Does Astrology Work?

Since times immemorial, our ancestors have been finding mystery, fantasy and life lessons written across the vast expanses of the night way. Their rapidly developing brains found meaning in the constellations, giving birth to astrology. But does astrology really work? Millions of people across the globe start their day with a horoscope while a million others despise their habits. What is astrology and should you trust it? Let's find out.

Understanding astrology- or Jyotish

I find it difficult to explain "astrology" to people. The word "jyotish" is what provides my study of astrology more meaning. "Jyotish" can be loosely translated as the study of light. This is precisely why the seers of yore took into account- two luminaries, five planets that could be seen from the naked eyes and two shadow planets (magnetic points) that comprise the system of Indian vedic astrology.

What do we do when we study astrology? Well, Jyotish is considered a vedanga or a part of the vedas. In essence, it is not merely a way to predict the future, but to understand the cosmology of the world we inhabit. It includes calculations of different stars, their relative position to us, the watcher, and how their light reaches us.

This is easy to understand via the concepts of retrograde and combust planets. A planet is combust when it is hidden behind the Sun and can no longer reflect its light to us, the watchers. A retrograde planet is a planet whose speed is relatively slower than the Earth while it goes around the Sun. To us, the onlookers, the planet appears to be moving in the backward direction.

Remember, in both the cases, we are paying great attention to the onlooker and his perspective. Even eclipses are not visible around the world at the same time. So the realities of both people- one who resides in a place where the eclipse is visible and one who resides in a place where the eclipse is not visible, are both valid. What is more valid, however, is the fact that the Sun or the Moon came in close contact with the nodes.

Finding meaning

Is astrology subjective or objective? People often ask if what we are saying is purified nonsense designed to keep the foolish engaged. That, fortunately, is not the case. Jyotish helps in determining the flow of time in life. In an agricultural society, that we have lived in for centuries before the industrial revolution finally began, it was important to check the flow of the winds and the direction of the rain. The Gods we worshipped and the worries of our minds were closely linked to our experiences that could be predicted via the movement of the stars

Remember, when we calculate the movement of the stars, we are also calculating the movement of the Earth in relation to these planets or stars. We are providing meaning to our life and in a truly Indian fashion, this meaning is deeply rooted in mathematics and comes wrapped in the attire of tradition bejeweled with esoterism.

It is not always welcome to make fun of astrology based on that one person in your circle who thinks they are being a jerk to everyone around because "mercury went retrograde."

That's not how it works.

Holistic astrology and the concepts behind it

Oh! so that person who thinks they are entitled to emotional outbursts because they are a scoprio makes you hate astrology? Think again.

At Bhagyashree Holistic Astrology, I am trying to build our knowledge of jyotish in a new way- simple, effective and easy to understand and remember. This astrology is devoid of the general concepts of "damn! that kundli has a few issues" and "you must wear this stone to get ahead in life."

No. That's not the point. In my years of astrological consultations, I have found that the universe works in very simple ways. The complex system that we exist in is based on a few simple laws with endless possibilities. Your birth at a certain time and place could open up new avenues for you. You can not only find success but also fulfillment.

You don't always have to use jyotish to predict the future. While predictive astrology is an amazing thing, I prefer to use jyotish to help people understand themselves. The 12 houses of your kundli, occupied by 9 planets, give us a wealth of possibilities to work with. Who you are, what you like, where you feel fulfilled and what creates the foundation of your personality can be judged easily via Holistic Astrology.

You can learn more about yourself and what you want to be truly happy. This information can then be used to guide you on the path of fulfillment. We must never forget that we must always put in efforts first.

Is astrology against free will?

Astrology is not against free will. In fact, it leaves space for free will in a predetermined universe. Reading the puranic stories, you understand that we exist in a multiverse that is designed to come into existence and get destroyed in a pre-determined fashion.

Astrology gives us the path of that pre-determined fate but leaves some space for your daily activities, your thinking and your free will. If you don't trust me, look at the sixth house of your kundli and you will realize what I am talking about. There is always a chance for improvement, always a chance for progress. However, it must only happen within the bounds of that predetermined fate.

The more you struggle against the essence of your being, the more stress you bring into your life. We will talk about this subject in detail in upcoming posts.

Yes, astrology weorks

Yes, astrology certainly works. It helps people in finding a path, heals their broken hearts, brings faith back into their lives and plays an important role in guiding them towards their best possible future. If you look at astrology like a guiding light, you will definitely find true meaning and true fulfillment in life. Jai Ma Bhagwati!