HOW DO ASTROLOGICAL REMEDIES WORK?

Man is constantly in pursuit of happiness and peace and seeks to avoid all that is unpleasant and painful. But this is not always the case. We all do have to undergo some miseries, sufferings, trials and tribulations in our lives. This is due to our past deeds or karma. Astrology is based on the philosophy of Karma. The placements, phases and strengths of planets in the horoscope are not a random permutation or a coincidental combination. They reflect our past karma; the good karma show up in the form of benefic planets while the malefic planets emphasis the negative karma.

Planets can be classified as benefic, malefic or neutral. No planet is good or bad in itself; its placement and condition in the horoscope decides whether it will prove to be beneficial or detrimental to the native. Sometimes the benefic planets are weak; they need to be strengthened so that they are able to give the potential good results. On the other hand, the malefic planets need to be propitiated to reduce their negative effects. The uniqueness of Vedic Astrology is that it recommends a whole range of remedies to fortify the weak benefic planets and to pacify the malefic ones.

Remedies are nothing but practical, mystical or psychic antidotes which lessen or nullify the impact of our past negative karma. Our Destiny is shaped by our past karmic actions. Remedies involve doing something or abstaining from doing something; this action or inaction is a karma in itself! So when one undertakes to do some remedy, he is actually is embarking to reverse some bad karma of the past. When he does remedies for strengthening the weak benefic planets, he is essentially boosting their effectiveness by doing some more good karma. Our fate is decided by our karma; we can use our free will to take the remedial measures.

Astrological remedies can be broadly classified as follows:

1. MANTRAS: Sanskrit mantras are energy-based sounds possessing vibrational and resonating powers. Mantras are connected to a particular planet or a deity representative of that planet and different mantas have varying potencies. Mantra chanting is called ‘Japa’.

2. YANTRA: Yantras are geometrical and mathematical graphic symbols or drawings with precise measurements. Yantras too reverberate energy in varied ways. Planetary Yantras placed in the right direction create positive and constructive energies and are instrumental in warding off

negativeness.

3. REMEDIAL PRODUCTS : Astrological remedies includes usage of certain products such as gems, Rudraksha, crystals, herbs, charms, etc. to strengthen the power of benefic planets or to ward off negative effects of malefic planets.

4. SERVICE: Service to others is considered the best form of remedy in Astrology. This can be in the form of charity, donation or offering some services to the needy and the poor people. Different kinds of donations are prescribed for different planets.

5. CHANGE OF ATTITUDES AND HABITS: This is another very effective form of remedial measure to rectify and improve our karma. Many times we are forced to think or act in a particular manner due to the planetary position or alignment in our birth horoscope that can be unfavorable to us. In such a case, it is highly recommended that we adopt or give up some of our habits or attitudes resulting from such an alignment. This can be in the form of adopting the virtues of patience, giving up some vices such as anger, or some food items such as salt or sugar, etc.
FASTING: This involves voluntary depriving oneself of food or some other thing of one’s liking and choice. This kind of voluntary abstinence of some pleasure or desirable thing also works as a remedy to pacify the negative effects or strengthen the positive impact of planets.

7. BLESSINGS: The blessings of our elders — our parents, our teachers, etc. play a very important role in mitigating the negative influences of malefic planets. Of course, they bless you when you have done some real good deed — in other words, the good karma comes into play!

8. COLOR THERAPY:

Each planet has its own distinct color to which it vibrates and responds. Hence using color therapy works as an astrological remedy.

9. FOLK REMEDIES:

These are simple yet effective remedies commonly called as ‘totka’ or ‘upay’. The famous Lal Kitab (Red Book) remedies largely consist of such practical remedies which can be used in everyday life.

10. RELIGIOUS:

This includes prayers, rituals, worship of deities, yagya (sacrificial fire), yatras (trips to sanctified places), etc. Yes, there are certain specified places of worship recommended for pacification of malefic planets. For example Trimbakeshwar temple near Nashik, India is specifically famous for performing pooja (act of worship) to alleviate the malefic effects of Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node) and reduce the negative impacts of Kaal Sarpa Dosha and Pitru Dosha.

11. SPIRITUAL REMEDIES: Spiritual remedies such as yoga, meditation, etc. go a long way in strengthening our will power and propitiating the planets in a permanent way.

Whatever remedy is used, it eventually involves invoking, aligning and resonating the individual energies with the Universal Energy thereby creating the ultimate balance!

Some important things to be kept in mind while performing remedies:

• There are no hard and fast rules about remedies. They should be relevant to the Desh (place), Kaal (time) and Patra (distinctive identity) of the doer.
• The remedies should be done by the person himself. When you are sick, it is you only who has to take the medicine or undergo the treatment. No one else can do it for you. In some exceptional cases of infants or sick or aged people who cannot do the remedy themselves, reciting or listening to mantras, using of Yantras/gems/rudraksha, etc. is recommended.
• Be patient; do not expect immediate or quick results. You are writing off your past karma; it takes time depending upon the intensity and severity of the acts done. Testing your patience could be another way of karma being repaid.
• Do the remedies only if you have total faith and are fully convinced of them. Do not experiment nor do something just because someone has recommended it to you. Your own complete involvement is necessary. Be positive and persistent when doing the remedies.
• If you are doing some charity or donation or service, do it with full heart and responsibility. Do not treat it as a barter exchange with the Divine to get some benefit.
• Lastly, remember, remedies do not change your Destiny; they help you to understand why things are the way they are and assist you in changing and empowering yourselves to face them better and be least affected by their impact. Remedies also help you to transform negative influences into positive and constructive ones.