Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter June/July 2005

[Guest guest]

Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter June/July 2005

http://www.jyotish.ws

Michael Laughrin, Michael, business phone: (440) 582-

9848; cell phone: (440) 263-2159

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

Contents of this newsletter © copyright 2005, Michael Laughrin

unless otherwise noted.

 

Contents:

1. Introduction to Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish

Newsletter

2. Skill and Dexterity in Jyotish

3. Jyotish and Fecundity (Fertility)

4. Weather Prediction and Vedic Astrology

5. Hart de Fouw Offers Special Accelerated Jyotish Foundation Course

in July

 

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1. Introduction to Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish

Newsletter

 

I offer you this newsletter to enhance and deepen your experience of

Vedic Astrology. In these newsletters, expect to find a combination

of helpful articles, book reviews, Jyotish links and more. The

purpose of this newsletter is to educate and titillate the Jyotish-

loving public. The opinions given within are solely those of the

author.

 

First, an announcement. This newsletter will now be issued every two

months, instead of monthly. We did this to maintain its quality and

length, and to protect me from the dangers of overwork. Thank you

for your understanding.

 

In this issue, read Alison Nielsen's nimbly produced article

on "Skill and Dexterity in Jyotish." She also discusses "Jyotish and

Fecundity" - fertility - which applies to far more than

reproduction. Closely related to fertility in Jyotish is weather

prediction. Read a chapter I wrote on "Weather Prediction and Vedic

Astrology" for the book "Hindu Astrology Lessons," edited by the

late Richard Houck (Groundswell Press, 1997). The complete book is

available from www.21books.com. You will need to view the charts

related to this article to make sense of it. Links to the charts are

in the article.

 

Finally, read the announcement about a special accelerated course on

basic Jyotish offered by Hart de Fouw. You can take in on your

summer vacation in July/August in just two weeks! Hart de Fouw was

my teacher and is the best Jyotish teacher I have ever worked with.

 

Please visit my website at http://www.jyotish.ws at your

convenience. I offer Traditional/Classical Vedic Astrology,

Intuitional Jyotish (Vedic Astrology based on deep intuition),

Chakra Readings, and Advanced Structured Psychic Work (for deeper

interpretation of your karmic pattern).

 

- Michael Laughrin (Michael)

 

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2. Skill and Dexterity in Jyotish

By Alison Nielsen (premavratini)

 

A famous quote from shastra states, "Yoga is skill in action." The

American Heritage Dictionary defines skill as: 1)proficiency,

ability, or dexterity 2) an art, trade, or technique, particularly

one requiring the use of the hands or body.

 

A dexterous person is usually able to acquire a wide base of skills

with relative ease. Such people often display proficiency in a

number of arts and crafts simultaneously; they may be good martial

artists as well as great cooks and musicians with a facility for

math or weaving. Each skill learned makes future additions easier to

acquire because more and more connections between neurons in various

areas of the brain are developed and the habit of holding a

multifactor awareness in the midst of intense activity becomes

second nature.

 

In many systems of spiritual development, it is standard to have all

acolytes develop a skill because of the way it grounds awareness in

the physical body, which later prevents meditation from becoming

mere mentation (thinking). There are several planetary yogas that

point to a person likely to be innately dexterous and therefore

adept at acquiring skills and skillful in any vocation or avocation

they choose to pursue.

 

The number one planet of skill is Mercury. He is associated with

swiftness and grace of both physical and mental varieties. And most

yogas describing skill include the involvement of Mercury. His

association with another planet often gives skill in an area

governed by that planet, because Mercury will take on the character

and nature of any graha that influences him and add his own

quickness to that planet's qualities.

 

The number one house of skill is the third house, which also rules

the hands, the tools most commonly used in the application of skill.

In fact, shastra states that when the lord of the horoscope goes to

third house, the person will be "endowed with all achievements."

 

Another important house for skill is the house of intellect and

creativity, the fifth house.

 

And perhaps the consummate rashi of skill is Gemini, the natural

third house of the zodiac, owned by the adept Mercury and an air

sign, which also gives a certain swiftness. It is also the sign of

artisans and entertainers. Any yoga involving skill that appears in

Gemini will be distinctly enhanced.

