Do Your New Discoveries Make My Old Readings Wrong???

Since I published my article on the actual length of the “year” for calculating dasha cycles and eras – many people have become stumped. First of all they are stumped over the article itself. Secondly, they are stumped about what it means to the readings I did for them before I realized the correct length of the dasha year, are these readings now “wrong” or what?

Now I will try to clarify both topics.

What Was That Article All About?

Timing Things in Astrology

“Dashas” are eras of your life. Astrology correlates these eras, and the cycles and subcycles within those eras, to specific planets in your horoscope. The way the classics define the lengths of the various planetary eras and cycles is always in years. The Moon’s cycle, for example, lasts “10 years.” Rahu’s cycle lasts “18 years.” Jupiter’s lasts “16 years.”

So, the question, “Well what exactly is a year?” Is extremely important.

Defining “Days” and “Years”

Image via Wikipedia

The authoritative text on the measurement of time, for Sanskrit based Astrology at least, is the Surya-Siddhanta. It defines four different types of calendars based on four different definitions of a day. For example, we could define a day as a complete rotation of the earth on her axis. This is actually the most fundamental and accurate way to define a day. There are two ways to measure the rotation of the earth. One is to measure from one sunrise to the next, and the other is to measure the amount of time it takes for the stars themselves to make a complete revolution through the sky. Surya Siddhanta uses the former for informal folk calendars; the later (called properly the “nakshatra day”) for the purpose of accurately measuring the passage of time. This is Surya-Siddhanta’s primary method for measuring normal time.

Image via Wikipedia

There are two other ways to define a day, one is to define it based on it being a portion of a month. The other is to define it based on it being a portion of a year. If we divide a month into thirty equal portions and call those portions “days” we have tithis – and these “days” are used for the lunar calendar which keeps track of vows, religious events, and the right timings for beginning various things. If we divide a year into equal portions we get about 365 and a quarter “days” in a year. This is our modern calendar year, based on 1º of the Sun’s movement through the zodiac / Earths revolution around the Sun.

This seems to confuse readers to no end. Maybe the fact that it is not confusing to me makes me ill suited to explain it clearly. I will make one more try:

The confusion arises only when we translate time to our modern calendar. The number of seconds it takes the earth to spin on its axis once is a little bit longer than the number of seconds it takes the earth to move 1º around the sun. But we call of these phenomena “days.” Though they both have the same name, “a day” they do not represent the same exact amount of time. So, “a year” will have slightly fewer days if we go with the definition of day that is slightly longer (one spin on its axis). This is why a “nakshatra year” has fewer of what we could today call a “day” – it has 359.017 of our “days” instead of the 365.242 that we are currently accustomed to.

What it Means to Astrology

If I tell you, “Jupiter’s era of your life will last 16 years.” Isn’t it a little bit important what “year” I am talking about? One type of year is about 6 days shorter than the other. So in a 16 year period we are talking about a difference of 96 days, depending on which year I am referring to. Get it?

Image by catface3 via Flickr

Say you are 100 years old. Just say. A hundred of what years? If you are 100 calendar years old that is one thing, but if you are 100 nakshatra years old, that is 600 days less! You would be “98 years old” by our modern calendar! So It does make quite a difference to be clear on what definition of “year” we are supposed to use when we calculate astrological eras.

The Sunrise-to-Sunrise year is for folk calendars, not for precise measurements. The lunar year is for religious functions. The solar year (modern calendar) is for agriculture, because it defines the seasons. The remaining option is the nakshatra year – which is meant for the precise calculation of time, and for the “unfolding of events one after another.” Clearly this is the year meant to be used for calculating astrological timing cycles, especially those based on the nakshatra themselves – such as the most popular system (vimshottari nakshatra dasha).

So, Are My Previous Readings Now Wrong?

I made this discovery about the correct year length in July of 2010. Previous to that I was using the far more common, yet incorrect year length to calculate dashas. Does that mean that all my readings prior to July 2010 are garbage?

How Do We Do “Correct” Readings Anyway?

If my reading to you was solely a report on the dates at which your eras and cycles begin and end, then Yes, prior to July 2010 those would be unreliable (off by roughly 6 days per year of your life, later than they should be). But I never do those types of fact-printout readings.

