What is my purpose? This question arises more than any other in my astrology practice. Even if the current issue involves career or relationship or family problems or money, ultimately it comes down to purpose, to some profound existential confusion about direction in life. Clients feel off-balance, struggling to align their actions with their heart, but with harmony continually eluding them. By heart I mean their authentic self, and that authentic self is precisely what they are struggling to understand and realise. Though many are the healing modalities they may have tried, and many the paths of self-development they may have followed, restlessness remains. That persistent question about life purpose continues to agitate and disturb—in whatever particular life context it happens to manifest. Some clients present with just that hunger itself, no context, just the spiritual dilemma: “who am I?” in its purest form. 

 

Often as a last resort, they come to Vedic Astrology, the wisest decision they could make.  For Vedic Astrology is the ultimate self-development modality. One needs first to understand the self in order to develop it appropriately, and that knowledge is precisely what Vedic Astrology gives. It illuminates the dark, murky, complex, mysterious but beautiful gift which is each human life: the talents and challenges bequeathed to each soul for its journey through time and space and materiality. 

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As the “eye of the Vedas”, Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology) sheds light (jyotir) upon the subtle realms. The energetic core of our being was a lived reality for the rishis of ancient India, who codified their understanding into profound philosophical systems. The unconscious and particularly the Jungian concept of the collective unconscious are analogous concepts familiar to most in the West. But the various traditions of India go far deeper in their precise delineation of the ineffable: Samkaya philosophy, Patanjali’s classical Yoga, and the crown of them all, Vedanta—the “end (in the sense of culmination) of the Vedas”. Through symbolic poetry and philosophical discourse, the Vedas embody the essence of Ultimate Reality, including a systematic ontology and a profound psychology of the mind. Jyotish serves as a bridge that connects this highest knowledge to its application in worldly existence. The Jyotishi (practitioner of Vedic Astrology) clarifies for the client how these subtle energies are manifesting in his life. Each soul is a microcosm mirroring the macrocosm. That correspondence is the logical basis of Jyotish. Seekers embarking on a programme of self-development require first of all an understanding of their essential identity. Without the self-knowledge Vedic Astrology gives, self-development resembles the imprudence of a blind traveller, setting off to cross the ocean on a small boat with no map and no instruments of navigation.

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In all humility, we who practice Jyotish—offering this sacred knowledge to our clients—hold the key to unburden many a suffering soul. Step one is self-awareness, and this is what an initial birth chart reading begins to give. Self awareness develops over time, often through many readings and a deepening of the client-astrologer relationship. Every birth chart is complex, layered and multi-faceted, replete with contradictions and activated differently over time depending upon present circumstances. How could it be otherwise and still serve as an accurate mirror of the complex, layered and multi-faceted nature of every individual? As clients learn the language of Jyotish and begin to understand the power of its symbolism and psychological truth, they can view their life as if from the outside, as if pondering an animated work of art, its chiaroscuro not a blemish producing shame but a blueprint outlining their soul’s potential and ultimate purpose in this life.   

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Sometimes—just sometimes—this stepping outside oneself can trigger an “aha” moment, a sudden insight into the nature of Self and Ultimate Reality, out of which flows the peace and harmony that all self-development endeavours to obtain. The client sees that “his” life is not “his”, because “he” is a shifting form belonging to a complex, multi-dimensional web of karma stretching backwards in time and projected forward into the future. Though rooted in the here and now sensation of this body, the client knows “he” belongs to an infinite and eternal Oneness. He is ultimately Shiva-Shakti or Divine Mother—or however one wants to conceptualise that which defies containment—manifesting right now as this “me”.  

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One concept central to the various schools of Indian philosophy is the distinction between the “Self” (the One eternal reality) and the “self” (the many finite manifestations of that reality). Those finite manifestations (the Many as opposed to the One) are a kind of mirage—real only conjecturally. As Alan Watts once said, “ the prevalent sensation of oneself as a separate ego enclosed in a bag of skin is a hallucination which accords neither with Western science nor with the wisdom traditions of the East.” 

