Astrology – The Yugas & The Zodiac Debate – I
Exploring the Zodiac Debate from the Yuga perspective of Sri Yukteswar
Introductory Note:
I would like to make the note that this six-part eBook (this is the first ‘chapter’) on the Yugas and the Zodiac debate comprises a knowledge framework that I do not ‘own’. I believe knowledge is something we each individually tune into within our awareness, rather than attain. I wanted to organize what I felt was pertinent information regarding the zodiac as it relates to the Yugas in one place. There are numerous other articles and writings about the ‘zodiac debate’ but I wanted to provide a broad and foundational framework to explore this topic from, especially from the perspective of the Yugas.
Swami Sri Yukteswar, in his 1894 book, The Holy Science, expounds in its introduction on the Yugas as cycles of time that relate to the consciousness and developmental changes of man on earth. The Yugas, or ages, are an Indian interpretation of cycles of time that the earth and humanity experience that is based on the precession of the equinoxes. This is a general, broad range form of astrology that relates to the consciousness of man relative to the age that is occurring in the particular Yuga cycle. Each full Yuga cycle has an ascending and descending arc of 12,000 years each to make a 24,000 year Yuga period with four distinct ages – Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. Each of the four Yuga periods having both an ascending and descending period. These four ages correlate to the ages of the ancient Greeks – the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron ages.
Basing a large cycle of time for the ages of humanity is not an unreasonable consideration. Cycles are inherent in astrology with smaller increments of time periods such as the solar day, the lunar month, the solar year of the earth, planetary orbital periods and dasa or planetary time periods. The Yugas, is a larger framework of the same principle. Sri Yukteswar suggests that the sun of our solar system revolves around a dual star in about a 24,000 year cycle which creates the phenomenon of precession of the equinoxes.
Sri Yukteswar, in his introduction to his book, expounds upon this clearly and succinctly:
“We learn from Oriental astronomy that moons revolve around their planets, and planets turning on their axes revolve with their moons round the sun; and the sun, with its planets and their moons, takes some star for its dual and revolves round it in about 24,000 years of our earth – a celestial phenomenon which causes the backward movement of the equinoctial points around the zodiac. The sun also has another motion by which it revolves the round a grand center called Vishnunabhi, which is the seat of the creative power, Brahma, the universal magnetism. Brahma regulates dharma, the mental virtue of the internal world
When the sun in its revolution round its dual comes to the place nearest to this grand center, the seat of Brahma (an event which takes place when the Autumnal Equinox comes to the first point of [the constellation] Aries), dharma, the mental virtue, becomes so much developed that man can easily comprehend all, even the mysteries of Spirit….Each of these periods of 12,000 years brings a complete change, both externally in the material world, and internally in the intellectual or electric world, and is called one of the Daiva Yugas or Electric Couple. Thus, in a period of 24,000 years, the sun completes the revolution around its dual and finishes one electric cycle consisting of 12,000 years in an ascending arc and 12,000 years in a descending arc.”1
Each Yuga or age correlates to the level of dharma or righteousness as well as material, mental, and spiritual capacity being broadly activated on earth. Kali Yuga, a period of 1,200 years, is a time when the sun is furthest away in its revolution around the galactic center, and therefore being furthest from the seat of Brahma. This is the time when the general consciousness of earth and humanity is in a very materialistic age, and is in its lowest state of dharma, it is only ¼ developed. The next period, Dwapara Yuga, a period of 2,400 years, is a time when the consciousness of humanity is aware of energy and dharma is 2/4’s developed. Treta Yuga, the mental and magnetic age, is 3,600 years, and when humanity is 3/4’s developed in dharma. Satya Yuga, the highest age of truth and spirituality, is 4,800 years and is when humanity is fully developed in dharma..
The four Yuga periods are often symbolized as the ‘Bull of Dharma’. With Kali Yuga only having one leg of the bull to stand on, Dwapara having two legs, Treta Yuga having three legs and Satya Yuga having all four legs. When the bull has four legs to stand on in Satya Yuga, dharma is secure, stable, and able to fully express itself. Conversely, in Kali Yuga, with only one leg for the bull to stand on, dharma is very wobbly, insecure and the consciousness of humanity is trending at its lowest. Kali Yuga is also a time when the material technological capacity of humanity is at its lowest as well as the general quality of life. Satya Yuga is the opposite of Kali Yuga, where spiritual awareness, virtue, righteousness, dharma, mental and material capability is at its highest state. Satya Yuga is the ‘Golden Age’. The two Yugas that lead up to Satya Yuga, Dwapara and Treta, symbolize the gradual increase in dharma, material, mental and spiritual awareness.
