Your Habits are your Planets

The Vedic Astrological Horoscope Reveals Your Habitual States of Consciosunes - This is why everyone's experiences are so varied and diverse.

We are creatures of habit. Our choices are habitual.  Our thoughts arise and fall by habit. The people we choose to socialize with is based on habit. The foods we eat, the moods we feel, the health we have, is all, 97% of the time, based on habit.  These can all be attributed to a planetary influence within our horoscope. As long as we are habitually identified with the patterns in our horoscope, we will experience the results of that horoscope.

All of these habits, create our life experience, and they reveal the expansiveness (or smallness) of our conscious awareness.  How is that so? Well, our consciousness awareness is either free to make choices based on the reality of the moment, or it is confined to repeat conditioned behaviors, we have either been taught, or we allowed to persist by not exploring other options.  All of these choices, and thoughts are past on from life to life. If you were to die now, you would bring every habit you currently have with you, wherever you go next.  Your next birth chart would reflect the current state of your consciousness.

The more freedom you have in the moment, the larger your conscious awareness, and the better you understand and work with your planetary energies.  The less freedom you have, to choose something other than a habitual reaction, the smaller your conscious awareness, and the more you are ruled by the fated promise of the planets in your horoscope.

Often times, what we expect from other people or situations, does not arise from anything more than our habitual thoughts about those people and situations.  (All based on what our chart says about those areas of our life.)

I’m sure most of you have heard this idea before, and have tried to change your life experience by changing your thoughts about your self, others and situations, and have been frustrated to find that it didn’t work very well.  Then you lost sight of the truth, that your experience is a clear reflection of how identified you are with a particular way of being, and you fell back into your habitual consciousness, and experienced the same things again.

The problem was not the application of the principle, that your expectations color your experiences, it was that you didn’t understand how much

Saturn and Jupiter or Shani and Guru 2012

Saturn Entered Libra on November 15th, 2012

Saturn has moved into Libra as of November 15th, 2011.  Saturn will continue moving forward through Libra until February 8th, 2012.  From February 8th, through May 13th, Saturn will move backwards in a retrograde fashion, until it returns to Virgo until August of 2012.

Strengthened Commitment or Restricted Relationships

Saturn in Libra is exalted.  It is at the highest manifestation of its power, which mean it is as strong as it gets. Depending on your relationship with Saturn (which is determined 1st by your natal chart, and 2nd by your attitude), Saturn can either bring about stronger and deeper commitments, as well as a focus on practical issues to improve relationships, or he can create a feeling of oppression, despondency, delay, and restriction in relationships.  Saturn can also create obstructions in business partnerships, or if Saturn is well placed in your chart, it can create great focus and determination in committing to mutual goals with business partnerships.

Luckily we have the blessings of Jupiter, aspecting Saturn to bring out the benefic influences.

Jupiter will resume his forward momentum in Aries on December 27th, 2011. (He’s been retrograde for a while.) He will continue forward momentum until May 16th, 2012 when he will enter Taurus.

More Optimism and Ability to Accomplish Goals or Self Centeredness and Trusting Things Will Work Out without Proper Action

Jupiter in Aries will give greater optimism, and ability to happily accomplish goals quickly.  It is a period of growth and movement in regards to self empowerment. If you have leadership qualities, they can be activated now.  If you are skilled in promoting philosophies, ideas, or selling and marketing, you will be supported.  If Jupiter is negatively placed or weak within the chart, you may be overly optimistic about what can be accomplished. There can be a lack of proper action, trusting that things will “just work out.”  You may also be prone your self, or subjected to

Jupiter in Aries

other people with false pride, self-centeredness, and and fanaticism.

Keep in mind, our experiences with the planets is based on our own natal chart or horoscope. Transits can only give what is promised in the birth chart.  If it’s not in your horoscope, it’s not going to happen.

Will Astrology Help You?

An astrologer who knows what to look for, can determine almost immediately if a session, or a remedial measure will be effective for you.  To put it more specifically, what they can determine is if the client will be able to hear and understand the information, or will have the will power or strength to actually make the efforts to change future outcomes.

If the astrologer sees certain planetary alignments, that indicate a person may not have the self awareness, access to grace,  or will power to change their lives, the session becomes more delicate. Now the astrologer can do his/her best to find ways to share the necessary information, or inspire the client.  Often all the astrologer can do is share the information, and surrender.

What are the planetary alignments to look for that show if we will be able to fully benefit from an Vedic Astrological Session?  I’ll list them below.  However, this information may be more pertinent to astrologers, since it is astrologically technical.  Of course, it is useful to everyone, because if you know you have these alignments, you can set your self to strengthening your will, and opening yourself more to grace, to alleviate the negative effects.