 

Important yogas for the display of dexterity are Saraswati Yoga,

Kalanidhi Yoga, and the combination of Mercury particularly with

Jupiter, Venus or Mars. His combining with the Sun or Moon may also

give some intellectual or imaginative brilliance. However, that is

not the same as the ability to be skillful, which usually involves

both mind and body. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and

learning. This yoga consists of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in an

angle, a trine or the second house while Jupiter is exalted or in

his own or a friendly rashi. Such a yoga usually produces a person

of great erudition who will display tremendous knowledge and will

usually have a gift for musical arts, singing, and any other skill

that involves wisdom or aesthetics.

 

Venus and Jupiter are the two guru planets. They contribute greatly

to the display of skill, creativity and intellect. Mercury's

appearance with either one of them will give some of the effect of a

Saraswati yoga. Such people excel at graphic arts, interior design,

drawing etc.

 

Kalanidhi means "treasure of digits." This yoga literally describes

having a "treasure" in one's fingers and more directly than

Saraswati, it implies skill with the use of the hands. It consists

of Jupiter in the second or the fifth associated or aspected by

Mercury and Venus, or Jupiter in the second or the fifth in the

rashi of Mercury or Venus. By loose extension, we can conclude that

when these three planets interact with each other in a horoscope in

a positive house, the person will be likely to display skill,

provided other indications do not negate it. The combination of Mars

and Mercury also produces dexterity in a person, often of a physical

and/or a fighting nature. Because of Mars's contrary nature and

Mercury's facility for speech, this combination can also produce

biting comedians and/or gifted liars and media people.

 

Mercury displays his gifts very well in all of the air signs,

particularly his own of Gemini. He can also do well in the fire

signs, in Virgo, and in Capricorn. But he tends to stumble in the

water signs, all of which are mute. It easy to see that a light

graceful airy talkative fellow like Mercury would struggle in the

heavy dense element of water. While his placement in such signs may

not dim a person's intellectual brilliance, people with this

configuration may still appear as bumblers, saying the wrong thing

at the wrong time and often lacking in physical grace.

 

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3. Jyotish and Fecundity (Fertility)

By Alison Nielsen (premavratini)

 

In Jyotish, fertility can be considered separately from whether or

not someone will become a parent. While it is a closely allied

subject, there are other issues that come to bear on the likelihood

of producing progeny, and fertility as a concept is something that

can be applied to any house in a horoscope. Someone with a very

fertile fourth house may own many homes or vehicles. Someone with a

very fertile seventh house may have had many wives, lovers, or

business partners. Someone with a fertile tenth house may be blessed

with a multitude of career opportunities.

 

The number one thing to look for in locating fertility in any area

of a horoscope is water. The ancients knew it, modern science knows

it, and anyone living in the rainforest knows it. Water produces

life in abundance. It is no coincidence that the water rashis,

Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, are also the three rashis classified

as "fruitful" or fully fertile. And they are the three rashis

symbolized by creatures that give birth in hordes. Mammals give

birth to one or two offspring at a time but crabs, scorpions and

fish give birth to many, many offspring at once. The next sources of

water are the watery planets who also happen to be the zodiac's

natural benefics. Natural benefics are anabolic -- they support

increases of all kinds. The three primary benefics are Jupiter,

Venus and the bright Moon, all of whom are affiliated with the water

element to one degree or another. The Moon and Venus actually rule

the water element and Venus rules shukra dhatu, the actual tissue

that produces offspring. While the mighty Jupiter governs space, he

also rules Kapha dosha, which is composed of the water and earth

elements.

 

There are also five rashis described as semi-fruitful. They yield

fertility but not with the same magnitude as the fertile rashis.

They are Taurus, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius. We can

surmise that Taurus, Libra and Sagittarius are semi-fertile because

Venus and Jupiter rule them, and Taurus has natural associations

with fertility since it is an earth rashi and its symbol is the life-

giving cow. In the case of Capricorn and Aquarius, they are both

ardha-jala rashis, which means "half-water." The symbol for both

rashis includes water--Capricorn's symbol is a makara, a crocodilian

creature that inhabits water and Aquarius's symbol is that of a man

holding a pot of water.

