Benedictory Message from our Kulaguru Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
A Purposeful Day Today people usually refer to certain days as special or as red-letter days. Often times, they regard such days as special when they have met a famous personality. In the case of institutions, it is considered as a golden day, when a foundation stone is laid or a new project is launched. However there is a verse that states what our ancestors considered to be a special or purposeful day: कृतग ोदक ानं ुतभारतस थं । अिचता ुतपादा ं िदनं क शता रं ।। (That day when you have had the opportunity to be in a holy place, that day when you have heard the noble stories related to God, and that day when the Lotus Feet of God have been worshipped, is considered better than (even) a hundred years of Brahma.) Our forefathers felt complete if they were able to visit a holy place. They used to await the day when they could get the opportunity to go to Kashi. Their thoughts were, “Would I be able to go to Kashi? Would I be able to complete a holy dip in the Ganga? Would I have the Darshan of Lord Vishweshwara?” They felt that their lives would be purposeful if they were able to visit Kashi at least once in their lifetime. Similarly, a day on which Puranas and Itihasas such as Mahabharata, Ramayanam, Bhagavatam, Shiva Puranam, Devi Puranam, Markandeya Puranam etc., were recited, was considered an auspicious day. Also, a day on which Puja to Ishwara was offered with supreme devotion was considered to be a purposeful day. We think that our life is getting purposeful as we keep making progress in the worldly life. What we tend to achieve in the worldly life is only enough for progress in this world. All the progress that we seemed to have made in this world will not be of any help in the next world (para-loka) or during a rebirth. Whatever Dharma (or) Ishwara Puja we do in this birth will benefit us during a rebirth. May everyone understand this, make their days purposeful and attain Shreyas.
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IN THIS ISSUE 02
20 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
EDITOR'S NOTE
SIDEREAL REPRESENTATION OF OSCILLATING EQUINOXES
04 FESTIVALS
SCIENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DEEPAWALI 2020
Dr Jayasree Saranathan
Raman Suprajarama
27 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUN, MOON AND THE ASCENDANT
06 REMEDIES
MYSTICAL SECRETS OF SWASTIKA
Stijn Cuypers
Roopa Rajan
09 COVER STORY
RAHU KETU 2020 KNOW HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOUR HOROSCOPE
PANCHANGA FOR NOVEMBER 2020
30
THIS MONTH FOR YOU
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EPHEMERIS FOR NOVEMBER 2020
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Lalitha Donatella Riback
18 POLITICAL HOROSCOPE
US ELECTIONS, DONALD TRUMP AND NODES Gary O'Toole
November 2020
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EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers,
In continuation to the multi-part series presented by Dr. Jayasree Saranathan on the Siddhantic concept of to and fro motion of the Equinoxes, the Part 3 in this edition deals with sidereal representation of oscillating equinoxes. The Siddhantic version of the equinoxes making a limited to and fro movement is recognized in sidereal terms in many Indic texts.
With all the turbulations happening around the world due to the pandemic, we urge you to destress yourself and celebrate the festival of lights, Deepawali. The festival commences on Karthika Krishna Trayodasi, which starts at 9.31 pm IST on Thursday November 12, 2020 evening and concludes on Karthika Krishna Dwitiya which ends at 3.57 am IST on November 18, 2020. Our senior editor, Raman Suprajarama sheds light on the significance of Deepawali this year, along with few simple practices that one can follow during the festival days. Let us take advantage of the powerful cosmic alignment and energies during Deepawali and work towards combatting the negativity and look at life with a positive lens.
The Swastika is a profound spiritual symbol found in cultures across the world. Imbued with deep metaphysical meanings, the Swastika can help us align ourselves with cosmic forces. Roopa Rajan presents a deeper understanding of the diverse meanings of Swastika and the various practices you can follow to enhance the effect of Swastika in your living spaces and overall well-being. The drumroll on the US presidential elections is becoming louder. Nodal transit plays significant role in Vedic astrology. The incumbent President of America, Donald Trump is one person to keep an eye on and understand how the nodes’ transit in Taurus and Scorpio will play out for him. Donald Trump has Rahu in Taurus and Ketu in Scorpio in his birth chart. The transit will be triggered again in his life this year, leaving critical impact on his life. Gary O'Toole, interestingly points out what the transit may turn out for the president especially on his political career..
