American College of Vedic Astrology

The ACVA Newsletter 2025-07 (July 2025)

Note from the President of ACVA

By Professor Charlotte Benson (Jyoti Devi) President, ACVA

July 2025

Hello again, dear friends of ACVA!

Time is flying by, isn’t it? It seems like a lot has happened in the past month. I hope that you and your families are keeping up with the fast pace provoked by Mars being near Ketu, among other agitating planetary combinations. “Slowing your roll” may be a good approach to this current incendiary conjunction!

ACVA’s student body has been steadily growing. Esteemed ACVA faculty member Gizem Heukelom brought around 80 of her own Turkish students to a truly great webinar on Lunar Tithis, on July 12th. Those of you who couldn’t attend can purchase this worthwhile webinar at the ACVA store: https://acvaonline.org/store/

ACVA’s new Membership Program is getting off to an enthusiastic start. Thank you to those who have recently signed up to support our mission. Please consider joining our growing community of dedicated students, scholars, and seekers of the wisdom of the sacred science of Jyotish. Thank you in advance!

For more information on member benefits: https://acvaonline.org/membership/

We hope that you enjoy reading, and benefit from, the brilliant articles in this month’s edition. ACVA appreciates the talents of our wise and generous contributors.

Sending each of you best wishes, as ever,

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Professor Charlotte Benson (Jyoti Devi)

President, American College of Vedic Astrology

Holy Days

By Professor Juliana Swanson

ACVA Provost and Dean of Academics

July 25 to August 23: Śrāvaṇa Maas - The Holiest Vedic Month Dedicated to Lord Shiva

Śrāvaṇa Maas, also known as the Shravana month or Sawan, is the fifth month in the Vedic lunar calendar. It typically begins in mid-to-late July and ends by mid-to-late-August. The month of Shravana is very important for the Indian sub-continent as it is related to the arrival of the southwest monsoons.

The dates of Śrāvaṇa Maas vary regionally due to different lunar calendars. North India follows Purnimanta, which begins and ends around the Full Moon, meaning that Śrāvaṇa Maas will occur from July 11 to August 9 this year. South and Western India use the Amanta lunar calendar, which begins and ends with the New Moon, meaning that it will occur from July 25 to August 23 this year. Himalayan regions including Nepal observe the Solar Calendar, meaning it will occur from July 16 to August 16.

According to the Amanta calendar, the New Moon in July will open the festival of Śrāvaṇa Maas. This is the holiest of all months in the Vedic calendar. It commemorates the victory of Lord Shiva, who drank the poisonous halāhala which sprang from the Samudra Manthana, the epic churning of the great ocean performed by the gods and demons in search of the nectar of immortality. This is an allegory about the vicissitudes of life, and the ultimate victory of light over dark.

In Śrāvaṇa Maas, Lord Shiva overcame Yama, the Lord of Death, after which Shiva transformed into Mritunjaya. This is a tale about the eternal and immortal spark of divinity within all of us. Lord Shiva’s consort Sri Parvati is also celebrated during Śrāvaṇa Maas. According to legend, she wanted to gain Lord Shiva’s attention. Thus, she performed intense austerities, including fasting on Mondays during Sawan (Sawan Somwar). Her practices were eventually successful and resulted in her marriage to Lord Shiva in this same month.

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The Observatory

By Dr. Lynn Bootes, MD

ACVA Dean of Students and Registrar

registrar@acvaonline.org

Sun in Cancer Edition –July 16 to August 31, 2025

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Sun in Cancer month. We now reach the time of maximum heat or cold for most of us as we experience summer or winter depending on our hemisphere. There are many signs in the sky that affairs on earth and among living beings will pause for a bit. Enjoy July 26-28, when the Sun is in Cancer and Moon in Leo, a Parivartana Yoga with potential for positive events. I am not arguing that all is well in the world, but what we see play out this month is based on changes set in motion in previous months.

Retrograde Saturn grabs center stage just as the Sun enters Cancer. Saturn is the planet that slows things down, and it stopped at 7deg43 Pisces on July 13, and will move back to one degree Pisces on November 28 before it resumes direct motion. Those of us who have experienced stalled-out storms bringing deluges or, conversely, a lack of rain in other regions, can appreciate the power of stationary Saturn. Those for whom the sign Pisces in prominent in the birth chart would be well advised to give their feet care and attention. On August 13, Mars will be at exact opposition from 7deg08 Virgo. While these two in combination are associated with obstacles and conflict, it’s important to remember that they come into various combinations several times a year.

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Book Review

By Alan Annand

Editor-in-Chief of Publications

PATTERNS OF CONTRAST in Vedic Astrology

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Viṣnusthānas or Kendras in Jyotiṣa

By Pratik Mehta

Vedic Astrologer

For anyone who started their Jyotiṣa journey with the north Indian styled charts, the Kendras are probably what drew their attention at first glance. The Kendras are the four neatly-arranged and connected rhombuses that sit right at the heart of the chart. No rookie can miss them and no seasoned Jyotiṣi can afford to ignore them. Perhaps that’s the reason these foundational blocks of the chart are known as Viṣnusthānas. After all, which Jyotiṣi worth their salt would even in their wildest dreams venture to overlook the Divine Grace that is staring right at them?