Some astrologers are scholars, some are priests of rituals, some are intellectuals, others rarely are yogis and true-mystics. What these people have in their favor is the accuracy of their acumen within their given field. That is all. In this day and age (kali-yuga) there is pathetically little acumen available in these departments. Therefore basically these types of astrologers, with respect to what they have gained by their hard work, don’t have much else at all besides that hard work.

I myself am an astrologer who is neither a scholar, nor priest, intellcual, yogi nor mystic per se. I am a bhakta - a lover of Govinda. Bhaktas have the inconceivable krpa (mercy) of Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, even if their acumen has faults and lacking, Govinda makes up for those faults provides results that are generally better than even the pundits, purohits, yogis, tapasvis and jnanis in their own departments.

Please understand that if I have done a reading for you, what I tell you in that reading is what Govinda mercifully allows me to tell you. Far above and beyond and technical knowledge of spinning globes and such, it is the mercy of Govinda which empowers my ability to give astrological readings.

Throughout my practice, since 2007 I have been keenly aware that the dasha cycles I was using seemed to give effects slightly before they were supposed to. Many long-time clients will attest to my even explaining this directly to them. It was because of this that I was hungry to discover the accurate definition of a year, and upon that discovery this discrepancy I observed all along now fits neatly into place. Therefore even technically speaking in earlier readings I was compensating for the fact that the year seemed to be too long, even though I did not have factual confirmation yet of that.

Specific Predictions

What if I told you that some upcoming period would be good or bad? Now that the upcoming period is redefined, would the prediction change?

1) If I told you something was going to go good or go bad for you at a certain period of time, it is because that is what Govinda allowed me to tell you. Therefore it is what you were destined to hear at the time.

2) Although the new year length does change the durations and borders of the dashas, it does not change the fundamental nature of how the dashas are interpreted. Therefore the bulk of what I said will still be applicable, merely the date ranges may be skewed by a half dozen days per year.

Many of my predictions using the incorrect year system came true. How is this possible?

1) If Govinda wants me to give you a correct prediction he will give it regardless if I use a technique correctly or if I merely flip a coin. If Govinda wants me to give you an incorrect prediction my prediction will be incorrect regardless of how exact and smart I am.

2) There are many other factors in making predictions besides the start and end point of dasha eras and cycles. Therefore many accurate predictions could be made even using the incorrect year system.

What about predictions that did not come true? Could it be because I was using the wrong year length?

Yes, it could have been a factor. A more important factor however is whether or not you are karmically entitled to receive an accurate prediction at the time. No matter how good I might ever become at astrology, I could never give truth to a person who is not entitled by karma to receive it, nor could I give lies to a person entitled to truth, no matter how sloppy and ignorant and astrologer I might be.

With this new, accurate year length, will I make more accurate predictions?

My experience of the astrology is that it is a difficult and complex process of sifting through hundreds of variables, much like looking for a needle in a haystack. My experience of the 359 day year is that it makes the difficult process significantly less difficult.

- Vic DiCara

http://www.vicdicara.com

The Twelve Signs and Four Goals of Life

Image by williamcromar via Flickr

The ancient seers of India described human life as having four stages, each of which has a specific goals. Within and beyond them all is a fifth goal. Each of the five elements propels interest on of those goals. Ether, which everything is in and which is in everything, interests one in the fifth goal. The other four goals belong to the four elements used by the planets to cultivate their signs. The element within a sign determines what goal it proposes to the planet that inhabits it.

The first thing I need is pleasure. I am not alone, all life has this basic underlying motive. Air creates sensations and is responsible for making us desire pleasurable ones. The air signs, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius mark the way points along the evolution of this goal of life. Gemini gives new ideas of fun, Libra attempts to realize those ideas, and Aquarius tries to transform them into something better.

Next, I need stability and security. Lollipops are great, but when I get one I start to worry about where the next one will come. So I want to save money or make a lolli-stash so I can get one whenever the desire hits me. The earth element in Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn promote this goal of life in various ways. Taurus gives the fundamental impetus for economic security, Virgo helps work out how to accomplish it, and Capricorn tries to transform it into something more significant and lasting.

