Guest guest Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter October/November 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contents -- Star Trek and Dharma -- Kala Sarpa: The Serpent of Time -- Intelligence in Vedic Astrology -- The Path Into Shastra Part IV: Infusing Freshness Into Established Tradition I offer you this newsletter to enhance and deepen your experience of Vedic Astrology. In these newsletters, expect to find a combination of helpful articles, book reviews, Jyotish links and more. The purpose of this newsletter is to educate and titillate the Jyotish- loving public. The opinions given within are solely those of the author. In this issue, enjoy my astrological interpretation of the Star Trek series. Deborah Allison examines Kala Sarpa, The Serpent of Time and offers Part IV of her Path Into Shastra series: Infusing Freshness Into Established Tradition. And I examine how intelligence is indicated in a chart according to Vedic Astrology. Please visit my website at www.jyotish.ws at your convenience. The best articles from these newsletters are archived on this site. I offer access to an excellent yagya program. - Michael Laughrin (Michael) Star Trek and Dharma ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Michael Laughrin (Michael) It's time to come out of the closet. I have to admit it. I am a Trekkie. I am an unrepentant devotee of Star Trek in all its iterations. We own them all—all 28 years of Star Trek episodes. We have just begun to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation for the fourth time. One can never get enough upliftment, progressive values and truth. For me and my wife, Star Trek reinforces our adherence to dharma, that ancient Hindu word that includes righteousness, religion, right behavior, law, enlightenment—and maybe more. How so? Let me see if I can simply enumerate the Star Trek philosophy as I see it: Cultural Integrity—Each culture has a right to conduct its affairs without being unduly disturbed by others. Freedom—Each individual (whether human or not) is free to do as he/she/it chooses as long as that action does not infringe on the rights of others. Happiness—Each person ought to seek happiness and be happy to the best of his or her abilities. This includes maximizing your full potential through creative, educational or athletic pursuits in addition to your regular job. Relationships—An individual can love anyone without restriction as long as those feelings are reciprocated. Exploration—The grand goal of the sentient beings on Star Trek is to constantly learn more, become more, and express more. Equality—No gender and no species are superior to any other gender or species. Self-defense—While Starfleet officers are not military and they always prefer peaceful communications to violence, they will readily use violence (at the minimum level appropriate) if it is deemed necessary. Rule of Law—Slavery and repression of the basic rights of any sentient being are not tolerated. Reverence for Life—In all its diverse forms, life is revered and respected. Environmental Protection—A primary concern is protecting the natural environment from wanton destruction. Personal " Enlightenment " —All personnel on the Enterprise D are on the path to personal, spiritual, psychological, and evolutionary development. This is encouraged by Captain Picard and indeed expected. How do these ideas relate to the ancient Hindu dharma? Hinduism (I prefer the phrase Sanatana Dharma or " Eternal Teaching " ) allows freedom for all cultures to do their own thing. It is basically non- violent and liberal, but it is also conservative because it continues to firmly uphold eternal verities without regard to the passage of time. It never tries to convert anyone by force. However, self- defense is appropriate when one is attacked by a violent enemy. With the teachings of re-incarnation, you are free to pursue any and all human endeavors as you strive for eternal Happiness or Enlightenment. The Rule of Law allows each individual or group to pursue its goals without disturbance. All religions are allowed as long as they do not try to interfere with other religions. Furthermore, Sanatana Dharma definitely shows extreme reverence for life in all forms; indeed many followers of the Vedic path are ardent vegetarians. In Star Trek, most people we see eat food from a replicator, which is neither animal nor vegetable, but qualifies as vegetarian because no animals are killed. Every living Hindu or Buddhist guru that I know of is decidedly pro- environment. Indeed the earth as a whole is considered to be a goddess and we must worship, nurture and take care of her as she is our Mother. Here I must admit that the " Star Trek philosophy, " as I call it, is really a compendium of Eastern