Astrology to make your life better:

You and your planets

by Samangie Wettimuny

Excerpts

Q: As we believe the karmic force of a man is depicted through the positioning of planets in one’s horoscope. Today astrology has gained much recognition and acceptance than any other time, expanding the role and responsibility of astrologers. While some are blessed with guidance and advice of eminent astrologers, there is also a set of people who get misled by false predictions of charlatans. For the slightest matter some would rush to an astrologer, but there are also people who dismiss astrology with scorn. In this backdrop, how should one make use of astrology to make his life better?

A: Everyone likes to know what their future would be like. A horoscope is a chart drawn to show the karma force of a man calculated from the time of his birth. By reading a person’s horoscope a clever astrologer can accurately chart a man’s destiny. In fact the main purpose of reading a horoscope should be to give an insight into a person’s own character. If a person is going through a bad period, an astrologer would tell him as to what precautionary measures he should take to get rid of it.

Through the horoscope you can determine certain times in your life when you have to ‘hold up’ or move forward to achieve great levels of creativity or when you have to watch your activities and health. Thus it is better to know your future in advance so that you can remedy certain malevolent effects that will badly affect you.

At a recent television interview I was asked whether I go through my horoscope before making important decisions. In fact I do it quite often. I always check for an auspicious hour before leaving the premises to attend an important function. As I told them, on that particular day also I left my house in Galle on an astrologically determined time. Up to this date I have never experienced a vehicle breakdown or any other inconvenience on the road while travelling from Galle, where I reside to Colombo.

Astrology is not a field of study that was created overnight. Its origin goes back to 6000-7000 years when ancient sages who had extraordinary powers started noticing a great relationship between the life cycle of human beings and the movements of planets.

Out of the 108 sages who participated at the naming ceremony of Prince Siddhartha five were astrologers. There is enough evidence to prove that the Sri Lankans had been used to perform their important tasks according to astrology.

All our ancient kings including the most outstanding ones who could unite the country in the past such as Pandukhabhaya, King Asela, King Dutugemunu, Walagamba, Datusena, Vijayabahu I, Parakramabahu I and Parakramabahu VI had immense faith in astrology. Similarly almost all the rulers who governed the country after Independence believed in astrology. President Mahinda Rajapaksa who deserves much of the credit for reuniting the entire country under one flag too has immense faith in this great science.

It does not require heaps of money to follow astrology. But you should be careful enough to select an eminent astrologer who can give accurate predictions. If you use it wisely and carefully at appropriate times prior to taking important decisions you can get the full benefit.

Q: What should be the qualities of a good astrologer?

A: First and foremost a good astrologer should be capable of giving accurate predictions without any hesitation. As I mentioned earlier there were five astrologers among the 108 hermits who participated at Prince Siddhartha’s naming ceremony.

The prediction of four of them was that ‘if the Prince remains in the palace he will be the successor to King Suddhodana, if he decides to renounce worldly life, he will attain Buddhahood.’ But the sage Kondangna who said that the Prince would definitely become a Buddha was accurate in his prediction. To give an accurate prediction you should have a vast knowledge in astrology. Your luck too counts to a large extent!

An astrologer too should have a good planetary position. Also a good astrologer should be clever in speech and agile in action. As shown in the above instance a good astrologer must be clever and precise in thinking and he should have clever disposition to tackle any problem.

Advice of Astrologers are often sought on important occasions of life such as child birth, when a girl attains age. In certain areas of Sri Lanka even the digging of the grave is done on an astrologically determined time. There could be several reasons for that - to ensure a good rebirth or to ensure that the spirit would not visit his house.

An astrologer should be careful enough not to make statements which will affect a person negatively. For example while going through a horoscope if an astrologer notices that its owner stands a zero chance of getting married, he should never tell it to him directly. The best thing he could do is to reveal it to his/her parent or to a closest relative.

In fact that was the first advice given to me by my Astrology teacher M.C.G. Raman (Jnr.) You should never let your client lose his mental balance. In fact a good astrologer is like a good doctor. A doctor would never tell his patient that he would not survive for long even though he is dead certain that his patient’s life is limited only for a few days!

If the astrologer is clever enough he should be able to use the knowledge for the betterment of his own life as well. So I would say one of the best ways to select your family astrologer is to examine his present position in society.

If he could help others reach lofty heights through making powerful ‘nekath’ and ‘murthi’, he too should be able to achieve a better status in life than he was before. Anyway that does not mean that an astrologer is capable of changing his planetary positions. What I mean here is his ability to lead a better life with his family using his knowledge in astrology.

