Vedic astrology throws light on our shadows and helps us shed self-blame and self-shame. Our goal as Vedic astrological counselors is to help people see how the planets are the puppet masters pulling the strings on our emotions and thoughts – then we can step back and stop blaming ourselves.

A good Vedic astrological consultation helps people remove blame from the planets and free themselves from self-criticism and self-punishment. Our anger is often connected to a Mars transit, and our fear and depression to a Saturn transit. Understanding the causal relationship of a transit or planetary period can create a sense of transcendence for the mind and a deep inner knowing.

This realization can create a moment of recognition, enlightening us to see that we are not our thoughts, emotions, or ego. In a sense, this is a Gyana technique – a contemplative practice that uses self-observation and discernment to move from identification with the ego to direct inner awareness. It can free us from the bondage that typically grips us.

I have used this technique daily for years to create a mental buffer, knowing that the temporary shadow will pass. I still have to do the work on myself, but I can be kinder to myself and not beat myself up as much when Saturn is afflicting me.

The Evolutionary Model: A Modern Metaphor

My evolutionary model of astrology was inspired by the classic movie Groundhog Day (Ramis, 1993). If you are unfamiliar with the movie, Bill Murray plays a weather forecaster who gets trapped in a nightmare where he relives the same day over and over. Since he cannot die, he keeps making bad choices at first – overeating, reckless behavior, rudeness. However, as the movie goes on, he takes up the piano, saves people’s lives, becomes an incredible romantic, and the whole town looks up to him as a model citizen.

The movie is a cinematic seminar on learning to be a kinder, more artistic, and more creative humanitarian. It becomes a metaphor for reincarnation and overcoming our negative past lives and qualities of selfishness, addiction, and rudeness.

By examining our many incarnations – embodied in planetary strength and in the karma of our astrological charts – we can develop a blueprint for understanding our evolutionary development. In my evolutionary model in Vedic astrology, I examine planetary dignity, house placement, and benefic and malefic influences to determine whether, through past lifetimes, we have mastered the archetypal energies of the planet. Planets with strong placements and having a benefic influence suggest lifetimes of mastering different lessons, whereas weak planets with poor placements that are afflicted suggest that more work is required.

Archetypal Planetary Models

These are some of the archetypal models of evolution I have come to understand after years of working with these energies. If the planet is strong and has dignity, the higher evolutionary lessons over many lifetimes have been developed. If it has weak dignity, it has more lessons to learn about the archetype.

Mars: Are we willing to see the slippery layers of our ego that want to be right, look good, and be better than others? Instead, moving toward how we can help the planet and serve? A strong Mars placement such as Aries or the sixth house would suggest many lifetimes of mastering service, while a weaker placement might bring out the darker energies – sexual conquest, poor ego development, and boastful behavior.

Sun: Are we willing to grow toward selfless service as the Good King, or get caught up in power trips and control for self-aggrandizement?

Moon: Are we willing to become the compassionate Mother of the Universe, ever-nurturing and giving compassion for the benefit of others – or do we devolve into cruelty and abuse? Do we get stuck in the whirling of our minds and emotions and forget the Inner Divinity at our core?

Jupiter: Are we willing to act justly with good judgment and maintain moral standards, or do we devolve into material wealth and corruption? Do we elevate ourselves by judging others in order to feel better, creating a false sense of separation that keeps us from being compassionate?

Venus: Are we willing to be unconditional and loving in relationships and the expression of beauty, or do we move into criticism, judgment, and separation? Do we lose control of our senses through addictions and over-indulgence?

Mercury: Are we willing to support the world ethically with our material skills and create abundance for everyone? Or do we get caught up in personal gain and corrupt business practices? Have we learned how to communicate truthfully and honestly, or do we spread falsehoods for personal ambitions?

Rahu (North Node): Do we get caught up in corruption and unethical behaviors for personal gains, or do we realize the futility of the material world and strive to allow our Kundalini to rise to the crown chakra and find the Divine?

Ketu (South Node): Do we realize the purpose of our existence – to unite with the Divine and help others through selfless service or spiritual wisdom – or do we get caught in the frustrating web of material success and feel that something is missing?

With the ego, our deepest level of identity and existence can be diagnosed. So often, the ego is distorted and out of balance, protecting us from facing the harsh reality of who we are. On the deepest level, it blocks our Divine identity – one of the biggest blocks to enlightenment. It continues to trick us and keep us stuck in an illusion. It is important to be somebody and to have an identity, but at some point, we have to throw off all the false shackles of our masks that block us from realizing our Divine nature.