You are the Shining Light of Consciousness: Vedic Astrology with Jeffrey Armstrong.
Jeffrey Armstrong at The Bali Spirit Festival: Yogic and Vedic Knowledge
Experienced Vedic astrologer Jeffrey Armstrong gave a whirlwind, tour-de-force presentation closing the first day of the Bali Spirit Festival. Jeffrey exudes a vibrant passion for the cosmos. He deconstructs complex astrological phenomenon for the everyman with the use of metaphors and characteristic charm.
Om Gang Ganpataye Om Namaha
Jeffrey began his enthralling star-bound narration by consecrating in traditional ritual to Lord Ganesha, “Om Gang Ganpataye Om Namaha!” we all chanted together. Jeffrey explains,
“Humans live by making mistakes, get on the right side of the trial and error process. Ganesha is tech support for humans with problems. He is the remover of obstacles. When we make a transition we invoke Ganesha because he is at the gateway. ‘Hello Ganapati?’ Am I paying attention? I am ready to go?’ Our Karma may be obstructing us… With Jyotish or Vedic astrology we can start to remove these obstacles.”
Jeffrey honors the Gurus of the Vedas before flying through the stars to distant planets. He explains that the disciple honors the teacher before they received the gift of knowledge. Gurus don’t want you to be slavish blind servants. Ask good questions to excite the Guru.
Jeffrey goes on to explain that Jyotish vedic astrology is the science of light moving through space. We represent the universe in miniature. We are the microcosm and the universe is the macrocosm. The stardust falls to earth and makes our bodies.
Humans have free will. If humans have free will then we are creating our own Karmas. Karma does not just mean cause and effect. It is much more interesting. Yoga and Jyotish meet when we cultivate two types of knowledge: truths about the universe and who we really at the core of ourselves. Universal truths result in a standard balance point where the universe operates best such as standing in alignment.
Who we really are at the core is the shining light of consciousness.
We are the Atman. Everyone is Atman. Even those you perceive as filthy are Atman. You, the Atman, are indestructible. You were never created and can never be destroyed. Everything is temporary, and impermanent.
You never began. In this timeless condition you came into manifestation. You used your free will to get yourself around. You decide where you go next. This ability to choose is the basis of our relationship to the inflexible laws of nature such as gravity.
Karma is cause and effect. It is based on the laws of nature. At any given moment you are waiting to receive your new karma. You have packages that are coming to you, which you ordered in your past lives. You may not like the bill from the IRS, but that is the stream of cause and effect.
You have free will. You can change your karmic destiny. You may be misusing your free will right now. Create karma now purposefully.
Jyotish is important because it is from a culture that realizes we are on a spiritual journey. It makes you more patient, and not feel like a victim. It gives you a bigger notion of who you really are.
Astrology is a marvelous tool for looking across time.
If you were an Olympic athlete running into strong wind, but you didn’t know about the wind, you would feel like a looser. Instead, if you know about the wind then you would realize this is just a rough patch of karma. Relax and realize this is just a rough patch of karma such as Saturn crossing your moon. Then you will understand karma is temporary.
Written by : Carrie Stiles