4 Strategies to improve your memory power
Our life is convenient if we have powerful memory. We can easily recall important information without much effort as if knowledge is always at our finger tips. For those school students, it would be great to score well in exam that requires a lot of memorizing
However, having a weak memory can be a nightmare. Imagine putting your heart and soul in reading a wonderful book and end up remembering very little. That’s a waste of precious time and energy.
Don’t worry. The good news is that memory can be improved. By following the four strategies below, your memory can become like a super sponge that soaks up information for a long time. Unfortunately, these strategies require you to be serious and take real action for them to work. But I believe you can do it well.
The 4 strategies to power up your memory:
Mental development
Information conversion
Memorizing technique
Recalling power
1) Mental development
If you want to be physically fit, you exercise to build muscles, increase stamina, and promote flexibility. This is the same as mental fitness – you exercise to increase your mental power.
Mental training is not just an abstract process that happens in imagination. It actually develops your physical brain. As your mental power develops, the inter connectivity of your brain cells improves. It won’t take a long time to see the progress of your mental performance, so it’s worth investing in developing your mind power.
Good mental fitness can improve our memory directly or indirectly. Some of the mental aspects that you can develop are creativity, thinking skill, imagination, awareness, analytical skills, and many more. There are many self improvement books on this topic, such as the ones written by the famous Tony Buzan and Edward de Bono.
For example, imagination is a good tool to help increase your memory. Imagination should involve various senses, not just visualization alone. You train yourself to create mental reality with vivid picture, realistic sound, touch, taste, and smell. You feel your body’s gravity and internal body resistance. You develop your imagination so well that simulating a real life event is easy like peanuts. A student who can properly imagine a well polished, artistically carved, shining pewter vase can remember much more objects than a guy who can’t even clearly visualize the letter A.
2) Information conversion
Remember reading through a whole chunk of dull text? This kind of information is hard to digest. So we convert this raw information into a form that is “tasty” enough for our memory to digest. “Tasty” information is bits of info that is easy to remember, hard to forget.
We can convert a boring article into bullet point form, which is much tastier than before. Each bullet point should be short, simple, and contain only one core message. The language used should be simple and direct. Avoid difficult words and ideas that are not clear.
Besides that, we can use other methods like color coding, highlighting, mind mapping, simple database for illustration (diagrams, graph, table) and many more “tasty recipe” to spice up knowledge input for a nice “educational dinner”. Always convert complex information into simple bits with simple words and structure.
3) Memorizing technique
We build up our mental fitness in strategy 1 and now we can apply it directly to absorb knowledge. The 3rd strategy is similar to strategy 2, but it is purely a mental process in converting information.
Our brain can remember information better with certain kind of stimulation. It remembers emotional stories much better than scientific facts and boring statistic. Therefore, we can make information “tastier” to the brain by altering the information without reducing its content.
For example, we can peg or relate a dull fact that lacks meaning to something meaningful to us (plain number like 12365 can be remembered as “one year has 12 months 365 days = 12365”). We can relate information to a concrete, interesting analogy. It’s also a good idea to relate information to certain emotions or senses (music, color, happy event etc.). There are so many ways to peg information and it’s up to your creativity to spice up your meal of learning. Tony Buzan has authored many books on ways to memorize information so that’s a good place to start with this strategy.
4) Recalling power
Most of the time, we don’t forget something, we just fail to recall it. You don’t forget your dream 10 minutes ago, you just failed to remember it. We can condition our mind to get use to recall things like having a portable DVD player that replays past event.
We usually let our subconscious mind do all the learning work and left our conscious mind pampered too much like a spoilt kid. Now it’s time to let our conscious mind exercise a bit by increasing our awareness.
We can increase our awareness of daily activities through daily retrospection. Before we go to bed, we recall the events happened in our life today. We replay the life scenes and see the people we interact with, the food we eat, the things we read, the stuffs we do etc – a mental simulation of our life in one day. This awareness-increasing exercise trains you to recall things well. As we improve, we can go further on until we can recall events in many days.
Sometimes daily retrospection works so well that we can even recall dreams. Don’t just stop there, get a dream journal and record your last dream right after you wake up. Days later you will have deeper awareness until you can remember a few dreams easily. If you can recall daily events and dreams, you can remember many other things. Heck! you can even play back the classes you attended and extract information from there.
Meditation is also a good way to increase awareness. It has many other positive “side effects” as well, such as better disciplined mind with less inner “monkey” voices, and better emotional control. You can do a few short meditation sessions per day, where each session lasts about 6 minutes (a timer or egg alarm would be useful here).
Finally, the last trick to enhance recalling ability is to have a habit of repeating what we have learned. For example, when you read a book, recall what you have read previously. And before you put down your book, mentally summarize the whole thing that you have just read. By doing so, you screen through the reading material 3 times. You can recall repeated information better than stuffs that you read only once.
jeudi 16 juin 2011
lundi 9 mai 2011
Foreign Travel and Journey: Perspectives of Astrology
Foreign Travel and Journeys: Perspectives of Astrology
My primary motivation behind writing this article is to reason out and derive the principles for predicting foreign travel by way of Vedic Astrology and try to fit the description for the cases that I know of. Over the years, I have rummaged through various books and magazines, but have not been entirely satisfied with the content. My analysis may not be entirely correct and I am even ready for nasty comments for the content of this article :-) Please help me in this exercise of my own learning. I will be more than happy to look at your comments and incorporate appropriate changes in the main article for benefit of all.
Traveling to new places, meeting new people either for purpose of business or just for pleasure helps gains knowledge and broaden our horizons and perspective. It makes us wiser. For a long time now, Indians have chosen to go abroad for the same of employment - to avail of opportunities for professional satisfaction and to make more money. Arguably this trend is reversing in the last few years as the economy revives in India but visiting other countries is still considered as desirable and a source of excitement for a lot of people.
There are various reasons why people move from one place to another:
* Journeys within a geographical region due to nature of work - what we colloquially call "traveling job".
* Business travel to a foreign land.