The year 2020 has been quite an eventful year. The planetary impact has been significant and some more changes are happening. Rahu and Ketu are changing signs. In the early last quarter of the year, the Rahu started moving to Taurus, and naturally Ketu to Scorpio. We remind you of the power of the two heavenly bodies through the graha mantras. Rahu Mantra -
अधकायं महावीय च ािद यिवमदनम् । िसिहकागभस भत ं ं ू ं तं राहं णमा यहम् ॥
Stijn Cuypers provides a detailed perspective on astrological significance of the three core geomentrical points - the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon. In the part 1 presented in this edition, he covers the different cycles of influences, or currents as he puts it. A very interesting and enriching way to further understand the core concepts of Astrology.
Ketu Mantra –
पलाशपु पसकाश ं ं तारका हम तकम् । रौ ं रौ ा मकं घोरं तं के तंु णमा यहम् ॥ Notice the words – च ािद यिवमदनम् – in the Rahu Mantra. Rahu is so powerful that it has the ability to crush or overpower even Sun and the Moon. Similarly, notice the words – तारका हम तकम् – in
The magazine ends with the monthly features with the most awaited predictions for your zodiac, ephemeris, calendar and panchanga for the month of November.
Ketu Mantra. Ketu is the highest or top among the stars and planets. Both these heavenly bodies have the extreme power and when activated can result in superlative events, either positive or negative. Our cover story dwells upon the impact of the transit of Rahu and Ketu on individual moon signs. It’s a detailed roundup by Lalitha Donatella Riback explaining the nature and legend behind Rahu and Ketu and how the transit of materialistic Rahu and the detached Ketu will impact each individual differently and what one can do to pacify the effects. November 2020
We wish all the readers happy and prosperous Deepawali. Share your comments or suggestions at info@astrologicalmagazine.com.
Editorial Board
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FESTIVALS
SCIENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DEEPAWALI 2020 Raman Suprajarama
When is Deepawali 2020 observed?
Sun is in Thulam or Libra zodiac, the symbol of balance and therefore, this festival also brings in balance of wealth and happiness.
Diwali or Deepawali is a five-day festival. The festival commences on Karthika Krishna Trayodasi, which starts at 9.31 pm IST on Thursday November 12, 2020 evening and concludes on Karthika Krishna Dwitiya which ends at 3.57 am IST on November 18, 2020.
Astrological significance of Deepawali
1. Naraka Chaturdasi on Nov 14, 2020 2. Amavasya on Nov 15, 2020 and 3. Bali Padyami on Nov 16, 2020
Astrologically speaking, Deepawali is observed when a certain powerful alignment of the Earth occurs. As humans, we live on planet Earth. With Earth at the reference, you can observe the planets, Moon and the Sun move in a prescribed path and exert various forces including gravitation, thermal and other energies. Each planet has a unique force and influence associated with it, which can be both positive and negative.
Deepawali and wealth
The influence of these forces can remain just for a fraction of a second or more, depending on the
For all practical purposes, its common practice to observe a three-day festival, which falls on the following dates:
Deepawali or festival of lights is celebrated all over the world.
frequency and timing. These influences start from 4/5th seconds to few minutes or hours. It sometimes extends to even days and can be felt during day or night time. These times of influences are called Muhurtas. As Astrologers, we measure these forces and identify the right time for performing auspicious events. For example, if you look at Navaratri, the force is
The word Deepawali can be understood as follows - ‘Deepa’ means lighted lamp, not just a lamp, but a lighted one, and ‘Awali’ means a rope or a line. Deepawali translates to lighted lamp placed in a line. There is much more to it. Scientifically, every Indian festival has a particular significance and is observed to improve one aspect of life. The festival of Deepawali is celebrated to improve wealth and prosperity.
beckoned for 9 days. And if you take Mahashivaratri, the influence stays for an entire night. Similarly, during Deepawali, the influence of the planetary forces spans for five days. This influence is pivoted around one celestial combination which is known as Amavasya, occurring during the month of Karthika. The force is felt across two tithis before Amavasya, i.e. Trayodashi and Chaturdashi, on Amavasya,
Interestingly, this day also marks the return of Lord Rama along with Goddess Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after their 14 years of exile. The festival pivots around Amavasya, in the Karthika masa. It is celebrated for various reasons - to commemorate victory of good over evil - as the season of harvest etc. The festival occurs when November 2020
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REMEDIES
MYSTICAL SECRETS OF SWASTIKA Roopa Rajan Roopa, a spiritual and energy channel and a certified teacher and ardent practitioner of yoga. She is also a Reiki and psychic surgery master and Pranic healer. She has been initiated into the Tanmaya healing technique and other unique healing methods by Siddha masters and Gurus. She is available for consultations and guidance on her Skype id: Roopa V Rajan.
