This lesson is about developing predictive ability as an astrologer. If we are "normal" people, not possessing the kind of natural ability Mr. Karve has, then we have to learn from books, studying charts, hearing from more advanced practitioners, and thus gradually build up our memories and awareness of the effects of planets in their various positions.

Astrology is based on reading the effects of the planets, other sensitive points such as the ascendent, midheaven, the Moon's nodes, and invisible planets such as Mandi and Gulik, all against the backdrop of the signs of the zodiac, the fixed stars of the zodiac, and the inter-relationships of all of these.

First one must learn about all of these items as individual entities. For example, one must learn about the ascendent angle- what it stands for, what it governs, why it is important. Of course each planet is a study unto itself. One learns the things a planet governs in the chart and one learns the places in the zodiac where each planet likes to be, or performs best, and then one learns where the planet hates to be, or performs worst, and so on. In this way each individual component of the astrological science is studied by the student one by one and gradually he or she becomes familiar with all of these entities.

Here is a list of the basic individual components that are very important to Vedic astrology:

1. The 2 luminaries, or the Sun and Moon
2. The 5 planets, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn
3. The 2 nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu
4. The Ascendent, or the exact point in space that was rising at birth
5. The 12 Signs of the Zodiac
6. The 12 Houses of a chart
7. The 27 Nakshatras or fixed stars and constellations of the Zodiac

1. Effects from the houses on the various planets and points
2. Effects from the signs on the various planets and points
3. Effects from the nakshatras on the various planets and points
4. Effects of combinations and aspects of the planets on each other
5. Effects of the dashas which are based on the star the Moon falls under
6. Effects of placement of the planets in divisional (Varga) charts

Often you will find that people are only mildly satisfied with predictions received from even very famous astrologers. This is so simply because the ability to actually and accurately predict the future is extremely difficult and therefore very rare. As I said in lesson 13, Mr. Karve told Prime Minister Nehru, the first prime minister installed at the time of independence from the United Kingdom, that his daughter (the then very young Indira Gandhi), would become Prime Minister eventually, as also would her son and her son's wife. The part about the son's wife has yet to be seen, but the daughter and son have both already served in this job.

To see so accurately and so confidently is indeed very rare, even for those who are expert in the science of astrology and at analyzing charts. What happens most often is that the astrology says something like "you may get married at such and such time", and then in actuality the person has a relationship but perhaps it doesn't become a marriage. In other words, the state of affairs is most often that the astrologer comes very close to predicting the future, but is not able to confidently and accurately know the actual events.

But, simply by learning standard Vedic astrology, one can predict the general flow of life- of this there is no doubt. Many of us regularly give people predictions which more or less come true- we are almost always able to pinpoint the AREA OF LIFE that is going to be effected and THE DIRECTION of the effect- such as whether it will be a comfortable effect, or an uncomfortable effect.

For example, a lady I know has Saturn and Ketu in the 7th house. The 7th house rules amongst other things one's marital relationship. Her husband has Venus, the lord of the 7th house in his first house and Venus is also dispositor (the lord of the sign where a planet sits) of the lord of the 6th. The lord of the 6th is opposed in general to the longevity of one's marriage, because it is the 12th house (loss) from the 7th (marriage). So, in the mans chart Venus has alot to do with bringing about a break in this man's marriage. Similarly, in her chart, Ketu, which often brings separations and losses, is in her seventh with Saturn, a difficulty causing planet.

The dasha system of assigning specifically dated control periods to the planets (an important Vedic technique covered somewhat in earlier lessons) is always constructed for Vedic charts, and is the primary tool used by astrologers for giving dated predictions.

So, in her life at one point she entered Saturn-Ketu period, and he entered Saturn-Venus. The result was their marriage was interrupted by a separation- and any Vedic astrologer worth his salt could have seen this coming. I did not outline above all the things one can read from these two people charts based on these few planets, but I can say that if one did not have the dasha system to tell them when these planets would take effect, they would not have been able to predict these events. The transits and progressions as used in Western astrology alone would not have allowed such a prediction.

So, Vedic astrologers who have studied seriously for a number of years all the Vedic techniques by using books and learning from successful practicing Vedic astrologers from either the West or India can learn to predict with what I would call "general accuracy". To get to a respectable point of development of this ability through this study process usually takes about 5 years of very regular and strong devotion to the subject. During this period, one should be careful when venturing predictions as you can really harm a person's path by telling them things about their life which they chose to fear. Be very careful. People have no defense against the words of an astrologer regarding the future. They can't say "I know that won't happen". Therefore, whatever you say will eat away at their consciousness until the specified predictive time period has fully passed. In other words, you can really mess up one's consciousness for a long time with bad astrology, so don't do that, ever.

Here's a typical Vedic predictive technique to consider: Examine some one's chart, see where the malefic planets Mars, Saturn and the nodes aspect, then see where the "temporary malefics" aspect or stay. (Temp. malefics are planets which acquire specific destructive duties due to lording the 2nd, 6th, 8th and 12th houses for example- there are other rules, but this is one rule). Then, examine when the dashas, or "control periods" for these planets take place in combination as the first, second and third level lords of the period. Then, on top this, within the time period specified by the dasha, find out when transits will be bad, such as malefics crossing the moon or ascendent (there are many other things that could be considered bad, but this is one).

At such a time when these two things occur simultaneously (malefic dashas and malefic transits) something bad will definitely happen. Similarly, take the reverse- good dashas and good transits, and something good will happen. The goodness will come in the area of life which is pointed to by the planets involved due to the houses they stay in, own, aspect or the things they themselves directly control.