* Tourism or pilgrimage.
* Change is residence due to profession or after marriage if the spouse is settled in a different place.
Astrologically, the rules to be considered for predicting travel are:
* 12th House: In a horoscope, 12th house shows separation. Malefic influences on 12th house make a person wander from place to place.
* 3rd and 9th House: While 4th house represents comfort of a house, 3rd and 9th being 12th (causing separation) and 6th (alien-ness) from 4th denote journeys. 3rd house should be considered for short journeys and 9th for long journeys. I think this is due to the fact that from 9th house we also look at religion and hence pilgrimages, which usually were very long in olden times. Moreover, malefic influences on 4th house, by way of occupation will make one leave his/her birth place, i.e. travel to a foreign location.
* 7th House: A lot of sages have mentioned in their works that residence in foreign countries should be looked at from seventh house.
* Movable and Watery signs: Position of lords of above mentioned houses in these signs indicates travel.
* Rahu and Saturn: These planets influence travel in their dasha and antardasha. Rahu signifies the foreign element in the chart, something that is unconventional and out of ordinary.
* Sun: While positioned in any of the houses - 3rd, 7th, 9th and 12th, Sun influences journeys.
To understand the conditions that lead to foreign travel, combinations between these planets and houses are important. Ascendant lord in moveable or watery sign along with 9th and/or 12th house lord would indicate foreign travel. Combinations with 3rd house lord would indicate short travels instead of long, overseas travel.
Influence of 7th house lord is necessary for settling in a foreign country. Influence of Rahu or other malefic planets on 4th would give the same result by causing estrangement and would show a person leaving the comforts of residence. Placement of 4th house lord in 12th house has a similar effect. These combinations along with other combination of journeys would mean a one way ticket to a foreign country. Correspondingly, beneficial influences on 4th house in combination with 9th house would indicate increased attachment with the original place of residence and the person would come back home.
The timing of journey is always governed by 9th or 12th house lords and planets influencing these houses either though aspect or occupation of the house. Influence of lord of difficult houses - 6th house and in particular 8th house would indicate problems with travel, e.g. an unfavourable Mars in a chart in this scenario would indicate possible accidents while traveling.
( Taken from: http://www.planetarypositions.com)
My primary motivation behind writing this article is to reason out and derive the principles for predicting foreign travel by way of Vedic Astrology and try to fit the description for the cases that I know of. Over the years, I have rummaged through various books and magazines, but have not been entirely satisfied with the content. My analysis may not be entirely correct and I am even ready for nasty comments for the content of this article :-) Please help me in this exercise of my own learning. I will be more than happy to look at your comments and incorporate appropriate changes in the main article for benefit of all.
Traveling to new places, meeting new people either for purpose of business or just for pleasure helps gains knowledge and broaden our horizons and perspective. It makes us wiser. For a long time now, Indians have chosen to go abroad for the same of employment - to avail of opportunities for professional satisfaction and to make more money. Arguably this trend is reversing in the last few years as the economy revives in India but visiting other countries is still considered as desirable and a source of excitement for a lot of people.
There are various reasons why people move from one place to another:
* Journeys within a geographical region due to nature of work - what we colloquially call "traveling job".
* Business travel to a foreign land.
* Tourism or pilgrimage.
* Change is residence due to profession or after marriage if the spouse is settled in a different place.
Astrologically, the rules to be considered for predicting travel are:
* 12th House: In a horoscope, 12th house shows separation. Malefic influences on 12th house make a person wander from place to place.
* 3rd and 9th House: While 4th house represents comfort of a house, 3rd and 9th being 12th (causing separation) and 6th (alien-ness) from 4th denote journeys. 3rd house should be considered for short journeys and 9th for long journeys. I think this is due to the fact that from 9th house we also look at religion and hence pilgrimages, which usually were very long in olden times. Moreover, malefic influences on 4th house, by way of occupation will make one leave his/her birth place, i.e. travel to a foreign location.
* 7th House: A lot of sages have mentioned in their works that residence in foreign countries should be looked at from seventh house.
* Movable and Watery signs: Position of lords of above mentioned houses in these signs indicates travel.
* Rahu and Saturn: These planets influence travel in their dasha and antardasha. Rahu signifies the foreign element in the chart, something that is unconventional and out of ordinary.
* Sun: While positioned in any of the houses - 3rd, 7th, 9th and 12th, Sun influences journeys.
To understand the conditions that lead to foreign travel, combinations between these planets and houses are important. Ascendant lord in moveable or watery sign along with 9th and/or 12th house lord would indicate foreign travel. Combinations with 3rd house lord would indicate short travels instead of long, overseas travel.
Influence of 7th house lord is necessary for settling in a foreign country. Influence of Rahu or other malefic planets on 4th would give the same result by causing estrangement and would show a person leaving the comforts of residence. Placement of 4th house lord in 12th house has a similar effect. These combinations along with other combination of journeys would mean a one way ticket to a foreign country. Correspondingly, beneficial influences on 4th house in combination with 9th house would indicate increased attachment with the original place of residence and the person would come back home.
The timing of journey is always governed by 9th or 12th house lords and planets influencing these houses either though aspect or occupation of the house. Influence of lord of difficult houses - 6th house and in particular 8th house would indicate problems with travel, e.g. an unfavourable Mars in a chart in this scenario would indicate possible accidents while traveling.
( Taken from: http://www.planetarypositions.com)
Astrology: seuxal point of view
When Venus or Mars is in Aries, sex is best when it's spontaneous and unrestricted. These people melt when their partner gives themselves to them innocently and purely. Some of them look for trouble in love, and are addicted to the conquest. Their heads are erogenous zones—they love it when you mess up their hair and grab their face when they are making love. They can be rather selfish in bed, and quick. They can get impatient with too much foreplay, preferring to get right to the point. Sometimes aggressive, and generally fast, these lovers are sincere and enthusiastic in their sexual expression, but not always constant. Their desires are powerful indeed. While other signs may be most aroused by the romance of the moment, both male and females with this position are especially aroused by their partner's sexual organs, plain and simple. These people fall in and out of "crush" easily—they only feel alive when they have someone to desire.
