Philosophy of Gem Recommendation

Upaye - Remedial Methods

• Jyotisha tradition also prescribes additional methods to antidote planetary affliction = mantra "sacred sound" and yagya "sacred ritual".

• Yagya and mantra can be highly effective if properly followed.

• However, sacred stones are very beautiful, relatively low effort, and can be highly effective also if properly prescribed.

The method:

By increasing the person's sensitivity to their own body's psychic signaling, the stone will gradually alter a person's decision-making behavior. The person blessed by the proper gemstone starts making better, more energetically appropriate and more morally sound choices.

• As one begins to act on the more subtle psychic information toward which the stone is "attuned" the person and might, for example, change residence to a more favorable climate, seek marriage counseling, or apply for a better job.

• Benefits of the person receiving clearer psychic information include making more intelligent environmental choices which eventually (often quite quickly) will result in improved health. By improving the intuition through psychic "tuning", a and properly prescribed gemstone can teach an aware person to cure their own disease.

• As those who work with colors (artists, psychologists, chakra healers) can attest, colored light has a specific effect on human emotional and mental response . If you have explored the wonders of sacred mantra or compulsively listened to your favorite love song a hundred times in a row, you will appreciate the massive "secret" healing power of sound.

• Gemstones have the rare and powerful quality of focusing the healing properties of colored light intensely on a specific receptor-point (chakra, and of the body. However, gemstone healing is a tantric process requiring both color and sound.

Gemstone power is unleashed only in proper ritual method, at minimum by chanting the core mantra of the stone's planet 108 times to "set" the sound vibration and applying the stone at the proper vibrational time of day. Unless you are personally familiar with the gemstone application rules in detail, it is always recommended to receive professional instruction.

Gemstones can heal .

• Gemstones raise your attitude, consciousness, and "vibration" if they are properly coordinated with your radix and navamsha planets.

• Mantra with Gems combines Sound with Light to heal (repair, reinvigorate, clear) the chakras which are the central signal-transmission switches of the energy body. Properly applied, this is divine medicine.

• Gemstones have been prescribed as healing and protective devices for millennia. Why do you think Kings and Queens are always dressed in glittering jewels? To clear their chakras and protect their auras, of course!

The healing power of gemstones is not a superstitious effect.

• The stone itself assists the person to pay closer attention to the subtle vibrational patterns all around them. She/he begins to sense their world more calmly and more clearly. Calmer, clearer communication with the inner self has many social and psychological benefits, not the least of which is becoming a better listener.

• The person will start getting better information and treatment from their physicians. Listening to their body more closely, they begin to choose more healing foods. They will respond more calmly to emotional stimulus.

• Ceteris paribus, as the psycho-emotional awareness improves, improved bodily health will naturally follow.

Prescriptive Method- Going with the Flow

• Explanation of Pratikula method vs. Anukula Method.

• Kula = Bank or Slope

• Anukula = "going with the flow"; Pratikula = "going against the flow"

pratikUla

• against the slope or declivity

• contrary , adverse , opposite , inverted , wrong , refractory , inimical , disagreeable , unpleasant

• contrarily , against , in inverted order

• acting adversely , inimical

anukUla

• Following the slope or declivity

• favourable , agreeable ; conformable to ; friendly , kind , well-disposed

• a faithful or kind and obliging husband

• (in poetry) narrative of calamity leading finally to happiness.

How does it work?

Jyotisha ratna can function as"signal repeaters" which can correct energy channel transmission weaknessin thechakras.

• Anukula method works by strengthening basically good planets that are not functioning at maximum.

• No graha rules two trines from radix lagna.

  • (However a graha may rule a trine from radix lagna and a trine from Chandra lagna, which is a very good remedial ratna choice normally.)

  For example, a graha may be naturally auspicious yet slightly moudhya (combust).

  • Or an otherwise well-placed graha which generates positive thoughts may receive the enervating drishti of a negative-narrative enemy; such a graha might benefit from the shielding effect of a jewel which offers a supplemental psychic protection.

• A flawless gemstone of minimum 2 caratsset in the appropriate pure metal delivers a steady little boost to one's own native energy patterns.

• Combine a beautifully vibrating protective gemstone with a devotional attitude in life, and often the result will manifest as increased enthusiasm and prosperity based on stronger trust in the Divine.

I recommend the Anukula method of supporting weak benefics.

This system finds the "weak benefic" = the graha having the most inherent goodness in proportion to its "potential to improve".

A weak benefic owns one trinal bhava (1, 5, 9). Presumably with gem enhancement the other less desirable bhava which it owns will gradually get "improved".

Trine lords are always good.

1. A gem for a graha which owns domains 4, 10, or 11 may be prescribed during its major periods, but only if that graha occupies swakshetra or holds the uchcha or neechcha-bhanga status.

2. A graha which has no weaknesses cannot be improved since it has no deficiencies.

   • For example, a swakshetra or uchcha Surya L-5 for Mesha lagna or L-9 for Dhanushya lagna, which is receiving no inimical drishti, will not be improved by its ratna Ruby. Therefore manika is not prescribed for a trikona pati in this (unusual) case.

   • However, despite lacking remedial Jyotisha powers in this circumstance, a Manika can certainly be worn and enjoyed for its beauty only, with no unfavorable consequences.

Trine lords which normally always receive their remedial ratna:

• Shani = L-9+L-10 Yogakarakafor Vrishabha lagna. 9 is dharmic; 10 is dignified but still karmic so needs support for the work. Shani = also L-4+L-5Yogakarakafor Thula lagna. 5 = bhagya and dharmic (9th from 9th). 4 is secure and grounded, but 4 is not a lucky trine so 4 can use some extra energy from the ratna.

  • Vrishabha lagna and Thula lagna natives should acquire the best available Nilam : blue sapphire or lapis azuli.

• Kuja = L-5 [trine] and L-10 [kendra] Yogakaraka for Karkata lagna. 5 is bhagya and dharmic (9th from 9th); 10 is dignified but still karmic so needs support for the work.

  • Karkata lagna natives would receive the best quality munga : red coral or carnelian.

• Shukra = L-5+L-10 Yogakaraka for Makara lagna. Similarly for Kumbha lagna, Shukra owns 9 and 4.

  • Therefore, Makara and Kumbha natives receive hira : diamond, white sapphire, or extremely pure clear quartz crystal.

• Surya-Chandra can be considered a single planet. In the case of Vrischika lagna , Chandra-Surya = L-9+L-10 Yogakaraka. 9 is dharmic; 10 is dignified but still karmic so needs support for the work.

• Similarly for Mesha lagna, Chandra owns 4 whilst Ravi rules the auspicious 5th. 5 is bhagya and dharmic (9th from 9th). 4 is secure and grounded, but 4 is not a lucky trine so 4 can use some extra energy from the ratna.

  • A combination of best possible flawless ruby or garnet set with a pure natural pearl in a mixed base of gold and silver, would be prescribed to Vrischika and Mesha natives.

  Ratna of 1-5-9 can be prescribed as lifetime gems , with various adjustments due to Chandra-lagna and alternating gems during the suitable or unsuitable periods of the VImshottari dashaa.

  • Mithuna lagna = 1-panna (emerald) with 9-Nilam(blue sapphire) and often the 5-Diamond as well.

  • Kanya lagna = 1-panna (emerald) with 9-hira (diamond). But, because Shani = L-6, less benefit from Nilam(usually).

  • Dhanusha lagna =1-pukha-raja (yellow sapphire) with 9-manika (pure ruby) and often 5-mungaas well.

  • Meena lagna = 1-pukharaja (yellow sapphire) with 9-munga(pure red coral) and usually the 5-manika (pure ruby) too.

  ---

Important:

• Gemstones can only amplify signals; they cannot reduce signals.

• Ratna cannot reduce the troublesome power of strong negative ("evil") planets.

• Gemstones definitely should not be appliedto reverse the evil effects of a malefic planet ("pratikula" method)

  • added power from a gem will only strengthen the evil.

• Therefore, gemstones should be used only on "weak benefics".

Rules for gemstone healing are very strict .

Typically the gemstone application area is a high nerve-ending concentration zone such as a finger, ear, or heart center.

There are also some important rules for the stone itself. A pure Vedic prescription gemstonemust never be heat-treated.It must be cut properly, according to ancient technique. It must be placed in a pure precious metal setting (almost always gold or silver, but sometimes iron for Shani) by a Vedic jeweler.

The gem must be put on your hand, ear, foot, or chest at the ritually correct time, chanting with the first application the correct mantra in the right attitude of faith. Should all these steps be followed correctly and the recipient have a pure heart, a properly prescribed vedic gemstone can raise consciousness.

• Unfortunately in the modern world where most gems are heat-treated to enhance color and mask flaws, gemstone healing is Almostimpossible to do properly. Caveat emptor- buyer beware. You must be very discriminating to locate a pure stone!