People with stability become targets. As soon as I get a stash of lollipops the neighborhood bullies try to take it by force. So I become interested in the third goal of life: morality. Fire, which brings order to chaos, facilitates this. Aries gives the inspiration to fight against cheaters who would take away what I worked hard for. Leo grants the actual authority to enforce and enjoy a moral existence. Sagittarius tries to transform morality into something even higher and broader.

Now that I have my block in order, behaving like good moral kids, my lollipop stash is safe. OK, what next? The pause gives me time to reflect, “What is all this fuss over lollipops in the first place?!” Water, as you probably guessed, enables us to ask if there is there something deeper than all this elaborate civilization we have built around, basically, candy? Water inspires the fourth goal of life: enlightenment. Cancer gives the impetus to look within. Scorpio enables the process of self-realization.  Pisces tries to transform it into something greater.

What could be greater than enlightenment? The fifth goal, ether’s goal, which is in no sign, but in all of them; which is beyond all the other goals yet includes them all. The fifth goal is the supreme pleasure of air, the supreme treasure of earth, the supreme moral of fire, and the supreme realization of water. It is prema, absolute selfless divine love for the Supremely Intimate Being.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

© 2010 Vic DiCara, All Rights Reserved

Astrology and Bhakti? Is Karma Relevant to Spiritualists?

Student: Before I studied astrology with you, I thought that it could never predict spiritual things since spiritual things transcend karma. But reading your descriptions of Prabhupada and Aindra’s horoscopes shows me this is not the case.

Vic: Yes, excellent question. It is important to have a clear and conclusive understanding of this topic. The question raises itself not only in relation to the charts of spiritualists like Aindra Ji and Prabhupada, but even more deeply in relation to the horoscopes of incarnations of Godhead such as Krsna, Rama, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Student: Yes yes! I told a devotee about your reading for Krishna‘s chart and they told me, “He shouldn’t do that.”

Vic: The vaishnava-shiromani (the jewel on the grown of devotional spiritualists) Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti told me the positions of the planets in Krsna’s horoscope, in his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam. Am I to conclude he told me these because I should not consider them carefully? That would be silly, right? One who can understand Krsna better and explain about Krsna to others by examining those positions outlined by Vishvanatha should do so. That is Krsna Katha (discussion of Krsna, a major practice of devotional spiritualism), isn’t it?

Student:

Vic: Bhaktivinode Thakur gives the Horoscope of Sriman Mahaprabhu in his commentary on Caitanya Caritamrta. Should some relatively neophyte devotee say that it is improper to study the planetary positions of spiritual beings in the face of Vishvanath and Bhaktivinode doing so?

Student: Amazing.

Vic: Vaishnav-aparadha (needlessly criticizing a devotee) is much worse that being ill informed or neophyte, so I should really watch my mouth and not offend any devotee who feels that astrology has no place in Krsna Consciousness. But I have explained the reasons why I myself would not accept that conclusion. Even in this I have offended Vaishnavas and so should be very careful to state clearly that I respect their devotional sentiment although I quietly and humbly hold to a different conclusion on this particular subject, and humbly request their consideration of my opinion.

Student: Yes.

Vic: Anyway, let me answer your question before class time runs out.

Student: Yea!

Vic: The question is answered from two angles. From one angle the answer pertains to when the influence of bahiranga-maya (the potency facilitating ignorance) ceases to have karmic influence over a spiritualist. From the second angle the answer pertains to how antaranga-maya (the potency facilitating the enlightened state) acts within the material sphere.

Student: I see.

Vic: Lets cover the first angle first.

Student: OK.

Vic: Right from the very beginning of devotional spiritual practices (sadhana-bhakti) the effects of karma begin to dissipate. There are four stages of karma: unmanifest (aprarabdha), inclinations (kutam), actions (bijam) and manifest reactions (prarabdha).

When ones spiritual practices dawn on perfection one attains the level of bhakti-yoga termed bhava-bhakti. At this stage only manifest reactions remain (prarabdha). There is still karma acting even at the stage of Bhava-Bhakti, but it has no significant momentum. It is only the shell of the final reactions of a soul’s karma. Thus the bhakta at this level continues to exist in a body and in the material world – this is the extent of the prarabdha karma.

