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 Vedic astrology or Jyotish is also known as Hindu astrology because it is a prevalent component in the culture and tradition of India, where a great majority can be considered Hindu.  Historically the word ‘Hindu’ is taken by scholars to be a corruption of the word ‘Indu’, a term used to designate a resident of the highly developed civilization that flourished in North India on the banks of the Indus River as far back as 3000 B.C.  Theses philosophical and religious ideals  represent one of the world’s oldest religious traditions.  This astrological system, also known as Jyotish, has its roots in the ancient philosophy of the Vedas, the four primary pillars or texts of Hindu spirituality.

       Jyotish is a Sanskrit terms meaning “the science of the study of planetary lights and their effect on the human life.”  As such, it has always been concerned with the interplay of energy between the macrocosm and the microcosm - between the universe and the individual. It is a science, which is essence and motive subscribes to the idea of the art of right living or rather discriminative living - that living which is ruled by choice rather than by necessity.

      Jyotish is based upon the sidereal or star-centered zodiac.  From time immemorial Indian astronomers have identified the particular regions of the zodiac by means of fixed constellations, fixed because they do not change position relative to each other except over very long periods of time.  As far back as 2500 years ago this system of measurement matched the cycle of the year as conceived in the Western zodiac by Ptolemy.  However, due to a phenomenon known as “the precession of the equinoxes”, the Western zodiac and Sidereal zodiacs vary considerably.  “Precession of the equinoxes” means that the apparent location of the Sun on the first day of Spring actually changes over long periods of time. Approximately 2500 years ago, the vernal point was close to the first degree of Aries on the first day of spring. Today, it is more than 23 degrees distant from that point.  In other words, Ptolemy’s method of calculation is now almost a full sign off the actual constellation position in the sky.

       Jyotish suggests a metaphor for the human experience.  Few metaphors of the human experience describe past, present and future with such a breadth of vision and variety of method.  All sorts of questions about life, including relationships, money matters, health issues, the attainment of spiritual understanding to name but a few can be addressed through Jyotish in which the known past, unfolding present and the developing future are given greater meaning and perspective.

© 2001 Susan McNaughton.