On November 20, people all over the world were saddened to hear about the impending loss of an old friend. Someone whom they had gotten to know over the last 25 years was going to be moving to another realm. It garnered much media attention as there were not only emotions, but also millions of […]
Happy Maha Shivaratri!
One night of each year in the Indian calendar is dedicated to worship of Lord Shiva. Shiva has many names: Nataraj, Mahadeva, Mahesh, Rudra, Ugra, Ardra, Maheshwara, Shambho, Shankara, and the list goes on. Each name describes a specific quality of the lord’s multi-faceted being. Shiva is “Mahadeva” – the great lord. On this auspicious […]
Honoring Our Ancestors
There are so many holidays these days that you can find on a calendar or for which you can send someone a greeting card or e-card. There are months or weeks to honor different charities or medical causes or ethnicities. And retailers often capitalize on any holiday to get the consumer to shop. All these […]
The Difference That A Minute Makes
When anyone has an astrology reading, the astrologer asks for the client’s date, place, and time of birth. Everyone has the first two components memorized, but usually not the third. It’s common to hear, “I was born in the morning” or “My mom said I was born at….” Or “It was just after midnight”. Approximations […]
Letting go and letting G(o)od
We really try and control situations in our lives. We want to know what will happen, how, and when. We want every detail so we can plan ahead, so that we can avoid surprises. We want to be the one in charge, not someone who gets surprised. We want it the way we like it, […]
IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES
There is the inexorable dance between free will and fate that plays throughout our lives. This is something that those who are interested in astrology strive to understand and those of us who practice and study astrology endeavor to walk this fine line. Certain things in our lives […]
Ayurveda and Jyotish: An Astrological Approach to Well-being
I previously wrote about how the sister sciences of Ayurveda, Jyotish (Vedic or Eastern Astrology), Yoga, Sanskrit and Vaastu Shastra. Two sciences which are inexorably woven together are Ayurveda and Jyotish. While astrology can take a lifetime to truly master, people inevitably are curious about “what my chart says” and “how my future looks”. The […]
All Things in Moderation
One of the greatest challenges we have as humans is making changes. Even if there are situations in our lives that we are discontent with, it can be safer, more secure to continue repeating patterns of behavior that reinforce the existing situation. Yet, we simultaneously complain about the situation to just about anyone and everyone. […]
Sister Sciences
The word yoga means union. When we typically use the word we mean yoga asanas, or poses. Asana is one of the limbs of Ashtanga (ashta = eight and anga = limbs) Yoga as described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The word sutra means thread, that which ties everything together. We know that everything in the […]
New Regimens for a New Year
Today marks the first day of the Indian new year. Yesterday was the festival of Diwali (dee-vaah-lee) or Deepavali (deep-uh-vaah-lee) – the festival of lights. Deepa means dharma (sacred duty) and avali means a continuous line. Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama back home after a 14 year period of exile. The residents of […]