Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter April / May 2008

[Guest guest]

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Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter April / May 2008

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in this issue

 

Mahasamadhi of a Saint

The Path Into Shastra Part V - The Value of the " Tall Tale "

On Considering Jupiter

Recommended Software to Keep Your Computer Clean

 

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, I interpret the Jyotish chart for the time of death of

a great saint. Deborah Allison explains how hyperbole (exaggeration)

is used for emphasis in Jyotish. Alison Nielsen offers an article on

the beneficence of Jupiter. And, for fun, I recommend software for

keeping your computer in tip-top condition.

 

" Sell your cleverness, and buy wonder. " - Rumi, Persian poet, b. 1207

 

Please visit my website, 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)

 

Mahasamadhi of a Saint

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By Michael Laughrin (michael)

 

First of all, infinite respects and gratitude to the saint whose

Mahasamadhi (death) was on Tuesday, February 5th at 7:08 PM in

Vlodrop, Holland.

 

Let us look at Chart K1 (

http://www.jyotish.ws/materials/chartk.html ), the chart of the

saint's Mahasamadhi. From the point of view of physical health, we

see many, many afflictions:

- The 1st house, representing the body as a whole, has two harsh

malefics in it--Ketu and a retrograde Saturn (making Saturn even

stronger).

- The lord of the 1st, the Sun, is the 6th house of disease.

- There is an exchange of signs between the rulers of the 1st house

and 6th house. This greatly adds to the weakness of the 1st house and

its ruler.

- The Avayogi planet, Ketu (it stands for poverty and impediments to

worldly success), is very strongly placed in the 1st house of health

and self-confidence.

- Saturn is, at least, a double maraka (a " killer " planet): it rules

the 7th house and it always has a harsh nature. As a matter of fact,

Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are all known as " separative " planets. In the

first house, or affecting the first house or its ruler, they can help

separate one from physical life itself.

- The Yogi planet (it is the planet that gives prosperity, and, in my

opinion, health is the greatest prosperity), Mars, is exceedingly

weak by degree. It is at 0 degrees and 19 minutes of Gemini in the

11th house. Now, Mars is also the yogakaraka planet in this chart,

and, in other circumstances, could bring great prosperity and success

as it rules the 4th house and the 9th house and it is in the 11th

house of gains and major goals and desires. However, it is powerless

to do any good at all.

This very weak Mars also aspects the Lagna Lord, the Sun, further

weakening the Sun.

- The Yogi point, the point that is supposed to give prosperity, is

in the 7th house of bad health and is closely conjunct Rahu, another

killer planet.

- Let us examine the Sun:

* It is in the 6th house of health problems.

* It is in an enemy's sign (Capricorn).

* It is with two marakas--Mercury, the lord of the 2nd house, and

the Moon, the lord of the 12th house of Loss.

* It has the affliction of a Parivartana with Saturn, another

Maraka.

* Mars, its great friend, can give it no help as Mars himself is so

weak and useless. It is like trying to borrow a million dollars from

a beggar.

 

However, if we examine the chart from a spiritual perspective, we see

a different story:

- Ketu, the planet of Moksha, is strongly placed in the Ascendant.

- Jupiter, the holiest and best of grahas, has great strength in its

own sign of Sagittarius.

- Jupiter is strong in the 5th house of mantra, intelligence and past

life credit.

- Jupiter throws his wonderful aspect onto the 1st house of the Self,

the 11th house of major goals and desires, and the most auspicious

9th house of luck, enlightenment and Dharma.

- Venus, the only other true benefic besides Jupiter, is also in the

5th house of mantras and intelligence.

- Jupiter and Venus are considered Brahmin planets--very fitting for

one in Brahman consciousness.

- The Sun, representing the Soul, is conjunct with the Moon, the

ruler of the 12th house of enlightenment and future lives.

- The Sun is in the nakshatra of the Moon and the Moon is in the

nakshatra of the Sun.

Mars, even though not strong enough to help the Sun as far as

physical health is concerned, as the representative of the house of

dharma (the 9th house), adds that blessed aspect to the Soul (the

Sun), the Mind (the Moon) and the intellect (Mercury).

 

I find it interesting that the dasha generated by this chart is the

Sun dasha. To me, that represents the victory of Light over darkness,

of Spirit over Matter, and of Eternal Life over this all-too-short

earthly life.

 

If we examine Chart K2 (

http://www.jyotish.ws/materials/chartk.html ), the birth chart, we

see many, many afflictions that could lead to death:

The dasha is Saturn. Saturn can always be a maraka.

