My Thoughts on Jyotisha (Science of Light, Vedic Astrology)

The story began when I embarked on a quest to discover my purpose here on Earth and sought to understand myself better. I delved into the study of Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology), a practice that appeared to be a highly complex method of deciphering patterns in mental, physical, and subtle realities. Many dismiss it as ‘superstitious,’ claiming that planetary movements hold no sway over our internal or external lives. I initially shared this view. However, I soon came to realize that our connection with the universe runs deeper than commonly perceived.

We experience a sense of peace when we are deeply connected to nature, for we are inherently a part of it. To consider planets, stars, and all other cosmological objects as separate from nature is indeed absurd. Our connection to them is profound. Just as billions of individual cells with diverse functions unite to form our human bodies, billions of individuals with different roles and destinies collectively shape a cosmological blueprint.

Chaos theory is a branch of mathematics and physics that studies complex systems that appear to be random or unpredictable but actually follow deterministic laws. It explores how small changes in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes in nonlinear systems, often characterized by sensitive dependence on initial conditions, known as the butterfly effect.

Because of our interconnectedness, every element relies on every other element.

Jyotisha, Western Astrological Systems, and other Occult Subjects are primarily rooted in the observation of patterns, both internal and external. It is not unreasonable to recognize that humans have a propensity for observing patterns and drawing inferences and conclusions. While the scientific foundations may not always be robust, the existence of these patterns remains evident.

Several key regions of the brain play significant roles in pattern recognition, including the Visual Cortex, Temporal Lobes, Parietal Lobe, Prefrontal Cortex, and others. These regions work together to identify, recognize, and process patterns for various purposes such as problem-solving and task completion. Essentially, our brains form algorithmic models by training themselves through both internal and external information. These models assist us in performing everyday tasks like picking up an apple as well as more complex activities such as coding an application.

Jyotisha can be conceptualized as an algorithmic mental model. It operates by identifying patterns, associating them with symbols, connecting these patterns “connecting the dots,” and ultimately making predictions. This process of prediction is not unfamiliar to our brains; in fact, your brain is constantly predicting right now, as you read this text. Your brain is likely to predict my next words, using your stored past experiences for enhanced efficiency in understanding the information while reading this article.

Jyotisha comprises various systems, each with its own ideologies, theories, techniques, and explanations. Much like any other subject, scholars engage in debates and develop theories to enhance the model’s understanding and effectiveness.

I will provide a brief overview of the basics without delving too deeply into the subject. Perhaps in subsequent articles, I will explore the topic in greater detail. While all systems share conceptual similarities, they diverge due to cultural and sociological influences. I will just talk about the Vedic System.

There are 9 Grahas in the traditional system:

1. Surya (Sun)

2. Chandra (Moon)

3. Kuja (Mars)

4. Budha (Mercury)

5. Guru (Jupiter)

6. Shukra (Venus)

7. Shani (Saturn)

8. Rahu (Lunar North Node)

9. Ketu (Lunar South Node)

Each of the Grahas exhibits its own movement speed, which can be accurately calculated using a mathematical model, as outlined in ancient scriptures.

There are 12 Zodiac Signs (Rashis), each of which is also governed by one of the Grahas.

1. Mesha (Aries) — Mars

2. Vrishabha (Taurus) — Venus

3. Mithuna (Gemini) — Mercury

4. Karkata (Cancer) — Moon

5. Simha (Leo) — Sun

6. Kanya (Virgo) — Mercury

7. Tula (Libra) — Venus

8. Vrschika (Scorpio) — Mars/Ketu

9. Dhanus (Saggitarius) — Jupiter

10. Makara (Capricorn) — Saturn

11. Kumbha (Aquarius) — Saturn/Rahu

12. Meena (Pisces) — Jupiter

Each Zodiac Sign has its unique cosmological placements from the perspective of Earth. The assignment of each Rashi to a specific Graha is not arbitrary; rather, it is rooted in the distinctive qualities represented by each Grah.

In a Vedic chart, there are 12 houses, each representing a distinct area of life. The placement of the 12 Rashis in these houses occurs sequentially, starting with the ascendant. For instance, if one has an Aquarius ascendant, House 1 would correspond to Aquarius, House 2 to Pisces, House 3 to Aries, and so forth. Additionally, the 9 Grahas are positioned in different houses. A horoscope is essentially formed based on the time and place of one’s birth, serving as a cosmological snapshot of space and time. Jyotisha is often regarded as the study of time, recognizing that physical reality is a manifestation of space through time.