• Perhaps you will be blessed to access a pure Vedic jeweler who can guarantee proper mining, cutting, shaping, setting, and application of gems in coordination with a vedic religious authority who can prescribe the correct sound waves (mantra) which make the body ready to receive the gemstone's high healing vibrations.

• However, unless these rules are carefully followed, gemstones are just pretty decorations

• For most of us, therefore, healing through direct prayer and self-forgiveness is MUCH more effective than using gemstones!

For an excellent and thorough presentation on astrological gemstones, please see Jay Boyle, Vedic Gemologist.

A typical " weak benefic" would be strengthened and improved in its life-effects via gem correction.

• Surya fallen in Thula -12 for Vrischika lagna

  1. Surya rules a good house (10) but Ravi is fallen in Libra.

  2. and

     wearing Vedic Ruby DURING SURYA PERIODS ONLY could improve public reputation, and get your international business out of the doldrums.

  3. If one had been falsely accused of low morality or underhanded dealings, this stone could help one's spouse, family, and the state think better of one

  Neechcha Shukra in Kanya/9 for Makara lagna

  1. Venus is a natural benefic and Yogakaraka(lord of houses 5 and 10) but= neechcha in Virgo

  2. wearing Vedic Diamond could bring birth of first child (5) or get a better job (10)

  3. If there had been romantic trouble with women in a professional setting, Hira could improve one's overall experience. For the female native in this situation, female competition and invalidationfrom other women which accompanies the neechcha Shukra would be reduced.

However, there are some gems which would strengthen negative thoughts or negative emotional predispositions.For example:

for Kumbha lagna, Chandra = L-6, a strong functional malefic whose portfolioincludes disagreement, debt, divorce, and disease. Kumbha native should not wear the flawless remedial pearl.

• A possible but very rare exception to the no-mukta-for-Kumbha rulemight conceivably be a medical research professional who wanted to amplify and intensify one's relationship to disease, in a context of skilled servicein clinical or laboratory medicine.

• There would have to be other supporting conditiothat graha which owns both a kendra and a trine housens in the nativity to ensure that the native oneself did not become a victim of disease or other conflict.

• that graha which owns both a kendra and a trine houseIf the other supporting positive conditions are in effect, such as Chandra being strong and dignified, such an exceptionally well prepared native might wish to wear Pearl during the mahadasha of Chandra.

• that graha which owns both a kendra and a trine houseOtherwise, no Kumbha native should dabble in pearls.

Similarly for Thula lagna,

• if L-8 Shukra = neechcha in Kanya, despite the excellent auspice of the lagnesha, IMO it is better to not wear diamond - for this only makes matters worse. To have the harmonious-relationship planet fallen in the 6th-from-7th enemies-of-the-spouse 12th bhava is obviously unfavorable. Yet better to have it weak.

  • To strengthen Shukra might attract more unsavory partners; irregular or adversarial love interests; possibly mental illness, and certainly marital stress.

• Seva = targeted to women with drug problems, victims of domestic violence, or other disorders of Shukra, can have a powerfully remedial effect. (And Seva is FREE while diamonds are ridiculously expensive.)

• It could also be beneficial to strengthen L-12 Budha in this case, because Budha = Shukra's dispositor. Budha is a friend of the lagnesha Shukra and the auspicious lord of dharma bhava; for most Thula lagna nativities, Budha is a favorable graha and the Emerald is often prescribed.

• Avoid Ruby because L-11 Surya is a badhaka lord. There is an exception which is that during Surya periods, Ruby can help to increase earnings. Be careful though. The earnings may come at the cost of distress in relationships, due to outsiders with ego disorders who might try to oppress one's individual genius and damage one's self-confidence (badhaka Surya).

• However for Thula lagna, if Moon - who is capable of providing important "ordering" leadership as 10th-lord -- = neechcha in Scorpio, one may expect from wearing a remedial Pearl to experience an increase inpublic respect by wearing a large pearl on a silver chain, to touch the skin at the 4th-chakra point, or for a woman on her left hand ring finger, or for a man on his right hand ring finger.

• Neechcha Chandra can be surprisingly effective for tantric and shamanic healing, visionary penetrating insight etc. (cf. Albert Einstein)

Carat weights and a reputable vendor

White sapphire(Diamond) if you choose to use it should not exceed 2 carats.

Shukra as Daityaguru, teacher of the demons, ought not to be overly empowered. Just a little flawless diamond is more than good.

The pushkaraja, "pukhraj"(yellow sapphire) however gets better as it gets larger.

I have bought gems from Bill Kent' in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sapphires from Shri Lanka are Bill's professional gemological specialty.

Yellow sapphire is normally prescribed at 3 carats and higher. IMO a smaller stone can give excellent results so long as you really like it. Similar for color - if one prefers a more champagne-colored yellow sapphire, just because it looks beautiful and really appeals to your sense of natural beauty, then this natural attraction should override the traditional objective of the brightest, most golden yellow glow. Successful remedial action depends tremendously on how the stone feels to you, intuitively.

• Any weight from 1.5 carats and higher for yellow sapphire will be effective. Ideally the stone should be flawless and bright yellow. Above 3 carats is desirable. 4 carats is wonderful but getting too large for a woman's gold-set ring unless one has a very large hand (and enough servants to not need to cook or clean : ))

• Over 5 carats is a very large stone that would be indeed efficacious as a remedial gem, but it would need to be worn as a pendant probably because it's too large for a normal finger in practical daily life .

• In a Jyotisha ring setting where the gem must touch the skin (ideally, the setting allows maximum contact with largest possible amount of skin), the amount of gold in the setting that is necessary to hold a large stone properly against the skin is quite expensive also, and the ring becomes very heavy to wear. Esp. for the gem of Guru, which must be worn on the index finger, such a ring could be awkward to wear in many professional settings.

• For a woman's hand (to be worn on the right hand index finger) the stone should be sized = 2.5-to-3.5 carats max, but for a woman's pendant (if your budget will allow) the largest flawless sapphire one can afford, set in gold to touch the heart chakra, on a gold chain.

• I'm sure you know, but pls. do deal only with reputable Jyotisha gem providers.

• I have bought from Bill Kent at http://www.jyotishgem.com I recommend Bill without hesitation. Bill has white sapphires (diamonds) occasionally and also he handles zircon for Shukra. Zircon = less intensity than sapphire but = still beautiful and still moderately efficacious as a remedy. Bill's yellow sapphires are wonderful. He personally obtains the gems during his frequent trips to the mines in Shri Lanka, and as a result he has very close quality control. Bill is not a jeweler therefore if you buy from him you will still need to find a craftsperson to set the jewel in gold, silver, or iron. Etc.

Q: this is just a fantasy on my part since I could never afford to purchase these splendid and glittering gems! Still, can you tell me - just for amusement - what is the size of the three gems you prescribed for my Kumbha-lagna with Ardra Chandra?

Q: when I get the gem report can you also recommend a place where I can get the gem you are advising?

General benefits of strengthening L-1+ L-5, and L-9

Wearing the correctly applied planetary gems for the 1st, 5th, and 9th bhava lords is beneficial in a general way.

However if these three bhagya lords are already strong and there are no truly adverse graha in the nativity, a ratna might not produce much change.

Usually a specific ratna is chosen to BOTH leverage a strength and compensate for a weakness.

For example, in the gem recommendation for Elvis Presley, Guru-ratna is prescribed in order to both emphasize existing creative intelligence (5) and further open access to knowledge (2).

Protection from harm?

Strong Mangala = L-8 for Mesha lagna = perhaps the native is a shamanistic, hunter, police detective, military special forces, tantriki, or handler of secret weapons storage. Also in this case, Mangala would be well-disposed and the native might welcome the high-stress physical and psychological challengeswhich would result from ramping up the imagery of bhava-8.

If Mangala is well-placed in the nativity, perhaps the native is a professional surgeon, midwife, field medic, or emergency responder who skillfully handles events caused by the sudden turning of the wheel of birth and death. Such a person will be capable of strong and positive presence at moments of extreme trauma.

During periods of Mangala, such a native might be prepared to handle some serious danger. This native would be advised to wear a large munga(pure red coral) in order to amplify the speed and intensity of the Turning of the Wheel - with the full understanding that by doing so one might end up in the "emergency room" more than once!

By contrast, the Vrischika native possesses a weakened Mangala - e.g., in Karkata, Kanya, or Mithuna -- the mungawould not be prescribed. In Karkata, the L-8 will kill his father. In Kanya, the L-8 will harm his elder sibling and mentors.

In Mithuna, it is dicey - the native may be extremely gifted in police detective and forensic work due to a certain charming conversational ability and a remarkable power to write - yet, this position is dangerously self-destructive. Therefore such a native would not be advised to wear he mungaeven in a period of Mangala.

