Vedic Astrology, or Jyotish, originated from The Vedas (Vedic Scriptures) dating back over 6000 years. The Vedas gave evidence to a cultural heritage rich in the arts, philosophy, religion and science. Jyotish was first mentioned in the Rig Veda, and later references were also made in the classical Indian epics, the Ramayana, the Mahabarata and the great classic Bhagavad Gita.

Jyotish is considered one of the most important limbs of the Vedas, the world's most ancient scriptures and the most vast, and complete system of knowledge known to man. Jyotish translates as the "Science of Light", it is the remover of the darkness of ignorance, it is the eye of divine knowledge that is pure, supreme and exhalted.

Jyotish is a highly composite or "holistic" knowledge relating to the complete existence of this universe, integrating every branch of knowledge - all the parts viewed in context to the whole - the sciences reflecting the arts, medicine being consistent with religion and so forth. Such a philosophical orientation to life opposes the currently popular materialistic scientific view, which compartmentalizes life, in an ever-shifting focus or preoccupation with one segment or another.

The ancient sages or Seers, while in a state of super consciousness, were exposed to an intuitive vision that allowed them to cognize life beyond time and space, beyond past, present and future. In this super conscious state they recognized the energetic rays of the planets as reflectors or transmitters of light energy. These solar and planetary radio-like waves, sent out at various angles, bear influence on everything animate and inanimate, affecting humans on both biological and psychological levels. Astrology juxtaposes celestial order with earthly events, thus demonstrating the Vedic understanding of the universal connectedness and interdependence of all phenomenon.

It is said that this wisdom was later codified into rules by the sages who critically observed and experimented to formulate the laws by which Jyotish is practiced. Astrology is, at its root, guided by the Vedic quest for Paravidya (supreme knowledge) and Aparavidya (knowledge of relative truths).

This astronomical genius demonstrated by the Vedic Seers is suggested by the fact that these ancient astronomers conceived of cosmological issues that have remained consistent with the enduring discoveries of science to the present day. It is interesting to note that whereas medieval Europe still believed that the earth was stationary, Vedic astronomers of antiquity founded a system which stated that the rising and setting of the planets and the stars were due to the movement of the earth.

For the individual, the awareness of the inter-relatedness of all phenomena allows one to perceive one's own life in the context of the greater whole, leading to the Vedic concept of karma. The understanding of the law of cause and effect, or karma, is expressed in scientific law as follows; "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," and various religious and spiritual texts as "as you sow, so shall you reap." But nowhere is the law of karma more fundamental as a philosophy of life than in the Vedas.

The emphasis that the Vedas place on karma is another fundamental supposition for understanding Astrology. Accepting the lesson of one's accountability for one's life, accepting adversity with grace and equanimity, performing actions independent of expectation of reward or punishment, and cultivating an appreciation of the justice and magnificence of a "grand plan", are the foundations of the workings of karma, the ultimate, inescapable law of justice.

In the words of the Great Sage, "A child is born on that day and that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait revealing his unalterable past and its probable future results…. The chart shows what we are now because of what we have thought and done in the past… Astrology, by providing us with a blueprint of our attachments, problems, talents, and mental tendencies, offers us a way of not only realizing in a specific sense of what our karma is, and helping us work with these confrontations within and without, but also a way of beginning to rise above and gain a perspective on this karma."

Astrology is determinism to the extent that the unchangeable law of karma shadows it; however, life that is guided by free will, does not follow any preordained pattern. It is through free will that humanity may guide the future and thereby take charge of creating its own personal destiny.

It is a popular misconception that astrology would suggest that the planets "cause" events to happen. One could compare this relationship of the influence of the planets on mankind to that of a thermometer and body temperature. The thermometer only indicates, but does not itself bring about the fever, just as the planets indicate, but do not cause events to happen. Rather, they indicate the challenges one has to face during life's pilgrimage due to causes generated by the individuals past actions.

The stars to not rule our destiny; they merely record a destiny that has already been formed. They are a symbol, not a force; a transmitting energy, not an originating power. The planets do not dictate, but indicate the energies that are influencing a situation at a given time.

Astrology is the study of the subtle energies that make up our world. When we evaluate a horoscope we are looking at nothing more than the blending of energies that can combine in an infinite variety of ways. As energetic beings, each one of us is comprised of a combination of energies, which makes up the sum total of our being. An astronaut once stated that the planets in the sky exert a certain amount of gravitational force and that this force condenses the ether and gases of space into the material objects we see. It is in this manner that human beings, animals, and all matter are created. The astronaut's words indicate only a fraction of the larger truth. The fact is that each of us is created by a particular combination of planetary gravitational pulls exerted in different degrees, from different angles, and in different quantities. The multitude of possible combinations account for the variety of personalities, mentalities, physiques, as well as emotional and intellectual constitutions, we find here on earth.