Planetary Periods, or Dasas

• This is the technique of treating the entire life of the client as divided up into a succession of major periods (maha dasas); each with a unique focus, character, flavor, and attendant challenges and benefits. 
• Each period or dasa is then divided up itself into sub-periods (pratyantar dasas), modifying and adding detail to the outcomes of each overarcing dasa above. 
• The use of dasa and sub-dasas produces a coherent structure and narration to the course of your life; just as the chapters of a book divide up its main points, and each chapter itself will have various specific sub-headings. 
• Dasas have a particularly powerful way of telling you what kind of experiences you will have with great accuracy (good or bad); and indicates what you will be focusing on (work, health, relationships/marriage, spiritual initiation, etc.). 
• Western astrology in the ancient past had similar dasa systems, but with the advent of the Dark Ages in Europe its use was completely extinguished. 
• Vedic astrology uses transits as does Western astrology for predictive purposes, but transits and progressions used just by themselves do not tell a very complete story for the future of any individual.  The correct use of transits and progressions as established in Vedic astrology is in a subsidiary manner to the over-arching dasas and sub-dasas above. 

• With my early experience in using various Western Astrology techniques, I have incorporated a greater use of them than a typical Vedic astrologer would offer.  Western style transits and progression do offer things that Vedic astrology will miss occationally and I do not neglect them in my consultations with clients. 

Use of the Sidereal Zodiac

• The sidereal zodiac will change the signs one sign back (the reasons why will be explained below).  This creates an alternative, but many times more accurate picture of your psyche and destiny. 
• The Vedic/sidereal astrology uses the actual constellations of stars in the sky as its zodiac; as opposed to the Western astrology method of using a non-actual zodiac based on the changing of the seasons.  In any case, Vedic astrology is much more astronomically accurate. 
• The Vedic system with its sidereal zodiac allows a more penetrating and profound analysis of your life patterns; and how it is seen in such things as marriage, health, children, family, wealth, friends, work, and career. 
• Vedic astrology is applicable to business people and professionals for financial and career decisions, such as knowing when to take risks or not, periods of financial vulnerability, etc. 
• This ancient zodiac is very powerful in analyzing relationship situations; i.e. when you’ll get married, what are the deep issues which this relationship revolves around, etc. 
• Vedic astrology gives great self understanding, as well as an understanding of what you’re going through at any moment of time and how it is meaningful in the context of your greater destiny. 

Intrinsic Grounding of Vedic Astrology in the Foundations of Vedic Philosophy

• The Vedic philosophical system comes from the very ancient spiritual tradition of India.  It is estimated that the original Vedic culture was spread to different parts of the world many thousands of years ago and provided the foundations for all other spiritual/cultural systems. 
• Vedic astrology (also called Jyotish) is one of the fundamental disciplines of the Vedic system, stemming directly from its underlying spiritual concepts of karma and reincarnation, the divinity of the soul, and the “Four Pillars”: Artha (material matters), Kama (desire), Dharma (duty), Moksha (spiritual liberation). 

A much more refined spiritual/scientific structure

• Vedic astrology is a product of the minds of the Rishis, who were ancient Indian sages of a previous age. 
• The Vedas and Vedic astrology were created by the Rishis to give hope and spiritual direction to a dark age (called the Kali yuga).  In previous ages people lived much longer lifespans and had direct knowledge of spiritual realms and did not need books as we do now. 
• The Rishis where enlightened buddhic beings with a far greater power of vision, cosmic understanding, and spiritual wisdom.  Many of the techniques and concepts of Vedic astrology could not possibly have come from a human mind since they are so all-encompassing and sublime. 
• Vedic astrology is actually simpler in its approach; but it has a much more refined and spiritually scientific system of interpretation, and is very advanced in its calculations; including the use of divisional charts, avastas (planetary dignities), balas (planetary strength measurements), yogas (planetary/house combinations), nakshatras (lunar zodiac), and dasas systems (planetary periods) 

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