Find your Vedic Chart — https://deva.guru/

There are 27 Nakshatras, also known as lunar constellations. Each of the Grahas is positioned in different Nakshatras at the moment of birth. Additionally, the 12 Zodiac Signs are subdivided into these 27 Nakshatras, with each Nakshatra further divided into four padas, resulting in a total of 108 parts.

Aswini — Ketu

Bharani — Venus

Krittika — Sun

Rohini — Moon

Mrigashiras — Mars

Arudra — Rahu

Punarvashu — Jupiter

Pushya — Saturn

Aslesa — Mercury

Magha — Ketu

Purva Phalguni — Venus

Uttaraphalguni — Sun

Hasta — Moon

Chitra — Mars

Svati — Rahu

Vishakha — Jupiter

Anuradha — Saturn

Jyetesha — Mercury

Mula — Ketu

Purva Sadha — Venus

Uttarasadha — Sun

Sravana — Moon

Dhanishta — Mars

Shatabhisha — Rahu

Purvabhadra — Jupiter

Uttarabhadra — Saturn

Revati — Mercury

As I delved deeper into my studies, I came to understand that the Grahas not only reveal insights into physical reality but also into our mental landscapes, inner psychologies, and egos. Carl Jung identifies several archetypes that mirror our psychological behaviors, influencing our actions and consequently shaping our physical reality.

Persona: The mask or social facade that an individual presents to the outside world.

Also linked to Arudha Lagna in Jyotisha (How people percieve you)

Shadow: The unconscious aspects of the personality, often consisting of repressed desires, fears, and impulses.

Also linked to Shadow Grahas in Jyotisha (Rahu, Ketu and the Upagrahas)

Anima/Animus: The feminine side within the male psyche (anima) and the masculine side within the female psyche (animus).

Also linked to qualties of Venus and Mars in Jyotisha (Mars being masculine side, Venus being femine side)

Self: The archetype of wholeness and integration, representing the striving for unity and individuation.

Also linked to Lagna (Your ascendant) in Jyotisha

Hero: The archetype of the individual striving for greatness, overcoming challenges, and achieving victory.

Also linked to qualities of Sun in Jyotisha

Wise Old Man/Woman: The archetype of wisdom, guidance, and knowledge, often portrayed as a mentor or sage figure.

Also linked to qualities of Jupiter in Jyotisha

Mother: The nurturing, caring, and protective aspect of the feminine archetype.

Also linked to qualities of Moon in Jyotisha

Father: The authoritative, protective, and guiding aspect of the masculine archetype.

Also linked to qualities of Sun in Jyotisha

Trickster: The mischievous and disruptive archetype, challenging societal norms and conventions.

Also linked to qualities of Rahu in Jyotisha

Child: The embodiment of innocence, potential, and the future.

Also linked to qualities of Mercury in Jyotisha

Warrior: The archetype of strength, courage, and determination, often associated with protection and defense.

Also linked to qualities of Mars in Jyotisha

Lover: The archetype of passion, desire, and intimacy, encompassing both romantic and platonic love.

Also linked to qualities of Venus in Jyotisha

Destroyer: The archetype of transformation and renewal, associated with endings and new beginnings.

Also linked to qualities of Ketu (as ruled by Scorpio) in Jyotisha

It’s crucial to acknowledge that we cannot embody all qualities, nor should we attempt to do so. Each individual possesses dominant traits, and while Jyotisha may lack modern scientific validation, we can still understand these qualities in ourselves and others through intuition alone.

For a deeper comprehension, delving into mythological narratives about each of the Grahas can be enlightening. It’s worth noting that while these stories may vary slightly across Hindu, Roman, and Greek traditions, the underlying context tends to share similarities.

A brief about houses:

House 1 (You)

Natural Karak — Sun

identity, physical appearance, attributes of personality, unique attribute package that mediates between physical and social identities, uniquely recognizable traits, style of movement, conditions of birth, muscularity, embodiment, and individuality.

House 2 (Your Heritage)

Natural Karak — Jupiter

finance, knowledge of history, language, family heritage, record-keeping

House 3 (Your Brothers )

Natural Karak — Mercury

communication, messages, mentality, cohort, teamwork. ensemble, management, administration, paperwork committee, musical band, siblings, commerce, publication, messaging, business, writing, correspondence

House 4 (Your Mother)

Natural Karak — Moon, Mercury

household, mother, parents, caretakers, familiar rhythms, foundational schooling, gardens, waterways, transportation, housing, social security, sense of place, belonging, ethnic basis, ethnoreligious, patriotism, real estate, farming, land-ownership, childhood home, owned-stewarded properties, boundaries, deeds of title, ethnonationalism, tribalism

House 5 (Your Children)

Natural Karak —Jupiter

celebrity, intelligence, children, games, politics, drama, romantic love, gambling, speculation, charismatic winning of competitions and campaigns