dharma and philosophies derived from the American constitution. Concerning relationships, dharma seems more restrictive than the modern American idea of each one being entitled to " life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. " Regarding equality, I do not believe that the Hindu caste system was intended to put one group of people over another. Rather, I think it was designed help young people make their way in life without stress by learning the skills of their forefathers and foremothers. Concerning exploration (and fulfillment), most certainly modern America holds these values at the core of its being. Each person is free to explore his skills and/or potentials to the best of his abilities, thereby enhancing his own life and improving society at one fell swoop. Modern India, increasingly, seems to be moving in the same direction. Sat Yuga (the ancient " Golden Age " of India) was supposed to be a time when everyone was happy, fulfilled and healthy, with each person expressing his maximum potential without strain. Therefore, it seems to me that freedom of expression and freedom to reach your full potential are as much a part of dharma as of modern America. Equality, in the eyes of dharma, hinges on the idea of moksha (liberation) or Enlightenment. The Absolute is the essence of each of us, whether rich or poor, male or female, black or white. We are all expressions of that Eternal Infinite Intelligence that was never born and never dies. Therefore, in a very real but primordial sense, we are all equal in our potential to gain moksha or Enlightenment regardless of different circumstances at birth. What does all this have to do with Astrology? It seems to me that each of the main " Star Trek: Next Generation " characters typifies one sign or the other. (Note: While it is true that these characters may have dates of birth, this list is my interpretation of their signs based on their personalities. No need to get literal here.) Counselor Troy, the psychic intuitive, obviously has most of the qualities of Pisces: boundlessness, feelings over thinking, and she " goes with the Flow " to a very great degree indeed. Lieutenant Worf, a prime example of the Klingon warrior race, obviously represents Mars, perhaps the impetuous Mars in Aries but I think more likely an exalted Mars in Capricorn. After all, he is a Starfleet officer and he does follow orders quite well. Commander William Riker represents Taurus the Bull: strong, stable, a big hit with the ladies and a trombone player. Data, the mechanical man, is the sign of Gemini taken to a ridiculous extreme: maximum calculating abilities, no feelings, perfect memory, amazingly quick, and eternally youthful. Dr. Beverly Crusher is the perfect Virgo: smooth, practical, a skilled healer, and quietly sexy in a demure, contained manner. Geordi La Forge represents the planet Uranus and the sign of Aquarius. He is very modern, with his abilities to " see " or " perceive " vastly more than most humans by using his visor. He is Data's best friend. In astrology, Aquarius and Gemini get along marvelously well with each other. Uranus rules electricity and all that is modern. Geordi is an engineer par excellence. He is deeply learned in all the most advanced laws of physics and electromagnetism. But, like the quintessential nerd that he is, he is not very successful at " making time " with the opposite sex. Most likely, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Sagittarius with a healthy dose of Leo thrown in for good measure. He is extremely intelligent. (Sagittarius is supposed to be the smartest of signs.) He is optimistic and always wants to discover new corners of this and other galaxies. Sagittarius always wants to go, go, go. Also, Sagittarius has a strong religious/philosophical side that Captain Picard perfectly portrays. He is always reading in his spare time, usually a hefty tome of deep philosophy. Jupiter is the most traditional of planets and deeply respects tradition. Captain Picard's main hobby is archaeology, the deep study of ancient civilizations. The Leo is seen as he is, most definitely, the king on his own ship—although a very good and modest king. To me, Star Trek is THE ultimate myth for our time. It shows us how to behave, how to get along with others, what to believe and what to feel. Also it gives us many wonderful examples of the deep meaning of friendship, comradeship and co-operation. It looks forward toward the future while still appreciating the past. As far as I am concerned, it unites the eternal teachings of the Vedas and modern American constitutional philosophy, and cloaks them in 21st (and 24th) century garb. Live long and prosper! From Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter October/November 2007 www.jyotish.ws