Saturn, lord of the 1st house of the body, is in the enemy sign of

Cancer in the difficult 7th house.

The bhukti is Moon. Moon, ruling the 7th house and in the 8th house

of death, is a double maraka planet.

Both Saturn and the Moon are aspected by the fierce, exalted Mars.

For one with very weak health, this can only add to the body's

problems with a vicious Pitta (inflammation) energy.

This Mahasamadhi shocked me and caused a great deal of grieving.

Yet, I (and many other devotees I have spoken with these past few

months) feel closer than ever to this saint and his teachings now.

 

 

The Path Into Shastra Part V - The Value of the " Tall Tale "

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By Deborah Allison

 

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. Read

Parts I through IV at

http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/path_shastra_Pt1.html

 

The fifth golden key to unlocking the treasure of shastra is called

Arthavada which can be most succinctly defined as hyperbolic language

(hyperbole = exaggeration). Although this is a potent tool in all

traditions, it is one of the devices that causes the most angst and

disconnect for Westerners who are trying to access the knowledge

contained in root texts of the Vedic tradition. Jyotisha texts

contain many references to what seems like completely archaic images,

traditions, value systems and deities. These references use

tremendously exaggerated praise or dire predictions of disaster. Here

are some examples:

 

" Should the Moon be in her deep exaltation and be aspected by Venus,

evils are countered just as phlegm and bile are controlled by induced

vomiting. If the Moon be in divisions of benefic planets and aspected

by benefics, she will not prove evil though she may be waning, just

as nutmeg bark treats dysentery. "

 

" One born with a Chandradhi Yoga will become a king possessing a

kingdom boundaried by seas whose band of intoxicated elephants will

eke out ichor which the black forest bees will drink mistaking it for

honey. Such a native will be immune to senescence and sickness, be

bereft of fear from enemies, be valorous, fortunate and happy.

 

" If Saturn occupies Virgo at birth, the subject will resemble a

eunuch, be very crafty, will depend on others for good, be addicted

to prostitutes, will have few friends, be unacquainted with the arts,

be desirous of indulging in ugly acts, will possess sons and wealth,

be indolent, helpful to others, will be intent upon spoiling virgins

and be cautious in his actions. "

 

Why did the seers of this great tradition use this device? It is

because hyperbole is hugely effective in making something memorable.

If your four-year-old is about to put a finger in an electric socket,

mom or dad will NOT calmly say, " Please don't put your finger in the

socket. You may get an electric shock " . Most likely the child will be

yanked away and told " Don't you touch! You'll fry! "

 

As has been mentioned in previous articles in this series, the

Sanskrit script does not in itself have ways of creating emphasis

through the use of such devices as italics, underlining,

capitalization, etc. For the knowledge to be effectively passed on to

future generations, it must be memorable. The vivid imagery created

by hyperbolic language leaves no doubt as to whether a particular

combination is efficacious or damaging.

 

The Western reader unschooled in these principles of exegesis might

take the statements literally. Sometimes, a person with a particular

combination does exhibit some of the results as stated, but the more

correct understanding of the principle of Arthavada is that the

amplitude of the hyperbole is directly related to the how valuable or

disastrous a particular combination may be.

 

For example, in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, it is said that a

benefic in the ascendant gives Shubha yoga (benefic yoga). The person

born with Shubha Yoga is eloquent, charming, virtuous and well

mannered. However, in an earlier chapter, the same text states that

if " a single but strong Jupiter is in the lagna, it has the ability

to destroy all evils just as a single reverential obeisance to Lord

Shiva can destroy all sins. " Clearly one can pick up the difference

in the hyperbole between these two combinations and can therefore

learn which has the higher value and prioritize one's readings and

interpretation accordingly.

 

In the vast sea of possibilities that exist in all charts, having a

rudder to establish priority is one of the most important skills a

Jyotisha can develop. This principle of Arthavada is pure gold in

this regard.

 

 

On Considering Jupiter

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By Alison Nielsen (premavratini)

 

" Om Graam Greem Graum Saha Gurave Namaha "

 

One cannot extol the extraordinary beneficence of the planet Jupiter

enough. Jupiter is the protector, the giver, the wisest one, bestower

of grace, destroyer of a thousand ills, the heavy one, the teacher,

the one who enlightens. No other planet in a horoscope demonstrates

the capacity of human beings to behave in a truly divine way as

Jupiter does. Jupiter is goodness (without ulterior motive), love,

grace and unconscious sacrifice personified. Both Lord Rama and Lord

Krishna had extremely powerful Jupiters. Lord Rama had exalted

Jupiter in the ascendant, contributing to his incredible commitment

to right action, as did Thomas Huxley, the famed biologist who

said, " Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the

ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought

to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that

ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is

probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly. "

 

Lord Krishna had Jupiter in its own sign in the eleventh house. One

Jyotish guru lineage says that if Jupiter appears in a horoscope in

the eleventh house, no matter what happens, the person will always be

saved. Krishna was so successful, so beloved by all of creation that

He had to arrange the Leela of His death Himself.

