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When we began to take a serious interest in Vedic astrology, my husband Nicholas got in touch with Bhava in England and sooner than you could imagine, a friendship developed between Komilla Sutton and him. At one of the first conferences we attended in London, we already met Prof. Sekhar. At that time he gave a lecture on the karmic factors of the Vedic horoscope and I will never forget his opening words. “You are all honest and serious persons,” he said, “to you I can give this divine knowledge without accumulating bad karma for myself.” And he looked for a few moments into the faces of those present with the loving and at the same time penetrating gaze that many of you have experienced yourself over the years. That was the beginning of a long and deep friendship between a man from another culture who could have been my father. By the way, he was actually born in the same year as my long deceased father.

Back in the fall of 2001, we met him in Bangalore at a hotel where I was getting my first Vedic astrological reading. This was, I felt deeply, not just a consultation or a conversation, this was a ritual. It was in that hotel that we laid the foundation for a collaboration that would last more than 2 decades. And again, my husband was the link.

Now, more than 20 years later, I can look back on countless hours together in Germany, India and England. We have worked together. Prof. Sekhar’s responsibility was teaching, he appointed me “his voice” and Nick observed everything very closely, caught translation insecurities and, above all, in his polite English way, always made sure that Prof. Sekhar received an English-language newspaper every day and lacked nothing.

Beside the many common impressive instructive hours in the respective seminar room, in which Prof. Sekhar taught not only astrology, but also palmistry and Vastu, we all enjoyed also the many long evenings, in which we sat together in small round and stuck to Prof. Sekhar’s lips. On these occasions he sometimes told the most beautiful stories, which conjured a breath of India into our European summer evenings. He once told us that there is a saying in India that a person with Kala Sarpa Yoga in his horoscope took away the freedom of a bird in his last life and locked it in a cage. An allegory that says more to me than many clever explanations.

And just recently, at one of our last meetings, Prof. Sekhar told me that his father was a direct astrologer of the then Raja in this South Indian royalty. He said that the father wore jewelry worthy of a raja and that in the summer the whole family, with subordinates and the entire household, moved to the mountains to enjoy the cooler climate. That already his own son, Jaya, whom he was the only one to introduce to astrology, would live in a completely different social context, this gentleman certainly could not imagine at that time. With the end of the English occupation, the venerable astrologer, so highly esteemed by the Raja, was to lose much property and prestige. Nevertheless, his son Jaya, despite his academic education, managed to feed all his offspring with the income from astrological work.

This story sounds a bit like something out of the Arabian Nights. And surely the South Indian father could not have imagined that his son would one day spend his summers in Europe for many years and become an internationally recognized author of numerous books. We have been fortunate to know this son Jaya personally and to be able to learn from him, and I cannot really estimate how many of our students he has helped over the years to better understand the cosmic laws and to clear up a few misunderstandings.

I, for one, am very grateful for the contact with this special person who will visit us once again in Germany and who is willing to generously share his knowledge and wisdom with us. And that he meets with our students people who sincerely and seriously seek the truth and do not bring him bad karma, he no longer doubts.

The month of October is very interesting from an astrological point of view, which mostly means in plain language: challenging. In relative temporal proximity to the expected eclipses, several other astrological phenomena known to be noticeable and effective take place:

• Saturn becomes direct again on October 23. While this is often an overall loosening of entrenched processes and issues, those with planets in 23 – 24 degrees Capricorn or Cancer will be able to clearly perceive Saturn’s inhibiting and oppressive qualities
• on 25 October there is a solar eclipse involving Venus, which classically tends to weaken politics and diplomacy.
• Venus is very close to the Sun during this phase, combusting and not visible for about 2 months in total. It becomes the evening star again from now on.
• on 30 October Mars becomes retrograde, which is the case every 2 years and is usually noticeable because it has then reached the point of greatest proximity to the Earth. If this happens in close temporal connection with Erclipses, the energies add up, so to speak, and the turbulence becomes more noticeable.
• Then, on 8 November, a lunar eclipse takes place. In both eclipses, the conjunction between rebellious Rahu and reform-seeking Uranus is still in effect. They also add up to

So much for the most concise astrological factors for this autumn. On 1 November, I would like to offer a lecture on these constellations, but it will focus mainly on the Mars cycle. Every 2 years Mars stays in a sign for about 6 months. This autumn/winter he will be mainly in Taurus. How exactly such a Mars cycle takes place, what is activated and when, is what I would like to shed light on this evening. In doing so, I will take less account of world events than of the activations to be expected in the personal horoscope. I will briefly discuss the localisations of the eclipses and their general effects, but the focus of our interest will be the personal charts with general explanations of how Mars makes itself felt in transit for 6 months in which house and what it means when it touches personal planets in the process (directly or in aspect).