Q: Though astrology is a science that originated in the East, it seems that the people in the West too pay much attention to it. Your comment?

A: Of course they do. Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England is a fine example. Her faith in astrology too could be one reason why she could retain the Throne over the years despite many obstacles she faced.

Most of the world leaders too have faith in astrology. Astrology books had been found even in the office room of former German-leader Adolf Hitler. It is on an astrologically determined auspicious time that rockets are launched into space from the Houston Space Centre in the U.S.A.

In fact I am the one who made the horoscope of the present U.S. president Barack Obama and made an accurate prediction. It was a sheer dream for a Black to become the President of the U.S.A. Barack Obama who was born on August 4, 1961 at 8.11 a.m. in Honolulu, Hawai could make that dream a reality.

His horoscope showed that he is lucky enough to change the history of America. As a well experienced scholar he made use of everything which are normally used by men to achieve progress in life including astrology.

Lots of foreigners visit me seeking astrological advice. It is a fine evidence that astrology is gradually becoming popular in the West.

Way back in the early 16th century there had been great prophets like Nostradamus who had extraordinary powers to make accurate prophecies which came true about 500 years after his demise. One such prediction was the death of Princess Diana. He had stated that the wife of Prince of Wales would face an untimely death. Also he had stated that a Black would become the president of the U.S. in the 21st century.

Q: If the horoscope is a chart drawn to show the karmic force a man carries, is not there a possibility to avert the consequences of certain bad Kamma and malevolent effects of planets by taking precautionary action?

A: Certainly. It is rather difficult to overcome a fatal crisis brought about by a malevolent planet. During a ‘Maraka period’ a person may face danger, mainly death. But the consequences of other bad kamma could be averted.

Astrology is formed on the relationship of planets and stars and their effect on people. There are main planets and stars - Jupiter,Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Saturn, Mercury, Rahu, Kethu. The other three are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Astrology is based on the movements of these planets and their impact on human beings. It is due to the malevolent effects of one of those planets that individuals face difficulties. So when they pass through a bad period (Graha Apala) they should perform rituals and practices required to get rid of the maleffect of that particular planet.

We call them “Graha Shanthi Karma”. Careful analysis of one’s horoscope is required before deciding on the remedy. For example if a person faces obstacles due to the maleffect of ‘Rahu’, the treatment should be for that. As I mentioned earlier you need an eminent astrologer who is clever in speech and agile in action to get that ritual done.

I know through experience how such practices have helped individuals to thrust aside the maleffects.People are normally in the habit of conducting Bodhi Poojas or engage in religious practices according to their religions if they are passing a bad period. Those are all fine. Engaging in religious practices would always give immense relief to one’s mind, but performing the relevant ‘Shanthi Karma’ is essential.Whether you are passing through a bad period or not it is always good to avoid engaging or starting important functions in life during the “Rahu” period.

Q: With astrology gaining much recognition, in the present society, quite a number of charlatans who call themselves good astrologers too have entered this field. How would that affect the purity and the stability of this great field of study?

A: No doubt that it badly affects this noble profession. The so called astrologers would charge exorbitant fees from their clients just to make vague predictions. Even to become an office assistant an education certificate is required, but no qualifications are sought to become an astrologer. Even the ones with a minute knowledge of the field can put up a board in front of their lodgings. Making false predictions could cause much more harm to society than we think.

People should be careful enough to choose the genuine astrologer out of a lot. Before visiting an astrologer it is wise to study his history - his reputation and whether any of his former predictions have come true etc. Just as the family doctor every family should have a family astrologer. But the selection should be done with much care after a thorough analysis of his former predictions.

Q: Though there are astrology classes conducted on small scale, still there is no proper institution in Sri Lanka to learn astrology. Don’t you think that it is timely that we established an institution to teach astrology?

A: That is a very good question. I intend to forward the matter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The President as a leader who has a high regard for indigenous forms of art and ancient fields of study will take this matter into consideration. Just like any other subject it is good to teach astrology in educational institutions. I have visited 22 countries where I got the chance to see the demand for astrology. In fact it is even proper to introduce astrology as a subject in the school curriculum.

I got the chance to study astrology in India. I got the inspiration from my father D.S. Abeygunewardena who had high regard for astrology though he was not an astrologer. Inspired by a prediction made to him by an astrologer that he would become a Head of a province, he moved to Deniyaya seat from Hiniduma where he became a Chairman of Morawaka Gam Sabha (UNP), a post which he held for 36 years. I gained a lot of knowledge from my father. Initially I made a few futile attempts to learn astrology under certain local teachers.

