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By Howard Beckman

Vibrational Healing with Gems
Part I

By Howard Beckman

The source of all energy, the force of life, in our solar system is the Sun. No matter that we would give plants water and necessary nutrients, without the Sun’s energy they will soon die. Most life as we know it cannot live without the energy of the Sun. In India and surrounding countries of Burma, Tibet, etc. this life force is called "prana". The Chinese call it "chi" and the Japanese refer to it as "ki". Regardless of the name it is the sustaining force of biological life.

For one capable of seeing the energy force that emanates from the body, waves of energy are seen in various colors. This is called the "aura", and advances such as Kirlian photography have made it possible for anyone to view this force without possessing advanced psychic capabilities. It has been clearly shown that poor diet, lack of exercise, and emotional anxiety sap our life force biologically. When this biological energy becomes low our immune systems are weakened and disease invades the body. This energy does not last eternally within our bodies for we all are susceptible to illness at times, and certainly none can escape eventual death.

At the time of death the life force leaves the body and the body itself dies and begins to decay. In youth we are loath to consider such facts, but as we age we realize that some conservation of energy and increased care of our physical selves becomes more necessary.

In the east Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners of Oriental medicine make an evaluation of the level of the prana, chi, or life force within the body before proceeding to diagnosis of particular diseased conditions. Different methods of stimulating the energy levels are called for, be it changes in diet, taking herbs, oils, massage, or accupuncture, but the most powerful medicines are made from precious gems. In India these preparations are called "bhasmas" (medicines made from burning the gems to ash) or "pisthis" (medicines made from crushed gems such as pearls or coral. Gem tinctures are also produced by therapists both in the U.S. and abroad.

Cosmic energy is stored in gems

Gems contain wavelengths of cosmic color, just as the Sun’s rays contain pure life force. The gems must be untreated by man, except for cutting and polishing to have any effect whatsoever. That the majority of gems we find in jewelry stores are heat-treated, irradiated, etc. is mostly unknown to the public. Treated gemstones have lost their ability to infuse "pranic" energy to the wearer. Therefore in gem therapy we take special care and efforts to obtain gems that have not been treated to improve their physical appearance. Such gems are super concentrated storehouses of cosmic energies at different frequencies and wavelengths depending on the gem used.

The light of the Sun is made of seven visible bands of color, and two that are invisible, each of which has a different frequency. We can view the visible colors of the spectrum in a rainbow. Ultraviolet and infrared rays are the invisible bands. Lower frequency infrared rays pass through the body when we are next to a heater or fire. They speed up the activity of electrons in the cells and make us feel warm. Cold weather slows down our vibrational rate and we must burn extra calories to stay warm

A wonderful example of the potency of gems is the ruby laser used in hospitals. It is so hot that it cuts through almost any substance known to man. Other gems also influence cellular behavior, as do the infrared rays of fire. Different gems emanate different cosmic colors that affect living organisms in different ways.

Cosmic Colors of Gemstones

Gems emit different frequencies of color that are not necessarily the colors we perceive with our naked eyes. With the aid of a prism this phenomenon is easily seen. The ruby does emit the red cosmic ray, and the emerald does emit the green cosmic ray, but the other gems emit a cosmic color different from what we would think from their appearance.

Pearls emit the orange band of wavelength. Red coral emits a yellow cosmic ray. Yellow sapphire actually emits a blue cosmic ray (akin to the color of the sky). Diamond emits an indigo blue cosmic ray, and blue sapphire emits the violet band of the color spectrum. The cosmic rays of hessonite and chrysoberyl cats-eye cannot be seen, but hessonite emits the coldest ray of ultraviolet, and chrysoberyl cats-eye emits the infrared cosmic wavelength. All together these gems together are storehouses of the 7 visible and 2 invisible bands, which together comprise what we see as white light.

Different gems have separate properties

Rubies are "hot" gems (note the use in lasers as mentioned) so we use them to treat illnesses coming from cold or damp. In India and Tibet especially doctors treat anemia, low blood pressure, lack of energy, or constipation with ruby. Such diseases are "cold" and employing ruby will raise the body temperature, increase metabolic rate, circulation and muscle tone. Ruby is very helpful for those with weight problems, or just heavy body types that have slow biological functions. It is used to treat low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat or palpitations, paralysis, and general debility. The energy of a ruby is hot, drying, energizing, and expanding.

Pearls are cooling and thus used to treat diseases arising from too much heat. It can be used for high blood pressure, asthma, flu, pneumonia, tonsillitis, bronchitis, or chickenpox. It is also effective against high acidity or conjunctivitis, as well as treating emotional fears, bad dreams, excessive anger, or hysteria. The pearl’s energy is anti-allergenic, moist, and harmonizing.

Red Coral is warming and used to treat colic, gall stones, hemorrhoids, warts, and liver problems such as jaundice and hepatitis. It is enlivening and cleansing for the body.

Emerald is often used to treat burns, colitis, cystitis, diarrhea, heartburn, eczema, gastritis, inflammation, stomach ulcers, and even anorexia. Its energy is cold, analgesic, unifying, and solidifying. It is to be used against disease caused by an excess of heat in the body.

Yellow Sapphire with its blue rays may be used for swollen glands, mumps, ulcers in the mouth, abscess, coughs, goitre, pancreas disorders, and obesity. Its energy is cool, soft, satisfying, and antiseptic. This stone is also helpful in bolstering the body’s immune system if worn on the body as a ring or necklace.

Diamond is prescribed for sterility, as well as problems related to menopause. It can be used effectively in treating diabetes, epilepsy, and depression. It is an antidepressant and antiseptic and its energy is invigorating, stimulating and clarifying.

Blue Sapphire is effective for pain such as backache, joint pain and headaches. It has shown good results in treating earache, gout, inflammations, dandruff, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, laryngitis, neuralgia, lumbago, vertigo, and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as well as many other maladies. The energy of this gemstone is cool, soothing, sedative, tranquilizing, analgesic, and antispasmodic.

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Vibrational Healing with Gems
Part II

Ayurvedic and Astrological Prescription

Ayurvedic doctors generally are also Vedic astrologers or work in conjunction with one, for a vedic horoscope will show weakness in certain cosmic energies which can be counteracted by wearing particular gems. This is due to the fact that different planets radiate different cosmic colors or energies, and weakness of certain planetary rays will mean insufficient absorption of particular cosmic colors. The (natural) gems are set into rings or necklaces with the back open so that the gemstone comes into contact with the skin.

Besides treatment of present maladies, such gems are often prescribed to ward off disease. They also strengthen certain "subtle" energies so can have benefic effects in attracting positive energies toward a person. This may be desired in areas of love and relationship, business, or many other facets of life to boost the positive energies, or to ward off or lessen negative ones that are causing distress.

Ayurvedic Gem Medicines

In India and Tibet especially there are pharmacists expert in making gem medicines called pisthis and bhasmas, as I mentioned previously. The bhasmas are prepared by crushing the gems into a powder, then burning them to ash in a special crucible for this purpose. The ash is then prepared with certain herbs or oils in a process that makes them nontoxic that they may be ingested. Pisthis are prepared without burning the gems to ash in preparing coral and pearl medicine. Gold and silver are also commonly made into bhasmas and have a strengthening effect on the nervous system. The preparations are made into pills or balms, but often left as a powder that the physician will mix into a medicinal preparation. They are extremely powerful and should never be taken without the expert advice of a qualified ayurvedic doctor.

Gem elixirs, on the other hand, may be made without using up the gemstones, so they may be used time and time again. The elixirs are prepared by placing the gems in separate bottles of 95% pure ethanol alcohol. They are left for 1 week to 3 months, depending on the gem elixir being prepared. We do not put more than one type of gem in any one bottle, although up to 5 of the same gem may be placed in one bottle. The bottles are then placed in a box and put in a dark place until ready. Either blank homeopathic pills are sprayed with the elixir, or a few drops are placed in a cup of water or juice to drink.

Another method is to soak the gems in a bowl of water overnight and drink the water. This method does not allow storage of the elixir, as the potency dissipates within a few hours. Therefore when making in water the patient must drink the elixir right away. Adding a few drops of alcohol can preserve them for a few days, but no more. Gem elixirs cannot harm us, even if wrongly prescribed, so are safer to take than pisthis and bhasmas when not under the care of an experienced ayurvedic doctor.

Throughout history these preparations have been used not only in India and Tibet, but also in Arabic countries and Europe. In my newest book (to be released in 2000) I have devoted an entire chapter to the medicinal uses of gems throughout history, and in all parts of the world. It should be noted that the Native Americans also used the science of gem therapy long before the Europeans arrived here.

Crystals or Gems?

Often I am asked about using crystals, there being so much propaganda about using them for healing. There is no comparison between using natural precious gems and semi-precious crystals. Quartz crystals have utility to be sure, but they are more transmitters (or amplifiers) of energy from a healer than they are capable of transmitting energy of their own. They absorb energies and therefore may be used in certain prescriptions to reduce fevers, but they must be constantly cleansed and purified to avoid passing the malady to the next user.

Precious gems, on the other hand, have stable properties inherent within them that anyone can utilize. Also note that cut and polished gems give far superior results than gem crystals left unpolished. The more brilliance and fire the gem projects, the more its energies can be used in healing. It should be noted that fake gems or synthetics have no healing potencies whatsoever, regardless of brilliance or fire perceived by the eye.

