Most people today look to the Gregorian calendar or even their smart phone for an awareness of the passage of time. Whether or not skilled in time management, most of us can feel the pressure of the unfolding of time. Sunrises, sunsets and the lunation cycles are the basis of the time we notice, but do we give real consideration to how time is created? The ancient cultures did. They looked to the sky for answers. Jyotish, “the Science of Light” in Sanskrit, is the yogic study of our solar system, time and the spiritual life lessons that unfold as a result. Modern Astronomy, taught in schools everywhere, is an observable science, but the ancient yogis explained the spiritual principles and wisdom that underpin the precision of the Universe in which we live.
The authoritative ancient text on Jyotish is Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, brought forth by the sage Parashara. More recently Swami Sri Yukteswar stated that “The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of birth is not meant to emphasize fate, the result of past good and evil, but to arouse man’s will to escape from his universal thralldom.” As the goal of all Vedic sciences is Self-realization, Vedic Astrology, practiced for thousands of years, can provide insight into the soul’s journey and destiny. It can tell us about the absence or presence of certain tendencies. The more we understand about planetary indications in the heavens and the relationship between the Vedic sky and our life on Earth, the more we can perceive consciousness as a unified whole. We can make peace with where we are. We can take responsibility for our lives and make the best of situations.
On April 14, 2015 the sun enters Aries and marks the Vedic New Year. Join us at The Yoga Sanctuary on the new moon in May for an introductory investigation of timeless Jyotish concepts, the Vedic sky we live under right now and the individual birth chart. Click here to learn more about this upcoming workshop.