This is the basic way of Vedic predictive astrology- see the planets- see what they control due to ownership, conjunction and aspect, see the periods they rule- combine with transits, and bingo- you can begin to pinpoint the areas of life that will be effected at various times and whether the effects will be wanted, unwanted, or mixed.

The result of being involved in this pursuit is that you learn that karma is inevitable, and that the only way out is toleration, transcendence and perhaps, propitiation or worship to gain relief. In other words, when it comes to negative or unwanted karma, you can either put up with the punishment or beg forgiveness.

Sometimes people get confused and ask "I can do something about the bad periods". For example, they think that by knowing that disease is coming, that if they know enough in advance and begin to exercise and eat right, they will avoid the disease and thus cheat the planets out of their powers. This implies that our meager attempts at astrology, combined with will power and vitamins, is more powerful than the planets, the heavens, and the laws of karma. This is an utterly ridiculous state of mind if used this simply.

However, the actual truth and proper use of our minds doesn't look much different than the above in practice, but internally proper understanding is a very different mood.

The planets cannot be cheated out of their effects by our tiny brains and all that we can muster in our defense. We are ants compared to the universe, so give up any mood of being an independent actor. Rather, if you are to be cured of a disease, understand that is also in your chart. In other words, a really great astrologer could say "you are going to get a disease but you will be cured by medicine". A bad astrologer will simply say "a bad time for your health is coming".

In the proper understanding, we learn that we are to attempt to do all that we can with our strength to create good in our lives. In other words, you should try to survive, to overcome a disease, to overcome a problem. The problems are to teach you lessons, and giving up simply puts off the lesson. If a person gives up, then others can understand that the lesson divinity plans next for them is to teach them the negative effects of giving up. In this way, others looking at us can make certain judgments that we can never make upon ourselves. We can never give up internally- our mood should always be, or rather, will always be, to survive and go on somehow. In a funny way, even suicide is an attempt to survive- the person simply thinks that leaving their body will be better than staying in the current situation. In other words, the living being cannot but constantly search for the better situation. It is our permanent nature to seek higher pleasures than we are currently experiencing.

The way we seek pleasure creates our lives and our wanted and unwanted karmas. The whole of the creation has but one chief purpose and that is to teach us what really works in the pursuit of pleasure. Gradually, through many soft and hard lessons we learn the unavoidable truths that govern us on all sides. Astrology is simply a way to see what's coming- but it offers absolutely no way, by itself, to avoid those lessons.

The Vedic scriptures do in other places, seem to offer ways to avoid karma, and this is always through various types of worship. There are pujas (specific worship processes) one can perform to the various sub-gods, or demi-gods, to obtain relief from their negative effects, and so also one can worship such deities to gain extra favor from them for fulfillment of positive desires such as success in some endeavor. So, there is worship of deities for both relief and boons or grants.

Then there is the higher path, which is not based on attempting to find happiness here, and that is to appeal to the Supreme God of Everything for admission into that plane beyond this entire creation. In other words, you can attain to that point where your mood is:

"I get it now, I've seen this plane, and I'm finished here- I don't really have any more interest in playing out parts in a body built of muscles and bones. I don't delight any longer in embracing such fleshy bodies, and I don't desire to impress souls living in such bodies with my music and dance or creativity. Basically, I want out of here. I'm tired of this world where everyone seems averse to really seeing each other as brothers and sisters, and where greed is the actual ruler of everything. Although some here talk of devotion to you, dear Supreme, pretty much even such talkers don't stay fixed to their devotions to you. From this point on I focus on you and you alone, and yet I don't expect your mercy, your release for me from here, nor any boon from you, because I'm sure I deserve many more lives of karma for everything I've done in the past. You alone control everything, and you alone know what I really need for my full purification, so I place myself willingly in your hands. Though I've always been in your hands, I now place and surrender my consciousness to this truth at your feet forever."

This is the highest possible consciousness, and this is how real saints think. Such persons have absolutely no concern over what their karma might be. Moment to moment they are aware of the fact that life could end any time, and that there are no guarantees. Since they don't desire any specific fulfillment for their minds in this plane, they really don't care how much time they have left, or when any particular event may or may not happen. Their lives take on a quality of stability and oneness, though they engage in positive actions aimed at serving all living beings. This is the most natural and wholesome position for the soul, and the only one where permanent happiness can be achieved.

Therefore, on the highest level of human attainment, astrology is no longer significant. That being the case, it is understood to be placed on Earth in our hands not for any purpose other than to help fill in the gaps in our knowledge towards becoming enlightened. Astrology teaches us about the controls upon us, and that in great detail. This is very important in pushing us down the divine path. In this way, as part of our schooling towards becoming saintly astrology finds it's purpose on Earth. This is the real value of astrologers and their interactions with the clients, that both are becoming more convinced of the need for spiritual progress in their lives.

Now back to our accomplished psychic Mr. Karve. Try as we might with our tiny brains and short lives, we will probably never match his abilities in this life. That goes for the great brains amongst us as well as the rank and file. This teaches us that divinity can, or karma can, simply GRANT excellent abilities and qualities to a person at birth. Yet more proof of the greatness and insurmountable nature of divine control. Even us astrologers must bow to the great divine will because even in our midst we see such things as to remind us that we cannot but act within the frame granted us. Even though we portend to know about karma, and perhaps prescribe remedies and solutions, we cannot force divinity to allow us to see karma as well as this little old 80 pound Indian man who barely eats and is barely conscious in this world.