Acceptance of Vedic Astrology in the West

Being passionate seekers & having the gift for intellectual enquiry, Westerners who had already accepted the spiritual light that India had shown them, were quick to recognize and value the astonishing problem-solving power of this ancient discipline. Pandit Vamadeva Shastri, the founder of the ACVA [American Council of Vedic Astrology] had remarked in 2004, after a full decade had elapsed since the founding of the ACVA:

“Today, there is a community of Vedic astrologers in the West that is rapidly growing. The level of expertise in the subject that they have achieved is becoming equal to that of Vedic astrologers in India. All these factors point to a renaissance in Vedic astrology and its spread world-wide…” [ 6 ]

Thus, it is not surprising that with their passion for technology and rational analysis, Westerners have been the ones who have also been the pioneers in creating the most comprehensive and best Vedic astrology software programmes. All these commendable efforts have resulted in the acceptance & practise of Vedic astrology across continents, much like how in the course of the last three centuries, the English language had come to penetrate all the non-Western cultures of the world as well.

Now that we are witnessing the process of emergence of the global avatar of Vedic astrology, it may not be out of place to remind ourselves of a testimony for the efficacy of the Remedial Measures of Vedic astrology, coming from the Western world and from a ‘new Sage’, Edgar Cayce. In the clear formulation of his revelation, this Christian mystic accommodates both the truths – one of karma and ‘destiny’ and the other of surmounting karmic-obstacles through man’s exertions. In the Vedic astrological tradition, these human exertions went by the name of Remedial Measures. In Part X, wherein we examine 3 spiritual charts, we shall have further occasion to take a brief peep into the psychic-life of Edgar Cayce, one of the great American prophets of the last century.

“The inclination of man is ruled by the planets under which he is born. In this far the destiny of man lies within the sphere or scope of the planets. With the given position of the Solar system at the time of the birth of an individual, it can be worked out – that is, the inclinations and actions without the will power taken into consideration. [emphasis mine]

“But let it be understood here, no action of any planet or the phases of the Sun, the Moon, or any of the heavenly bodies, surpasses the rule of man’s will power – the power given by the Creator of man, in the beginning, when he became a living soul, with the power of choosing for himself.”– Edgar Cayce [21][See also Sec 4, Part I]