Hindu Astrology and Psychology

Hindu astrology recognizes the existence and influence of collective, cosmic and spiritual levels of consciousness which lie beyond our surface and personal mind and which modern psychology is only beginning to explore. Its concern is not just with bringing happiness or harmony to the outer layers of the mind, but with bringing the deeper layers of the mind into function by awakening our spiritual aspiration. Hindu astrology does not emphasize the limitations or sufferings of this life. It teachers us that we are Divine souls with infinite potentials that we can access if we give them our attention and work on them regularly. It tells us that we can achieve anything we want if we put our will to it.

On the other hand, we could say that Hindu astrology has a real science of psychology because it treats the real psyche or soul, not just the outer mind. Whereas modern psychology is concerned with the mind, the conditioned entity of memory, Hindu psychology is concerned with the soul, the unconditioned entity of pure consciousness. Whereas modern psychological methods aim at understanding and healing the conditioned mind, yogic psychology aims at going beyond the mind. Hindu astrology concern is not with the personal traumas of this life as an issue in themselves, but with the ongoing evolution of the soul.

According to Vedic psychology, psychological disorders are caused by a disruption in our connection with our true soul. This is reflected in a lack of integration of our planets, particularly afflictions to the Moon, Mercury, the Ascendant, the fourth houses and their lords. Such psychological problems can be treated by spiritual and occult methods, including mantras, gems, colours, herbs and diet.

Vedic psychology is thus impersonal. It aims at the absence of ego. It tells us that we are all different combinations of the same cosmic forces coming through the planets and stars. The ego, our sense of personal identity, is a fiction, an illusion that does not really exist. We all have the same basic nature, both superficial and deep, and must all go through the same basic life experiences, good and bad, for the growth of our consciousness.

Vedic psychology has a spiritual orientation and a focus on the destiny of the soul, its movement from the ignorance to the knowledge, from bondage to the cycle of rebirth to liberation into the Divine. In this respect astrology has its limit, because the soul is our eternal being, beyond the influence of the stars. Astrology is an aspect of the real science of life that is yoga and meditation This lack of spiritual knowledge in astrology has caused many practitioners of yoga and meditation to dismiss it as being of no value. Certainly much of astrology can be viewed this way, particularly the popular personality-oriented astrology; yet it is not astrology that is at fault or limited but our superficial way of applying it.

This is the yoga or the way of spiritual reintegration inherent in astrology and its symbolism. We can practice this even if we do not use astrology or know our birth chart. It is a universal symbolism for the development of consciousness. We can meditate upon the qualities and meanings of the planets within us and reintegrate their forces in our own minds.

First we must harmonize the Moon, the indicator of our receptivity in life, to this inner Sun. We must make ourselves become receptive to the Sun of truth and become detached from the influences of the outer world. We must learn to surrender to the Divine and to the presence of truth.

Then we must harmonize our Mars, our energy and motivation in life. This is to direct our will to spiritual practices, like service, yoga, mantra and meditation. It means doing our work in the best way but not seeking any results, becoming one with the process rather than calculating what we are going to get out of it.

Author Diwakar Vashist is a senior consultant of Institute of vedic science, New Delhi, India. he is working on the ancient vedic sciences i.e. vedic astrology, vedic vastu, hatha yoga, meditation etc. for more related informations visit http://www.shreevedic.com