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Title: Ancient Hindu Astrology for the Modern Western Astrologer by James T. Braha ISBN: 0-935895-04-3 Publisher: Hermetician Pr Pub. Date: December, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Limited Personal Astrological Readings
Comment: Because this book is well written and informative, I naturally assumed that anyone who could write a such a good book would be reasonably gifted in giving a personal astrological consultation. I was wrong. I found Mr. Braha's personal skills limited in representing a full spectrum of possibililties, and a overall lack of kindness. For every positive there is a negative and every negative a positive, but Mr. Braha has difficulty in offering the other side of negative aspects. An astrologer cannot communicate beyond the level of consciousness they personally embody, so you end up receiving their personal level of development in your reading. I once had a natal reading with Chakrapani (in Los Angeles) who was Swami Muktananda's astrologer when he was alive. I received a thoughtful, compassionate, kind, yet right on the mark reading. My chart is difficult and harsh, yet Chakrapani was capable of giving me an entirely different perspective of it that was healing. Mr. Braha's reading left me with no place to go with the negative influences, except paying money for Indian yagas and wearing specific gemstones, and paying him $175.00! So my suggestion is buy the book and forget the astrologer!
Rating: 3
Summary: Pleasant tone respectful of learning curve stress
Comment: Actually I disagree with Braha's attempt to salvage certain western techniques and integrate these fragments into Vedic astrology. The proper method for learning jyotish is to go whole-hog into the jyotish worldview -- no matter how many years you have invested in tropical thinking! However, this book may be just what the rishi ordered for the tropical-but-wavering-toward-vedic audience. If you're a Western astrologer tired of bizarre house cusps, miniscule angles, and the West's great body of fragmented astrological literature, Braha's book may help you take that first step toward jyotish. (You'll be glad you did!) Braha says in the book that because he enjoyed some life-changing readings with tropical astrologer Isabel Hickey in his youth, he believes it worthwhile to preserve some of the western techniques which grounded excellent predictors like her. Although I doubt that such rare accurate tropical readings justify preserving the tropical system (e.g., Hickey was an extraordinary mystic who could have predicted with tea leaves or raven calls as well!) I nevertheless recommend Braha's text as a clear, compassionate, straightforward, step-by-step manual for learning to re-think your tropical charts in the Vedic style. Written in a pleasant tone which is respectful of learning curve stress, it offers enough examples to introduce jyotish, without overburdening the beginner.
Rating: 4
Summary: Get your feet wet, yes--but in a shallow pool.
Comment: I have a basic understanding of Western psychological astrology, am looking further afield and deeper, and I am very interested in Vedic teachings. So I looked forward to reading this book, after rejecting over half a dozen other purported introductions to Jyotish, many of which appear to be self-serving litanys lacking explanation. I read it over a weekend and learned a fair amount about my own chart. Some of the book is well done and quite interesting: the discussion of house rulerships & how they are affected by their planetary placements, types of houses, basic yogas, use of gems and mantras to counteract malefic influences, etc. And while it does seem to cover all the bases, I was left with a frustrating sense of wanting more. For example, you're shown how to make the navmasha (or 1/9 chart,whatever that means) but not how to interpret it. And, though there is a list of constellation names, there is no discussion whatsoever of the very important nakshatras (lunar mansions)--too complicated, the author said. Well, isn't that what an introductory book is for? And isn't the use of a lunar calendar (in addition to the solar) one of Jyotish's most distinguishing features?? (The influence of the Moon is something forgotten in the West, which is why our number 13 is "hexed"--there are 13 lunar months for every 12 solar). Well, don't we all have a score of lunar aspects every month??? There are several long sections on calculations, all of which are now obsolete, given easy Web access to freeware like JuniorJyotish. And I found the long interpretative section on charts of famous people (Nixon, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe) wanting in detail and interpretation. For example, if Jyotish is so precise, why can't we retrodict Marilyn Monroe's suicide or interpret her NormaJean/Marilyn schism (which isn't mentioned, by the way)??? I would have liked to be led by the hand in great detail in the first interpretation. I've read other things by Braha which are much better, like his "HT Be a Great Astrologer" which is fabulous--the best book on interpreting aspects "Hands down," so to speak-- and his article in "Eastern Systems for Western Astrologers" (R. Grasse et al eds.) which is very good and helpful. Sad to say, I wish I had bought the "Great Astrologer" book instead, which makes me hesitate to check out his "HT Predict Your Future." This book would likely be a lot more helpful in conjuction with a Jyotish reading by Braha. Until then, I'd like to see the author update and expand this 1986 book in a second edition, drop those tedious & unnecessary calcuations, and expand some of the sections, like on the nakshatras.
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Title: How to Predict Your Future: Secrets of Eastern and Western Astrology by James Braha ISBN: 0935895078 Publisher: Hermetician Pr Pub. Date: July, 1995 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: How to Be a Great Astrologer: The Planetary Aspects Explained by James Braha, Gustave Dore ISBN: 0935895027 Publisher: Hermetician Pr Pub. Date: October, 1992 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Astro-Logos: Revelations of a Hindu Astrologer by James T. Braha ISBN: 0935895086 Publisher: Hermetician Pr Pub. Date: December, 1996 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Nakshatras by Dennis M. Harness Ph.D., David, Dr Frawley ISBN: 0914955837 Publisher: Lotus Press Pub. Date: December, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Elements of Vedic Astrology (2 Volume Set) by Dr. K S Charak ISBN: 8190100807 Publisher: Institute of Vedic Astrology Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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