Kala Sarpa: The Serpent of Time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Deborah Allison (upgpf) Man's fascination with snakes spans continents, cultures and centuries. They have the elusive air of mystery, power, wisdom and menace. Countless myths, biblical references, ancient iconography and contemporary art feature these fascinating creatures. It is therefore not surprising that one of the most interesting and elusive yogas in Vedic Astrology is called the Kala Sarpa. Kala Sarpa can be translated as " the serpent of time " but also as a black snake, which could be a reference to the cobra. The mystery begins with the fact that there are no references to the Kala Sarpa yoga in any of the classical Jyotisha texts (outside of some South Indian works). This is strange, considering that this yoga is very well known throughout India and regarded with awe and even fear. The Kala Sarpa seems to be embedded in the very consciousness of Indian culture with its rich history of legends, rituals and respect for the snake, a creature that is all too often encountered with suddenness and deadliness. The mystery is deepened by the fact that there is no agreement about the exact formation of this yoga or even the results. One constant however, is that the yoga involves the entrapment of all of the grahas between Rahu and Ketu. Rahu and Ketu are the shadow grahas that play a major role in the story of the restoration of the splendor of the devatas who were decimated by a curse levied on their King Indra by an irate rishi. They were advised to cooperate with the asuras and churn the unbounded ocean of creation so that the nectar of immortality would manifest, which would restore their luster and good fortune. Rahu/Ketu was an asura, a serpent (what a surprise!). Being clever, cunning and adept at disguise, it managed to slip into the banquet where the devatas were dispensing the newly manifested nectar of immortality. Rahu, the head of the serpent, greedily drank the nectar and forgot to maintain its disguise. The Moon cried out to the Sun that an asura had crashed the banquet, and the Sun promptly threw its great discus and severed the serpent in half. Rahu the head and Ketu the tail became forever separated but immortal. They swore eternal revenge on the Sun and Moon and now lurk invisibly in the cosmos. When the luminaries come too close, Rahu swallows them and Ketu stings them. Fortunately, as Rahu and Ketu are cut in half, the Sun and Moon pass safely out into the empty space separating the severed asura. This is the Indian explanation of an eclipse—the grand illusion of shadows and the eternal dance between the light of the Sun and Moon. It represents the mysterious veil of the serpent. If Rahu and Ketu have this power over the mighty luminaries, it is not too far a leap to think of the plight of the seven grahas trapped between the gaping mouth and venomous tail of the great Kala Sarpa. It is this image that gives rise to the dire predictions of doom and gloom for natives who have this configuration. However, it is also the case that some natives with this configuration have amazing blessings and a rise akin to that produced by raja yoga. Others experience both. Let's look at a few charts for examples showing some of the variations we find for this combination. To begin with, there are two types of Kala Sarpa Yogas. One is when all of the seven grahas that are caught in the axis are moving toward the mouth of the serpent, Rahu. This is called anuloma and is considered the main formation. The other is when all of the planets are moving towards the tail Ketu and is known as viloma. Although the most exacting definition is that all seven should be in the houses between Rahu and Ketu, in some cases the yoga will fructify even if one or more grahas are posited in the same house as Rahu, Ketu or both. Note: The charts are available at http:/www.jyotish.ws/materials or read this article online at http://jyotish.ws/wisdom/kala_sarpa.html The dramatic and relatively short life of writer Franz Kafka in Chart J1 ( " The Metamorphosis, " " The Trial, " " The Castle " ) is mirrored in the intense combinations in his remarkable chart. The Kala Sarpa Yoga shows all the grahas moving toward Rahu and is therefore an anuloma Kala Sarpa Yoga. It is set in a chart that has a striking combination of all of the seven planets in only two houses—a combination that is distinctly not favored by the shastra. In addition, the lagna lord Moon is at 0 degrees and in the 12th house. The only planet that aspects the ascendant is Saturn. Mercury and Venus are in a planetary war on the exact degree. There are certainly yogas which point to his pre-eminence and even posthumous fame but the remarkable afflictions in his life—both mental and