 

One other source of "fertility" is the neuter Mercury, because he

rules multiplicity.

 

In any chart where one sees a powerful benefic or Mercury in a water

rashi, there is the possibility of great fertility tied to the

houses owned and occupied by that planet. Telling instances of such

abundance exist in the horoscopes of Elizabeth Taylor, Albert

Einstein and Hugh Hefner.

 

Elizabeth Taylor has her seventh lord Venus exalted in Pisces in the

fifth house aspected by exalted Jupiter from Cancer in the ninth

house. As we all know, she has had over a dozen marriages.

 

Albert Einstein has exalted Venus in Pisces in the tenth house

conjunct debilitated Mercury. When one considers that that Venus

rules his fifth house of the mind and the tenth house rules the sky,

one again easily sees tremendous fertility.

 

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has debilitated Mercury in the seventh

house in Pisces. While this debilitated Mercury is not influenced by

a strong benefic, Hefner's capacity for multiplicity is a big factor

in his having consorted with an untold number of women.

 

One client has a perfectly exalted Venus in his ninth house. He owns

a fleet of Ferraris, Mercedes and Rolls Royces, boxes full of

diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies, several Faberge eggs and

countless other art treasures, and palatial homes on several

continents.

 

May we all be blessed with the fecundity most suited to our

respective natures!

 

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4. Weather Prediction and Vedic Astrology

By Michael Laughrin (Michael)

This chapter originally appeared in the book "Hindu Astrology

Lessons," edited by Richard Houck (Groundswell Press, 1997).

Three charts are essential to understanding this article. Since this

is a text-only newsletter, I have posted these charts, and this

article, at http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/weather.html

 

Ancient astrology is obviously allied with the weather. Otherwise,

why would there be air signs, water signs, earth signs, and so forth?

 

The traditional seven planets all related to one ore more of the

elements (earth, air, fire, and water), although we won't get

involved here with Vedic "ether." The Sun and Mars are hot, fiery,

dry planets. The Moon and Venus are soft, watery, feminine planets.

Ayurveda, and ancient Indian medical system, provides further

correlations of the planets to the elements.

 

Saturn is a Vata (airy), dry planet--not watery at all. Rahu

resembles Saturn in its actions and significations; it is dried up

and dark in color. Also Rahu and its partner in weirdness, Ketu, can

bring very sudden changes in the weather. Ketu is similar to Mars in

its qualities--hot and dry. Whenever one finds Mars and Ketu

together in a Fire sign, one will tend to find unseasonably hot and

dry weather. Mercury, being a very mutable planet, tends to pick up

the qualities of the planets it is cojoined with or aspected by.

When it is with the Moon or Venus, it also is a watery planet.

Jupiter is also a semi-watery planet, especially when posited in

water signs or in some relationship with Venus or the Moon.

 

So, using a little bit of logic, which is certainly allowed in

astrology, if we find watery planets in water signs (Cancer, Scorpio

or Pisces), strongly placed in a chart--especially in the angular

Houses (1,4,7 and 10)--it would certainly be reasonable to predict

precipitation for the period covered by the chart. On the other

hand, if hot planets (Sun, Mars and Ketu) and dry planets (Saturn

and Rahu) are found in fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) in a

strong position in the chart, and if indications for rain are weak,

one is pretty safe in predicting very hot and desert-like conditions.

 

Warning: the budding weather astrologer must never forget the normal

weather distribution for the geographical region he is predicting

for, and he must always remember the season. For example,

indications of precipitation for Los Angeles in the Summer and

Seattle in the Summer, using the same exact chart, will be rather

different since L.A. is basically a desert area, and Seattle is more

or less a rain forest. Again, allow some common sense to prevail.

 

With these bare-bone basics, when and how does one cast a weather

prediction chart to be able to predict the weather for a given day?

The best way to approach this is by way of an example. I'll use my

wedding as an example because I did a great deal of work on this

chart, and in the process, discovered a number of classical

principles from the ancient Vedic texts on Jyotish.