Roopa Rajan
The Swastika is a profound spiritual symbol found in cultures across the world. Imbued with deep metaphysical meanings, the Swastika can help us align ourselves with cosmic forces. It can give us a sense of purpose and help make judgments that support our soul’s highest purpose. The symbol enables us not only to make sense of the world around us, but also relate constructively to the family and society we live in. Understand the diverse meanings of Swastika and the various practices you can follow to enhance the effect of Swastika in your living spaces and overall well-being. An ancient religious icon found in Asia and Europe, the Swastika has been used by cultures around the world for different purposes. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, it served as a symbol of divinity. Across ancient Asia and Europe, it was used as a motif in art. It was a symbol of good luck until the 1930s when the right-facing tilted form was used by the Nazis as an emblem of the Aryan race. November 2020
The word Swastika means 'conducive to wellbeing' or ‘auspicious’ in Sanskrit. In Hinduism, it is the right-facing symbol that is called Swastika. It symbolises surya (sun), prosperity and good luck. The left-facing symbol is called Sauvastika, symbolising the night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jainism, a swastika is the symbol for Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras, while in Buddhism, 6
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COVER STORY
RAHU KETU 2020 KNOW HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOUR HOROSCOPE Lalitha Donatella Riback Italian born Lalitha Donatella Riback holds a B.A. in Vedic Art and Science and is a certified Vedic astrologer. She’s the author of a book on Vedic astrology, manifesting and consciousness, “Bliss Lab: How the Ancient Yogis Acquired Supernormal Powers and How You Can Too,” rated on Amazon #1 in Eastern Astrology, and #2 in Astrology categories. Additionally, Lalitha is a certified yoga teacher, Reiki master, Ayurvedic consultant and a licensed life coach in New York, USA. Website: https://shreemlab.com
Lalitha Donatella Riback
Contact: info@shreemlab.com
The Nature of the North & South Lunar Nodes
On September 22, 2020, Rahu and Ketu entered sidereal Taurus and Scorpio, respectively, after spending 18 months in Gemini and Sagittarius.
RAHU
Rahu and Ketu are the two mysterious North and South lunar nodes that catalyze powerful energies for change.
In Jyotish or Vedic astrology, Rahu is often equated to Saturn, as both these planets can generate much frustration and sorrow.
In a birth chart, they have strong effects as triggers of karma from past-life actions, according to the law of cause and effect.
But because of its desire-based nature, Rahu takes on some characteristics of both Venus and Mercury. For this reason, we consider Rahu a friend of Saturn, Venus and Mercury.
It’s important to remember that both Rahu and Ketu can cause shocking change and bring confusion, even though Rahu can fulfill your wishes, and Ketu can bring you spiritual benefits.
Rahu can also be seen as a soul craving novelty and wish fulfillment in the fields indicated by the lord of the house where he’s placed.
So, caution and remedies are necessary to pacify their energy and improve their results. November 2020
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US ELECTIONS, DONALD TRUMP AND NODES
POLITICAL HOROSCOPE
Gary O'Toole
Gary O'Toole has studied astrology since 1996. He is the author of Cosmic Bodies and lectures at the British Association of Vedic Astrology. His readings impart an empowered view of life's cycles, patterns and trends, offered online and video recorded. To learn more and to order your personal reading, visit timelineastrology.com.
Editor’s note: This article was received on Aug 27, 2020
Gary O'Toole
Ur 24 48 Su 29 50 Ra 27 39
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President Trump is one person to keep an eye on to see how the nodes' transit in Taurus and Scorpio will play out. That's because he is about to experience the nodes return to where they were when he was born. In other words, Donald Trump has Rahu in Taurus and Ketu in Scorpio in his birth chart, and this transit will trigger them again in his life.
extreme ways, with Rahu prominent in the 10th house of status and career, conjoined his ruling planet, the Sun. He was born within hours of a total lunar eclipse in Scorpio, in his 4th house of home, which highlights, or perhaps obscures, his home life and upbringing, casting a shadow on his personal life which he seems to compensate for by seeking recognition in the world of material riches.
Ketu in Scorpio can reject anything that is deemed unsavoury, while Rahu in Taurus wants more and more resources to feel secure.
The nodes are about to get triggered in his life in a big way, fuelling rejection on the one hand, and a strong need for power and resources on the other, possibly through a grab for power and resources at any cost, by any means necessary.
Donald Trump is a good example of this combination, and how it can play out in more November 2020
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TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
SIDEREAL REPRESENTATION OF OSCILLATING EQUINOXES
PART 3*
Dr Jayasree Saranathan
Dr Jayasree Saranathan is an author, researcher and a practicing astrologer for more than three decades, with a Ph.D in Astrology from PSTU, Hyderabad. Her research areas include Indology, Hindu Epics, Tamil Sangam literature and Astro-meteorology.