Frequencies in healing and electronic gem therapy

Every mother has experienced and naturally knows that rocking a crying baby back and forth once or twice a second encourages the child to sleep. What is occurring is that the rhythm is bringing about Delta brain waves. Massage can also induce Delta brain waves, as well as Alpha or Theta. These are the most important frequencies for healing. Delta waves are 0.1-3.2 megahertz, or cycles per second, and heal pain for they induce deep relaxation and sleep. Theta waves pulse at 3.2-7.8 megahertz and are used to heal trauma. They exist while dreaming, in deep meditative trance, or under hypnosis. Alpha waves pulse at 7.8-14 megahertz and heal through allowing an internal "balancing". We are relaxed and our attention is divided between internal affairs and the external world. Beta waves pulse at 14-25 megahertz and keep us focused on the external affairs of our lives being of an invigorating nature. High Beta waves are over 25 cycles per second and are never used in healing. This is the state of brain function under high anxiety, panic attacks, or schizophrenia.

In Europe health care professionals are on the cutting edge of technology in gem therapy. Not only alternative practitioners are using it, but traditional allopathic medical doctors have found its use so successful that the technology’s use is increasing rapidly. The most successful of these instruments combines the use of gems, color filters, frequency, and electronic amplification. The therapy is extremely versatile and effective for the majority of disorders of the body.

These electronic gem therapy instruments use low voltage lamps with three powerful lenses to focus the light beam. Inside are placed specific gems and color filters. The lamps are plugged into a precision electronic instrument that has digital monitors to display vibrational rate and intensity that can be adjusted with controls on the panel. By combining the natural healing frequencies with the gems and color filters the vibrational rate of cells, organs, or glands in the body are affected, thereby increasing the "pranic" or "chi" energies inherent within them.

This author began using one of these amazing instruments while living in England. The results were so positive that many doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals who heard of our work came to see its efficacy and inspired some to recommend patients, while others purchased the equipment for their clinics. We now use two different such instruments in our work now based in Pecos, New Mexico.

Medicine for the new millennium

Gem therapy combined with a common sense approach to better diet, exercise, and attitude of life has shown to be a most wonderful tool for healing. No drugs are used, or invasive surgical techniques, although we have seen dramatic results also in healing the body after surgery. For some ailments that are very advanced, drug therapies (or herbs) and surgery may be necessary, but use of gem therapy afterwards vastly improves nervous and immune system function and helps the body to recover far more quickly from the side effects.

It is being used to treat chronic pain, emotional pain and exhaustion, nervous disorders, skin problems, injuries, infections, allergies, and also muscular and skeletal problems in countless clinics in Europe and the United Kingdom utilizing different frequencies through the electronic instruments. Practitioners of gem therapy in Asia are now beginning to also use such instruments to increase the potency and bring more rapid results to their clinical work.

Health care workers using accupuncture or acupressure can train the gem lamps on the accupuncture points, marma points, or meridians of the body. The chakras can also be energized using the appropriate gemstones. This balances the patient’s vibrational rate and increases the biological energy levels. Opening the chakras accelerates emotional, physical, and spiritual development and can lead to developing higher states of consciousness.

Many people who have experienced the benefits of gem therapy either through wearing natural precious gems on the body or through the use of the electronic instruments with gems have considered it miraculous. A majority of patients treated to date have gained positive results immediately and experience rapid recoveries. It is not a miracle therapy, though, for it is based on sound scientific principles. The marriage of the ancient science of gem therapy used for thousands of years by cultures east and west combined with electronic instruments has brought a new utility to the science, and without doubt will be further improved upon in the future for even more amazing breakthroughs. As more health care professionals use and experience results using gem therapy we are sure to see effective procedures arising to treat disabling and life-threatening diseases now considered incurable. As the inimitable Ben Franklin once said "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and using this therapy widely to protect against diseradiant health for everyone.

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Vedic Astrology and Gemstone Therapy

by Howard Beckman

So you’ve had your horoscope done, and are dealing with the information you’ve gotten from the astrologer. There are strengths in the chart, and also weaknesses, and you’re wondering, “now what”? What can you do about it? Is there a way to counterbalance certain weaknesses, or increase strengths as much as possible? Indeed there are, and one of the easiest methods Vedic astrologers use to derive noticeable results in a relatively short period of time is through the wearing of natural, untreated gemstones.

Gem therapy, or planetary gemology, dates back to ancient Indian, Greek, Egyptian, and Jewish cultures. Men and women would wear gems for the potencies they imparted to them, and not solely for their monetary value. Kings and queens would wear gemstones in their crowns and elsewhere on the body as a means of expanding their influence throughout their kingdoms. Of course the gems royalty wore were extremely large, and of the highest quality imaginable to have such extremely powerful effects, but gems can still be utilized today by the general populace at large for all kinds of beneficial effects in life.

The Indian scriptures called the “Vedas” contain the most complete descriptions and scientific, as well as practical knowledge, of gemstones. These sacred Sanskrit texts give specific details about various gems’ potencies, as well as the method of prescription for their proper medical and astrological usage. Particular properties of gems have also been recognized in today’s modern technological world, such as in quartz crystals that are used in timepieces, and diamonds that are being used in lasers and supercomputers. As a matter of fact over a billion people in the world today have taken advantage of Vedic gem therapy to enhance their lives physically, mentally, or spiritually. In some countries this science has been practiced for thousands of years, dating back to the earliest recorded histories.

Planetary gemology, or gem therapy used in conjunction with a person’s Vedic horoscope for gem prescription, is based on the ancient system of Vedic astrology. The positions of the planets at the time of our birth reflect the karma that we bring with us into this life from our past actions and experiences in previous incarnations. They represent the multitude of energies in the universe, each planet controlling a different form of cosmic energy that is transmitted throughout the solar system.

There are seven visible cosmic rays emanated by the seven major planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn and two invisible rays (ultraviolet and infrared) emanated by the Moon’s north and south nodes, called Rahu and Ketu. The planets will show inherent strengths in certain areas of life, as well as weaknesses that may inhibit our growth in others, which correspond with the intensity of receiving these cosmic rays.

There is a complex system of remedial measures used with Vedic astrology that allows one to increase the energies vibrated from certain planets to balance and bring harmony into one’s life. They are twofold, utilizing sound vibrations such as in the chanting of mantras, and increasing specific wavelengths of vibrations of light, which is the basis for gemstone therapy.

Different gemstones receive their potencies from the cosmic energies of different planets, thereby having different effects on the wearer. These gemstones are transmitters of electromagnetic energy from the different planets. They do this by absorption and reflection of light frequencies. The electromagnetic energy emanating from the gemstone reacts with the electromagnetic energy of the body to produce certain very specific effects.

Once you have had a careful analysis of your Vedic horoscope gems are often recommended that will be beneficial for wearing throughout your life. The chosen stone/s may then be set in a ring, or pendant, so that the stone comes into contact with the skin. This allows them to best transmit these frequencies of light, or electromagnetic energy, to the cells in our bodies. This is done through the ions and electrolytes of the body on a cellular level. On a “subtle” level the cosmic colors of the gems are absorbed through the chakra system of the ethereal body. The reason the fingers are the best places to wear gems is the location of many physical and ethereal nerve centers there. We have seen amazing results in people’s lives through the use of gemstone therapy, the bottom line being greater energy and strength to combat negative karmic influences in their lives, and to maximize positive ones.

A word of caution: In order to be effective gems must be natural (not synthetic) and be untreated by heat or otherwise to improve their appearance, as is commonly done on most gems used in the jewelry trade. Therefore you must know for sure that your source for your purchase has natural, untreated gems and will guarantee this. The treatment of gemstones to enhance their physical beauty has long been an accepted practice in the gem and jewelry trade.

It is not necessary to spend a fortune to obtain a gem that will give the desired effects. Yet it is also a one-time investment that requires no further “maintenance”, but for setting into a ring or talisman, so it is best to buy the best quality one can afford. Its potency will never diminish, and you have the gem for your entire lifetime bringing increased positive influence into your life and counteracting negative forces to a great degree, as well.

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Will Jyotish Quality Gems Soon Be Only A Memory?

by Howard Beckman

Until a fellow gem dealer whose main business was capitalizing on the trade in gems for clients of Vedic astrologers, or jyotishis, coined the terminology "jyotish quality gems", this was not a term ever used to describe a gemstone. Sure we knew what was necessary for a gemstone to be effective for this purpose, but as gemologists and certified gem appraisers we used gemological terms that were actually descriptive of a gem's quality. This article will give the straight unadulterated truth as to what comprises a "jyotish" quality gemstone and how easily obtainable such qualities are and will be in the future.

Let's start with ruby and all colors of sapphire. The species of these gems is the same and the properties are identical, but the difference is in color. They are optically, physically and chemically identical otherwise. All rubies and sapphires are "corundum". If corundum occurs in a red color then it is called a ruby and it will transmit the red cosmic ray of the Sun. Using ruby to strengthen the Sun's potency as understood through the horoscope is extremely effective. If corundum occurs in ANY other color it is called a sapphire. If yellow sapphire it will transmit the blue cosmic ray, which is that emitted by the planet Jupiter. If blue sapphire it will transmit the violet cosmic ray, which is that emitted by the planet Saturn. If white sapphire it will emit the same cosmic color as diamond, the indigo ray, and this is the cosmic color emitted by the planet Venus.