When pure love of godhead becomes absolutely integrated into the spiritual ego one attains the level of bhakti yoga termed prema-bhakti. At this point the bhakta is physically reborn into the activities of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as they are currently being manifest in one of the material universes. Certain experiences of separation from Krsna during that final transitional birth cause the last whiffs of the final shreds of prarabdha karma to disappear, and at that level one attain a fully transcendental existence, form, residence, etc.

Student: Awh yess, i seee.

Vic: So, to put it plainly, the extent that one is not yet in Krsna-lila – the extent to which one is not actually interacting in tangible reality with Krsna – that is the extent to which karma (and thus astrology) still holds potential sway over the person.

For practical purposes it can be said confidently that one at the level of bhava-bhakti is sufficiently freed of karma, and have no measurable need to care for its effects. Therefore they have no real need to concern themselves with astrology. Stretching it a bit further, we can extend this immunity to karma/astrology even to the spiritual practitioners who are beginning to acquire asakti (devotional addictions) and ruci (devotional enjoyments) as a result of performing their sadhana (practices) on the platform of nishta.

In short the degree to which one has attained realization of krsna-prema is exactly proportionate to the degree to which karma (and therefore astrology) becomes meaningless to one.

Student: I see.

Vic: There is no reason to limit this to Astrology. To the degree that one attains prema, in the equal degree one will have no need for material support in their spiritual efforts, whether from astrology, social institutions, or religious practices of particular varnas (social roles) and ashramas (spiritual roles).

That is the first angle on answering the question. Is that much clear so far?

Student: Yeah. It is so far.

Vic: The second angle on the question is that Krsna appears in this world, ya know? In it. That is why he comes through the agency of Ksirodakshayi Vishnu (the supreme lord of the material universe). And this is why karma of this world moves into a particular astrological alignment to make it possible to manifest krsna-lila (Krsna’s pastimes) here within the material sphere.

Student: Ahhh!

Vic: I mean, isn’t this exactly what Vishnu told Brahma when Brahma went with the demigods and Bhumi (the Earth Goddess) to ask for an incarnation to happen!? Vishnu told Brahma, “OK, I am going to incarnate in the Yadu dynasty. Now, all of you demigods make the preparations and take your places.”

Right?

Student: Mhm.

Vic: The navagraha (Nine Planets) are demigods, you know. They too listened to this order from Vishnu and fulfilled it.

Student: Ahh.

Vic: So the second angle on answering this question is that karma can act under the direction of yogamaya (the potency that facilitates not ignorance but the enlightened state). When Krsna appears in the world, yogamaya takes over the functions of universal karma to make it possible for spiritual reality to manifest within the material sphere.

Not just for Krsna but also for parama-siddhas like Srila Prabhupada, you can say that the karma in his chart is an orchestration of yogamaya to facilitate and manifest the lila (activities) that Krsna wanted and needed Prabhupada to manifest.

Okay?

Student: I’m understanding now.

Vic: Great! That is my job, and my pleasure.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

© 2010 Vic DiCara, All Rights Reserved

Transits, Cycles and Eras of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

In this article I analyze the transits, cycles and eras of the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I previously overviewed his birth chart. The vimshottari dasha cycles and eras referred to herein are calculated with the nakshatra year, which is 359.017 modern days.

Prabhupada was born into the Mars era. This highlights the importance of the houses owned by Mars, in this case the fourth and eleventh. The fourth house is the house of bhakti and self-realization. The eleventh house is the house of social groups. Srila Prabhupada had enormous and enduring social impact by creating a social institution to facilitate the path of self-realization through Krishna Bhakti.

In Prabhupada’s case being that there are four planets in Mars’ trikona (Aries) in the navamsha, I have to note that Prabhupada’s birth in the Mars era highlights the destiny foretold by this configuration: that he would author copious amounts of very serious literature on the deepest aspects of spirituality and religion.

Scottish Church College

Prabhupada received a very good education, attending Scottish Church College in Kolkata where he was a member of both the English Society and the Sanskrit society. His education was good because it occurred entirely within his Rahu era. Notice that Rahu in Prabhupada’s chart is in the house of fundamental knowledge (the second house). Prabhupada’s education gave him the foundation on which he would later build his life’s mission: translating Sanskrit culture and philosophy for the English speaking world.

