Just like the Vedas themselves, the principles of Vedic Astrology were received by sages (rishis) or seers during trance-like meditative states. These principles and techniques were passed on from master to disciple in oral tradition before penned down into the classical texts we have today. The Brahmins, the spiritual guides and knowledge keepers of Vedic society, were the stewards of the spiritual and metaphysical subjects -including Jyotish and other Vedic sciences.
Vedic culture was ultimately concerned with the evolution of the soul, and provided numerous tools and texts to help humans towards self-realization and freedom from saṁsāra. Astrology is one of these tools – the earliest use was for timing rituals and intricate sadhanas. Performing these practices in alignment with the cosmic pulse was done to ensure success and maximum effectiveness.
But the concept that time bestows qualities at the initiation of an event can be applied to birth itself. This is jātaka or natal astrology. It is the art of interpreting the cosmic moment that a soul takes birth – our unique timestamp. The Vedic sages understood kāla (time), or the illusion of time to be an individual manifestation of the Supreme—with its three phases: past, present and future. This illusion of time veils us from seeing the true nature of our self: beyond time and space. With our Vedic birth chart, we can understand the patterns of our karmas and how they are likely to manifest through time if we continue living unconsciously.
From the Vedic perspective, we are not born tabula rasa and natal astrology is the art of interpreting our heavenly guide to ourselves and karma.
There is so much more to be said about Vedic Astrology, which is currently going through a huge revival. I (and many other Astrologers, though they don’t always give due credit) have Ernst Wilhelm to thank for piecing together many techniques in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra that were unused before now. All my knowledge of Jaimini Astrology principals is also entirely from Ernst Wilhelm.
A knowledgeable astrologer can gain insight into character, health, capability, temperament, blockages and self-imposed limitations, and potential in all areas of life. Vedic Astrology has planetary time periods, planetary yogas, divisional charts that “zoom in” on different areas of life, nakshatras, and many, many other techniques not found in Western Astrology.
If you are a Western Astrologer interested in learning more about Vedic Astrology, but don’t know where to start, I offer one-on-one tutoring that can be used to get yourself started or ongoing as you need.