physical—jump off the page while the RA/KE axis dominates a remarkable imbalance in the positioning of the grahas. The famous opera singer Maria Callas in Chart J2 is an excellent example of both the enormous rise and fall that the Kala Sarpa Yoga combination portends. This great diva has the viloma configuration with all the grahas moving towards Ketu. The huge rise of this immortal soprano is portended by the powerful yogas present in this chart. However, the seeds of an early demise and unhappiness in relationships is likewise seen by the lagna lord in the 12th in a planetary war with a very powerful Saturn that also aspects the 7th lord and karaka for marriage, Venus. This Kala Sarpa combination ignited all the yogas in the chart, but with the inherent weakness of the lord of the lagna, the yoga also helped manifest the great pathos and tragedies of her life. The chart of ayurvedic physician Deepak Chopra (Chart J3) also illustrates a viloma Kala Sarpa Yoga with some other remarkable combinations that pointed more in the direction of rise rather than suffering. In this chart, the Rahu side of the axis is joined by Venus. This gives a special spin to the outcome of this yoga. Venus is the lord of the 9th joining Rahu in a kendra, forming a dharma karma adhi pati yoga. It also participates in a dramatic and powerful parivartana yoga between the 9th lord Venus and the 10th lord Mars. This is simultaneously a raja yoga of the highest order. The chart also has a pravraja-like yoga of four planets together in one house. Here, it is in the 9th house which gives a huge focus on higher philosophy, knowledge, founding institutions, spiritual path and teaching. Here is another chart (Ken Lay, Chart J4) where Venus joins one of the nodes, but this time it is with Ketu and in the 6th house, a dusthana compared to being in a kendra right at the mid-heaven. The whole disposition of this chart is dramatically different than that of the Chopra chart. There is also a Parivartana Yoga but this time it is between the 9th and the 6th. There are some strong yogas in this chart as well, speaking to Ken Lay's preeminence. His Rahu dasha brought downfall as the Kala Sarpa formation itself stretched across the difficult 6/12 axis with Rahu sitting in the 12th house. The Enron scandal broke in 2001 during RA dasha VE bhukti with both in 6/12. In contrast to the previous charts, SA aspects one end of the axis—in this case, the KE/VE side in the 6th house of enemies, disputes and lawsuits. The indictment came in the RA SU period which activated the 12th and 8th houses and the conviction and death in Rahu Mars once again activating the 12th and 8th with MA as lord of the 8th and most difficult planet for a Virgo lagna aspecting the ascendant. Mr. Lay would have been required to serve up to 25 years in prison but, he died at the age of 64 shortly before he was to be sentenced. In all the example charts, the Kala Sarpa Yoga delivered both sides of its potential, though the distribution of rise and fall differed dramatically. One of the distinguishing factors in terms of rise versus fall has to do with whether the Kala Sarpa Yoga was simultaneously tied in with other beneficial yogas and/or whether it was afflicted. Another critical factor, as always, is the all important strength of the lagna and lagna lord. Intelligence in Vedic Astrology ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Michael Laughrin (Michael) There are two main planets that indicate intelligence in a Jyotish chart. The first is Mercury, which stands for cleverness, speech, mathematical and logical abilities and the intellect. Higher education is also indicated by Mercury, and this will be the topic of a future article. The other karaka (significator) for intelligence is the Moon, the general indicator of the mind. The most important house that correlates with intelligence is the 5th house—the house of Purva Punya or past life credit. This past life credit can manifest as children, luck in investments or gambling, getting good mantras and/or initiations and INTELLIGENCE. The other house that indicates intelligence, to some degree, is the 1st house—the house of the self. But the 5th house is, in my opinion, at least 2 to 3 times stronger than the 1st house as an indicator of native smarts. Of course, the blessings of lord Jupiter also can indicate great intelligence. As a matter of fact, the sign Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) is considered to be among the most intelligent signs of the Zodiac. As usual, the more connections there are among the planets and houses related to intelligence, the higher the IQ should be. Here are some combinations for intelligence mentioned in the classic texts: Brihat Jataka *The Moon in the 5th house. Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra *The first house indicates the intellect, intelligence and the brain. Garga Hora *Moon, Jupiter and Venus in the 10th house—beautiful; very brave; endowed with sons and friends; has abundant wealth earned by his vast intelligence. Jataka Parijata *Birth in Ashwini nakshatra—the native has a great deal of intelligence. *Moon in Pushya—possesses wealth and intelligence. *If Jupiter is in exaltation, his own sign, or the 9th house, then the native becomes a lord of great beneficence equal in status to kings and admired for his conspicuous intelligence, energy and other great qualities. Sanketa Nidhi *The fifth house is the house of intelligence. Saravali *Jupiter equals intelligence. *When Jupiter aspects Mercury in Sagittarius or Pisces, the native will be rich by memory, intelligence and ancestors; furthermore, he is beautiful, noble and knowledgeable; he will be a king's minister or his treasurer; he is also a writer. *Moon in the 9th house equals intelligence. *Mercury in the 10th house indicates distinguished intelligence. *If all the natural benefics are in benefic rashis in houses 2, 5, 8, and 11 while the natural malefics occupy dual signs, the native becomes a king, destroys all his enemies and is equal to Jupiter in intelligence. *In a favorable Moon dasha, the native achieves success in undertakings out of his intelligence. *Favorable Mercury dasha equals high intelligence. *If the ascending degree is in the first half of Cancer, the native has eminence and intelligence. Sarvartha Chintamani *Intelligence is indicated by the 5th house, Mercury and the lord of the 5th house. *If Mercury has full strength, and the 5th lord is aspected by a benefic and the 5th house is occupied by a benefic, the native possesses a keen intellect. *If the lord of the navamsha occupied by the 5th lord is in a Kendra or trine and is aspected by the 5th lord, the native possesses keen intelligence. *If the 5th lord is a benefic and is conjunct a benefic or in the sign of a benefic, then the native becomes a man of intelligence and wise. Note: The charts for this article are available at http://www.jyotish.ws/materials/ or read this article online at http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/intelligence_vedic_astrology.html In Chart J5, we see a woman with an IQ above 130 who consistently won academic awards and was noted for being the most intelligent graduate of her master's degree program. Why is this the case from the Jyotish point of view? 1. The house of intelligence (the 5th house) has one of the natural indicators of intelligence, the Moon, exalted in the 5th. 2. The lord of the 5th, Venus, is conjunct a natural benefic (Mercury) and is aspected by another benefic—Jupiter. 3. The main karaka of intelligence, Mercury, is conjunct Venus and is fully aspected by Jupiter. 4. All the natural benefics are in houses 2, 5, and 8 and all of the natural malefics (except Mars) are in dual signs. 5. The 1st lord aspects the 5th house. Chart J6 shows a man who was a National Merit Scholar and who got three 800's on his College Boards. How come? 1. The 5th house of intelligence has two benefics in it. 2. The Moon aspects the 5th house. 3. The lord of the 1st house is in the 5th house. 4. The lord of the 1st (Venus) is conjunct the natural indicator of intelligence—Mercury. 5. The natural benefics are all in houses 2, 5 and 11. Chart J7 is that of an 11-year-old girl who skipped a grade and was placed in honors classes at the same time. 1. The lord of the 5th (Jupiter) is in the 5th house. 2. The lord of the 5th is retrograde, adding strength to it. 3. The prime indicator of intelligence, Mercury, is in his own sign of Gemini in the 11th house. 4. The lord of the 1st house aspects the 5th house. 5. The lord of the 1st is conjunct the naturally brainy planet Mercury. 6. The lord of the 5th, Jupiter, aspects the 1st house, the 9th house and the lucky 11th house. 7. The 5th lord is a benefic and is in the sign of a benefic. 8. All of the natural benefics (the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter) are in angles, trines or the 11th house. Chart J8 is that of a 17-year-old female who is valedictorian of her class, got almost a perfect score on her SAT's, and is an expert in classical singing and classical dance. 1. The lord of the ascendant, Venus, is conjunct the natural intelligence indicator, Mercury, in the 11th house of goals and desires. 2. The lord of the 1st and Mercury both aspect the 5th house of intelligence. 3. Jupiter, one of the main karakas of brains, is exalted in the 10th house of success. 4. Exalted Jupiter aspects the Moon, which is another karaka of intelligence. 5. The Moon has directional strength in the 4th house. 6. The lord of the 5th house, Saturn, aspects the 5th house. 