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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Summer Solstice 2018
Charlotte Benson (Jyoti Devi)
Dear ACVA Learners, Friends,
and
Greetings dear ACVA friends! We hope this finds you and your families doing well, and prospering.
It's been another very busy quarter! The big news is that ACVA's partici-pation in the United Astrology
Conference (UAC) last month was an unqualified success on every level. I was so proud of ACVA's role
there as the exclusive organizatio-nal representative of Vedic Astrology. This global Astrology
conference, held every 4 - 6 years, is a collaboration between four Western Astrology groups, and
ACVA, - the sole sponsor for Jyotisha. It was a very encouraging experience to see so many new faces
there. We estimated that around 50% of participants were new to this most recent Kumba Mela of
Astrology. There is so much current interest in, and enthusiasm for, studying Astrology.
It's hard to describe the intensity of such a large gathering of astrologers, jyotishis, and students of the
Sacred Science. So, for those of you who couldn't attend, here's a bit of what happened in Chicago,
during the fourth week of May 2018:
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Onward and upward,
Charlotte Benson (Jyoti Devi)
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Remembering Bill-A Tribute
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Joni Patry
As I began my studies in Vedic Astrology, I remember Bill as such a jovial personality;
always with a smile on his face. It was so refreshing after serious classes on karma to see
him wearing a cap with a spinning fan on top. Some of my prized pieces I won at the raffles
at the conferences came from Bill, a refrigerator magnet with Ganesh on it.
Bill better known as William Levacy was one of our great leaders and teachers in West for
Vedic science, He wrote the book we all referred to frequently Beneath the Vedic Sky.
Commenting on the complexity of Vedic astrology, I would mention that even a rocket
scientist teaches our classes at the conferences. Literally, Bill was a rocket scientist at
Boeing. I also remember in amazement seeing him on a national television show about a
princess living in Los Angeles-- star
Catherine Oxenberg
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H
e was her Vedic astrologer. He
was well known as one of the best astrologers!
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Tribute to Bill Levacy
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Bill and I were speakers at many ACVA conferences and even though I had read all his
masterful books on Vedic Astrology, I did not really get to know him until I became a teacher for
ACVA's online school. In the early days we had instructor conference calls where we would all
share ideas and develop the program that evolved through each other's feedback. Although we
all listened to one another, it was Bill's leadership that defined its direction and held the group
together. He was assertive without being aggressive, intelligent without being dogmatic, and
compassionate without letting anyone step over him. Education was Bill's passion and we had
that special bond in common. He went back to school for his Ph.D. in Education and I went back
to school for my M.A. in South Asian Languages and Cultures. He interviewed me for his
dissertation. We laughed together at the NAMA conference in Chicago and anyone who knew
Bill recognized his wry wit and singular sense of humor.
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The Observatory- Summer Solstice 2018
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We are
nearly at the threshold of the delightful summer season once again. At 10:07 AM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) - 03:07 AM PST-June 21, the Summer Solstice will be officially upon us, ushering in a period of celebration of life's goodness and generosity. As Nature commands, it seems fitting that this time of enjoyment should begin with the longest day of the year when the Sun reaches its highest declination and the Earth "bows" before Surya's power. On this day, the faintest shadow occurs and our world is bathed in bright heavenly light again for the longest time. Attuning our consciousness to the divine light during this time reawakens our "inner sun".
Solstice is also known as Midsummer because, in the months preceding it, Nature has been slowly awakening from its long winter slumber before it peaks gloriously in the midpoint of the season. By turn, summer derives from the Proto-Indo-European sam or sem meaning together or one. Thus, a celebration is in order, if not for the sake of all that it entails, but as a prompting that the season is short-lived.
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UAC Highlights - June 2018
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Dr. Bill Levacy's Lifetime Achievement Award being received by Dr. Harness along side the president of ACVA, Charlotte Benson, at the Regulus Award Banquet, on Memorial Day.
Navagraha Puja, performed by Pundit Samavedula in the ACVA suite.
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Your Donation Makes a Difference!
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ACVA is a 501-C3 not-for-profit educational institution that provides a very valuable service to learners of Vedic astrology. All the staff are volunteer, and offer their time and knowledge as a labor of love.
It is due to their generosity and that of our patrons that ACVA can continue to thrive. If you choose to press the "donate" button, your donation will be tax deductible.
In gratitude,
The ACVA Team
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Charlotte Benson and the ACVA Staff
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