When Venus or Mars is in Taurus, the sexual nature involves all of the senses. Touch and smell are supremely important to these lovers. These are the most physical of sexual partners. No frills sex is quite fine, as long as the mood is right and there is plenty of physical contact. These lovers don't have a reputation for spontaneity or variety, but they are good at what they do nonetheless, simply because they are truly right there with you. Abstaining from sex is especially difficult for Taurus, so finding a regular sex partner is particularly important. Their sexual stamina during love-making is long-lasting and steady. Although generally patient, their style is natural and physical, and intellectualizing the sex act would only serve to baffle Taurus.
When Venus or Mars is in Gemini, use words in bed with them. Talk turns them on, and they love to kiss! Oral pleasures are extra special for these lovers. They love role-playing, as long as it is varied. They are generally fun in bed, if you can forgive their sudden bursts of speech during the act. To you, an intellectual conversation may interrupt lovemaking, but to them, it's just extended foreplay. Sometimes given to trying too much in one session, these lovers are enthusiastic and curious about all kinds of sexual expression. Still, many people with this position are not wanton lovers. The Gemini tendency to over-think brings up all of the "buts" and "what ifs" surrounding sex. They are less driven by their desires than they are by their intellect.
When Venus or Mars is in Cancer, you'll get one of the most sensitive and sweet lovers. When they're not pouting, they are romantic and gooey with you. They are turned on by slave scenarios, and they may like it when you're a little mean and aggressive in bed, as long as they know you love them. Some of them are turned on by the idea of making a baby, and others just love the idea of being all yours in bed. They are known as the sign most attracted to breasts, and they generally like their men rather masculine and their women feminine, at least in fantasy. They don't always let you know what turns them on, and expect you to intuit their sexual needs. Their style in bed is protective and soothing.
When Venus or Mars is in Leo, the fantasies often revolve around devotion and attention. These people are most turned on when their partner thinks they are gods or goddesses. Although they will take care of their partners in bed, their natural inclination is to get off themselves. Their pride in their lovemaking compels them to try to be the best in bed. While some want a mate they can show off, many prefer not to have two stars in the same household. They can be quite possessive and jealous, although they'll often try to hide this fact. In fact, they may put their partners to the test every now and again, and the more insecure ones will demand the world from their partners, if only to have them prove their love. They are prone to fibbing when it comes to love and sex, as they are out to impress their mates. They are attracted to inequality in sexual scenarios. However, they won't let you always play the knave—they are attracted to seeing you in the most regal of scenarios too. It is hard for these people to separate love and sex. Even their most erotic sexual fantasies are infused with love and affection. They can sometimes come on too strong, and get impatient when their needs are not met soon enough, but you may appreciate their direct sexual expression, and their openness in bed.
When Venus or Mars is in Virgo, there is generally a healthy attitude towards sex. Sex to them is a bodily function, necessary for health and general well-being. Everyday stresses and tensions are released in sex, whether it's with others or with themselves. They are turned on by people who have largely gone unnoticed. Simple and sweet is the way they like their bed partners. They also get turned on by the idea that they are your slave. They love doing little things for you, and get worked up when they know you appreciate all the things they do. They can be a little insecure about their own bodies, and they make up for it by paying close attention to their methods of turning you on. They are very respectful of your likes and dislikes, and focus on the things that have had the most success. Virgo is the sign of the virgin, and this aspect gives others the idea that they are very selective. Don't be entirely fooled by this, however. They are not as picky as they appear. In fact, they love imperfections and have the best time with a partner who needs care. They'll make a project out of you, and you will likely never feel quite so attended to with anyone else. Their fantasies often feature the downtrodden and inexperienced. They are insatiably curious about sex, although many don't take their curiosity much beyond fantasy. Voyeurism is especially appealing to these lovers. We are giving Virgo a little more attention than other signs simply because we feel this sign has been misunderstood on the topic of sex. They are generally not as picky and particular as their reputation says—and they are not as "virginal" either. In fact, they want to please and to be savvy in the lovemaking arena. They'll generally "do" more than many other signs, and they're not afraid of getting dirty either, within the confines of a healthy relationship.
When Venus or Mars is in Taurus, the sexual nature involves all of the senses. Touch and smell are supremely important to these lovers. These are the most physical of sexual partners. No frills sex is quite fine, as long as the mood is right and there is plenty of physical contact. These lovers don't have a reputation for spontaneity or variety, but they are good at what they do nonetheless, simply because they are truly right there with you. Abstaining from sex is especially difficult for Taurus, so finding a regular sex partner is particularly important. Their sexual stamina during love-making is long-lasting and steady. Although generally patient, their style is natural and physical, and intellectualizing the sex act would only serve to baffle Taurus.
When Venus or Mars is in Gemini, use words in bed with them. Talk turns them on, and they love to kiss! Oral pleasures are extra special for these lovers. They love role-playing, as long as it is varied. They are generally fun in bed, if you can forgive their sudden bursts of speech during the act. To you, an intellectual conversation may interrupt lovemaking, but to them, it's just extended foreplay. Sometimes given to trying too much in one session, these lovers are enthusiastic and curious about all kinds of sexual expression. Still, many people with this position are not wanton lovers. The Gemini tendency to over-think brings up all of the "buts" and "what ifs" surrounding sex. They are less driven by their desires than they are by their intellect.
When Venus or Mars is in Cancer, you'll get one of the most sensitive and sweet lovers. When they're not pouting, they are romantic and gooey with you. They are turned on by slave scenarios, and they may like it when you're a little mean and aggressive in bed, as long as they know you love them. Some of them are turned on by the idea of making a baby, and others just love the idea of being all yours in bed. They are known as the sign most attracted to breasts, and they generally like their men rather masculine and their women feminine, at least in fantasy. They don't always let you know what turns them on, and expect you to intuit their sexual needs. Their style in bed is protective and soothing.