To evoke the benefits of the auspicious house, without also enflaming the undesirable house, it will be necessary to use a non-gem method such as selfless service or mantra-puja which targets only one house.

Which ratna for me?

See the sample Ratna Recommendations.

Get the best purest gems you can afford .

Buy only from a highly reputable Vedic jeweler. There is plenty of information on the internet re: praise and complaints for various fraudulent or honest Vedic-style gem sellers.

One part of establishing the psychic channel is to cleanse your gem in fresh organic milk and rinse it in purified water before wearing. Then, holding and concentrating on the gem, perform the mantra given 108 times.

Pendants are OK too - especially with certain gems like pearls that touch the heart chakra with Moon energy. However pendants give disadvantage of the gem swinging and not maintaining constant skin contact unless one's clothes are rather tight-fitting.

Most important is that the Gem touches skin to stimulate psychic nerve channels as much as possible.

A : Jay Boyle in Fairfax Iowahas been in the Jyotisha-ratna business for decades and has an excellent reputation.

Ron Ringsrud at http://www.emeraldmine.com is a knowledgeable and reputable dealer of emeralds.

I personally am a satisfied customer of Jyotish Gemologist Bill Kent in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Bill provided me with a beautiful, nearly flawless yellow sapphire which he personally examined near the sapphire mines in Shri Lanka. after properly setting and purifying the stone, a member of my family who was the recipient had good remedial results from Bill's stone.

Unfortunately, it's necessary to be quite careful when selecting your Jyotisha gem provider, because heat-treated gems sell much better than boring old pure ones! Heat-treated gems are very much the norm in our world (heat-treating cures cracks and makes color more vivid) but heat-treating destroys the healing/balancing subtle powers of gems.

It's quite a challenge to find a non-corrupt dealer who can provide quality-controlled Vedic standard gems. There are several Jyotisha purveyors in the USA who claim to offer pure stones and very likely they are honest - however, one of the best indicators of their honesty is satisfied spiritual-aspirant customers. Be sure to ask for references. Another is the spiritual practice choice or character of the vendor. If the vendor has a spiritual practice they will usually be delighted to mention it!

Because of the obstacles often faced in obtaining a pure stone, I often say when clients ask me about gems:

"For most normal folks like you and me, Authentic prayer (prayers of gratitude not petitionary prayer) and compassionate acts of service toward others are quite reasonable and likely more effective replacements for gems."

And much more affordable : )

Planetary deities simply mirror karmic forces, emotions, and psychological traits that exist within us. There is no need to propitiate outside deities idols in order to gain control over our destiny. Superstition the belief that divine powers exist only outside of ourselves - is enslaving

Certainly, it can be very helpful to enter into spiritual communication with the deities in order to gain a mirror-image of our own internal self. But there is no benefit to purchasing a yagya, yantra, mantra, idol, or other talisman in the spirit of fear or intimidation. Gems, yantra, etc are only reminders, accessories, which serve to jog our memory of our own natural healing powers

Gems in particular are only effective when the gem-wearing person has performed considerable mantra at the right hour in the correct frame of mind. This ritual purification process is designed to align the person's consciousness with the particular channel that the deity occupies i.e., to enter into spiritual partnership with that deity

The diamond or sapphire or emerald or ruby is only serving as an energy conductor/transmitter. It' s nice to have the boost from the gem *after* one has entered the spiritual partnership - rather like having a good TV antenna - but increasing one' s commitment and concentration, primarily through meditation and serving others, will have exactly the same conducting/transmitting effect.

And prayer is much more affordable!

There are of course exceptions to the rule. There are marvelous astrologer-healers who do use gems and the even-more-potent gem-waters. But these are few and far between.and The best places to look for the pure gem dealers are within religious organizations. Unfortunately, I can' t recommend anyone to you.

Here is the Planetary Gemology Assoc page, which might offer you some further info re: the traditional Vedic gem remedies and some sample vendors: www.p-g-a.org/index.html and You'll see that even this business association has a blacklist of supposedly Vedic gem vendors who sell improper stones. Oy. It' s just too tempting to profit on heat-treated or synthetic stones I' m afraid.

Enjoy learning!

I am still curious about the larger truth of Vedic gem therapy. Probably it is a special secret of Jyotisha? Perhaps some Jyotishi are not well educated in gem recommendations?

I've been recommended by one source to wear coral for Mars, topaz for Jupiter; another expert said sapphire or amethyst. I don't know what to think! Should I strengthen Jupiter or Saturn? and Is it ever beneficial to strengthen a debilitated Saturn? What is your opinion?

A:

My own experience suggests that in place of gems, a modern person receives the most reliable benefits from:

• practicingmeditation

• eatinga clean diet

• releasinghatred from the heart and worry from the mind

• Offeringselfless service to others and prayers of praise to the deity of your heart

• enjoyingevery day as a gift from divine presence

Gems are undeniably lovely but their powers are hidden. Those lacking in tantric perception (e.g. most gem dealers) will find gem-healing powers difficult to understand. So why not follow the path of the peaceful heart and allow the karma to flow our naturally, through clean life and service?

However, if you enjoy the study of Jyotisha you might want to read these books on Jyotisha Vidya regarding gems.

Q:

A:

Gems are undeniably lovely but their powers are hidden. Those lacking in tantric perception (e.g. most gem dealers) will find gem-healing powers difficult to understand. So why not follow the path of the peaceful heart and allow the karma to flow our naturally, through clean life and service? However, if you enjoy the study of Jyotisha you might want to read these books on Jyotisha Vidya regarding gems

Question from readers, regarding gemstones for Ketu:

On your website, you mention that gemstones should be used only for strengthening a weak benefic.

For malefic benefics, they should never be worn.

So, why there is a gem for Ketu (which is always malefic)? When should its gem be worn?

A:

Ketu is certainly not always malefic. Remember that Ketu is a manifestation of Shri Ganesha! and

Shri Ketu may act favorably giving deep intuition, psychic sensitivity, compassion, and ability to merge with the divine due to His natural permeability. Ketu offers many spiritual advantages when auspiciously placed and aspected. Ketu is a very desirable meditation indicator in an overtly spiritual chart.

The problem with Ketu is that He is very detached from the material plane, so He gives no advantage in the " real world". His psychic sensitivity in an inauspicious chart can give mental illness and other errors. His sensitivity is often an unfavorable personality trait in business and government, where those who rise to wealth and power need hard shells and tough egos. Ketu gives spaciousness when favorable, but spacey-ness when poorly placed.

In India folks say, if you want to do well in business, acquire fame or money or other material-plane assets, then and certainly do not place statues of Shri Ganesha at your front door (as is the pious custom in many homes). Worship, instead, a more aggressive divine energy such as Shiva.

Hope this is helpful to you in your study of Jyotisha!

Ishta-devata

Question from a reader regarding invocation of divine attention when applying a gemstone:

Q: When wearing it for the first time on the proper day and time, should you recite the proper mantra? even if you practice a different faith like say Islam?

Or should you say a small prayer in your faith before wearing the gem for the first time?

A: Thanks for and your excellent question about applying a Jyotisha remedial gemstone.

Always stay and true to the form of divine love which you know in your heart.

• If you practice Islam, then yes please do address your prayer of gratitude for the good fortune you have received in acquiring this gem, to the familiar name for divine intelligence which guides your Islamic Consciousness

• If you practice a Christian tradition, please address your gratitude to the glory of the deities and saints who guide your spiritual awareness.

• In the Jewish tradition, please address your prayer to the One who gives All.

• In the Hindu/Indus/Saraswati/Vedic traditions, the proper mantra will be addressed to the guiding spirits identified in that diverse legacy.

• One who knows the Ancestor Traditions will want to offer praise and gratitude for the beneficence of the guiding family ancestors.

• Practicing Buddhists will want to shape their prayer of gratitude to match their highest awareness.

• Those most suited to worship within the Nature Traditions will invoke the deity of their heart.

As your spiritual awareness expands, you will learn to recognize the presence of many, many guiding forces that surround and protect us here on Earth.

However, there will always be One special, intimate relationship with a particular form of divine consciousness that makes us feel most deeply loved and cared for. In Sanskrit this special divine love partner is called the "Ishta-devata"or "the god of one's heart."Use the name of that divine protector whom you recognize most intimately

That is the name which safeguards you while it resonates warmly in your heart.

Q: Will a Jyotisha reading, combined with a gem or yagya prescription, aid my journey through a difficult Shani period?

A:

Namaste,

I do sometimes recommend remedial gems, with the caveat that Vedic gems must be 'pure' and properly energized to have effect. I am less inclined toward yagyas, but if the person has a good relationship with a reputable priest in India I do not oppose the method.

