ground of the astrology should not be forgotten, particularly if one wants its spiritual
benefits.
Some Hindu terms like “karma” and “rebirth” have already entered into West-
ern or New Age Western astrology, but often in a different way. Many New Agers see
rebirth not as a cycle of suffering to transcend, but as a way of continued existence, if
not enjoyment. The concept of moksha,or liberation, is not understood.
Others misunderstand karma and equate it with some sort of fate or destiny.
“After all, it is my karma,” people will say, meaning that there is nothing they can do
about a situation. Karma in the Vedic sense means action, or more specifically, the
effect of past actions. According to the Vedic view, people create themselves by their
own actions, but as these occur through the course of time, they remain under the
influence of what they have done in the past. Vedic astrology helps people to under-
stand their karma and act in such a way in the present that they can alter their karma
for the future and gain the liberation of the soul. That is why Vedic astrology empha-
sizes remedial measures to change the movement of karma and always leads to sad-
hana,or spiritual practice as the real pursuit in life.
—Dennis M. Harness, Ph.D., and David FrawleySources:
Braha, James T. Ancient Hindu Astrology for the Modern Western Astrologer.Miami, FL: Hermeti-
cian Press, 1986.
De Luce, Robert. Constellation Astrology According to the Hindu System.Los Angeles: De Luce
Pub. Co., 1963.
Defouw, Hart, and Robert Svoboda. Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India.New
York: Arkana, 1996.
Dreyer, Ronnie Gale. Vedic Astrology: A Guide to the Fundamentals of Jyotish.York Beach, ME: S.
Weiser, 1997.
Frawley, David. Astrology of the Seers: A Guide to Vedic/Hindu Astrology.Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus
Press, 2000.
Hopke, Tom (Nalinikanta Das). How to Read Your Horoscope.Los Angeles: Vedic Cultural
Association, 1987.
Houck, Richard. The Astrology of Death.Gaithersburg, MD: Groundswell Press, 1994.
Levacy, William R. Beneath a Vedic Sky: A Beginner’s Guide to the Astrology of Ancient India.
Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 1999.
VENUS
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, located between Mercury and Earth. It is the
most notable light in the sky, after the Sun and Moon, and has been referred to as
Earth’s sister planet. Nearly the same size as Earth, Venus orbits around the Sun in a
nearly circular path of 225 days. Venus also rotates on its axis in the opposite direction
of the Earth and most other planets, turning from east to west, and so slowly that one
Venus day is the equivalent of 243 Earth days, longer than its year. In so doing Venus
only shows one side of itself to the Earth at its closest orbital proximity.
As a planet nearer to the Sun than Earth, Venus is considered an inferior plan-
et and is never seen to be more than 48° of longitude away from the Sun. As Venus
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [717]
Venus