Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter February / March 2010

March 4, 2010

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.

In this issue, Andrea Pflaumer helps you develop an appreciation for the great

Indian classical musician, Ali Akbar Khan. Alison Berker offers " Everything Your

Always Wanted to Know about Debilitated Planets But Were Afraid To Ask. " Andrea

reviews an amazing book by Raam Das called " Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem

Karoli Baba. " And I recommend a sleep tea by two acupuncturists in Michigan.

Please visit my website, www.Jyotish.ws at your convenience. The best articles

from these newsletters are archived on this site. I offer access to an excellent

yagya program.

- Michael Laughrin (michael)

The Legacy of a Musical Giant: Ali Akbar Khan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Andrea Pflaumer (agpflaumer)

There is a thread that runs through the tradition of Indian classical music

associated with mankind's aspiration for spiritual unity. The late musical

master Ali Akbar Khan, who died last year at the age of 84, was often quoted as

saying: " Sound is the fastest path to God " . Indeed, sound is the genesis of both

mantra meditation systems and Indian classical music. Alam Khan, 27, the

maestro's 12 child and heir apparent to a classical Indian musical dynasty that

traces its roots to the 16th century explains: " This music really changes you -

it's connected with a higher power. You have to purify your heart and soul to

even let the music come from you. "

For people accustomed to Western scales and rhythms, Indian Classical music and

the exotic instruments that produce it can sometimes seem daunting. In truth, it

is a much more natural form of expression than what we are used to hearing. Dr.

Teed Rockwell, a former student at Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael,

California, who now writes the music column for India Currents magazine,

explains a technical reason for this: " For one thing classical Indian music is a

lot more in tune than western. When you try to play any kind of music [on

stringed or wind instruments] that modulates, changes from one key to another,

you have to throw yourself slightly out of tune to change chords. But this music

does not change chords so it stays more in tune. "

The raga, the traditional form in which classical Indian music is played, is not

so much a melody or a specific tune. Ragas can draw from a large number of

traditional Indian songs. Julliard Musicologist, Harold S. Powers, describes it

more as " a continuum with scale and tune as its extremes. " Each raga expresses

specific emotional content through an assigned rasa or mood. Those moods run the

gamut of the human experience: joy and love, heroism and valor, merriment and

laughter, wonder and surprise, anger and rage, disgust or horror and fear. Ragas

are also specific to the time of day or the season of the year, providing an

intimate connection to nature and the natural cycles of life.

In " Classical Music of North India, The Music of the Baba Allaudin Gharana as

taught by Ali Akbar Khan " (the elementary textbook for new students at Ali Akbar

College of Music) the words identified with a Todi, a late morning raga read:

The original unstruck sound is generated in the universe.

This I meditate upon in the pure region of my mind.

His ability to evoke the rasa was the genius of Ali Akbar Khan. In a few phrases

he created the entire atmosphere in which the audience became immersed for the

rest of the piece. It was that ability which earned him the highest praise from

his father, the legendary Allaudin Khan, upon whose teachings the Ali Akbar

College is based. " He called him Swara Samrat - 'Emperor of Melody,' " says Alam

Khan. " That's the only title that really mattered to him because it was from his

father - his guru who, to him, was like a saint. "

Alam Khan, who grew up in the US and attended school in Northern California,

began playing sarode at the age of seven and later picked up the guitar when in

his teens: " My father worked out a trade with one of his sarode students who

taught me to play guitar . . he never pushed me - he was happy when I played

music of any kind. " Later, the young Khan learned about and began experimenting

with 'beats' (instrumental accompaniment to hip hop and rap music) and in fact,

tried his hand at rapping: " Obviously I didn't rap about the inner city

struggle, it wasn't gangsta rap " he laughs. " It was really more about

philosophy, humor, relationships with people -- just life, expressing it to

rhythm and words. " But he never left sight of the importance of his family's

musical heritage: " This music makes you a better person - it promotes peace and

love - and that's what I want to do - continue the positive energy, " he says.

The 'peace and love' theme is interwoven into the West's love affair with Indian

music, beginning in the 1960s, when the Beatles, having traded skinny suits and

ties for Nehru jackets and beads, traveled to India to study with Transcendental

Meditation guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Their attraction to the inner world of

silence found a complementary outward manifestation in the music of India. The

analogy is apt: the literal translation of rasa is 'juice'. Soon, for better or

worse, an entire generation embraced a kind of 'pidgen' form of Indian classical

music that emerged within the pop rock genre in songs such as the Byrds' " Eight

Miles High " and George Harrison's " Within You and Without You. " But more than a

decade earlier, Ali Akbar Khan had sown the seeds of the genuine article.

