 Hey! I hope you’re having a good month so far, and I hope Jupiter’s transit through Pisces has brought you an abundance of optimism and cheer. This newsletter will cover the two upcoming eclipses, but first, I have something really exciting to announce… Jyotish classes! I’ve always felt that knowing Vedic Astrology was a huge gift, and I’ve wanted to share as much as I can. It’s an open secret amongst Vedic Astrologers that the act of giving a reading is cleansing to both the client and the astrologer. Over the years, I’ve had readings where I’ve felt a very bright light temporarily turn on in my mind, and other readings where I’ve felt a fiery heat well up in my spine, to the point where I’m sometimes drenched in perspiration by the end of the reading. As I apply the Jyotish techniques in a reading, I’ve always felt like there’s something else happening, something that I don’t yet fully understand. I’ve always wanted to share these experiences with more people, and this course is my way of doing so. It is a very practical course that teaches you how to read charts, enabling you to give readings in a short amount of time. It combines the knowledge in the Jyotish texts with my own experience giving readings, and guides you to apply these very ancient techniques in a modern context. So, whether you’re a future professional Vedic Astrologer, or you’re a spiritual seeker wanting to learn more about the eye of the Vedas, or you’re just wanting to decipher for yourself the mysterious connection between the heavens with your life, I think you’ll really like this course. For more information, please tap here. Oh, and Class 1 is free, please check that out here if you’re interested. Eclipses Okay so now, onto the eclipses! In general, eclipses are not a good time to start something new, but are really useful for spiritual endeavors. This is true especially for the 3 days before and after the eclipse, and is also true regardless on whether you can see the eclipse or not. In addition to this, eclipses can affect certain individuals for up to 6 months if it occurs over a prominent place in their birth chart. To learn more about eclipses, please click here. The first eclipse takes place on April 30th, from 2:45PM to 6:38PM EDT (May 1st 4:45AM to 8:38AM in Melbourne). This is a partial solar eclipse, visible in parts of South America:  This eclipse is taking place in a constellation called Bharani Nakshatra, a constellation all about removing things that are no longer useful. The Shakti or energy of Bharani is the power to carry things away, and the constellation is ruled by Yama, the god of death, the celestial being that brings our souls to the next world after we die. Because of all this symbolism, if you have anything in your life that is longer serving you, you can harness the energies that are present in this eclipse and let them go. A good example of this in action is Carl Jung, who has his Moon in Bharani - he used the energies of Bharani to help his patients let go of their suffering. With the light of the Sun partially obscured during this solar eclipse, you can see the darker areas of your energy body, and release any emotions that are causing blocks inside you. The second eclipse takes place on May 15th, from 9:32PM to 2:50AM EDT (May 16th 11:32AM to 4:50PM in Melbourne). This is a total lunar eclipse, visible in most of the Americas, Africa, and Western Europe:  This eclipse is taking place in the first Drekkana of Scorpio, whose image is a beautiful, naked woman without jewelry, who has serpents coiled around her feet. She is displaced from her native land, and has reached a shore after a voyage across a great ocean. This image symbolizes the desire of someone who has nothing. The woman has no clothes, no jewelry, and has no friends or family - she has just been displaced from her home. It’s a Drekkana of very intense desires, of like a primordial hunger that’s impossible to satisfy. Consequently, this eclipse is a great time to reflect on your own desires, and find productive and helpful ways to channel them into the world.
That’s it from me for now, and I hope these eclipses bring you deep spiritual experiences,  Hey everyone, We’re about halfway through a particularly challenging Saturn / Mars conjunction (from February 27th to April 7th). Last newsletter, I alluded to Ukraine and Eastern Europe being particularly sensitive to Saturn / Mars conjunctions in Capricorn - this same conjunction also happened in March 1990 and February 1992, when the Soviet Union was just breaking up, and many people were displaced in the region. In 2022, Putin began his invasion on February 24th, just 3 days before the Saturn / Mars conjunction officially started, and I am hopeful things will start to cool down after the conjunction ends on April 7th. If you live in Eastern Europe, or have any friends or family in Ukraine / Europe, I hope you / they have managed to escape the worst of it. Soon after the end of the Saturn / Mars conjunction, Jupiter is headed into Pisces, where it will stay for a year, from April 14th 2022 to April 21st 2023. Long time readers of the newsletter will know that Jupiter transited into Capricorn in March 2020, coinciding exactly with when shelter-in-place orders were initiated. Jupiter is the planet of abundance, and when it was in Capricorn, its weakest sign, the planet was not able to express its natural abundant and positive energies into the world. In other words, the heavens were indicating a recession, and that was reflected on Earth too. For reference, Jupiter also transited into Capricorn from November 2020 to April 2021, which was a similarly challenging time for the world. Jupiter in Pisces is a completely different experience. Pisces is the sign of imagination and inspiration - it is Jupiter’s home sign, where the planet feels most comfortable, and where its natural buoyancy and cheerfulness can be expressed easily. Pisces is where Jupiter brings expansion and growth, and I believe this may coincide with when some / many of the COVID-related challenges begin to fall away. The one negative COVID carry-over that is unlikely to go away during this period is price inflation. Jupiter is the planet of infinite expansion and is also related to money, and so even as the economy and society recovers, I think the upward pressure on prices is likely to continue well into 2022. As an example of a person who has Jupiter in Pisces, let’s take a look at David Beckham’s chart. Beckham is a soccer player who is well-known all across the world, and his natal Jupiter is in Pisces in the 11th house, the house of groups of people:  This is a combination for fame and wealth. Jupiter is able to express itself strongly in Pisces in his chart, and these energies are manifesting itself as allowing Beckham to being an inspirational figure to his fans.
