Dear Readers,


Please accept our sincere apologies. The previous broadcast announcing the July 2026 release of Asteroid contained incorrect web links for the forthcoming August and September webinars. The links have been corrected in this broadcast.

Thank you for your understanding.

Important Update from ACVA

As announced in our June 2026 release, ACVA is pleased to announce the return of two familiar publications that many of our members will remember from previous years: The Asteroid and The Comet.

As part of this transition, our communications will once again follow the format successfully used in the past:

• The Asteroid returns as our concise monthly brief, delivering important announcements, organizational updates, observatory news, upcoming activities, and timely information in a quick and easy-to-read format.
• The Comet will once again become our quarterly publication, featuring expanded articles, educational content, member contributions, feature stories, and in-depth coverage of topics of interest to the ACVA community.

Many longtime members will recognize these names as part of ACVA’s earlier publication tradition, and we are excited to reintroduce this proven format to better balance timely communication with richer feature content.

We believe this return to the Asteroid and Comet structure will provide a clearer, more engaging experience for all our readers while honoring an important part of ACVA’s history.

Thank you for being part of the ACVA community as we continue moving forward — while reconnecting with a tradition that served us well.

Enjoy this month's Asteroid!

The Observatory

By Dr. Lynn Bootes, MD

ACVA Dean of Students and Registrar

registrar@acvaonline.org

July / August 2026 Edition

Dear Readers, 

Comparatively speaking, August will begin with a feeling of relative stability compared with previous months. August remains a good month to begin studies at ACVA, as many of us can take a pause in our busy lives to study. We are entering eclipse season – see the details below in the Almanac. We can expect more extreme weather events at these times. I will be watching the total solar eclipse visible in the Arctic and far north Atlantic on August 12, especially in light of political tensions and climate change. There are also a number of planetary changes clustering around August 12-17 as described below. 

Jupiter reached exact conjunction and combustion with the Sun on July 29, but the effect of the combustion remains until August 13. While Jupiter is exalted in Cancer all month, Jupiter’s ability to bring results is limited as it is weakened by the combustion. Jupiter is giving us the vision of compassion, but we might be over-optimistic on what can come about right now. When the Sun moves to Leo on August 17, Jupiter will be visible in the eastern sky before dawn, and it will be able to provide guidance and vision. Jupiter in Cancer continues to make a one-way aspect to Saturn in Pisces until December. Jupiter is also Saturn’s sign ruler which has been a real blessing for all. The trine aspect will be exact by degree at 19deg52 Cancer/Pisces on September 2.

Saturn is now in retrograde in Pisces for the entire month and is opposite Venus in Virgo the entire time. The aspect is exact by degree on August 21 at 19deg58 Pisces. Some may experience feelings of loneliness or an excessive sense of criticism of self or others – while there is also the possibility of deepening meaningful friendships and loyalties. 

Click here for more ....

Coming Attractions at ACVA

 1.  ACVA webinar – 8th August 2026 – Simon Chokoisky

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

Topic: An Introduction to Krishnamurti Paddhati (KP Astrology)



Krishnamurti Paddathi, otherwise known as KP Astrology, is highly precise and rule-based system developed by Prof. K.S Krishnamurti in India. In this seminar you will learn essential KP principals for understanding horary and natal charts. One of the great benefits of KP is understanding what a client is really asking, and Simon will teach this method as time permits.

Webinar Registration Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G7WmEe1rSlKStQq1uFUCeA

Speaker: Simon Chokoisky

Mr. Simon Chokoisky has practiced Jyotisha since 2002 and studied with Hart de Fouw. Simon is the author of several books, including his latest Jyotisha-inspired Bhav Ballads- a poetic journey through the twelve houses of the horoscope.

Contact: siddhadeva@yahoo.com

Web site: www.decodingvedicwisdom.com

  2.  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.



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Why stay in touch? We’ll be providing more informative articles in our monthly newsletter as the year progresses, as well as offering a monthly series of educational webinars delivered by seasoned speakers in our Jyotish Insights series. Don’t miss a thing. Stay connected.

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)

To contact any one of us



American College of Vedic Astrology Inc, 2675 W. S.R. 89A #190, Sedona, AZ 86336