In 1955, a reluctant 33-year-old Khan was literally pushed aboard a jet heading

for New York, where would make his Western debut concert at the Museum of Modern

Art, an event organized by his dear friend Yehudi Menuhin, and sponsored by the

Ford Foundation. In the intervening 50 years, Ali Akbar Khan became the first

Indian musician to appear on television (Alistair Cooke's Omnibus), performed at

Carnegie Hall, played for the inauguration of John F. Kennedy, recorded more

than 100 LPs and CDs, earned a MacArthur Foundation Genius Fellowship, the

President of India Award twice, several lifetime achievement awards, and

established three branches of the Ali Akbar College of Music. Judging by the

more than 10,000 students who have attended over the years, Indian classical

music seems to have tapped into a rich cultural vein in the US as well as

abroad.

By his early 80's, Ali Akbar Khan no longer toured extensively but he still

maintained the same rigorous teaching schedule at the California branch of the

school that bears his name. Now, the legacy of his family musical dynasty lives

on through his children and his students. Young Alam Khan realizes the

responsibility he carries: " My father was an open channel for the music - great

masters are channels for this energy to come through them, whether it's Western

classical or any kind of music. To be able to do that is very spiritual . . that

is the level of mastership. "

About the Author

Andrea Pflaumer is a researcher and writer in Berkeley, California. Her work

covers many areas including consciousness, culture, education, health and the

environment. She has taught the Transcendental Meditation program since 1974.

Her other articles can be read at: http://www.aladyofletters.com/

Debilitated Planets

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Alison Berker (premavratini)

The Sanskrit term for a debilitated planet is neecha which can be variously

translated as: mean, insignificant, low, dwarfish or depressed. Other names for

debilitated planets include epithets that suggest vulnerability and fear. Such

planets are excessively weak in some way and the areas of a chart that they rule

are usually vulnerable to puncture, destruction, overwhelm or dissatisfaction.

However, they may have other compensatory strengths that vary their results,

such as dig bala - directional strength, kendradibala - angular strength, neecha

bhanga - modification of debilitation, strength in multiple amshas, or, in the

case, of the Moon, being full. Thus, all debilitated planets are not created

equal and a careful analysis is required to determine what the effect of a

debilitated planet will be in an individual chart. A consistent quality of

debilitated planets is that with or without compensatory strength, they will

behave in an odd unusual fashion. The fundamental planetary energy is going to

express in an at least slightly abnormal way.

The most important compensatory mechanism for debilitated planets is a bhanga.

Bhanga is usually translated as cancellation of debilitation. It can be

translated as breaking, abatement, paralysis or failure. The best word may be

abatement, because a debilitated planet is going to remain a different creature

even with the best of ancillary supports, just as Wolverine remains different

from the rest of us, despite his super human skeleton and fantastic clawing

ability. Clawing ability is another good analogy for debilitated planets.

Because they are, in some way, weakened or diminished, people who possess them

will usually have to do some scrabbling after success in the arena of life that

they represent, even if that success ends up being considerable. If a

debilitated planet is located in a kendra or a kona, a bhanga confers a raja

yoga. The debilitated planet is placed in prime horoscopic real estate and its

bhanga confers a special type of power, analogous again, to Wolverine, in which

an abnormality becomes a source of exceptional strength.

Bhangas universally depend on the strength or accessibility to the chart owner

of the dispositor of the debilitated planet. Planets are strong by virtue of

being exalted or own sign and they are accessible by virtue of being in an

angle. Planets in angles deeply influence a horoscope. Bhangas are formed by:

the dispositor being in an angle from the Moon or ascendant, the lord of the

debilitated planet's exaltation sign being in an angle from Moon or ascendant,

the dispositor aspects the debilitated planet or the planet who would be exalted

where the debilitated planets sits is an angle from Moon or ascendant. While not

technically a bhanga, I would add that if the debilitated planet's dispositor is

in its own sign or exalted, this will be very good for said planet.