This lecture is suitable for all interested people with some previous knowledge. It is in German, but if there are enough people who want me to offer an English version. please get in touch.

The cost is 10 Euros for our active students and 18 Euros for all others. I ask, if possible, for payment via PayPal to glewis@astrovedic.de or for bank transfer to the known account. After receipt of payment, the download link will be sent automatically.

The fees for this lecture will go to the association “Tröstende Pfoten e.V.”, which provides love and comfort to dying children and adults in hospice work.

In my last post I talked about the conjunction of Uranus/Mars/Rahu on the mundane level: I described it as explosive and explosive and related this statement to world events. Then I received an email from a long-standing client asking what was going on in 18 degrees Taurus or where it was located in her horoscope. This email made me realise that despite my advice at the beginning of the initial consultation, clients are obviously not necessarily aware that the sidereal zodiac, on the basis of which the Vedic horoscope is calculated, is about 24 degrees behind the tropical planetary positions. Clients are generally interested in the statements and not in how they come about. Even though we astrologers often mention “your Sun in Leo”, clients sometimes refer to themselves as “a Virgo”.

The vortex that is made around 18 degrees Taurus in western astrological portals, therefore, refers to the Uranus/Mars/Moon Node (Rahu) conjunction at the end of July/beginning of August 2022, which takes place in 18 Taurus in the tropical zodiac and in 24 Aries in the sidereal zodiac, i.e. 24 degrees apart. This corresponds quite exactly to the current difference between the two zodiacs. And the Western collegues then went on to emphasise that Uranus is retrograde and will then have its effect between 14 and 18 Taurus. Translated to our sidereal zodiac, this means that all people with planets or the Ascendant between 20 and 24 Aries or Libra (secondarily also after 2o to 24 Cancer and Capricorn) will especially feel these stirring energies of Uranus in the next months. These people, I would also interpret this, will experience instability and upheavals. Sudden events can either open up interesting new perspectives for them or catapult them out of their comfort zone. This can happen in different areas of life, depending on which house Aries is in. In the 7th house it can concern the partnership, in the 5th the children and in the 10th house the profession or the public position.

So far, so good. If I were to relate the trans-saturnians such as Uranus, Pluto and Neptune to personal horoscopes, then that would be my interpretation. But I always stay on the mundane or collective level with these trans-saturnians, because I am convinced that the 7 grahas (planets) and 2 chayagrahas (the two lunar nodes) wonderfully depict the personal challenges and growth tasks of an individual and, what’s more, the karmic dimension is always involved. And all people who have the Moon, Lagna or other planets in Aries are experiencing the Rahu transition via these planets or the Lagna from this spring until the end of 2023. This is always a turbulent phase, as Rahu’s energy is also very sudden, and unpredictable and aims to send people into new experiences. So that growth can take place. So that our own karmic issues can come into play and we can prove ourselves accordingly. So that we can show how much we have grown in the last 18.5 years.

In addition, as I explained to my client, for western colleagues the so-called transits, i.e. the current transitions of the planets over their own planets in the birth chart, are the most important or sometimes even the only forecasting instrument. They are therefore naturally given a great deal of weight and importance.

In Indian astrology, on the other hand, we have a prognostic instrument that dominates the transits, which can be classified as about twice as important. These are the so-called Dashas, the planetary cycles, which are our most important indicators of the quality of the respective period of life. They prepare the ground on which the transits can then act as triggers.

These dasha cycles were the main reason for me to turn to Vedic astrology more than 20 years ago. For it was only through this forecasting tool that I saw myself in a position to formulate reliable predictions. On the basis of the transits alone, many things were too vague for me.