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Even though that realisation of the One Eternal Reality—as Experiential Embodied Truth— is the ultimate life purpose of everyone, most of us are caught up in the mirage. And that is as it should be. Our path through the mirage (worldly existence), circuitous as it may be, provides the essential lessons each soul needs to evolve. As astrologers, we need to work sensitively with our clients, listening deeply to the concerns they present and guiding them compassionately and truthfully on their unique path of self-development. Spiritual evolution is THE purpose of every life on this planet. We each experience our life from a particular vantage point in space, which the birth chart depicts, and follow a unique journey through time, which the dashas (life cycles) delineate. Life after life after life, we confront the trials and challenges, the successes and failures, the joys and sorrows of daily living. Vedic astrology illuminates the patterns, clarifies the trajectory, even as it offers beacons of hope, remedies to heal and fortify, and guidance based upon the wisdom of ancient seers. In short, it empowers the soul with vital tools for self-development.

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Since clients mostly come to us with their problems, our work as Vedic Astrologers resembles that of a counsellor or life coach. But rather than dialoguing with clients only from the vantage point of known circumstances and feelings, we offer a body of knowledge that illuminates a whole new dimension of whatever dilemma, crossroad or problem they’re facing. The planets are likened to deities; they are astral beings, psychological archetypes or configurations of energy on the subtle planes. Their precise placement in the heavens at the moment of birth imprints deeply upon the soul. Unlike many people assume, however, a birth chart is not deterministic. It is a blueprint. It indicates qualities and potentials, which can be developed for better or worse. Karma is another concept so often misunderstood. It refers to action, to cause and effect. The chart reveals the karmic imprint we receive from past lives. But what we do, moment by moment, beginning Day One, creates new karma. With its razor-sharp illumination of karma, Jyotish provides the navigation tools for purposeful self-development, for right action upon the Spiritual Journey that is life. 

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As astrologers, we all have our unique style of practice. But no matter how we work, we need to be mindful of the power of our words. What we say penetrates very deeply into the receptive minds of our clients. Our duty, our challenge, our privilege is precisely this: to speak Truth in a way that empowers our clients to choose wisely, that inspires them with hope, that fortifies them with genuine knowledge, and that honours the divinity of their essential being. As they follow their path of self-development, so do we—as perpetual and humble students of the Divine Wisdom we’ve been blessed to receive. With the light of Jyotish illuminating our path, we can move forward with clarity and confidence, evolving as we are meant to evolve in harmony with Divine Will and according to our Ultimate Purpose. 

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By way of example, I’d like to share the story of a client who came to me many years ago. “Lisa” was a young woman who had been my yoga student for about a year. I knew she had lost her husband shortly before she came to my classes, but I didn’t know the details. When she contacted me for a reading, she explained that she wanted clarity about what happened around her husband’s death and clarity about the next step tor her. Over a number of readings, we discussed her chart, her husband’s chart, the chart of his death and the chart of their marriage. A balanced insightful woman, Lisa had processed much of her grief. With two young children, she knew she needed to move on somehow, but uncertainty tormented her. 

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In our sessions, the details of his death emerged. It happened on a stormy day in mid-March, St. Patrick’s Day and so a public holiday in Ireland. Despite the inclement weather, Lisa’s husband was determined to go out to chop down a tree on their land. She asked him not to go. The forest could be cleared when the weather was better. His mother too pleaded for him to stay in. But he would not listen. He’d had his eyes set on this particular tree for weeks. Today he was off work, geared up to complete the task. He set off with his chain saw and his seven year old son. Shortly afterwards, the child returned home alone and said to Lisa, “Mommy, I think Daddy is dead.” 

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And so he was. With the strong wind, the tree had fallen onto him, killing him instantly. Lisa wanted to know why.  Could it have happened differently? And since it did happen, what should she do now with her life? She was in a foreign country, her husband’s country, where her children were born, where she had been living—with good friends, a job, a husband, and loving grandparents for her children—for twenty years. However, the country of her birth, her blood family, her roots, her own parents—were over 7,000 miles away. 

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Delving deeply into these charts, I could point out features that Lisa found uncannily accurate.  Lisa’s Fourth House Lord was in the Eighth House, with aspects from Mars and Rahu, indicating loss or challenge around home. Her husband had Ketu with Moon in the Sixth House Sagittarius, surrounded by Mars and Saturn in a Papakatari Yoga. Brilliant but disturbed, his mind was easily agitated, leading to wrong judgement. His powerful Mars in Scorpio with Jupiter’s aspect from Pisces gave him fearlessness and and a strong, often stubborn, sense of righteousness. Of course, both Lisa and her husband had many other features in their charts as well. We discussed them all in our sessions—the strengths and weaknesses, the potentials and pitfalls, as well as the complexities of their marriage. Lisa was amazed to see how the charts mirrored so truthfully the character and life path of both herself and her husband. 

