Many people in India (for that matter the whole world!) believe in Astrology and Horoscopes. Since the advent of civilization, men and women have often wondered about the future. Gazing at the stars at night and wondering what the universe looks like and who we are, must have crossed your mind too! Mighty as some may think, we are, after all, very tiny creatures in the scheme of things.
Astrology and Horoscopes have long been my passion and hobby. I do not know what the truth is but I do know and I am led to believe so, that there ought to be a curiosity to discover the ‘unknown’. Science, as we know, has evolved after a long and bitter battle with religion and dogma. I remember having read in my school days about Galileo and Copernicus’ influence on him. Galileo who championed the theory of heliocentrism was tried by the Catholic Church and kept under house arrest till his death in 1642.
I wish to tell a small story about how I was indoctrinated into the subject of Astrology and Horoscopes. I was then about 13 when my father who was himself a great savant of the subject introduced the subject to me since he wanted to pass on his vast knowledge to the next generation. It was always exciting for me to watch my father look through his glasses into the birth chart (janma kundli) of the visitor, ask a few questions and proceed to make his astrological predictions. The visitor would ask for remedies if anything adverse was foreseen.
Then, one day it so happened that an elderly man came to our house to find out why his sister’s marriage was so much delayed. As my father proceeded to look into the birth chart (janma kundli) of the man’s sister, my grandfather (who was a confirmed non-believer of astrology) butted in to say, “Why don’t you ask the little fellow to make the horoscope reading?” The little fellow was me! And grandfather knew (or he wanted) I would fail since I was a novice astrologer. That would definitely kill my interest in Astrology and Horoscopes!
But to my grandfather’s dismay and to my father’s delight, his protégé astrologer looked into his first ‘test’ birth chart (janma kundli) fully nervous on a summer afternoon, mind going blank, the horoscope spinning in the mind and three people impatiently about the judgement on each of their concerns. Like a good teacher, my father told his student to go ahead and predict without fear. After a few moments of studied silence, the student made his first prediction. The girl had unsuccessfully tried to elope with someone in the past which resulted in bad reputation (in those days) and hence the delay. Since the prime time had already passed, it was impossible to get her married. On enquiry by my grandfather with the visitor, it was indeed true. Having tasted success in the very first case, it was only natural that I grew my interest in Astrology and Horoscopes.
Astrology and Horoscopes have long been my passion and hobby. I do not know what the truth is but I do know and I am led to believe so, that there ought to be a curiosity to discover the ‘unknown’. Science, as we know, has evolved after a long and bitter battle with religion and dogma. I remember having read in my school days about Galileo and Copernicus’ influence on him. Galileo who championed the theory of heliocentrism was tried by the Catholic Church and kept under house arrest till his death in 1642.
I wish to tell a small story about how I was indoctrinated into the subject of Astrology and Horoscopes. I was then about 13 when my father who was himself a great savant of the subject introduced the subject to me since he wanted to pass on his vast knowledge to the next generation. It was always exciting for me to watch my father look through his glasses into the birth chart (janma kundli) of the visitor, ask a few questions and proceed to make his astrological predictions. The visitor would ask for remedies if anything adverse was foreseen.
Then, one day it so happened that an elderly man came to our house to find out why his sister’s marriage was so much delayed. As my father proceeded to look into the birth chart (janma kundli) of the man’s sister, my grandfather (who was a confirmed non-believer of astrology) butted in to say, “Why don’t you ask the little fellow to make the horoscope reading?” The little fellow was me! And grandfather knew (or he wanted) I would fail since I was a novice astrologer. That would definitely kill my interest in Astrology and Horoscopes!
But to my grandfather’s dismay and to my father’s delight, his protégé astrologer looked into his first ‘test’ birth chart (janma kundli) fully nervous on a summer afternoon, mind going blank, the horoscope spinning in the mind and three people impatiently about the judgement on each of their concerns. Like a good teacher, my father told his student to go ahead and predict without fear. After a few moments of studied silence, the student made his first prediction. The girl had unsuccessfully tried to elope with someone in the past which resulted in bad reputation (in those days) and hence the delay. Since the prime time had already passed, it was impossible to get her married. On enquiry by my grandfather with the visitor, it was indeed true. Having tasted success in the very first case, it was only natural that I grew my interest in Astrology and Horoscopes.