No wonder, then, that sometimes the topics currently under discussion are of a different nature.

For the end of July/beginning of August many astrologers have pointed with excitement to the Mars-Rahu-Uranus conjunction in Aries. In order to clarify the significance of this constellation, I would first like to briefly describe the individual factors:

Mars is the heated planet, representing energy, courage and purposefulness, but also frustration, anger and aggression. Mars moves once through the entire zodiac, from Aries to Pisces, within two years. Therefore, he will spend a few weeks in Aries every two years. We then speak of him being in his own sign and being particularly strong. For all strenuous activities that require a lot of courage, strength and fighting spirit, this is a good energy. For all peaceful issues and especially for interpersonal interaction it is a great challenge. Often enough the “fuse is short” and arguments, verbal or otherwise, quickly ensue. Mars, by the way, will leave the sidereal sign of Aries on August 11 and then stay in the sign of Taurus until mid-March. In between there will be a short interruption of about 4 weeks when he will stay in the sign of Gemini. This is due to the fact that he will go retrograde in the next few months, more precisely on October 31 in 1 degree Gemini. The result then is that all people will have Mars as a guest in the house of their chart where the sign of Taurus is located. And guests, we have probably all learned, should be welcomed and treated and entertained well. What this can mean in detail and how to make friends with Mars will then be the subject of another article.

The unpredictable Rahu, whose task it is to initiate the necessary development processes through turmoil, is considered the co-ruler of Aquarius in Vedic astrology and thus symbolizes the departure into the new, the cutting off of the old braids, but also restlessness, volatility and provocation. Even though for many a departure into something new is tempting, it inevitably goes hand in hand with giving up old security, which many of us first experience as unsettling or even threatening. Rahu has been in the sign of Aries since mid-March 2022 and will remain there until the fall of 2023. He needs about 18.5 years for a tour through the zodiac and meets Mars about every 16 to 18 months. Since he is currently in Mars-ruled Aries, his energy is also considered to be particularly hot and fiery. If Mars and Rahu meet now, we can expect a high degree of unpredictable, fiery energy. This can show itself, for example, in riots, strikes or blockades, as long as we place it on the political level. Acts of war can also be fueled. But fires, earthquakes and even volcanic eruptions also have a greater destructive effect than at other times.

Uranus, one of the Transsaturnian planets, add a whole lot of fuel to that. Although in vedic Astroloy the three transsaturnian planets Uranus, Neptun and Pluto are traditionally not included, it makes a lot sense to do so on the mundane level. Whenever we look at the bigger picture, the collective level or global issues. Through their slow journey through the zodiac (Uranus needs 84 years) they indicate the issues of whole generations rather than of individuals. And my comparative observations over the past nearly 30 years have shown that the “major” world events are much clearer through the inclusion of the outer planets, as they are also fondly called. The mere conjunction of Mars and Rahu would have less long-term significance without the involvement of Uranus. By the way, its astrological symbolism is very similar to that of Rahu, so that one can also speak of a double rebellion against the existing when Rahu and Uranus meet. Considering that Rahu and Uranus are already in the fiery, impulse-giving sign of Aries since the middle of March, it should hardly be surprising that just worldwide many leading personalities are deposed or give up themselves. In Italy and Great Britain changes of power are in the offing, the French president is sitting on a rather shaky chair and so on. The British royal family, probably the most important monarchy in Europe, has also been weakened by recent scandals. This is certainly one level of how the confluence of the two astrological factors seeking change and development shows up. By the way, I don’t like to speak of Rahu as a planet because it is, after all, an astronomically determined intersection, which in Western astrology is called the North Node of the Moon. It has no mass and is invisible and in India it is gladly called “Chayagraha”, i.e. shadow planet.

We astrologers know that all astronomical phenomena, which we interpret astrologically, want to be understood against the respective background of the current events. So here we are in the summer of 2022, a summer that we had hoped would take us back to pre-Covid reality. Instead, we are confronted with warlike actions that are more widespread and closer than we have experienced before. Europe is beset by heat (Aries, Fire) and drought on an unprecedented scale. A volcano has erupted again in Iceland and there have been more than 1000 earth tremors in a week (according to radio news). Price increases that none of us would have thought possible are forcing us to rethink, catapulting us out of our comfort zone. After all, many of us have already left the “comfort zone” in 2020. The dwindling trust in governments and the increasing division of societies have already had an impact since then.

