In recent years, several new books on Vedic astrology have been written. Light
on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India,by Hart Defouw and Robert Svoboda,
is already considered a classic in the field. Also, Beneath a Vedic Skyby William R.
Levacy, The Astrology of Deathby Richard Houck, and Vedic Astrologyby Ronnie Gale
Dreyer, have been well received.
Many Vedic astrologers from India have come to the West to teach and have
brought their books with them. Gayatri Vasudeva and Niranjan Babu, the son and
daughter of B. V. Raman, are among these. So are many noted Delhi astrologers,
including Bepin Behari, K. S. Charak, Dinesh Sharma, and K. N. Rao. Several of
Behari’s titles have been published directly in the West. The English literature on
Jyotish has burgeoned with many new titles coming every year, producing a veritable
renaissance in the subject.
In the computer age Vedic astrology computer programs have come as well.
There are now several important programs available devised in the West, including
Parashara’s “Light,” Gorvani’s “Jyotish” and “Shri Jyoti,” to mention a few. Deepak
Chopra uses Vedic astrology to help people find the right mantra for their individual
nature.
Many Americans have become professional Vedic astrologers, and several
Indians have taken up this occupation here as well. In most major cities, there are pro-
fessionals who can be consulted for all astrological matters, from birth charts to astro-
logical forecasting. People of all walks of life are drawn to such Vedic astrologers
because of the abundance of tools and resources these astrologers have to offer and the
support of an entire spiritual tradition that they carry.
This new Western Vedic astrology is taking its own form both by the Ameri-
can-born and Indian practitioners. While in India, clients are concerned about pre-
dicting the hard facts of life, such as job and marriage potentials; in the United States,
people come to Vedic astrology more for spiritual, psychological, or relationship
needs, placing it more in a counseling model. After all, the outer factors of life are not
as hard to get or unpredictable as they are in India.
Another interesting difference is that in India few people want to pay
astrologers, who are regarded as serving in Brahmical roles that should not charge for
services. Informed Americans look upon Vedic astrologers with the same respect as
doctors or psychologists and are willing to pay them accordingly. This allows practi-
tioners here to make a livelihood from Vedic astrology, enabling them to spend more
time with the system.
There has, of course, been some abuse of Vedic astrology. Partly trained indi-
viduals have given wrong predictions. Some charlatans from India have offered magi-
cal cures for karmic ills—at the right price. Overly priced gems or yajnas(rituals) have
left their mark. But instances of such abuse have been rare, probably less than in other
occult and psychic pursuits, which always have room for much wishful thinking.
The main potential abuse is that many Westerners do not have the spiritual or
ethical background to use Jyotish to its full potential and may be inclined to use it in a
more mundane or personal matter, or simply turn it into a business. However, Indians
today seem to share the same inclinations. For this reason, the Hindu and Vedic back-Vedic Astrology in the West
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