Invitation to the Stars

I personally suspect, as do many of other Western practitioners who have begun to investigate Indian astrology, that the Vedic system is going to have an enormous impact on the way astrology is practiced in the United States and Europe in the 21st century. As you scan through the following pages you will be entering a new universe filled with unfamiliar terminology and techniques. Please pay close attention to your reaction to this material--is it really unfamiliar? The jyotishis of India would suggest that for some of you--particularly those who have had a consuming interest in astrology since childhood--this may not actually be your first encounter with this system. From a Hindu point of view, some of you may actually have practiced Vedic astrology before, and need simply to remember. I realize that I'm treading on shaky ground here, inviting you to open your mind to concepts that may rattle the core of your beliefs. But yoga--the mystical science of India's tantric tradition--is not about belief. It is about experiencing the results of a system oneself. Vedic astrology is a spiritual science developed by yogis. These were mystics who saw the soul as an eternal sojourner in the cycles of destiny--and beyond. They bequeathed their knowledge to humanity in an effort to help the rest of us also find our way.