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18 November 2011, 6:32 PM
It seems so, as Mars in horoscopes has been found channeling the crucial energy that prompts all actions of consequence –good or bad. It is perhaps the spark in your eyes and the thunder and lightning in the sky. Additionally, since Mars impacts with a jolt and is the lord of the eighth house of changes of the natural zodiac, it plays an active role in bringing about changes and reforms that pinch. It is found more emphatic than other planets in reiterating the fact that it is the law of karma that drives us to predestined events. Having governance over the energy source that provides the momentum, Mars impels you to act negatively when it has to punish you for an evil karma and positively for a bravery award lying stored in your destiny. In a good position, Mars has been found making one competent as a protector and provider of justice (committed army men or policemen) and when ill-placed it is found driving one to crimes.
31 December 2011, 5:48 PM
The Arab Spring which started with Tunisia and Egypt was given enough publicity in the western press keeping in view the interests of western countries, the neo economic imperialistic interests centering round oil and protection of Israel mainly with only Iran defying it. Libya too having fallen, the next flashpoint, the one that clearly involves aggression with the west, is Iran. The fall of Libya and Gaddafi was a big tragedy of many Libyans as they cannot dream of a better welfare state in which what they lost in terms of some personal liberties were more than compensated by benefits which would be the envy of the best welfare states of even Norwegian countries.
14 February 2008, 2:58 PM
"After the betrothal an auspicious day is fixed for the wedding ceremonies. Astrological considerations do not seem to play an important part in ancient times. As the union of the bride and the bridegroom depended upon mutual attraction of love, there was not much scope for making matches on the actual calculation and the determination of stars. Moreover, though the ancient Hindus were acquainted with astronomy and astrology, that particular branch of astrology that deals with marriage was either not developed or was not much consulted for arranging a marriage. In the Grhyasutras, astrological considerations are very simple. Marriage was generally performed when sun was in northern hemisphere, in the bright half of a month and on an auspicious day. The later Smritis, the Puranas, the mediaeval astrological works and Nibandhas are very particular about fixing the proper time for every detail of the marriage ceremony." (page 209 HINDU SAMSKARAS Rajbali Pande, Motilal Banarsidas)
In the previous piece in this series (13) I have talked about the debate between the astrologer and the critics of the science of astrology. Part of the reason for this results from the complications introduced into certain aspects of Hindu life and the considerations for marriage. Rajbali Pande hinted at it in his famous book and we as astrologers know how stupid we become when we refer to some dogmas in the fast changing world of ours.
Modern educated girls and boys in cities, mainly metropolitan (may be other cities also) who have lot of sex in school and college days, do not take marriage as a sacrament. When it comes to their marriage, they have invariably a conflict with their parents who go to some pandits with their horoscopes. The pandit
comes out with some objections which are very irrational but suit the parents who want their children not to marry according to their choice. Invariably, to counter it, these college students, now settled in some profession, go to astrologers, including me, with the hope that we would counter the objections of the pandit and approve, astrologically, their choice.
These marriages in our times become a cross between swayamvara and gandharva marriage, more of the latter though. There is nothing strange or new about it but I have seen these marriages not succeeding mostly. But astrologers who try to help parents and talk against such marriages have their own arguments based some medieval notions of family and social life which does not suit the modern educated Hindu particularly girl.
These girls and their husband become critics of astrology at some stage or the other.
If you honestly look into the life and conduct of astrologers you will have no respect for them, for their values in life. They must always have been the least respected members of our society. I have always advised some professional people in recent years to rise high in their professions and then talk of astrology
openly and not give up their jobs and take to astrology as a profession as some of them have been doing actuated by the greed to earn lot of money in a brief period of some months as many have done recently.
Contempt for astrology and astrology along with enigmatic respect and fear has been an eternal legacy of India. There is a terrible reflection on astrologers or fortune sellers who earn money out of this profession somewhere in the Mahabharata which I am not able to locate right now. Those who have read the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira know how he refers to bad astrologers.
We have plenty of them now with proliferating websites, parihara specialising frauds, stone selling crooks both in India and now, abroad.
Parashara lays down a difficult condition for a good astrologer—jitendriya is the word he uses.
Where will you get a good astrologer now if you seek one ? Almost every day these days, I come across cases where a girl wants to marry a boy of her choice and the mother takes the help of some astrologer-cum-tantrik to ruin it. These incidents ruin the reputation of astrologers and astrology.
This must have been an eternal problem in India where astrology is recognised a Vedanga. In the west, where the Church has always been a mighty obscurantist force, astrology was opposed as the men of church must have felt that a predictor reduced their importance in the society. It must have been a case of terrible jealousy and ignorance which Copernicus suffered (the church should have condemned Aryabhatta of India whose research was plagiarised by Copernicus).