House 6 (Your Enemies)

Natural Karak — Mars, Saturn

unfair conditions, servitude, animosity, illicit behavior, divorce, disagreement, betrayal, injury, accusation, ailment, injustice, criticism, crime, scapegoating, blame, mistreatment, exploitation, ministries of service, medication, military

House 7(Your Partner)

Natural Karak — Venus

marriage, pledge, legal and formal partnerships, negotiation, alliance-crafting, match-making, fair deals, arrangements, covenant, promises, advocacy, trading, exchange, bargains, haggling, peerage, brokerage

House 8 (Your Death)

Natural Karak — Saturn

Sudden unexpected transformative events, secrecy, non-disclosure, taxes, confidential relationships, identity change, born-again initiations, volatile eruptive energies, surgery, mysterious forces, camouflaged assets, interventions, in-laws

House 9 (Your Father/Guru)

Natural Karak — Sun, Jupiter

Faith, father figures, patriarchal beliefs, worldview, preaching, sacred understanding, public spiritual guidance, globalism, philosophical convictions, priesthood, patronage

House 10 (Your Career/Profession)

Natural Karak — Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury

career, high social visibility, public approval, social reputation, hierarchical leadership positions; responsibilities, executive decisions; honor and rank

House 11 (Your Profits)

Natural Karak — Jupiter

social-economic networks, achievement of material goals, linkages via friendship, large assemblies, fayres, and rallies, marketplace gains, praised and socially rewarded accomplishments, networks of voluntary association, children’s marriages; elder sibling, father’s siblings, and elder mentors, community development, body’s skin and nerves

House 12 (Your Spiritual Identity)

Natural Karak — Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu

Sanctuary, meditation, dissolution, losses: privacy, trance, withdrawal, hospitals, monasteries, ashram, retreats, prisons, dreams, pilgrimage, charity,seclusion; residence in foreign lands; loss of identity, bed pleasures, spying. clairvoyance; imagination, ancestors, spirit guides, bridge from physical plane to Astral plane, dreams, sleepimagination, conceptual thought, theory, first principles, research, interior guidance, clairsentience, distant lands, spiritual awareness, and private prayer.

Returning to the notion of archetypes, it’s important to recognize that these archetypes possess distinct identities. However, they are not confined to behaving individualistically. A lover archetype, for instance, can embody the qualities of a wise sage, a warrior, or even a trickster. This interconnectedness among archetypes allows for fluidity and complexity in human expression and experience.

Eg. A Venus (Lover) with the influence of Rahu (Trickster) can cause you to think, Love is an Illusion

This is where the concept of “aspects” and “conjunctions” comes into play in Jyotisha. Aspects, known as Drishtis, refer to the influence that each of the Grahas exerts on different houses by “looking” at them.

At a basic level,

Jupiter Aspects 5th, 7th, and 9th house from itself.

Mars Aspects 4th, 7th, and 8th house from itself.

Saturn Aspects 3rd, 7th, and 10th house from itself.

Venus Aspects 7th house from itself.

Sun Aspects 7th house from itself.

Mercury Aspects 7th house from itself.

Moon Aspects 7th house from itself.

Rahu Aspects 5th, 9th, and 12th house from itself.

In essence, one could argue that each of our inner psychological traits predominantly influences the respective houses in our charts.

Let’s summarise a bit -

9 Grahas interact differently as they are placed in the 12 houses within each of the 12 Zodiac Signs (Consider Nakshatra Pada for accurate placement).

These Grahas exert their influence on various houses, with the strength of their impact is determined by complex mathematical calculations detailed in the scriptures. So which one is powerful in your horoscope Sun or Venus? , It is not that straightforward due to a planetary war happening, just like our internal mental conflicts or external conflicts.

Even after comprehending numerous theories regarding conjunctions, aspects, and strengths, one may overlook Time(Kaal). Time (Yugas) acts as a variable component, influencing the behavior of the Grahas. Therefore, to fully grasp the nuances of astrology, one must consider both the fixed theoretical frameworks and the dynamic influence of time.

In addition to time, there are also “periods” and “phases” to consider. Love, for instance, cannot trick you forever; it must occur within a specific period and phase. Both individual periods (Dashas) and collective periods (Transits) hold significance in astrology.

Also, it’s essential to have a profound understanding of various subjects to effectively correlate them with the symbols depicted in astrology. Ancient scriptures don’t explicitly outline which planetary combinations lead to professions such as Marine Techno-Biologist; this is left for individuals to discern on their own.

I’ll expand further on this topic based on the feedback received from this article.

Patience is Love. Love is Patient.

References: https://barbarapijan.com/