Yoga means Yukta, or that which is Integrative, United and Connected
Integrative Vedic Astrology Counseling (IVAC), Level 1
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Excerpt from my book, “Before Your Future”:
A contemporary guide to self-knowledge and personal transformation through the ancient art and science of Vedic Astrology.
Approaching the horoscope for counseling and mentorship rather than prediction has deep roots in the Vedic tradition. In the Bhagavad Gita, for example, Lord Krishna does not prophesy the specific outcomes of the great war, even though as a divine being he has access to Arjuna's past, present, and future. Neither does he take away Arjuna’s responsibility to make his own choices. Rather, he focuses on counsel that alerts Arjuna to his warrior samskara, as well as the resulting karma of the great battle with his stepbrothers.
Furthermore, Lord Krishna does not give formulas, remedies, or commands to Arjuna to help him solve his karmic predicament—nor does he rebuke or reprimand him. Instead, he teaches Arjuna about sanatana dharma (natural laws), human psychology and behavior, and the process of attaining freedom from suffering. He provides Arjuna with a discourse on the best practices in all areas of life: the art of war and peace, success and failure, friendship and enmity, faith and self-effort, human and divine laws, happiness and sorrow, health and sacrifice, and—finally—living and dying, with emphasis on moksha, or liberation. This makes the Bhagavad Gita a truly profound and timeless spiritual discourse, easily assimilated into all cultures and traditions.
Throughout the Bhagavad Gita sermon, Krishna stands firmly by Arjuna even when he loses his faith in himself and his mentor. Completely forgetting that Krishna, his companion in the chariot, is a divine being, Arjuna throws his weapons to the ground, gives up, and walks away saying, “My limbs grow weak, my mouth is dry, my body shakes, and my hair is standing on end. My skin burns and I am unable to stand.” Like Arjuna, most of us have at one point or another walked out on our goals or teachers, thinking to ourselves, “This is too hard. I can’t do it.” Krishna exemplifies the art of being a true mentor and guide by letting Arjuna have his breakdown and work through his confusion without judgment. Then, once again, he lifts him up with new knowledge, patience, and love.
At the end of his discourse, Krishna says to Arjuna, “Thus I have imparted to you wisdom that is more secret than all that is secret. Reflecting over the whole teaching, do as you think fit.” Armed with the knowledge of his karma, as well as the eternal and indispensable truths about life, his mentor and guide gives Arjuna free will to choose the course of his life.
Like Arjuna, we all need Lord Krishna by our side to guide and steer our karma. Vedic astrology in the hands of a skilled and compassionate astrologer with counseling skills can serve as Krishna, a guide and mentor who helps us navigate the confusion and mayhem of life’s battlefield.
The study of Jyotish is endless and precise astrological prediction requires a much deeper study than presented in this book. As the companion to my online Integrative Vedic Astrology Counseling, Level 1 training course, Before Your Future focuses on how to use Jyotish as a counseling methodology rather than predictive techniques. Together they provide the complete framework for you to assimilate Vedic Astrology counseling into all types of healing work without having to spend decades learning to become a professional Vedic Astrologer.
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