Happy Lunar New Year 2014: Sri Jaya Samvatsara

In the Vedic tradition of astrology, there are many different calendars and systems of reckoning time (kaala chakra). One of the most common methods to determine the lunar new year is based on the astro-chart for the new Moon in Pisces, which occurs this year at 2:44:39 PM (14:44:39) on March 30, 2014, Washington, DC (for understanding the USA collective karmas we use the location of Washington).

SFPage

SFPage

 

 

 

 

 

Traditionally, around the start of the lunar new year, temple astrologers install the new calendar (panchanga) during a ceremony in which the year’s upcoming predictions are read aloud, and in their analysis they follow a set of specific guidelines for interpreting these charts. They do this for a particular country, usually India where this system originated, but also the forecast is sometimes given more generally for the world at large. The astrologers collaborate with each other and go into great detail in their predictions looking at the lord and minister of the year and so forth.

This new year is called jaya (nama) samvatsara — year of victory — and as all the samvatsaras do, it is repeating a 60-year cycle. A person born during a jaya year is said to be learned, prosperous and successful. Similar qualities will extend into the collective reality in a jaya year, too. The last time we had jaya samvatsara was in 1954-1955 (from April 3, 1954 until March 23, 1955). Rosa Parks was arrested that year for resisting bus segregation, an event which was a kindling point for the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks will forever be an icon representing victory over racial tyranny and injustice.

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Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year! In the Vedic tradition of astrology, there are many different calendars and systems of reckoning time (kaala chakra). One of the most commonly used methods to determine the New Year is based on the astro-chart for the New Moon in Pisces, which occurs around the Spring Equinox every year, this year on March 22, 2012, at 10:37:05 AM in Washington, DC.  This chart is known as the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. For anyone wanting to know more about the New Year chart, astrologer Steve Stuckey has written an outstanding article published by both Jyotish Star and Saptarishis Astrology.[i]

Samvatsara is a Sanskrit term for “year.” In the Vedic system, there are 60 samvatsaras. The South Indian calculations for the samvatsaras are different from those in North India, and there are also two different ways of ordering the years, but most astrologers today use Sage Varahamahira’s method. Continue reading