Ultimately I prefer that the native accept personal responsibility for their situation, and commit to a healing practice of meditation and service to those less fortunate (" seva"). I believe that forgiveness and intelligent awareness of the power of one's own expectations, shaped by childhood experience and education, are more reliable tools for remediating life karma.

In particular I discourage superstition, which is a victim's choice to put the power outside oneself (super v= above, stit = position or standing). Many of us were raised or educated to view life as a process which happens "to" us; unfortunately this is a victim view. The correct view is that we are empowered creators of our own situation

We create every moment of our life experience through projecting our subconscious expectations upon the blank movie screen of our perceptions. Therefore, observing the intricate process of that projection will eliminate karma of powerlessness, victimization, stuckness, and enslavement very quickly. Superstition is the best way to sustain bondage to old habits, exhaustion, and fear.

I do offer Jyotisha readings which can help outline the pattern of subconscious expectations and predict which expectation will manifest at points on the timeline. However the power to change one's experience of this timeline lies entirely within the individual. Subconscious expectation is extremely strong and has built up through many lifetimes. The probability of our making massive, revolutionary changes to these deeply established patterns is relatively small. That's why Jyotisha is such an accurate predictor of what will happen "to" a person: the patterns are set over eons of incarnation, and the person is very much accustomed to allowing the patterns to play out without conscious interruption. However, if the person is spiritually inclined (rare, but possible) they might be interested in starting to make a few small changes.

The best way to start chipping away at the massive accrual of fear and resistance which characterize any Shani period, is to accept responsibility for managing one's own mind. It is indeed very difficult to drive a wedge between the mind and its expectations

Probably the single best method for getting empowerment during a Shani period is not a gem or a yagya, but rather doing service for the less fortunate. Ideally, choose a service practice directed toward those who are only slightly less fortunate than oneself - not too different from oneself, who are suffering the same type of oppression as oneself, only slightly more intense and disabling.

For example if one is having money problems (typical of Shani) choose to serve those suffering a worse experience of scarcity - and observe how their negative expectations (fears) cause them to make the same scarcity-ensuring choices, repeatedly

Shani sends a fearful signal from the reptile brain which says "there isn't enough!" It is possible to interrupt that signal, but only after one has seen objectively how it operates in other people. So, choose to serve some dramatically poor people and watch their repeating habits!

If one is having relationship or connection problems (another hallmark of Shani) choose to serve those who are more lonely, more isolated, or more paralyzed. Observe how they are afraid to make connections, then claim that some outside force (excessive duty or busyness, low rank, ugliness, some form of unapproachability) blocks their power.

Shani is about power blocks, negative expectations, fear. It is not easy to release habitual fear but it is *possible,* mainly through self-awareness and accepting responsibility (not guilt!) for one's own projections.

It seems very unlikely to me that any type of superstitious practice, in which one grants the remedial power to an outside person or object (priest, magical diagram, or gem) will remove deeply embedded personal subconscious fears. Only consciousness can take charge of the mind and begin to manage it.

However, during the management training process, I do believe that a practice of "reminding" oneself of Shani's presence will be helpful

• Wearing dark blue clothes, and

• wearing jewelry of lapis lazuli or blue topaz set in silver (ritually empowered or not, remember these are mental-note type of reminders not magical objects) and

• writing with dark blue ink and

• decorating the "responsibility" wall of one's home (according to Feng Shui rules) with dark blue (almost black, but still blue) and

• enjoying deep, dark blue religious images in any religious tradition:

  • And visual images of Shri Krishna in His darkest-darkest blue complexion; and

  • sacred calligraphy painted with lapis-azuli pigments in mosques

  • deep blues robes of Christ, Virgin Mary, or the Saints

  • darkest blue "medicine Buddha"

  • deep blue textiles, paints, and glass tints in sacred Jewish environments

  • painted and infused blues in native, druidic, pagan, and indigenous traditions worldwide and

  • gazing into the deepest blue waters in your local natural environment (often a very deep pool in nature) and

... all of these and any other opportunities to choose beautiful, sacred or delightful reminders of Shani's presence, aid appreciation of Shani's power to create Enlightenment. (unburdening of our attachment to fear)

I do utilize gems where appropriate but only as an aid to consciousness

I believe that selfless service is much more powerful to alleviate karmic struggle with fear than any other remedy. There is always someone struggling worse than oneself who can exemplify the habits we are at the moment, trying to break. This is why service is so empowering for the person who undertakes it!

Jyotisha Jewelers in North America:

• http://www.planetarygems.com - Fairfield Iowa

• http://www.jyotishgem.com - Victoria, BC, Canada - Bill Kent, highly recommended!

• http://www.astrologicalgem.com - Fairfield, Iowa

• http://www.johnbakerjewelry.com - Fairfield, Iowa

Q: I heard that L2 and L7 are known as maraka graha, so would there be any problems in the future if I wear yellow sapphire because of my L2.

A: Maraka empowerment of gems

Despite what superstitious believers may fear, gemstones do not have the power to kill people.

However, negative thoughts do have the power to kill people

The graha which rules the House of Wealth Hoards (L-2) also rules the House of Death (L-2) and the House of the family history(L-2). The L-2 graha represents a broad field of thoughts which affects the materialization of these outcomes and much more that is represented by dhana-bhava.

• If a person's thoughts are positive and creative the L-2 can encourage the development of wealth

• If the person's thoughts are negative and frustrated, the L-2 can encourage the development of death.

Positive or negative character of the L-2 determines whether the ratna is prescribed

Your L-2 = Brihaspati = generally a positive, friendly, and gainful graha. Therefore IMO the Guru-ratna, a pushkaraja, "pukhraj"(yellow sapphire) is warranted

IIn some other nativity, the L-2 might be a difficult or dangerous graha, for example, Mesha-Shani. In that sort of nativity, it would not be recommended to wear the gem for the L-2 because the thoughts which fuel the manifestation of all the various outcomes associated with bhava-2 are predominantly negative per the neechcha papagraha L-2.

Amplification of existing thoughts only

Remember, the power of the ratna is a psychic power similar to a signal-amplifier in a transmission station, such as a network router. The ratna only transmits, repeats, and amplifies one's existing thoughts

If the basic thoughts are good, the material outcome will be good

You are lucky to have some good thought-producing planets to work with!

Makara graha and death timing and predictions

In Jyotisha prediction, the stronger one of the two maraka graha+ L-2 or L-7, is expected to provide the Vimshottari dasha timing for permission to leave this earthly vale

In your nativity, the highly gifted uchcha Shukra in the 5th house of divine intelligence is very strong. The Ketu/Shukra period your age 91-93 will double the effects of your L-7 Shukra, therefore age 91-93 is the time period that is most likely to signify the end of life

However if you decide when you reach that honorable age that you still have more fun things to do here on earth, it is only a matter of concentrated thought to further extend the life toward a specific and positive purpose.

Q :

Hello Barbara, ... I know few things about my chart which was told by my family priest. However I have no strong and effective remedies available to overcome these problems. Do you think, astrology has that power which can help us in reducing the effect of malefic planets and dosha? At the moment, I am struggling on every front in my life. Life is just one step forward and two backwards.

A : Namaste. Thanks for asking a very good question about traditional Jyotisha remedies.

In my opinion, the vidya of Jyotisha does not have the power to reduce the effect of malefic graha, since Jyotisha is only the lens through which we view the mentality of the native . Jyotisha itself cannot change anything.

Jyotisha gem prescriptions similarly do not have the power to remove the effect of malefic graha, planetary "dosha", and purported curses.

How Pure Gems Work

Graha-ratna, in my view, possess a radio-crystal type capability to repeat subtle subconscious thoughts, beliefs, and expectations. Flawless gems, strategically placed at major junctures along the psychic nerve system (chakra points, nadi points, chi points, marma points) can function as signal-repeaters similar to a cell-phone transmission tower or a wireless internet router

• The gem must touch the skin (which is the interface between the psychic and physical nervous systems) and it must be set in a pure metal such as gold, silver, or platinum, to realize its signal-repeating capabilities.

Karma - As Above, So Below

Humans, at birth, carry in a great deal of reactive baggage from past lives. This great bundle of historic (but largely unconscious) memory is commonly called "karma" (the obligation to action and reaction).

• The Law (or map) of interactive Karma is represented by the map of the graha in our solar system (and perhaps beyond). "As above, so below."

• Therefore a Jyotisha nativity can be an accurate map of the thoughts, beliefs, fears, hopes, dreams, and expectations which a person brings into this life, and which dictate the course of one's life path.

Gems - As Above, So Below

Flawless, properly energized (through mantra and ritual cleansing) gemstones, then, can amplify and clarify the esoteric signals emanating from the graha at a great distance, which are exactly matched by the thought-belief-signals emanating from the native 's own conscious/subconscious.

