Question about Astrology Predictions and Dashas

Question: Is there a 3-month period before the start of dasa/subdasa which can be considered as starting or ending of the respective dasa..something called “Kari ” period where the influences would have already started.

 

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I am of two minds on this. One mind says that the world is analog, not digital. Things blur into each other, they don’t snap suddenly. Day becomes night after blurring through sunset and twilight. So one dasha becomes the next after blurring through a transition. Thus some influence of the upcoming dasha blur into the final portion of the current one, and some influence of the current dasha bleeds into the initial portion of the next.

By my other opinion on this is that much of what we think we observe as the “sandhi” or “kari” or “transitional period” between dashas may actually be the result of inaccurate calculation of the dashas.

I personally found that I was seeing tons of this blurry sandhi effect when I first began reading horoscopes. Later on I decided that the correct year length for calculating dasha terms was not the solar year (364.24 days) but was instead the stellar year “nakshatra year” (359.017 days). Suddenly about 80% of this blurry “transitional” effect suddenly disappeared and things looked much more crisp and well aligned to their expected dates.

Thirdly, I think we expect too much from astrology these days. We have digital watches and GPS and we schedule our days down to the minutes. It is a very unnatural way of life propped up by the huge agitation of rajo-guna created by post-industrial culture. This is a small blink in human history. In the vast majority of human history, we don’t live this way. We are less exact with timing. If something happens relatively close to the pinpoint-software date it is supposed to happen, that is more than good enough for me, and I think it should be for people who want to experience life like human beings, not computers with atomic clocks. =)

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

 

Meditation on Rahu

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The following is what the grandfather of Vedic Astrology, Sage Parashara, reccomends we meditate on in order to attain “graha-shanti” – a peace with Rahu. It is from the ancient Rig Veda, 4.31.1

कया नश्चित्र आ भुवदूती सदावृधः सखा ।

कया शचिष्ठया वृता ॥

 

kayā naścitra ā bhuvadūtī sadāvṛdhaḥ sakhā |

kayā śaciṣṭhayā vṛtā ||

 

kayā – how; naścitra – the wondrously multifaceted; ā – from; bhuvadūtī – messenger of the heavens; sadāvṛdhaḥ – always prosperous; sakhā – friend; kayā – how; śaciṣṭhayā – firmly standing; vṛtā – chosen.

 

How will the wondrously multifaceted messenger of the heavens, our ever-prosperous friend, come to us? What firm decision should be chosen?

 

There are several key images in this prayer to focus on. First I would call your attention to śaciṣṭhayā – firmness. Rahu causes chaos and upheaval that prevents us from standing firm, even, strong and balanced. So this prayer calls to Rahu to abate the chaos and imbalance so that we can stand firm and steady, solid.

 

What is the point of standing firm? It is to make us better able to connect with sadāvṛdhaḥ sakhā – our ever-increasing friend. Rahu will make us unsteady until we realize the purpose of steadiness is to attain the ultimate goal. As long as we fix on lower goals, Rahu will disturb and uproot and imbalance us. The ultimate goal is to reconnect to our eternally prosperous relationship with our dearmost Friend – the Divine.

 

Rahu is the messenger of this Friends, he is illustrated as naścitra – wonderously multifaceted. Meditate on Rahu as the one with no firm shape or form, constantly changing appearance, color, shape, etc. Constantly displaying amazing new facets of his being.

 

This wonderful Rahu is bhuvadūtī the messenger of the heavens, the messenger of the sky. This means you need to listen carefully to Rahu. The imbalances and chaos caused by Rahu are the language with which he initially speaks to you, conveying knowledge of what, where and how you must evolve and grow so that you can come closer to your eternal Friend.

 

Thank you,

Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

A Few Thoughts on Adolf Hitler’s Horoscope

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Question: What made hitler so charismatic, influntial, and rise and fall so dramatically.

Hitler: 4/20/1889 18:30 in Branauan Inn, Austria

Sidereal, whole sign – his chart has Saturn in the 10th house in the lunar mansion of Aslesha (the mansion of hypnotism and charisma). Saturn in the 10th house gives a lot of power over society. Hitlers Saturn has 177% normal strength (according to a calculation of strengths called “shad-bala”) and is the planet giving and receiving the most aspects in his chart. Mars also perfectly aspects / powerfully influences the 10th house Saturn – causing his influence over society to be martial / military.

