found from Leo 13°20’ to 26°40’. This is another good sign for fierce acts, and individu-
als may find themselves unusually bright and physically active, yet maybe a bit reckless
or vindictive. The deity Aryaman presides and the planet Venus rules this sign.
—Pramela ThiagesanPURVASHADA
Purvashada (the former unsubdued) is one of the Nakshatras (lunar mansions) of
Vedic astrology. This Nakshatra is usually depicted as a bed or an elephant’s tusk, and
is located from Sagittarius13°20’ to 26°40’, where the planet Venus rules it. This is a
good time to try to liberate somebody; people may be more wealthy and influential in
this period, but also may find themselves settling for less or not open to advice. Apa,
god of water, presides or Purvashada.
—Pramela ThiagesanPUSHYA
Pushya (nourishing) is one of the Nakshatras (lunar mansions) of Vedic astrology.
One can find this sign, represented by a wheel, in Cancer 3°20’ to 16°40’. Brihaspati,
the guru of the gods, presides, and the planet Saturn rules over this Nakshatra. Con-
sidered one of the best, this moon sign is good for all nourishing activities with the
exception of marriage; one may exhibit increased intelligence and spirituality,
although zealousness and oversensitivity may also abound in this sign.
—Pramela ThiagesanPYTHAGORAS
Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer, lived from approxi-
mately 580 to 500 B.C.E. Pythagoras was the first to conceive of the heliocentric theory
of the universe (the notion that Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun), a
notion that did not catch on until Copernicus. Pythagoras and his followers also devel-
oped basic mathematical notions, such as the concepts of equation and proportion.
Pythagoras is said to have searched widely for wisdom and is believed to have
introduced the idea of reincarnation to the Western world. One of his teachings
regards the “music of the spheres,” the notion that the intervals between the planets
correspond to musical tones and that the movements of the planets produce an ethe-
real music. Pythagoras’s significance for astrology is that he clearly formulated the
notion that the human being is a miniature version (microcosm) of the larger universe
(macrocosm). The microcosm and the macrocosm are linked by—and affect each
other through—certain correlations. This notion is basic to ancient astrology.
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [565]
Pythagoras