Awake or Asleep

The vast majority of the expectations and beliefs are subconsciously held. Very few people "wake up" during life to realize that one is generating one's own reality precisely according to one's own mental and psychic practices. Precisely according to the map of the heavens. But, luckily for us, there are a few in each generation who do "wake up" and they do guide the rest of us out of our foggy slumber...

• In any case, whether the person is "awake" or "asleep", the gems function as signal-repeaters to amplify and clarify the implicit and explicit beliefs and thoughts of the native . Certainly we would not want to amplify negative beliefs, which will then generate negative consequences on the material plane.

• Therefore graha for temporal malefics are never prescribed, and for natural malefics gems are prescribed only when a natural malefic (such as Kuja) might be doing a very good job in the nativity (such as for Karkata lagna, when YogakarakaKuja could, in some placements, act in a beneficial way for leadership or war-heroism, etc.).

• Ideally only gems for benefic graha should be worn, and those considered quite carefully before choosing.

Positive Flooding

• Your question is about "overcoming" malefic influences.

• One possible approach is to "flood" the negative mentality with positive belief and expectation.

• The power of flooding with prayer is well-known - the person simply prays constantly, with a single thought in mind, until that thought manifests. (This works great if the person is not also in denial about holding the opposite negative thought.

• Like saying "I want to be rich" and then hating all rich people! Of course that boomerangs.)

• Think: I love and appreciate wealth, and I am filled with gratitude for the wealth with which I have already been blessed.

• The fastest route to wealth is mental. Be careful mentally to avoid a tamasic tendency (which we all have) to take things for granted. EVERYTHING has value.

• Look around and take inventory of the extraordinary wealth that is already tangibly present in one's life. Make a list.

  • Wealth of family members, teachers, house and school, the spectacular blessing of a physical body, a balanced and healthy brain to operate it : ), books and oral traditions, internet and popular songs that tell stories, one's power of language,

  • cash money, vehicles (even the privilege to ride on a motorized vehicle is a big blessing and most people in the world get this rarely); animals and plants, food and drink --- need I go on?

  • The list is huge.

• Puja: Make a list of nine items of wealth in one's life. Place the list upon one's altar and say 'thank you'. (Prayer of gratitude.)

• Do this every day for nine days.

Malefic does not cancel Malefic, but rather increases it

One could try to negate malefic, evil thoughts such as jealousy and anger, by choosing a super-powerful benefic graha-ratna, and see good effects through flooding the psychic nerve system with positive signals.

• However one cannot directly remove ignorance with ignorance, I.e. one cannot remove the karma of greed or hatred by wearing the stone for the planet which is the "matching" thought-generator for greed or hatred (probably Shani or Kuja). That is why I do not prescribe gems for the 'papa-graha' or for the lord of any dushtamsha. Such a malefic repeater would fill the native 's mind with dark thoughts and make things much worse.

• Similarly, talismans and other superstitious objects (there are thousands to pick from) are all extremely false and misleading, since their power is claimed to "ward off outside evil". For better or worse, evil does not originate 'outside' a person. All evil consequences are the direct result of one's own thoughts, beliefs, and expectations. Again, sadly, few people are much aware of the inventory of one's own beliefs, and most people live in a fearful and deluded state, believing that things happen "to" them, throughout life.

Value of talismans, other superstitious objects

I do think talismans, magic charms, relics of saints, golden statues etc. - all the pretty jewelry of superstitious belief systems - are very good to use as REMINDERS. A lucky charm might be very handy as a reminder to keep a solemn holy vow, or to stay true to one's higher principles in a moment of hot temptation. My own house is full of holy pictures

But the native should never be tricked into believing that the object possesses any independent power, whatsoever. The only thing that has any power in this life is the Human Mind.

Releasing negative expectation

Ultimately, the person who wishes to reduce the effect of malefic graha in one's Jyotisha nativity must accept responsibility for having acquired the negativity in the first place. Usually it was acquired in past lives which are difficult to remember. Therefore, simply accepting responsibility in a general way, without needing to get back into the details of previous lives, seems to be the best approach.

Mature adult responsibility

Taking responsibility for one's own moral development is not the same as accepting guilt or living in sorrow for past actions

Actually, when one has karmicly matured to the point of being able to perceive that one's own expectations are indeed what is creating the unfoldment of karma, and nothing else - then -- the act of accepting responsibility for purifying one's thoughts is a moment of great liberation! Definitely not the bondage of guilt, or the slavery of superstition.

Summary

Sorry, that was rather a long answer to your simple question. The short answer is that no, gem remedies will not counteract subconsciously held negative expectations. However, graha-ratna, properly applied, will indeed amplify the positive, beneficial expectations which are matched by the rays of benefic graha.

Talismans, rituals, superstitious objects and practices, can never have any effect on evil. Evil arises only from negative expectations stored in a person's belief system.

Superstitious objects can serve as helpful and (if they are artistic) beautiful reminders of one's own committed intent to practice compassionate, moral behavior, with the ultimate aim of freeing oneself from karmic bondage altogether. However, usually, superstitious objects perpetuate the ignorant and quite harmful viewpoint that evil is something "outside" oneself.

Divine Intelligence - a conscious choice

There is only one creative power in life, and that is the power of Divine Intelligence which runs through the human mind. If the Divine Intelligence is given full conscious attention, evil thoughts (such as fear, worry, rage, jealousy) will be greatly diminished. Becoming a source of spiritual light by constant focus on good thoughts and well-wishing toward others, the person may find they become completely free of worry and want on the material plane.

• Gems can be moderately helpful in amplifying that quota of positive beliefs and expectations carried in at birth. But IMO, selfless service and sincere prayer, undertaken as a conscious adult, have a deeper and more life-changing effect.

Hope this viewpoint is helpful! If you are struggling personally (as most of us are!) please allow me to recommend a wonderful, plain-English book which may assist you: "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy (PhD). [ISBN-10: 0735204314 ]

All the best,

Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha www.barbarapijan.com

Q:Namaskar: and do gems effect the person who wears it and simultaneously the partner of that person?

My partner has Yogakaraka hani, and blue sapphire is the best gemstone for her. For me, Shani-ratna is a dangerous gem. So when we are associated, will not the blue sapphire negatively affect me or the red coral I am wearing affect her?

A/span>:As far as I know, no. Gems worn by one person do not directly affect the bodies of their spouses or close companions.

The gem, having been properly purified with mantra and sunlight, placed on the body of the human at the correct time of the solar day, and worn with intention to live a holy life, will affect only the signals conducted through the psychic nadi channels of the energetic body of the person who is wearing the stone. The effective range of a 3-6 carat gem is very small, affecting only one chakra point of one human body usually

However there are some spectacularly large crystals which do have much larger auras or signal-repeating fields, and those large crystals do affect large groups of people./p>

Q:respected madam, first of all I would like to thank u from deepest core of my heart, for or help, advice and guidance, as u have written about me wearing flawless ruby and blue sapphire after oct 2009 .

i totally am convinced and looking forward to wear these gem stones ,but I went online to see how much they cost ,and I was stunned by the prices ,my question is will I have that much money to buy these gemstones ever, going through very hard days of my life from last 9 to 10 years. nothing much.

Once again thanking you

A:Namaste. If the gems are too expensive (yes the cost is stunning!) that is no problem. Exactly the same beneficial results can be obtained through Seva, or charitable service. In fact, in my experience, the results of offering service to those less fortunate are much better than with gems.

Your main financial strength occurs during Shani Mahadasha, beginning when you are 52 years old. You will be OK until then, but probably not a rich man until the Shani period starts. So, Seva is the superior option for you. Anything that feels blocked in your life, look for those for whom it is blocked a little bit worse.

For example, if you feel that your career position is too low but you can't muster the energy to find a better job, consider offering job-finding service (such as preparing letters of introduction or recommendation) to those who have even lower positions and usually lack the skills to find a better job.

What happens is that one begins to see the lower people's negative thought patterns, which are actually preventing them from moving toward their goals. What they are doing in a big way, you are doing in a small way -- and the good news is that once you can identify the problem in one's own thinking, by watching the "mirror" of those who have it worse -- it is surprisingly easy to fix.

So, please do not be disheartened at the huge cost of gems. Seva is a much more effective method and easily available. Indeed, it is free except for the cost of your time.

All the best, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

Q:A s you can see from Chandra + Shukra in the ari bhava of my kundali, plus the notorious Rahu in radix lagna, I have been struggling with a flesh-weight issue in the physical body for a long time. Is there a gemstone or a puja that could help me to reduce the body weight? Should I be wearing a larger carat weight of gemstone proportional to my larger body size?

