Jyotish. Andrew Mason

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СКАЧАТЬ heartened that his words matched my experience: ‘They are useless and baseless’ (no offence to readers who use Solar Returns, I am aware of how many astrologers swear by them).

      Nevertheless, in spite of my disagreements with many scriptural teachings and respected authorities, and in spite of basing my practice entirely on techniques that work for me, I remain open to different views. Indeed, throughout a lifetime of professional practice, I have gone back every so many years to re-visit the techniques mentioned above (and others) that I determined decades ago do not work. I do this because it is always possible that, with added experience and wisdom, my views could change. I also do it because I consider mental flexibility, open-mindedness and passionate curiosity the most important qualities any astrologer can have.

      During my first five or ten years in astrology, what fascinated me most was how a group of symbols on a page could so reveal a person’s life. The more time passed, however, the more my fascination changed to the question of why certain very seemingly clear astrological conditions in some horoscopes do not produce the effects they should.

      Albert Einstein proclaimed that the reason he could produce mathematical, scientific results that eluded others was that he was comfortable wading in confusion until clarity might, hopefully, arise. To my mind, those who run from confusion, especially in our case from the all-important Ayanāmśa conundrum, get what they deserve – superficial experience, superficial results.

      Had anyone told me that in 2017 I would be reviewing the Revatipakṣa Ayanāmśa to see if it worked because a strong historical and technical case had been made for it, I would have assumed they were crazy. I concluded decades ago, based on horoscope research, that this calculation was all but absurd. All these years later, I still find it produces significantly inaccurate results. But, I can say for sure that after reading this book what I have learned about historical ‘astronomical observations’ and its comparisons to Lahiri’s and Krishnamurthi’s will keep me pondering the issue for years to come. For that, I say bravo to Andrew Mason. And bravo for the care, dedication and seriousness he has put into this book!

      James Braha

      Vedic Astrologer and author of Ancient Hindu Astrology

      for the Modern Western Astrologer and The Art

      and Practice of Ancient Hindu Astrology

INTRODUCTION

I.1 ANCIENT TECHNOLOGIES

The gods of the Sun1 and Moon2 are often portrayed in attendance to The Medicine Buddha.3 Worship within the temple of the Medicine Buddha is said to be good for study of medicine and health. Shingon Mikkyō considers the Medicine Buddha to be secretive and hidden (mystical). He illuminates (like the Sun and Moon) only those that are worthy – yet his hand is outstretched showing he grants boons. Atharva Veda describes the removal of sickness via the use of this deity’s mantra and a certain black wood.

      The Gods of Shingon Mikkyō by Sato Tamotsu

      Although a number of ‘occult’ sciences remain intact into the 21st century, many have been lost or driven into semi-obscurity. Much of what is today called pseudo-science or ancient superstition had in the past important practical application. These ancient technologies were often melting pots of observable phenomena and ritual that when combined could be used to coerce Providence or the Fates to manifest a favourable outcome.

      In the past there were quite literally necromancers, rain-makers, oracles, magicians and geomancers. Those skilled in these arts were consulted in all manner of undertakings, such as healthcare, childbirth, attainment of wealth, victory in war, love and longevity; and – most importantly – foreknowledge of events. In a world of uncertainty, the honouring and propitiation of nature and its emissaries (such as planets) were believed to answer the querent – if one was skilled enough to interpret their answers.

To the western mindset a term such as ‘ancient technology’ appears a little paradoxical, as it is mostly assumed that the ancients lived in a kind of ignorant bliss, only improving their situation with the advent of modern industrialised society. This myth is quickly dispelled by spending an afternoon roaming the galleries of any major museum and studying its exhibits. Closer analysis of cultural antiquity quickly reveals how little daily existence has really changed. Technologies employed in former eras were (in some ways) just as ingenious as those of our current time. Although deprived of iPhones, combustion engines and atom bombs,4 the ancients were able to combine surprising levels of sophistication, functionality and exquisite artistry5 – all of this from the most basic and most abundant of materials.

Knowledge is quite literally power, so technologies were at times held in check through the initiation6 process – knowledge transferable only through the master/disciple relationship. Such practices often included detailed instruction in the art of astronomy, martial arts, medicine, surgery, metallurgy, chemistry, geomancy and more. Astrology was one such important technology, eventually fused with alchemy, herbalism and geomancy – its remit touching every part of human existence.

I.2 ASTR-OLOGY

Some of mankind’s earliest religious works pay tribute to the stars, the Sun and the Moon. Astr-ology7 (in one form or another) is to be found in all ancient cultures. From occident8 to orient, the worship of planetary gods often presided over a nation’s prosperity and fertility.

Today many of the world’s ‘developed’ countries rest in a state of indifference toward astrology and, just to add complexity to an already elusive subject, the east–west interpretations of this subject diverged some 1500 years ago,9 having gone their separate ways over the course of time.

Though essentially rooted in the same star-pool, alternative astrological schools (such as Greek, Roman, Persian and later Arabic10) imprinted their own interpretations upon the constellations and planets, eventually culminating in what today could be called Western Astrology. This specialisation of astrology was largely precipitated by different cultural beliefs – however, dislocation of the western zodiac was caused by a phenomenon known as precession, a technical term used to describe the Sun’s apparent backward movement through the signs of the zodiac. Observable only over long periods, precession was perhaps understood by Indian astronomers (by inference) but is more broadly accepted as an earlier Greek discovery.11

Meticulous cataloguing of the Sun’s position along the ecliptic revealed it to be in a state of slow precession, shifting its stellar background at a rate of approximately 50 arc seconds yearly. Over a period of some 2160 years12 this creeping motion traverses a full zodiacal sign (30°). Over the course of 25,920 years the Sun completes an entire lap of the zodiac. Any use of compensatory calculations allowing for this solar motion is said to favour a sidereal zodiac, that is to say, it is based upon the fixity of stars, preserving a secure reference point from which to commence the zodiac. Conversely, calculation based on the Sun’s current position (at the spring equinox), marking the zodiac’s starting point, is said to favour a tropical zodiac, or – to put it another way – an astrology that is eternally tied to Earthly seasons.СКАЧАТЬ