The western scientist has not overcome the prejudice of the Church against astrology. In 1975 when the BBC asked some scientists why they had signed a statement against astrology, they had answered “on religious grounds.” These scientists should have been ashamed of themselves for this act of theirs. But they could not overcome the influence of the church in their lives!!
In 1982, I became aware of fake claims of parampara among astrologers who pretended to have some secrets not given in any astrological book. Such pretenders have increased in recent years with Nadi or Bhrigu methods also creating ripples and ending up as mere whimpers.
All this leads me to believe that astrology will always have its critics because there are fraudulent astrologers, many of whom are getting promoted by television channels these days. It cannot be stopped because there are more unscrupulous astrologers than honest and genuine ones and astrology will always be looked upon as a pseudo science or black magic. Astrologers are responsible for all this.
But when were astrologers known for any moral responsibility?
( 13 February 2008)
In the previous piece in this series (13) I have talked about the debate between the astrologer and the critics of the science of astrology. Part of the reason for this results from the complications introduced into certain aspects of Hindu life and the considerations for marriage. Rajbali Pande hinted at it in his famous book and we as astrologers know how stupid we become when we refer to some dogmas in the fast changing world of ours.
Modern educated girls and boys in cities, mainly metropolitan (may be other cities also) who have lot of sex in school and college days, do not take marriage as a sacrament. When it comes to their marriage, they have invariably a conflict with their parents who go to some pandits with their horoscopes. The pandit
comes out with some objections which are very irrational but suit the parents who want their children not to marry according to their choice. Invariably, to counter it, these college students, now settled in some profession, go to astrologers, including me, with the hope that we would counter the objections of the pandit and approve, astrologically, their choice.
These marriages in our times become a cross between swayamvara and gandharva marriage, more of the latter though. There is nothing strange or new about it but I have seen these marriages not succeeding mostly. But astrologers who try to help parents and talk against such marriages have their own arguments based some medieval notions of family and social life which does not suit the modern educated Hindu particularly girl.
These girls and their husband become critics of astrology at some stage or the other.
If you honestly look into the life and conduct of astrologers you will have no respect for them, for their values in life. They must always have been the least respected members of our society. I have always advised some professional people in recent years to rise high in their professions and then talk of astrology
openly and not give up their jobs and take to astrology as a profession as some of them have been doing actuated by the greed to earn lot of money in a brief period of some months as many have done recently.
Contempt for astrology and astrology along with enigmatic respect and fear has been an eternal legacy of India. There is a terrible reflection on astrologers or fortune sellers who earn money out of this profession somewhere in the Mahabharata which I am not able to locate right now. Those who have read the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira know how he refers to bad astrologers.
We have plenty of them now with proliferating websites, parihara specialising frauds, stone selling crooks both in India and now, abroad.
Parashara lays down a difficult condition for a good astrologer—jitendriya is the word he uses.
Where will you get a good astrologer now if you seek one ? Almost every day these days, I come across cases where a girl wants to marry a boy of her choice and the mother takes the help of some astrologer-cum-tantrik to ruin it. These incidents ruin the reputation of astrologers and astrology.
This must have been an eternal problem in India where astrology is recognised a Vedanga. In the west, where the Church has always been a mighty obscurantist force, astrology was opposed as the men of church must have felt that a predictor reduced their importance in the society. It must have been a case of terrible jealousy and ignorance which Copernicus suffered (the church should have condemned Aryabhatta of India whose research was plagiarised by Copernicus).
The western scientist has not overcome the prejudice of the Church against astrology. In 1975 when the BBC asked some scientists why they had signed a statement against astrology, they had answered “on religious grounds.” These scientists should have been ashamed of themselves for this act of theirs. But they could not overcome the influence of the church in their lives!!
In 1982, I became aware of fake claims of parampara among astrologers who pretended to have some secrets not given in any astrological book. Such pretenders have increased in recent years with Nadi or Bhrigu methods also creating ripples and ending up as mere whimpers.
All this leads me to believe that astrology will always have its critics because there are fraudulent astrologers, many of whom are getting promoted by television channels these days. It cannot be stopped because there are more unscrupulous astrologers than honest and genuine ones and astrology will always be looked upon as a pseudo science or black magic. Astrologers are responsible for all this.
But when were astrologers known for any moral responsibility?
( 13 February 2008)
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3. PREDICITING SECOND MARRIAGE (266182)
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4. NO NEWS CAN BE GOOD NEWS (226578)
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5. AN INSIGHT INTO DREAMS (200541)
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6. WILL SATURN SCORE A HATTRICK IN OCTOBER 2007 ? (199906)
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7. BENAZIR BHUTTO: A TRAGIC PREDICTION COMES TRUE (195959)
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8. SHE OR HE ? HILLARY OR OBAMA ? (Revised) (187632)
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9. DREADFUL YEAR 2007 (184606)
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10. THE CASE OF SANJAY DUTT AND PUNISHMENT (181546)
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