When Venus or Mars is in Leo, the fantasies often revolve around devotion and attention. These people are most turned on when their partner thinks they are gods or goddesses. Although they will take care of their partners in bed, their natural inclination is to get off themselves. Their pride in their lovemaking compels them to try to be the best in bed. While some want a mate they can show off, many prefer not to have two stars in the same household. They can be quite possessive and jealous, although they'll often try to hide this fact. In fact, they may put their partners to the test every now and again, and the more insecure ones will demand the world from their partners, if only to have them prove their love. They are prone to fibbing when it comes to love and sex, as they are out to impress their mates. They are attracted to inequality in sexual scenarios. However, they won't let you always play the knave—they are attracted to seeing you in the most regal of scenarios too. It is hard for these people to separate love and sex. Even their most erotic sexual fantasies are infused with love and affection. They can sometimes come on too strong, and get impatient when their needs are not met soon enough, but you may appreciate their direct sexual expression, and their openness in bed.
When Venus or Mars is in Virgo, there is generally a healthy attitude towards sex. Sex to them is a bodily function, necessary for health and general well-being. Everyday stresses and tensions are released in sex, whether it's with others or with themselves. They are turned on by people who have largely gone unnoticed. Simple and sweet is the way they like their bed partners. They also get turned on by the idea that they are your slave. They love doing little things for you, and get worked up when they know you appreciate all the things they do. They can be a little insecure about their own bodies, and they make up for it by paying close attention to their methods of turning you on. They are very respectful of your likes and dislikes, and focus on the things that have had the most success. Virgo is the sign of the virgin, and this aspect gives others the idea that they are very selective. Don't be entirely fooled by this, however. They are not as picky as they appear. In fact, they love imperfections and have the best time with a partner who needs care. They'll make a project out of you, and you will likely never feel quite so attended to with anyone else. Their fantasies often feature the downtrodden and inexperienced. They are insatiably curious about sex, although many don't take their curiosity much beyond fantasy. Voyeurism is especially appealing to these lovers. We are giving Virgo a little more attention than other signs simply because we feel this sign has been misunderstood on the topic of sex. They are generally not as picky and particular as their reputation says—and they are not as "virginal" either. In fact, they want to please and to be savvy in the lovemaking arena. They'll generally "do" more than many other signs, and they're not afraid of getting dirty either, within the confines of a healthy relationship.
dimanche 8 mai 2011
Astrology : A Science or Superstition?
Astrology : A Science or Superstition?
Human beings have always been curious to know their future. Whenever someone is in difficulty and cannot easily come out of it, he wants to know whether the days of his misery will come to an end at all. And if yes, then when? When one invests a great deal of time, effort or money into some project, it is natural to wonder whether that investment will bear some fruit. There have always been people around who have successfully predicted future events. Their methods have been different - some people can simply look into the future, some use tarot cards, some draw up an astrological chart which we call horoscopes, some read the lines in the palms of people. One cannot deny that future has been accurately predicted many a times and by many a people. Each successful prediction proves that it is indeed possible to correctly predict future.
In the ancient times, astrologers were held to be in great esteem by the people. There was no difference between astronomers and astrologers. In fact, astronomy and Astrology were not considered to be two different subjects. Many will be surprised to know that most of the renowned scientists of the past, including Sir Isaac Newton, were astrologers too. In ancient India Astrology was known as "Jyotish Shastra" which included predictive Astrology as well as what we know as astronomy. Needless to say that the astrologers of that era were all great mathematicians too. An accomplished astrologer was called "Trikal-darshee" : one who could see past, present and future. It would perhaps not be an exaggeration to say that Astrology was considered to be the foremost branch of science.
Slowly over a period of time this subject came into disrepute.
How Astrology lost its exalted status?
It is a fact of life that people emulate successful, popular and respected persons. Seeing the social status enjoyed by astrologers, charlatans started masquerading as astrologers. They learnt a few tricks of the trade and started duping gullible people. It was and still is a very lucrative business. An astrologer earns money by making predictions while giving no guarantee that any of his predictions will turn out to be true. There is no money back guarantee :-). Once an astrologer sets up shop, people start coming to him in the hope that may be he will be able to foresee their future correctly. The astrologer is in a wonderful position. For example, he may make predictions about ten persons, getting only one prediction right. The nine persons, about whom he predicted wrongly, will never come back to him. But the tenth person, about which the astrologer was able to predict correctly, will not only come back to him again but also refer many other persons to him, citing personal experience. In this way, the business of an astrologer always flourishes, no matter how he himself fares in his trade. But the downside of this was that astrologers, as a group, started being seen as a lot of dubious persons like politicians of the modern age. Once such impression started gaining ground, Astrology as a subject no longer remained attractive to intelligent persons. People, who had talent, started to pursue other fields of knowledge. Over a period of time, the inevitable happened. No talent, worth its salt, chose to pursue Astrology as a vocation or a hobby and the outcome of this is for everyone to see in the present times.
There was one more very important reason for Astrology becoming one of the lesser fields of knowledge. It was the decline of India, the fountainhead of human civilization, and its loss of status as the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient world (see How India lost its Glory). The Islamic hordes, who attacked and looted India many a times and later ruled that country for hundred of years, had no respect for priceless works of art, the magnificent architecture and the other exalted areas of human endeavor. They destroyed most of the ancient temples, burnt down libraries like Nalanda and Takshshila and permanently took away innumerable books of infinite wisdom from the future generations of humanity. A great amount of recorded knowledge was lost, astrological books included. This loss proved to be irreparable, as the then Indian society became engaged in ensuring its survival and a constant struggle against the aggressors. The few people, who had some invaluable texts and scriptures with them, were hard put to preserve the remaining works of ancient sages. That is why, when one studies Astrology , he feels as if some vital links are missing. With the Hindu philosophy losing its ground it was natural that Astrology would lose its prominent place too. As the modern science developed and the scientific temperament gained ground, with the dearth of genuine astrologers, Astrology started fading into oblivion.
