Hey everyone!
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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): 

• From November 20th 2020 to April 5th 2021, Jupiter returned to Capricorn, and similar to March 30th to June 29th 2020 when Jupiter was also in Capricorn, the world suffered through another tougher period of lockdowns and economic hardship. 
• From April 5th 2021 to September 15th 2021, Jupiter transits through Aquarius, the sign of the unconventional, and also the sign of science and technology. Combining these significations, this symbolizes an acceleration in vaccinations as the world takes an unorthodox approach to attempt to put an end to the pandemic
• From September 15th 2021 to November 20th 2021, Jupiter is back in Capricorn yet again, the same position it was during the height of the lockdowns last year and early this year. It’s hard to imagine another period of hard lockdowns, especially given the accelerating distribution of vaccines all around the world. My prediction is that during this period, governments may try and pull back on economic aid to try and restart the economy, and it might result in a few difficult months as the world sputters towards reopening. Regardless, this period should see a more difficult time economically, and more suffering in general. 
• After November 20th 2021, Jupiter exits Capricorn finally, and the world should see the start of a sustained recovering. This recovery will be going in full steam by April 2022, when Jupiter enters its home sign of Pisces. 

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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: 

• From January 24th to March 29th 2020, Jupiter was in Sagittarius, and I noted that the previous time Jupiter entered Sagittarius was in November 2007, when there was a big stock market correction in advance of a long recession. In February this year, something very similar took place, with the stock market recording its fastest crash in history just before economies went into lockdown. 
• From March 30th to June 29th 2020, Jupiter transited into Capricorn, where it joined a very strong and challenging Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of wealth and abundance, and in addition to Saturn’s suppressive energy, Capricorn is Jupiter’s weakest sign. This means Jupiter’s abundance was not expressed easily during this period, and clearly symbolizes a recession. This coincided with the height of the shelter-in-place orders across most of the world.
• From June 30th to Nov 19th 2020, Jupiter retrograded out of Capricorn and back into Sagittarius. Unlike the previous period of Jupiter in Sagittarius (Jan 24th to March 29th), on this occasion, Jupiter was not impacted by any of the harsher planets. In fact, Sagittarius is Jupiter’s home sign, and Jupiter’s abundance symbolism was expressed well. This period marked the reopening of most economies and a return to a more normal life, or as normal as you can be during a pandemic. 
• From Nov 20th 2020 to April 5th 2021, Jupiter returns to Capricorn, and similar to March 30th to June 29th 2020, we’re in for another tougher period. If the previous period is anything to go by, most of the world will be going back into lockdowns and a similar recessionary environment will take hold. 

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. 
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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.
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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!

Hey everyone, 
​
Last month’s newsletter spoke about the two eclipses we had in June. To learn more about eclipses, please click here. We have one more to go - the last eclipse this season takes place on July 4th from 8:07 PM to 10:53 PM PDT (July 5th from 1:07 PM to 3:53 PM in Melbourne). This is a lunar eclipse, visible in New Zealand, the Americas, parts of Europe and most of Africa:

The eclipse takes place in a constellation called Purva Ashadha. Purva Ashadha’s desire is to gain the ocean upon wishing for it, and it is ruled by Apas, defied water. Gaining the ocean upon wishing for it is actually a spiritual symbol for merging into the consciousness of the universe. By meditating deeply during this eclipse, we can turn inward and realize that we are all spirit souls, and hopefully merge into the spiritual ocean. 

Another way of interpreting this symbol is literally liking natural bodies of water, and so maybe if meditation isn’t your thing, an alternate way to spend eclipse day would be to go on a quiet backpacking trip to a lake or ocean. 

2020 US Elections

Staying with the July 4th theme, let’s take a look at the 2020 US elections by analyzing Donald Trump’s and Joe Biden’s planetary cycles. 