While results vary depending on individual charts, it can be useful to analyze

the fundamental energy gone awry of each planet when it is debilitated and why

it is regarded as functioning most poorly in a given constellation. Sun

debilitates in Libra. The Sun is the symbol of universal consciousness and

generosity. It gives its light and heat to all alike. The constellation of Libra

is ruled by the merchant's scales in Jyotish, NOT the scales of justice. This

sign loves to weigh and measure value gained versus value given. Librans often

apply this soulless weighing to things that other beings naturally find it

offensive to measure in such a way, like love and friendship. This makes them

good at choosing everything from a strategic standpoint but it is not a place

where the energy of the generous Sun can express in a beautiful and harmonious

fashion. Laura Bush has just such a sun in her seventh house of spouse. Because

the Sun does not accord well with Libra, its own expression will be weakened and

will become vulnerable. This means that the areas that the Sun rules will suffer

including government, leadership, vitality and authority. A classic debilitated

Sun problem is pain from the government. Bill Gates, who was embroiled in a huge

antitrust suit with the federal government, Larry Flynt, who fought for his

magazine all the way to the Supreme Court and Spiro Agnew, who was forced to

step down as vice president, all have debilitated Suns.

Moon debilitates in Scorpio. Moon rules, rasa - taste and emotion, and it

represents the emotional mind. Scorpio is a fixed water sign. The qualities of

fixity and water do not blend well together, one reason Scorpio rules swamps and

sewers. Emotions are best when they are sweet and when they flow along easily

without too much force. Scorpio is a sign of great fixity and great intensity

and darkness. These qualities do not lend themselves easily to good emotional

relating, a problem Scorpios often face. When the Moon resides in Scorpio, a

person may be prone to great sensitivity and great intensity of emotion that is

often hidden within them. On the high side, the fixity of a Scorpio moon can

produce a great bhakta, someone who always remembers God with devotion. On the

low side, it can produce a vindictive grudge holding tendency or a tendency to

consort with those filled with dark emotion, like drug dealers and horse

thieves, or a tendency to be too easily affected by the feelings of others since

the manas is extra vulnerable, which may cause such persons to start hiding out

like scorpions. Moon rules mother and the emotions and both these arenas

typically suffer when the Moon is debilitated. Al Pacino's chart is ruled by a

debilitated Moon. He dropped out of high school to work because his mother was

sick. His Moon has a powerful neecha bhanga raja yoga so his association with

darkness has been in the medium of film where his debilitated Moon has expressed

itself perfectly playing dark smoldering characters that are frequently from the

underworld. He has even played Satan. He is a very private character who is

described as very sweet and compassionate.

Mars debilitates in Cancer. Mars represents iccha shakti, individualized will.

Cancer is the home of the Moon, the manas or emotional mind. Mars in Cancer

gives rise to some version of compromised expression of personal will. In many

people this may show up as a conflict between softer feelings and the need to

express their will. They may then learn to develop a certain pigheadedness as a

desperate countermeasure to their own softer feelings. Alternatively, if Mars is

debilitated and suffering from multiple other afflictions, the will may turn on

the self in some way or may become irascible, unpredictable and violent, or the

person may suffer such qualities at the hands of others. Both Moon and Mars

debilitate in the sign of a mutual friend which often creates a tenable avenue

for a person to deal successfully with their neecha planet.

Mercury debilitates in Pisces, the most dual of the dual signs. Pisces symbol is

that of two fish swimming in opposite directions. Of the other three dual signs,

Virgo and Sagittarius are rules by single creatures. Gemini is also symbolized

by two beings, but in Jyotish a that symbol is a pair of twins, one male and one

female. At least the individual sexual identity of each being is clearly

demarcated. In Pisces two identical fish swim in opposite directions. Pisces is

also a mute sign. Mercury represents buddhi, intellect and communication. Being

of two minds is rarely good for practical decision making and Mercury's ability

to communicate is hindered by its location in a mute water sign. Pisces is ruled

by Jupiter, the planet of wisdom. Mercury is the planet of intellect, and while

rare people are able to apply their intellect to the cultivation of wisdom,

wisdom is both something more than and something less than intellect. Wisdom is

holistic knowledge, the integration of multiple ways of knowing conjoined with a

refined understanding about what to do or say in a given situation. Intellect,

on the other hand, tends to be about pure know-how, rather than intelligent

application of know-how. Intellect is to brass as to wisdom is to gold. A

debilitated Mercury with a good neecha bhanga may give rise to an inspired form

of knowledge that bridges into wisdom, but it will still not deliver practical

know-how in day to day living. Witness Albert Einstein, ruled by debilitated

Mercury, he had inspiring insights into space and time but still could not

locate his own house or dress himself.

