Have you ever wondered why Hinduism has so many gods and goddesses, and yet they say that "God is one"? According to the Vedas, there is only one omnipresent being consisting of pure consciousness. We are all expressions of that being.  It manifests itself in innumerable ways throughout our physical universe, in the form of the various aspects of nature. So, in order to explain those forces of nature, the ancient Vedic seers anthropomorphized them as gods and goddesses, in order to help people understand the never-ending changes taking place in the world around them.

 

One of the most fundamental aspects of nature is the "Pancha Tattvas"  (five elements).  And of these five elements, possibly the most important is Agni, fire. After all, it is the fiery Sun that is the center of the solar system and the thing that makes life on our planet possible. The light of the Sun is taken as the fire of pure consciousness in the Vedic tradition, so the ancient Vedic rishis, considered Agni, the god of fire, to be preeminent among the forces of nature. In fact, the main ritual that has been performed in the Hindu religion, from ancient times, has always been the Yagya, a ritual of making offerings into a sacred fire.

 

Vedic astrology is a system that helps us understand the various changes in our natural environment by tracking the motion of the planets, which symbolize the different aspects of nature. For example, Agni, the fire element, is ruled by Mars. At the moment, Mars is transiting through the sign of Capricorn, where it is exalted, meaning that it is very strong, so the energy of the fire element is very high.   I live in the California mountains where I am surrounded by forest. When it gets hot, they issue an alert called a Red Flag Warning, which means there is a high risk of forest fires. You can think of Mars in Capricorn like a Red Flag Warning, only it's for the whole world and it can produce all kinds of fiery events.

 

I wrote about the Mars/Ketu conjunction that is occurring in Capricorn in the last issue of this newsletter. I said that Mars would enter Capricorn on May 3, 2018, increasing the energy of Agni, the fire element. On that day, there was a 5.0 earthquake on the Big Island of Hawaii, at Mount Kilauea, and lava began to flow. On May 17th, when Mars came to 6 degrees of Capricorn and conjuncted the exact degree of Mercury in the D4 (chart for the land) in the horoscope for Hawaii, there was an explosive eruption.

 

The eruption of Kilauea is not anything new. It has currently been active since it erupted in January 3, 1983. It is very interesting to note, however, that in January of 1983, Mars was also in Capricorn. Mars was also in Capricorn (along with Rahu and Saturn) in March of 1990 when Kilauea ramped up its eruptive energy and entered its most destructive eruption period in modern history.

 

Like the ancient Indians, the people of Hawaii also deify the fire element. In Hawaii, however, the fire god is actually a goddess named Pele. According to her story, Pele traveled by canoe from Tahiti to Hawaii. On the way, she tried to set fires on different islands. Her sister, Namaka, chased after her trying to kill her. When she caught up to her, she and Pele fought and Pele was killed. After dropping her body, the spirit of Pele entered into the Halemaumau crater on Mount Kilauea. According to this legend, her body is the lava stream that comes from the volcano.

The eruption of Kiluea has had a powerful impact on the people of the Big Island. Some of them lost there homes. I recently did a reading for a man named Paul, whose farm was recently buried under 30 feet of lava from the volcano. With his permission, I am sharing his chart here, but to protect his privacy, I am not sharing his birth data or his last name.

 

Paul and his wife, Suzanne, lived on a farm that was located below the mountain in the path of the lava. When the lava began to flow, they moved all of their animals to a safe location and relocated themselves to an apartment that was away from the lava-zone. As the lava was approaching he kept an eye on the farm, hoping that somehow, the lava would avoid his property. Hours before the lava reached their farm, Paul found a dead owl on his property. Taking this as a sign that the lava was coming, he took the wings off the owl and placed it in a grove of trees as an offering. Paul and Suzanne told me the story of how Pele, the fire goddess embodied by the lava, took their farm, completely inundating it under 30 feet of red molten rock, but somehow flowed around the grove of trees, leaving the offering intact. Although they saved their animals, they lost their farm and all of their possessions. It was one of those cataclysmic life-altering events that has completely changed the direction of their lives. 

Have you ever thought about how you would  handle an experience like this?  Would it ruin your life and make you depressed from that point onward? Or would you simply shift your direction and enjoy the new possibilities and opportunities that unfold? 

 

 Click here to listen to Paul and Suzanne tell their amazing story.

Paul's chart, as well as the chart for Hawaii, along with a brief astrological description are given below.  I am only showing the Chaturtamsha chart, the chart that we use to make predictions for one's real estate, house, or land.

Paul is passing through the major period of Saturn and the sub period of Venus.  In his Chaturtamsha chart (the chart for his home) Venus is the ruler of the 4th house (the home) and it is placed in Scorpio.  Mars and the Sun (both fiery planets) are placed in the 4th house and aspecting Venus.  This is a recipe for damage to the house due to fire during the Venus period.

Hawaii is passing through the major period of the Moon and the sub period of Mercury.  In the chaturtamsha chart, Mercury is the ruler of the 4th house, the land.  It is also the natural significator of the earth element.  It is placed in the 8th house, the house of upheavals and changes.  This is the house we use for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  This placement makes the Hawaiian islands prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, during this period.  However, on May 17th, transiting Mars came to the exact degree of the Mercury in the chathurtamsha chart, triggering a powerful eruption.  Mercury's sub period continues until August 5, 2019.  Mars continues to transit the sign of Capricorn until  November 5, 2018.  Ketu leaves Capricorn on March 29, 2019.  Any or all of these dates could mark transition points as the eruptive energy begins to dissipate.  

Natural disasters can bring radical changes in a person's life. They can bring up different emotions and  reactions from different people.  For some, they bring fear and depression.  For others they bring a sense of awe and wonder.  Which would be your style? 

"Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions."   Hafiz

June 26 - August 27, 2018

In this chart-analysis intensive, we will explore the intricate patterns of the horoscope, reinforcing and applying fundamentals, as well as learning subtler nuances and secrets of chart interpretation. We will focus on two areas: Transits and Chart Compatibility.  

In the Transits section of the class, we will explore the many techniques of using transits for making predictions, both classical and practical.  We will use examples from your own collections, as well as examples from mine, to reinforce your practice.  This class will be geared to intermediate or  advanced students who are  already conversant, to some extent, with using transits.  

Part two will focus on relationship astrology, going more  in-depth with chart comparison.  We will work with real charts from real relationships as I show you how to decipher the nuances of the couples interaction.  This  class assumes that you have already taken other classes in chart compatibility, such as my Relationships Class, which is available  online.  It  will build on those techniques and add some more.  But the primary emphasis will be on going through dozens of real-life compatibility charts, together in class. The best way to learn astrology is to do astrology, and we will go through lots of charts.  In the process, we will take your ability to understand relationships to a new level of confidence, making your readings more detailed, and full of nuance.

Click here to find out more or to sign up.