The 5th and 9th House – Indicators of Good Fortune and Grace

These are houses of grace, and good fortune.  If these houses have malefic or cruel planets influencing them, it makes a person less able to benefit from their grace or good fortune.  It looks like this.

Mercury as a Benefic

Let’s say person #1 has two very benefic planets such as Jupiter or Venus in one or both of these houses.  Often that person, hardly has to do anything at all to have good opportunities fall into their lap.  Or if person#1 is given a few remedial measures to correct negative karmas in their chart, those remedial measures work almost immediately and easily as if by magic.

Let’s say person #2 has two very cruel planets in these houses, such as a negatively placed Saturn, Mars or Ketu. This person will often have to struggle for opportunities, or if they are given good advice, their pessimism or lack of self awareness won’t allow them to benefit from from such advice.  They may be overly critical of the help they are given, and even reject it.

5th and 9th House Lords – Vehicles for Good Fortune and Grace

Should the ruler (or the planet that owns that house) of the 5th or 9th houses be strongly aspected by benefics, in a prominent placement, or placed with the moon or ascendant, this person will naturally also have things work out well for them. They will also easily experience the benefits of a good remedial measure, such as a gemstone, yagya, or mantra practice.  Their consciousness is easier to direct to a more positive and graceful place.

Mars can be motivating or injurious

Should the ruler of the 5th or 9th house lords, be poorly placed, debilitated, or strongly aspected by malefics, it will seem like this person has bad luck, or no matter what they do, things go wrong. Remedial measures still work, but they take more energy and effort on the part of the individual. Good things can still occur for this person, but they will come about more from the person’s determination and will power to rise above these negative influences. And the problem with this is, that people with this placement often can’t see the point or the value in doing such a thing, or they give up too soon.

 

 

The Ascendant or Rising Sign – One’s basic temperament

We must also remember the influence of the ascendant. This is our general personality, how we project our selves to the world, and how we

Classic Saturn and Mars Influence

experience life. If the ascendant is well supported, the person will experience more ease in accomplishing their goals. If it is not, the person will have to rely more on personal grit and motivation.

“Good” and “Bad” planets are not black and white either. If Saturn and Mars, (two planets generally termed hard and cruel) are strongly aspecting the ascendant one can still be extremely successful, as these are planets of drive, endurance and motivation. Now, they may not accomplish their goals in the nicest way, as these two planets together can be ruthless, but they will still get the job done.

Too Much Venus, Mercury or Jupiter

Similarly, Mercury, Jupiter, or Venus aspecting the ascendant can give an easy life, but sometimes, they can make life too easy.  A person may easily accomplish goals, but should a situation arise that requires tenacity, will power, and toughness to get through, they can easily crumple, as they are not used to moving through difficulties.

What is best is to have a positive balance of the hardness and endurance and will power of the malefics and the openness to grace and good fortune of the benefics.  This way, we can handle any situation that comes our way.  We are then able to put forth the energy needed for our astrological healing remedies to work, as well as being open to the grace, that can do what we cannot.

Jupiter in Aries 2011

As of this moment, Jupiter is at 15 degrees of Aries. He has been in Aries since, May 5th, 2011.  He will stay in this position until May 17th, 2012.

Jupiter Guru is in Aries

(The sanskrit names for Jupiter is Guru, and Aries is Mesha.)

15 degrees is the very middle of the sign, and shows the strongest placement for a planet to have an influence on the horoscope.

Aries is a masculine, movable, fire sign, ruled by Mars.  Jupiter transiting this position, combines energies of Mars and Jupiter. Mars = energy, and Jupiter = abundance, abundance on all levels from financial to vitality to enjoyment. This combination is a variation of what we could call a Guru Mangala Yoga.  It creates enthusiasm, vitality, optimism, and a strong will to succeed and move forward, overcoming obstacles. This can help a person strive to attain leadership roles, or to increase their education. If Jupiter is a friend to your ascendant or moon sign, and is well placed in your natal chart, this is an excellent time to tap into that added burst of life created by this combination and to take your life in a new direction, or build upon your past successes.

This can also be a spiritually uplifting time, and a good time to learn from your teachers or father figures in your life.  For women, this is a good time

for your husbands.

If Jupiter is not a friend to your ascendant or moon sign, you may find that you spend your wealth too quickly, before you even get it. There could be negative turn outs to legal proceedings, or someone might be mismanaging your funds. This can also show an intrusion of the father into your daily routine, or you might have to spend more time with father to take care of him. For women, husbands might be costing you a lot right now.

