

Q. Why does Vedic Astrology use only the nine ‘planets’ up to and including Saturn? Surely the planets beyond Saturn also influence our lives?

A. In Vedic Astrology, all the information required for prediction across every area of life is encoded within the arrangement of the nine ‘Grahas’ [3] at the moment of birth.

Jyotish does not view planets as emitting some form of physical force that directly acts upon individuals. Instead, the emphasis is on encoded information. This is not a mechanistic, Newtonian concept of force. Rather, Vedic Astrology regards the universe and all beings within it as components of an interconnected field of energy, order, and intelligence.

The placement of the nine planets within the twelve zodiac signs, twelve houses, and twenty-seven Nakshatras at birth reflects how life will unfold over time as a consequence of past actions. Therefore, Jyotish deals with coded karmic information, which contains all the information necessary for interpretation and prediction, rather than with planetary forces themselves.

Footnotes

[2] The difference in planetary positions between the two zodiacs is currently around 24 degrees. For example, if your Sun is located at 28 degrees Virgo in Western Astrology (which uses the tropical or movable zodiac), it would be at approximately 28 − 24 = 4 degrees Virgo in Jyotish (which uses the fixed or sidereal zodiac). In this example, the sign remains unchanged.

However, if your Sun were positioned at 14 degrees Virgo in Western Astrology, the calculation would be 14 − 24 = −10 degrees Virgo in the sidereal system. The negative value simply indicates that the position has moved backward into the previous sign. Thus, −10 + 30 = 20 degrees Leo. In this case, the Sun changes sign when converted to the Vedic system.

[3] Jyotish uses nine Grahas, or celestial bodies (often translated as “planets”): the Sun and Moon (which are not planets in the astronomical sense), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. It also includes two calculated points known as Rahu and Ketu, which are the Moon’s nodes and are associated with eclipses. Jyotish does not use planets beyond Saturn, nor sub-planetary bodies such as Chiron, because these cannot be observed with the unaided eye.