Many Westerners look to the East for ideas and inspiration. Connecting Western astrology with Vedic astrology works enriching in both directions. Although Vedic astrology is as good as unknown to most Westerners, it lies at the root of all astrologysystems. Astrology was a central science in almost every ancient culture, a science that included all areas of life.

It were the rishi's (Indian wise men), who put their knowledge about the planets and their influence for the first time in writing in the Veda's. This happened about 4000 years ago. Through India the system spread itself to all corners of the earth.

As almost all our western (Indo-European) languages are related to Sanskrit, so all astrological systems origin from the Vedic model. In India, Vedic astrology is called 'Jyotish', the science of the Divine Light, some call it 'a torch in the dark'. It is based on 4 goals to achieve in life:

• Kama, or the need for emotional and sensory pleasure (for example the Kamasutra)
• Artha, or the need for material wealth
• Dharma, or the need for life and honour, laws and principles
• Moksha, or the need for spiritual growth and liberation!

From these 4 goals in life, Moksha is crucial. The other 3 goals form the basis of every life, but are in the benefit of the high spiritual purpose and must eventually lead to that. They may, however, not be a goal in itself.

The (12) Houses (life areas) and the Moonhouses are connected with these 4 goals. The Vedic astrology knows the principle of 'Moonhouses'. There are 27 Moonhouses each 13°20 'in size; this makes it possible to give a more detailed interpretation than in the western system.

Furthermore, the Vedic astrology works with 3 basic energies::

• Rajas, corresponds to our 'head' quality: initiative, enthusiasm and activity
• Tamas, corresponds to our 'permanent' quality: inertia, stability, structuring
• Sattwa, corresponds with our 'dynamic' quality: harmonising, universaling, collectively, variable.

Especially the 27 Moonhouses are unknown to many Western astrologers. Yet this system was also known in China and in some Arab countries. In the west the Sun is the most important (our zodiac signs in fact refer to our sun signs), the Vedic astrologer however looks in the first place at the ascendant- and moonsign. When an Indian says he is a Sagittarius, then this often means that his moon is in Sagittarius, and not his Sun.

There isn't an entirely favourable meaning ascribed to the Sun, it is indeed a symbol of the ego, which has - especially in the east - always a negative sound to it. The Moon is certainly as important as the Sun, if not more important. Without a beneficial position of the Moon - according to Vedic astrology - there is no happy life.

To emphasise the importance of the Moon and its 27 houses: Vedic astrology has its own prediction system (Dasa), which again is based on the position of the Moon. The importance of the Moon cannot be underestimated.

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