Sri Yukteswar states that humanity is now in the ascending Dwapara Yuga and this particular Dwapara Yuga began in 1700 AD and fully manifested proper in 1900 AD. Each Yuga has a transitional phase or Sandhi in between cycles. Essentially, humanity is now in the early portion of the ascending Dwapara Yuga. Most Indians believe that we are in the Kali Yuga (having been in this particular Kali cycle for about 5,000 years) and this Kali Yuga is a period of 432,000 years and that the whole of the Yuga cycle is a much larger time cycle than the equinoctial cycle of 24,000 years. Sri Yukteswar, in his Holy Science, states the notion that humanity is still in the Kali Yuga is a mistake that occurred during the actual Kali Yuga between 700 BC and 1700AD when humanity and general sciences were all in its lowest state of capacity.
Sri Yukteswar stating that the sun of our solar system revolves round its dual star which revolves round a galactic center as well as stating that the common method for calculating the Yugas in India is incorrect is not a widely accepted proposition. However, Swami Sri Yukteswar is mostly known as the Guru of Paramhansa Yogananda and Yukteswar, according to Yogananda, is an incarnation of Wisdom or a Gyana Avatar alluding that Sri Yukteswar is not just an astronomer-astrologer or an author of a spiritual work, but an Enlightened spiritual Master of the highest magnitude. This places Sri Yukteswar on a unique position of authority on the subject of the Yugas. One can accept this or not according to their own convictions.
The introduction of his book, The Holy Science, summarizes the Yugas in a very crystal clear way. However, another book which dissects this subject of the Yugas much further, adds a very compelling case that the equinoctial cycle of Yukteswar is describing is indeed valid. This work is called, The Yugas – Keys to Understanding our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age, and Enlightened Future by Joseph Selbie and David Steinmetz. This wonderful book goes into great detail on the Yugas and how history relates to its cycles – both descending and ascending cycles.
Around 500 AD was the nadir of the Kali Yuga. This was a time when the consciousness of humanity was at its lowest including the mental and material capabilities of man. Education, science, politics, spirituality and religion, ethics, medicine, technology as well as the general quality of life on earth for mankind was at its lowest point of expression.3 Sri Yukteswar alludes to how, in this current age – the ascending Dwapara Yuga – knowledge, human development, dharma, virtue, technology ect. is all on the rise and is comparable to the time of the descending Dwapara Yuga (which to our current time of 2024 AD would be around 1024 BC). That said, the current era is still in a ‘low age’ compared to the whole of the Yuga cycle and so this time is a very unstable and destructive and is a time that is comparable to the Bronze Age collapse of the descending Dwapara Yuga – a time period from about 1200 BC to 700 BC.4
In Selbie’s and Steinmetz’s The Yugas, details are given regarding the Kali Yuga time period in history. In the Kali Yuga, both descending and ascending periods (700 BC – 1700 AD) showcased the disintegration or even destruction of empires worldwide. The Roman Empire is a prime example which split into Eastern and Western empires around 392 AD Then the Barbarians (the Visigoths) came into Rome and constantly tried to destroy and sack the empire around 410 AD. The fall of Rome coincides with the nadir of Kali Yuga at about 476 AD with the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, being killed.5
Other empires, kingdoms and societies were dissolved, disintegrated or destroyed. China broke into multiple kingdoms around 220 AD, the Persian Empire was sacked around 484 AD, the fall of the Gupta empire of India around 500 AD, the Teotihuacan was destroyed around 600 AD and the Mayan collapse took place around 700 AD.6
Around the time of 500 AD, illiteracy was very widespread, with education and the access to knowledge highly limited. Knowledge of various sorts was greatly clouded, even destroyed with numerous libraries being burnt and annihilated. The Kali Yugas highlight the deliberate destruction of knowledge by the burning of libraries:
527 BC—The Persians burn Egyptian temples and papyri
490 BC—The Persians destroy literary works of Athens
330 BC—Alexander the Great, in Persepolis, destroys 12,000 volumes of the Magi
214 BC—Chinese Emperor Chin Shi Huang-ti has all the books in China burned
146 BC—The Romans destroy 500,000 Phoenician scrolls at Carthage
52 BC—Julius Caesar destroys library at Druid College
250 AD—Library at Pergamum destroyed by zealous Christians
272 AD—The main Library of Alexandria destroyed by Romans
391 AD—Theophilus levels the “daughter library” at Alexandria.7
Highlighting some key points of both the disintegration of civilizations and the lack of education and destruction of knowledge in Kali Yuga from Selbie’s and Steinmetz’s, The Yugas, is just two prime examples of how the Kali Yuga was like for humanity on earth. How does this relate to astrology? Astrology, as a byproduct of culture, would naturally be lost in any sacked empire and with the loss of knowledge, common illiteracy, and destruction of libraries. Naturally, this would greatly effect the availability of astrological knowledge and its practical use.
