Basic Astronomy For Astrologers

$15
Item Code: IDK373
Author: Deepak Nair
Publisher: Sagar Publications
Edition: 2004
ISBN: 8170820510
Pages: 129
Cover: Paperback
Other Details 7.3" X 4.8"
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Book Description
Foreword

Writing a foreword for a book on Astronomy gives me immense pleasure mainly because such books are hard to find. There is no doubt that Astrology is a perfect science, its perfection being based on the precisive nature of Astronomy. Astronomy is a vast subject. So vast that even "the sky is not the limit". While a perfect knowledge of Astronomy may not be possible for the students of Astrology, it is important that they must have a basic knowledge of the subject before venturing into the study of Astrology. Deepak Nair, has made an enthusiastic attempt to provide this basic knowledge of Astronomy with special references to the terminology used in Astronomy and Astrology as well. He has given a brief history of Astronomy as it developed from the period of Babylon. The Hindu literature like Vedas and Upanishads refer to the Astronomical development and achievements of greater heights in this field.

To understand the Astronomical mysticism of the Rig – Veda, one must possess some knowledge of elementary facts of Astronomy and also certain technical terms and their Astronomical significance. The twenty-seven stars are very often referred to by their usual names of Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, etc., or by their devatas Ashwini, Yama, Agni, etc., or by animals or by names of trees. The twelve zodiacal signs are mentioned as Mesha or Aja or Avi, etc., Kuja, Sukra, etc. Perigee positions are denoted as "Jeerasvo" (quick moving) or "Madhu-kasa" (Madhu-Whip) etc. There are six types of years-Samvatsara (Sidereal Year), Parivatsara (Tropical Solar Year), Anuvatsara (Anomalistic Year), etc., all commonly known as Yagna (Yagnevai Samvatsarah). A study of the lengths of these years was carried on in the form of Yagnas or sacrifices Aswamedha Yagna is a process of studying the length of the sidereal year. Garuda Yagna is the process of studying the length of the Ayanas and their changes. Satra Yagna is the period of the study of the exchange of equinoxes, which is 14,400 years. To understand the significance of the Vedic mantras, one must understand the phenomenon of the precession of the Equinoxes. There are Statements referring to the motion of the perigee and other nodes. There are references to the causes of the eclipses and their calculation. One must also know that for a north pole or south pole observer, only one half of the celestial sphere will be visible and the names Deva and Asura refer to these two types of observers as is clearly mentioned in the Surya Siddhanta.

One must also know that there are five fundamental great circles on the celestial sphere, known as Sahasra Sirsha, Sahasraksha, Sahasrapat, Sahasra Bhumi and Sahasra Viswa. These are the five circles referred to in the opening Riks of the 'Purusha Sukha', with reference to which time past, present and future are measured. Sahasram is described to be a great circle in the Satapata Brahmana. Baghavati (Bagha is the devata of Poorvaphalguni), Baghona Mene, or Poorvaphalguni at times refer to the starting of lunar years, as they start on an Amavasya (New Moon) day in the solar month of Phalgun or Meena. One must also note that Vishnu or Narayana stand for the celestial equator, as its corresponding terrestrial circle passes midway between the land and water parts of the earth. Vishnu's three strides correspond to Ashwini, Makha and Moola points of the ecliptic on the equator. Vanaspati is used for Ashwini or Ashwini Sun or year beginning, as Ashwini is the first of the twenty-seven stars, each of which is denoted by a tree. The ecliptic is called Kadambhavana and its ole Kadambabindu. The Devi or the goddess of light is called Kadambavana Vasini. Thus the astronomical knowledge of the Rig-Veda is hidden behind such technical words, symbols and imagery and it requires concentrated meditation to decipher their useful knowledge.

Based on the Vedic literature, Deepak Nair has given modern concepts of the Celestial sphere, Precession of Equinoxes, Retrogression of superior and inferior Planets with diagrams. He has provided logical reasoning for Sun and Moon being never Retrograde and Rahu and Ketu being always Retrograde. He has discussed at length the International date line and its implications.

He has discussed in detail various elements of the Panchang i.e. week day, tithi, nakshatra, karma and the yoga, and their importance in Vedic Astrology, he has provided a rationale for the Luni-Solar calendar which is currently in vogue. Having taught in the Chandigarh Chapter of the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences for many years, he is well aware of the questions and doubts which crop up in the minds of students, and so has illustrated and elucidated those points.

I appreciate the efforts made by Shri Deepak Nair to put the complicated and difficult subject of Astronomy in a very simple and fluid language. The extensive use of diagrams will help the reader to understand the concepts very clearly. I am sure that he will keep up his efforts to deal with more difficult subjects in an equally lucid way in this future works.

I feel that this book will go a long way to satisfy the need of the students of Astrology to understand the utility of Astronomy for the purpose of learning Astrology. I wish him all success.

About the Book

Study of Astrology is linked with the study of Astronomy. Our ancients had thorough knowledge of astronomy which they gained by studying the movement of Sun, Moon and planets against the background of the stars. They also noted apparent correspondences between the planetary configuration in the sky and events in their lives. Astronomy' and Astrology were thus very much linked together. But astrologers today are more occupied with their computer screens than with what really happens in the heavens. They talk about retrograde planets, and retrogression, the concept of Ayanamsha due to precession of equinoxes; without being completely aware of the philosophy behind them.

The study of Astrology demands an elementary knowledge of Astronomy. After all, what is happening in the sky is the basis of Astrology. If you do not understand what is happening up there, you do not really know what you are talking about when you look at a horoscope.

This book is an attempt to make both the students of Astrology and the professional astrologer conversant with the relationship between Astronomical reality, and the cryptic information contained in a horoscope. Topics like retrogression, precession, role of the extra-saturnines, missing dates, extra dates and nodal axis are all lucidly dealt with and with no mathematics involved.

About the Author

An Electronic Design Engineer by profession, Deepak Nair is an alumnus of the Methodist English High School, Rangoon, and Oxford Brookes University, U.K. A man of varied interests, he is an amateur Astronomer, Meteorologist and a Reiki Master. Claiming to be more of a scientist than an Astrologer, he is always trying to find the logic behind the predictive techniques of Vedic Astrology. He believes that all rules and dictums of Astrology have been erected on firm scientific foundations, which ironically have not been revealed to us by our forefathers.

He is on the Faculty of the Chandigarh Chapter of The Indian Council of Astrological Sciences (ICAS), and is the founder-convenor of the Patiala Center of ICAS. He has authored, "A Handbook of Astro-Meteorology" and is the editor of the "Jyotish Insight" newsmagazine.

Contents

Foreword
Preface
1Introduction1
2The Origins of Astronomy5
3The Solar System28
4Some Astronomical Concepts50
5Longitude & Latitude60
6Some Astronomical Phenomena65
7The Calendar97
8Elements of the Panchang106
9Upgrahas127
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