J ORGE T ORRES
Being born and raised in the western
hemisphere and a practicing Vedic (Indian)
Astrologer has proven to be a challenge as
well as a blessing. A challenge due to the
language and cultural barriers, but a
blessing due to an
unquenchable thirst for
knowledge and a never-
ending quest for truth. It is such
a rewarding process to share a few
personal realizations of philosophical
and practical relevance with respect to
Vedic Astrology for the wellbeing of all the
readers.
According to tradition, Vedic astrology
( Jyotish) is of divine origin and is consid-
ered one of the six accepted “darshans” or
Indian philosophies as well as the eyes of
the Vedas. In that regard, it is just as im-
portant and profound as Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras or the Bhagavad Gita.
Given its importance, it is not surprising
that India has the highest per capita ratio
of practicing astrologers to citizens in the
entire world. Although all the planets
(Grahas) share similar importance in the
bigger scheme of things, it is evident that
Vedic Astrology put extra emphasis in
studying and analyzing the Moon more
than in other astrological systems. Many
calculations regarding the native’s chart
or horoscope, predictive techniques
and planetary combinations have
the Moon as its main character.
Just like many ancient cultures devised, the
Moon plays a key role in peoples lives. Fur-
thermore, it plays the most important role
in dealing with individual karmas.
Understanding the Moon cycles is an
essential element of deciphering the
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The Organization for Professional Astrology
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hidden meanings of the Moon. In India,
the lunar-solar calendar (called Panchanga)
use such cycles to rule every aspect of the
Indian culture, including life as a whole.
With respect to this Lord Krishna says, “I
become the Moon and thereby supply the
(vital) juice of life to all vegetables”
(Bhagavad Gita 15.13). This is an
enigmatic statement that deals directly
with the Moon as the life force that
supports us all. We can further infer that
the life force the Moon provides varies
daily in accordance to its relative position.
From the full Moon creepy tales to the
ocean tidal motion, we know that the
Moon (Chandra in Sanskrit) has so much
influence on our life on Earth, and Krishna
reveals another hidden element by compar-
ing it to a Star or Nakshatra (constella-
tion)... “among the stars I am the Moon.”
(Bhagavad Gita 16.21). This is a surprising
statement given the Moon is a satellite, but
Vedic stories corroborates this by stating
that the Moon, or Chandra, married the 27
Star portions of the heavens. We can see
how ancient mythology aligns with the
cryptic statement made by Krishna. This is
another example of how the mystical moon
has more to it than meets the eye. In plain
language, the Moon is the connector to the
message received from the stars.
Ancient sages or Rishis, considered the
Moon as a gentle planet when waxing (get-
ting full) and not so gentle when waning
(getting empty). Interestingly, the Moon is
actually two planets in one! This is nothing
short of amazing, stressing the duality and
deep meaning of the Moon. Furthermore,
when the Moon’s path intersects the
Earth’s trajectory around Sun, the ancient
THE CAREER ASTROLOGER
SUMMER 2014