The Byrds sang, “To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn …There is a season Turn, Turn, Turn…And a time to every purpose, under Heaven…A time to plant, a time to reap…”
We have all experienced various phases in our life from childhood to education to illness…relationships…career ups and downs, family situations, etc.
We plant seeds for future happiness and prosperity and expect a certain type of outcome which doesn’t always show up as we’d anticipated. Some things come easily and fall into place with little difficulty. There are other situations that we struggle with for months or even years. We start something thinking it will be a no-brainer and despite our best efforts and good intentions, it does not go anywhere close to the way we had envisioned it. But others who follow the same steps seem to succeed at it. And we are left wondering what the key to success is.
In Vedic astrology or Jyotish, we believe that the beginning of an event helps set the tone for its outcome. Individuals, couples and businesses place great emphasis on finding the best time for a journey, buying a new home, moving, marriage, starting a new venture, etc so that it achieves the desired outcome.
Just how is this determined? The process of picking an auspicious date for an undertaking is known in Vedic astrology is known as muhurta (phonetically moo-hoor-tuh). An astrologer examines the individual’s birth chart and sees where the planets are situated natally, and also takes into consideration where the planets are currently placed by transit in the heavens. Another factor considered is what planetary cycle a person is experiencing and what that activates in an individual’s natal chart. The proposed event or undertaking is also reviewed in conjunction with the person’s chart and transits.
Astrologers look at the phase of the Moon when selecting an auspicious time, or muhurta (known as electional astrology in Western astrology). A waxing (or bright) Moon is always preferred to a waning (or dark) Moon and a full Moon is considered to be extremely auspicious. The constellation, or nakshatra (phonetically nuk-shut-ra) that the Moon is in is also a primary consideration. Each of the 27 nakshatras has certain characteristics associated with it and each is favorable for particular types of events.
If a new business is to be started, then the proper phase of the Moon, the nakshatra, the type of business and the owner(s) chart(s) are all factored in to arrive at the most suitable date to incorporate. Once the business begins, once again, muhurta is employed before signing contracts, moving offices, acquiring another business or expanding the existing one. This is to help ensure that the business prospers and does not face any major obstacles in its progress. Once a business is incorporated at a certain date and time, then that business has its own “birth time” and an astrologer can analyzed the indications for the future of the business in the same way that a human’s birth chart is read.
Undoubtedly, picking the date and time for an undertaking has its constraints and limitations. It’s often the case that there’s a set period of time in which an event needs to occur and the ideal time for this undertaking falls outside of that constraint. For example, someone may need to move in the month of September but the best time for that individual to move may not be until the month of October. So, the astrologer does his or her best and finds the most suitable date in September. They may suggest a date in October when the individual starts sleeping in their new home as way to augment the less-than-perfect date of the move.
In Vedic astrology, birth charts can also be analyzed to determine when a relationship is likely to occur, when a relationship may face difficulties, when a new job offer may happen, when health issues may present themselves, when there will be periods of financial gains or losses, and multiple other matters of concern to most individuals.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “This time, like all times, is a good time, if we but know what to do with it.”