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Uncovering the mysteries of the Zodiac! The existence of cultural differences are
implicit in the presentation of Vedic astrology in the Western world. The ancient
Vedic writers did not treat Vedic astrology in an experimental, challenging
way, nor is the Western mindset inclined to passively accept.
This book review has appeared in the magazine Modern Astrology, published in Bangalore, India. The magazine is edited by none other than Gayatri Devi Vasudev, India's leading lady-astrologer. Her father was India's most notable astrologer of the 20th Century, Dr. B.V. Raman. His magazine was vaulted to national attention in India when, at the height of Hitler's success, B. V. Raman predicated his downfall, and when. Raman was also the first to spread Vedic astrology across the seas in the form of his many books in English, and his grandfather had been the first in India to write on Vedic astrology in English (during the 1800s). From the January, 2011 edition of Modern Astrology: "The mere fact that the title first appeared in Portuguese and then appeared in two quick editions in English should speak for the attention it has attracted to a readership totally alien to the subject. Presenting the science of Jyotish in a different perspective is no easy task but the author succeeds in doing it in a disarmingly simple manner. In the process, he produces an easy to assimilate text that is a mix of the technical as well as esoteric aspects of Indian astrology. Drawing from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas, the author whose focus is primarily on the non-Indian reader introduces determinism and how to deal with it. For a readership that believes in individual effort as omnipotent, the philosophy of astrology may seem unacceptable but only till the author comes up with convincing ways to handle determinism and destiny through esoteric methods. After a brief dive into what qualities make for an astrologer, it is a gallop through the basics to the more advanced technicalities of Jyotish in a manner that is both terse and lucid. There is also an attempt to show how to cast the horoscope. There are extensive quotes from Dr. B. V. Raman, apart from a few other Indian astrological savants, that enrich the volume. The author draws heavily from classical works like Horasara, Bhrihat Jataka, Saravali, Bhrihat Samhita and other texts throughout to explain different topics. As an introductory text to the study of predictive astrology, the volume is indeed commendable and strikes the right note with non-Indian readers who may otherwise not be able to comprehend some of the concepts of astrology that are so alien to their own cultures. In this respect, the author scores well." |
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