Trump entered his Jupiter / Jupiter planetary cycle on Nov 14th 2016, very close to the Nov 8th election date. In Trump’s birth chart, there are some negative combinations that create a distracted, aggressive individual with a messy mind (caused by his Ascendant, Mars, Moon, and Ketu), but his Jupiter is completely separate from those negative combinations. His Jupiter is actually really well placed in the house of family and wealth, allowing him to win the US election and appoint his family members as his White House staff. I’m also sure he has enjoyed the material side of his presidency as well. ​

Going into November 2020, this strong tailwind from his birth chart is much reduced. From January 2019 to July 2021, Trump is in his Jupiter / Saturn period. Saturn is placed in the 12th house, the house of loss, and rules the 6th house, the house of conflicts, arguments, and struggles. Saturn is also 0 degrees in the 12th house, indicating a lack of energy available to manifest desired outcomes in his life. ​

Now taking a look at Joe Biden’s chart, Biden entered his Jupiter / Rahu period on April 2020, and will be in this planetary period till September 2022:

Rahu is placed quite strongly in his chart, in the house of career, and in a constellation called Magha. This constellation is symbolized by a throne room, indicating a royal energy that elevates Biden into a leadership position. This has already partially happened, with his main rival Bernie Sanders dropping out of the Democratic race in April 2020, just as Biden entered his Rahu sub-period. ​

So on a high level, it looks like according to their Vedic Astrology birth charts, the momentum will be with Biden this year. While it is very difficult to make a prediction as to who will win the election using just two birth charts (because sometimes the person with the nicer chart does not win and enjoys his retirement; being President isn’t always the best outcome for an individual), I would have to give Biden the edge going into November.

Jupiter is back in Sagittarius!

Long time readers of this newsletter know that I have been tracking Jupiter very closely in the last few months because of all the economic implications it brings. From June 30th to Nov 19th, Jupiter retrogrades out of Capricorn and back into Sagittarius. Jupiter’s original name is Brihaspati, and he symbolizes abundance, religion, and knowledge. In the Vedas, there is a class of beings called the Devas, and Brihaspati was their teacher. The Devas are higher beings, and battle demons for control of our universe. Brihaspati guides them through their endeavors by giving them knowledge, and reminding them of their life purpose and spiritual path. Sagittarius, being the sign of truth, religion, and knowledge, is one of Jupiter’s home signs. This is where Jupiter’s energy can be expressed very clearly.

Unlike the previous period of Jupiter in Sagittarius (Jan 24th to March 29th), on this occasion, Jupiter is not impacted by any of the harsher planets. Because of this, Jupiter’s energy of abundance and knowledge can be expressed clearly, and so this period should represent a return of hope and dharma into the world, and also a better time economically for everyone. 

In addition to Jupiter’s benevolent influence, Venus, the planet of material enjoyment, is in Taurus, the sign of material comforts. Venus stays in Taurus until August 1st, and should provide a much needed boost to everyone’s enjoyment of the material energies. So all this is to say let’s enjoy the next few months because we may be going into another tougher period from Nov 20th 2020 to April 5th 2021. 

How does Jupiter in Sagittarius affect you personally? 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).


Aries (April 14th to May 14th): This transit is supportive for greater wealth, and will bring you experiences of learning and knowledge. It is also helpful for your relationship with your father. Jupiter in this position is also supportive for spiritual growth. 

Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Jupiter is transiting your house of change. While most of us dislike change, this period will tend to bring you positive changes that will be pleasant and helpful in your life. 

Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): This transit is supportive of your relationships. This will make your partner optimistic, knowledgeable, and even wealthy, or will bring you a partner with those characteristics if you are single. 

Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Jupiter is transiting your house of health. On one hand, this is positive and helps you recover from any existing ailments. On the other hand, this may make you a little bit lazy and indulgent with matters related to health, so remember to keep up your health regime!

Leo (August 17th to September 16th): This is supportive of all areas of creativity. This is a good time to learn things and create new projects. If you are looking to have a baby, this transit will produce a knowledgeable and intelligent child. 

Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): This transit is supportive for all matters related to your home and vehicles. If you’ve been putting off a renovation or buying a house, now is the time to start thinking about it. This transit is also helpful for your relationship with your mother. 

Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Jupiter is transiting your house of communication. This will make your communication style more positive and more effective. It is also supportive for your relationship with your siblings. 

Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): This transit will bring you nice experiences related to your family. Jupiter brings a sense of bonding and wellbeing when everyone is together. It will also bring you good experiences with food, but be careful as this transit may also make you a bit of a glutton!

Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): Jupiter is transiting your Sun sign, which brings wellbeing across your life. It will make you less susceptible to falling ill, and make you recover more easily from existing ailments. This transit also generates wealth and may allow you to buy a house or a car. 

Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): This transit is very supportive of your spiritual growth. It will bring you spiritual knowledge, and a greater depth to your meditation practice. Jupiter in this position also brings you good experiences with friends from distance places, so it may be time to get out the FaceTime and make some long-distance video calls!

Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Jupiter in this position forms a wealth combination, and so this period is supportive of you getting a raise or a promotion. This is also a good transit for your networking - time to put yourself out there and get to know more people!

Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Jupiter is transiting your house of the career, and is very supportive of your job. This transit will boost your chances of a promotion, and may bring you important projects that are positive to your career. 

Venus will be in Taurus from March 29th to August 1st 2020. As Taurus is Venus’ home sign, this amplifies Venus’ relational and indulgent energy, and emphasizes everything it symbolizes: beauty, art, partnerships, and romance. How Venus impacts you will differ depending on your chart, and 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 food and family, so this can bring pleasant experiences related to those areas of life. However, they say too much of a good thing can become a bad thing, so my only advice is not to be too indulgent when you’re eating all that delicious food!

Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): This period will bring you an extra dose of charisma and relational energy. You may find yourself being drawn to more social situations, which would probably mean lots of Zoom and FaceTime calls in the current backdrop. This transit will also help you go out and make new friends when you're allowed to. 

Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): This period brings an extra dose of relational energy when it comes to your spiritual practices, making you do well in devotional meditation styles like Kirtan or metta meditation. It’s a great time to focus on opening your heart and sending love out into the universe.

Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Venus transiting Taurus will bring you good experiences with groups of people, and also help you achieve your goals in your life. This is a good time to host group Zoom meetings, and one day when we are all able to leave our houses again, a good time for you to network. 

Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Venus is transiting your career house, bringing you an extra dose of creativity and relational energy in your career. This is a good time to work on the creative side of your projects, and also build a better relationship with your boss. 

Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): This Venus transit may bring you nice experiences with your general wealth relative to the people around you. It is a combination that encourages saving, and also brings your family closer together.

Libra (October 17th to November 15th): This period is a good time for making positive changes in your life. Are there any relationships you want to redefine? Is there a combative presence in your life? Is your job not treating you well? Have you not been treating your body correctly? This is the time to reframe all negative relationships in your life, and change it into something more pleasant and useful.

Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): This transit delivers you positive experiences with one-to-one relationships, from romantic ones to business partnerships. If you’re not currently in a relationship, it may be hard to date in this environment, but even online, this transit will make you a more charming and lovable person. 

Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): During this period, you may experience an upswing in your health. It’s a good time to try new health routines out, so enjoy your home yoga and exercise routines!

Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Venus is transiting your house of children, and is supportive of you having children if you’re trying to. I’m sure you’ve heard all the jokes about the impending lockdown baby boom!

Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Venus is transiting your house of the home, which will make you want to beautify your home. I’m sure everyone being stuck at home will also have the same desire, but your home improvement projects may be a little more significant and better designed than many others. 

Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Venus is transiting your house of communication, giving you an extra dose of pleasantness and charm when it comes to your speech and writing. This is a great time to show your charm and diplomacy in all the conference calls you’re probably participating in.

Hey everyone, 
​
I hope you are all healthy and enjoying all the extra time we have at home. While most sports seasons have been postponed this year, there’s still one season that will definitely be played… Eclipse season! In the next few weeks, we’re going to have 3 eclipses, and this newsletter will cover the first two. 

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.