A : Chandra in Kumbha in bhava-6 yuti Shukra can lead to nervous disorders, in particular eating disorders motivated by Shukra' s sensual instincts to assuage the deep frustrations of life with easily available but naturally short-term sensual pleasures. Because Shani casts a regulatory drishti upon your nervous sixth house, application of a Nilam (blue sapphire) may increase personal discipline, allowing the native to accept some of the conflict which the mind is trying to numb. Self-compassion and an attitude of non-blaming will be essential to success. In particular, since Kumbha is lord of both Chandra and bhava-6, acupuncture treatment may be successful with medical imbalances.

• Size of gemstones is not related to the size of the physical body. Gemstones are astral signal-repeaters which work on the more subtle channels of the astral body. The outer boundary of the astral body for a normal person is about six inches past the end of the " kinesphere" , i.e. just past the fingertips when arms are spread widest side-to-side.

• However, the aura (egg-shaped energy field of the astral body) of a person who is world-famous, and on the front page of every news media every day, is literally world-wide. Their Jyotisha prescriptions must be highly specialized. These world figures often need very large ratna. Luckily, in their high-profile positions, they can usually afford the tremendous cost of the world' s best gemstones.

BTW, if you choose to explore an acupuncture approach to body weight management (and this is likely to succeed due to Kumbha = 6) please remove any Jyotisha remedial ratna before receiving the acupuncture treatment .

After the acupuncture is finished for the day, put the ratna back on. Repeat this pattern with every treatment. The gems will probably work more effectively after your subtle electrical channels have been cleared by the acupuncture. The two therapies, remedial ratna and acupuncture, utilize the same subtle electrical frequency "bandwidth", And they can be paired to bring ultimately more beneficial results -- but do remove the repeaters ( ratna) while you are getting your channels cleared.

Q:(Both the native and his beloved aspire toward professional growth in the film/media entertainment industry.)

Venus and Moon together rule films and media arts. If I go through my D-9 chart, Venus is neechcha there. Does this suggest the partner's struggle in getting film work? Correction of Venus by wearing a White Sapphire or Moon-stone help here?

A:Neechcha Shukra

1. correct the thoughts which are unconsciously driving the behavior

2. then apply the stone as a reinforcement to the vow

Be cautious of trying to 'correct' neechcha Shukra via wearing of white sapphire.

Yes a diamond is the appropriate gem remedy, but the underlying psychological imagery is powerful, and the imagery should be corrected/acknowledged BEFORE applying the gem.

TThe nature of neechcha Shukra in the mind is that one cannot access one's own beauty due to excess mentalism in the wrong perceptual compartment. Budha's critical, analytical intelligence has damaged Shukra's wholistic, sensual apprehension of and beauty. The visual and moral attractiveness is damaged or destroyed.

When Shukra is empowered, one's experience of being attracted to beauty occurs in the moment of perceiving a balanced whole. One with neechcha Shukra destroys the unified, balanced design of beauty by over-analyzing the whole into its component parts. The inappropriate, past-life baggage behavior is self-criticism and self-abnegation, which is really an insult to the divine love of beauty... especially the beauty of women. In some past life, being attractive got the native into a lot of trouble! One was too attractive, too beautiful (or so it seemed) and one said to oneself on the death-bed: "I will never allow myself to be or be seen as that much beautiful, ever again!" Of course this is over-reacting, but the mind has remembered it and the old thought habits will continue to repeat until they are consciously reverse./p>

Luckily this situation can be corrected with attention to one's own karmic action-reaction pattern and specifically a tendency to be frightened of one's own attractiveness and to mistreat women through criticizing their appearance.

FFor women, the lady does not believe she is beautiful/attractive, and she finds company with other women who also suffer low self-esteem and who engage in destructive criticism. There is a tendency to over-analyze toward the humiliating result of "sexual attraction is just about anatomical sex acts" and on that self-belief to slip into prostitution.

• In severe cases only but the logic is clear: one has mentally reduced something exquisite and intangible. neechcha Shukra reasons that love, which is the wholistic perception of beauty and deep attraction between the partners, is nothing more than the sum of its mechanical parts (money, sex, hormones, pleasure-drugs). This faulty reasoning damages one's experience of human love and furthermore every glance into the mirror is an experience of low self-esteem and pain/p>

For the man, he is attracted to women with anxiety about their essential beauty. Their low-self-esteem can drive them into prostitution, drug addiction, and harming other women.

The key problem is over-analyzing the perception of beauty. Each person is perfectly beautiful in their soul, and the body is the material image of the soul. Therefore the tendency to criticize and break-apart the perception of beauty via mentalizing must be addressed behaviorally.

• A woman must take the vow to refrain from criticizing herself, and then to release any desire to criticize or destructively analyze the beauty of other women. She must commit to a state of neutrality in her mentalizing behaviors.

• For a man , he should take a vow of never mistreating or belittling the value or attractiveness of a woman. He should know that he is karmicly attracted to low women, or troubled women, and that it is his own insecurity about his attractiveness which he is projecting upon the women in his environment.

If this level of awareness and commitment to manage the karma has been achieved, then IMO the subconsciously negative images which are being transmitted through the signal-repeater function of the Hira will gradually transform into positive images.

If the vow is established, it becomes potentially beneficial to apply the white sapphire. Once the committed intentional changes in karmic action-reaction have been established, and the native is attending to one's karmic responsibilities, then the remedial gem can be applied.

On a Friday, set in silver, after the gem has been properly energized through mantra, and after meditation on Lakshmi-Saraswati-Parvati in request for their support in finding luxurious beauty, in this world.

Luxmi = luxury.

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

www.barbarapijan.com

Q: How can I tell if this gem suits me? I've heard of a woman who uses an electric machine to gauge whether the gems are working or not. Reluctant to spend the money on a dud.

Colors for Clothing

Q: Hello and Happy New year!Ma'am

Concerning the trinal rulers from udaya lagna and chandra lagna,would it be beneficial to wear colored clothing associated with the graha of these houses?

SSay, saturn rules 5th house from Virgo rashi, so it will be good to wear black or dark blue?

Or for leo rashi,yellow since jupiter rules the 5th house.

Thank you for your time.

A: Namaste,

Q: I have been told by some other astrologers not to wear any Jyotisha ratna on my fingers. Rather, I am supposed to wear them only in a pendant chain hung around my neck. Why?

A: Your Kanya-lagna kundali with an L-6 Shani in Simha can signify a risk for heart disease, esp. stroke. It' s possible that the consulting Jyotishi is trying to maximize the heart-touching benefit of reducing some of the psychic hardness of your heart, due to past-life jealousy (6) or due to resentment of the creative intelligence of another.

• Placing the pendant directly on the Anahata (4th) chakra at the heart-center is always a good idea, because the heart-chakra functions like a " switchboard" that dispatches sub-particulate astral signaling throughout the subtle nerve network of the astral body.

• Also, in practical terms, many western men do not want to wear jewelry. Rings may interfere with their costume or job performance. in certain cultural settings, gemstone-jewelry may look too feminine. As a result, there is a broad habit of prescribing pendants for men in preference to rings, overall.

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

Q: If we adhere to the rules and regulations for wearing them do you think these will have a major benefic affect in the person's life?

A: the gems can function as subtle signal-repeaters similar to the repeater switches in cell-phone towers. The original signal is the person's thought. Since we are have many thoughts, there is a great deal of traffic in the mind.

We can choose to emphasize a particular positive thoughtin many ways.

• Meditation upon a loving deity is an excellent method of bringing more love and wisdom into one's life. Mantra is extremely effective if regularly practiced. One may wish to remind oneself of higher values and support the spiritual practice of others by making donations to the less fortunate, and by tithing to temples. If consciously intentional, these methods will reinforce one's intention to live the most spiritual life possible.

• One may also select a gemstone intentionally, coordinated with the Jyotisha nativity.

• The gemstone will function as a signal-repeater and intensify the "pulse" of one's preferred thoughts. Also the visual reminder of the stone upon one's finger or other chakra point serves as a daily reminder of the intent.

The important thing is not the ratna; the important thing is the intention. The ratna are only one method, albeit a quite effective one, of intentionally amplifying a subset of one's thoughts in order to bring the most positive expectations forward into manifestation in this life.

Q: Can I wear a diamond for my Thula lagna while at the same time wearing the mungafor my Mesha Moon, during my Chandra Mahadasha ? I found a beautiful red coral (it has actually been in my family for some decades) and would like to have the setting adjusted to fit me. May I know, your view on whether Shukra-ratna and Mangala-ratna can be worn at the same time?

• Diamond channel is the cool lunar left side of the central nadi core, "ida" whereas Mangala-ratna channel is the hot solar right side "pingala".

• Mangala and Shukra are mutually neutral graha so it's OK to wear both gems but they should be spaced -- e.g. diamond on left h coral on right hand, or diamond on hand with coral on heart.

• This arrangement can give quite good results when Shukra and Mangala are in mutual trines within the Jyotisha nativity.