So, back to your life - how does Jupiter transiting Pisces affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of distant places, bringing uplifting experiences with travel, and positive outcomes if you have foreign money sources. This transit also brings positive experiences with spirituality, so a great way to experience this transit is to go on a meditation retreat somewhere nice. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of groups of people, bringing positive and expansive experiences with your society and community. This transit also brings a tendency for you to get a raise or a promotion from work. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of career and action, bringing a tendency for you to get a promotion, or just generally do well in your career. It also brings a nicer and more positive relationship with your boss. So, this is a good year to focus a bit more on your work, and make progress in your career. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of long-distance travel, bringing uplifting experiences with travel to distant places. The transit also brings positive experiences if you’re trying to learn or teach something. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of change, making this period a supportive time for you to remove things that are no longer useful in your life, or to make improvements where they are needed in your life. So, a great way to experience this transit is to imagine what you would like your life to look like in 2023, and gently steer your life towards that brighter future. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of relationships. If you are single, this year is your year! After a long 2 years of COVID lockdowns, this Jupiter transit is very supportive of you finding your special someone. If you are in a relationship, this transit is also very supportive for your relationships, so enjoy your year with your partner. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Jupiter is transiting your house of health, bringing an overall tendency for improvements in health, with a couple of exceptions. Because Jupiter is so expansive and positive, there is a tendency for you to also enjoy your food a little too much, in addition to all experiencing the overall improvements in your health situation. If you notice this happening to you, a great way to mitigate this is to practice conscious eating, and bring your meditation practice onto your dining table. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Jupiter is transiting your house of children, bringing positive experiences with your children. If you are trying to have a child, this transit makes it more likely that you will get pregnant. If you aren’t trying to have a child, this transit is supportive for all creative projects, so think about creating and “giving birth” to something amazing! Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of the home, bringing positive experiences to your home situation. If you’re trying to buy a house, renovate your existing home, or improve your home in some way, this transit brings a supportive energy for that endeavor. In addition to all things home-related, this Jupiter transit is also supportive of you building a stronger foundation in any project or action you’re trying to do in your life. Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Jupiter is transiting your house of communication, bringing more pleasant and positive experiences with communication. It is a great time for you to work on improving your communication ability. In addition to all that, this transit improves your ability to complete your errands and small tasks that tend to fill up a person’s day, so make a list and start ticking it off! Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Jupiter, the planet of abundance, is transiting your house of money, bringing positive experiences with money. If you’re worrying about your money situation in the next year, the good news is, you now probably have one less thing to worry about! This Jupiter transit also brings a tendency to enjoy your food a little too much, and if you notice this happening to you, a great way to mitigate this is to practice conscious eating, and bring your meditation practice to your dinner table. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Jupiter is transiting your house of personality. This will bring you a tendency to feel a little more positive and optimistic this year, and to have a generally easier and happier year. In addition to this, this transit also brings the tendency for career improvements. It’s time for you to enjoy Jupiter’s grace! Take care, and and enjoy the upcoming Jupiter boost, Ken  Hey everyone, Happy belated new year! Hope you’re all doing well and had a good start to the year. There is a lot happening in the skies in the first half of this year, and so you’ll be hearing a lot more of me in the coming months! This newsletter edition will focus on Saturn and Mars transiting Capricorn together. COVID-19 Before we get into it, here is a brief COVID astrological update. In the last few newsletters, I have been writing about Jupiter’s transit into Aquarius, which began on November 20th last year. My prediction was that this astrological event would coincide with the beginning of the end of the pandemic. I interpreted this astrological symbol as a positive event, perhaps indicating that the pandemic would start to gently fade away, but instead, it decided to go out with a bang! Just 4 days after the Jupiter transit began, the Omicron variant was reported to the WHO, a variant that is still overloading hospital systems around the world. But if there is a silver lining to all this suffering, it is that Omicron doesn’t penetrate that easily into deep lung tissue. Since November last year, several European countries have already ended all COVID restrictions, and I think a lot of the world will follow in the coming months. And so, I still stand by my prediction that we are seeing the pandemic starting to fade away, and that things will be a lot more normal beginning in mid-April this year, when Jupiter transits into its home sign of Pisces. Saturn and Mars in Capricorn Back to Saturn and Mars - both Saturn and Mars will be transiting Capricorn from February 27th to April 7th 2022, and will be at the exact same spot in the sky on April 5th 2022. Saturn is the planet of discipline, commitment, and building a strong foundation, and Mars is the planet of reckless, fiery action. These are harsh, conflicting energies. To use an analogy, Mars is like James Bond - a little rash and careless, but really good at shooting the bad guys, while Saturn is like the head of MI6 - cold and calculative, but always strategically moving pieces towards the end-goal. Both energies are required for our world to progress, but as you can imagine, if James Bond and his boss were stuck in a room together for a month, everyone would be pretty irritated. Saturn and Mars being together in the same sign bring escalating anger, a desire to move forward quickly while simultaneously slowing down to build a stronger foundation, and a frustration that is driven from a lot of starting and stopping. As an example of Saturn and Mars together in Capricorn, let’s look at Aleister Crowley’s chart:  Crowley was a prominent spiritualist and occultist in the early 1900s, and sticking to the 007 theme of this newsletter, was also rumored to be a spy working for British intelligence. In his chart, Saturn and Mars are in Capricorn in his house of relationships. This would cause a lot of frustrations with his relationships, which makes sense, because he was bisexual, something that would been quite challenging in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Projecting this Saturn and Mars transit out into the world, I think one thing to watch is the current crisis in Ukraine. Looking back to March / April 1990 and February 1992, when Saturn and Mars were also together in Capricorn, the Soviet Union was breaking apart. While this was really positive for the world longer-term, it didn’t happen smoothly - a lot of people were displaced, and Soviet Union troops were sent into multiple regions to try and smother independence movements. This year, Saturn’s heaviness and Mars’s fiery frustration may materialize in higher-than-average geopolitical tensions, perhaps just in Ukraine, but also possibly in other countries as well. One of the best ways to channel the energies of this transit is to focus on improving the technical aspects of where Saturn and Mars are impacting your life. Although Saturn / Mars transits can result in a lot of frustration, the two planets are also technically and mechanically inclined. For example, around the time of the 1990 and 1992 transits, the world wide web was invented, and the first SMS text message was sent. So, how does this Mars / Saturn transit affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of career, and so during this period, you may experience some frustrations at your job - perhaps the project you’re working on is delayed in some way, or your boss gives you a higher than normal amount of pressure. The best thing to do during this period is to focus on the technical aspects of your job - work on building out your Excel model, or optimizing a program, or tidying up the scheduling system, etc. These activities allow the frustrations from this transit to materialize into something positive. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of long-distance travel, making this period not the best time to do any long trips. If you have something already planned, the trip may provide a good opportunity to practice your patience and tolerance. Other areas of life that may be affected include career and relationships - try and go with the flow, and don’t rush into anything during this period. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your eighth house, a house associated with the unconscious mind. This is a combination that makes it a great time for you to work on energy practices like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama, etc. - channel that energy into something positive, and use it to open yourself up to the light. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of relationships, making it a generally challenging time for relationships. A good way to mitigate this is to incorporate physical activities into your relationship like a boxing class, or a long challenging hike, or swimming in the ocean, etc. This way, the frustrations from this transit have an avenue to be expressed, and your relationship will stay happy. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of health, which may exacerbate any existing health issues you may have, especially issues related to inflammation and / or your back. A good way to channel this transit is to be more disciplined with your exercise routine, especially by exercising and stretching out your back. Or, maybe just take a nice long bath and get a massage, that’s also a great way to spend this transit. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): This transit impacts your house of children. If you’re trying for a child, it’s best to be patient - you’ll probably have more success after the transit is over. If you already have children, this is a great time to allow them to guide you into becoming a more patient and tolerant person :) If children don’t feature heavily in your life, the transit also impacts your learning and creativity, and a great way to channel this transit’s energies is to focus on the more technical areas of your studies or creative endeavors - less big picture, and more of the nitty gritty details. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): This transit impacts the house of your home. If you’re trying to move houses, this may not be the best time to do so, as this transit tends to bring delays and frustrations with buying or selling property. It is, however, a great time to do minor renovations, and to also perform any required repairs around the house. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): This period is a great time to get errands done. Just write them down on a long list, and start checking them off, especially if those errands are technical in nature. On the flip-side, there is a tendency to experience a little more frustration in the area of communication. Just be patient, relax, and budget for more time if you have any important meetings to do during this period. Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of money in the bank. If you are trying to save for something, this period may result in some unexpected expenses, resulting in some delays. Just go with the flow - you will get there eventually, you may just need to budget for some extra time to achieve your money goals. Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): This period is generally a strong and productive time for your career. However, you may need to work extra hard during this period, and may feel at times like the work is a little tedious or overly technical. Just be patient, be diligent and hardworking, and make sure you plan some breaks to relax and recharge. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): This transit could produce delays and obstacles while traveling. If you have something already planned, the trip may provide a good opportunity to practice your patience and tolerance. You may also have especially notable experiences during this period if you regularly practice physical meditation techniques like chi gong or yoga. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Saturn and Mars are transiting your house of friends and the community. During this period, you may experience some occasional frustrations with your friends, or with the greater community you belong to. This period is also supportive of financial gains. However, the gains will probably only come after some delays and obstacles. Hey everyone, Hope you are all doing well! Let me tell you about two eclipses that are taking place over the next few weeks, with the first one taking place tonight. Before we get into it, I just wanted to briefly go over the COVID-19 timeline according to the astrology - we’re almost at the finish line! On November 20th, Jupiter will move into Aquarius, signaling the end of its transit through Capricorn, which took place for most of the period from March 2020 to November 2021. Capricorn is Jupiter’s sign of debilitation, and is the sign where Jupiter’s natural significations of abundance and dharma and truth are not easily expressed. Consequently, during Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn from March 2020 to November 2021, our world experienced a recession, a lot of misinformation, and a generally more hostile environment. Jupiter’s transit through Aquarius is much more positive, but the thing to really look forward to is that Jupiter is scheduled to move into its home sign of Pisces in April 2022. This is where it will be able to express its energies of abundance and truth a lot more easily. All this is to say that 2022 will probably be nothing like 2020, and we will be able to live normally again ✈️🌎🌍🌏🥗🍟🍜🍝🍛🍰🍙 Okay, so back to the eclipses - in general, eclipses are not a good time to start something new, but are really useful for spiritual endeavors. This is true especially for the 3 days before and after the eclipse, and is also true regardless on whether you can see the eclipse or not. In addition to this, eclipses can affect certain individuals for up to 6 months if it occurs over a prominent place in their birth chart. To learn more about eclipses, please click here. The first eclipse takes place on November 18th 10:02PM to November 19th 4:04AM PST (November 19th 5:02PM to 11:04PM in Melbourne). This is a partial lunar eclipse, visible in most of the world outside of Africa / the Middle East / Europe:  The eclipse is taking place in Krittika Nakshatra (Pleiades in the West), whose Shakti is the power to burn and purify. The constellation is ruled by Agni, the god of fire, a representation of your internal consciousness and subtle energies. If you have an energy practice like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama etc., you might receive an extra spark of fire during your practice tonight / tomorrow morning. If you find that’s the case, please enjoy that gift from the Krittika constellation and the eclipse, and use the fire to burn your desires away. What this eclipse is not great for is eating indulgently - in the stories, Agni loved to eat. He “digests” the food offerings during fire ceremonies, and transferred them to the celestial beings. The eclipse tonight may disrupt that digestive fire, and so there is a risk of indigestion if you eat too much. The second eclipse takes place on December 3rd 9:29PM to December 4th 1:38AM PST (December 4th 4:29PM to 8:38PM in Melbourne). This is a total solar eclipse, visible in Southern Australia, Southern Africa, South America, and Antarctica:  This eclipse takes place in the second Drekkana of Scorpio, whose image is a woman whose body looks like a water pot, and for the sake of her husband, has a serpent coiled around her body. This Drekkana is a symbol for deep intimacy, and transforming unconscious fears and desires into something more positive.
In the Vedic stories, there was a race of beings called the Nagas, or the divine serpents, who were said to swim in deep lakes and oceans. The deep water in these stories represents the infinite depths of our unconscious mind, and the serpents swimming is a symbol for being able to navigate the depths of the unconscious mind. In the Drekkana image, the woman has serpents coiled around her body, and so this is an image of a person revealing her most intimate desires and worries. By bringing everything into the light, it allows this person to let go of unconscious attachments and hidden anxieties. During this eclipse, we can all be like this person, plunging deep into our own consciousness, shining a light on all our hidden fears and desires, and letting go of the ones that are no longer useful.  Hope you are all doing well! It's been a busy few months - fatherhood is going well, and I am happy to report that my baby son has been helping my wife and I with stress-testing our meditation practices :) This newsletter will go through a brief COVID-19 update, and then talk about Venus’s transit across her home sign of Libra. COVID-19 Timeline In my previous letters, I have been predicting a more difficult period from September to November this year as Jupiter retrogrades back into Capricorn. A quick summary of 2021:
Venus in Libra From September 6th to October 1st 2021, Venus will be transiting Libra. When a planet is in its home sign, it's like a person being in their own home. They are very comfortable, and feel free in expressing their true natures. This is where a planet behaves most naturally, and its significations are expressed with a relaxed power. In Libra, the sign of relationships, Venus is able to express her significations of beauty, creativity, relationships, love, and affection really clearly. An example of a person with a natal Venus in Libra is author F. Scott Fitzgerald:  Many things in Fitzgerald’s life were intertwined with the theme of relationships - for example, he famously gained Zelda Sayre’s hand in marriage after publishing his first book, and his most famous book now, The Great Gatsby, was a story that explored the many facets of a nostalgic lost love. Also, by all accounts, he was a big socialite in the 1920s, frequenting many parties in New York City after he became a famous author. This is what Venus in Libra is all about - it makes a person naturally good at relationships, naturally able to perceive the various facets of relationships, and able to understand other people deeply. Venus in Libra also makes a person really charming and engaging in social situations - all qualities that Fitzgerald had in spades.