Dr Jayasree Saranathan
The Siddhantic version of the equinoxes making a limited to and fro movement within 540 across the sky and observable from the earth is recognized in sidereal terms in many Indic texts. With the mid-point of the circle in zero degree Aries, the 27th degree in forward motion falls at Krittika 1st pada. Like a pendulum of the clock the equinox moves backward by crossing the mid0 point again to reach 27 behind it. This is 3rd degree of Pisces where Purva Bharadapada 1st pada is located. Fig 1 shows the oscillation of the vernal equinox.
VE
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Fig 1: Oscillation of the equinoxes in the backdrop of stars. 0 If the equinox shifts up till 27 in Pisces, the Uttarayana would move down till the 3rd degree of Sagittarius to Moola nakshatra. Correspondingly Dakshinayana would move up till the 3rd degree of Gemini to Mrigashirsha 3rd pada (Fig 2).
The Autumnal equinox oscillates between Libra and Virgo with the mid-point at zero degree Libra. It goes up to the 2nd pada of Uttara Phalguni in Virgo to the 1st pada of Vishakha in Libra. With the solstices at right angles to the equinoctial axis, the winter solstice (Uttarayana) occurs at the beginning of Capricorn at 2nd pada of Uttarashadha and the summer solstice (Dakshinayana) at the beginning of Cancer at the 4th pada of Punarvasu when the vernal equinox (VE) occurs at zero degree Aries, the mid-point of the oscillatory circle. For our reference this can be termed as the median position of the equinoctial oscillation.
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Fig 2: Vernal Equinox at 27 west of Median position.
* Part 1 has been covered in August edition and Part 2 has been covered in September edition of the Astrological eMagazine.
November 2020
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TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUN, MOON AND THE ASCENDANT Stijn Cuypers Born in Belgium ( 1979), he studied Germanic languages at the Catholic Universities of Brussels and Leuven. In 2013, during his stay in India, he took up the study of Astrology and Palmistry under Dr Gaurav Agrawal. Fascinated with Astro-Palmistry, the link between astrology and palmistry, he did research into the matter and recovered its genuine principles. He published The Simian Line (available through Amazon), to serve as a medium for sharing his discoveries on Astro-Palmistry and astro fertility. He has been published in ISAR’s International Astrologer (December 2019; August 2020). Contact: stijncuypers79@gmail.com
Stijn Cuypers
Cycles
And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”. (Genesis 1:14) The Ascendant, together with the Sun and the Moon, make up the “Big Three”. When you ask for a definition or why the Ascendant is so important, you invariably get: it is the rising sign at a certain moment in time. Hardly ever do you get, “Because it is the sign of the Earth, our home planet.”
The smallest cycle of the Earth is caused by the Earth’s rotation around its axis. In the planetary movements, the four angles carry special importance, because any planet at the angles can be considered to be in a “hard” aspect with the Earth. Of the four angles, the Ascendant carries special significance. As the Earth is continually spinning to the East, we are always meeting the rays coming from that particular sign - and any planet in it - head-on. The currents of the Ascendant hit us the hardest, which is why it is the primary point of any chart.
The Ascendant is not a mere point - it is the actual sign of the Earth. How to convince yourself of this? Visualize going westwards in space, on the ascendant-descendant axis until the Earth resembles a tiny blue marble. Now, look beyond the blue marble and see what sign and degree it is in. It is the Ascendant. Simple as that. So contrary to what some believe (Chrissie Blaze comes to mind), the Earth is overwhelmingly present in astrology. It is located right in the center of every chart and its sign is the Ascendant, the most important sign.
Cycles through the Houses One daily cycle of the Moon in the angular houses, gives us two low tides (at AC and DC) and two high tides (at MC and IC) One cycle of the Sun through the angular houses, gives us sunrise (AC), noon (MC), sunset (DC), and midnight (IC)
Every Jyotish knows it: the Lagna (Ascendant) is the first of all the signs. In the West, there still exists some confusion about the Ascendant’s importance compared to the Sun sign or the Moon sign. Since the Earth is the planet closest to us, it stands to reason that its sign would tell us more accurately who we are. It should not surprise us, for the Ascendant is always “tied” to the first house, the house of the self. What about the Sun and the Moon, the other members of the Big Three? The Sun is the personificator of the Father, the Moon of the Mother. Maybe newspaper astro-columns would be more accurate if they were based on the Ascendant? November 2020
Cycles through the Signs
One cycle of the Moon through the 12 signs of the zodiac takes 27.3 days and gives us one sidereal lunar month. In Western astrology, this is not marked in any particular way. In Jyotish, the Moon is tracked by its position in the 27 Nakshatras (lunar mansions). A slightly larger cycle of the Moon, until it catches up with the Sun, takes 29.5 days and gives us one synodic month.
