What Is Jyotish?

Jyotish is commonly referred to as Vedic Astrology since it comes from the Vedic tradition in India. It is one of the six Vedangas, or limbs of supreme knowledge set forth in the Vedas, which also include sacred rituals (puja) and mantra. Jyotish is discussed at length in the Rigveda, the oldest known text in the world, dating to somewhere between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago, perhaps even older.

Unfortunately, astrology has gained a bad reputation in the West and is not taken seriously by people stuck in the 20th Century materialist worldview. The way I practice it, astrology is not about being controlled by the stars and the planets but about tuning into the tides and currents of the Universe revealed in the heavens in order to ride the waves of life with more grace and courage. Just as there are seasons on earth, there are seasons in the solar system, the galaxy, and in your own life. Understanding these seasons allows you to better understand yourself. It’s like a long hike around the earth. Nobody’s telling you where to hike but it does help if you have a map of the terrain.

What I love about Jyotish is that, because it’s part of the larger Yog-Vedantic tradition, it draws on the incredible depth and breadth of yogic practices and knowledge to offer yoga practices custom-tailored to your chart, and any areas highlighted in your reading that deserve special attention.

The custom-tailored yoga practices I share as part of some of the packages below will typically be some combination of the elements of Elemental Yoga: kriya, pranayama, mantra, sacred rituals, selfless service / karma yoga, dietary changes, asana, or even dancing! Every session below starts with a short meditative practice to ground and center.

For each session, I spend hours with your chart before the session studying it both intellectually and intuitively.

I learned the science of Jyotish from Jyotish master Anand Mehrotra in the Himalayas of India.

A Jyotish astrology reading will help you to:

• Understand your place in the world more deeply, and your dharma in this life.

• Establish the deeply-held feeling that no experience is too big for you to handle, that there is nothing to fear in life.

• Relax into the mystery of life and dance more gracefully with that mystery.

• Make friends with the unknown, and get excited about the unknown.