As I explained in my initial post for this series, I’m conducting an experiment in visual display to help people appreciate the role of the nodes as proxy agents. The nodes act on behalf of planets (1) with which they’re associated, (2) by which they’re aspected, (3) whose sidereal sign they occupy, and (4) whose […]
Kala Sarpa: the astronomical rationale for “yoga”
As I discussed in last month’s article, one of the great uncertainties among devotees of jyotisha is whether Kala Sarpa is a yoga or a dosha. The existential question is: does it promise success or threaten destruction? As I explained in that article, there are multiple consequences when the chart is split in two by […]
Nodal “weather” forecast: February 2019
As I explained in my initial post for this series, I’m conducting an experiment in visual display to help people appreciate the role of the nodes as proxy agents. The nodes act on behalf of planets (1) with which they’re associated, (2) by which they’re aspected, (3) whose sidereal sign they occupy, and (4) whose […]
Kala Sarpa: the astronomical rationale for “dosha”
At the core of the mystique surrounding Kala Sarpa is the existential question: is it a yoga, or is it a dosha? Does it promise success or threaten destruction? That question can only be answered via yoga vichara, the careful analysis of a configuration in order to determine its nature, its strength, and its ultimate […]
Nodal “weather” forecast: January 2019
This is an experiment in visual display to help people appreciate the role of the nodes as proxy agents. The nodes act on behalf of planets (1) with which they’re associated, (2) by which they’re aspected, (3) whose sidereal sign they occupy, and (4) whose nakshatra they occupy, in descending order of effect. Although assigning […]
The Mathematics of Yogas, part 7: Spiritual Yogas
Although there are many spiritual yogas defined in the literature of Jyotish, in practice it is surprisingly difficult to find actual charts that meet those specifications. Take, for example, the three classic spiritual yogas defined in Mantreswara’s Phaladeepika (6:28): When the lord of the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon occupy an Angle or Trine […]
Webinar review: Kepler’s Astrology Research Team (
Interested in learning how to conduct astrological research? Set your agenda for the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. That’s when Kepler’s Astrological Research Team (ART) meets to discuss past studies, current best practices and future projects. The series, coordinated by Courtney Roberts and facilitated by Glenn “Mitch” Mitchell, seeks to provide potential researchers […]
Webinar review: Qualitative Research Methods for A...
Yesterday I “attended” a webinar offered by the Canaveral Research Center (home of the Kepler Conference) coordinated by Courtney Roberts and moderated by Glenn “Mitch” Mitchell. The workshop featured Dr. Will Morris who, as “guest lecturer,” has an extensive background in academic research methods, as well as a comprehensive acquaintance with the full spectrum of […]
Prime malefics in homicidal charts
Prime malefics in homicidal charts Despite our best intentions, many people find murder fascinating. And yet because it’s the worst of crimes, to rob another person of their life, we hold killers in contempt. Even as we despise them, however, we struggle to understand them, to know what quirk of gene, character or fate compelled […]
Mercury Retrograde in Disasters
Mercury Retrograde in Disasters A commonly-accepted notion in Western astrology is that when Mercury goes retrograde, as happens three times a year for roughly three weeks at a time, things go terribly wrong for people. But if that’s really true, shouldn’t it be reflected in events when hundreds – perhaps thousands, or even hundreds […]