Around 500 AD, when Rome fell, astrology lost sway in Europe. The Christian Church was very harsh towards astrology and condemned its fatalistic approach and attitude. How much of astrology was seen as fatalistic is relative to each astrologer at the time, but there was tension in this regard. Religion during the Kali Yuga was a political power as well, and anything that got in the way of that power was stamped out. The combined approach of politics and religion against astrology was too great. Christian theologians connected fatalism with astrology and saw it as a threat to the religion itself. During the Kali Yuga, astrology, like all sciences, reached its lowest state and its refined power was greatly limited. Leading up to 500 AD in Rome, astrology was seen as something to be condemned and astrologers were at times forced to burn their books or face exile or be banned completely.8
In Nicholas Campions, A History of Western Astrology, vol. 1, a summary of how horoscopic astrology fell around 500 AD is given:
“it is clear that astrology virtually disappeared in Western Europe because of the collapse in literacy, especially knowledge of Greek, as Germanic culture, with its rural rather than urban focus, combined with war and invasion, gradually undermined Roman culture from Britain to north Africa….The incoming Germanic tribes had their lunar months, lucky days, star lore and constellation stories, but horoscopic astrology, with its literary base and mathematical complexities, was not part of their culture.”.9
Campions, in his 2nd volume, alludes to how horoscopic astrology really began to decline around 400 AD with the critics of natal astrology seeing it as a nonnegotiable fatalism that was ‘predetermined’ and that horoscopic astrology began to rise again sometime between 800 -1000 AD. He also mentions that astrological horoscopes based on precise mathematics didn’t seem to really exist in Europe before the 9th century and that planetary positions were only approximate.10 This makes sense with regards to the Yugas as the nadir or bottom of Kali Yuga was 500 AD. General knowledge and consciousness was on a general decline with its low point at 500 AD. After the nadir point, the ascending Kali Yuga began with astrology becoming on the rise during the ‘enlightenment period’ in Europe. ‘Natural’ astrology, or the form of astrology that deals with natural affairs such as weather based earth events like floods and earthquakes was more ‘safe’ to practice for astrologers than ‘judicial’ astrology, or the form of astrology that deals with personal matters of the individual.
In India, around 500 AD, astrology seemed to still exist and was not altogether destroyed like in Europe. The astrologer-astronomer, Varahamihira, wrote some well known works on the subject such as the Brihat Samhita, Brihat Jataka, and the Panchasiddhantika. I allude and go into to some quotes of his later on on the Varahamihira section but overall, what we find is an incoherent and lack of clarity regarding the nature of the zodiac in use and no definite clarity on ayanamsas and precession of equinoxes. The bottom of Kali Yuga was roughly the time when the tropical and sidereal zodiacs lined up (depending on what ayanamsa one uses) and from here to this modern day, we have a major discrepancy regarding which zodiac to use for horoscopic astrology and how it is calculated. The nadir of the Kali Yuga is when the beginning of sidereal Aries coincides with the Vernal Equinox. When this occurred it was exact with the tropical orientation of Aries at the Vernal Equinox. The very basic chart-diagram (the zodiac chart) that is used for astrological divination was clouded and confused from the bottom of the dark ages and its ramifications still exist today.
India seemed to still have existing astrology compared to Europe in the nadir time of Kali Yuga, but it is obvious it was ‘clouded’. The famous astrological text from India, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, is said to be written or originated from sage Parashara, who was the father of Vyasa, the author of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which is generally accepted to be from the descending Dwapara Yuga. During the Kali Yuga, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra was not known and only found and recompiled by scholars in the 19th century when Dwapara Yuga was beginning to rise.11 The text we have today is not the pure original but offers many great astrological principles and methods.
The nature of a lower age also displays a lack of precision with precise calculations of time such as ones own birth time and place. Many people even today don’t even know their exact birth time let alone during the lower ages when many people didn’t even know their birth date. Ernst Wilhelm, an astrologer, author and teacher, has mentioned that when he is in India, relatives of his Indian wife will give him their written mid 20th century horoscopes that is just a natal chart and a natal chart from the moon as an ascendant. No exact house cusps are used let alone divisional charts. It is simply somewhat primitive but with the rise in computers more exacting chart calculations are accessible.