Jupiter debilitates in Capricorn. Capricorn is the quintessential sign of

structure, security and ambition. None of these qualities accord well with

Jupiter's pure wisdom nature. Wisdom has no structure. Wisdom is Ati or Now,

thus it operates outside of Time and the structures permitted by Time. Efforts

to structure wisdom in time never fail to produce an ultimately banal result.

Anthony Robbins, success guru extraordinaire has debilitated Jupiter in his

ascendant. His entire mission is to have people use knowledge to obtain success.

This is known as spiritual materialism.

Venus debilitates in Virgo. Virgo is the sign of the Virgin, the sign of purity.

Venus is the guru to the asuras, the demonic beings. Venus is the only Being who

knows the Sanjivini Vidya, the method of returning the dead to life, and can

always restore his disciples, the asuras, after they have been killed. Venus is

called Shukra in Sanskrit, which means " white, shining and semen. " Being the

planet of sexual energy, naturally it disaccords in the sign of the Virgin. But

it also disaccords in this sign because of the notion of purity which is at odds

with Venus's indications of sensual worldly pleasure. Venus in Virgo usually

creates some oddity around sexual energy. The person may be gay or they may be

lustful and crude. Because Venus is blocked they may be unable to develop

refinement and taste in the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Bill Clinton has

debilitated Venus in his ascendant.

Saturn debilitates in the sign of Aries. Aries is everything that Saturn is not.

It is youthful, fiery, energetic, brash, speedy and impulsive. Saturn is slow,

cold, methodical, strategic, contemplative and disciplined. Perhaps there is no

greater zodiacal clash than Saturn in Aries. Aries is ruled by the malefic Mars

and Saturn is a natural malefic and neither planet accords well with the other.

The dissonance of Saturn in Aries, barring softening factors, brings out a

hideous combination of the traits of the constellation and planet, a ghoulish

twisted limping offspring, impatient and slovenly. Saturn in Aries gives rise to

trouble with Saturnian themes of discipline, responsibility, structure, respect,

work and death. Because Saturn in turn afflicts Aries, such people may struggle

with head issues such as clear thinking, headaches, fits of rage, phobias or

compulsions such as trichotillomania. Muhammad Ali, who developed Parkinson's

has Saturn in Aries, as did Hyppolite Blot, inventor of special scissors for

performing craniotomy during difficult labors. Jacques Cousteau had Saturn, his

5th lord of children, debilitated in the eighth and he had a tragic loss of a

child.

Rahu and Ketu debilitate in the sign of Taurus. Rahu and Ketu are so mysterious

that jyotishis do not agree on their signs of exaltation and debilitation. I was

taught by Hart deFouw that continuing the logic of the debilitation and

exaltation system in which planets debilitate and exalt in opposing pairs, Rahu

and Ketu, who are two parts of the same being, debilitate and exalt opposite the

Moon. Rahu and Ketu are therefore exalted in Scorpio. This makes sense. Just as

two negatives in math equal a positive, the same happens with Rahu and Ketu in

Scorpio. Scorpio is the natural 8th house of the zodiac, ruling over deep

transformation, kundalini shakti and poisons. Rahu and Ketu, who are subtle

grahas, perform well in this sign, enhancing people's understanding and

experience of the great mystery of life and often making great alchemists and

magicians of one sort or another. They debilitate in Taurus. Taurus is ruled by

the bull and is associated with cows and agriculture generally. It is a fixed

earth sign ruled over by the sensual Venus. Taurus deeply embodies earthly

comforts. The subtle, complex energy of the nodes conjoined with Taurus creates

an unnatural grasping after and distorted participation in earthly pleasures.

One node will always be exalted and the other debilitated, making it necessary

to suss out which theme will gain primacy. Frequently, Ketu gives a better

result in Scorpio and Rahu gives a worse result in Taurus. David Copperfield has

exalted Rahu in the third house of hands and skills. He is a tremendously gifted

magician. Conjuring is ruled by Rahu. Jacques Cousteau, who gave us the mystical

experience of the ocean depths has exalted Ketu. Walter de la Mare, a novelist

of supernatural short stories and Farncis Desmedt, the Belgian Wiccan Grand

Master also have exalted nodes. Robert Downey Jr. has Rahu debilitated in

Taurus. He is famous for his forays into addiction. Ernest Gallo, famous maker

of cheap wine, also has Rahu in Taurus; he tills the earth to produce a type of

poison.