Before we dive into the eclipses, I have an announcement to make. I am now on Instagram and Facebook! If you have been enjoying my newsletters, I think you’ll enjoy following those accounts too. Also, I have a huge favor to ask - if you have ever received a reading from me, please consider leaving me a positive review on my Facebook page. It would really help me out, and is a great way to express your inner altruism :) Thank you so much in advance; please click here to get to the Facebook Reviews desktop website, it seems to accept reviews better than the mobile app. ​

Now back to your regularly scheduled astrology - the first eclipse takes place on June 5th from 10:45AM to 2:05PM PDT (June 6th from 3:45AM to 7:05AM in Melbourne). This is a lunar eclipse, visible in most of the world outside of the Americas:

Please click here for the original photo if you wanted to see the stars without the lines. As you can see, Orion’s Belt is also in the division of the sky marked by Mrigashira. This division was extremely important in many ancient cultures - for example, the Vedic people assigned the power to bring fulfillment to Mrigashira, and the Egyptians honored Orion’s Belt with the Pyramids of Giza. ​

There is a story related to Mrigashira that involves Rohini and Ardra (the previous and next constellations). Once upon a time, Brahma the creator of the universe was sexually attracted to his daughter Rohini, a beautiful girl who loved to sing and dance. To be fair to Brahma, he didn’t really have a lot of options - because he was the universe’s first being, every girl in the universe was his daughter. 

As Brahma began pursuing her, Rohini cried for help, took the form of a deer, and ran away. Brahma then took the form of a stag and chased after her. Rudra (the ruler of the constellation Ardra) heard Rohini’s cries, and shot Brahma to stop him from chasing her. In the skies, you can see Rudra shooting the arrow from the constellation Ardra. Mrigashira is in the middle symbolizing the forbidden seductive chase, and the beautiful Rohini is off in the distance running away. 

The symbolism suggests that the days around the Mrigashira eclipse may bring up intense desires, perhaps desires related to relationships like in the story, but also possibly with other parts of your life. It could make you feel some urgency to accomplish something or prevent you from seeing alternatives. If you recognize this, being conscious of the desire and letting go will probably make you happier long-term (and prevent you from being shot by Rudra 😀). 
​
How the ancients came up with this story and linked it to the constellations, allowing astrologers living thousands of years into the future to use these symbols in the modern world - that is truly a wonderful mystery. So, the next time you look up in the night sky and see Orion’s Belt, I hope you are reminded of this story and the intergenerational experiences we share through astrology. 

Wishing all of you the most spiritual eclipse experiences, 

Ken

Hey everyone!​

I’m sure you haven’t heard enough about the coronavirus, so let me tell you how to wash your hands! Just kidding, this will just be a quick astrological timeline of this virus :) 

Around Christmas last year, there was a solar eclipse in the constellation Mula. This constellation is symbolized by roots, and so is related to natural therapies and health. As eclipses spoil the energy of a constellation for about 6 months, this gives us the first clue of how long the virus is likely to be a disruption. The eclipse was visible mostly in central Asia and surrounding areas, which also marks the place of origination of the virus on December 31st. Mula’s shakti or energy is the power to destroy or damage, and this is an apt description of what is happening in many communities and economies around the world. 

On February 8th and 12th respectively, Mars and Ketu entered Mula. During this time, the death toll in China surpassed the number SARS killed worldwide in 2003, and the virus began its spread outside of China. Mars is a war planet related to the military and police force, and symbolizes the government response to the virus, while Ketu is a shadow planet that hides the true nature of things, making the spread of the virus harder to trace. 

Ketu only leaves Mula on Sep 19th 2020. My interpretation of this is that the disruption will probably begin to go away closer to July 2020 (6 months from the December 2019 eclipse), but appropriate vaccines will only begin to appear after September 19th, after which the coronavirus will be a more normal occurrence, just like the common cold.