Against this background it becomes clear that the Mars-Rahu-Uranus conjunction will be a kind of catalyst for further upheavals. Even if major dramatic individual events have so far failed to materialize, this conjunction will have sown its seeds and we should be more concerned with the positive nurturing of the new seed rather than withdrawing into ourselves or becoming defensive. And we should pay special attention to events that happen in synchronicity with the particular quality of time: the fact that Nancy Pelosi, an important American politician, is traveling to Taiwan at this time of all times is very exciting. Here the effects of the two rebellious Grahas Rahu and Uranus are clearly noticeable and will accordingly occupy us for a long time.

With so many signs pointing to renewal, we should ask ourselves what needs change and renewal in our personal lives. Where have we settled too comfortably in structures, of which we know basically that they do not correspond to our today’s values any more and in which we nevertheless persist for reasons of the habit and comfort? What does our personal departure look like? And what can and may we (finally) free ourselves from in the course of this, become freer?

If we keep in mind that Uranus will turn retrograde at the end of August and the distance between Rahu and Uranus will only slowly increase, we can assume that this energy will remain effective until autumn. This gives us plenty of opportunity to face the fears, some of which are emerging, that will come to light with these many changes. The only thing that helps is to stay in the here-and-now, that is, in this moment. For those who are in the past will suffer illusions or pain, and those who go into the future will probably be haunted by even more fears. Being fully here and reminding ourselves that crises can help us become more aware of the meaning of our earthly existence would be a very positive use of these challenging energies. Thus, the revolutionary energies can serve as true catalysts in those who are ready to evolve out of the dark structures of Kali Yuga. True freedom no one has to give us and no one can take away from us.

April22 – Grafik Monthly overview

In January I made the following notes on the month of April and in this article I would like to try to relate the events that have occurred in the meantime to the planetary factors.

“The month of April is astrologically certainly the most unsettled and changeable month of the year. It begins with Mars very close to Saturn, a clash of forces that was also present at the beginning of April 2020 and certainly helped determine the escalation of the pandemic and related measures at that time.

A few days later Mars will be in exact square with the Moon’s Nodal axis, again a huge area of tension. Basically, the 4 most difficult offenders are in contact with each other. Then, with several sign changes and an eclipse coming up in the next few weeks, we have to expect a really turbulent April.

At the beginning of the month we also have the Ju/Ne conjunction, which can actually be seen as a very benevolent spiritual encounter. Will it still have such a positive effect in all the turbulent other energies? We should practice meditation and contemplation and use it for ourselves. Collectively, it could also create new confusion.”

To this remarks I would like to add that the Mars-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn has a very special signature. Saturn, the stubborn planet focused on permanence and control, fights back against the fiery, all-propelling Mars. This results in an enormous clash of energy, which not infrequently expresses itself in the form of accidents in individual horoscopes. In this particular spring, when a war is shaking Europe, one could conclude that the dimension of violence and suffering that the people in Ukraine have to go through is not likely to calm down, but even increase. This is supported by the fact that the Moon of Ukraine (24.8.1991) is at the end of the sign of Capricorn, i.e. where the Mars-Saturn conjunction will manifest in the first week of April. If one were to interpret the horoscope of an individual, one would speak of the Saade Sati, a phase in a person’s life in which responsibility for one’s own actions is demanded. A phase that is never easy, but which in retrospect will prove to be one of the most important turning points in life. As Ukraine has a very strong horoscope and also a high demand for power (Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Sun in Leo in Magha-Nakshatra) this nation will certainly not give up and in my opinion has a very good chance of maintaining its own sovereignty. However, this then also means that the warlike conflict may drag on for quite a while.