He was educated by foreigners, the British. Rahu represents foreigners.

Most importantly, note that Prabhupada’s Rahu has a 100% perfect aspect from Jupiter, the planet of wisdom. Therefore during Rahu’s era Prabhupada received a good education which would later allow him to use his second house, Jupiter-guided Rahu to speak spiritual mysteries for global enlightenment.

One sure sign that Prabhupada was educated under Rahu is that in the end he rebelled and refused to accept his diploma! As a devout follower of Gandhi at the time, he protested British control of India by refusing to accept their diploma.

w/ Mother, Father, Wife and Children

Prabhupada’s father wanted him to marry and arranged his wedding to Radharani Datta in 1918, exactly at the beginning of his Jupiter era.

During Jupiter’s era Prabhupada had children (Jupiter is the planet of children). His first child was born in 1921. This was the Saturn cycle of the Jupiter era, while both Saturn and Jupiter were conjoined in ninth house transit over Venus, the owner of the fifth house. Thus, Prabhupada’s first child was born when both the era planet and the cycle planet were activating a fortunate occurrence pertaining to children.

Prabhupada's Guru

It is well known that Saturn/Jupiter combinations pertain strongly to spiritual leadership. Thus, still during Saturn’s cycle of Jupiter’s era (1922), Prabhupada met his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. This happened when Saturn and Jupiter were both in the house of the guru, the ninth house, transiting the lord of the ninth house. Furthermore, they were in the company of Rahu – the planet of significant, radical changes in direction. Finding Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur was undoubtedly a radically important milestone in Prabhupada’s life, radically changing his direction from Gandhi-like social concerns towards pure spirituality.

Prabhupada was born with Jupiter and Ketu exactly conjunct, in the house of occult spiritual perception. During the Keu cycle of Jupiter’s era Srila Prabhupada had the profoundly spiritual experience of visiting the Sri Vrindavana (Krishna’s home) for the very first time. He would later make this his own home.

On November 21, 1932 Prabhupada received formal initiation from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, who modified his birth name (Abhay Charan) to Charanaravinda. This happened when Prabhupada was in the Saturn subcycle of Rahu’s cycle of Jupiter’s era. As I mentioned earlier, it is well known that Jupiter/Saturn combinations are relevant to gurus and spiritual leaders.

On this day Saturn, lord of the Subcycle and of Prabhupada’s first house was conjunct with Prabhupada’s ascendant – signaling very significant changes. The ascendant is the point of birth. An initiation is like a “new birth.” The transit of Saturn over the point of birth depicts this well. Rahu, lord of the cycle, was exactly trine to Prabhupada’s birth Saturn. Thus Prabhupada’s ascendant and his ascendant lord were both in a radical milestone of transformation during a period where the era and cycle planets were very spiritual and guru oriented.

Prabhupada had occasional but very deep, affectionate and confidential association with his guru for the remainder of his Jupiter era, but during the first cycle of his Saturn era, in 1936, his guru departed from the mortal world, just weeks after requesting Prabhupada to explain the message he was teaching to people who speak English. Prabhupada lost his guru when the nodes (Rahu and Ketu) were exactly trine to themselves in his chart, at the same time as Saturn was exactly trine to its own natal position, and Mars was exactly trine to its natal position. Thus all the naturally malefic planets were activated and caused a profoundly painful event.

Saturn is a very strong planet in Prabhupada’s chart. It is the lord of the house of self exalted in the house of career. During Saturn’s era Prabhupada would become known as a competent leader in his own right, no longer one among many followers.

Prabhupada was recognized for his devotional scholarship by the other disciples of his guru when they gave him the title “Bhaktivedanta” in 1939. This was in the Mercury cycle of his Saturn era. Mercury’s condition in Prabhupada’s ninth house is the cause of his approach to religiosity being one of “heartfelt intellectual scholarship” – a close translation of the term “Bhaktivedanta.”