 

The wedding (meant to be only a reception--it became my 2nd wedding

to the same woman) occurred on Saturday, June 18, 1994, at about

2:30 P.M. EDT in Cleveland, Ohio. The special consideration that is

recommended by Prasna marga, an ancient Sanskrit text on astrology,

to predict weather is to set up a chart for the exact time of the

entry of the Sun into a new sign in order to predict the weather for

the appropriate period. This is referred to as the solar ingress in

Western astrology, but of course, here we are speaking sidereally.

 

For example, the Sun's ingress into sidereal Gemini (see Chart #1 at

http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/weather.html#chart1 ) will show the

general weather patterns for the whole month of "Sun in Gemini"

(approximately June 14 to July 14) for where the chart is cast.

Notice that we have Sagittarius, a very hot and fiery sign, on the

Ascendant, aspected by that hottest of all planets--the Sun. And

since Mercury is with a hot and dry planet, it becomes hot and dry

itself.

 

The two most watery planets (Moon and Venus) cannot promise us much

rain because the Moon is in Leo (a hot and dry sign), and Venus,

although in the very wet sign of Cancer, cannot much increase

precipitation because of its weak position in the 8th house. Also it

neither aspects, no is it aspected by, any other watery or semi-

watery planet. Furthermore, in the Navamsha chart, Venus is found in

the hot sign of Leo.

 

The hot and dry influences win out over the rainy ones for this 30-

day period. An important rule of thumb that I have evolved is to

count the number of planets (including the Ascendant) in odd

(masculine or dry) signs versus those in even (feminine or wet)

signs and see which side is greater. Be sure to also count the

planets and Ascendant in the Navamsha chart. In this case we have 9

out of 10 planets in odd signs in Rashi and 8 out of 10 planets in

dry signs in the Navamsha chart. This rule of Thumb is never

sufficient to be used by itself, but it can add weight to the

argument for or against rain. Here we have a clear case of the Sun

in Gemini being a very hot and dry month.

 

The Sun's ingress into Aries is used to predict the weather both for

the year ahead and the quarter ahead, i.e., until the Sun enters

Cancer. See Chart #2 at

http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/weather.html#chart2 . Here we have a

mixed prediction as far as rain is concerned. Six out of 10 planets

are in wet signs in the Rashi chart, and fix out of 10 planets are

in a strong position in the Rashi. Mercury, being conjoined with hot

and dry Mars, becomes a hot planet itself.

 

The Moon, although exalted and posited in the 9th house, is with

Ketu, a hot and dry influence. Venus cannot promise too much rain

being with the Sun in Aries, and in the 8th house--although it will

give some precipitation because it is in its own sign in the

Navamsha. My conclusion of the effects of this Aries ingress chart

on rain for the three months from April 13 to July 13 is that there

will be normal rains, or a little less, with somewhat hotter than

normal temperatures.

 

Last, but definitely not least, see Chart #3 at

http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom/weather.html#chart3 . This is the chart

of the day of the wedding itself. This chart should carry the most

weight for weather for that day --about 40%. The monthly ingress

chart (Sun into Gemini--Chart #1) is 2nd and gets 30%; the yearly

chart (Sun into Aries) is 3rd and gets roughly 20%. Other factors,

such as the Sun's entry into the Nakshatra Mrigashira, and the Sun's

entry into the quarter of a particular Nakshatra, receive the other

10%. As this monograph is designed to be only a brief overview of

weather prediction, we will not go into these numerous subtle

factors here.

 

Some authorities assert that one should cast a chart for the exact

moment of sunrise, i.e., the exact conjunction of the Sun with the

ascending degree, for the chart of the day. I use the chart either

with the Moon as the Ascendant, or I don't use the Ascendant at all.

In the latter case I just determine the strength of planets from

their sign placements, the aspects they receive, and their Navamsha

placement. This is the method I am illustrating here.

 

Let's first examine the watery planets, then the hot and dry

planets, and see which group is stronger in this chart. Yes, the

moon is vargottama in Virgo, indicating possible moisture. But it is

in the last degree of its sign, and this is traditionally considered

very weak. Also, and perhaps more important, the Moon neither casts,

no receives, an aspect from any other watery or semi-watery planet.

Venus is in the watery sign of Cancer in the Rashi and in its own

sign of Libra in the Navamsha. But again, it is not reinforced by a

relationship with any other watery planet. Both Jupiter and Mercury

are nullified as watery planets as Jupiter is aspected by Mars, and

Mercury is conjunct with the Sun. Both of them are also retrograde.

