Letters
Well worth waiting for the latest issue, coming in a more rational time after the dust has settled a bit - Godís timing as ever!
I read with great interest Pearl Finnís Vedic predictions, but then wondered whether the dates had got seriously scrambled in the remake after your disc crashed - the ephemeris I use gives Mars going into Capricorn 8 September not 19 Oct, Jupiter went into Gemini not Taurus in June 2000 and has already moved into Cancer by July 2001, Saturn was in Taurus March 99 to April 2001, not ësince June 2000í - all very puzzling and seeming to make a nonsense of the article.
Iím sure thereís a reason, just that it escapes me.
Sally Miles
Hertford, UK
The foundation of Astrology is based on Astronomy and if you get your telescope you will probably find that the planets are not in the signs as reported in your Tropical Zodiac Ephemeris. Approximtely 1700 years ago they did coincide but since then the Tropical Zodiac is moving further away from the SIDEREAL ZODIAC. There is now 23 degrees 49 minutes difference between the 2 Zodiacs and they continue to move away from each other at a rate of one degree every 72 years. This means that your Libra Sun could probably be a Virgo Sun.
Western Astrology uses the Tropical Zodiac based on the seasons in the Northern hemisphere while Jyotish or Vedic Astrology uses the sidereal Zodiac based on the fixed stars in the heavens. The signs of the zodiac in the Western system no longer coincide with the constellations after which they were named and are more symbolic than factual.
Tropical astrology is based on the belief that because the earth is moving the zodiac moves with it. Its a bit like travelling on the train to Dublin and imagining that because you are moving Galway will continue to move with you. Sidereal astrology uses a fixed point in the sky as its reference. Vedic Astrology in India has been using the SIDEREAL Zodiac of fixed stars as it basis for evaluating human beings experiences on this planet for the past 5000 years. They use the Tropical Zodiac for weather forecasting
Vedic Astrology is spiritual, insightful and can be incredibly accurate in its precise way of explaining the events of our lives as they unfold. The rules of Vedic Astrology whose origins reach back over 5000 years do not apply in Tropical Astrology. The profound spiritual wisdom of the East is the foundation of Jyotish, the truth of which continues to leave me in awe at the depths of its insight. The knowledge of the great Maharishi Parasara from that time is seen as the foundation of this great system of astrology whose teachings still hold true today.
My own search for meaning has lead to many sources of deep wisdom including Western Astrology and for the last 5 years I have dedicated my time entirely to the study of Vedic Astrology. The journey into this profound subject has provided so many valuable insights into lifeís mysteries that my study and teaching of Jyotish has become a very important part of my spiritual practise.
If you would like to learn more about this subject you may contact me at <pearls@tinet.ie> or Pearls of Wisdom, Quay Street, Galway where I run regular 3-day Jyotish introductory courses or alternatively contact Sanjay Rath, my Astrology Guru from Delhi. He has an internet site dedicated to the spread of Vedic knowledge at <http://www.sjvc.net>.
Pearl Finn
Galway, Ireland
Dear Editors,
Not all avenues of activism require huge personal risk or sacrifice to give the giants of monopoly and speculation the real jitters. One such case is to get involved in the proposed ëTobin Taxí, named after the Nobel prize-winning economist James Tobin who died in March this year (2002).
The Tobin Tax has already garnered wide support, and this support appears to be of a good kind. Canada has taken a lead in promoting its implementation, while France is now committed to the tax, which it will bring on-line once other European nations have followed suit. In the UK,147 MPs have signed a motion in its favour and there is broad support from the Greens. Chancellor Gordon Brown recently admitted to having an open mind about it.
The campaign body Attac is one of the key organisations pushing hard for the Tobin Tax. Why not dig out some information on them (www.attac.org in France; www.tobintax.org.uk in Britain; www.tobintax.org in the US) or help the debate along by writing to your MP or phoning your local radio station? The Campaigns Team can provide you with an information pack (37-39 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 OES, e-mail: mailroom@waronwant.org).
Mario Petrucci
London, UK.