ELEMENTS OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY, by Dr. K. S. Charak

This two-volume set, written by respected surgeon and jyotishi, Dr. Charak, is a densely-packed full introduction to Vedic Astrology. If stuck on a desert island with only one reference work on jyotish, this set would be more than sufficient. He briefly but intelligently covers all the basics, including: astronomical concepts; the planets, signs, and houses and their natures; how to cast a horoscope, varga charts, subplanets (such as Gulika, Dhoomadi, etc. - a very interested and oft-neglected topic); planetary strength; the Vimshottari dasha system; balaristha and aristha bhanga, various yogas, varshaphala, muhurtha, prasna, gochara, ashtakavarga, and on and on. There is no basic or intermediate subject that doesn't receive its due in this marvelous compendium. Even though each is treated with relative brevity, I find that often Dr. Charak's descriptions are more understandable and offer more insight than whole books on the same topic. -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THREE HUNDRED IMPORTANT COMBINATIONS, by B.V. Raman

REVIEW COMING SOON

ASTRONOMY AND MATHEMATICAL ASTROLOGY, by Deepak Kapoor

I put this book in the Beginners section, rather than the Advanced section because I strongly believe that astrologers should have a firm grip on the principles of astronomy. Nothing does more of a disservice to the field than to have jyotishis who don't understand the fundamentals of astronomy, as well as how the calculations that are the basis of astrology are actually done. In his book Astronomy and Mathematical Astrology, Deepak Kapoor familiarizes readers with what could be called "the astronomy of astrology" in a way that is fairly easy to comprehend, even for such a complex topic. Do you understand how the sidereal zodiac (i.e. "Lahiri ayanamsa") is calculated as opposed to the tropical zodiac? Do you know how Vimshottari is calculated and why? For a generation of astrologers used to computers doing everything, these questions often elicit a puzzled shrug, and yet the answers to these questions and others that are addressed in this book are central to what we do, and the future of our work. -- RECOMMENDED