I asked David Steinmetz, the primary researcher for the book, The Yugas, about some questions regarding astrology and the Yugas:
‘So with regards to precession, Yukteswar makes it 24,000 years and relates that to the Yuga cycle. But our current precession cycle is 25,600 years (or, that is what I hear). I have heard that Yukteswar's 24,000 year cycle is a 'mean' cycle or average cycle for precession and that each precessional cycle varies somewhat. What do you have to say about this?’
“Yes, that is correct. The actual period does vary by quite a bit. Some years ago one astronomer calculated the rate of precession over many cycles (I don’t remember how many, perhaps 200?). In fact some were 24000 years or less. I don’t think that 24000 is necessarily the average, but it is within the range of the variation over many cycles. The ancient astronomers/astrologers had to choose some value to adopt as a nominal period so I am sure they chose 24000 because it is a round number in the sexagesimal system in general use. It makes it easy to use. It is very much like their and our use of 360 degrees for a circle when the year on which it is based is actually closer to 365.25. I stick with the round number for simplicity and adherence to Sri Yukteswar’s use, but there are situations when it seems that we could use the astronomical value. For instance the interval between the beginning of Dwapara descending and the beginning of Dwapara ascending is exactly 1/5 of the 24000 y cycle. The period of the Mayan Long count which starts in 3114 BC very near the beginning of the Descending Dwapara (3100 BC) and ended in 2012ad is 1/5 of the astronomical period of precession. It is tempting to think that the two systems are related. But history fits better with the Dwapara influence starting in 1700 rather than 2012 so we stay with Sri Yukteswar.”
“The variability of the precession is, of course, calculated rather than observed. The astronomers who specialize in these matters are quite confident that they understand the dynamics of the solar system very well. The variation depends on the ever changing influence of not only the sun and moon, but also the other planets particularly Jupiter and Saturn.”
‘Is Astrology a Higher Age Science?’
“Yes I think astrology must have been developed during the Treta Yuga since it has to do with time. It is during the descending Treta yuga that we come under the limitations of the illusion of time, so they invented astrology in order to cope with time. Yet its inventors must have been able to directly sense the planetary influences just as we are aware of the sunlight. Eventually they had to package it as a system expressed by rules and patterns that would serve astrologers who did not have that sensitivity in the descending Dwapara. It is fine that we can use what parts of the system that have survived, but eventually we will have to discover for ourselves the basis for those inherited rules. Only then will we be able to develop it further.”
A unique form of astrology that is in India, and that is also quite mysterious is called Nadi astrology. Specifically the Nadi astrology that is from sources such as the Book of Bhrigu or from Sage Agastya. The method is very ancient and relates back to an earlier Vedic age when more subtle forms of astrology and divination were in practice that are not known today. The Book of Bhrigu or Bhrigu Samhita is an ancient manuscript (a library is a better way to put it) on the lives on millions of people that was created from the distant past. This ‘book’ provides tremendously accurate details of people and people yet to be born through ways we do not understand in this current age of early Dwapara Yuga. The Bhrigu Samhita is scattered in various parts of India and is overlooked by pandits that provide the ‘reading’ on behalf of Bhrigu. One visits a Bhrigu Samhita pandit, and provides their birth horoscope details or provides a question for the pandit (a prashna) to then find a horoscope that matches the time of the question being asked (a prashna chart). If a page from the Bhrigu Samhita is found that matches the horoscope of the natal chart or the prashna chart, then a reading can ensue, which can provide tremendously accurate details of one’s current life, predictions, and former lives from the ancient manuscript. Though I have heard stories of people that have had these kind of readings and found the future predictions to not be as accurate. This form of astrology most likely doesn’t come directly from the Sages Bhrigu or Agastya themselves, but probably from some sort of ‘system’ that was taught or created by the sages in a higher age where one can link information of souls into their future lives and provide crisp details about them. In Swami Kriyananda’s The Book of Bhrigu – India’s Ancient Book of Prophecy, Kriyananda details his own experiences of receiving a ‘Bhrigu Reading’ in India and provides fascinating stories and accounts of experiences regarding the Book of Bhrigu:
“One day,” the raja continued, “the pandit prepared a horoscope for a woman who had asked a question. He found that he had written two of the numbers in the chart incorrectly. He crossed them out and wrote down the right figures. When the page was located, it was found that the same two numbers had been written in wrongly by Bhrigu, crossed out, then entered correctly!” Ch. 2
“Tales of Bhrigu’s foreknowledge never cease to stagger the imagination. One day Raja Mrigendra was in Barnala listening to a reading of his. Halfway through it, Bhrigu said, “While this is being read, two of this person’s brothers will enter the room.” The raja had come from Patiala by car, without the slightest knowledge that two of his brothers also wanted to come that day. They came separately, by train. Just as this passage was being read out, they entered the room.” Ch. 4
These kind of details from a divination reading is indicative of some sort of unexplained knowledge that is beyond the comprehension and ability of our modern era. This form of astrology would be from the Treta Yuga where the delusion of time is transcended or perhaps high Dwapara Yuga. The Book of Bhrigu, suggests a refined form of astrology, knowledge, and science that hints at a higher age in general. For the modern mind, it is fascinating and sparks the awareness that a higher unexplained knowledge exists that challenges the modern conventional way of thinking.
