“Hey baby, what’s your sign?” Zodiac signs have been around—and weaving their way into our lives—for centuries. Whether you’re a Zodiac aficionado or a total skeptic, you’ve probably checked your horoscope or been asked your sign at a party on at least one occasion, right?
For the most part, when we talk about astrology, we’re talking about western astrology. You know—Scorpios and Tauruses and Geminis and all that jazz. But what about astrology’s lesser-known counterpart, Vedic astrology? If you’ve never heard of Vedic astrology, you’re not alone. Also known as Jyotish (or Jyotisha), Vedic astrology is extremely popular in India (you can even major in Vedic astrology there), but hasn’t quite made the rounds yet in the States. So why is Vedic astrology relevant, and why should you know about it? Let’s dive in!
What is Vedic Astrology?
First of all, it’s important to understand that western astrology and Vedic astrology are very different. So while it may be tempting to make comparisons between them, there really are none. For example, the western astrological chart is round, whereas the Vedic astrology chart is square. The Vedic zodiac follows a Sidereal system, whereas the western zodiac follows a tropical system. Western astrology places a strong focus on detailing the intrinsic characteristics and psychology that make up a person, whereas Vedic astrology places a strong focus on a person’s path and the events that shape it along the way.
In other words, Vedic astrology tends to rely a little more heavily on the “karmic system” than western astrology. Vedic astrology is meant to show you the path that you are currently on as opposed to predicting events in your life. This path is influenced both by past life karmas (also known as samskaras) and your current life karmas. If that sounds too scary, consider this: Vedic astrology also offers a way to change the path in your life! This can easily be done by attuning yourself to the universal wavelength and trying to attract “good karma” whenever possible.
You can think of Vedic astrology as molding the sculpture you want out of clay, whereas western astrology is more akin to telling you which sculpture you will find next.
Also relevant to Vedic astrology is your birth chart. While this may seem like a static piece of information, Vedic astrologers actually use the information dynamically to give you a more accurate depiction of your life’s path and the events that could unfold on it. Intriguing, right?!
Is Vedic Astrology More Accurate?
Vedic astrology is scarily accurate. There have been firsthand and secondhand accounts of Vedic astrologers pointing to major surgeries, revealing a soulmate or even death—down to the exact minute. Vedic astrology tends to be more accurate than western astrology because it follows you along your life path and reflects the decisions you make as well as your karmic tendencies.
Now, there’s a question to be raised here: Do we even want our astrology to be that accurate? Sure, horoscopes can be fun and whimsical, but if they predicted the exact day and time we met our soulmate, would we even need to date anymore? Would we even want to?
How Will Vedic Astrology Affect My Love Life?
Since Vedic astrology relies more on the karmic system to reveal the path you’re on, how you treat others matters! Teachings from Vedic astrology state that those who regularly foster love in their lives are more likely to welcome and find love along their path. If you’re in a relationship, little acts of love and kindness can go a long way towards merging the two paths to create something beautiful. If you’re single, little acts of love and kindness can go a long way towards guiding you on the path towards meeting your mate.
So maybe think twice before ghosting that horrible date and, instead, try sending a thoughtful text message explaining why it’s better for the two of you to part ways. You never know—your soulmate might appear in your life the very next day!
How Will Vedic Astrology Affect My Career?
Finding the right career—and growing in that career—can be tough. Luckily, Vedic astrology uses a combination of birth charts and the karmic system to help you discover where your true calling lies. Every sign in the Vedic astrology system has a tendency towards a particular career path, though the specifics of each path can ultimately be realized in different ways.
The good news is, according to Vedic astrologers, you can advance in the career you want by taking action steps like volunteering and mentoring others in your field. All these steps will score you major karma points—which in turn, will help you foster the career of your dreams. Hey, how can we foster a promotion? Asking for a friend…
How Will Vedic Astrology Affect My Finances?
Vedic astrologers unanimously agree on this one: karmically. The more generous you are with your finances, the more the universe will reward you with financial abundance. We’re not saying that you’ll magically find a million dollars after leaving some cute waiter a generous tip, but hey, here’s to hoping…
Vedic astrologers also agree that different signs have different tendencies towards certain financial habits, i.e., splurging or saving. However, if you want to make some changes to your finances, you can do so by putting more energy into the result you want to attract.
So Why Are We So Obsessed with Vedic Astrology?
We’re obsessed with the idea of an astrological tradition that is more fluid and gives us some control back in our lives. Also, let’s be real…we love the idea of being able to have another resource just in case our Western horoscope du jour comes out less than ideal. Because life is all about options, and Vedic Astrology gives us a lot of them. What’s not to love about that?!