It should be noted that NOT all ruby and sapphire is what we call "gem quality", which is absolutely necessary for the gems to have benefic and healing effects on the wearer. The requirements for a ruby are that the gem is natural (meaning from the earth and not synthetic) and if treated at all can ONLY have been subjected to what is called by gem laboratories "standard heat treatment". As ruby is for the source of all planetary light and heat it can take this lower temperature and lesser form of heat without damage. The clarity should be extremely clear with almost no inclusions seen within the gem.

It should be noted that NO sapphires of any color should have been subjected to any form of heat treatment as their potency becomes completely destroyed in the process. The clarity must be "eye clean", meaning little to be seen within the gemstone but small bits of "silk", or rutile, and color saturation will determine how potent the gem will be. The greater the saturation and depth of color the more powerful the gem, but NOTE, if the saturation becomes too much it will affect the clarity and thus start to reduce both potency and value. The gem should be a nice crystal or "glass-like" and you should easily see into it, if not easily with the naked eye certainly under magnification. The problem that now ensues today is that newer processes of heat treatment have been discovered and perfected that make a much better looking final product. Today's heat treatments are almost 100% diffusion heat treatments for not only ruby, but all sapphires as well. This is accomplished by coating the gem crystal with a melted crystalline substance that will "diffuse" the desired color deep into the gemstone. This makes a low quality rather washed out color become deep and vibrant when finished. As iron oxide is what is in ruby that creates the red color, the first diffusion treatments coated the gem with iron oxide and then under massive temperatures it "burned" the deeper red color into the ruby.

Now more recently temperatures hotter than ever used before are used to actually melt the species of gem "chrysoberyl" (which produces the sought after varieties of "chrysoberyl cats-eye" and "alexandrite") and this melted chrysoberyl is used to coat the ruby or sapphire to increase its color. Such gems are useless for jyotish purposes and their energy will be "dead". Unfortunately for us, as the trade is accepting this newer treatment (for they are in the business of selling gems for their beauty and not astrological reasons) making a prettier and less expensive product makes them more affordable for their customers. This is especially so in the depressed economic climate of today.

Even worse are the glass-filled varieties that use melted glass to actually fill serious fractures within ruby. These treatments are becoming more and more prevalent so that truly natural sapphires with no heat treatment whatsoever or even just the standard heating that was used previously for ruby are now quickly becoming scarcer and scarcer to find. There are some reputable gem dealers that deal in natural, unheated sapphire and will give certification with each sale of such, but beware of anything cheap in price. Fine gemstones cannot be "cheap" in any case, but the motto "if it sounds too good to be true it usually is" will always be a fact when talking about precious gems. Unless you have the best of contacts in the gem trade and can find someone with the odd natural ruby or a very few left from old stock, they are almost impossible to find anymore. They are already a distant memory to most jewelers and gem traders. You can pretty much be 100% sure that if the ruby OR sapphire being offered to you for purchase is from Thailand or has even been through Thailand from dealer to dealer, it will be heated. Only a few top gem dealers in Thailand have truly natural, untreated ruby or sapphire due to their experience and having the best sources world- wide. Anyone with any experience in the international gem market knows that the Thais are the "kings" of the "heat-treaters" and they are the ones that have created the acceptance for their treatments in the worldwide gem market. Demand guarantees for any sapphires or rubies you buy. No heat treatment is acceptable for sapphires in any instance. No diffusion treatments are acceptable for ruby in any instance. You might as well just forget about buying one if so, at least if for jyotish or Ayurvedic purposes.

Most pearls traded today are cultured. What this means is that man induces the mollusk to make the pearl and usually a bead is first placed into the mollusk (oysters usually) with a piece of tissue. This disturbs the mollusk and its defense is that it coats the foreign intrusion with layers of nacre and conchiolin, which it produces, and this is the pearl material. What you see is nacre. If the pearl were x-rayed you would find that the bulk of the "size" is a large bead that is in the center. It is not that cultured pearls have no potency, but have proved to have very little, so if you are wanting a pearl to strengthen the Moon's effects as per your horoscope, it's doubtful you will get what you are looking for in buying a cultured pearl.

Tissue nucleated pearls have a bit more effect than bead nucleated, but the ultimate best is a natural pearl never touched by man. This is produced when a grain of sand or some other tiny foreign material somehow gets into the mollusk. The mollusk then coats it with the nacre substances and the longer it is in the shell with the mollusk, the larger the pearl will be. Such pearls are becoming so rare that only a very few dealers worldwide even have access to them and prices are extremely expensive. Insist on an x-ray certificate from a gem lab if you are buying a natural pearl for thousands of dollars. Very few exist.

The next best thing is a keshi pearl, which is a pearl produced by a mollusk after being disturbed by man's insertion of a bead, BUT it managed to eject the bead from its shell. Due to the disturbance, though, the mollusk creates the pearl, but the entire thing will be nacre and NO bead in the center. As culturing is getting more advanced and they check the pearl beds more frequently, reinserting beads into mollusks that might reject them, far fewer keshis are on the market today. Those that are available are generally very undesirable shapes, at least for our purposes, and far too small to have any effects. For the most part they are already gone from the market unless a dealer has old stock that was not sold. Color should be white, off white, silver white and in some cases golden colors are desirable. Black pearls are never used for jyotish purposes. One must also be sure that their pearls are not dyed or bleached, as this is also common in more inexpensive pearls on the market.

The best red coral comes from the Mediterranean Sea and is mostly controlled by the Italians. It is becoming rarer and rarer due to man's devastation of the coral reefs worldwide. Most harvesting of rare corals is now banned. Some from the China and Japan seas is of good quality, but not as prevalent as the lower qualities. Most is a cheaper variety from the Seas of China and Japan, but it is not as vibrant color as the Mediterranean. Most coral is treated with a plastic or wax impregnation to make it smooth and unbroken on the surface and with it being so rare the majority of coral coming from the orient is also now dyed red. When I was a young boy my family would buy the best red coral imaginable for about $1 per carat from Italy. Today such quality is hardly to be found and when it is the pieces are smaller and cost $100 to $150 per carat. Oriental is less expensive but simply not of the same quality. Cheap "coral" is usually fake and made of plastic.

Emeralds should be a nice medium to deep green color and although we tolerate more inclusions in emerald than we do, for instance, in sapphire, as it is a far more imperfect stone generally, it must still have only a minimum of visible inclusions to be effective. (Those who are expert in this science should be consulted as to what is acceptable.) It should be a nice "glass-like" crystal and as with other crystalline gems if it becomes "oversaturated" with color that it affects the clarity of the stone, it will be less effective and far less valuable. The treatment for emeralds, which can have many fractures within them, has always been using cedar oil to fill the fractures. (Emeralds cannot be heat treated, so don't worry about that.) The refractive index (the angle at which the light passing through a transparent substance bends) is just about identical to that of emerald. Therefore when the fractures are filled they become almost invisible to the eye, unless one is trained in examination. The emerald must have fractures reaching the surface to allow oiling so the highest quality emeralds will not have any inclusions reaching the surface. Still, a small number of small fractures that are oiled is not harmful and will not be an impediment to the gem having the potency to strengthen the cosmic rays of Mercury. However, stones with too many fractures, even if filled, will not be potent and may also be harmful. The least imperfections the better, but when it comes to emerald most people must accept some bit of insignificant imperfections to be able to afford one. Completely flawless is not necessary and such a gem will be phenomenally expensive to most buyers.

Today there are also polymers being used in place of the oil in the emerald trade that ends up making a lesser quality stone look far better than it is and can mask most fractures to the point where they are very difficult for many jewelers to possibly tell, what to speak of laypersons. For jyotish purposes these are not acceptable as they will almost certainly be of a far inferior quality to begin with in most instances, although again the finished product "looks" beautiful. Far worse than this is the latest cheating that's hit the market from Colombia. Emeralds that are actually assembled with smaller pieces with pulverized emerald material and glue have been seen in the trade. It was only discovered when jewelers sent emerald to experts to "reoil" the gems and when the emeralds were placed in a solution to remove the oil they literally fell apart.

As with all gems, if you can't afford good quality then it is better not to buy any at all. A quality emerald will have wonderful effects in strengthening Mercury's cosmic rays, but buying something of low quality will do nothing positive. Quality is never cheap, yet having said that the higher up the rung a dealer is to the actual importer (given they are also honest and reputable) the better the price will naturally be.

Diamonds are generally not treated, although there are some and they are also being made synthetically as well. Always insist on a GIA or other reputable gem laboratory report when buying a diamond. These are controlled by the diamond monopoly and deals do not exist. Anyone who is a diamond dealer will be paying pretty much the same price, which is controlled by this worldwide monopoly. For jyotish reasons the lowest grade acceptable and therefore effective will be G color and VS2 clarity. Prices vary thousands of dollars per carat from one grade to the next so the only way to be 100% sure you are getting what you paid for is insisting on a recent gemological laboratory certificate. Today even most jewelers will not buy without one, so what of a layperson? Hessonites are the one gem, a variety of garnet used for Rahu, which is not treated. The best should be extremely clear and of a cinnamon color. They are still relatively inexpensive so cheating has not been found among most in this business' knowledge. Only some small dealers selling obvious garbage quality that will be blackish or cloudy is a pitfall for those looking for the absolute cheapest stones available. If a gem is not attractive then you can be sure it is not of a suitable quality for any reason.

