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A Message from Incoming
CVA President Dennis Flaherty

The new CVA board took office at the CVA board meeting this past March of 2010. I want to welcome the new CVA board in joining me in celebrating over 15 years of service to the Vedic astrological community. I especially want to thank our outgoing CVA President, Gary Gomes, for holding the CVA together during a very difficult time in the economy and with very little resources at his disposal. It is admirable that he was able to produce three CVA journals under such spartan financial circumstances. Thank you, Gary, for your service to the CVA.

Online CVA Journal

Due to the rising costs of print, production and mailings, the forthcoming CVA journal will be an online journal, following in the footsteps of many other membership organizations. We hope to have the new online CVA journal launched by September of 2010. You will need to renew your CVA membership for 2010, if it has lapsed, if you wish to receive the new online journal.

CVA Membership

CVA membership has been revised to two categories. General CVA membership is $65 annually and will include exclusive access to the CVA online journal with several articles and features, as well as other discounts for CVA approved conferences and services. This membership is more for the novice or hobbyist, rather than the aspiring or practicing Vedic astrologer. Professional CVA membership is $95 annually and will include many more benefits, such as a listing of your name, and contact information that will be advertised on the CVA website in the category of Professional Vedic Astrologers in your area.

Astrologer Certification

I am pleased to inform all of you that the CVA has unanimously decided to resume the certification of Vedic astrologers that we started in 1993 under the direction of Dr. David Frawley, who was then President of the council. David directed and developed the first certification exams that were implemented by the council in that year, long before the founding of the ACVA college.

There has been much confusion regarding certification of Vedic astrologers, since Dennis Harness resigned as the President of the ACVA in June of 2009. Under ACVA’s new President, Bill Levacy, the ACVA has moved exclusively to an online educational certification program, in the process discontinuing the original CVA inspired tutor-led certification model. Please visit the ACVA website for their new policies and qualifications.

The change in ACVA policy has left many former ACVA approved teachers and their students feeling confused on what teachers and what hours are now credited toward ACVA certification now that the ACVA online model is the only way to acquire hours toward ACVA certification.

As the tutor-led model was the first certification model offered by the Council in 1993, the CVA board has unanimously agreed to resume the tutor-led certification model once again. And once again David Frawley has graciously agreed again to chair the new CVA certification.

The CVA will be offering two levels of certification and examination in resuming its tutor-led model:

1. CVA Jyotish Visharada
2. CVA Jyotish Kovid

The CVA will offer a grandfathering process to all current CVA Professional member who are listed as teachers and teacher/tutors on the CVA website, and who are holders of ACVA Level I and Level II certifications, and wish to apply for the CVA equivilent certifications. Those CVA members, and those who want to join the CVA and apply for the equivalent CVA titles, will have their teachings and educational models recognized for hourly credit toward CVA certification. The CVA will also offer certifications examination and will honor the past hours of CVA grandfathered teachers for those who sit for CVA exams. Please visit the CVA certification page on our CVA website for more details on this evolving process. Remember, you must be a current CVA Professional member to apply for the CVA grandfathering process so please talk to our CVA membership chair, Sherry Valentine to make sure your dues are current.

Northwest Vedic Sciences Conference

Jyotish Brihaspati Award

Lastly, I just finished sponsoring the first Vedic Sciences Conference in the greater Seattle, Washington area in the month of June that featured Gayatri Devi Vasudev and Dr. Suhas Kshirsager as the conference keynote speakers. The CVA recognized both of them by honoring them with the CVA Jyotish Brihaspati Award for their service to our astrological community.

Silent Auction

The first Northwest Vedic Sciences Conference also sponsored a silent auction for the CVA. CVA’s Board members, Paddi Moore and Susie Patterson co-chaired the CVA Fundraising Committee and raised over $3500 for the Council with the help of many generous members of CVA’s extended family and community. Please visit the CVA silent auction and fundraising on the CVA website to see the outpouring from community and the names of those who gave in these difficult times.

We will have more silent auction items available on the website in the months to come, so please visit it to bid on the various packages and items and to make your donation.

United Astrology Conference 2012

CVA is partnering with ACVA, AFAN, NCGR and ISAR for the UAC, the United Astrology Conference, that will be held at the Marriot in New Orleans in May of 2012. Stay tuned to the CVA website for more details of CVA’s involvement.

UAC will feature over a 100 astrological speakers from all of the world, a truly stellar event. In the coming months the CVA will come to the selection of new Vedic speakers from our community for UAC and we want your input. You will need to be a current CVA member to tell us who you want, so please check your dues and make sure they are current. Stay tuned.

In Conclusion

Our new CVA board looks forward to leading CVA into a brighter future of education and certification of Vedic astrologers the world over. Ours is a rich community of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, and it is the intent of the CVA board to honor the diversity of our Vedic astrological community in resuming and evolving the first standards in our western community of Vedic astrologers that we set almost two decades ago.

Sincerely,

Dennis Flaherty
President CVA