 

Now let's review the hot planets: the Sun, Mars and Ketu. The Sun is

in the masculine sign of Gemini in the Rashi, and it is in the

Nakshatra of Mars, another hot planet. Mars it triply hot and dry in

this chart. First it is in its own sign of Aries. Second, it is

conjoined with Ketu. And third, in the Navamsha chart it is in its

own sign and conjunct with the Sun. Mars it at full strength as an

extremely hot and dry indicator.

 

Ketu has four factors that contribute to its heating effect. First,

it is in Aries. Second, it is conjunct Mars. Third, it is found in a

star ruled by the Sun. And fourth, in the Navamsha it is in

Sagittarius, a fire sign. It is clear that the fiery planets are

much stronger than the watery planets in the chart. In fact, the day

was so hot and dry (in the 90's!) that it was almost uncomfortable--

BUT NO RAIN!

 

The clincher was the conjunction of Mars and Ketu in Aries. While

this conjunction existed (from around May 15, 1994 to around June

25, 1994) there was, in fact, very little rain and the temperature

was unseasonably high. As soon as Mars entered Taurus, and the Sun

entered the Nakshatra of Ardra, ruled by Rudra, the Lord of

thunderstorms, there were huge thunderstorms and very heavy rains

for about 10 days.

 

This example provides us a pretty good method to determine, with

about 75% accuracy, what the weather (at least as far as

precipitation is concerned) will be like on any give day at any

given place.

 

To sum up, here is what we must do:

 

1. Cast the chart for the day you want to predict for.

 

2. Cast the chart for the exact minute of the Sun's entry into the

sign it currently occupies.

 

3. Cast the chart for the Sun's ingress into either Aries, Cancer,

Libra or Capricorn (whichever quarter of the year is applicable).

 

4. (Optional) Cast the chart for the Sun's entry into Aries if it

has not been done at point #3 just above.

 

Apply the methods I have outlined to determine whether the hot

planets (Sun, Mars and Ketu) or watery planets (Moon, Venus, and

sometimes Mercury and Jupiter) are stronger and predict accordingly.

If the two groups of planets are equal, predict normal prescription

and temperature for the appropriate time period and geographical

location.

 

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5. Hart de Fouw Offers Special Accelerated Jyotish Foundation Course

in July

 

Hart de Fouw is the very best teacher of Jyotish, in my opinion

(Michael). He was a teacher to both Michael Laughrin and Alison

Nielsen.

 

It usually takes 6 weeks to complete this course. Now you can take

it in 2 weeks on your summer vacation. Hart de Fouw is very

organized. The course flows; there are lots of exercises and

examples; it's not too fast, and you really learn the basics.

 

The course takes place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sign up right

away if you are interested. The dates are July 23 - August 6 2005

(with 2 one-day breaks).

 

This stand-alone course doubles as your platform for continuing

studies in Jyotish. Whatever your level of Jyotish at present, the

Jyotish Foundation course builds your knowledge and ability

systematically. Make this your first step in the amazing Jyotish

Trilogy.

 

You do not need any prerequisite for this course. This course, in

turn, is your prerequisite for entry into the Intermediate Jyotish

course (part of the Jyotish Trilogy).

 

Note: All written registration cancellation requests received prior

to the first day of class will be refunded, less a $50

administration fee. There are no refunds once the course has started.

 

$1,400 Canadian after June 1st; deposit of $700 required; balance of

tuition is due first day of class. (The total course fee is about

$1,130 US dollars.)

 

To sign up, make check or money order payable to:

Hart de Fouw

P.O. Box 150710

San Rafael, California 94915

 

Location of course: Vidya Institute Yoga Studio, 208 Christie St.,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

For more information, contact Aletha 415-457-1154 or visit

www.vedicvidya.org

 

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Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter

http://www.jyotish.ws

Michael Laughrin, Michael, business phone: (440) 582-

9848; cell phone: (440) 263-2159

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

 

Articles from past issues of this newsletter are archived at:

http://www.jyotish.ws/wisdom

 

Please feel free to share the newsletter with anyone for whom you

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