Debilitated planets can be powerful and can powerfully positive results, but

these results will still be unusual. Debilitated planets can give unusual and

unusually terrible results as well. They are almost always worth taking extra

note of in a horoscope.

Book Review: " Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem Karoli Baba " by Ram Dass

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book review by Andrea Pflaumer

In 1968, a Harvard professor named Richard Alpert journeyed to India and there

met a man who changed his name to Ram Dass and changed his entire life. The

result of that meeting was Ram Dass' popular book entitled " Be Here Now. " The

book was the West's introduction to Neem Karoli Baba, literally translated as

" the saint who lives by the railroad. " After Maharajji's (as he was

affectionately known) death, Ram Dass compiled a rich volume of personal stories

and experiences from the baba's group of rag-tag Western disciples and Indian

devotees to illustrate the power and teachings of this humble and quixotic

anti-guru. He titled this book " Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem Karoli

Baba. " As indefinable as he was, his most emphatic teaching and instruction was

a simple one: feed people and love people.

Ram Dass divides the book into sections that draw upon Maharajji's lessons on

life, often conveyed with contradictory instructions and always tailored to the

individuals receiving them. There was no area of life that remained off-limits

to him, from more traditional teachings about attachment, service and (perhaps

his favorite) the healing power of love, to money, drugs and sex. Eclectic and

inclusive Maharajji wandered by car, train and foot, dividing his time between

rascals and social outcasts who lived beyond the law, reclusive Hindu monks who

rarely ventured beyond their isolated environs and the homes of his devotees.

Many of the stories describe his miraculous manifestations of food or money from

under the mysterious blanket in which he always wrapped himself. Some describe

his appearance in more than one place at one time or in different visages. Other

stories tell of his often dismissive manner (his favorite word to disciples was

'Jao! or 'leave!') but that was an instruction frequently combined with

overwhelming and profound love directed toward the disciples who constantly

jockeyed for darshan with him. Sometimes, it even invited them to playfully defy

his instruction, indicating their love for him would not allow them to go. In

response, he lovingly often reminded them that he would never leave them.

Throughout his life, Maharajji's own devotions were directed with single purpose

to Ram, whose name he repeated constantly. So great was his devotion to Ram and

his consort Sita, that in his manner and behavior - and often in his appearance

- this shape-shifting guru frequently and uncannily resembled Ram's most ardent

devotee, Hanuman. It is within those stories that the reader is provided with a

provocative explanation about how his influence and love continue to affect the

lives of his own devotees, including those who had never met him, long after his

mahasamadhi, and how he stayed true to his vow never to leave.

Recommended Acupuncturists and Herbalists: Rhonda and Scott Sousley

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Rhonda Sousley is both a Licensed Acupuncturist and a Ph.D. in Traditional

. Her husband, Scott, is also a Licensed Acupuncturist. If you

live in Michigan, consider visiting their clinic in Troy. Website:

http://www.innovative-medicine.com/

The Sousleys have created a wonderful herbal tea designed to help your sleep. It

features catnip, burdock and yarrow. My wife and I have tried many natural

insomnia formulas and we find this tea to be one of the best around.

If you are interested in the tea, contact the Sousleys at

innovative-med or call them at 248-740-1265.

Contact Information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Website: Jyotish.ws

Michael Laughrin - Michael

To , send an email to: jyotish_ws-

Articles from past issues of this newsletter are archived at the jyotish.ws

website.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 5, 2010

thanks jitendra

please contact me on 09810088365;if you have not recieved this mailthanking

youjitendra

--- On Fri, 3/5/10, laughgrin <laughgrin wrote:

laughgrin <laughgrin

Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter February /

March 2010

Friday, March 5, 2010, 2:00 AM

Â

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.

In this issue, Andrea Pflaumer helps you develop an appreciation for the great

Indian classical musician, Ali Akbar Khan. Alison Berker offers " Everything Your

Always Wanted to Know about Debilitated Planets But Were Afraid To Ask. " Andrea

reviews an amazing book by Raam Das called " Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem

Karoli Baba. " And I recommend a sleep tea by two acupuncturists in Michigan.

Please visit my website, www.Jyotish. ws at your convenience. The best articles

from these newsletters are archived on this site. I offer access to an excellent

yagya program.

- Michael Laughrin (michael (AT) jyotish (DOT) ws)

The Legacy of a Musical Giant: Ali Akbar Khan

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

By Andrea Pflaumer (agpflaumer (AT) aol (DOT) com)