Jyotish is the Science of Light, the systems of light that come from the Vedic tradition. Jyotish is also referred to as the Eye of the Veda. Here in the west, we refer to Jyotish as Vedic Astrology or Sidereal Astrology. Jyotish is a science, one that guides us to understand our own journey in life and the interconnectedness of our place in the world. Jyotish is an intuitive science, a spiritual science one in which I have learned to look for the refelction, the reflection of ourselves in relation to the celestial realm. As Anand Ji has shared, “we study the whole, it becomes a supreme vehicle to float on this river of samsara.”

I have sat with the questions, How do I begin to share the power of Jyotish? and How do I put this incredible body of wisdom and knowledge into words?  What has been revealed to me, is to share parts of the application I submitted to apply to access this profound wisdom as well as three videos that captured my awe in real time during a chart reading and after. If you are interested, read and watch below.

Otherwise, I will share this quote with you here in an attempt to use words to convey the power, the beauty, the wisdom, the knowledge, the knowing, the awe that is revealed, shown through Jyotish.

“One of the greatest struggles of human beings is that they do not feel understood, it all seems a mystery. When you can see on an objective level what happens, you can step back and develop a sense of detachment from yourself. When you see yourself through the planetary influences, within the context of Jyotish, you can have a much more detached view, you can step back from yourself. You can see also the greater interconnectedness of life. You begin to realize the great continuity of life, you begin to realize that how you act, how your actions determine, how are you choosing rather than playing a victim and using that rage to create your own destruction. When you destroy somebody else, when you create somebody else’s destruction, ultimately you are creating your own.”                -Anand Mehrotra

Excerpts from my application, written in November 2020:

I am waking up to a deeper knowledge that is within me, I am gaining more and more access to this inner knowledge, this inner knowing through the teachings and technology I have received through Anand Ji and Sattva. I know I am more than this body. I know I am you and you are me. I know we come from the same and are different expressions of that wholeness. I know that I am here now, for a specific reason, to fulfill a role, to carry out my script in this play of life.

At a Sattva Summit session in 2018, I was invited to talk about my spiritual practice.  At that time, I had no words to share. I compared myself to what others were saying, unsure about the words spiritual and practice. I thought being spiritual was going to church…Now, I know that the cosmic universe is expressing herself through me. I am stillness, I am creation; I am both simultaneously. I am an expression of the Divine herself. I am one with you, with the blade of grass, with the cow that gazes at me with blue eyes, with the wind as she dances in the leaves.  I can recall vividly the moment when I realized I am the sun herself, I laughed and laughed and laughed with pure delight.

I type this after practicing the Chakra Sadhana Series.  I have completed a week with each chakra and now the Vishuddha Chakra has held me for some time, I remain here with this practice, which is not surprising to me as I have always been pulled towards words and expression. When I met Tara through the Dasha Mahavidyas and learned about the Vishuddha Chakra in my 200 hour training, “things” began to come together, to align, to connect.

I find myself on my mediation cushion.  I arrive there when I am called and I show up, rather than feeling it is something I have to do, something I need to do, something I should do.  I am being gentle with myself, holding myself in grace, love and acceptance. I am able to access a deep stillness, I am able to “drop in,” which I am comforted by since my practice has been solid and constant.  I know the technology, I know it works, I know it is here for me when I am ready.  I have also found a beautiful connection with mantra and my japa practice. As I practice, I notice my voice shifting. I am also aware of the mantras as they arise for me throughout the day and speak to me in moments. I am deeply aware of the presence, the vibration that arises. I turn to mantra to raise my vibration, the vibration in my environment and I receive much more than that.

My spiritual practice is me. I am BE-ing in all that I do, all whom I interact with, in all ways that I carry myself.  My spiritual practice is placing my knees on my altar carpet to kneel in front of my altar, it is sitting on my mediation cushion, it is singing to my food with prana mudra, it is teaching my 4 and 7 year old nieces mantras, the ritual of puja and kriyas, it is taking a deep breath when I want to control, it is closing my eyes knowing I am one with everything, every being, every moment that surrounds me.

