THE PLACE OF ASTROLOGY IN OUR LIFE

A smal Introduction (Contributed by Sri.M.P.Radhakrishnan Nair)

The word Astrology is derived from two Greek words Astra (Stars) and Logos (Study). So, astrology is the study of Stars. Astrology is Astronomy brought to earth and applied to the affairs of men. It teaches that the Universe is governed by a perfect system, accurately timed with marvelous precision and accomplished with unerring exactness. It is a noble Science as old as the ages of Vedas. It is not a secret now that each planet has its own unique polarization /frequency which affects all living things in the universe on a cellular level. The influence of time and space of an event stamps a permanent seal on it through the planetary alignment , the forces of which are flowing around us in invisible channels directing our lives towards certain conditions , some of which can be avoided by knowing them in advance. Astrology gives us a picture of the whole of life. It is more sophisticated and more useful than any other Science.
The planets in the sky, which are within our Solar System, have impact on earth. The most important of them are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, the North Node (Rahu) and the South Node (Kethu). Their route is the Zodiac, which is divided into 12 Signs, from Aries to Pisces. From the earth we see the Sun rising, moving across the sky, and setting , because of the rotation of the earth. The time it takes for the earth to rotate completely around once at a speed of around 1000 miles per hour, is what we call a day or 24 hours. Earth’s rotation gives us day and night. The earth, in its turn, revolves round the Sun, at a speed of 67,000 miles/ hour, once in around 365 days and this is the year.
Horoscope or Natal Chart reveals the influence of time and space of a birth, stamped permanently on it, through the planetary alignment, their relations with the cusps and angles etc. In this context, we must always remember the Universal fact that Stars cannot compel, they only impel. They can help us shape our Destiny, but the ultimate Destiny or Fate is unto HIM. Fate mostly depends on Karma, which is the law of consequences – of merit and demerit. Karma depends on Character. When we change our Character, we change our Karma. Character, in its turn, depends on habits. There is a famous saying ,when money is lost nothing is lost, when health is lost something is lost, but when character is lost every thing is lost. If one grows in the habit of getting unconditional love from his parents, getting situations to help develop self-esteem, values, morals, and good traditions of life, enjoyment, good health, secure surroundings, chances to develop skills and abilities, of course coupled with strict discipline , he will have strength of character , which leads him to proper Karmas, the consequences of which will be a meaningful life. One thing is certain that unto every violation of law of the nature, there is meted out a penalty and it is inevitable. We can then try to mitigate evils, hoping for comfort, the result of which depends on many factors, like the bank balance of our papa-punyas transcended from our previous births, if any.

Astrology is really like a vast ocean. A famous Vedic Astrologer once said that he is only a particle of sand on the bank of the great ocean of Astrology. Astrology is spiritual, mystical, magical, and it is the music of the cosmos. A true and learned Astrologer can guide one to do the right thing at the right time and can guide to avoid the wrong thing at the tempting time. It is a Divine Science too, though empirical predictive in nature. It s purely based on mathematics, if the time and calculations go wrong, every thing will go wrong. The most important thing to be borne in mind about Astrology is that it should never be taken on any level other than the level of Vedanta, since it contains the quintessence of the philosophies of the entire world