After the month of April, the rest of the year will clearly be less spectacular from an astrological point of view, which unfortunately does not automatically mean that peace and quiet will quickly return. On the contrary: many of us will certainly feel that many adjustments will be necessary after the turbulence of the last few years (more precisely since the eclipse of December 2019). I don’t want to speak of a turn of the times at this point, because in my perception everything is always in flux. But on the other hand, it is also all too human to take certain comforts for granted very quickly and to forget that precisely on this level of existence nothing lasts and that all well-being on our continent unfortunately all too often results in suffering on other parts of the world. So we would be better advised to live in a consciousness that reminds us again and again that the zeitgeist, the quality of time, never stays on one frequency for long.

Let us return to the astrological factors: The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction on 9 April and the sign change of Jupiter into its own sign Pisces allow for much hope. Spiritually oriented people should especially use the next few days to connect with higher planes and overall we can expect Jupiter to activate more dharmic energy on a mundane and personal level and thus more righteousness to come through.

It remains to be mentioned that today, 1 April, is the spiritual new moon and that in Hindu astrology, new annual horoscopes are drawn up for the different countries worldwide on this day. For this, one takes the respective capital city and looks at which Ascendant results for it at the exact time of the New Moon in Pisces. On this level, the horoscope for Ukraine looks much better than that of last year and it can be assumed that righteousness and justice will prevail. As a feature of this I can mention here that Ukraine has a strong 9th ruler in the 9th house with Taurus Ascendant and the Ascendant ruler in the good 10th house in acceptable strength. In the Russian annual horoscope, there is a Gemini Ascendant with a weak Mercury in the fall in the 10th house and the Mars-Saturn conjunction falls in the difficult 8th house, which however indicates a lot of destructive energy, anger and destruction. Nevertheless, I dare to be optimistic on the basis of this horoscope.

In my February article I pointed out the tensions and the lack of diplomatic energy in the sky and still had the hope that the conflict would not lead to warlike actions on the scale currently being observed. I wrote in February that the “background music” based on the slow planets would rather not indicate this. I still stand behind this statement today, 1 March, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already reached day 6. In other words, I hope that the conflict does not spread any further, although of course I do not want to play down the dramatic conditions that have already been reached. But making these statements is really very difficult on the basis of astrology, especially when the horoscope of the central people and countries are not available.

I will now first quote again my statements of January from the annual forecast:

“The communicative and diplomatic problems, blockages and obstacles already mentioned (in Feburary) will still be felt in March, especially in the first half, as Venus and Mars will still be at war. Approaching issues with consideration and goodwill, relaxed and open, will be very difficult. Hardened fronts may harden all the more. Saturn still has almost everyone “in its grip” until mid-March. From 27 Feb until around 3 March, all Grahas except Ra/Ke are in Capricorn and Aquarius. (Also activation of the May 22 eclipse point!).

Until 14 March this situation will remain. Only then will the Sun go into sidereal Pisces and allow more Jupiter energy to flow to our planet Earth. Although we have all been waiting for Jupiter to leave the sign of its fall and bring more foresight, optimism and tolerance back into our lives, we must acknowledge that Saturn still has the upper hand.

However, the forces are turning more and more from the conservative, controlling to the new and more rebellious behaviour. It is hard to believe that people will move towards each other in these days and weeks. Attention, much manipulative and destructive energy present!”

At these words I had the calendar in front of me where I had marked that Mercury, the planet of communication would conjunct Saturn on March 2 and then Mars would conjunct Pluto on the new moon day at the beginning of Capricorn on March 2-3. This Mars-Pluto conjunction seems to be one of the most problematic constellations of the year and it holds a lot of explosive energy. This energy is further triggered by the fact that transit Ketu is already moving over the ecliptic point in May. All this together makes a scenario seem possible, as it is happening right now in Eastern Europe,

Unfortunately, as far as I know, astrology cannot really make more accurate mundane forecasts because, among other things, it is difficult for us to determine where certain energies are unfolding and manifesting. Since we have now reached the zenith of the problematic constellations, we can only hope that there will soon be a limitation and no further escalation. Perhaps a final word: Saturn, the planet that rules the two signs Capricorn and Aquarius and thus has a lot to say at the end of February and beginning of March, is also a signifier for consequences and also for a kind of justice. This means that he would not arbitrarily release any energy, but that one can assume that the present situation is the consequence of many failures of the past and is created by them. As more and more planetary factors move out of Capricorn into rebellious, renewing Aquarius in the coming weeks, this situation should also offer the chance to finally live more equality in the world. Standing together, seeing ourselves as one humanity, as brothers and sisters regardless of nationality, would be a wonderful vision to be born out of this crisis in the long run.