Chrysoberyl cats-eye is still available in good qualities and treatments are virtually nonexistent. The important thing here is that it is of good quality to have the effects sought for transmitting the energy to strengthen the cosmic ray of the planet Ketu. The gem can be from opaque to translucent and it is the more translucent variety that has the most potency and the highest value. Opaque cats-eyes are much cheaper, but also far less effective. The gem will have an "eye" at the top, which when hit with light will show beautifully. It should be white and fairly straight across the length of the gemstone. When two penlights are held together vertically, one slowly turned towards the left side of the gem (beginning from the very top) while the other is turned towards the right side of the gem, the eye will "open". When slowly brought back to the position of being together along the vertical length of the eye, the eye will close. The colors will vary from dark blackish brown to green to a honey color. The dark blackish brown gems are the least desirable and lowest quality. Both the better and more translucent green and honey colors are more desirable and highly prized, with the "milk and honey" variety (denoting a honey color with a white milky color eye) being the finest and of course also most expensive of the chrysoberyl cats-eyes.

It should be noted that this variety of cats-eye that conducts the infrared ray and therefore will correspond to Ketu is of the species "chrysoberyl" only. There are other species of gems that have varieties that also produce cats-eyes, but they do NOT conduct and transmit the infrared wavelength of light. The general public does not know this fact. Unknowledgeable persons looking for something cheap can easily obtain a "cats-eye", but it will be of the gem species "apatitite" or even a type of "quartz" usually which has a variety of cats-eye. These varieties of cats-eye are not effective for jyotish purposes, so you want to be sure that the cats-eye is a "chrysoberyl cats-eye" and not a variety of any other species of gemstone.

So, will jyotish quality gems become only a memory before long? More than likely, yes. We still have a bare minimum of access to good quality natural rubies, but soon they will be unobtainable as supplies of fine quality are scarce and the diffusion treatments are becoming the norm. Natural pearls and good keshi pearls are exceedingly rare now and cultured will soon become the only thing obtainable. Except for the wealthier sector of society all pearls will certainly have to be cultured. Except for the wealthiest section of society natural untreated ruby is already beyond the reach of most buyers.

At least for the moment there is a supply of natural, unheated yellow and blue sapphire, but almost exclusively of Sri Lankan origin. We see almost no African or Thai yellow sapphires that are not heat treated, nor do we see much blue sapphire that is unheated from any other world sources. The better qualities are becoming more costly, but still within the reach of many buyers. Demand a guarantee and insist on Sri Lankan origin sapphires. White sapphires that are unheated are actually harder to obtain as most will have a light shade of color and are therefore sent to the heat treatment facilities to try to bring about a deeper color and make them saleable. As there is little or no demand for white sapphire in the normal gem and jewelry trade there is not enough demand for them generally to make it worthwhile for dealers at the source to worry about trying to sort enough stock for the jyotish market. We generally only find enough white sapphires for our clients by buying large parcels of mixed color natural sapphires in Sri Lanka, taking out those few really white ones we find in it, then simply selling the parcel back onto the wholesale market right there in Sri Lanka.

We find that emeralds of African origin, at least from our family's gem cutters in Jaipur, can be purchased far more reasonably than similar quality from Colombia. There are also less unscrupulous cheaters finding new ways to hide fractures and we have never seen nor heard of any "assembled" emeralds coming from the gem cutters that deal in African material. The best qualities are still not cheap, but reasonable and an extremely worthy investment monetarily speaking. As with all things "you get what you pay for". Precious gems are the most rare of commodities and pass the test of time in being highly prized and valued. Buy quality and you will never be disappointed and the value will always be there.

In closing I would say that if you were looking for a fine quality natural gem for jyotish purposes, look for a reputable dealer whose reputation precedes them. Do not be lulled into a false security by hearing that one seller is more "spiritually" in tune to be able to choose the right gems, nor with adjectives such as "sattvic" or that they have a particular cosmic "feel" to them. Qualified experts are whom you wish to deal with and not just jewelry salespersons when looking for guaranteed natural precious gems. The most experienced gemologists, certified by any of the top international gemological institutes, and those that are also qualified appraisers and members of the most reputable international appraisal organizations are the best suited to guarantee the best quality gemstones. And you will know unequivocally that you are getting exactly what you are looking for in a quality natural, untreated precious gemstone. With those qualifications met the gem will be capable of being a tool for the reasons you are buying it, which for most reading this article will be jyotish or Ayurvedic prescription.

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The Divine Vedic Science of Healing with Light

by Howard Beckman

In the Vedic scriptures all creation is said to begin from divine light emanating from the Supreme Being. In the “Kurma Purana”, chapter 3, verses 1 & 2 are describing Bhuvanakosha or the matrix of this universe,

Evamesha Mahadevo Devadevah Pitamahah Karoti Niyatam Kalam Kalatma Hyaisvari Tanuh Tasya Ye Rasmayo Viprah Sarvaloka pradipakah Tesam Sresthah Punah Saptarasmayo Graha yonayah

“In this way the Great Lord, the Lord of the Lords, the universal Grandfather, always creates time, He being the Essence of time, with a body endowed with all conceivable powers”.

“The rays that compose His body are omnipresent and illume the limitless worlds in the universe. Among them seven are the best and the highest as they form the matrices of the seven planets.”

This reference to the seven colors of the rainbow, or the components of visible light, herein state that the substratum of the universe consists of these seven principal rays and are said to be chief amongst the rays forming the body of the universe and the Supreme Godhead. In stating that these rays are identical with the universe and also with the powers of God, or the qualities of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence, it also infers that they are responsible for creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, according to the Supreme will and the effect of time.

The connection between the five Mahabhutas and the planets is shown in Vedic astrological works, notably “Brihat Jataka” by Varaha Mihira (considered one of the great authorities on this subject) around 400 A.D. It speaks of the Sun as the condensed form of the red ray, Moon of orange, Mars of yellow, Mercury of green, Jupiter of blue, Venus of indigo and Saturn violet.

It is in the Ayurvedic texts that the process of color rays within creation is taken a step further with the mention of the “Pancha Mahabhutas”, or five great elements in the form of earth, water, fire, air and ether. It is concluded that earth is the condensed green color, water of orange and indigo, fire of red and yellow, air of violet and ether blue.

The “Pancha Tanmatras”, or five subtle substances considered in the Samkhya philosophical system, also have their origin in these seven cosmic colors. The red cosmic color is responsible for sight, green for smell, violet for touch, blue for sound, and orange for taste respectively. The yellow ray, which is warming and the indigo ray, which is cooling, regulate the body’s temperature.

Examination of the sense organs through a prism will actually show these colors to the eye if examined carefully. There will be a green glow around the tip of the nose and red will be visible in the eyes. The skin will give off an aura of violet and the tongue orange. Within the cavities of the head, the mouth and ears, blue will be detected.

The five primeval “vayus”, so important to our vital well-being make up the pranic sheath. These are known as prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana, which also have their origin in the seven colors of the rainbow. Prana vayu has a close association with the earth element and therefore the green ray. Apana vayu is connected with the water principle and therefore the cosmic colors of orange and indigo. Samana vayu is of fire and therefore composed of red and yellow. Udana vayu is of air, thus the violet color, while vyana vayu and ether find their origin in the cosmic blue ray.

Accordingly, it is a forgone conclusion that the combination of the elements or “tridosha” of ayurveda also have their origin in these seven cosmic rays of light. Vayu, air, combines air and ether, thus originating from blue and violet. Pitta, fire, is from fire and thus the colors red and yellow are its composition. Kapha dosha is a combination of earth and water, thus coming from orange, indigo and green.

Such observations obviously lend credence to these Vedic conclusions that it is due to the presence of these cosmic colors that the subtle and gross material creations can become animated and function on a physical, emotional, mental and conscious level. Our cellular structure is composed of the seven cosmic rays. To remain in a healthy condition the rays within the cells should be in state of equilibrium.

The great seers and healers of ancient Bharata-varsha made the observation that specific precious gems held within them the strongest concentration of the light rays found on the planet. There are many references in Vedic scriptures regarding the innate potency of gems when worn on the body. The texts of Garuda Purana, the Narada Purana and Agni Purana all give references to the use of gems. Although they do not give much information as to the methods of prescribing them for health or astrological reasons, they do give parameters for necessary quality of gem crystals, as well as benefits for human beings. Gemology was also an important Vedic science in ancient times given that in Vaishnava texts it is described that Krishna and Balarama also studied it in the gurukula of Sandipani Muni.

These gems are nine in total and linked to the seven planets in the jyotish (astrological) system. The two extra gems, not yet mentioned, are connected to the infra-red and ultra violet spectrum of the rainbow.

Ruby emits the same ray as the Sun - Red
Red coral the same as Mars - Yellow
Yellow sapphire as Jupiter - Blue

These are all considered to emit rays that are hot in nature.

Pearl emits the same ray as the Moon – Orange
Emerald as Mercury – Green
Diamond as Venus – Indigo
Blue Sapphire as Saturn – Violet

These are all considered to emit rays that are cooling in nature.

