Nearly everyone, including experienced astrologers, talks about the planets causing us to do this or that in our lives.

Or people say, often with great glee, “such and such is happening because of my astrology.”

The Sanskrit word for planet is “Graha,” or “Grabber.” The planets are said to seize humans with their powerful influences.

The fact is, we are not seized by planets and stars. We are seized by the results of our own habitual, limited actions. (more…)

The following exchange took place via e-mail between Sayan Banerjee, a reader of Jaya Kula, and myself. I asked for Sayan’s permission to reproduce it here as I feel it may be helpful to others.

Sayan: What do you think about the predictions made about future events in people’s lives, and is our life predestined? (more…)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote somewhere that he isn’t too keen on astrology. Apparently, HHDL prefers the advice of oracles. He did mention that astrology is important culturally for Tibetans. So he isn’t knocking it altogether. He’s so darned fair. (more…)