 

Jupiter's astrological significations are reflected in modern

astronomy. Jupiter, whose Sanskrit names include Brihaspati, the

preceptor to the gods, and Guru, which means both " teacher "

and " heavy, " has 2.5 times the mass of all the other planets

combined. His gravitational field is intense. Both his force of

gravity and his size cause him to serve as a giant blockade against

incoming comets that would otherwise rock the earth. Jupiterian

people are known for having large bellies, and the force of Jupiter's

rotation causes him to form an oblate sphere, with a noticeable bulge

at the equator. Jupiter rules the color gold and appears to be a

golden color. Although Mars occasionally exceeds him, he is

frequently the third brightest object in the night sky, after Moon

and Venus, with a potential magnitude of -2.8.

 

Jupiter is the great purifier. Whatever he touches in a horoscope

will grow in integrity and generosity. Even the sorriest horoscope

with a good Jupiter will allow for redemption when his period runs.

 

One sees the quality of one's own Jupiter best when one either runs

the dasha or sees the transit of Jupiter over its natal position. At

this time, the blessings Creation has in store for you will be given.

 

In Jyotishical mythology, Jupiter was so wise and good that his wife,

Tara, got bored of him and ran off with the Moon and became

impregnated. Then, in classic fashion, Tara discovered the Moon was a

very flighty and unreliable lover, and not the man she wanted to

raise a child with, so she returned to Jupiter, who in his

beneficence reaccepted her and her unborn child, no questions asked.

That child turned out to be Mercury, the planet of intellect, who is

Jupiter's (wisdom's) stepchild and the genetic child of the Moon, the

emotional mind. In a horoscope, if Jupiter does not influence Mercury

or the Moon, the person may have a tendency to waste their intellect

rationalizing their emotions, rather than use their intellect in the

service of wisdom. Jupiter's attitude toward his wife is the attitude

that we, as human beings, would do best to hold toward each other.

Forget all wrongs done. Remember only the blessings of life. Be kind

and thus goodness will multiply.

 

 

Recommended Software to Keep Your Computer Clean

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By Michael Laughrin (michael)

 

I used to be at the Idiot level of computer use. From taking one

weekend course on Windows and many years of surfing the net and lots

of e-mailing, now I would rate myself Dummy Plus. My webmaster said

I am a notch above Dummy Plus and at the bottom of " Semi-Competent

Computer User. "

 

I have discovered a few free software programs for Windows that I

think are utterly essential for anyone who is online a fair degree

(or has a DSL or cable modem connection, which are connected all the

time).

 

They are:

 

1. Ccleaner (It used to be called cleaner because that is what it

does.) This little free program will quickly (usually in 1 minute or

less) get rid of the junk and detritus you unknowingly pick up while

doing your web searches. However, do not check the box for cookies.

You need some cookies to do online banking, for example. It's like a

vacuum cleaner that is so strong, it sucks up your figurines and

small pets. So uncheck some of the boxes in ccleaner.

http://www.ccleaner.com

 

2. Ad-Aware 2007. These days, adware is probably more of a danger to

most computer users than viruses, because most people have a decent

anti-virus program. Ad Aware 2007 will do deep cleaning of your

machine and will uncover huge amounts of adware and tracking

programs. I couldn't live without it. http://www.lavasoft.com

 

3. AVG Anti-virus. I use the whole AVG Security suite. I paid $54.99

for the year and I just love it. It is better, in my opinion, than

any other security program that I have tried. However, AVG Anti-virus

is completely free and it is really great. Automatic updates,

constant vigilance - it is always on top of its game. If you do not

have another antivirus program, and/or you do not want to spend any

money on one, do, do, DO download AVG Antivirus. You will not regret

it. Visit http://free.grisoft.com

 

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Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter

 

Website: Jyotish.ws

 

Michael Laughrin, Michael, business phone: (440) 582-9848;

cell phone: (440) 263-2159

 

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

 

Articles from past issues of this newsletter are archived at the

jyotish.ws website on the Wisdom page.

 

 

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