Hessonite garnet (also called gomed) is used for increasing the ultra-violet ray. This is for Rahu or the north node of the moon and is the coldest cosmic ray. Chrysoberyl cats-eye is a concentrated source of the infra-red cosmic ray and is for Ketu or the south node of the moon. It is the hottest of the rays. Natural gems radiate single cosmic rays only. Most other organic materials radiate a mixture of rays, with one or two being predominant.

For thousands of years, Ayurvedic doctors and Jyotishis have prescribed the use of natural precious gems in medicines or as amulets and rings. It is as a practicing Jyotishi and graduate gemologist for almost the past 40 years that I became interested in the link between these gems and the cosmic rays. We were introduced to the ground-breaking work of the late Dr. Benyotosh Battacharya of Calcutta who experimented with color wheels, gems and color depletion on cellular levels many years ago.

Dr. Battacharya noted that when two cosmic rays are disturbed, through proper health management, the body is capable of healing itself. Yet when three or more rays are disturbed and are left to remain so, the body will succumb to disease.

Recent studies have confirmed that sunlight is the key to the ‘circadian system’, our melatonin levels and cancer cells. The Sun’s light also affects those who are physically blind so our perception through the eyes has nothing to do with such absorption by the human body.

In the West the work of scientist Edwin Babbitt in 1878 on the principles of light and color was gleaned from Vedic texts. Unfortunately, followers of his beliefs were not taken seriously. Following him was Dinshaw Ghadiali who developed his own system called SPECTRO-CHROME Therapy. His son’s book documents his successes and relates his persecution for his ground-breaking work.

Russian scientists have researched the healing qualities of light, and determined that 660 nanometers was the most effective at sedating pain and stimulating healing. This technology has brought us LED's (Light Emitting Diodes). Multiple diodes are also being used today in lamps specially created to treat pain.

Modern scientific experiments with crystals’ superconductivity have been observed, as electrons pair up below a certain temperature. Various compounds possess these superconducting properties, from pure metallic compounds to man made crystals of various alloys. The use of gem crystals has now long been known to modern science as quartz crystal is used in clocks, watches and computers, to using ruby in lasers in medicine and for other scientific applications.

Unfortunately well-funded experimentation with crystals in laboratory environments takes place mainly in the purview of military defense contractors and production of military weapons, rather than for healing. With the exception of a few notable doctors such as Dr. Shah of Bombay, a heart specialist, who is finding great success treating specific diseases using gems clinically, only a few doctors and health practitioners in Germany and the UK are developing and using light instruments for healing. Those that are using such methods are gaining impressive results in extended clinical trials, which in some cases have become a mainstay of many health care service practitioners in those countries.

In our research at the Vedic Cultural Fellowship’s clinic, we have integrated similar light instruments and the use of gems together. These specially developed electronic instruments impose specific frequencies, such as alpha, beta, delta, etc. through thick lenses within the lamps, upon the gems, intensifying the projected cosmic ray. This concentrated light is then beamed on a particular part or area of the body.

To promote healing within the body cells, organs and glands that are overstressed must have their present vibratory frequency reduced. Alternatively, when the vibratory level is too sluggish, the frequency needs to be increased. The brain’s activity, which can be read with biofeedback equipment, will show the state of health via the brainwaves vibrations. In severe anxiety-ridden states of mind, such as panic attacks, the brain’s frequency will be a high beta state, above 25 Mhz or cycles per second. Muscles will be contracted and the adrenals will be on ‘overload’. Often the eyes are seen as excessively dilated, and the body can go into shock. To counteract this, the brain’s vibrational frequency must be reduced toward an alpha state (8.5Mhz).

There are five basic brain frequencies:

High Beta (25MHz) – causes extreme anxiety

Beta (14-30MHz) – required to concentrate and cope with the daily affairs of life.

Alpha (7.8-14MHz) – the brains waves during meditation

Theta (3.2-7.8MHz) – hypnotic, trance like or dreaming

Delta (0.1-3.2MHz) – deep dreamless sleep

Gems have specific vibratory qualities that may be used to change and influence the brainwaves, but they can also be used to effect the cellular vibrations in the body, necessary for healthy functioning of all major organs and glands. The average frequency of the body during the day is between 62 and 68 cycles each second. If it drops below this rate, the immune system will start to shut down. Dr. Young and Bruce Tainio of Cheny University, noted that during their research cold symptoms appeared at 58 cycles, glandular fever at 52 and cancer at 42 cycles each second.

Natural, untreated gemstones, which are repositories of cosmic colors, can restore the pranic energy in the cellular structure, regaining the bodies ability to fight infection and disease. Blue sapphire can sedate or tranquilize; emerald can be used as an analgesic; Yellow sapphire has antiseptic qualities; and diamond may be used as a stimulant.

This therapy can be used to stimulate acupuncture points, to heal wounds or skin conditions with less scarring, to calm the mind, and to balance the doshas or bodily humors as well as to target biological energy and cohesion on a deep cellular level.

In our own work we have kept careful records of the effects on the mental and physical health of our patients while using the electronic gem lamps. The results have been astounding. The ayurvedic principles of treating kapha disease with pita or vata gems, pita disease with kapha gems, etc. has been shown to be extremely effective in most instances with patients in our clinic.

For example we have treated joint pain in patients’ knees with blue sapphire alone or sometimes with blue sapphire and emerald together. It reduced inflammation and the pain in the knees within 20 to 30 minutes. Patients with high anxiety were also made to calm down significantly within about 10 minutes by using the blue sapphire gemstone, along with a “delta” frequency of 1-2 pulses per second imposed upon it, beamed directly upon the area between the eyes. Asthma was successfully treated with diamond.

Groundbreaking results were achieved in treating a woman with “endometriosis” (a kapha disease). She was becoming severely anemic as the disease took hold. Using ruby and cats-eye together with a beta frequency of 16 pulses per second twice a week for three months, her symptoms stopped. The symptoms did return, though, after going without treatments for six months. Treatments were then resumed twice, then once, per week until the symptoms subsided, then only once a year for two years. Ten years have past and she has had no recurrence of the endometriosis, being healthy ever since. We consider this a monumental result, as modern medicine can only offer removal of the womb or a “hysterectomy” to solve this malady and still consistent results are not always achieved.

Similarly we have been able to prove the Ayurvedic contention, that certain organs and nerve centers of the body are nourished through the chakra and nadi system by particular colors through utilizing this method of beaming light through gems with an imposed frequency.

This is groundbreaking work, and much more is yet to be done, but it is not only our belief, but also that of many who work in this area of expertise, that using light waves and color spectrum vibrations for healing is the medicine of the future. It is non-invasive, has little or no side effects and if offered with dietary and lifestyle changes can often heal the patient completely and permanently. Utilizing the wearing of gems in conjunction with this clinical method can also optimize the results gained.

The ancient authors of the science of Ayurveda told of the healing potential of gemstone crystals. Perhaps they knew that thousands of years later we would come to enhance this healing modality by combining it with our modern scientific discoveries and techniques. If they did, I hope they saw in us the courage to pursue our research and make it a safe, natural form of treatment for generations to come.

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Yoga, The Eight Limbs of The Science of Spiritual Self-Realization

by Howard Beckman

For many people yoga simply means a relaxing and energizing form of exercise. Its gentle stretching and bending make the spine and muscles supple and relaxed, bringing blood to all tissues and organs of the body, and at the same time energizing them. The breathing exercises bring about a sense of peace and mental calm giving one the sense that we are in tune with our bodies and in balance with the universe.

This important and integral physical part of “ashtanga” yoga is called “asana” and refers to the physical postures. The breath control used in conjunction with asana is called “pranayama”. The benefits gained teach us how to direct our vital energy, the life force within us called “prana”. In Chinese medicine this vital force is referred to as “chi”.

There are actually 8 limbs of yoga and they are meant to progress a person not just toward physical and mental health, but towards higher realization of who we really are and what we are doing in these bodies in this world. My own teacher once said to me many years ago “religion without science is simply sentiment”. Yoga is the scientific process of action leading one towards spiritual growth.

The first 2 principles of yoga are “yama” and “niyama”. Yama pertains to following the proper rules of true human social conduct. Its principles are nonviolence, truthfulness, never taking what does not belong to us (stealing), nonattachment to temporary things, which must disappear in course of time and learning to control our sexual energy.

Niyama refers to proper rules of personal conduct. Its effects develop from following the social conduct taught through yama. Niyama brings about contentment, purity of mind and force, self-discipline, a desire to imbibe higher spiritual teachings and ultimately inner surrender to the Supreme energy of Godhead.

Yama and niyama are actually the first 2 limbs of yoga, which are traditionally taught to allow students to become eligible and ready to swiftly advance on the path of yoga. Then asana and pranayama are taught which begin to bring the body and mind under our control.

This takes us to the next stage, or limb, of yoga called “pratyahara”. Pratyahara means the student now actually is able to not only control the bodily senses and urges, but also the mind. At this stage there begins equanimity and freedom from the anxieties that most people running the “rat race” of the material world are subject to feeling. It is a turning within, rather than looking to external stimulus for pleasure.

Once achieving this stage of peace, strength and control we are now ready for the next stage. This is called “dharana”. This means we now are able to have complete concentration and control of our attention. Living in our modern society with the hustle-bustle of material life our minds generally are impossible to control. Try to concentrate on one thing or point with no other thoughts entering your head for even 2 minutes. For most people not trained in yoga it is simply not possible. Right? Yet, it is absolutely necessary to master in order to move to the next stage of meditation.

