By Pamela McDonough
One of the most amazing aspects of Jyotish is how this ancient system from India can help us identify our karmic patterns in this lifetime. Karma refers to the concept that a person’s actions and intentions have consequences that can contribute to their destiny in current and future existences.
The Sanskrit word Jyotish translates to light (Jyoti) of the gods (Ish as derived from Ishwara). The ancient rishis (sages) of India divined Jyotish to shine light into the dark recesses of our lives. Jyotish gives us tools to navigate the sometimes rocky and unpredictable karmas that we encounter and to help us fully explore our karmic gifts. This allows us to connect deeply with the purpose of our souls and the divine that surrounds us all.
Our karmas are observable through the lens of our Vedic horoscope in a similar way that geologists are able to read the strata (layers) of the earth. Strata allow geologists to interpret the sequence of geologic events that happened long ago and led up to current conditions.
Just as geologists can read the past events of the earth through its strata, our karmic strata are visible in our birth chart (also known as our horoscope).
Our horoscope is a snapshot of our karmic strata ready to be experienced during this lifetime. Each area of our lives can be seen in our horoscope: health, relationships, career, finances, family, creativity, education, friends, spirituality and more.
The wisdom and healing from our Vedic horoscope does not stop here. Once we have identified our karmas, we can then use ancient and time-tested tools, such as yantra and mantra, to help soften and create ease around some of our more challenging karmic experiences. Mantras are chanted during meditation to help protect our minds, and yantras are icons with geometric designs that can be employed in meditation or used in our environment to protect us from negative planetary energies.
Jyotish ultimately provides us with the wisdom and tools to follow the path of our soul’s desire to evolve and perfect itself, lifetime after lifetime.
Pamela McDonough is a Vedic astrologer and artist. Learn more and schedule
a reading with Pamela by visiting yantramandala.com.
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