Back to your life - how does Venus transiting Libra affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Venus is transiting your house of relationships. If you are single, this transit can deliver you the extra boost needed to get into a relationship - this is the time to talk and meet more people, or ask your friends to introduce you to more people. If you already are in a relationship, this period can bring you a very pleasant and enjoyable period for you and your partner. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): This period is a good time for you to work on self-improvement, especially in the area of personal fitness. The transit is supportive of making you look (even more) attractive, especially if you work out and exercise a bit more. It should boost your confidence and is supportive of improving your health. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Venus, the planet of creativity, is transiting your house of creativity. This is really supportive of all your creative endeavors and projects - for example, drawing, writing, painting, singing, music, dancing, etc. If you have a creative project that you’ve been thinking of working on, this is the time to get going on it. If you are single, this period should also bring you a more pleasant and enjoyable time with your dating life. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Venus is transiting your house of the home, which is supportive of beautifying your house and/or sprucing up the garden. If there is anything in your home that has been bothering you, this is the time to smooth out the sharp edges and make everything look nicer and flow better. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Venus is transiting your house of communication. During this period, you might notice an increase of relational energy, bringing more pleasant and friendly conversations. You may also appear more charming and engaging in your conversations, making it a good time to schedule any important work-related conversations with your boss or coworkers. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Venus is transiting your house of food, giving you a tendency to indulge in nice food during the period. If however you find yourself overindulging in chocolate or something, perhaps a healthier way of expressing this energy is to bake and decorate a cake for a friend, or take the extra time every night to plate your dinner perfectly. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Venus is transiting your first house, which generally makes you more charming and pleasant relative to your baseline. You can use this to your advantage - for example, if you are single, this transit can deliver you the extra boost of charm needed to attract a partner. Or as another example, if you’re looking for a job, this transit can give you the slight boost of attractiveness necessary for the interviewer to like you a bit more than the competition. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Venus is transiting your house of spirituality, bringing you nice experiences related to your spirituality. This is especially the case if you have a devotional style practice, like metta meditation or Bhakti Yoga. Venus adds an extra dose of relational energy to your spiritual practice, allowing you to connect more easily and feel the love of the universe. Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Venus is transiting your house of groups. This Venus transit is very helpful for building a nicer relationship with your community or with your group of friends / coworkers. It is also very helpful with networking and building out your professional network. So if your friends or company are planning any big gatherings (in-person or over Zoom), make sure you take advantage of this Venus energy and enjoy the experience. Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): This transit gives you a more charming and pleasant public demeanor, giving you a friendlier reputation relative to your baseline. It is generally a positive period for your career, especially if you work in a creative field or if your job involves meeting lots of people. The transit is also a good time to build a closer relationship with your boss. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Venus is transiting your house of higher education, which makes this a good time to learn something, especially if it’s something in a creative field. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to paint or draw or play a musical instrument, this is a great time to fulfill that desire. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): During this period, you might notice an increase of relational energy, bringing more pleasant and friendly conversations. You may also come off as more charming and engaging in your conversations, making it a good time to schedule any complicated conversations you have been putting off. Hey everyone, Hope you are all doing well! In the next few weeks, we are going to have two eclipses. This newsletter will cover both in detail, and also cover the Mars in Cancer transit happening in June and July. The Two Eclipses Eclipses are generally not a good time to start something new, but are really useful for spiritual endeavors. This is especially true for the 3 days before and after the eclipse, and is also true regardless on whether you can see the eclipse or not. In addition to this, eclipses can affect certain individuals for up to 6 months if it occurs over a prominent place in their birth chart. To learn more about eclipses, please tap here. The first eclipse takes place on May 26th from 4:47AM to 9:50AM EDT (6:47PM to 11:50PM in Melbourne). This is a total lunar eclipse, visible in most of the world outside of Europe and Africa:  This eclipse takes place in the second Decan of Scorpio, whose associated image is a woman who is trying to make herself comfortable, and for the sake of her husband, has a serpent coiled around her body. In the image, the serpent is a symbol related to kundalini energy, the unconscious mind, and deep desires. The energy present during this eclipse makes it a supportive time to delve deeper into your psyche, to reflect, to journal, and to bring to the surface desires that may be hidden from your normal consciousness, and to let these desires go. In the image, it is only through relaxing and letting go can the woman escape the clutches of the serpent, and transform herself into something better. The husband part of the image is a reference to relational energies also being present during this eclipse, so if you are in a relationship, a great activity to do is to meditate together with your partner, or have an open conversation oriented towards solving any issues either of you may have. The second eclipse takes place on June 10th from 4:12AM to 9:11AM EDT (6:12PM to 11:12PM in Melbourne). This is a solar eclipse is visible in most of the Northern Hemisphere:  This eclipse takes place in a constellation called Mrigashira. This is a constellation related to intense desires that could bring a degree of urgency to accomplish something. These desires can also cause you to develop tunnel vision, preventing you from seeing alternatives. If you recognize this happening in you, this eclipse is a good time to meditate deeply, bringing these desires to the surface, allowing yourself can make better decisions. By the way, this is the same constellation that one of last year’s eclipse took place in (June 2020). If you would like to read the story related to this constellation or would like to see a picture of the constellation, please tap here and scroll to the second half of the page. Mars in Cancer From June 2nd to July 20th 2021, Mars will be transiting Cancer. Mars is a fiery planet related to outward action, and feels really uncomfortable in Cancer, because Cancer is the sign of emotions and security. Mars feels like he can’t express his actions in Cancer, and feels angry. Compounding this tendency during this transit is Saturn’s opposition to Mars, suppressing Mars’ actions further, building more anger and frustration, like a pressure cooker ready to blow! During this period, there may be more angry flare-ups in the world. Even the smallest disagreement may quickly escalate into shouting matches, and eventually into actual battles. We’re already seeing a build-up to this transit in some parts of the world, notably in Israel and Palestine recently. An example of a natal Mars in Cancer is Michael Jordan:  Michael Jordan was not one to easily let go of slights from other players and coaches (real or perceived). All the comments his opponents made that annoyed Jordan were noted down and used to fuel his competitiveness. He took many comments personally, which he responded to in his own uniquely combative style. This is a great archetype of Mars in Cancer - even the most innocuous comments can build anger internally, and quickly escalate into a fight. If you catch yourself stuck in this pattern during this period, the best thing to do is to take a step back and breathe, and try and let go of the frustration and irritation building inside you.