The next stage, or limb, of yoga is called “dhyana”. Dhyana means meditation and proper reflection and direction of our concentration and attention gained through dharana. Real meditation means you can control the mind and senses first. If the mind is constantly flitting from one thing to the next and hasn’t been properly trained, it is not possible to truly meditate. One must be calm, peaceful and have the mind and senses under control first in order to be able to meditate. Meditation takes our consciousness through the dimensional layers of the universe and brings us to the transcendental plane. This is what we are all seeking, whether we realize it or not. No material gains, facility or acquisitions can bring such peace, bliss and total satisfaction of the soul.

The 8th and final stage of yoga is called “samadhi”. At this point one has fully mastered full control of the mind and body. The aspirant is fully absorbed in meditation and one’s vision pierces the dimensional veil on all levels. We have correct vision and understanding of the world we live in and the existence of so many other worlds and dimensions of existence, be they temporary, material planes or those that never dissipate or are subject to destruction.

In samadhi we are not only unperturbed by events around us, but become fully enlightened in spiritual truth and self-realization. This stage is the final stage one passes through toward entrance into the spiritual dimensions from where one never returns to the material world’s cycle of repeated birth and death in so many forms of life, be they human, animal, plants, etc.

In practicing yoga with a view to eventually achieve the highest goals of human existence we gain so many benefits that enrich our lives in the here and now, as well as the lives of those with whom we associate, our families and friends. First there is a purification of the body. Then there is purification of the mind and a change in our desires toward higher human qualities of love and compassion. Through the pranayama breathing the vital force within us is strengthened.

Our intelligence becomes sharpened and reoriented while the false ego and false identification with temporary matter is dissolved. At that point our minds become focused and internalized bringing greater control of the bodily senses. Ultimately the consciousness becomes calm and emptied of all material consideration, having been filled with knowledge of the “self”.

In the “Bhagavad-Gita”, chapter 2 verse 13, it says ”As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change”.

Yoga is a scientific process that raises our level of awareness so that we act in accordance with proper principles that keep our bodies and minds healthy. It raises our consciousness so that we act in ways that allow us to have meaningful relationships together. One who sincerely practices yoga, developing self-discipline, then begins to gain a higher awareness on a spiritual, cosmic level. From this point one’s path in life becomes very clear. With a healthy mind, body and spirit we can all go forward, healing ourselves, our relationships and all that is out of balance on this planet today.

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Astrology and Gemstone Therapy

by Howard Beckman

So you’ve had your horoscope done, and are dealing with the information you’ve gotten from the astrologer. There are strengths in the chart, and also weaknesses, and you’re wondering, “now what”? What can you do about it? Is there a way to counterbalance certain weaknesses, or increase strengths as much as possible? Indeed there is, and one of the easiest methods Vedic Astrologers use to derive noticeable results in a relatively short period of time is through the wearing of natural, untreated gemstones.

Gem therapy, or planetary gemology, dates back to ancient Indian, Greek, Egyptian, and Jewish cultures. Men and women would wear gems for the potencies they imparted to them, and not solely for their monetary value. Kings and Queens would wear gemstones in their crowns and elsewhere on the body as a means of expanding their influence throughout their kingdoms. Of course the gems royalty wore were extremely large, and of the highest quality imaginable to have such extremely powerful effects, but gems are still be utilized today by the general populace at large for all kinds of beneficial effects in life.

The Indian scriptures called the “Vedas” contain the most complete descriptions and scientific, as well as practical knowledge, of gemstones. These sacred Sanskrit texts give specific details about various gems’ potencies, as well as the method of prescription for their proper medical and astrological usage. In ancient Vedic culture, as well as other advanced cultures, gems became the means for directing certain subtle forces of nature. Particular properties of gems have also been recognized in today’s modern technological world, such as in quartz crystals that are used in timepieces, and diamonds that are being used in lasers and supercomputers. As a matter of fact over a billion people in the world today have taken advantage of Vedic gem therapy to enhance their lives physically, mentally, or spiritually. Only in the west does this seem to be a “new age” concept, for realistically speaking there is extremely little verifiable textual knowledge of this science from the ancient cultures of the western world. In many eastern countries this science has been practiced for thousands of years, dating back to the earliest recorded histories.

Planetary gemology, or gem therapy used in conjunction with a person’s Vedic horoscope for gem prescription, is based on the ancient system of Vedic astrology, an extremely accurate and enlightening system based on the fixed positions of stars and constellations (the sidereal zodiac). This system is very precise in determining a person’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the present direction of one’s destiny for this lifetime. The positions of the planets at the time of our birth reflect the karma that we bring with us into this life from our past actions and experiences in previous incarnations. They represent the multitude of energies in the universe, each planet controlling a different form of cosmic energy that is transmitted throughout the solar system. These transmissions of energy are responsible for formations of life on this planet, as well as our own bodies and even minds. The orbiting planets receive and give specific wavelengths of energy that maintain the order of the solar system. These energies are transmitted as light.

Another name for Vedic astrology is “jyotish”, or the “science of light”. There are seven basic visible cosmic rays emanated by the seven major planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn and two invisible rays (ultraviolet and infrared) emanated by the Moon’s north and south nodes, called Rahu and Ketu. The signs of the zodiac, as well as the different houses in the astrological horoscope, represent the different fields that the planetary energies react and move within, thereby giving us information of how these energies will let us “read” what our life experiences will be in this incarnation. We are able to understand the quality of this birth in the same way as the nature of a tree can be read from the seed it is born from. This karma is what will determine how our lives will manifest themselves. The planets will show inherent strengths in certain areas of life, as well as weaknesses that may inhibit our growth and indicate success in specific areas of life.

There is a complex system of remedial measures used in conjunction with Vedic astrology that allows one to increase the energies vibrated from certain planets to balance and bring harmony into one’s life. They are twofold, utilizing sound vibrations such as in the chanting of mantras, and increasing specific wavelengths of vibrations of light, which is the basis for gemstone therapy.

Different gemstones receive their potencies from the cosmic energies of different planets, thereby having different effects on the wearer. These gemstones are transmitters of electromagnetic energy from the different planets, depending on the stone, thereby having different effects on the wearer. They do this by absorption and reflection of light frequencies. The electromagnetic energy emanating from the gemstone reacts with the electromagnetic energy of the body to produce certain very specific effects. Which gems should be used must be determined through a careful analysis of the astrological horoscope (sidereal zodiac, equal house system only) by a qualified astrologer or planetary gemologist.

The new age practice of indiscriminately placing gemstone crystals all over the body can be extremely dangerous if the practitioner is not both well educated and sufficiently experienced in this science. Gem crystals are very powerful, and as easily as they can positively enforce electromagnetic fields of the body, they can disrupt them giving the opposite effect. This can cause physical and mental debilities, so one must be cautious as to how and which gemstones are used in this manner. Used incorrectly there can be disturbances on a subtle, astral level, as well as a physical one. Used correctly they can give a lift and greater potency to our lives in many ways, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Once you have had a careful analysis of your Vedic horoscope by an experienced and qualified astrologer, or planetary gemologist with the knowledge and expertise to correctly diagnose the weaknesses and strengths in the horoscopic chart, they will usually recommend a gemstone, or several gemstones, that will be beneficial for wearing throughout your life. The chosen stone/s may then be set in a ring, or pendant, so that the stone comes into contact with the skin. This allows them to best transmit these frequencies of light, or electromagnetic energy, to the cells in our bodies. This is done through the ions and electrolytes of the body on a cellular level. On a “subtle” level the cosmic colors of the gems are absorbed through the chakra system of the ethereal body. The reason the fingers are the best places to wear gems is the location of many physical and ethereal nerve centers there. We have seen amazing results in people’s lives through the use of gemstone therapy, the bottom line being greater energy and strength to combat negative karmic influences in their lives, and to maximize positive ones.

A word of caution: In order to be effective gems must be natural (not synthetic) and be untreated by heat or irradiation to improve their appearance, as is commonly done on most gems used in the jewelry trade for commercial purposes. Therefore you must know for sure that your source for your purchase has untreated gems and will guarantee this. The treatment of gemstones to enhance their physical beauty has long been an accepted practice in the gem and jewelry trade (especially heat treatment), and is not considered a deceptive practice unless a jeweler does not disclose the fact that the gem has been enhanced, if asked by a customer. We have had the unenviable engagement at times of explaining to a client that although the gem that they purchased is beautiful, as well as costly, it has no ability to transmit the planetary/cosmic energies, nor have any beneficial use whatsoever, except as a weaker form of color therapy alone. (The modern science of color therapy was derived from the ancient science of gemstone therapy.) It is not necessary to spend a fortune to obtain a gem that will give us the desired effects, and the wonderful thing about utilizing the potency of gemstones is that it is a one-time investment that requires no further “maintenance”, but for setting into a ring or talisman. Its potency will never diminish, and you have the gem working for your benefit for your entire lifetime.

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Health and Vedic Astrology

by Howard Beckman

Vedic astrology provides a key to the analysis of present and future health far beyond the scope of modern science. It can reveal physical maladies that may occur, which parts of the body will be affected, and when they may manifest. This most important branch of astrology has been used for thousands of years with astounding accuracy.

This science allows a qualified practitioner to analyze weaknesses in the physical body, and to predict possible ailments as a result. We then institute preventive measures, rather than waiting until you require curative measures.