Q:Thanks for your advice on size of the Diamond for my treasury house. I'm really trying to get the family business going after my family allowed it to languish for nearly a decade. I understand the other prescriptions but I have a question about Vaidurya. A priest recommended that I should wear a Ketu-ratna. Do you think wearing Cat's Eye might be of any benefit to me?

A:: It depends what you want out of life. Ketu is a manifestation of Shri Ganesha, remover of obstacles. If you want to detach and disconnect from materialistic impediments to progress upon the spiritual path to merger with the divine, then Ketu ratna will be very helpful in surrender, detachment, and emotional abandonment of outdated relationships.

Ketu like His progenitor Shri Ganesha is an anti-materialisticforce. If you want an increase of material income as noted above, then the graha which facilitates separation from material attachments is probably not a good choice. Chrysoberyl is very good for spiritual studies, vows of poverty or celibacy, maintaining sannyas etc. Naturally, Ketu-ratna is Not good for accumulations of material value which are normally sought in business and marriage.

Q: It seems like every time I put on my favorite manika ring (which has been handed down the generations in my family) I suddenly start attracting lots of attention! People bring me gifts wrapped in red foil papers, I am invited to theatre events, and the flashbulbs start popping!

A: I myself am usually skeptical when folks report an immediate material result from the application of a remedial gemstone. I believe the effects are generally much more subtle, as the gemstones work on the psychic nerve network which itself reinforces existing psycho-mental imagery, and those images then propel the native toward a more confident execution of desired results.

Gems, similar to bhasma (sacred ash), are very subtle astral-image-enhancing agents. It seems superstitious to me to make a direct and immediate connection between a subtle originating vibration and a gross material action; since there are many intermediate phases which must be processed before a gem can produce a material outcome; and those steps normally take time.

Still, there's really no such thing as a random connection. Everything is linked (synchronicity). If you notice a connection, it might be that the Ruby (which as you say has a good deal of family energy in it, and your family are politically well-connected) is serving as a (subconscious) signal to you.

Donning the Ruby may be step-3 or step 4 of a process which started in your subconscious intentions. The very act of choosing to put on the Manika ring says that you are feeling celebratory and center-stage (Suraja) and the scope of your drama includes receiving red-foil wrap giftsand dining in see-and-be-seen clubs and restaurants.

In the end, it's the same analysis: the Ruby is helping to reinforce a personal image or intention which is already there.

It's not a superstitious kind of magic but rather the "ordinary magic"of acting out our clear personal intentions rather than trying to channel the energy of other people's thoughts and ideas. When we act with personal authenticity (Suraja) the creative intelligence is empowered and wishes become reality without obstruction.

Q: For the pendant, I understand the setting should be gold. Does the chain on which the pendant hangs have to be gold as well?

Q: If a ring is used, I noticed that there are differences in which finger to wear the combined gemstones (ex pearl and coral) and wondered what to do if it is combined in a 1 ring.

Vrischika radical lagna

Chandra in Mesha rashi

Q: Regarding the day of week and time of day; if I wear 2 gemstones like pearl and coral; since each gemstone has a different day and time instructed, should I follow the instructions for 1 of the gems then set the second stone afterwards so that I can abide by the instructions of the 2nd gem separately.

A:

Q: In the case of the Pearl, it says that the weight should be 2, 4, 6, 11. When G.S. Kapoor states for example 2, does this mean any weight in the range of 2 carats, specifically 2.0 carats till 2.99 carats?

A: Yes, another great question. There have been throughout history many weighting systems applied to the measurement of gemstones. "Carat" weighting in the European tradition is a rather approximate marketplace weight measurement (anciently based on the weight of carob seeds) that was standardized in the early 20th century =

• 1 carat = 0.2 grams.

Jyotisha quality flawless Pearls mukta in particular are judged *not* by weight but rather by the number and quality of the concentric interior rings of nacre which must accrue organically in order to have subtle transmission power.

Carat-weight used to be a somewhat reliable method for measuring pearls when all pearls were natural -- before the introduction of beautiful 'manufactured' pearls (Rahu!).

Historically, a pearl's weight was a good measure of the number of interior transmission layers i.e. a way of assessing the complexity and clarity of the signal repeating capacity of this natural dharmic stone.

But no longer.

These days, with the vast majority of pearls for sale being non-natural products, carat-weight is a very approximate and potentially misleading method of estimating the conductive capacity of a pearl.

Better to test a pearl by holding it in the central palm-chakra of the hand, or place it against the heart-chakra (anahata) to sense the resonance. If the Pearl is good for you, it will deliver a very subtle buzzing vibration which sounds faintly like a radio hum. A false pearl (however beautiful) will deliver no sensation.

Dr. Kapoor's statement about the pearl weights-by-carat is still generally valid for natural pearls but don't get stuck on the scientific measurements. These days, a pearl must be touched and held to assess its Jyotisha remedial value.

Would the pearl have any influence on supporting stability of emotions and mind?

Yes, for those nativities in which pearl is associated with a trinal bhava (1, 5, 9) or when under some circumstance the mukta would becomes a temporary benefic (such as occasionally for the Thula lagna and frequently for the Mesha lagna) the pearl can repeat a subtle stabilizing signal and remind one of the conscious intent to follow the natural rhythms of earthly life.

The Soma-ratna assists and supports a commitment to follow natural soothing calming behavior patterns and flow easily from one situation to the next without undue ego conflict.

Chandra governs all of the core rhythms of our life on earth: the huge oceanic and estuarial tides, the cycles of nourishment, the fluctuations of fertility, the parenting and child-raising repetitions, the habitual customs and beliefs of a people, and even the most minute and detailed emotional responses to conditions in the world.

When Chandra is functioning smoothly, the ebb and flow of emotion in daily life is greatly calmed, the meals are nourishing and regular, the shelters are safe and protective, and everyone in our environment benefits from our gentle compassion.

Q:

Namaste, I am having the worst problems with the alignment of my teeth and I am wondering, as a last resort, whether a Jyotisha gemstone might help? Should I get a gem? Which One? Will it work (nothing else has). I've read a dozen books and seen a dozen therapists. Do people give you feedback that these jewwels actually create life improvement? you've done my readings before and I loved them - so informative and useful - just wondering what you think?

A:

Namaste! First I can tell you that the standard Jyotisha gemstone would be the flawless natural Pearl, for a Karkata lagna.

Jyotisha gemologist (USA)

The gemologist whom I normally recommend (although I do not personally know this man) is Jay Boyle in Iowa, USA. Mr. Boyle has a long-running, high-ethics reputation and I never heard any complaint about his service.

Most of my clients in India and middle East have their own family jewelers, but for Americans Mr. Boyle is a good choice for quality assurance.

Good Candidates for Gem Remedies

With gems I think the determining factor of whether one experiences improvement or not is actually one's belief system.

• Folks who were raised in cultures that hold implicit beliefs in the power of flawless gems sometimes report extraordinary life improvements from the right gem. Sometimes so extraordinary that IMO they are being quite superstitious.

Drama of Expectation: a Shani-ratna Story

Not long ago, the older male lover of a young woman contacted me to report that within 8 hours of applying a very low-potency stone (lapis-lazuli) she was suddenly stricken with terrible indigestion and a severe vaginal infection. He and she, both coming from village backgrounds in India, attributed these ailments to the evil powers of a bad stone.

• Given that the crystalline structure "lapis lazuli" (literally, the Blue Rock) has almost no subtle-wave repeating power, I personally found the stone-agency claim completely ridiculous.

• Yet, their "expectations" were met and the stone did the job that they subconsciously wanted.

• The dark blue stones should channel thoughts governed by Shani, the prime agent of social conformity and law. The symbolism is quite well known in India.

• The Shani-stone provided a perfect pretext for her to act out a drama of toxicity, insecurity, and her inability to 'digest' the personality of her boyfriend. It has been an illicit, concubine relationship, considered highly improper. Soon after the "bad stone" event, citing chronic infections from the 'evil gift', she left him.

So .. there is more to these little jewels than meets the eye! From a simple signal-repeater of fragile thoughts to a socially contextualized trigger for a life-defining drama, the stones can do it all!

The "stone alone" has no power

To prevent superstition from disturbing the mind, it is important to appreciate that the gem itself has no power. At a very subtle electrical level, when placed upon one of the known chakra points (there are hundreds of body chakra = marma = chi-points) of the nervous system, flawless and properly applied Jyotisha traditional gems are indeed capable of acting as signal-repeaters which can transmit and amplify the person's pre-existing expectations.

Illusion Image Magic

Because some of these expectations are lodged in the subconscious and are not directly known but rather known only by the effects they produce, it may seem sudden and magical how quickly a long-held expectation can manifest when it is hooked up to the amplification system by using a signal-repeater gem.