Until then, our hearts are entirely with the Ukrainian people, whose bravery will surely go down in history. May all the good forces of the universe help to end unnecessary bloodshed and bring about reconciliation.

I

Mercury is still retrograde until 4 February, which could lead to misunderstandings, ambiguities and “loops or curves” in contractual agreements and should be taken into account.

Otherwise Mars and Venus play the main role in February. For about 1 month (11 Feb to 12 March) you remain at war (Yuddha) with each other, beginning in 18 Sagittarius and ending in 11 Capricorn. In both signs Mars is clearly the strongest and puts pressure on all Venusian qualities. We can only hope that the resulting passion is expressed in a level-headed way and does not contribute to intensifying the smouldering power conflicts. I can’t help thinking at this point about the smouldering conflict between Russia and the Nato states. In view of the fact that there is no dramatic ” planetary background music” in the form of violent, rare constellations, this conflict can perhaps be compared to the passionate quarrel of a married couple that flares up again and again and can then be pacified again. The three Saturn-Uranus squares of the last year alone and the renewed rapprochement of the two towards the end of the year could indicate that some kind of re-ordering or re-agreement has to be made, as conditions have changed in recent years.

Then in mid-February the eclipse point on the 3 Taurus/Scorpio axis is also activated by the transiting Moon nodes, which tends to suggest the repeated flaring up of Scorpio issues. We should all practice what Scorpio is least capable of: Letting go. And then we should all be mindful and observe the effects and especially observe the transformational processes that take place within ourselves. They can be incredibly liberating and redeeming!

At the end of February comes the crowning finale: Mars enters Capricorn and meets Pluto there and thus all planets except the lunar nodes are then immediately under Saturn’s rule. We could experience this as a restrictive phase – all the more important to know that the night appears darkest just before dawn!

So it’s going to be an exciting February and on a personal level it would be very helpful to keep confronting our own inner struggles. Only if we manage to face “warlike” attacks without projection and with love and goodwill, can something change on the outside.

People who have the Ascendant, Moon or basically more than one planet in Capricorn will be particularly affected by the February constellations. They should be prepared for many “triggers” and always consciously go to their own centre.

On 21 January at 18:00 hrs there will be the annual preview of the new year. This year, as always, has very special astrological constellations that activate certain sections of the zodiac more than others. Who will experience special challenges or opportunities in the coming year is what I will present and explain in my lecture on 14 January.

The lecture will be understandable for astrological laymen as well as provide accurate information for professionals.

All students known to us can simply use the familiar login. All others please contact me shortly.

As a small fee I will charge 15,- € for all participants. This can be sent via PayPal to glewis@astrovedic.de or transferred to my bank account. I will gladly inform new participants about the details.

The login will be the usual Zoom login you all know. New participants will receive this login link by email immediately after payment has been received.

Saturday, the 17th of Oct, 14.30 h – 16 h and 16.30 h to 18 h

The cycles of the planets as they move from their retrograde to direct stations are amazing forecasters of events on a natal and mundane level. In this workshop we will look at the retrograde cycles of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and show how they affect you and the world around you. We will show what these planets do when they contact a planet or point in your chart, and emphasize the importance of their natal and transiting house positions. We will also look at the havoc they often create in the world using as a perfect example the current Mars retrograde cycle from September 9-November 14.

Lecturer: Ronnie Gale Dreyer, English with German translation

Ronnie Gale Dreyer is an internationally-known consultant, lecturer, and teacher based in New York City. She has lectured throughout the world, conducts ongoing classes/webinars, and wrote numerous books including Venus, Healing Signs, and Vedic Astrology. Ronnie co-authored, with Nick Campion, a chapter on Indian Astrology in Religious Transformation in Modern Asia. She has been guest lecturer in Indian Cosmology for the M.A. Distance Learning Program in Cultural Astronomy at University of Wales. Ronnie received her M.A. in South Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University and wrote her thesis on women’s astrology in India. She can be reached at Ronniegaledreyer@gmail.com, ronniedreyer.com.