 

The death chart was a reverse nodal return for her husband, with Rahu over his Ketu-Moon and Ketu over his Rahu in a tight orb, indicating some kind of major change in life, not death necessarily, but some significant change for sure. And what is more significant than the soul’s departure from the body?  The faster moving planets were the trigger setting this destiny in motion. Mars in the Eighth House of death was directly opposite a Gandanta Moon, not a stable place for the mind. And Mercury, the discerning intellect and lord of his Twelfth House of loss, was debilitated almost to the degree. Was his death fated? Could it have been otherwise? The chart of that day portended danger. If he had heeded the warnings and stayed inside, he probably wouldn’t have died. But his karmically ordained character chose otherwise, and so death was his destiny that day.  

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With tears in her eyes, the understanding that grew from this revelation consoled Lisa. What happened was not a random, senseless accident, but an event with a cosmic corollary. The patterns in the heavens, from the time of both of their births, to their marriage and then his death, reflected so clearly who they were and all that had happened. Despite her sadness, Lisa felt embraced by the cosmos, strangely less alone. She belonged to something larger, an intelligence she could relax into, she could trust. The universe had brought this to her for a reason. And it was not the end of the story either. The universe had something in mind for her next. 

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An aha moment came to Lisa when she learned what her dashas (cycles of life) revealed. Her arrival to this foreign country and subsequent marriage happened at the beginning of her 20-year Venus cycle. Her husband died towards the end of it. At the time of her reading and profound dilemma, she was about to enter her Sun cycle. Sun’s energy coming into prominence meant a time for truly coming into her own, for establishing her place in the world, for deepening into her soul purpose. Sun in her chart is also her Matri Karaka, an indicator of mother and home, of Fourth House issues. A whole new phase of life was about to begin. Her marriage and her life in this foreign country correlated exactly with her Venus cycle, twenty years of passion and relationship, now concluded. 

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Our sessions ended with Lisa focused on the potential of the Sun in her chart, on her dreams, visions, hopes, on the creative possibilities ahead. For the past year, she had contemplated returning to her home country, torn between her powerful desire to return and the sadness of leaving her friends and taking her children away from their paternal grandparents. This dilemma had paralysed her. Our sessions gave her space to explore her feelings, to consider the possible consequences of going or staying. Neither option was without loss. She could see plainly that loss around issues of home belonged to her cosmic destiny. Her challenge was to learn that life lesson and grow from the understanding garnered, from the wisdom of her maturing soul. The turmoil ended when she understood what the Sun cycle meant in her chart. Though sadness belonged both to going or staying, only by going could she find the right conditions for the self-development her Sun cycle promised. Something about home was about to be healed. She felt this in her bones, and the chart clearly concurred. It gave her confidence, clarity and momentum. She would go home, to the land of the Sun, to the tropical Pacific island where she was born. 

 

Lisa corresponded with me a bit afterwards, and I learned that she had indeed landed on her feet. From all practical perspectives, she was flourishing, and her children were happy too, embraced by their maternal grandparents and many cousins. In her career, she was flourishing as well. But most of all she had gained perspective upon the meaning of life and the acceptance of death. The light of Jyotish brought clarity to the darkest chapter of her life. As she anticipated her future, she knew that her direction, the development of her authentic self, would align with her highest destiny, informed as it would be with the self-awareness Jyotish had given her. 

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Dissatisfaction in some form motivates all efforts towards self-development: the sense that something is not right, or something could be improved, or some goal out there could fulfil one’s craving for meaning in life. One has a hopeful vision. One embarks upon a path. But is it the right one? And is it the right time? The answers lay embedded in one’s chart, which is a blue print of the soul’s purpose. The light of Jyotish illuminates the depths of our being. It is the rocket fuel of self-awareness, aligning our efforts with the wisdom of the cosmos and instilling us with the confidence that we’re living the right life. So much dissatisfaction comes from wanting to live someone else's life. Jyotish unlocks the potential of our authentic self, revealing its beauty, its gifts, its challenges, its ultimate meaning and purpose. Isn’t alignment with our authentic self the very essence of self-development? Jyotish gave Lisa—as it can give everyone—a language to articulate every nuance of human experience and answers towards that fundamental question of spirituality—who am I?  Self-development informed with this knowledge becomes spiritual evolution. It is why we are incarnate in the first place. Right understanding leads to right action. And right action becomes the divinely-ordained path culminating in our highest destiny.   ​

Jai Ma!

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