Astrovedas

18/01/2026

Of course you'll come for my talk at the Astrological Lodge on March 16th. In person and online, this presentation is for Western Astrologers who are curious about Jyotish, but may have found it hard to approach. Accessible and practical, I'll look at parts of Vedic astrology which you can integrate into your own practice.

This talk demystifies the basics of Vedic chart interpretation and even suggests techniques for Western astrologers to use in their own practice.

15/01/2026

Birthchart of NATO, 4/4/1949, 5pm, Washington DC., per Book of World Horoscopes.

Saturn-Neptune 36 yr synodic cycle has resonance with NATO (Berlin Wall 1990) + Neptune-Mars-Venus opposition = diplomacy & slow encroachment over overt action. Smokescreen.

Tr. Saturn hitting NATO Mars May 2026 to Feb 2027
Neptune hits NATO Mercury June 2027

Existential crisis, gradual dissolution?

01/02/2025

Happy Vasant Panchami! In the Vedic lunar calendar, this festival falls on the fifth day of the Moon’s waxing (Shukla) phase, which this year is February 2nd. Vasant Panchami is the puja of Saraswati, Goddess of wisdom and erudition, consort of Brahma the Creator, and the Muse of music and poetry. She is depicted riding a swan or peacock, holding a scroll and playing a stringed Veena. In India, the Shankaracharya Swamis, custodians of Vedic knowledge, are always named for Saraswati, as with Maharishi’s guru Swami Brahmananda Saraswati.

Vasant Panchami is an auspicious date to start studying a new subject, and to enjoy yagyas for gaining knowledge. Beginning to chant a Saraswati mantra is also recommended on this date, and actually memorizing it comes more easily. Regular chanting invokes the blessings of Ma Saraswati, which is fortunate for spiritual learning and aesthetics.

Ya Kundendu Tusharahara Dhavala Ya Shubhra Vastravrita
Ya Veena Varadanda Manditakara Ya Shveta Padmasana
Ya Brahmachyuta Shankara Prabhritibihi Devaih Sada Pujita
Sa Mam Pattu Saravatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha Jadyapaha

The thumb rule of mantra chanting is simple: the more, the better. A short daily practice – little and often – is better than an infrequent binge, but a dilettante approach of a few token repetitions won’t change anyone’s life or outlook. After a bath and wearing clean clothes, chanting a (preferably) guru-given mantra with correct pronunciation for an hour (or two or three) has a noticeable material effect. This is a sound vibration which smooths out dissonant psychic energies and creates harmony in life. So resist the temptation to chase your desires out into the world, for, far from being passive or quietist, mantra meditation (japa) is the subtlest form of activity and fulfils desires in a positive and evolutionary way.

Vasant Panchami is a moveable, lunar feast, though it falls coincidentally this year on the Celtic festival of Imbolc, held annually on February 1st. Imbolc is a rite to consecrate the ground before Spring planting, but it is also the festival of Brigid, the Goddess of Poetry. By a process of ‘inculturation’, the Christian Saint Brigid has come to represent many of the same qualities, while the festival of Candlemas, February 2, is the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.

16/01/2025

Remembering David Lynch, visionary film-maker, and inspiration for thousands to learn to meditate and explore consciousness 🙏

21/12/2024

Today is the inaugural World Meditation Day, on the Winter Solstice, as a counterpart to World Yoga Day at Midsummer. December 21st is also the birthday of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, (1868-1953), the former Shankaracharya of Northern India, and Guru of the Transcendental Meditation movement🙏

INNER PEACE • OUTER PEACE • WORLD PEACE Join Us in Celebrating WORLD MEDITATION DAY Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly Saturday, 21 December 2024at 8:00 AM and 5:00 PMin your country Remaining time for World Meditation Day Day(s) : Hour(s) : Minute(s) : Second(s) FollowFollowFollo...

02/11/2024

I've written elsewhere about Uranus's mundane/political impact, but this is more on the personal level. If you're focused solely on classical Jyotish, the outer planets easily go unnoticed. How's your experience of Uranus in sidereal Ta**us since June 1st been so far?

Uranus entered Ta**us on June 1st, initially until December 14th 2024, then returns again from March 19th 2025 until July 2031. For those immersed in Jyotish, Uranus, at best, is an influence that is easy to overlook, if not an irrelevant factor completely outside the planetary schema and human expe...

24/09/2024

I'm speaking at this year's BAVA Vedic Online conference, Oct 4-6th & Oct 11-14th, which has a theme of Yogas in Astrology. My talk, 'The Five Signs of a Great Soul', is based on the Panch Mahapurusha Yogas.