Venus in his chart has 189% normal strength, but is in Aries, at the SAME Degree as Mars, and retrograde. Therefore it grants so much charisma (also, Venus rules his 8th house – charisma) but no sense of valuing peace, love and cooperation. It is a highly martialized Venus.

Hilter has Ketu and Rahu (south and north nodes) EXACTLY on the navamsha (the important 9th division chart) ascendant. Nodes in close connection with the ascendant amplify fame, Saturn in his 10th is giving them something amplify. It is Ketu conjoining the Nav. Ascendant, and Ketu gives and takes away very very suddenly.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Freewill vs. Habits

Habit vs Freewill

nānyaḿ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraḿ

yadā draṣṭānupaśyati

guṇebhyaś ca paraḿ vetti

mad-bhāvaḿ so ‘dhigacchati

Gita 14.19

The performer of actions is none other than the three modes of nature.

See this through the eyes of those who can see,

And come to understand something above and beyond these three modes:

My spiritual nature… and you can attain it!

 

These words from Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad Gita could not possibly be more pertinent to an astrologer like me. After all I deal with the subject of fate vs. freewill on a constant basis.

 

Say you slap someone in the face – let’s use that as a simple example of free choice. What happens next? Next you must suffer the consequences! The consequences are the fate which arises from your free choice. This is a simplified analogy to illustrate what karma really is. It is the marriage of freewill and fate. Fate exists because of freewill.

 

I cannot control my fate, but I can control how I choose to react to it. My choices in the past created my present fate; and so too will my choices in the present determine my future.  Thus, “I am the architect of my own destiny.”

 

But do I really have full control over how I react?

 

The answer is no. But I could get full control if I work towards it. That is what this verse is talking about.

 

The fourteenth chapter of Gita explains that we are habituated to react to circumstances in various predictable ways. There are three forces of habituation acting on us:

• Tamas habituates us to ignore our choices and run away from issues and circumstances seeking refuge in fantasy, intoxication, and forgetfulness.
• Rajas habituates us to be greedy in how we react to our circumstances, always trying to profit more, enjoy more, and amass more.
• Sattva habituates us to be thoughtful and careful about how we choose to react to circumstances in our lives. Thus it leads us to acquire knowledge and generates long term happiness.

Kṛṣṇa says here in this verse, nānyaḿ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraḿ – The entity making choices (“kartāraḿ”) is nothing besides these three habits, these three modes of material nature. Our habits make all our decisions for us.

 

But we have reincarnated as human beings – which is relatively rare opportunity to change this! We have a chance to understand that we can exist in a similar way that God exists (“mad- bhāvaḿ”): completely situated in pure freewill without any imposition. The purpose of being born as a human being is to use our freewill and stop reacting to circumstances out of instinct and habit, like animals do.

 

How?

 

First we must “know the enemy.” First we must be able to spot a habit when we see it, and differentiate a habitual response from an act of freewill. This means we must have clear knowledge of what the three habituating forces are – tamas, rajas, and sattva – and be able to spot them when we see them. Thus Kṛṣṇa says,

“See the habituating modes!” (yadā draṣṭa)

I don’t see them! How can I see them?

“Through the eyes of those who can see.” (anupaśyati)

 

If you look up at a cloud and see a clown face, you can say to me, “Hey wow! See that clown face cloud?”

I’ll say, “No, where?”

You’ll point and say, “There, see. Those are the eyes, there’s the puff hair…”

Then I’ll see it, “oh yeah! That’s cool!”

 

That’s what anupashyati means – seeing through the eyes of those who see. So we must learn about the habituating modes by hearing about them from people who understand and can see them in action. Kṛṣṇa is one such person, and we try to see through his eyes by exerting an effort  to understand what he teaches in Bhagavad Gita.

 

What exactly do we see when we see the eyes of those who see?

 

We see that the modes are not everything! There is freewill beyond the habituations enforced by material energy.  Thus Kṛṣṇa says, “guṇebhyaś ca paraḿ vetti” – Seeing through the eyes of those who know, you will come to know the three habituating modes (gunebhyah) and something beyond them, too (ca param).

 

What is beyond the programming and habitualizations of the material world?

“mad-bhāvaḿ” – Kṛṣṇa’s own existence!

Is that not beyond us? Is free will only for God?

No! “’sah adhigacchati” – you can also attain this perfectly free level of existence!

 

Knowing that freewill exists and is within our reach is half the battle of attaining it. Being able to spot our conditionings is the third quarter of the battle. Being able to desist from the force of habit once we spot it is the final part of the victory.

 - Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com