Kali Yuga Astrology & Dwapara Yuga Astrology
The differences in how astrology was practiced in Kali Yuga and how it is practiced in the current Dwapara Yuga are quite different in the methods and attitudes. In Kali Yuga, the general consciousness is at its lowest point. Morality, mental virtue, scientific precision, the human lifespan, material technology ect. are all manifesting its lowest quality compared to the other Yugas. Astrology was simply more fatalistic and predictive based in the Kali Yuga with astrologers in general also being subject to the general lower consciousness of the period. Being more fatalistic, superstitious, and ‘fixed’ is why the church condemned the practice of it and even sentenced astrologers as ‘occult practitioners’ to death during the Inquisition of the 17th century.12 Being a low age, the Church’s power over astrology was necessary and rightful to condemn the science in general as the age was so low in morality and virtue, that atleast the Church presented some level of organization to society compared to the barbaric, violent, lustful, inhumane nature of the time. Surely, the Church was and is still not perfect, of course, but it was simply a higher octave of dharmic expression compared to the otherwise barbaric nature of the time. Saints existed within the Catholic church framework within Europe, though they were condemned at times too! Astrology does not produce such high figures – it was simply necessary to have people receive authority from Church figures as ‘extensions’ of God (more or less) rather than some astrologer and a planet(s) as a general rule. However, even today the Catholic Church condemns the use of astrology as the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly says:
“All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil’ the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.” (CCC 2116)
In India, astrology in Kali Yuga was also more fatalistic, superstitious and predictive based. The technique of yogas in astrology were much more in use. Yogas, a term used in Indian astrology, are planetary permutations that yield a certain effect. Astrologers in India, would simply memorize as many yogas as they could, even thousands. They are a good technique and still useful today, but it was simply more fixed in its approach with the older texts giving rather colorful meanings to certain yogas:
In Ernst Wilhelm’s Core Yogas, he gives various yogas from classical Indian texts such Jataka Tattva and Sarvata Chitamani among others. Here are two examples:
Kalanidhi “treasure of 16” Yoga: Jupiter in the 2nd or 5th, joined with or aspected by Mercury or Venus, or in a rasi owned by Mercury or Venus.
“One will be virtuous, honored by the kings, bereft of diseases, exempt from dangers and foes, happy, wealthy, and learned. The native’s retinue will consist of an army, horses, strong elephants, conch, drum and other instruments of martial music.”
This is a common yoga you will see in charts. I can definitely say, it does not give these exact effects. This combination or yoga, simply affords more ‘pleasant’ and auspicious qualities of experience to the native.
Liquor Yoga: “Saturn, the Moon and the Sun in angles indicates that one will be idiotic and addicted to wine.”
This yoga actually does give issues such as immoral behavior and possible addictions, but it is not a ‘set-in-stone reality’, as one can express the higher octaves of these planets in these positions.
From the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, which is from the 6th century, reveals the more superstitious and even ridiculous approach to astrological interpretation:
25. “If Venus should pass through the constellation of Rohini, Earth will assume the same appearance of death and devastation as if she was going through the ceremony of Kapalika for the expiation of the sin of murder.”13 Brihat Samhita, part 1, Ch. 9, 25.
Venus transits through the Rohini constellation or nakshatra once per year.
