24 September 2005 Another beautiful day at the Dayananda ashram in Rishikesh, and Swami Brahmavidyananda is explaining some basic principles of Vedanta⦠Thinking covers a broad spectrum, he tells us. Just as there are shades of grey between black and white, so thinking can vary in its quality. Certain objects give us pleasure. Therefore, we […]
Vedanta in Rishikesh, day 2
23 September 2005 Swamiji talked about looking at a colored piece of cloth and being able to clearly determine whether itâs red or yellow or green. But with ourselves, self-recognition isnât so easy. Thereâs a gap between who we are and who we want to be. To apprehend the difference, we have to think about […]
Vedanta in Rishikesh, day 1
In September 2005 I accompanied a group of jyotish students to Rishikesh, India. We stayed at the Dayananda ashram for a week and a half, attending nine days of classes with our teacher, Hart deFouw, on the subject of the nakshatras. While there, we were privileged to also receive a morning discourse on the subject […]
Fellini, Coppola, Scorsese: lights, action, mutual...
Mutual reception & career Last year, while researching a book on Parivartana Yoga, I discovered several famous people with identical mutual receptions pursuing the same profession. One such stellar pair, guitarists Keith Richards and Jimmy Page, Iâve already discussed in an article on my website Navamsa in June 2016. What caught my eye in the […]
The Mathematics of Yogas, part 2: Parivartana
Parivartana Yoga Parivartana Yoga is formed when two planets simultaneously occupy a sign ruled by the other, eg, with Saturn in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn, or Mars in Leo with the Sun in Scorpio, and so on. The two houses thus occupied and ruled become the focus of a symbiotic relationship rich for […]
Muhammad Ali: noble warrior
âIâd like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous, and who treated everyone right,â Ali wrote before his death. âAs a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him. As a man who tried to unite humankind through faith and love.â For […]
Keith Richards & Jimmy Page: mutually in tune
What do Keith Richards and Jimmy Page have in common? Theyâre both British-born and 72 years old. Both are renowned guitarists steeped in the blues, founding members of world-class rock bands. Both are songwriters and innovators â Richards in 5-string open tuning, Page in technical virtuosity. Both are avid readers â Richards of WW2 history, […]
The Mathematics of Yogas, part 1: Pancha Maha Puru...
As astrologers, we routinely scan astrological charts looking for yogas. If weâre observant, weâll notice that some yogas turn up frequently, while others turn up only rarely. And if weâre mathematically-inclined, some of us might ask ourselves, what are the odds of seeing this or that yoga? But if youâre not inclined to engage in […]
Karma: dridha vs adridha
Karma: dridha vs adridha As astrologers we often grapple with notions of fate versus free will. The very premise of astrological prediction implies weâre capable of reading something in a clientâs chart that says: this will happen, this wonât. Whether we call that fate, destiny or karma is just semantics. The tacit understanding of Jyotish […]
Bernie Sanders: not-for-sale maverick
Bernie Sanders: not-for-sale maverick Billionaires and astrologers dislike Bernie Sanders for very different reasons. The very rich consider him a threat to redistribute Americaâs wealth into the hands of the 99%. Astrologers regard him as an enigma because his birth time is unknown, spoiling their prospects for predicting his political future. Astro-databankâs brief biography on […]