Prabhupada began publishing his own magazine, Back to Godhead, in February of 1944. This was the Mercury subcycle of the Venus cycle of his Saturn era. Mercury of course is verbose and a writer by nature. Mercury combines with Venus in Prabhupada’s house of fortune and religion – making him a religiously creative person (Venus and Mercury combinations inspire artistic expression). In February this creativity was at a zenith point, because the two planets in Prabhupada’s house of creativity (fifth house) were being activated (Mars conjoined natal Mars, and Saturn conjoined the natal Moon). Also, Jupiter, the lord of the house of written communication was exalted at the time and was influencing very important houses for the publication of written & creative works (aspecting the third and eleventh houses).

During the remainder of his Saturn era Prabhupada attempted to start a movement of philosophically informed Krishna devotees, which he called “The League of Devotees.” Prabhupada’s Saturn is exalted in a quadrant house (shasha-yoga) which inspires one to form and lead groups.

In 1950 Prabhupada took up the first stage of renunciation, vanaprastha ashram – a precursor to the complete renunciation of the sanyassa ashram. Thus occurred in the final cycle of his Saturn era, the cycle of Rahu. We describe Prabhupada’s second house Rahu as a factor causing upheaval and dissatisfaction in family life on religious grounds (due to Jupiter’s extreme influence on Rahu). So during Rahu’s cycle of Saturn’s era Prabhupada commenced his renunciation of family life.

In 1953, exactly at the beginning of Mercury’s era, Prabhupada initiated his first disciple, Acarya dasa. Mercury is the exalted lord of the house of guru (ninth house). Thus the first thing Mercury did for Prabhupada was to officially make him a guru. At this time he also opened an actual center for the League of Devotees, in Jhansi.

Prabhupada's Room in Vrindavana

In September of 1956 Prabhupada moved to Sri Vrindavana – seeking to deeply intensify his understanding of and love for Krishna and then make use of nearby metropolitan New Delhi to share his realizations with the world by publishing his English magazine, Back to Godhead. This was exactly at the commencement of the Venus cycle of his Mercury era. A quick look at Prabhupada’s birth chart will remind you that these are the two planets forming extremely potent raja-yogas (power combinations) on the house of religion. During their era they brought Prabhupada to Vrindavana to fill him with the spiritual power that he would later draw from to create a successful worldwide movement of intelligent devotion to Krishna.

On September 17 of 1959 Prabhupada took up the fourth ashram, sanyassa: complete renunciation. It was the Sun’s cycle of Mercury’s era, on a day when Mercury was completely “combust” due to being entirely conjunct the blazing, fiery Sun. The Sun is the inner soul. When the Sun combusts a planet, that planet devotees its energy to the inner soul only, removing its energy from the normal material plane. Prabhupada symbolically devoted himself entirely to the life of his inner soul in the era of Mercury/Sun, when Mercury (lord of his house of religion) was entirely combust by the Sun – thus creating the destiny for the day Prabhupada would formally entirely dedicate himself to spiritual pursuit.

Photo taken after his sanyass initiation.

During his sanyassa initiation he obtained the name Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Sanyassa a type of death, the death of material life. Thus it is fitting that a very successful sanyassi, Prabhupada, accepted this lifestyle when his lord of fortune was swallowed by the lord of the house of death.

Prabhupada lived as a beggar, going from door to door to beg wheat, rice and beans as is customary for sanyassi. But Prabhupada also begged for paper and pens, on which he continuously wrote in English. He turned these writings into his first published book in the autumn of 1960, entitled “Easy Journey to Other Planets.” This was during the Moon cycle of his Mercury era, when Jupiter (lord of his house of writing) was exactly trine to Prahupada’s natal Jupiter.

Under those astrological settings he began an extremely significant literary undertaking: translating and commenting on the most revered of all Krishnaite scripture, the Bhagavata Purana. In two years, by 1962 he published the first section of this scripture in three hardbound volumes and began traveling to distribute them. These were completed in the Rahu cycle of Mercury’s era. Of course Mercury supports literature and written communication by nature. In Prabhupada’s chart, obviously, Mercury supports religious literature and communication because he is the lord of the ninth house exalted in the ninth house. Rahu’s cycle is more important and interesting here, at least to me. Rahu is the planet in Prabhupada’s chart which indicates that he was destined to speak revolutionary words of spiritual guidance that would change the world. It was when Mercury combined with Rahu that Prabhupada produced what could be his most important literary words to that effect.