Nevertheless the original thought, even when subconscious, belongs to the person, is part of their historical inventory of beliefs and expectations, and is not the product of any outside force. There is no ground for superstitious belief regarding gemstones. The gems also have the sociological energy of being "props" for social drama due to their symbolic signification in many cultures. For those who were not raised in cultures wherein gems are known to have subtle powers, the proposition that a jewel of any quality laid upon the skin of the physical body could "cause" any life change whatsoever is strictly preposterous. It might be easier however to appreciate the way in which symbolic objects like jewels, precious metals, swords and chalices, etc. can trigger a dramatic event along the lifetime narrative path. Still, folks who don't believe in their powers will get rather little outcome from a gem.

Jyotisha remedies are not physical medicine

Having said all that, I would not in good conscience prescribe a Jyotisha traditional gem to treat a physical problem like teeth or cranial alignment.

Jyotisha gems certainly do not work directly upon the physical body.

Flawless non heat-treated gems can conduct old expectations and beliefs from the subconscious memory banks, and somewhat will amplify the conscious beliefs as well. However they work entirely upon the subtle, astral plane which consists of materially undetectable particles. They are not much effective on the gross-particulate level of fleshly truth.

Physical change = slow and careful

After a condition has fossilized into the physical body - after it has traveled through the thought-plane, percolated down to the emotional-plane, and finally landed in the slow-moving and change-resistant physical plane -- a remedial gem provides no direct utility.

Once a condition of imbalance has embedded itself into the physical body world, the only sensible and responsible approach to discomfort is physical medicine.

For long-intractable teeth problems, I would recommend firstly either licensed chiropractic or osteopathic medical treatment, perhaps complemented by massage therapy using the 'cranio-sacral' specialty techniques.

Homeopathic remedies for teeth and jaw, when properly identified, can also help release the fog of subconscious resistance to getting the problem both psychologically and medically fixed.

Awareness speeds healing

It can speed up the fleshly healing process to be aware of the subtle particulate patterns which according to historic divinatory traditions are the ancestral causes for the resulting physical condition:

From a Jyotisha perspective, problems with teeth and jaw (2) are nearly always related (in deep memory) to problems rooted in the family history. Teeth express our ability to cut through life. (incisors) . Because you are presently in the period of lagnesha Chandra in 8, it is likely that there is a subconscious need (Chandra) to break free of a constricting relationship with the family (8th = 7th from 2nd) which is creating the misalignment discomfort.

In her splendid book "You Can Heal Your Life (1984) Louise Hay writes that teeth problems represent "indecision. Long standing indecisiveness. Inability to break down ideas for analysis and decisions." (p 217)

Probably there is some piece of information from the family history which is hard to 'cut through'. It is likely the father + younger sibling, due to Surya + Budha = lord of bhava-2 family.

But again, once the symptoms have established themselves on the material plane, only the skilled physicians can actively intervene.

Wishing you best success in Jyotisha studies, Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha www.barbarapijan.com

Q:

For example, should I take off the Manika (ruby) I now wear in order to replace it with Red Coral (munga) or vice versa? When more than one gem is prescribed for the same 'ring finger' during the same bhukti --- how should I decide?

Q:I want to open a business. I have the financial support and the right ideas. I've done my market research and have worked in this industry long enough to believe I have good contacts and good skills. However, I am looking for a psychic boost too. What ratna-stone in Jyotisha will help me the most?

A: If the target is success in commercial business, then when possible the "3" (commerce) and "11" (income, gain) significators should be strengthened.

This is a general statement; you still must do the complete gem analysis to make sure that the 3-11 gems are compatible with your nativity overall.

Bhava-3 lord is Chandra; 3rd from Chandra = Budha ruled but takes drishti of Guru; and arudha lagna of the 3rd bhava is Makara while the 3rd navamsha = Thula. Bhava-11 is ruled by Guru; 11th from Chandra ruled by Shukra in a rashi of Guru; 11th arudha = Dhanushya and 11th navamsha ruled by Budha.

commerce involves so many skills. The communication centers, 3 and 11, should be in good condition. If so, the prognosis for success after hard work and careful planning can be very good. Although it is not a black-and-white decision, the lords of 3 and 11 may benefit business a bit more than the other stones.

As a final note, I would also encourage you to provide a regular offering of Seva, perhaps in the area of tutoring young students in basic business practices (3) or financially sponsoring a youth sports team (3). Seva has more power than gemstones and blessedly it is free.

Q:Hello, does the Navamsa have any say on what gemstones to wear?I am born in Kanya lagna where red coral is supposed to be harmful, however I am also born in Mesha navamsa. On a side note Mangal drishtis his own house (3rd) if that would help red coral for Kanya. Thanks for a terrific site!

A: Thanks for your compliments! The general and straightforward rule regarding gemstone prescription is that (1) a graha must rule a trinal house (1, 5, 9) for its ratna to be capable of giving good effects for the lifetime and (2) the graha must possess some gem-correctable weakness which merits the expense and ritual preparation time for the remedial gem.

A graha which is already naturally strong and lacking weakness has nothing to correct; the gem for such a perfected graha may be very beautiful to admire but it has no remedial powers.

In some cases, a ratna may be useful only during its own mahadasha. For example re:

• Thula lagna+ L-11 Surya does not rule a trikona. However L-11 is associated with material goal achievement and marketplace earnings. Surya's earning powers are reduced because Suraja = lord of enemy-Shani's natural house. During the mahadasha of Surya, it is OK for the Thula native to wear a properly set flawless Ruby (manika) for purpose of correcting (some of) Surya's deficiencies in matters of material goal accomplishment and marketplace earnings.

• If Surya happens also to be L-6 from Chandra (Meena Chandra) then the native would have to decide whether it was worth, in one's own estimation, exacerbating interpersonal emotional conflict (divorce, arguments, disagreements, criticism) in order to simultaneously enhance the material gains.

• The Thula native with Kanya-Chandra would have to consider whether increasing the vividness of subconscious imagery regarding isolation and confinement (Surya = L-12 from Chandra lagna) was an acceptable price to pay for the option to also increase imagery of gainfulness in the marketplace of goods and ideas.

• The Thula native with Simha-Chandra is likely to be a rather wealthy person anyway.

The Three Jewels:

HH Dalai Lama: The Buddhism of Tibet trans-ed Jeffrey Hopkins, with Anne Klein, p.35

"The Three Refuges

What are the methods for causing one's own mind to become the practices?

• Initially, one should take refuge and think about actions and their effects.

• The refuge is the Three Jewels: Buddha, his Doctrine and the Spiritual Community.

[Buddha] When a sentient being purifies the taints of his own mind as well as their latent predispositions, he is free of all defects that act as obstructions. Thus, he simultaneously and directly knows all phenomena. Such a being is called a Buddha, and he is a teacher of refuge, like a physician.

[Dharma] The Doctrine jewel is the superior paths -- the chief right paths which remove the taints as well as their latent predispositions--and the absences which are states of having removed what is to be removed. The Doctrine is the actual refuge, like medicine.

[Sangha] The Spiritual Community jewel is all persons, whether lay or ordained, who have generated a superior path in their continuum. They are friends helping one to achieve refuge, like nurses.

The three refuges that have been achieved and presently exist in other beings' continuums are one's own causal refuge; one relies on a protector just as a weak person takes refuge in a stronger person.

The three refuges that one will attain in the future are one's own effect refuge.

One who relies on the Three Jewels from the point of view of knowing that he is to attain them, must cause them to be generated in his own continuum. "

Q:

Namaste,

My nativity features Simha lagna and Mesha Chandra.

Wanting a quality gemstone to support my Rahu-Shukra period, I sought advice from a Jyotishi.

This Jyotishi recommended that I purchase a "white pukhraj" with a yellowish or reddish quality, as well as another talisman containing a small ruby.

I'm confused, since you told me that a Shukra-ratna could not work properly for a Simha-Mesha nativity (unless Shukra was in Vrishabha-10 -- and my Shukra is not in own-sign).

Is there something special about this "white pukhraj" that makes it work for a kundali like mine that is really not benefitting from Shukra?

• Blue corundum = blue sapphire = "Nilam"

• Red corundum = [red sapphire] = ruby = "manika"

• yellow corundum = yellow sapphire = " pushkara-raja" - "pushpa-raag" - "pukhraj"

• pink-orange corundum = "padparadscha" = 'lotus blossom'

Q: Namaste Barbara,

Is the following stone good enough for jyotish. I can not afford a more expensive stone at this moment.

[vendor name withheld]

H.H. Dalai Lama + Renuka Singh. (2002). The Path to Tranquility.

Every day offers a new opportunity to clean up negative thoughts

"Buddha never mentioned that the problems we have encountered are the result of misconstruction of a house or starting a project or work on an inappropriate day or time.