Geoffrey of Tours’ History of the Franks, which is from 587 AD, near the nadir of Kali Yuga, alludes to that man – people – are the causes of celestial phenomena such as eclipses. In other words, human behavior directly causes the eclipse. Such was the time of Kali Yuga.13
In Dwapara Yuga, which began its introductory phase in 1700 and more officially started in 1900, we see a much more focused approach to individuality and personal based astrology. In other words, personal development and psychology is heavily emphasized, especially in Western astrology. Dwapara Yuga is largely themed around the individual. Natal astrology is very prominent and less so ‘natural’ astrology. The chart is seen in more of an energetic blueprint rather than a fixed reality that cannot change. That one can improve their ‘planets’ so to speak – the horoscope is more malleable, fluid and energetic in general.
The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto have all been discovered or rediscovered (depending on how you view it) since the Dwapara Yuga has begun and have added depth to astrology, especially in the West. The scientific precision of calculating astronomical phenomena and applying that to astrology is more sophisticated than in Kali Yuga with computers. Astrological techniques and methods such as using divisional charts has really come into the fore especially in the latter portion of the 20th century. Astrocartography has been newly developed in Western astrology. Human Design, which is a new age astrological based system, is uniquely ‘Dwapara’ in many ways. Numerous other sophisticated methods such as using eclipse cycles for timing, and the use of the nodes of the moon for evolutionary astrology is much bigger now. There is simply more exactness to finding the exact birth time to the minute and even possibly the second and the potential to get the exact longitude and latitude coordinates of ones place of birth. People are applying astrology as a tool for self-expansion and personal growth rather than just a fatalistic blueprint. Swami Sri Yukteswars definition of astrology is particularly apt for the Dwapara Yuga:
“Astrology is the study of man’s response to planetary stimuli.”14
The key word here is response. One can respond to their karma or the planetary stimuli and make the best of it and not be a slave to the planetary flux. Dwapara Yuga is also a time when the sense of space is annihilated. We see this with phones, technology, video calls, the internet, airplane travel, and space travel. Astrological knowledge is all being related and intertwined – both east and west alike just like the global culture happening today, and so we see Vedic astrologers using outer planets, we see Western astrologers incorporating Indian techniques. We see the zodiac, both the sidereal and tropical being applied in both Western and Vedic astrology. Just like how medicine is being integrated with holistic approaches and allopathic medicine, astrology is on a similar route. With Dwapara Yuga on the rise, astrological knowledge, spiritual knowledge, and scientific precision will only make the overall science of astrology more unified and accurate as well being applied in ways that benefit people more uniquely than in the Kali Yuga. Despite that, Dwapara Yuga, even the height of ascending Dwapara Yuga is not even halfway up the Yuga cycle. The current Dwapara Yuga year, 324-Dwapara, suggests more than 2,000 years are left in the current ascending age. If we take the whole ascending Yuga arc, 12,000 years, then the current time we are in is only 12.7% of the whole ascending arc of the Yuga cycles. In other words, we are living in a low age still (though it is gradually rising) and so astrological knowledge on all levels – philosophical, technical, spiritual, mathematical ect., are all still in relatively low states. The fact that there are two zodiacs yet they both mean the same thing shows the biggest discrepancy in the astrology world and that we clearly are not aware of astrology’s full glory. Ayanamsas are not fully agreed upon in Indian astrology. House cusp systems in Western astrology have varying opinions as to which one to use. Divisional charts can be calculated in different ways. The interpretation of methods from the old astrological texts have varying opinions on how to go about them. We simply do not fully understand astrology at this time; it is more of a time of rediscovery of the ancient science of many levels.
Notes
1. The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar, P. 7, 8, 10.
2. From The Yugas, Keys to Understanding our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age, and Enlightened Future, Joseph Selbie and David Steinmetz, Crystal Clarity (2012).
3. See chapter on Kali Yuga in The Yugas (Selbie & Steinmetz).
4. See Bronze Age Collapse, The Yugas, p. 287 (Selbie & Steinmetz).
5. The Yugas, p 23.
6. The Yugas, p 24.
7. The Yugas, p 16.
8. Hellenstic Astrology, Chris Brennan, p. 124
9. A History of Western Astrology, vol. 1, pp, 287-288. Nicholas Campion.
10. A History of Western Astrology Volume II, p 43, Nicholas Campion.
11. According to Ernst Wilhelm. Also Shyamasundura Das has some doubt regarding the text. See “On the Authenticity of the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra”.
12. See, “As Above, So Below. Astrology and the Inquisition in the Seventeeth-Century New Spain” by Ava Avalos.
13. A History of Western Astrology Volume II, p 26, Nicholas Campion.
14. Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda, p. 163.