The strength of your horoscope indicates the strength of your body, and its ability to resist illness. There are certain combinations of planets that bestow excellent health. By the same token there are combinations which cause chronic suffering. Planets each hold jurisdiction over different parts of the body and affect specific bodily functions within them.

A Vedic astrologer studies the birth chart, then the daily movements of the planets, to understand and analyze present and future health. The Ayurveda, India’s ancient medical science, is inextricably intertwined with Vedic astrology and in previous times all ayurvedic doctors were also astrologers. In India many are to this day. The combination of these two sciences provide a complete system for diagnosis and treatment of not only diseases of the body, but of the mind. Even the 12 basic salts of homeopathy are associated and related to the 12 houses of the zodiac.

Mental or emotional health can also be understood from a person’s horoscope. There are many factors and planetary conjunctions that indicate a troubled mind, neurosis, or even psychosis. The psychological functioning as a whole can be understood through a careful study of the birth chart. Therefore an astrologer must not only understand which planets cause disease, & the types of diseases that may manifest, but which areas of the body they will affect, and when.

Why is it that a healthy, robust-looking person will be said to be healthy by a doctor, yet come down with a debilitating illness? Why can a frailer, less-healthy appearing person combat and resist certain diseases? The answer is fate… “karma”. Understanding this factor helps us to act in such a way to “shape” the destiny before us, including our most vital possession, our health.

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Jyotish Gem Therapy

by Howard Beckman

The Jyotish or Vedic science of gem therapy is an important “remedial measure” which is used by astrologers and ayurvedic doctors to help counterbalance weak or unbalanced planetary rays. When planets’ rays are weak or afflicted there are disturbances in the areas of life ruled by these same planets. This may adversely affect our health, our careers, our family relationships, or spiritual growth depending on the particular planets’ positions, aspects, or houses they rule in the horoscope.

Just as when plants, animals or humans are deprived of sunlight or proper nourishment they become ill, when we are not given the full cosmic rays of the planets we suffer in various ways. Any of the four main areas of life being dharma (career), artha (wealth), kama (enjoyment) and moksha (spiritual life) may be negatively affected

Gem therapy is an important ancient Vedic science for improving and strengthening planetary cosmic rays. Gems carry astral energy, fortify our prana and increase the flow of positive universal forces into our lives.

The most obvious problems ensue when there are weaknesses in the lagna, the lagna lord, Sun or Moon, but problems will ensue if any planet’s rays are not properly distributed to us.

The best method to effectively strengthen planetary influences is by wearing gems. Particular gemstones are prescribed for each planet. The “navaratna” or most effective and important gems are ruby for the Sun, pearl for the Moon, red coral for Mars, emerald for Mercury, yellow sapphire for Jupiter, diamond for Venus, blue sapphire for Saturn, gomed for Rahu and chrysoberyl cats-eye for Ketu.

These gems are connected to the cosmic ray transmitted by the planet. Wearing them allows greater reception of the planetary rays through our auras and astral fields. It is also important to note that gems “increase” the rays of the planets. Therefore if the planet is weak, but not causing evil, the gem should be recommended. The gem for a planet may also be worn to further strengthen a well-disposed planet increasing its positive rays.

Planets have natural dispositions as benefics or malefics and also have a “temporary” nature of being such due to the houses ruled according to the lagna and relationship with the lagna lord. Generally we first look to the benefic planets (Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Moon) to strengthen any weakness, but Sun, Mars and Saturn may be benefic according to lagna and great benefit gained through their gems. Planets ruling the kendras (houses 1, 4, 7, &10) as well as trines (1, 5, &9) are most important and should be strengthened if weak.

An astrologer must be careful NOT to recommend the gem for a planet causing pain and misery, especially in the case of Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Gems do not “propitiate” a planet, but will increase its cosmic rays. If Saturn is fallen, without correction, then wearing the blue sapphire may make the problems worse, not alleviate them. Look for a planet that may beneficially aspect the bad planet in such a situation and recommend that gem.

If the Sun is weak at birth a person will not be willful, or have the energy to become successful. Sun not only represents the body and inner will, but the soul itself. This limits prosperity, wealth, and the ability to attract good fortune towards oneself. We cannot attain any significance, or good reputation without the strength of the Sun being sufficient. If afflicted there can also be overcompensation through excessive pride or ego. As long as the Sun is not in a position where it causes evil, wearing ruby can strengthen the Sun’s rays and help alleviate problems caused by its weakness.

Weakness of the Moon may indicate emotional trauma and subsequently a lack of peace of mind. As Moon rules the mind and emotions there can be hypersensitivity, moodiness, and lack of intuition if badly affected. There may be an inability to share intimate relations and a tendency to be negative about oneself and everything else. Marriage relationships may be fraught with difficulty and prove to be unsuccessful and temporary. This can bring about a lack of joy in life, as most of us desire close friendship, companionship, and the security that a successful marriage brings. Wearing pearl can greatly benefit weakness of Moon in the horoscope.

Afflictions to Mars in the birth horoscope can leave a person with low vitality, or physical energy. This naturally will also affect our mental energy, as well. Application of Mars’ cosmic rays through red coral can increase one’s stamina, determination, and self-confidence. It can rejuvenate one suffering from mental exhaustion, and has even been used to benefit cases of mental depression.

As Mercury rules the intellect and intelligence, weakness creates instability in the thinking capacities. There may be poor memory, or memory loss. If Mercury is weak in the horoscope then this absence of strong cosmic rays will bring frustration in communication with others. There may be nervousness and great insecurity causing anxiety, insomnia or lead to artificial dependencies or addictions. Wearing emerald is recommended to strengthen the reception of Mercury’s important cosmic rays.

The planet Jupiter is of paramount importance for abundance and prosperity in life. He brings good fortune and influence when strong in the birth horoscope. A lacking in Jupiter’s rays makes a person pessimistic, weak-willed, and without faith or enthusiasm. One may feel forlorn and not see real meaning to their life, or may not find pleasure in anything. Women may lack a good husband, or be unable to bear children. Yellow sapphire is the gem needed to increase Jupiter’s most beneficial cosmic radiation.

Venus also emanates benefic rays for abundance and prosperity in life. They bring love, beauty, and happiness. It is also this ray which increases certain material wealth or luxuries, and specifically sexual pleasure. Venus is responsible for sufficiently strong sperm in men, and a healthy reproductive system in women.

Weak Venus can make a person unfriendly and have great difficulty expressing affection or loving feelings. They may be lonely and afraid of social interaction. Therefore marriage or close relationships with others may be tumultuous.

Saturn’s weakness in the birth horoscope can cause constant disappointment and misery. Saturn has the job of dispensing painful lessons in life due to negative karma created in our past lives, so if weak, difficulty keeping a job or having a successful career may ensue. A person may feel a lack of harmony within the heart or feel despondent A lack of honesty, endurance, and problems with authority figures (including governments) may also manifest.

As long as Saturn is not fallen (without correction) or an enemy to the lord of the lagna, blue sapphire may be recommended to increase the important cosmic rays of this planet. Great care must be exercised in its application as Saturn is the lord of death and improper recommendation can increase the painful effects of evilly disposed Saturn.

In the same way as mentioned about Saturn, Rahu can be a most malefic and dangerous planet. Gomed (hessonite garnet) is the gem for strengthening Rahu, but its use as a ring or amulet upon the body must be well thought out by the expert jyotishi or planetary gemologist. One must have a thorough knowledge of how this planet’s affects may be increased through wearing the gem, and whether the negative effects may outweigh the benefits in wearing it. Being a cause of eclipse, Rahu can cause darkness to increase in one’s personality, giving rise to desires for criminal conduct, violence (even murder!), insatiable sexual desires, or other perversions. Unsuitably worn it may increase frustration, anxiety, and suffering in all areas of life, in some cases to the point of hallucinations or suicide. If suitable it can bring strength to one’s material prosperity, give power over others, and increased fame

Ketu being the other planet involved in causing eclipse, wearing the cats-eye may also create greater problems in one’s life if incorrectly prescribed. As with all stones distributing the rays of malefic planets special care must be taken in its recommendation. For some it can be a great aid to increasing proper perceptions and insights, especially in spiritual or psychic cognition. If suitable it may increase ability to attain spiritual wisdom, or true knowledge of the immortal soul. Clairvoyants who use their abilities within the healing arts find their abilities are heightened, as is their awareness of the astral causes of disease. It has the superstition surrounding it of being a “gambler’s stone” and the ancients believed it to be protection against disease or epidemics.

There are always exceptions to the rules of recommending gems so an experienced astrologer or planetary gemologist should always be consulted before wearing one. Gem therapy is an invaluable tool for increasing feelings of satisfaction and healing the body and mind. Used correctly gem therapy is a gift from God for promoting harmony, balance and well being within us all by adjusting the planetary rays we receive in life.

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Emerald Facial and Sapphire Massage Anyone?

by Howard Beckman

One of the newest and most astounding spa therapies now being offered in the most progressive resort and medical spas is the "gem lamp treatment" which use ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond and other gemstones in a special lamp. The lamp has a removable lens where the therapist places a fully faceted precious gemstone and the lamp plugs into an electronic instrument. The instrument is capable of producing frequencies from 1 to 16 pulses per second, which are then imposed on a copper coil inside the gem lamp. A patient or client is then bathed in the healing light rays of the color that is transmitted through the gem and onto their body. An amazing transformation then almost immediately takes place. Especially with emerald treatments and blue sapphire treatments an immediate calm comes over the person being treated. It almost seems like a "tranquility ray" has been blasted into the entire room.

