VEDICASTROLOGY(HINDUASTROLOGY)
Hindu astrology, or Vedic astrology, as it is more commonly referred to by its practition-
ers, has made tremendous inroads into the Western astrological community in recent
years. The origins of Vedic astrology are primarily in India and have flourished for sever-
al thousand years. According to modern Vedic scholars, a continuous record of basic
astrological knowledge can be traced back to 2500 B.C.E. and the Indus Valley region. As
one of the true systems of astrology, Vedic astrology is renowned for its spiritual depth
and accuracy in predicting future events. Based on the sidereal zodiac, it reflects an
astronomer’s perception of the movement of planets through the constellations.
The father of Vedic astrology is Parashara Muni. He was reported to have
lived around 1500 B.C.E. and was supposedly one of the first astrologers to actually
cast natal charts for individuals. The date of his life is speculative and based on oral
tradition. It is recorded that he made a specialized study of medical astrology that
reflected health, disease, and longevity issues, and copies of his manuscripts still
exist in India. His greatest work was The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, which was
finally compiled around 600 C.E. Parashara also wrote beautiful esoteric hymns in
the Rig Veda(a Vedic text) that were mantras to the planetary deities. The seer
Ranavira was another important astrologer who lived during the same era as
Parashara. Ranavira specialized in relationship compatibility, female horoscopy, and
other psychological aspects of astrology. In modern astrological practice in India,
chart comparisons for marriage compatibility are still commonly utilized.
Vedic astrology is also called jyotisha,which means “luminous, brilliant, celes-
tial, shining, belonging to the world of light.” It is truly the science of light. Vedic
astrology attempts to shine the cosmic light on an individual’s true life path. It is a key
to understanding the soul’s intention or divine plan for this incarnation. Similar to
the function of a true guru, the Vedic astrologer attempts to be the “dispeller of dark-
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