Hey everyone!​

Last year while hiking to Gomukh, I snapped a lucky photo of a yellow-beaked crow in mid-flight. The crow is connected to Saturn because traditionally, Saturn is pictured sitting on a crow. Just like the crow flying in the picture, Saturn just moved signs on Jan 24th 2020 (Jan 23rd for US people).

Saturn is the planet of hard work, discipline, and patience. It carries the energies that most people find difficulty connecting with. Actually, what Saturn is doing is strengthening and challenging the area of your life it touches. Only by working hard and being disciplined can we accomplish difficult goals and improve ourselves. 

The sign Saturn is moving into is Capricorn, one of its home signs. Saturn usually stays in each sign for about 3 years, and will leave Capricorn in January 2023. Capricorn is where Saturn’s energy (hard work, discipline, and patience) is expressed more intensely. So on one hand, if you work hard, you’ll start to enjoy the feeling of being productive and being in the “flow” state. On the other hand, if you resist, it’ll feel like everything is going too slowly and nothing is fun anymore. 

As an example, of Saturn in Capricorn, let’s take a look at Barack Obama’s chart:

Obama is a hard worker who used to work after dinner late into the night. From the NYT: “Almost every night that he is in the White House, Mr. Obama has dinner at 6:30 with his wife and daughters and then withdraws to the Treaty Room, his private office down the hall from his bedroom on the second floor of the White House residence. There, his closest aides say, he spends four or five hours largely by himself. He works on speeches. He reads the stack of briefing papers delivered at 8 p.m. by the staff secretary. He reads 10 letters from Americans chosen each day by his staff.”

This is the embodiment of Saturn in Capricorn - by tuning into his Saturn energy and working hard, Obama was able to achieve his goals and ultimately enjoy the high energy feeling of being productive.

So, back to your life - how does Saturn in Capricorn 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 is in your career house, forming a combination that makes you a manager. This is a good period for your career, and if you work hard, this period is supportive of you receiving promotions or starting your own business. 
Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): Saturn’s transit gives you a boost of hardworking energy in all things related to studies, especially to things related to business or your career. If you have been thinking of doing an MBA or something similar, this is the time to do it. 

Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Saturn here gives you the tendency to change your career, but in typical Saturn fashion, you’ll have to go through obstacles and work hard for the change to happen. Saturn is trying ot teach you patience :) 

Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): Saturn here gives you obstacles related to relationships, but at the same time, a strong sense of commitment. Ultimately, the relationship will be strengthened as you work through the issues. 

Leo (August 17th to September 16th): Saturn placed here challenges you to be more disciplined with your exercise and health routine. It is a negative placement for health if you don’t exercise regularly, as it suppresses your body’s recovery ability. 

Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): Saturn’s placement here makes you more hardworking if you are learning anything, and more disciplined at actualizing your creative projects. If you are trying to have a baby, this transit slows the process a little, so be patient :) 

Libra (October 17th to November 15th): If you are trying to buy a house or a car, Saturn’s transit here allows you to actualize your goals, but in typical Saturn fashion, will only bring you results after hard work and time. 

Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Saturn is transiting through your house of speech, giving you a tendency to have communication problems. If you work on being a little more considered and conscious when speaking, your communication skills will strengthen through the period. 

Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): This period is supportive for you to learn how to be more disciplined with your food, and perhaps learn to be more detached from food. Starting a regular intermittent fasting practice and having a more regulated diet are things to consider.

Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Saturn’s transit forms a combination that makes you a manager. This is a good period for your career, and if you work hard, is supportive of you receiving promotions or starting your own business. At the same time, Saturn’s placement here challenges you to be more disciplined with your exercise and health routine. It is a negative placement for health if you don’t exercise regularly, as it suppresses your body’s defenses from falling sick. 

Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Saturn here transits your house of spirituality. This makes it a great transit for you to get into a disciplined spiritual practice, such as meditation. Regulation meditation sessions during this period will help you become more conscious of your mind and less reactive to the daily undulations of life. ​

Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Saturn is transiting your house of goals, which gives you the ability to actualize your goals during this period. However, in typical Saturn fashion, achieving goals in this period is subject to hard work and patience.