Recently, and especially during Gandhi’s time when the British ruled India, there had been a kind of brainwashing of the modern Hindu mind. This has led to the mistaken thought that somehow ancient and modern Vedic culture, which has its roots in universal cosmology and the heavens, are just stories and myths influenced by religion. The result has been misunderstanding and a concomitant lack of interest in the true nature of spirit; especially for those influenced by western culture. This is a symptom of the gradual degradation of Kali Yuga, so it is not surprising. However, if we dive deep into the spiritual practices of yoga, meditation and bhakti, listening to the great gurus, modern and ancient, we will discover that the so-called myths of India are not just stories, but are based on reality itself. .

Knowledge of Astrology, the Nakshatras and the Moon are an important part of this understanding. We couldn’t collect and absorb such high information just from myths and other inert sources. The source of the cosmos and the entities that design, maintain and control it are living and breathing, nurtured by its truths. And so, as astrologers, we are. As a result, we can collect very important insights from astrology about our spirit and its permanence over time. With this knowledge and some faith in the system, we can begin to understand the reality of the Universe.

There have been a few ancient, albeit important, astrological systems that use the Moon and stars for guidance. They were not only developed by the Hindus, but also by the Babylonians, Persians, and Egyptians. Since no one, thousands of years ago, possessed the technology or telescopes to survey the heavens, these cultures used only their eyes, and sometimes specially built viewing sites, plus whatever geometric principles were known at the time. The famous Greek mathematician and astrologer Claudius Ptolemy (100 AD) was the first scientist to seriously study optics, but telescopes did not exist until around the year 1600.

Before this time, the heavens and stars were seen primarily at night. On a clear night, one could see and observe the planets and the Moon as they seemed to recede from each other in different parts of the sky. However, the stars, as part of the constellations, remained relatively fixed in space. It has been observed for at least a century that some stars change position in relation to the precession of the Earth. The Sun could only be observed during the day from sunrise to sunset through the ecliptic.

Although the Sun is obviously an extremely important luminary, the night sky holds most of the secrets in the development of astrology (and astronomy), indicated by the Nakshatras. The star mythology of many cultures was attached to or derived from the constellations of our Milky Way. Not only did the Greeks impose zodiac signs on the constellations, but many thousands of years before that, the Vedic culture of India also had its Nakshatra stars.

There are 27 Nakshatras and 9 Lords of the Zodiac understood as Grahas. Right off the bat, this gives us a combined 243 variations of influences. Any of the 9 planets in the chart can occupy a Nakshatra position. Many times one Graha will join with another in the same Nakshatra so this variation adds to the analysis. We also need to understand the birth chart and use it as the primary source for our interpretation. However, an astrologer who has mastered the basics can put all the pieces of the puzzle together and should be able to weave together the story of each individual chart. At the same time, it is not so easy. Like an experienced dancer practicing the basics daily to warm up, we must, as astrologers, continue our study of the basics. In any case, astrologers need to continually study and investigate. Many of these basic principles can be found in my course Western Vedic Astrology, Part I, The Planets as a Source of Spiritual Understanding. (FREE on You Tube – SirDavesTube/playlists)

In this course, we will take an excursion deep into our solar system as we explore the psycho-spiritual facets of astrology along with the North and South Nodes of the Moon (Rahu and Ketu). Then we dive deeper and head to the outer reaches of our galaxy, within the constellations, to the homes of the Gods and Goddesses, where the Grahas themselves acquire their astronomical knowledge. This allows us to get to the root cause and solutions of existence and how that affects everything in our lives and also in the lives of those with whom we share and have shared our life.