Since the dawn of humanity, man has put his effort into two areas: survival and understanding the universe. Despite numerous natural calamities and mass extinctions, man has survived, made a place for himself, and dominated this planet to become the greatest formidable force on Earth.

 

On the other hand, his quest to understand the universe and his place in it has been a mystery, even to this day. In his efforts, he has developed many knowledge systems like science, philosophy, art, etc., in his quest for truth. Apart from these systems, ancient sages from India developed a unique knowledge called Jyotish, which has the potential to uncover many secrets and mysteries of not just this universe but also explains how man and the universe are not two separate entities but one indivisible unified being.

 

I believe astrology is the missing link to understand not just man but the universe at large and our place in it. Unfortunately, modern science and rampant materialism have dominated the current worldview of the universe. But I am hoping that a day will come when astrology will be recognized and will find its rightful place as an important field of knowledge along with other contemporary sciences, filling the missing links in the search for answers that man has been seeking since the dawn of humanity.

 

On an individual level, astrology can be a great source of inspiration and a helpful tool to navigate this complex web of modern life, guiding individuals in their difficulties and helping them explore their inner potential. In my experience, I see a few areas where astrology can be of great help for people experiencing difficulties and challenges. Primarily, all our problems arise from great confusion about who we are, and most of our problems can be addressed if only we have a clear understanding of our inner mechanisms and the forces that are influencing us from the outer universe. Astrology can give us a clear picture, a map, a bird's eye view of our life and all the forces that are influencing us; by knowing this, we can plan our lives accordingly.

 

Secondly, understanding time; we have all experienced the unpredictable nature of time and how it oscillates between being favorable at one time and unfavorable at other times, making human experience truly unpredictable. Sometimes we are just happy for no reason, and at other times, no matter how much we try, we face severe challenges, continuously pushing us deep into misery. In reality, time does not exist; it's our mind that creates the illusion of time, and the funny part is we are stuck in something that does not exist in the first place.

 

Though time appears to be ticking constantly, our experience of it can vary from moment to moment, depending on Dashas (astrological time periods). If we are running a good Dasha, our experience of time will be pleasant and conducive to life, but if we are running a bad Dasha, life can be extremely challenging. This time division is a crucial aspect of astrology and unique to the Indian astrological system called Jyotish. If we have access to the timeline of the Dasha periods, we can organize our lives accordingly, which can help us overcome great difficulties with minimum trauma physically and emotionally.

 

The third significant benefit of astrology is that it can guide us toward our spiritual goals. In my opinion, this is the best we can get out of astrology. We are spiritual beings; we identify ourselves with these physical bodies because of Maya, the illusion. To come out of this illusion and work towards spiritual goals is the highest aim of human beings. Astrology can be of great help in guiding us towards this highest goal of any man or woman's pursuit of spiritual liberation or mukthi.

 

Astrology helped me in finding answers to all my existential questions, and in the process, I discovered myself. I want to share and spread the knowledge of Jyotish to people who are on their path to finding answers to their questions. After all, serving fellow people is the best way to serve God.