It was 2004. I desperately wanted to have a child and I was several years into a relationship with my now husband who, at the time, was NOT interested in an “official” ceremony or pregnancy. Meanwhile, my best friend was getting married, and seemed to be doing everything “by the book” and I was hippied-out in California, teaching yoga, working as a nanny, making vegan curries and feeling like I was waiting for life to “start”.

I made an appointment, emailed my birth stats, and was soon on the phone with a man whom I had never met, who was 1} describing me to ME, perfectly, and 2} advising me in a clear, objective, strategic, insightful and supportive way. He somehow was able to tell me the things I needed to hear, in the WAY I needed to hear it. Even the things I didn’t want to hear, it hit home {such as, “This is a rough period. It will be hard. You are not done studying, you need to go to Ayurveda school. This is NOT the time for marriage. If you get married now, you’ll end up divorced. Spend this time in school”}, and I knew on the inside the truth of what he said.

I went in to the reading insecure, frustrated, unsure with unfulfilled desires. The jyotishi explained that I was running a planetary period of 7 years that, because of configurations in my particular horoscope was designed, not for marriage, but rather for study and spiritual questing. It wasn’t at all what I wanted to hear… but he was absolutely right. And, as he pointed out, I could spend 7 years pining for something that wasn’t ready to ripen, or I could take advantage of the wave presenting itself and ride it gracefully and intentionally. Riding the right wave, I could thrive, instead of being knocked down.

He nailed truths {not just psychological but specific past events} so clearly, that I was able to trust and resonate with the predictions and suggestions. I knew the advice wasn’t based in opinion, but in deeper patterns that he seemingly magically decipher.  I was able to heed his advice. I threw myself full-on into advanced study and credentialing in my field, travel, retreat, tutelage during the exact time frame he suggested. By the end of the 7 years, my now husband was proposing and I had cultivated expertise I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued.  In my head, I had the plan reversed.  But it’s clear to me now, that if I attempted any of that in depth study NOW that I did then, I wouldn’t have the brain power for it. The wave would have passed.

 A Jyotish reading calms, centers and focuses me… it quells my anxiety and organizes my strategies. I have used readings to…

• Plan major travel {to avoid problems, delays, health risks}
• Plan our marriage with an auspicious time for the ceremony
• Plan conceiving a child and make a birth plan
• Make investment decisions
• Refine my business strategy and even my business name
• Get a look at the year ahead to plan and strategize for our family and work
• Calm my anxiety {by asking if I actually NEED to worry about such and such or is all in my head}

That first astrologer predicted {actually insisted} based on my horoscope, that my husband would become a Jyotishi, like him. I actually forgot this prediction until years later! And on a trip to India, when we asked a shopkeeper to connect us to an Ayurveda teacher, he instead sent us to a Jyotish teacher. We hadn’t pursued it, and yet, here it was, being delivered. That first Jyotish teacher led us to the next Jyotish teacher – which lead to huge opportunities, learning and change. 

My husband went on to develop a close tutelage relationship with his Jyotish teacher, Hart deFouw, one of the most renowned Vedic Astrologers of our time. Studying “chest-to-chest” with him for thousands of hours over the course of 5 years. But that’s a story for another article!