The moment I saw this offering, I said out loud, Yes, yes, yes! I knew.  It was as if all of the events from the previous weeks and experiences in life aligned and placed this invitation in my inbox. As my practice expands and my knowledge with yoga deepens, I know that there is more. More to me, more to this gift of life. For as long as I can recall, I have been in a place of wanting to know more. It is a yearning. This idea of life and death, I remember when it came to me, in a book. I learned about living through a book. I asked, “why?” I learned about living through learning about death. That experience when I was ten continues to evolve as I gain new experiences… I had an experience with death on my mat at the Summit in 2018 that lead me to a different view on life since then. A deeper knowing about life, about service, about being, arose within me.  Knowing that there is a deeper meaning, deeper purpose than what I have been exposed to, what has surrounded me. I arrived at a place where I am curious, curious to discover more. Most recently I have sought to discover why I am here, now, in this body, carrying the work done in other bodies here now. There is a knowing here. While it is known and I trust it, it is not clear. Threads of justice, moral rights, children, being seen, heard, validated, to lead, to guide are woven in the tapestry of my soul.  I have had pieces arrive to me, pieces of knowing more about the lives of I have lived in other bodies and I feel called to learn more about the lives of the other embodiments and incarnations, as I know they will guide interactions in this body, here and now.

I am not fully able to put this into words, as I type I realize I have not actually spoken these words to anyone or outside of my mind.  There is something about the paths that I, the Self, have taken in other bodies that are coming through, revealing themselves to me here, now. And it is happening for a reason. Why? Because it is time, because it is what I am meant to do…my path has led me here. It is the unity piece that I am yearning for.  Unity meaning, coming together, this knowledge, these visions, these knowings, coming together to guide my way on. And it is happening, none of this is to say it is not happening, it is, I know this. I have come to a place where I am trusting and accepting (more often than previously, my conditioned ways still arise). It is not like I need to arrive somewhere, that I will be magically “fixed” or that I will know everything.  I feel, I know that Jyotish is a tool, the science, the technology will provide me more insight, more knowing, more connection, more unity.

I know very little about Jyotish. I know it is the Science of Light. I know I am light. I know I allowed my light to become dim through conditioning and false ways. I use the technology gifted to me to heal, to bring and align me to my truth. I know that we all have our own journey, our own path. Anand Ji guided me towards a clearer picture of this understanding and I know that I am here to guide, to lead, to show that there is a different way. I feel called to learn more, and being exposed to and embodying the teachings will continue to bring me to unity, to be united in my work, my purpose, my path. I honor my path, I am listening in, I am remaining innocent, I am allowing things to come to me and I am taking the steps.

Everything feels aligned for me and the timing of this course. The start date is marks three years since I became divorced. The date I read the email was 11.7.2020 which to me has become a meaningful date as it is the date I secured a domain name theauspiciousoctopus, which came to me “out of the blue.” The number 7 is powerful for me, being born at 7:49 and I have a strong connection with the Big Dipper, which I learned this December while in India is called Saptarishi- meaning the seven great sages. When I went to Vashista’s cave I was overcome with power and I had to walk to the river to ground.  I learned Vashista is one of the seven great Rishis. Once here in the US, in April, Vashista arrived to me again and I inquired to Sattva teachers about the number 7…

Please speak to, write, share the significance of the numeral 7 in regards to Breath of Light, I asked. Continuing,

I have been led to Rig Veda book 7. (yes, there is a huge theme, thread of 7 surrounding me now).  What recommendations do you have to delve deeper in to book 7 of the Rig Veda?

This was the response:

7 is a celestial number, chakras, planets, days of the week, etc.  Anandji has advised you to meditate and allow the Divine to speak to you, not to think too much and you will receive from the Divine Mother and celestial beings!

In the simplest words, it feels right. Divine Time. Beyond all of the details that I attempt to explain, the connections I attempt to make. Maybe it is before all of the words that I use to describe, or the story that I am telling.  It can be both, beyond and before… and I know. I know it is time.

Maybe you have been drawn here because you have a heard a similar calling, because something has sparked an interest within and you are curious and intrigued. Maybe you are ready to open to up to receive more of the gifts of who you are.  Maybe you are planting a seed. Wherever you are, know rather TRUST you are exactly where you are meant to be! 

**I was accepted and completed the Jyotish Training from February 22, 2021 through April 6, 2021.  As a Jyotishi, we use Lahiri Ayanamsa and the Vimshottari Dasha System. The teachings were received through the Brihat Parashara Hora, attributed to the sage Parahshara, who is associated with Vashista. I welcome you to reach out and connect with me if you would like to talk more.