Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter

[Guest guest]

Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter

May, 2004

http://www.jyotish.ws

Michael Laughrin, Michael, (440) 582-9848

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

 

Contents:

1. Welcome to the First Issue of Michael Laughrin's North American

Jyotish Newsletter

2. How to Get the Most From Your Jyotish Reading

3. Book Review of "Core Yogas" by Ernst Wilhelm

4. Some Interesting Jyotish Links

 

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1. Welcome to the First Issue of Michael Laughrin's North American

Jyotish Newsletter

I offer you this newsletter to enhance and deepen your experience of

Vedic Astrology. In each issue, expect to find a combination of

helpful articles, book reviews, Jyotish links and more.

Please visit my website at http://www.jyotish.ws at your

convenience. I offer Traditional/Classical Vedic Astrology,

Intuitional Jyotish (Vedic Astrology based on deep intuition),

Chakra Readings, and Advanced Structured Psychic Work (for deeper

interpretation of your karmic pattern).

 

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2. How to Get the Most From Your Jyotish Reading

By Michael Laughrin, Michael

 

As a practicing jyotishi for the last eighteen years or so, and

having been the recipient of many readings myself (both wonderful,

good, bad and ugly), I have gathered together some little 'tricks'

that will help you have a better jyotish (astrology) [intuitive]

reading.

 

First of all, questions. Have a list of ten big questions (or

thirty + little questions) ready ahead of time. Do your homework.

 

Create in your mind the way you want the reading to go. By 'little'

questions, I mean small, point value things, like "Exactly how much

should I save each month? And which money market fund should I

invest in?" or something else very specific.

 

By 'big' questions, I mean things like "What is my life's purpose?"

or "When are the best times to go on pilgrimage?" In other words,

huge questions that may include in their scope many specific areas

of life.

 

Another common mistake that many clients make is that they are

either too hard or too soft in their approach to the reading. A

person who is too hard is very verbally aggressive and is constantly

interrupting the astrologer and not even letting him finish his

thought. A person who is too soft is very passive, very 'feminine'

and does not take an active role in his/her reading. It's your

reading. Own it! Get involved (but not too much).

 

There are three levels to a reading:

1. What the reader says.

2. How you feel about the issues raised by the reader.

3. What has been happening in your life.

 

If all three of these are harmonious, then you know that you have

had a very good reading. Let me give you an example: If the reader

says, "Starting three months ago, and lasting for another fifteen

months, you entered a period of renunciation, withdrawal, non-

worldliness and spaced out spirituality." And you have been

meditating more than last year, you are on a paid leave of absence

from your job, and all these clothes and books you used to buy now

seem like useless junk, then you know that the reading (and the

reader) is right on the money.

 

If, on the other hand, he says that you are in a monkish period and

you just got a big raise, have bought a new condo, and want power,

money and status…there is either something wrong with the astrologer

or your time of birth is very inaccurate.

 

In most cases, the reader will answer most of your questions without

your having to say anything. Give him a chance and then ask about

those areas that are unclear.

 

Finally, this is all the Relative. Jyotish exists in the field of

Duality. Perfect readings cannot be had on this earth. Rather, you

should view your reading (by a competent reader) as a voice from on

high hinting to you some areas that may need your attention. A

quasi-Divine voice that is suggesting one probable future path that

your life may take. In my experience, only about 5% of one's karma

is 'fixed'; the rest of your karma is somewhat mutable or

malleable. Most of what is seen in the Jyotish chart is malleable

karma that can be changed, ameliorated, or improved on by you

through prayer, meditation, charity, fasting, service (to those

worthy of receiving service), gems and yagyas. Service to one's

parents is the highest remedy, according to Vedic Astrology

tradition. And service to one's Guru is the second best thing that

can be done to improve one's fate or karma. Of course, if one

attains full Enlightenment (in this lifetime), then one has escaped

from the Wheel of Life and Death and one has largely emerged from

the field of karma and karmic retribution, which is what Jyotish is

all about. Since I am not quite there yet, I cannot properly

discuss it. However, some wise Knowers of Reality think that, even

after Enlightenment, one's body may still be the recipient of

leftover Karma, even though the Personality has been burnt up in the

fires of Sadhana (spiritual practice) and the soul is free, clear

and happy forever more. But these frothy and delightful matters are

above and beyond where most Jyotish clients are at psychologically

and experientially.

 

I wish you all Love, Joy, Peace, Enlightenment, perfect health and

prosperity.

 

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3. Book Review of "Core Yogas" by Ernst Wilhelm

Review by Michael Laughrin, Michael

 

When I first heard about "Vault of the Heavens," Ernst Wilhelm's

first Jyotish book, I thought to myself "Oh, no, not another Vedic

Astrology book for beginners. We have too many on the market as it

is." But I was very pleasantly surprised that it was clear, useful,

cogent and a very good learning tool for beginning Jyotishis.

 

Within the last year Mr. Wilhelm has come out with two new books –

"Core Yogas" and "Muhurtha." ("Muhurtha" is not reviewed here.)

Both are truly excellent.

 

I am entirely blown away by "Core Yogas." A 'yoga' is an unusual

combination of planets in Vedic Astrology that somehow defies the

normal rules of astrological interpretation. Many, many books on

yogas exist and most of them are useful, but it seems like one book

is enough. If you own more than one, the others seem

repetitious. "Core Yogas" is in a class by itself. First of all,

Mr. Wilhelm has done fresh translations from the Sanskrit of the

yogas themselves. Second, he gives plenty of real life example

charts for each yoga so that the astute student of Jyotish cannot

fail to see exactly how each yoga works. Third, his use of the

English language is clear, concise and rather delightful! Fourth,

he gives some seldom-seen but very useful yogas that I, as an

eighteen-year veteran of doing Jyotish charts, have never seen, but

that are very practical in real life chart interpretations. Fifth,

there is a very nice 'Index of Yogas' in the back of the book. And,

sixth, there is an exceedingly useful 'Quick Search Yogas List' just

preceding the index. SEVENTH, Mr. Wilhelm has turned over a new

(beautiful) leaf of the theory and practice of Vedic Astrology in

the West in the 21st century.

 

Buy this book. It is recommended for all students (other than rank

beginners) and practitioners of the Divine Science. I consider it

the most useful book on Yogas that I own (other than the classics).

 

You can reach Mr. Wilhelm at http://www.vedic astrology.net

 

"Core Yogas - Yokes to the Fruits of Karmas"

by Ernst Wilhelm ISBN 0-9709636-1-0 $24.95

This book is available from most online book retailers, or by

emailing your request to books21st. It is also available

at Mr. Wilhelm's website – visit http://www.vedic astrology.net and

click Books, then click the "Order Online" link.

 

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4. Some Interesting Jyotish Links

vedic astrology/ - Vedic Astrology

discussion for all levels.

gjlist/ - Vedic Astrology discussion

for serious students.

Note: does not require you to create a email

address. You can simply create a login and to a

group. These are high-traffic newsgroups, so I suggest you

choose "Daily Digest" instead of "Individual Emails" when you sign

up.

 

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Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter

http://www.jyotish.ws

Michael Laughrin, Michael, (440) 582-9848

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

 

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