A very, very warm welcome to The Holistic Astrology Podcast from Bhagyashree Holistic Astrology. This is Season 1, Episode 3 and I am Davendri, otherwise known as Neha who caught cold while sitting under the Sharad Purnima full moon.
Today, we will discuss the very basics of astrology and understand how astrology works. I will give you a brief intro of houses, signs, kundlis and planets. We will talk about them in more detail in upcoming episodes. A transcript of this episode is available on my website bhagyashree.org.
It is common for people to look at their sun signs and try to find meaning in their life with the help of this planetary placement. For me, just like you, the journey into the deep and diverse system of astrology began with the sun sign. It made astrology rather easy for us. Simply find your sign with your date or birth and that’s it. You now have a key to your life that would help you read horoscopes every morning in the newspaper.
It was simple but hardly effective. The horoscope was all over the place and never seemed to be right. We bought books upon books and read articles upon articles, reading about our personality and checking sun sign compatibility with our crushes. Do you remember how important it was back then to know their date of birth? All we had to do was find their birthday, quickly find their sign and then spend a night checking how compatibility works between a fire sign and an air sign… those were the days.
But there is something more to astrology that goes beyond the simple sun signs. Let’s discuss those thing in detail according to vedic astrology which is India’s system of understanding the stars.
Your birthchart or natal chart is called kundli in Hindi. This kundli is divided into 12 houses. Each house represents a specific part of your personality. For instance, your first house or lagna decides your appearance and outlook. Your second house tells about your childhood home and family wealth. Your fourth house tells about your mother, your home, your homeland. Your seventh house tells about your spouse and your approach to relationships in general. Your 10th house tells about the karma that you will do in this lifetime and so on. I have already started a series called ‘Secrets of the Houses’ on my YouTube, where I discuss each of the houses in Hindi. Later on in this podcast, we will discuss them in English.
Each house represents a sign. These are the regular zodiac signs you are familiar with- going from Aries to Pisces.
There are nine planets in vedic astrology. The Sun and the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Then there are two shadow planets called Rahu and Ketu which are known as Dragon’s Head and Tail and often referred to as Moon’s north and south nodes.
Of these, Sun and Moon control one house each. Rahu and Ketu do not control any houses. The rest of the 5 planets control two houses each.
When we make a kundli, we check your date of birth, time of birth and place of birth to understand the most accurate readings of a chart. It helps us understand the exact placement of a planet so we can plot it within a house in your kundli. Remember, the entire 12 houses of a kundli represent the 360 degree sky. Each house has 30 degrees. Therefore, the right placement of a planet in the houses is essential for getting the most accurate readings.
We have a habit of defining our lives and personalities according to the placement of one planet. However, this is not right. There are 12 houses and 9 planets which make up a kundli. My idea of Holistic Astrology emphasizes that the kundli must be seen as a whole, rather than its individual pieces. Of course, some parts of the kundli will always shine brighter than others but it would still be worthwhile to look at the kundli as the sum total of 12 houses and 9 planets instead of one house or one planet.
Vedic Astrology has the concept of sun signs and moon signs. However, it is not necessary that the sun sign in vedic astrology matches your sun sign according to western astrology. Moon signs are considered more powerful. If you have been following my YouTube channel, you already know that the moon signifies our subconscious and is the only planet that carries over the lessons of past life. This is the reason why it is so deeply related to your karma, your deep rooted desires, and the inner workings of your brain.
When we have a look at 12 houses, their original sign lords, occupants of the house, dig bala, bhav bala, relationship with sign lord, etc. etc. we get a very wholesome or holistic view of your personality. This could be used to find your past, how your mind works, understand your deepest desires, your romantic choices, your sexual nature and the kind of environment and employment that will suit you the most. It can also be used to guide you on the path to your best possible future to a reasonably good extent.
I always tell people this and I will repeat it countless times in the future- a kundli is only a set of possibilities. It is good to take it as a guide but futile to take it as the norm. This is why I focus so extensively on Mind/Body Personality Types- my way of looking at and defining your personality so you can choose the right path for yourself. Remember this, it is important to choose a path which aligns the most with your personality in order to achieve true happiness.
That’s it for today! The festive season is right around the corner and I hope that you have a great time with your family. May we get all the blessings of Ma Bhagwati. See you next week!