Jupiter is a friend to the signs of Aries, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

Jupiter is not a friend to Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Capricorn, and Aquarius.

(Keep in mind, that there are layers upon layers of influences within one’s chart. And usually there is a mixture of good and bad influences. To find out how planets and transits affect you in astrology, you can either pay attention to how your life proceeds as the planets move, or you can have someone interpret your chart.)

 

Vedic Astrology Transits

The following excerpt on Transits is from the upcoming book by Richard Fish and Ryan Kurczak, soon to be published by CSA Press.

“A transit refers to the passage of a planet through the zodiac at a particular point
in time. The constantly changing planetary positions (transits) are used in
reference to the birth chart or horoscope, which depicts a diagram of planetary
positions frozen in time and space. A transit chart can be created with reference
to the birth chart in order to observe the relationship between the two charts. The
transit chart will indicate those planets and areas of the birth chart which are
being activated by the transit chart.

When using transits it usually the current positions of planets that are being used
in order to understand the influences affecting ones life. In order to do this you
will need an Ephemeris (a publication giving the daily position of the planets). It is
not usually necessary to draw a separate transit chart. The transits of the
relevant planets can simply be noted or recorded in pencil around the outside of
the birth chart.

As an example let us suppose that the current position of Jupiter is found to
coincide with the rising degree of your Ascendant. The likelihood is that you will
be feeling more optimistic than usual. Agreeable circumstances are more likely to
be encountered and so on. Throughout the 12 month period that Jupiter takes to
transit your Ascendant sign you will tend to experience the influence of the planet
on your general outlook on life. Matters associated with the house position of
Jupiter and the houses that it rules in your birth chart will make some sort of
impact on your life.

Of course, we should consider the positions of all the planetary transits – not just
one in isolation. Perhaps at the same time that Jupiter is in your 1st house
transiting Saturn is passing through your 10th house, indicating that this is also a
time when you find yourself having to pay greater attention to your career –
perhaps there are added responsibilities in the work-place. In this way we can
build up a picture of your current situation and circumstances.

Transits, just like dashas, will never contradict the basic indications of the birth
chart. They only serve to help us understand when the potentials indicated in the
natal chart are likely to manifest. Dashas and transits are tools for determine the
correct timing of horoscopic factors.”

Copyright Richard Fish and Ryan Kurczak 2011

Vedic Astrology Mantra Remedies

A client recently asked me which mantras were best to use.  She indicated there were a number on the internet, and she could not decide which was most appropriate.

While it is best to learn a mantra directly from someone who has practiced the mantras, that is not always immediately possible.

The following mantras are effective, and ones I have used since beginning the study of astrology.

Jupiter 2011

We have spoken of Saturn. Now let us turn our attention to Jupiter in 2011.

Jupiter began 2011 in Pisces

 

The rising sign for 2011 is Sagittarius. This constellation is ruled by Jupiter. The qualities of Sagittarius are that of idealism, fairness, striving for freedom, aspiring, humanitarian, and both physically and mentally vigorous. This is a strong sign.

Within Sagittarius in the horoscope for 2011 is Rahu, Sun, and Mars. These are very outgoing planets. They show ambition, drive, and potentially over zealous willfulness. The Sun and Mars are both good friends with Jupiter, and so while these planets can be overbearing from the egoic standpoint, the fact that they are in Sagittarius, a sign of higher knowledge and philosophy, shows a strength towards being true to our selves. Having Rahu in Sagittarius with the Sun and Mars, does show some uncomfortableness along the way. Rahu is the pioneer, and the outcaste, and so may bring about some discontent from others, as we learn to move into our truer more dynamic selves.

Sagittarius is the Rising Sign for 2011

Jupiter is in the fourth house of this chart, in its own sign of Pisces. It is only at 2 degrees. This shows its youthfulness and dynamism comingforth as the year faces the challenges of growing up, and growing into wisdom, while learning to have a steady vision and solid ethic towards service.  Saturn’s gaze from the 10th house will make sure that the potential for growth is well contained, and doesn’t turn into a spoiled exuberance that quickly blows itself out.  Being true to our selves this year is not about the personality, but for the whole of humanity.

Jupiter is at 2 degrees of Pisces at the Beginning of 2011

Jupiter in the fourth house (emotions, home and family life) gives support from the family, and from our spiritual heart. As we grow through the year, we may need to turn to our families (those people whom we are deeply connected to) for support, wisdom, and guidance. Also, taking the time to cultivate family-like ties will do well.  We will find healing and strength both within our families, and by turning within to our inner heart often.