Then I moved to India and it was there I learned astrology in detail under M.C.G. Raman (Jr.) in Trivendrum, Kerala.I could not complete my education as I was in the Rahu period. In fact I underwent a lot of difficulties subsequently. It was then that I thought that I should learn astrology thoroughly. Since I failed to fulfil my aspiration I moved to India.

Today I am a satisfied man who leads a virtuous life enjoying comforts. Thus everyone can make use of astrology to plan their lives well ahead. You should always be courageous, truthful and honest. You should never give up easily.

Q: Can you comment on your ability to make accurate predictions?

A: I showed the world that Sri Lanka has good astrologers when I addressed the international audience through the BBC. (“Astrology holds sway, Sri Lanka” - 2008 December 22.) I was certain that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be able to combat terrorism.

“Twenty-five years ago, I said there would be a hero king from Ruhuna, Matara, now he’s the one, we believe, President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” said Abeygunawardene.

“So President Rajapaksa’s horoscope is a powerful one. He is the one who will bring development to the country. He will defeat the enemies and terrorists.”

As I told the BBC I had seen the horoscope of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Tamil Tigers. Though the rebel’s horoscope was more powerful than those of previous Sri Lankan presidents, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s was stronger still.”

In retrospect, in “Irahanda” in August 1994, in a joint article with my guru M.C.G. Raman (Jr.), I stated that Chandrika Bandaranaike will definitely become the President of Sri Lanka. To another astrology newspaper I made a prediction “Upcoming woman leader from a Sri Lanka’s leading political family”.I had seen former President Chandrika Bandaranaike’s horoscope long ago.

Her planetary positions were very powerful in the early 90s’ and I was certain that she would create a record.I made the prediction that Prabhakaran would not be able live beyond May 22,2009 and also that his place of death would be associated with water. I made a prediction that Ranil Wickremesinghe will become PM in December 5, 2001.

In 1996 when I was in India I made another prediction that Congress party will be defeated and the BJP would come to power. Likewise I said that Lal Krishna Advani has no luck to remain in power even if he was appointed as PM. His tenure would only be limited for a few days, I said. He resigned in just 13 days and Deve Gowda took over. In an article that appeared in Dinamina on August 6, 2009, just a 4 days before Uva Elections I stated that Shashindra Rajapaksa would win the elections taking more than 85 per cent votes.

As stated earlier I was quite sure that Barack Obama would become the President of the US. It is not easy to make such predictions. You have to study their horoscopes thoroughly, but that alone won’t do. It is not merely the astrological knowledge that matters, but it also requires a high degree of psychic powers. You should be precise in your thinking.

Q: Readers would love to know your latest predictions.

A: I am certain that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would change the present constitution in 2010.

2. Rajapaksas would rule Sri Lanka for decades.

3. As I correctly said President Mahinda Rajapaksa created history as the first ever leader who could combat terrorism in the 21st Century. Similarly he will make history by becoming not only the Sri Lankan President who could get the highest percentage of votes in a Presidential election, but also in the entire South Asia.

4. Southern Province election results too will be a historic record.

Landslide victory in Southern Provincial elections. In fact the string of election victories that started from the Eastern elections will reach its climax in the Southern elections.

5. In the next general elections President Rajapaksa will be able to get more than 2/3rd of people’s power. I have to emphasize that what President J.R. Jayewardene could get in 1977 was 5/6 power in parliament.

6. President Mahinda Rajapaksa will get the Nobel Prize in appreciation of his attempt to combat terrorism.

Q: A major planetary change is about to take place on September 09, 2009. How will it affect people.

A: On July 07, 2007 Saturn arrived in Leo (Sinha), which is its enemy rashi. Leo is a very bad rashi for Saturn. Saturn was in Sinha rashi for 2 years, 1 month and 23 days and comes to Mercury, (which is the best planet in the system and which is also a friendly planet of Saturn) on September 9,2009. In fact it is like Saturn visiting his friend’s House’. This planetary change I believe will bring good results to all. This will be definitely a better period than the present one. I can say that this planetary change is good for the entire country and the government and they can await massive election victories!

Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena (All Island J.P.) also serves as the Executive Director of the National Savings Bank and as a Director of Employees Trust Fund Board while being an Advisor to the Independent Television Network.

Next week: How will the planetary change affect your lagna.)