I’ve also written out some mini-predictions to try and personalize your experience of Mars transiting Cancer. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): During this period, you may find yourself feeling a little frustrated at home. A good way to offset this is to spend time working on your home. Work on making your home more cozy and comfortable. Focus on doing more actions at home - cleaning, cooking, gardening, etc., and that will channel away any frustrations you feel. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Mars is transiting your house of communication. During this time, you may find yourself getting caught up in an above average number of arguments and angry confrontations, some of them coming out of nowhere, and some of them not your fault at all! If you begin noticing this, just take a step back and remain calm, usually that will cause the argument to fizzle out, and you can move on with your peaceful life. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Mars is transiting your house of savings, and rules your house of salary. This is a combination for being frustrated at the slow pace of trying to save money to buy something. The main lesson here is patience - which I know is a difficult lesson to learn - but taking a step back and realizing that everything happens at the right speed can be helpful through this transit. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): This Mars transit may exacerbate any existing health issues you may have, especially health issues related to inflammation, or Pitta issues in the traditional Ayurveda system. Drinking more water and eating less spicy / salty food may be helpful if you notice yourself getting a little angry or stressed (there’s a theory that emotions are in-part created by our brain in response to the amount of inflammation in our body - check out Lisa Barrett’s How Emotions Are Made book). Anyways, this period may be a great time to break out the healthy salad / soup recipes! Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Mars is transiting through your house of spirituality, making this a great time for you to work on energy practices like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama, etc. This is especially true if you’re feeling a little frustrated inside - channel that energy into something positive, and use it to open yourself up to the light. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Mars is transiting your house of the public, and rules your house of communication. This is a combination for potentially experiencing an above average number of arguments and angry confrontations, some of them coming out of nowhere, and some of them not your fault at all! If you begin noticing this, just take a step back and remain calm, usually that will cause the argument to fizzle out, and you can move on with your peaceful life. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Mars is transiting through your house of career, and rules your house of relationships. This is a combination for having some friction related to one-to-one client relationships, or with your team members / colleagues at work. If you begin noticing this, a good alternative way to express this Martian energy is to put your head down and get to work, and let your actions speak for themselves. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Mars is transiting your house of higher learning, making it a slower and more frustrating time if you’re trying to learn something. The one exception is that the period is a good time to learn energy practices like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama, etc. This is especially true if you’re feeling a little frustrated inside - channel that energy into something positive, and use it to open yourself up to the light. Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Mars is transiting your eighth house, a house associated with the unconscious mind, and it rules your house of spirituality. This is a combination that makes it a great time for you to work on energy practices like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama, etc. - channel that energy into something positive, and use it to open yourself up to the light. The period is also supportive of consolidating your debts - for example, consolidating multiple credit cards, consolidating different loans in the bank, etc. Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Mars is transiting your house of relationships. During this time, you may find yourself getting caught up in an above average number of arguments and angry confrontations, some of them coming out of nowhere, and some of them not your fault at all! If you begin noticing this, just take a step back and remain calm, usually that will cause the argument to fizzle out, and you can move on with your peaceful life. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): This Mars transit may exacerbate any existing health issues you may have, especially health issues related to inflammation, or Pitta issues in the traditional Ayurveda system. Drinking more water and eating less spicy / salty food may be helpful if you notice yourself getting a little angry or stressed (there’s a theory that emotions are in-part created by our brain in response to the amount of inflammation in our body - check out Lisa Barrett’s How Emotions Are Made book). Anyways, this period may be a great time to break out the healthy salad / soup recipes, and also to be more disciplined with your workouts. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Mars is transiting your house of learning, and rules the house of higher education. This is a combination which makes it a slower and more frustrating time if you’re trying to learn something. The one exception is that the period is a good time to learn energy practices like tummo, yoga, tai chi, pranayama, etc. This is especially true if you’re feeling a little frustrated inside - channel that energy into something positive, and use it to open yourself up to the light. Another good use of this period is to work on your side projects or hobbies, you never know where these may bring you in your life!  Hey everyone!
I hope all of you are doing well - I apologize for the pause in newsletters recently - my wife and I have had our hands full with our new little one. I think we’re slowly getting the hang of being parents, and so your regularly scheduled newsletters should be resuming now! This newsletter has 3 sections: a quick review on the COVID-19 astrological timeline, a brief story about Queen Elizabeth I’s personal astrologer, and finally, short predictions about how Jupiter’s transit through Aquarius might affect you individually. COVID-19 Timeline Before we get to your astrology forecasts, here is a quick overview on the upcoming COVID-19 timeline (most of 2020 was reviewed here):
Intermission: A Story about John Dee and Muhurthas A Muhurtha, or electional astrology, is the picking of a precise and auspicious time to begin something. It allows you to pick the “birth time” of important events in your life - this could be for your wedding, the beginning of your business, your house purchase, your new job, or even an important trip or journey. I recently came across a story about John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I’s personal astrologer and mystic, and the person credited with coining the phrase “The British Empire”. The reign of Queen Elizabeth I was from November 1558 to March 1603; she was the Queen during the establishment of the first English colony in North America (Newfoundland in 1583), playing a big part in shaping our modern world, and is probably one of the reasons I’m writing this newsletter in English today. The particular Muhurtha of this story takes place in 1588 during the Spanish Armada (pictured at the top of this newsletter), when Spain sailed 130 ships to begin an invasion of England. At that time, England’s navy was inferior to the Spanish, and there was uncertainty on whether England would be able to defend against such an attack. As the Spanish Armada sailed towards England, Queen Elizabeth I asked her astrologer for suggestions. John Dee looked up the astrology chart of when Spain began the invasion, and told his Queen that fortunately for England, the Spanish had begun their operation on a very inauspicious election, and there was nothing to worry about. What happened was, through a combination of poor leadership and horrible weather, the Spanish Armada didn’t even make it onto British soil! If Spain had picked a better Muhurtha, they may have had a better chance of invading England - on paper, they certainly should have succeeded. The moral of the story is not to kill all your astrologers during the Inquisition, and also of course, to pick the right Muhurtha to start your endeavors! Mini Predictions: Jupiter in Aquarius As mentioned above, Jupiter is transiting Aquarius from April 5th to September 15th 2021. Jupiter is the planet of knowledge, and Aquarius is the sign of unconventionality, science, and technology. If found in a birth chart, Jupiter in Aquarius can bring unconventional approaches to science, or an interest in alternative ideas. Examples of natal Jupiters in Aquarius in the scientific community were Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, both of whom had unconventional approaches to science that led to big breakthroughs in their field. This is a similar energy being expressed into the world right now, manifesting through vaccinations accelerating everywhere. So, how does Jupiter transiting Aquarius affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Jupiter, the planet of abundance, is transiting your house of gains. This house represents money from your salary at work, so this Jupiter transit may result in you receiving a raise. Also, if you have any goals (not limited to just your salary), this period is a good time to work towards achieving those goals. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of career, bringing good opportunities at your chosen job or industry. This is a positive time to start new projects and to be noticed by your boss. It may also bring you a promotion, or set you up for one in the future. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Jupiter, the planet of knowledge, is transiting your house of knowledge - this is a good time to learn new things, especially unconventional things and topics outside of the mainstream. This is also a placement that brings abundance, and is generally supportive for wealth generation. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of change, bringing you opportunities to make changes in your life. Is there something you want to learn that you have been putting off? Is there a new health routine that you would like to try? This period is supportive of improving all aspects of your life, but also specifically in the areas of learning and health. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of relationships, bringing you positive experiences with relationships. If you’re single, this transit is very supportive of bringing you an optimistic and knowledgeable partner, and if you’re in a relationship, this transit supports the relationship, brings stability and contentment, and encourages bonding. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of health. This period is supportive of you improving your health routine and getting in shape. However, because Jupiter is the planet of abundance, it also encourages over-indulgence, especially in foods damaging to the liver like sugar and alcohol. So, it’s important to practice conscious eating, and develop a stricter health and diet routine during this period. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Jupiter is transiting your house of creativity, which is supportive of all creative endeavors. Whether you’re working on a painting, or building up a company, or trying to make a baby, this period is supportive for all these creative ventures. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Jupiter is transiting your house of the home and vehicles. If you are trying to buy a house or a car, especially if your natal chart’s planetary cycles are supportive, this Jupiter transit might be the clincher that allows you to complete the purchase. If you aren’t trying to buy a house or a car, this period may bring positive experiences where you live - you may suddenly feel more at ease and at peace with your living situation. Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of communication. During this period, you may find yourself communicating in a more positive or optimistic tone. People talking to you may also appear more helpful and supportive. This transit is also supportive of making peace with your enemies - if you’ve recently had any big arguments or conflicts, now is the time to agree to a truce! Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Jupiter, the planet of abundance, is transiting your house of food. During this period, you may find yourself over-indulging in food, possibly in foods that are high in sugar and alcohol. The good news here is Jupiter rules your house of spirituality, so if you are having trouble regulating your diet, a practice of conscious eating or even spiritual fasting may be helpful for you to learn to detach from the desires of the tummy. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of health and personality. If you are currently ill, this transit is supportive of you recovering (at least partially) from that illness. If you are in good health, this transit is protective to your health, and also makes you feel generally more positive and optimistic with your life. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Jupiter, whose Sanskrit name is Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods, is transiting the house of spirituality. This makes this period very supportive of you to learn spiritual knowledge, or progress deeper into your chosen spiritual path. In the stories, Brihaspati was famous for always performing spiritual ceremonies - if that is something that interests you, this period might be the time to learn how to do some ceremonies. Hey everyone! Hope everything is going well with you. I’ve had a really busy last few weeks - my wife and I are very happy to announce that our first child was born in early November! Like any semi-neurotic astrologer, I was surreptitiously glancing at the real time astrology chart on my phone throughout my wife’s labor - I wanted to see what the little dude would turn out like if he popped out at that specific minute. I’m lucky my wife was a little too busy to notice! Switching back to the astrology - in this newsletter, I want to give you an updated COVID-19 timeline, and also tell you about the 2 eclipses that will be occurring in the next few weeks. The Jupiter Transit and COVID-19  (picture in San Francisco from 1918, during the Spanish Flu pandemic) Long time readers of this newsletter know that I’ve been tracking Jupiter’s movements closely over the last couple of years as a marker for the global economy. Jupiter is the planet of abundance, and whenever it is in a position of weakness, we generally go through a more difficult macro environment. Here’s a summary Jupiter’s movements this year, and what’s to come in the next few months:
I always try not to make these newsletters too depressing, so here are two things to look forward to starting April 5th 2021. Firstly, I wrote in a previous newsletter that Jupiter’s position from Nov 20th 2020 to April 5th 2021 forms a special combination with Saturn called Neechabhanga Raja Yoga. During this combination, an initial event is usually interpreted as negative, but as it gets closer to the end of this period, the event will prove to be a blessing in disguise. With Jupiter going into Aquarius on April 5th 2021, the sign of science and technology and thinking outside the box, I wrote that it would be a good time for the world to reprioritize and rebuild the economy in a more sustainable way. There already seems to be some green shoots to this idea, with the UK banning new gas car sales by 2030, and I’m sure Biden in the US will include some sustainable policies in the next stimulus plan. Secondly, with vaccine trials looking successful, there is looking to be a clear path to a return to a more normal life some time next year. It will take some time for manufacturing volumes to ramp up, but it looks like some time after April 2021, when Jupiter leaves Capricorn, things will start getting back to normal. My prediction is things will start looking much better in December 2021 (Jupiter is weak in Capricorn yet again from Sep 15th 2021 to Nov 20th 2021), and the good times will fully return starting April 14th 2022, when Jupiter enters its home sign of Pisces. 2 Upcoming Eclipses There will be two eclipses taking place over the next few weeks. Eclipses are generally not a good time to start something new, but are really useful for spiritual endeavors. This is true especially for the 3 days before and after the eclipse, and is also true regardless on whether you can see the eclipse or not. In addition to this, eclipses can affect certain individuals for up to 6 months if it occurs over a prominent place in their birth chart. To learn more about eclipses, please click here. The first eclipse takes place on November 29th from 2:32AM to 6:54PM EST (Nov 30th 6:32PM to 10:54PM in Melbourne). This is a lunar eclipse is visible across most of the world:  The lunar eclipse is taking place in a constellation called Rohini, whose Shakti is the power of growth. Because an eclipse is taking place here, the growth that this event is encouraging is inward-looking and introspective. Eclipses disrupt the veils between the the material world and the spirit, and the 2 or 3 days before and after this eclipse (and most intense during the few hours of the eclipse) is very supportive for activities like meditation, journaling, and reflection. The second eclipse takes place on December 14th from 8:33AM to 1:53PM EST (Dec 15th 12:33AM to 5:53AM in Melbourne). This is a solar eclipse, visible in most of South America and the western parts of Africa:  The eclipse is taking place in Jyeshtha, a constellation ruled by Indra. Indra is the King of the Devas (the higher beings in our universe), and he is the prototypical conquering hero, slaying demons with his vajra (thunderbolt weapon), conquering their worlds, and is often pictured intoxicated with lots of women. When applied to modern life, this is a constellation about business, competition, and achieving your material desires. Consequently, because eclipses disrupt material energy, the time around this eclipse is especially bad for starting a business or a relationship. Instead of channeling your desires outward, it will be more productive for you to redirect your consciousness inward and towards your true self.