The Boat Prabhupada Took

On August 13, 1965, Prabhupada set out on a steamship freighter to America. It was the Saturn subcycle of the Jupiter cycle of his Mercury era. The transits were all extremely powerfully aligned on that day.

Mercury (lord of the era) was exactly conjunct the two planets which destined Srila Prabhupada to become great spiritual leader (Jupiter and Ketu), and thus exactly aspects the planet who destines Prabhupada to speak words that will change the world (Rahu). The Moon was also exactly conjoined Rahu on that day.

Jupiter (lord of the cycle) was exactly trine to Prabhupada’s Rahu, and trine to Prabhupada’s Mars, which means that Mars was also trine to Prabhupada’s Rahu. This is what Western astrology identifies as a grand trine alignment. Actually, it is a rarer form of the grand trine, a kite alignment, because of the position of Mercury directly opposite from the apex point (Prabhupada’s Rahu and the transiting Moon). This is an enormous indication that Prabhupada was about to start a huge religious revolution in the world, largely focused on his spoken words (Rahu) and even moreso on the focus of the kite formation: his written words (Mercury).

Even the lord of the subcycle (Saturn) was in an important configuration at the time, being exactly trine to Prabhupada’s natal Saturn.

Prabhupada began having significant health issues a few days into the trip, as the Sun (planet of the heart and of health) transited into his eighth house. He had heart attacks onboard the steamship when the Sun directly transited his conjoined Jupiter and Ketu in that house.

On the day the Sun left his eighth house, Prabhupada’s ship landed at commonwealth pier in Boston.

At 26 2nd Ave

Within a year he managed to set up a storefront to use as a “temple” / “ashram” at 26 Second Avenue in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Many young people were attracted and in July of 1966 Prabhupada founded his International Society for Krishna Consciousness (“ISKCON”). This occurred during the Jupiter cycle of his Mercury period.

In my estimation, ISKCON went through two phases while Prabhupada remained alive on the planet. The first was a very intimate phase. The second was a very huge, opulent, expansive phase. This first phase correlates to the ending portion of Prabhupada’s Mercury era. The second phase correlates to the next era in Prabhupada’s life: Ketu.

Recall that Mercury’s era began with Prabhupada founding the League of Devotees and initiating his first disciple. It ended with him forming ISKCON and beginning to open small, intimate centers of devotion in America. The entire period has a very renunciative feeling to it, and a very “Vrindavana” mood. This renunciation is largely due to Prabhupada’s Mercury owning his sixth house (bringing the challenges and rigors of renunciation). The intimate Vrindavana mood is largely due to his Mercury being with the planet of loving emotions in the house of religion.

Prabhupada’s Ketu period began in December of 1969. Ketu is reclusive and withdrawn. During the Mercury era, Srila Prabhupada was amply available personally to anyone and everyone in his centers. During Ketu’s era Prabhupada became more and more inaccessible, working passionately on his books while his main followers carried on most of the practical business of ISKCON. The first major event to happen in Prabhupada’s Ketu era was the formation of a Governing Body Commission (“GBC”), transferring practical authority from himself to his followers. He continued forming branches and departments within ISKCON to facilitate its expansion and operation without his direct personal involvement.

Leader of a Worldwide Movement

It is the combination of Ketu with Jupiter which destines Prabhupada to become an extremely powerful guru, and that is exactly what happened during Ketu’s era. Prabhupada because the spiritual master of an enormous movement opening over 108 temples and at least a quarter of a million avowed followers.

Frankly, his main activity during his Ketu period occurred in private: sitting alone at his dictaphone writing book after book after book. He apparently was the world famous guru of an international religious corporation, but factually the main focus of his life during Ketu’s era was privately diving deeper and deeper into the hidden spiritual realities of Krishna consciousness, and expressing those things into his dictaphone to be shared with the English speaking world.

Prabhupada gave up his mortal body on November 14, 1977, as the first major event to occur after his Ketu cycle ended and Venus cycle began. Saturn, the lord of the physical body (first house) was on this day exactly conjoined to the cusp of the eighth house. The Moon was in the twelfth house. The Moon represents Sri Krishna. The twelfth house represents the afterlife. Thus the planets declared that Srila Prabhupada left the world on that day to return to Sri Krishna in the spiritual world.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

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