7. Mercury is retrograde. That gives it a great deal of strength. Summing up, if we look at Mercury, the 5th house and the lord of the 5th as primary indicators, we can usually spot a smart person a mile off. Secondarily, we can, if we choose, look at Jupiter, the Moon, and the 1st house. Thirdly, look at all the natural benefics and houses 2, 5, 8, and 11. It also helps if most of the natural benefics are in houses 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 or 11 and also if the natural malefics are in houses 3, 6, 8, 10, 11 or 12. I hope that this gives the reader some useful " rule of thumb " guides to quickly gauge intelligence in a Jyotish chart within 10 minutes or less. Also, please examine the Navamsha chart using the same rules. The Path Into Shastra Part IV: Infusing Freshness Into Established Tradition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Deborah Allison (upgpf) Note: This series, " The Path Into Shastra, " explains how the root works of the Vedic tradition, including Jyotish and Ayur Veda, are organized. These principles will be a great help in starting to unlock the wisdom that is literally encoded in these texts. See also Part I, Part II and Part III. The third and fourth golden keys naturally go together and provide the mechanism whereby the stability of the tradition does not decay into staleness and dogma. The formal name for the third key is apurvata, which essentially means a unique principle that is not available elsewhere in shastra or repeated within the shastra in which it occurs. Apurvata can be extended somewhat to include a unique interpretation or elaboration of an established principle in shastra. However, it does NOT include coming up with something idiosyncratic that has no basis whatever in the tradition. The " partner " to apurvata and the fourth golden key is phala which literally means " results. " It implies applying the apurvata principle, or unique interpretation, over a significant period of time by many different Jyotishis to confirm that it is a valid and substantial principle that is useful and replicable. Because a unique principle in shastra is an attention getter, apurvata is also a way of " red flagging " something and even startling the reader with what can appear to be a contradiction. An interesting example from a text called Phaladipika is a statement saying that exalted planets that are retrograde give results akin to debilitated planets. Those are " fighting words " to the ears of a well-trained Jyotishi who knows that both retrogression and exaltation makes a planet very strong. What can be meant by this odd statement? Apurvata is a way of signaling the need to stop and ponder the odd and unique statement and try to get to the underlying message. In this case, shastra is emphasizing the idea that an exalted planet that is also retrograde is extremely powerful but that this power does not always produce auspicious results for the native. Picture, if you will, an exalted Saturn that is also retrograde sitting in the 7th house where it also has dig bala. That Saturn will likely decimate the chart by afflicting almost all of the primary relationships—partner by occupation of the 7th, father by aspect to the 9th, mother by aspect to the 4th and worst of all, the lagna by aspecting into Aries as a triply powerful malefic. In this way, its results will be detrimental, like the results of a debilitated planet. In a similar way, there is a statement that a debilitated planet that is retrograde gives the results of an exalted planet! The intent here is likely to completely underscore the importance of retrogression as a way of providing an inherent strength to a planet. In neither of the above cases is one to literally expect either of the results all the time. It is the shastra's way of signaling that one must examine these occurrences very carefully, and apply these principles to many charts through many years of practice in order to understand under what circumstances you will get the stated phala or results. These two principles form a powerful combination insuring that in future generations, there can be both an examination of interesting " corners " of shastra and a fresh look at established principles through the lens of the current time and place. For example, where in the shastra does it deal with airplanes? Where are computers mentioned? How do we deal with artificial insemination? If Jyotisha is going to be relevant, we must be able to redefine and rework what the rishis say and apply them to all people in all times. Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: michael business phone: (440) 582-9848; cell phone: (440) 263-2159 web: http://www.jyotish.ws ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.