The criticism and The defense
Astrology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons. First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often goes wrong. Secondly, if one takes his horoscope to different astrologers, they make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person. These facts force people conclude that Astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers' benefit.
One cannot deny that the reasons cited above are valid. Nonetheless, there is some element of prejudice against Astrology which also plays some part in the denigration of this science. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.
A man falls sick due to some disease. He goes to his neighborhood doctor. The doctor advises him to go for some tests. After seeing the results of those tests and considering the patient's symptoms, the doctor concludes that the man has contracted some particular disease say, Sickosis :-). He prescribes some medicines and the patient goes home in the hope of getting rid of the sickness as soon as possible. After taking the medicines for next two days, the patient finds that the medicines are not working the way they were supposed to work. He goes back to the doctor and the doctor changes the medicines and the person starts responding to the second set of medication immediately. Within a few days, the person is back to his old healthy self.
What would have happened if the person had not responded to that second set of medicines? Most probably he would have gone to another doctor. That doctor would have advised him to go for more tests, diagnosed his problem as per his own knowledge and experience and treated him accordingly. Again, there would have been the same probability of the patient getting rid of his disease.
So, in the end it boils down to problem of correct diagnosis. As soon as the disease is identified correctly, it can be treated successfully. The doctor's problem is to identify the disease correctly, given the symptoms and the results of the tests conducted. In fact, he guesses the disease based on the symptoms the patient displays and to confirm his suspicions the doctor asks the patient to undergo a particular set of tests. If the doctor's first guess is proved wrong, he suggests another set of tests to the patient aimed at confirming his second best guess of the disease.
There is one more element which may mar the chances of the patient getting better: the test results. If the lab conducting those tests makes a mistake, the doctor is bound to be misled by the results. It has also been observed many a times that even with the same symptoms and the same set of test results, different doctors may diagnose the problem differently.
The same thing, when happening in the context of Astrology , is proffered as a proof that it is not a science. When a doctor makes a mistake, his skills are blamed not the Medical Science. But if an astrologer fails, it is Astrology which is considered a pseudo-science. If doctors can arrive at different conclusions on the basis of same data, why astrologers should not be allowed to differ with each other. If you take the blood samples of the same patient to different labs, you are almost certain to find differences in their findings. If the machines built with all our scientific knowledge at our disposal make mistakes, no one denigrates modern science itself. But when it comes to Astrology, people are only too ready to dismiss it. Perhaps, by doing this, people want to prove that they have, what is called, scientific temperament.
-( posted from: www.ekgupta.com)
Human beings have always been curious to know their future. Whenever someone is in difficulty and cannot easily come out of it, he wants to know whether the days of his misery will come to an end at all. And if yes, then when? When one invests a great deal of time, effort or money into some project, it is natural to wonder whether that investment will bear some fruit. There have always been people around who have successfully predicted future events. Their methods have been different - some people can simply look into the future, some use tarot cards, some draw up an astrological chart which we call horoscopes, some read the lines in the palms of people. One cannot deny that future has been accurately predicted many a times and by many a people. Each successful prediction proves that it is indeed possible to correctly predict future.
In the ancient times, astrologers were held to be in great esteem by the people. There was no difference between astronomers and astrologers. In fact, astronomy and Astrology were not considered to be two different subjects. Many will be surprised to know that most of the renowned scientists of the past, including Sir Isaac Newton, were astrologers too. In ancient India Astrology was known as "Jyotish Shastra" which included predictive Astrology as well as what we know as astronomy. Needless to say that the astrologers of that era were all great mathematicians too. An accomplished astrologer was called "Trikal-darshee" : one who could see past, present and future. It would perhaps not be an exaggeration to say that Astrology was considered to be the foremost branch of science.
Slowly over a period of time this subject came into disrepute.
How Astrology lost its exalted status?
It is a fact of life that people emulate successful, popular and respected persons. Seeing the social status enjoyed by astrologers, charlatans started masquerading as astrologers. They learnt a few tricks of the trade and started duping gullible people. It was and still is a very lucrative business. An astrologer earns money by making predictions while giving no guarantee that any of his predictions will turn out to be true. There is no money back guarantee :-). Once an astrologer sets up shop, people start coming to him in the hope that may be he will be able to foresee their future correctly. The astrologer is in a wonderful position. For example, he may make predictions about ten persons, getting only one prediction right. The nine persons, about whom he predicted wrongly, will never come back to him. But the tenth person, about which the astrologer was able to predict correctly, will not only come back to him again but also refer many other persons to him, citing personal experience. In this way, the business of an astrologer always flourishes, no matter how he himself fares in his trade. But the downside of this was that astrologers, as a group, started being seen as a lot of dubious persons like politicians of the modern age. Once such impression started gaining ground, Astrology as a subject no longer remained attractive to intelligent persons. People, who had talent, started to pursue other fields of knowledge. Over a period of time, the inevitable happened. No talent, worth its salt, chose to pursue Astrology as a vocation or a hobby and the outcome of this is for everyone to see in the present times.
There was one more very important reason for Astrology becoming one of the lesser fields of knowledge. It was the decline of India, the fountainhead of human civilization, and its loss of status as the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient world (see How India lost its Glory). The Islamic hordes, who attacked and looted India many a times and later ruled that country for hundred of years, had no respect for priceless works of art, the magnificent architecture and the other exalted areas of human endeavor. They destroyed most of the ancient temples, burnt down libraries like Nalanda and Takshshila and permanently took away innumerable books of infinite wisdom from the future generations of humanity. A great amount of recorded knowledge was lost, astrological books included. This loss proved to be irreparable, as the then Indian society became engaged in ensuring its survival and a constant struggle against the aggressors. The few people, who had some invaluable texts and scriptures with them, were hard put to preserve the remaining works of ancient sages. That is why, when one studies Astrology , he feels as if some vital links are missing. With the Hindu philosophy losing its ground it was natural that Astrology would lose its prominent place too. As the modern science developed and the scientific temperament gained ground, with the dearth of genuine astrologers, Astrology started fading into oblivion.