Most of you probably knew all of that already. However, in this article you’ll learn a little more about why the Kendras are called Viṣnusthānas and, in the process, you’ll also see why these four Bhāvas play a pivotal role in chart analysis.

The spiritual underpinnings of the Viṣnusthānas

Imagine someone buying a Tesla without learning how to drive and relying on its technical wizardry to get them home safely every single time they’re on the road! No one in their right mind would do that, right? Attempting to do Jyotiṣa, without spending time to fully imbibe the spiritual underpinnings that come with it, is somewhat like that. Jyotiṣa is as much a Divine helping hand for the Jyotiṣi, probably more so, as it is for the querent. To see it as anything else is probably a fool’s errand. So, let’s try to ponder a bit on the spiritual backdrop of the Viṣnusthānas, aka the Kendras.

According to Sanatana Dharma (colloquially known as Hinduism), Lord Viṣnu is where it all started and where it all ends. Here’s the elevator-pitch version of all that has been expounded in the countless Hindu Shastras. The Divine One, wanting to experience itself, manifested into incalculable life forms; Infinity divvied itself up into the infinitesimal finite so that in the end the collective experiences of all the finite forms would leave no experiential stone unturned. Phew! That was a mouthful. So, take a breath and let it sink in.

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Debilitated planets: from bad to best?

By Rita Silvan

Vedic Astrologer, Canadian Journalist and Editor

Vedic astrology is fascinating, but not for the faint of heart. Despite its many wonderful attributes, nuance is not its strong suit. The orthodox approach is prone to binary thinking. Planetary placements and combinations are either boom or bust, making you a royal or a royal loser. Furthermore, quick mental math confirms that the odds are decidedly tilted toward the negative: natural malefic planets outnumber natural benefices 5-to-3, with fickle Mercury swinging either way depending on the company it keeps.

Debilitated planets are an example of this binary approach. According to traditional Vedic astrology texts, planets gain strength when located in certain signs and lose strength in others. A planet is said to be debilitated when located in its weakest sign position and is especially feeble at or near a specific degree. (See table below.) To illustrate, Jupiter is debilitated in Capricorn and is at its maximum debilitation at 05 degrees Capricorn. A debilitated planet purportedly functions poorly in the areas it signifies in the chart. For example, for a Virgo lagna, Jupiter in Capricorn is in the 5th house and this could have a negative effect on children, prosperity, and liver and gall bladder function etc. as Jupiter is the karaka, or signifier. It could also hamper education, financial investments, romance etc. which are matters associated with the 5th house.

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Coming Attractions at ACVA

1. ACVA webinar – 09 August 2025 – Marc Boney

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

Topic: Predicting with Jaimini’s Cara Kārakas

This webinar explores the profound predictive power of Chara Kārakas, the variable significators used in Jaimini’s system of astrology. Unlike fixed significators in Parāśari astrology, Chara Kārakas are based on planetary degrees, and offer a dynamic framework for interpreting key life themes such as career, relationships, spiritual evolution, etc. This webinar provides a practical approach to understanding how Chara Kārakas function within Jaimini’s unique system and how they can be applied to assess the timing and nature of significant events in a person’s life. Ideal for students and practitioners seeking deeper predictive accuracy.

Webinar Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kM0j83AoRdeCFqPCycpTew

Speaker: Marc Boney

Professional Astrological Teacher, Writer and Consultant

Marc Boney is an internationally renowned astrological teacher, writer and consultant. He received his training in Jyotisha primarily from K.N. Rao, one of the world's foremost practitioners. Marc has been a featured speaker at international conferences, and is the author of 32 e-books available on Amazon. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Institute of Astrology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, of New Delhi, India, and recipient of their Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to advancing Vedic astrology in the West. Marc holds an MA in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and, prior to becoming a full-time jyotishi, held positions in corporate human resources. http://marcboney.com/

2. ACVA webinar – 06 September 2025 – Marc Boney

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

Topic: Effects of Planets from Karākamśa Lagna

This webinar delves into one of the most insightful techniques of Jaimini astrology—analyzing planetary influences from the Karākamśa Lagna, the Navāmśa position of the Ātma Kāraka (soul significator). This specialized perspective reveals the soul's deeper motivations, spiritual inclinations, and dharmic path, while also providing valuable insights into career, relationships, and life purpose. The webinar offers a clear and practical framework for interpreting the placement of planets from this powerful reference point, enabling astrologers to unlock subtle yet transformative dimensions of a birth chart. Suitable for those seeking to refine their Jaimini predictive skills.

Webinar Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4ZLqtXURSqmomutcpllvCQ

Speaker: Marc Boney

Professional Astrological Teacher, Writer and Consultant

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