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THE ASTROLOGICAL EMAGAZINE PANCHANGA FOR NOVEMBER 2020 First column gives the English dates and next to it the names of the regional months and dates. The ending moments of Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana are given in the 24 hour clock extending to 30 hours. Of the Nityayogas, Vishkumbha, Parigha, Vyatipata, Vajra, Vyaghata, Vaidhruthi, Sula, Ganda and Atiganda are generally spurned for auspicious events and they are marked in red in the Panchanga. Vydhruti pervades from 346 40’ to 360 and Vyatipata from 213 20’ to 226 40’ of the sum of the Nirayana longitudes of the Sun and the Moon. Vydhruti and Vyatipata punyakaala are observed on the day when the yogas prevail for 1½ hours or more, when Sraddha is performed by the astute. These two belong to the shannavati -96- Sraddhas ordained for a householder. Considering the astronomical implications, the Sayana Vydhruti and Vyatipata days are also indicated in the Panchanga. The auspicious Amritayoga and Siddhayoga and inauspicious Maranayoga and Prabalarishtayoga come under Amirtaadiyoga scheme and are different from the Nityayogas. The Karana is the half of the Tithi. They are mainly classified as Sthira - fixed or immovable and Chara or moveable. The Chara Karanas are seven in number and the Sthira are only four. The fixed ones are inauspicious. They are Sakuni, Chatushpada, Naga and Kimsatugna. The seven movable Karanas are in their order, Bava, Baalava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti (or Bhadra.) Among the movable Karanas Vishti or Bhadra is considered to be of dreadful. The forbidden Karanas are marked in red for easy identification. We have most of our religious obser vances pegged on to the Tithis. Pournamipooja Chandradarisana, Sankataharachaturthi Vrata, Shastivrata, Ekadasi Vrata and Pradosha are specially mentioned in the Panchanga. Pournamipooja is done in the evenings on days the full Moon is prevalent. Chandradarisana is observed on the evening on the day when the crescent Moon appears for the first time in the west after the Amavasya. Chaturthi of the Krishnapaksha or Bahula Chaturthi of every month is known as Sankataharachaturthi. The evenings of Sukla and Krishna Trayodasi days are specially observed as Pradosha Vrata days.
The important dates and festivals for November 2020 are as follows: 01
Sunday Martyrdom Day of Bhagat Kanwar Ram (Sindhi). Vyatipata Sraddha.
02
Monday Asunya Snana/Krittika Vrata.
03
Tuesday Chandrodaya Gauri Vrata.
04
Wednesday Karaka /Dasaratha/Sankatahara Chaturthi. Id-e-Maulad (Moslem).
06
Friday Krishnapaksha Shasti Vrata.
08
Sunday Sayana Vaidhruthi. Ahoyi/Kara/Kala/Eswara Ashtami. Radha Jayanti. Banu Saptami. Sindhu Anthya Pushkara Aarambha.
11
Wednesday Rama/Indra/Krishnapaksha Ekadasi. Vydhruti Sraddha.
12
Thursday Govatsa Dwadasi. Vaakya Padi Pradosa.
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Friday Dhana Trayodasi. Kali Chaturdasi. Krishnapaksha Pradosa. Yama Deepam. Gotriratri Vrata. Naraka Chaturdasi Snana (Night). Dhanwantari Jayanti. Masa Shivaratri.
14
Saturday Naraka Chaturdasi (Purvarunodaya). Hanumajjanma (N. India) (Purvarunodaya). Kali Pooja. Depavali. Lakshmi Pooja. Kaumudi/Lakshmi Dipam. Kedar Gauri Vrata. Mahavira Nirvana (Jain). Children’s Day (Nehru’s Birthday). Amavasya. Lakhsmi Kubhera Pooja.
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Sunday Saura Margasirsadi. Bali/Govardhana Pooja. Annakuta. Kanda Shasti Vrata Aarambha. Akhanda Deepa Pooja Aarambha (30 Days).
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Monday Kartika Sukladi. Yama/Bhratri Dwiteeya. Bhratri Dwiteeya (Bengal). Viswakarma Day. Dwat Pooja (Bihar). THE ASTROLOGICAL eMAGAZINE