The criticism and The defense
Astrology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons. First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often goes wrong. Secondly, if one takes his horoscope to different astrologers, they make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person. These facts force people conclude that Astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers' benefit.
One cannot deny that the reasons cited above are valid. Nonetheless, there is some element of prejudice against Astrology which also plays some part in the denigration of this science. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.
A man falls sick due to some disease. He goes to his neighborhood doctor. The doctor advises him to go for some tests. After seeing the results of those tests and considering the patient's symptoms, the doctor concludes that the man has contracted some particular disease say, Sickosis :-). He prescribes some medicines and the patient goes home in the hope of getting rid of the sickness as soon as possible. After taking the medicines for next two days, the patient finds that the medicines are not working the way they were supposed to work. He goes back to the doctor and the doctor changes the medicines and the person starts responding to the second set of medication immediately. Within a few days, the person is back to his old healthy self.
What would have happened if the person had not responded to that second set of medicines? Most probably he would have gone to another doctor. That doctor would have advised him to go for more tests, diagnosed his problem as per his own knowledge and experience and treated him accordingly. Again, there would have been the same probability of the patient getting rid of his disease.
So, in the end it boils down to problem of correct diagnosis. As soon as the disease is identified correctly, it can be treated successfully. The doctor's problem is to identify the disease correctly, given the symptoms and the results of the tests conducted. In fact, he guesses the disease based on the symptoms the patient displays and to confirm his suspicions the doctor asks the patient to undergo a particular set of tests. If the doctor's first guess is proved wrong, he suggests another set of tests to the patient aimed at confirming his second best guess of the disease.
There is one more element which may mar the chances of the patient getting better: the test results. If the lab conducting those tests makes a mistake, the doctor is bound to be misled by the results. It has also been observed many a times that even with the same symptoms and the same set of test results, different doctors may diagnose the problem differently.
The same thing, when happening in the context of Astrology , is proffered as a proof that it is not a science. When a doctor makes a mistake, his skills are blamed not the Medical Science. But if an astrologer fails, it is Astrology which is considered a pseudo-science. If doctors can arrive at different conclusions on the basis of same data, why astrologers should not be allowed to differ with each other. If you take the blood samples of the same patient to different labs, you are almost certain to find differences in their findings. If the machines built with all our scientific knowledge at our disposal make mistakes, no one denigrates modern science itself. But when it comes to Astrology, people are only too ready to dismiss it. Perhaps, by doing this, people want to prove that they have, what is called, scientific temperament.
-( posted from: www.ekgupta.com)
vendredi 6 mai 2011
Vedic Astrology: The Ancient Knowledge Of Behavior From India and Nepal
Vedic astrology is the traditional astrological art of India. Its forecasting system is based on the in-depth analysis of astronomical data, usually through the birth chart of a person. Based on this analysis, the astrologers make their assessments in order to find out the tendency of the future events and the effects of the past events. The study is based in reference to the stars.
The Ancient Astrological System From India
Veda is a Sanskrit word that means "knowledge". It is the oldest and most important scripture for the people of India, especially for those who follow Hinduism. As per the most commonly accepted Vedic philosophy, nobody authored these Vedas books.
These books were, in fact, documented by Rishis - the ancient wise men or seers. These people used to meditate deeply and they recognized the mechanics of creation while being in a state of expanded awareness. Vedas also talk about astrology in depth. That's why the term Vedic astrology is used. In India, it is also popularly referred to as Jyotish or Jyotisha (Sanskrit words), which means "light or eye of nature". The practitioners of Vedic astrology study the mechanics of people's behavior and based on that study, they project the consequences of time and events.
The Fundamentals
It is believed that Brahma (The Creator) instituted the fundamentals of Vedic astrology. Rishis acquired this knowledge through meditation and then passed it down to the common man through the Books of Vedas. The concept existed several thousands years ago in an oral form, but the current form of Vedic Astrology that we use today was authored by Maharshi Parashara. Parashara is considered as the father of mainstream Vedic astrology.
The Purpose
What makes Vedic astrology special is the fact that it has a specific purpose. The practitioners do a deep analysis of behavior and time cycle with the objective of avoiding any problems before they arise. The tools of Vedic astrology are used to forecast the right time to pull back or promote a specific event in a person's life.
Good Vedic Astrologers Are Not Fatalistic
Another important feature of Vedic astrology is that it is not fatalistic in nature. It just warns the person about an obvious serious risk or danger that is yet to come and suggests the ways on how to avoid the same by making some changes in life style or behavior. A person's behavior or nature can accept changes if well motivated. The competent guidance of an experienced Vedic astrologer can be of great help in this regard.
Important Tools
Vedic astrology is also connected to other Vedic systems, such as Vaastu for dwellings and Ayurveda for health. These are actually the "sister" sciences that can help you understand the concept of Vedic astrology in a much better way.
Overall, Vedic astrology is a "kind" astrological system, as it not only warns a person against the dangers that are yet to come, but also presents a list of corrective actions and potential remedies to avoid them. These corrective actions or remedies might include balancing rituals called yagyas, mantras, gemstones, and small acts, such as Shantis.
Signs of the Zodiac - Basic Features As per Western Astrology
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer
Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio
Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
Significance Of Planets In Astrology
Mercury Venus Earth
Mars Jupiter Saturn
Uranus Neptune Pluto
Four Elements In Astrology
Air Water Earth Fire
The Ancient Astrological System From India
Veda is a Sanskrit word that means "knowledge". It is the oldest and most important scripture for the people of India, especially for those who follow Hinduism. As per the most commonly accepted Vedic philosophy, nobody authored these Vedas books.
These books were, in fact, documented by Rishis - the ancient wise men or seers. These people used to meditate deeply and they recognized the mechanics of creation while being in a state of expanded awareness. Vedas also talk about astrology in depth. That's why the term Vedic astrology is used. In India, it is also popularly referred to as Jyotish or Jyotisha (Sanskrit words), which means "light or eye of nature". The practitioners of Vedic astrology study the mechanics of people's behavior and based on that study, they project the consequences of time and events.