Wishing all of you the most spiritual eclipse experiences and that you stay safe and healthy through the holidays!  Hey everyone! Rahu is moving into Taurus and Ketu is moving into Scorpio from Sep 20th 2020 to March 16th 2022. Rahu and Ketu are the North and South nodes of Vedic Astrology, and astronomically, they are the points in the sky where the paths of the Sun and Moon cross. There is a story that fleshes out what the personalities of Rahu and Ketu and what they bring to your chart. Rahu was once a demon, and his greatest desire was to drink Soma, the Nectar of the Gods, the drink that would make him immortal and enlightened. You can see why he was obsessed with it - what an amazing drink! However, he was not allowed to as he was a demon; only the Devas (the higher beings of our universe) were qualified to drink the Soma. So, like any good demon, Rahu put on a disguise and snuck into the big ceremony where all the Devas were drinking the Soma. He succeeded and managed to drink it and became immortal, but right after, the Sun and the Moon realized he was an imposter, and told Vishnu. Well, Vishnu isn’t one to act slowly, and immediately sliced off Rahu’s head with his Chakram (spinning disc weapon). The head of the now immortal being became Rahu, and the rest of the body became Ketu. A mixed result for Rahu - you win some, you lose some I guess. Rahu was the universe’s first drug addict - he wanted the Soma at whatever the cost, and so Rahu symbolizes unlimited desires. Ketu is sort of the opposite - he is like the universe’s first Buddhist monk - without any desires, he’s happy to go with the flow and stay out of the limelight. So, the area where Rahu is placed in your chart shows an area where you have deep obsessive desires and an area you want to change, and the area where Ketu is placed indicates an area where things become more hidden, and also an area of chronic disappointment that can become a source of spiritual growth. Specifically, Rahu transiting Taurus shows an area of your life where you will have a strong desire to make more materially comfortable and beautiful through this period, and Ketu in Scorpio shows an area of your life where you may want to spiritualize or might experience some disappointments in. The exact area depends on your chart, and I’ve made some mini-predictions in the second half of this email. But first, an example of Rahu in Taurus and Ketu in Scorpio is Deekpak Chopra’s natal chart:  Deepak’s Rahu is in Taurus, in his house of the home, which is a combination that makes him have a strong desire for nice comfortable homes. In addition to his own homes being very nice (I’m guessing, think the invite was lost in the mail), a few years ago he started designing luxury condominiums that aims to improve healthspan. Chopra’s Ketu, on the other hand, is in his house of career. Ordinarily, this would bring him disappointment in his career, except that he has chosen to express Ketu’s monk-like energy by becoming a spiritual teacher! This is a great example of how each planet’s energy has to be expressed somewhere in your life, but we have the free will to choose the method of expression.
So, how does these transits affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Rahu is transiting your house of food, and because Rahu has some compulsive characteristics, you might develop a tendency to indulge a little too much in addictive foods like alcohol and sugar. So, it’s a really good time for you to practice conscious eating, and perhaps also buy a smaller plate. Ketu is transiting your house of change, which makes this period a little difficult to implement big changes into your life. Perhaps staying the course through this transit might be the helpful choice. Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Rahu is transiting a major personality marker, which might make you a little obsessive in this period. Watch your desires and try and let them go and you’ll have a better experience. Ketu is transiting your house of relationships, making you want to share your spiritual practice with your partner. If you’re single, this transit might deliver you a spiritual partner to share your life with. Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Rahu is transiting your house of spirituality, which makes you a little more focused on your spiritual journey. Rahu was a demon, so he represents unorthodox, non-mainstream, and revolutionary approaches to spirituality, so if there is an alternative spiritual practice you have been wanting to try out, this period might be the time. Ketu is transiting your house of health, which may bring hard-to-diagnose health issues, so make sure you go for your regular checkups. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Rahu is going through your house of groups of people, giving you a desire to connect with your friends more. This transit also makes you a little focused on achieving your goals, and the key here is to focus on the little actions that lead you to success, and not the fruits or the results of your actions. Ketu is transiting your house of learning, making this period a good time to learn something spiritual. If you have children, this transit also encourages you to grow spiritually with them. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Rahu is transiting your house of career, giving you a tendency to be a bit too focused on your job. This is a good period to practice a little karma yoga, which is the tradition of focusing on your actions instead of the fruits of your action, and learning to be detached. Ketu is transiting your house of the home, and so during this time, you may feel a little disappointed with your living situation. It’s okay, like all things, the period will pass. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Rahu is transiting your house of higher learning. Rahu was a demon, so he represents unorthodox and non-mainstream forms knowledge, so if there’s something a little different that you have been wanting to learn, this might be the time. Ketu is transiting your house of communication, bringing some obstacles with communication through the period. Focusing on speaking clearly and describing things in more detail may be useful if you find this to be the case. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): One of Rahu’s significations is change, and Rahu is transiting your house of change. This double reinforcement brings a strong tendency for you to make changes in your life, perhaps to make your life more materially comfortable. Ketu is transiting your house of food, bringing a more spiritual approach to eating. This is a good time to practice conscious eating, and also eating healthier, higher energy foods. Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Rahu is transiting your house of relationships, which bring you a tendency to be a little too attached with your partner, or want to change something in the relationship, perhaps to make it more stable. If you are single, this transit gives you a tendency to meet someone outside of your tradition or culture or country, someone a little different from you. The Ketu transit, on the other hand, gives you a tendency to want to hide your personality a little or minimize expressing yourself. It makes you more reflective, which makes this transit a good time to do some quiet journaling. Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Rahu is transiting your house of health, and because Rahu has some compulsive characteristics, you might develop a tendency to indulge a little too much in addictive foods like alcohol and sugar. On the flip side, this is a good period to work on improving your health and exercise routines, and coming out of the transit a fitter and healthier person. Ketu, on the other hand, is transiting your house of spirituality, making quiet mindfulness meditation particularly useful for you during the transit. Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Rahu is transiting your house of children. If you don’t have children, this period will bring an increasing desire to have children. If you have children, this period might bring a period of change and improvement for your kids. Rahu is a significator of technology, so perhaps they will be getting more used to the increasing use of technology at schools. Over with Ketu - is transiting the house of groups of people, bringing a desire for more quiet time and introspection. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): This placement is very similar to the earlier example of Deepak Chopra. Rahu is transiting your house of the home, making you want to improve or modernize your home, making it more comfortable and making every day tasks more convenient. Ketu’s placement in your house of career brings you a desire to work for the divine, or work for the universe, and because this rarely happens for most of us, this placement often brings some disappointments. However, these disappointments push you inward and deeper into your spiritual path, and will ultimately be a blessing in disguise. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Rahu is transiting your house of communication, making you want to communicate more when you’re talking to people, so much so that it might come off as a little intense. It’s totally fine, just maybe give the people around you a little break if they start to look tired. Ketu is transiting your house of higher learning, which makes this period a good time to learn mindfulness meditation, or read a book about Buddhism. This placement is also quite supportive for spiritual progress, so maybe when you’re giving people that aforementioned break, you can spend some quiet time meditating! Hey everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. Before getting to the astrology, I want to tell you about another temple I visited last year in India. I know some of you are probably going a bit stir crazy, so hopefully this provides a welcome distraction to everything that’s happening in the world! The temple is Kedarnath, a legendary site dedicated to Shiva which sits on the top of a mountain. It is “accessible” either through a 14km upslope hike, or by helicopter. Because we (my wife and I) had just completed a 3 day hiking trip to Gangotri and back, we were a little unenthusiastic about having to do another long hike, so we chose to travel via helicopter.  (this photo of Kedarnath is from the Indian government - it was too cloudy on the day to get any good photos) They say that the Vedic deities demand sacrifice before they give you your blessings, and it was only during this trip to India that I fully understood what that meant. We encountered obstacles and delays that tested our determination everywhere we went. And for Kedarnath, it was no different… On the early morning drive to the helicopter pad, we were stopped for an hour because of a rockslide. These rockslides happen pretty frequently on the mountain roads, and everyone gets out of the car and hangs out till the government trucks come to clear the rocks. Finally, the rocks were cleared and we were along our journey, but the delay caused us to lose our position in the helicopter queue, so we were now at the back of the line. When we finally got to the helicopter pad, we learned that Kedarnath is 3,600m above sea level, and so is almost always shrouded in clouds. Because helicopters aren’t allowed to fly without clear visibility, we were told to wait for the clouds to part before we could fly up. Well, 5 hours later, we were losing hope that we would be able to go, which would be really disappointing because our itinerary had allocated only one day for this trip. Everyone ahead of us in the queue had already given up, asked for refunds, and gone home. We had nothing to lose, so we thought we would just stick it out to see if the clouds would clear.  Suddenly, the helipad on Kedarnath messaged down to our pilot that we were clear to fly - there was a 10 minute gap in the clouds - we were going up! Only 3 or 4 helicopters made it up that afternoon, and I felt really fortunate to be included in that group.  Kedarnath Temple is amazing. There is a feeling of untouched purity and raw power that I have not felt anywhere else. The temple has two chambers - the outer chamber is surrounded by stone carvings of the 5 Pandava brothers, the most famous of which is Arjuna, the archer in the Bhagavad Gita. Also carved in the walls is Krishna (an avatar of the divine Vishnu) and Draupadi (the brothers’ wife - no that apostrophe wasn’t a mistake, they all loved Draupadi). All of these stone wall carvings face Nandi (Shiva’s bull), who sits in the center facing the inner chamber. As you walk into that second chamber, you are greeted with a huge black stone representing Shiva. The aforementioned feeling of raw power pervades everything here. It feels very old. No one actually knows when the temple was built, but so the legend goes, after the great war that occurred at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, the 5 Pandava brothers came to Kedarnath to ask Shiva to remove their karmas so they could go home. After a bit of back and forth, Shiva removed their karma, and the 5 brothers were granted their enlightenment. As a token of their gratitude, the 5 brothers then constructed Kedarnath Temple, and it still stands today, after more than 5000 years of continuous use. After we asked the priest to conduct a ceremony for us, we headed back to the helicopter, but our adventure was not over yet. The clouds still had not parted, and we were forced to stay the night on the mountain. Luckily, we managed to get a room in a nice inn, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After sunset, we attended the special night ceremony at the temple - a really nice end to a very long day. Mars in Aries I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip last year - now back to the skies! Mars is in Aries from Aug 17th 2020 to Oct 3rd 2020, and then again from Dec 24th 2020 to Feb 21st 2021. Aries is Mars’ home sign, where Mars feels really comfortable, and a place where its competitiveness and ambition can be expressed easily into the world. The role of Mars in Aries is to initiate something in your life quickly. Mars is a fiery planet and Aries is a fiery sign, and so like a forest fire, a Mars in Aries event manifesting in your life is sudden, quick, and immediately obvious. An example of Mars in Aries is, of course, Muhammad Ali:  Independent of the astrology, I actually can’t think of another person who expresses the Mars in Aries energy as well as him. His famous quote “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and frequent knockouts capture the Mars in Aries action perfectly, and his career of choice is also appropriately competitive and war-like.
How does Mars transiting Aries affect you personally? Well, I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you. Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Is there anything you want to get rid off, or is something no longer serving you? Mars is transiting your first house and rules your 8th house, so it makes this period a good time to remodel and reprioritize things in your life. On side note, if you notice yourself feeling a little angrier than normal, just do a high intensity workout, I think you’ll feel better after! Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Mars is transiting your house of spirituality, making this a great time to start (or delve deeper) into any energy-based spiritual practice. This could be yoga (feel the prana flow through your body), or tai chi or chi gong (feel the chi being channeled through your body), or any meditation practice (feel the kundalini rise up from the base of your spine). Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): This period is a good time to work towards achieving your goals, especially health related goals. If you have been neglecting your exercise routine, now would be a good time to set some goals to get back into it. In addition to exercise related goals, this Mars transit gives you an extra dose of energy that may give you the edge needed to accomplish and manifest your desires. Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Mars is transiting your house of career, giving you an extra boost of leadership and authority at your job. Now is the time to take charge and demonstrate your leadership abilities. Mars is also the planet of getting stuff done, and you might find yourself more productive and better at executing your plans during this transit. Leo (August 17th to September 16th): This Mars transit forms a combination that may allow you to buy a house, especially if your personal planetary cycle is supportive of this activity. If not, this Mars transit is a great time for learning things, especially technical topics like math and engineering, and also topics related to energy-based practices like yoga and martial arts. Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): This Mars transit makes your experience with communication a little complicated, and even a little combative sometimes. If you see this happening in your life, put a little extra attention into noticing your reactions to other people’s speech, and also how you respond. Noticing is half the battle - just bring awareness into the situation and let it go, and everything will be okay. Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Mars is transiting your house of relationships. If you are in a relationship, this transit will bring a little more excitement into the physical aspects of your relationship. You may also find your partner exercising more. If you aren’t in a relationship, Mars here gives you an extra boost to finding a partner, so if you’re out and see someone with nice eyes (I guess we’re all wearing masks…), maybe strike up a conversation! Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): This transit brings an extra energy boost to your health and exercise routine. If you have been neglecting your exercise routine, now would be a good time to get back into it. On the flip side, Mars in this transit brings a little extra heat into your physical body, so make sure you drink lots of water! Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): This Mars transit is a great time for learning things, especially technical topics like math and engineering, and also topics related to spiritual energy, like Kundalini and Prana. Mars in this transit also forms a combination that produces losses through investments, so maybe be a little more conservative if you trade shares (there’s a joke somewhere here about Sagittarius the archer and Robinhood the trading app) Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): This Mars transit forms a combination that may allow you to buy a house, especially if your personal planetary cycle is supportive of this activity. If not, this Mars transit may initiate some changes in your house, whether it’s just moving things around or changing things around the house. Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): This Mars transit makes your experience with communication a little combative sometimes, especially at work. If you see this happening, put a little extra attention into noticing your reactions to other people’s speech, and also how you respond. Noticing is half the battle - just bring awareness into the situation and let it go, and everything will be okay. Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Mars is forming a combination that may bring you an improvement in your financial position. Specifically, it gives you a little boost to your savings ability, so if you have been trying to save to buy something, this period is the time to get saving! |
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