Golden Keys to Jyotisha: Volume Two - Paperback

This second volume of compiled articles by Marc Boney on Jyotisha, the astrology of ancient India, is focused on spirituality as reflected in a person's birth chart.The first article, entitled Astrology, Karma and Reincarnation, explains the interrelatedness of these concepts, and how a person's birth chart reflects a portion of their soul's karma due to be experienced in this lifetime, created by their thoughts, words and actions in previous births. Articulated also are the different kinds of karma as recognized in the Indian philosophical tradition and their degrees of intensity. This essay further elaborates upon the microcosmic/macrocosmic relationship between the subtle body of man and our solar system, and how this relationship forms the very basis of astrology. The second article, Ketu and Kaivalya, is about what factors in a birth chart show the potential for achieving spiritual enlightenment, and when this can occur. The astrological sages of the Vedic civilization perceived that Ketu (the south node of the Moon) was the graha or planetary entity that signified kaivalya or spiritual liberation. This article explores the astrological combinations given in two authoritative ancient texts, the Bhrhat Parashara Hora Shastra and Jaimini's Upadesha Sutras, for achieving this state. These combinations are then illustrated using the birth chart of Shri Ramana Maharishi.Some souls when they incarnate are already quite spiritually developed. Maharishi Jaimini in his Upadesha Sutras states that the degree of bondage or spiritual liberation of the soul can be assessed by seeing the over-all condition and disposition of the atmakaraka, the planet with the highest degrees in a birth chart. The Soul Quality of Saints tests this hypothesis by examining the birth charts of 15 great spiritual luminaries such a Paramahansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharishi, and Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Many more methods for assessing spiritual potentials in a birth chart are discussed along with yogas given in the ancient texts that incline a person to choose the path of spiritual renunciation.In the spiritual tradition of ancient India the guru is a central figure and is considered essential for making progress towards the goal of God-Realization. The fourth article in this compilation, entitled Jai Guru Dev, explores the astrology of when spiritual teachers and other important mentors come into a person's life using the charts of famous guru-disciple meetings such as Yogananda with his teacher, Sri Yukteshwar, Swami Vivekananda and his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the Beatles and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and many more. It concludes with a short story by a contemporary yoga master, Baba Hari Das, about true and false gurus and the importance of uncovering the guru within. In Kundalini Awakening, I share the predictive parameters taught to me by K.N. Rao regards when a person can experience the spiritual ecstasy resulting from kundalini shakti emerging from the root chakra as the base of the spine and flowing in and up the central nadi, the sushumna. These are illustrated using my own experience of this and that of others.Next comes a shorter article, Mr. and Mrs. Swami-Ji, about those factors in a birth chart that indicate the karma of having a long, happy and spiritually-based marriage. Using the horoscopes of a couple who are also ordained Swamis in the lineage of Kriya Yoga, these are detailed as well as methods for seeing spiritual inclinations in general using important divisional charts such as the navamsha, (D-9) and especially the vimshamsha (D-20). 260 pages of interesting instructional material in total.