UPAYAS - Astrological Remedies
Vedic Astrology includes the concept of upaya, which can be translated as an astrological "remedy," "cure," or "remedial measure." The beauty of upayas is that they offer us a way to work with difficult karma. Many people are wary of getting astrology readings because they feel afraid that the astrologer will tell them that something bad is going to happen. The good news is that with Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), the astrologer can be more than just the bearer of bad tidings -- he or she can also offer something effective to do in order to soften or reduce the impact of negative karmas.

 

Here Are Some of the Basic Upayas Recommended by Jyotish:

Mantras

The Indian science of mantras is very highly developed. There is almost literally a mantra for everything. For thousands of years the saints and sages of India have recommended using mantras for relief of all kinds of karmic difficulties, even health problems, work and love problems, or the existential problems of life itself. This of course includes the difficulties that may be found in an astrology chart. By locating the source of the karma (usually a planet), the Jyotishi can prescribe the correct mantra to "remedy" the problem. To learn more about using mantras as astrological cures, click here.

Meditation and Prayer

Prayer is the simplest and yet perhaps the most effective upaya there is. To sit quietly in the divine presence, or to pray with words, has been proven time and again to solve the most difficult problems of life. There is no better upaya: prayer is free and it works.

Puja and Homa

Vedic tradition offers us some very intense prayers and rituals that can be done by a pandit (ritual master) for us in order to remove negative karmas. Ritual worship of the planets is known as puja, and can involve anything from waving a stick of incense before an image of the planet to an all-day ceremony that takes several trained priests to accomplish. Beyond that, there is the homa, which is a lengthy, complex, and extremely ancient fire ceremony. The homa ceremony, performed by a pandit observing all the correct rites, is a highly effective means to work out planetary karmas and bring relieve into your life. You can learn more about homa here.

Vrat (Ritual Fasting)

Another tool often used for working with the planets is the ritual fast, or vrat. This can take many different forms, but the most basic one is similar to the Western concept of Lent. By giving up some beloved food, this sacrifice is then dedicated through prayer towards the planet or karma we are trying to relieve. For example, if a person was having trouble with Venus, they may decide to give up sweets for a year (sugar being related to Venus). For Saturn difficulties, they may decide to fast for the whole day every Saturnday. Although many vrats revolve around giving up food, it can also mean giving up other things that we greatly enjoy, such as sex, drinking, or . It's important to remember that the more we enjoy something, the greater the sacrifice in giving it up, and therefore the more powerful the effect of the vrat. A person undertaking a vrat (which can also be translated as "resolve"), is known as a vratdhaari or "resolution-holder."

Charity

All spiritual traditions recognize the power of charity, and in Jyotish this power is put to us for astrological effect. Feeding the poor, giving money to a relief organization, or simply doing good deeds for your neighbor are all acts of charity that will have a significant effect on your karma. As usual, the greater the sacrifice, and the less you attempt to bring attention to yourself for the sacrifice, the more powerful it will be. Those who have more to give need to give more to get the same good effect.

Gemstones

One of the most interesting upayas is the use of gemstones. This tradition is a long and meaningful one in Jyotish, the remnants of which can still be seen in Western Astrology in the debased concept of "birth stones." In Vedic Astrology, the Jyotishi prescribes a gemstone related to the planet that is causing the difficulty. For example, if you have an afflicted Moon, you may get a lot of benefit out of wearing a large fresh water pearl. The science of which gem to wear for what problem is a complex one, but there is some interesting data here.