Vedic Astrology
In India the Sanskrit translation of astrology is “Jyotish”, this means “lamp of God”. The Vedic astrology chart is considered a form of grace given to an individual so that they can assess their strengths and weaknesses. There are two parts to astrology, one is astronomy which is the mathematical calculation of the positions of the planets at the time of birth. The second part is the prediction. One of the most important things that Vedic astrology can do is to help someone understand the opportunities that they will have in a lifetime, to bring various aspects of themselves to fruition, and interact with the external world in positive ways that help one fulfill their karmic destiny.The goal of having the chart done is not to become fatalistic, but rather to realize all of the ways that you can work with your energy and all of the external circumstances that you encounter to optimize the outcome. Astrology refers to any of several traditions or systems in which knowledge of the apparent positions of celestial bodies is used for understanding, interpreting, and organizing each individual life on earth. All traditions are based on the relative positions and movements of various real and construed extraterrestrial bodies as seen at the time and place of the birth or other event being studied. These are chiefly the Sun, Moon, planets, Ascendant & Mid heaven axes, and the lunar nodes. A practitioner of astrology is called an astrologer, or sometimes an astrologist. Many of those who practice astrology believe the positions of certain celestial bodies either influence or correlate with people’s personality traits, important events in their lives, and even physical characteristics. The following excerpt is taken from Autobiography of a Yogi, after Paramhansa Yogananda ask his teacher Sri Yukteshwar Giri about the benefits of astrology