The Fundamentals
It is believed that Brahma (The Creator) instituted the fundamentals of Vedic astrology. Rishis acquired this knowledge through meditation and then passed it down to the common man through the Books of Vedas. The concept existed several thousands years ago in an oral form, but the current form of Vedic Astrology that we use today was authored by Maharshi Parashara. Parashara is considered as the father of mainstream Vedic astrology.
The Purpose
What makes Vedic astrology special is the fact that it has a specific purpose. The practitioners do a deep analysis of behavior and time cycle with the objective of avoiding any problems before they arise. The tools of Vedic astrology are used to forecast the right time to pull back or promote a specific event in a person's life.
Good Vedic Astrologers Are Not Fatalistic
Another important feature of Vedic astrology is that it is not fatalistic in nature. It just warns the person about an obvious serious risk or danger that is yet to come and suggests the ways on how to avoid the same by making some changes in life style or behavior. A person's behavior or nature can accept changes if well motivated. The competent guidance of an experienced Vedic astrologer can be of great help in this regard.
Important Tools
Vedic astrology is also connected to other Vedic systems, such as Vaastu for dwellings and Ayurveda for health. These are actually the "sister" sciences that can help you understand the concept of Vedic astrology in a much better way.
Overall, Vedic astrology is a "kind" astrological system, as it not only warns a person against the dangers that are yet to come, but also presents a list of corrective actions and potential remedies to avoid them. These corrective actions or remedies might include balancing rituals called yagyas, mantras, gemstones, and small acts, such as Shantis.
Signs of the Zodiac - Basic Features As per Western Astrology
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer
Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio
Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
Significance Of Planets In Astrology
Mercury Venus Earth
Mars Jupiter Saturn
Uranus Neptune Pluto
Four Elements In Astrology
Air Water Earth Fire
Western Astrology: The Astrological System Of Western Countries
Western astrology, as the term suggests, is the astrological system that is popular mainly in the Western countries. This form of astrology has been in practice in Europe and Arabia for thousands of years. The concept is based upon a system where the location of the Sun, as seen from Earth, is studied. The practitioners study the path of the Sun through the heavens. The constellations (known as zodiac in astrology) lie along this path. However, this form of astrology is geocentric. In the geocentric system, the Earth is in the center and the Sun revolves around it.
Origin
The origin of this astrological system dates back to the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia. Gradually, it started spreading from Mesopotamia to the other parts of the world. First, it reached Egypt where it went through various developmental stages. But, it was the Greek astronomer and astrologer, Ptolemy, who formed the foundation of the Western astrology tradition. Ptolemy is considered as the father of Western version of astrology. He described the basics of this concept in his work, Tetrabiblos.
The Planets
As per the concept of Western astrology, the location of the planets indicates impulses or basic drives in the human psyche. These planets have been classified into three groups - classical planets, modern planets, and the moon's nodes.
Classical planets include seven heavenly bodies discovered in the ancient time - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The modern planets are the heavenly bodies discovered in the modern times. They include Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Ceres. The Moon's nodes are also important in this form of astrology. The nodes are the exact points where the path of the Moon crosses the ecliptic. Here is a brief rundown on what each planet indicates:-
Sun - life force, self-expression
Pluto - regeneration, birth, death, elimination
Neptune - arts, deceptions, illusions, dreams
Uranus - insights, stress, sudden changes
Saturn - ambitions, lessons, burdens, responsibilities, duties
Jupiter - excess, opportunity, expansion, luck
Mars - sexual expression, willpower, accidents, energy, action
Venus - social life, beauty, creativity, love life
Mercury - short journeys, business matters, communication, speech, thoughts
Moon - parents, home, cycles, intuition, emotions
Ceres - family bonds and relationships, pregnancy and gestation, reproductive issues of an adult woman, climactic changes, women's independence
North Node - ingrained habits, past life
South Node - the purpose of your soul
( noted from: http://www.myfreehoroscopes.net)
Origin
The origin of this astrological system dates back to the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia. Gradually, it started spreading from Mesopotamia to the other parts of the world. First, it reached Egypt where it went through various developmental stages. But, it was the Greek astronomer and astrologer, Ptolemy, who formed the foundation of the Western astrology tradition. Ptolemy is considered as the father of Western version of astrology. He described the basics of this concept in his work, Tetrabiblos.
The Planets
As per the concept of Western astrology, the location of the planets indicates impulses or basic drives in the human psyche. These planets have been classified into three groups - classical planets, modern planets, and the moon's nodes.
Classical planets include seven heavenly bodies discovered in the ancient time - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The modern planets are the heavenly bodies discovered in the modern times. They include Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Ceres. The Moon's nodes are also important in this form of astrology. The nodes are the exact points where the path of the Moon crosses the ecliptic. Here is a brief rundown on what each planet indicates:-
Sun - life force, self-expression
Pluto - regeneration, birth, death, elimination
Neptune - arts, deceptions, illusions, dreams
Uranus - insights, stress, sudden changes
Saturn - ambitions, lessons, burdens, responsibilities, duties
Jupiter - excess, opportunity, expansion, luck
Mars - sexual expression, willpower, accidents, energy, action
Venus - social life, beauty, creativity, love life
Mercury - short journeys, business matters, communication, speech, thoughts
Moon - parents, home, cycles, intuition, emotions
Ceres - family bonds and relationships, pregnancy and gestation, reproductive issues of an adult woman, climactic changes, women's independence
North Node - ingrained habits, past life
South Node - the purpose of your soul
( noted from: http://www.myfreehoroscopes.net)
Predictive accuracy of astrologers
Most Vedic Astrologers claim Vedic Astrology to be 90%
accurate. Yet only half of these astrologers predicted the last
presidential election correctly. Is it the fault of the Astrology or the
Astrologer? To its credit, Vedic Astrology makes use of Nakshatra
Dasas, which allow the astrologer to see what planet is most
significantly influencing the life at any given time. Simply knowing
this helps an astrologer tremendously. For instance, staying up late
in a motel room with an Indian astrologer with both of us laying in
our individual beds and staring at the ceiling the conversation
naturally turned to astrology. He asked me what Dasa I was in, to
which I replied that I had just started the Moon Dasa. Before Moon
Dasa is Sun/Venus Dasa, so he replied, “so in Sun/Venus you
broke up with a woman?” To which I had, unfortunately, to answer
yes. He made this prediction without seeing my horoscope, just
knowing the Dasa. So many predictions can be made simply by the
fact of knowing the Nakshatra Dasa, which are calculated sidereally
from the Nakshatra of the Moon. There are also, many, many other
techniques in vogue in India that are dependent only upon
Nakshatras which provide accurate readings with out even
examining a horoscope of Rasis.