A cast of international speakers includes Pt. Sanjay Rath, Pandit Samavedula, Sarbani Rath, Dr KS Charak, Dr Andrew Foss, Komilla Sutton, Sat Siri Khalsa, Vijaya Subramanian, Keiko Ito, Natalia Fedorova, Gordon Brennan, Steve Hubball and Mariella Cassar.

Please book:

Dates 4th-6th October, 11th -14th October Outstanding speakers: The Principal speaker will be Sanjay Rath with Pandit Samavedula, Sarbani Rath, Dr KS Charak, Dr Andrew Foss, Komilla Sutton, Sat Siri Khalsa, Vijaya Subramanian, Keiko Ito, Natalia Fedorova, Gordon Brennan, Adam Smith, Steve Hubball an...

17/09/2024

The Super Harvest Moon Eclipse in Pisces-Purva Bhadrapada arrives on September 18th through the early hours in Europe, peaking at approx 03:40am GMT+1. Purva B’s association with fire and purging is good symbolism for an eclipse, which ends one cycle dramatically with an obstacle cleared away before another lunar round starts. Only a partial eclipse, the Moon isn't fully obscured anywhere in the world, but still creates an intense atmosphere where it is visible. A passing thought can blow up for no reason, or you feel unusually tired and restless on the day. The Moon sitting close to ethereal Neptune in Pisces makes for vivid dreams and a psychic rapport with somebody close, but be sure your mutual meanings are clear. Saturn and Rahu flanking the Moon can also raise your anxiety levels to the point of obsession, or you feel out on a limb when you are left with an emotional situation. Spiritual work is highly favoured, as ever, especially if you are directly under the eclipse path - ie, most of the world apart from the Far East - and meditation and chanting give you many times their usual benefits.

This eclipse and its solar counterpart on October 2nd also bookend Pitru Paksha, the Vedic festival of the ancestors, observed during the Moon's dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) as the Sun crosses the Autumn Equinox. Chanting and ritual (shraddha) bring peace to departed relatives and help lay negative family karmas. 🙏

04/08/2024

New Moon in Cancer-Ashlesha at midday today raises the energy levels and brings a return of the light. Coincides with Mercury slowing down and preparing to go retrograde tomorrow at 6am BST. Lots of things up in the air over the next three weeks and beyond, esp. as Mercury passes backwards through the unstable Cancer-Leo Gandanta degrees from August 18th to September 7th. This is the second time Mercury has been through this zone, the first being July 17th to 23rd, the point where Joe Biden resigned.
Krishna Janmashtami is on August 26th: Bhaktivedanta Manor, just outside London, has a great celebration on this weekend if you're not going to Carnival 🙏

20/07/2024

Guru Purnima, the most auspicious Full Moon of the Vedic calendar, arrives at 11:17am BST tomorrow, July 21st. This is the day where the Guru principle is liveliest in nature, where we give thanks to our teachers and wisdom tradition, and strengthen our bond to spiritual knowledge. Guru Purnima is known as the birthday of Veda Vyasa, the sage who authored the Mahabharata, and also celebrated as the day the Buddha gave his First Sermon, in Sarnath, Varanasi. A bona-fide Guru is the Dispeller of Darkness, revered for having the power to get us to enlightenment in this lifetime.

This Full Moon falls in the Capricorn portion of Uttara Ashadha, the asterism whose Shakti is for Unchallenged Victory - 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear'. Uttara’s symbol, an elephant’s Tusk, also has an association with Ganesha, God of Success, so there is a power to remove obstacles and raise your energy levels. This is an excellent day to receive the blessings of a mentor figure and also for teaching and sharing your own knowledge.

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu,
Gurur Devo Mahesh Varah.
Guru Shakshat Para Brahma,
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah.

05/07/2024

Quick & dirty horary on Germany v Spain, asked late on when game was at 1-1. Chart lord shows the home team, so I thought Germany looked good for the win. But 1H lord is also the favourites, which was actually Spain (narrowly), plus Mars in Aries suggests La Roja, the team in red. Jupiter in 7H gives some support to the other side, though ruler Venus is well out of it.

Pedant's Corner: how often do you hear sports commentators saying a team/player are 'in the ascendancy', when they really mean 'in the ascendant', ie, looking like winners according to astrology.

26/06/2024

Book now for the British Association of Vedic Astrology's 2024 Conference, from October 4th - 6th and 10th-14th. Includes a range of international speakers on the theme 'Yogas in Astrology'. Early bird application up to September 4th. 🙏

2024-bava-27th-international-conference-programme