Customer Reviews

Planets in the Signs and Houses: Vedic Astrologer's Handbook Vol. II (v. 2)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great textbook for a first class in Jyotisha or for self-learning. Organized in an easy look-up, reference book format. English vocabulary is well chosen. Descriptions of the planetary placements are clear enough that the engaged reader can perceive the underlying relationship between the graha (planet) which occupies the rashi (sign) and the graha which owns the rashi. This fundamental relationship is crucial to all Jyotisha interpretation.

The reader who claims that the book (or its interpretations) is "flawed" may be reacting to a slightly fatalistic or judgmental tone in Behari's descriptions. It is true that the reader will need a moderate level of East-West intercultural competence to appreciate the rather somber writing style of men of Behari's generation. However, the descriptions are accurate and the tone, in the case of negative placements, is not unwarranted.

It is also true that studying one's own nativity, exclusively and in detail, is never a good way to learn Jyotisha. It is almost impossible to take an objective view of one's own self. The mature student of Jyotisha will do case-studies of numerous charts (friends, family, celebrities) about which the factual life details are well known. After comparative study, the student can determine whether Behari's placement descriptions are accurate across a range of objective samples. This method will avoid the type of personal reactivity expressed by the angry reader above.

As a student and teacher of Jyotisha in the West, I appreciate that the late Bepin Behari (and his USA publishers) have provided an accessible, affordable, and easy-to-use English-language guide to basic planetary placement interpretation. I would recommend Planets in the Signs and Houses to any beginning student or teacher of beginners.

Easily a must-have for any serious astrologer. He's like the Simon Cowell of astrology, and I really value his words.

Overall this is flawed book. If I could go back and reduce the number of stars I gave, it I would. I am editing my review on Jan 1, 2005. My original review was on Dec 31, 2004. It deserves one or two stars only. This book is not for the faint of heart. It does not give the reader both a positive and negative attribute for each placement. In 70 percent of the cases, the interpretation is either a negative one or a positive one. It would be nice if the world were that black and white.

The best thing this did for me is to recognize my negative traits and try to improve them. No overt recommendations were made.This is baloney. I'm sure that a vedic astrologer doing any chart would either make appropriate suggestions and/or give both positive and negative traits to each placement. Otherwise, his or her clients would either jump off a bridge or dance in the streets. Business needs to be steadier than that.

Bloomfield's Intro to Vedic Astrology gives recommendations for strengthening houses as well as more balanced interpretations.

I could also reccommend Jan Spiller's astrology for the soul(tremendous) and Spiller's Spritual Astrology (tremendous). I also have Several Linda Goodman books. I suggest that you either get Bloomfield's Intro to vedic astrology or some of the aforementioned western astrology books before buying this book.

Or better for you, don't buy this book at all.