Vedic (or Hindu) astrology began at the meeting point between ancient Greek culture and Indian culture, and continued to develop in the Far East. Today, astrology is an inseparable part of the Vedic religion and the holistic concept of life in the East. Vedic astrology interweaves within it the classic astrology we are more familiar with and its own culture and religion, including a myriad of symbols, gods, hymns, holistic healing methods and, of course, a multitude of temples and ceremonies.
According to Vedic astrology, the chart is a reflection of Karma – the spiritual load, whether positive or negative, that one is born with and carries with him/her throughout his/her life. The planets spread throughout the chart symbolize the karmic and spiritual lessons that one must go through.
Vedic (or Hindu) astrology began at the meeting point between ancient Greek culture and Indian culture, and continued to develop in the Far East. Today, astrology is an inseparable part of the Vedic religion and the holistic concept of life in the East. Vedic astrology interweaves within it the classic astrology we are more familiar with and its own culture and religion, including a myriad of symbols, gods, hymns, holistic healing methods and, of course, a multitude of temples and ceremonies.
According to Vedic astrology, it is also possible to find the seven major heavenly bodies: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These are the planets visible to the naked eye. Vedic astrology doesn’t take into account the more distant planets that were discovered at a later time: Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Each planet has a Vedi name:
Sun – Surya
Moon – Chandra
Mercury – Budha
Venus – Shukra
Mars – Mangala
Jupiter – Brihaspati
Saturn – Shani
As in classic and modern astrology, the life (natal???) chart is studied to assist, direct and advise in any question posed as well as observing future forecasted events.
The major difference between the astrology we are more familiar with and Vedic astrology is the layout the chart takes. We are used to seeing the chart in the shape of a wheel that also conforms with the map of the skies. Vedic astrology draws the chart as a series of squares and rhomboids (rectangles???) that can be viewed in the attached picture. In the picture the division into twelve houses can be seen and how the planets are placed in those houses. (In the drawing, the small letters indicate the planets.)
The Vedic religion is rich in its great number of gods. Each one of the celestial bodies is considered to be a god and a channel of energy. An integral part of Vedic astrology are mantras and hymns chanted for each of these gods/planets The mantras strengthen the energy of the god/planet within the person.
Each one of the gods/planets has an accompanying story in Vedic mythology that describes its characteristics, its actions and influences. Each is associated with a wide range of effects it controls or is connected with, such as element, body part, age, status [the Hindu religion is very concerned with this], profession, number, shape, season of the year, plant, etc.
What is being spoken of is a full and rich world and this, of course, is just a tiny touch to widen our horizons…