I have not seen Vedic Astrologers rely on the qualities of the Rasis to color their predictions. Is it because they are not concerned
with the details that the Rasis offer, or is it due to their Sidereal
Rasis not working well for this? In any case, while some accuracy
can be claimed by Vedic Astrology as it is currently practiced, it can
not claim 90% accuracy in its current form. Is it a problem of
Zodiacs, or of something else?
These days, most Western Astrologers refrain from prediction
and concentrate on character instead. Not long ago, however,
Western Astrologers concentrated on predictions, just as do the
Vedic Astrologers and there are records of many fantastic
predictions made by Western Astrologers. I have also seen
predictive centered modern Western Astrologers make wonderful
predictions and I have also seen them color the predictions with the
qualities of the Rasis. But I have also seen them fail miserbly just as
many times. When they fail, do they fail because their Zodiac is
incorrect? Or do they fail because the do not use Varga charts and
Nakshatras?
The point is that Astrologers fail more often then they would
like to admit. If we consider this in the light of the possibility that
Vedic, Persian, Greek, and any astrology that uses twelve signs of
the Zodiac to be the same system that is fragmented with different
cultures having maintained different parts of a larger original
system, then the failings of astrologers are explained. Just as an auto
mechanic can not be expeted to repair any and all problems a
vehicle may have with an incomplete toolbox, astrologers will miss
and make mistakes so long as they are working with only the
incomplete Western, Greek, Persian or Vedic Toolbox, when what
they need is the complete Astrologer’s Toolbox. If such a toolbox
exists, which it would seem it does due to the similarities of the
different cultural systems of astrology, then we can only bring it
together once the correct Zodiac, whether Tropical or Sidereal, is
proven. So any astrologer with the desire to work towards the
perfection of astrology, should have an interest in discovering the correct Zodiac.
accurate. Yet only half of these astrologers predicted the last
presidential election correctly. Is it the fault of the Astrology or the
Astrologer? To its credit, Vedic Astrology makes use of Nakshatra
Dasas, which allow the astrologer to see what planet is most
significantly influencing the life at any given time. Simply knowing
this helps an astrologer tremendously. For instance, staying up late
in a motel room with an Indian astrologer with both of us laying in
our individual beds and staring at the ceiling the conversation
naturally turned to astrology. He asked me what Dasa I was in, to
which I replied that I had just started the Moon Dasa. Before Moon
Dasa is Sun/Venus Dasa, so he replied, “so in Sun/Venus you
broke up with a woman?” To which I had, unfortunately, to answer
yes. He made this prediction without seeing my horoscope, just
knowing the Dasa. So many predictions can be made simply by the
fact of knowing the Nakshatra Dasa, which are calculated sidereally
from the Nakshatra of the Moon. There are also, many, many other
techniques in vogue in India that are dependent only upon
Nakshatras which provide accurate readings with out even
examining a horoscope of Rasis.
I have not seen Vedic Astrologers rely on the qualities of the Rasis to color their predictions. Is it because they are not concerned
with the details that the Rasis offer, or is it due to their Sidereal
Rasis not working well for this? In any case, while some accuracy
can be claimed by Vedic Astrology as it is currently practiced, it can
not claim 90% accuracy in its current form. Is it a problem of
Zodiacs, or of something else?
These days, most Western Astrologers refrain from prediction
and concentrate on character instead. Not long ago, however,
Western Astrologers concentrated on predictions, just as do the
Vedic Astrologers and there are records of many fantastic
predictions made by Western Astrologers. I have also seen
predictive centered modern Western Astrologers make wonderful
predictions and I have also seen them color the predictions with the
qualities of the Rasis. But I have also seen them fail miserbly just as
many times. When they fail, do they fail because their Zodiac is
incorrect? Or do they fail because the do not use Varga charts and
Nakshatras?
The point is that Astrologers fail more often then they would
like to admit. If we consider this in the light of the possibility that
Vedic, Persian, Greek, and any astrology that uses twelve signs of
the Zodiac to be the same system that is fragmented with different
cultures having maintained different parts of a larger original
system, then the failings of astrologers are explained. Just as an auto
mechanic can not be expeted to repair any and all problems a
vehicle may have with an incomplete toolbox, astrologers will miss
and make mistakes so long as they are working with only the
incomplete Western, Greek, Persian or Vedic Toolbox, when what
they need is the complete Astrologer’s Toolbox. If such a toolbox
exists, which it would seem it does due to the similarities of the
different cultural systems of astrology, then we can only bring it
together once the correct Zodiac, whether Tropical or Sidereal, is
proven. So any astrologer with the desire to work towards the
perfection of astrology, should have an interest in discovering the correct Zodiac.
Why weekly Horoscope?
Both in western and Eastern culture, it is believed that all the creatures of this universe are influenced by multipal factors. In fact, in this global ecosystem, life has been existed with the mutual coabitation of humnan being and the creatures of this universes.
So, the stars are also few of the influencing beliefs which affect our futur life indirectly. Due to its position at the time of birth, the leaving creature of this world are more or less impressed, blessed or disturbed. With my knowledge and experiance,this blog will attempt to predict those influences of the stars on the life of readers.
your reactions, questions and inquairies are always welcomed.
- Ram Hari Shastri,
Brussels
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