The Observatory

By Dr. Lynn Bootes, MD

ACVA Dean of Students and Registrar

registrar@acvaonline.org

August / September 2026 Edition

Dear Readers, 

We have just witnessed a dramatic total Solar Eclipse which passed over the Arctic, North Atlantic, and the western shores of Europe in the last degrees of Cancer. Looking immediately back, we just had a total Lunar Eclipse on August 28 in Leo/Aquarius, visible at night in the Western Hemisphere. ACVA will be starting off the season at the United Astrology Conference in Chicago with a whole series of lectures and events September 2-8. Looking ahead to the spring/fall Equinox on September 22, the changing of the season is a great time to begin study of Jyotisha at ACVA.

September features all grahas moving forward through the zodiac, with the exception of Saturn, which remains in retrograde motion between 19-17 degrees of Pisces. Rahu and Ketu remain in Aquarius/Dhanistha and Leo/Magha at 5 degrees. As the Sun and Mercury, they are out of the spotlight, relatively speaking, for much of the month.

Jupiter continues its time in its exalted sign Cancer, where it makes a Vedic 1:9 trine aspect to Saturn the entire month. This benefic aspect is further strengthened by the fact that Jupiter is aspecting one of its own signs. The aspect is exact by degree on September 2. We can make use of this kind of influence to exercise compassion, spiritual growth, and study, including Jyotish. Look for Jupiter in the east after midnight and in the early morning.

The Sun transitions from its own sign Leo to Virgo on September 18, after which it again shares space with Mercury. Meanwhile Mercury, moving direct and picking up speed, leaves Leo for Virgo on September 7, and enters its Moolatrikona and exalted sign. From September 7-19, Mercury is in a Parivartana Yoga relationship with Mars. This is a potentially challenging time for communication and irritation, as the two are mutual enemies. They both want to win the argument! Mercury remains invisible through September.

Venus leaves Virgo, its sign of debilitation, on September 3, and enters its own sign Libra. Look for Venus in the west in the early evening sky, where it will be bright and easy to spot. Mercury joins Venus in Libra on September 27-30. There are some potentially auspicious muhurtas at that time.

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The Grace and Beauty of The MĀLAVYA Yoga



By Peter Dawson

Vedic Astrologer

In this, the second article in the series on the five Pañca Mahāpuruṣa Yogas, whose presence in the horoscope show the potential for greatness, we will be looking at the Mālavya Yoga, formed when Venus resides in a kendra, with strength. The very name Pañca Mahāpuruṣa Yoga means “five types of yogas that occur in the charts of great men.” The yogas are formed when any of the planets Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, or Saturn reside either in the signs of their rulership or in which they are exalted, AND they fall in a kendra (angular) house from either the Lagna or the Moon. For example: Jupiter in Pisces in the 10th house, either from the Lagna or the Moon is one form of Pañca Mahāpuruṣa Yoga. If Jupiter in Pisces fell in the 9th house, the yoga would not exist, as the 9th house is not a kendra.

In the “Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra,” sage Parashara gives a brief description of the effects of each planetary yoga. He describes the effects of the Mālavya Yoga, in part, thus: “Mālavya yoga is caused by Shukra (Venus) occupying a kendra, in own or exaltation rasi. A (person) born in Mālavya yoga is possessed of beautiful lips, a thin waist and is of moon like (splendorous) complexion. He emanates a good smell, is somewhat fair, of medium structure and possessed of beautiful and clean teeth…” (1)

You will note that this quote is almost entirely descriptive of one’s physical attributes and says nothing about the character of someone born with this yoga. However, it cannot be too difficult to describe someone with such a prominent and strong Venus. Words like,” sweet, peace-loving, romantic, artistic, aesthetic, fair-minded, graceful” spring immediately to mind and I’m sure there are many others of a similar ilk that could be thought of. Now there must be literally tens of thousands of horoscopes that contain at least one of the Pañca Mahāpuruṣa Yogas, yet not all people who possess at least one of them go on to live a life of great deeds and memorable accomplishments.

So, what then sets apart those people who do go on to become great in the eyes of the world? Kalyan Varman states in “Saravali”: ‘When the yoga is caused on account grahas like Bhauma (Mars) etc. in strength, one gets kingdom. But if, simultaneously, Suyra and Chandra are bereft of strength then the yoga for kingdom does not occur but one does get progeny and wealth during the Daśā of the yoga causing graha.”

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Coming Attractions at ACVA

 1.  ACVA webinar – 12th September 2026 – Karina Weil

SATURDAY 10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, Noon Central, 1pm Eastern

Topic: An Introduction to Marana Karaka Sthana: The Pearl Within the Oyster The Soul’s Sacred Assignment

Marana Karaka Sthana(MKS)- the death-like place – occupies a compelling, if contested, concept within the corpus of Jyotisha. While it does not appear in great depth in the foundational classical texts, it has emerged as a meaningful interpretive framework – one that merits serious scholarly attention rather than dismissal. Its utility lies in its capacity to identify conditions of planetary debilitation that carry profound implications for the native’s psychological, karmic, and spiritual development. Far from being a cause for alarm, MKS invites us to look beneath the surface of apparent difficulty and ask “what is this placement here to teach?’

Webinar Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2Mmyc4coQtWLp9HL0EDRtg

Speaker: Dr Karina Weil

Dr. Karina Weil is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of Jyotisha, focused on making classical teachings accessible for contemporary spiritual growth. This webinar on MKS is a unique opportunity to explore one of Jyotisha’s more intricate concepts for self-understanding.

Contact: karinaweil108@gmail.com

  2.  ACVA webinar – 10 October 2026 – Penny Farrow

SATURDAY 10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, Noon Central, 1pm Eastern

Topic: Yikes!! There is a Scorpion in the Sky

Sky gazers across traditions read meaning into the stars: claws in Libra, heat in Scorpio, a stinger in Sagittarious. Ancient astrologers named this stretch Via Combusta, "the burning path" We'll discuss what grip, heat, or sting might mean for an important graha caught in this zone - and why the sidereal zodiac keeps VIA Combusta relevant even as it's fallen out of favor in the tropical system.

Webinar Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6LMg4J9SRu2e2Kg7k4cGwQ

Speaker: Penny Farrow

Penny Farrow has been captivated by Jyotisa since 1992 and has studied prinicipally under the tutelage of Hart deFouw. Although she holds a B.S and M.S in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, it became clear that her calling was to transmit and preserve the timeless wisdom of the oral tradition of Jyotisan and related subjects. To this end, she founded The Cosmic Kaleidoscope, a vibrant educational online environment- unique in that all classes are live and interactive, supporting transformational learning and student connection.

Contact: info@vedicchart.com

Web site: www.vedicchart.com

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American College of Vedic Astrology



ACVA Leadership Team



• Prof. Charlotte Benson (Jyoti Devi) – President, ACVA’s External Relations Leader

• Dr. Sisira K. Amarasinghe, Ph.D. – ACVA Vice President, Executive Director of Corporate Strategy and Technology

• Prof. Juliana Swanson – ACVA Provost and Dean of Academics

• Dr. Lynn Bootes, M.D. – Registrar and Dean of Students

• Pratik Mehta – ACVA Director of Social Media and Community Engagement

ACVA Staff

• Dr. Arjuna de Silva, MBBS (ACVA LMS & IT Operations Manager)

• Sudath Mudalige (IT Administrator)



• Susheel Erramilli (Social Media and Digital Marketing Coordinator)

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