With the blue sapphire treatment an immediate slowing down of the mind takes place and the person feels restful and wants to relax. A feeling of simple "well-being" comes over them, muscles relax and tensions start to dissipate. What a wonderful addition to a massage. So often a massage therapist finds that their client is so tense and stressed (which is why they're there for a massage in the first place) that they have to take much longer before being able to deepen the massage of muscles as it is too painful. With the blue sapphire treatment for 15 minutes beforehand the client is relaxed and whatever worries they had are forgotten, at least for the moment, and that's all that's needed to be able to allow a massage therapist to make the most of the session.

Interestingly enough the blue sapphire treatment is also having success in treating sleep disorders, due to the calming effect. Not that a person has it with their massage and then is sleepy for the day, but it's almost like the effect is retraining the mind to relax when it's time to relax. Many report sleeping better for many nights after one treatment before their massage. Persons suffering from depression also reported that the treatment gave them a lift and reduced their anxiety and natural health care practitioners are now using it as an alternative to drugs for depression and anxiety disorders.

Estheticians rejoice, as you can now give the most rejuvenating facial possible with the "emerald facial". Emeralds have had a reputation from the lore of many cultures as being "soothing to the eyes". They were also said to be rejuvenating and indeed this seems to be the effects of using these emerald "healing rays" on the skin while getting a traditional facial.

In keeping with the ancient folklore the emerald treatment relieves fatigued eyelids and also makes the lips look healthier. It is revitalizing for the skin and is now being thought to be the best gem to use for "anti-aging" and for repairing damaged skin, even from sun damage. The green color emitted through the emerald seems to regenerate healthy skin cells, unclog pores and clear the complexion, including uneven skin tone and discoloration. Even skin problems like psoriasis, eczema and acne respond positively to treatment with emerald and in some patients a treatment with red coral in the gem lamp is also used. Whether for repair, nourishing or beautifying one's skin the emerald gem treatment seems set to be the wave of the future in all spas world wide.

Just got to the spa after a long plane journey? The emerald treatment in one lamp taken at the same time a blue sapphire treatment is given with another lamp (each instrument is capable of having two separate lamps with two completely different gem treatments at one time) will make your jet lag disappear within 20 minutes.

With so many therapists now beginning to become interested in this phenomenal natural therapy and using it in conjunction with a myriad of healing modalities we are certain to see more successes being publicized in the future. One thing we all agree on, though, is it's the most wonderful complement to spa therapies in the history of the industry. Next time you go to a spa, ask for it.

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The Phenomenon of Vedic (Jyotish Quality) Gemstones

by Howard Beckman

We seem to have entered a time when many Americans all over the USA, as well as many Europeans throughout the continent have become extremely interested in all things "Vedic". Not only in these continents, but also in Russia and other Balkan countries and even the Middle East interest in how gems may be used to enhance people's lives in some way abounds.

With all the Vedic astrologers talking about their being able to affect karma to some degree, Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners naturally interested for their healing qualities and those just "jumping on the bandwagon" finding a means to do some business with them, it is a subject being more and more spoken about and debated.

As a person who has been in a family dealing in precious gemstones all my life and a graduate gemologist for 35 years now, besides my being a Vedic astrologer for almost as long, I have researched this subject, kept records of clients' experiences wearing gems and their use in the Ayurvedic clinic now for decades.

For those of you wanting to know what the fuss is all about just look this subject up on the Internet. For those already knowing a bit about it from your astrologers, "jyotish gem sources" and others not really well versed in how that translates into gemological reality and the real gem market today I want to give some serious facts here about what a "jyotish" or "Vedic astrological" quality gem really is.

It is an irrevocable fact that 99% of all sapphires are heat treated today and with the newer diffusion heat treatment methods (coating the gem before the heating process that allows infused color to diffuse itself into the gemstone) the goalposts are changing drastically. It is also a fact that almost 100% of all rubies are heat treated (very, very few are obtainable with any desirable quality that are not of an exorbitant cost and value) and even dealers like our family are finding that they are so rare and so expensive that we don't have the clients willing to pay the price when we do find them. So many sapphires are now being treated, as well, with more sophisticated diffusion heating processes that it's getting to the point where only the top gem laboratories can afford the equipment to say 100% what treatments have been used. In the old days we gemologists could pretty easily tell the difference between a heat-treated gem and an unheated one using a microscope. Not any more!!

Since sapphires are the most widely used for jyotish, in their blue, yellow and white colors for Saturn, Jupiter and Venus respectively, clients buying a stone need to start asking for guarantees, besides being able to implicitly trust their sources. (If coming from Bangkok they're all treated and if through a clearinghouse like Jaipur of Sri Lanka origin, you'd better know your source well).

What about emeralds? They're also one of the most effective gems used in jyotish for strengthening Mercury's influence in one's life. No, they're NOT heated, but emeralds of commercial quality have many fractures and fissures that have traditionally been filled with cedar oil. The oil has a refractive index (R.I. in gemological parlance) close to that of the emerald, so once the fractures are filled they almost disappear, as the light doesn't bend enough to make them easily visible. It's not that cedar oil in a very few small fractures would necessarily render an emerald useless for jyotish, it's that generally they are very low quality with LOTS of fissures that are cleverly covered up using this process. If you saw the stone without it, you'd reject it immediately!

At the time of this writing, in February 2008, polymers (instead of oil) are being touted by companies that produce emeralds treated with this substance as a permanent treatment and enhancer. It is said by them to be a means of making emeralds affordable to the ever-dwindling population with any disposable income to afford precious gems at all. And the jewelry trade is accepting this for the sake of the business. For someone wishing a gem for "jyotish purposes" this is a travesty. It is a low quality, completely unsuitable emerald that is made to look good with a sophisticated polymer to fill all the cracks and crevices in the gem. Even worse are the new "assembled" emeralds being found that actually glue multiple stones together and polish them to look like one gemstone.

Red coral from the Mediterranean, which is the finest source, is increasingly in short supply. There's more from the orient around, but again the great bulk of it is treated with glue, resins, and at the very least wax-impregnated. The majority of it is dyed white coral (or even another substance).

The old adage "you get what you pay for" is most appropriate for buying a "jyotish gem". Does this mean that high quality "jyotish" gems are no longer a viable "remedial measure" or "upaya" for a lot of people? I'm afraid so. If you're spending a few hundred dollars and need a ruby, sapphire or emerald you can know without question that you are going to be cheated. Those "jyotish gem dealers" that have cheap goods are selling such treated gems, as this is the law of economics. A rare and high quality gemstone is not a "cheap" item and if you insist on cheap, then by the law of "let the buyer beware" you will be cheated. Still, a gem lasts a lifetime, so if one can afford a decent car the expense is still not necessarily anywhere near as high as that, and it never needs any servicing. It must be looked at as an investment in one's present and future and worth what their value is. It's a reality that precious gems are a rarity and not in abundance compared to some other natural products of our earth, and that they have been a commodity prized and valued by human civilizations from time immemorial.

What about the substitute gems? Well, many people recommend them, but we have really not seen any effects in people's lives from their usage. Only the white sapphire in place of diamond seems to have powerful effects and the rest....? It is a fact that many, many people in clinical medical trials become "cured" in the group taking placebos (sugar pills). Even if you have faith in their efficacy even many of the semi-precious gems are heated and treated in many ways to make them more appealing to the eye.

In closing I want to say that what I am talking about here is using a natural gemstone, worn on the body in a ring, pendant or other talisman, to affect one's life in accordance with Vedic jyotish, or astrological, principles. Quality is everything. If you obtain the right gem of natural and high quality "gemologically" you will most certainly gain an obvious effect in either gross or subtle areas of your life. It is my purpose in having written this article that buyers know the questions to ask and are not simply relying on those in the field not truly educated in the science of gemology, for all too often we have the unsavory duty to answer someone who just showed us their "jyotish" gemstone that they have just been cheated with something made to look like what they really wanted.

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Astrology and Spirituality

by Howard Beckman

In today’s modern western world astrology is often degraded to mere fortune telling, and thought of as having something to do with gypsies or others that make their living from the fears and superstitions of the general populace. There are many so-called psychics, astrologers, and the like out there that it’s no wonder astrology is not given the respect it deserves in the minds of modern men and women.

The science of astrology dates back to the Vedic times of ancient India. The ancient seers had accurate information of the movements of the heavenly bodies, their relations to each other, and how these movements would affect a person’s life. Verily astrology is the father of modern day astronomy. Unfortunately modern day astronomy for the most part does not consider how the movements of the planets and stars affect us on earth, or how they can give us knowledge about ourselves individually, and collectively. Many have seen the validity of astrology on a mundane level to understand how career, finances, relationships, etc. will manifest, but to think that this is the end-all of this great science is missing the higher meaning. It should make one think toward a higher purpose in life.

Astrology is based on the science of reincarnation, or transmigration of the soul. According to one’s actions in the previous lifetime, or lifetimes, one enjoys, or suffers in this one. For every action there is an equal, or greater, reaction. This is known as the law of karma. What is to come in this life can be accurately foretold by the positions of the stars and planets at the time of birth. This is known as the astrological horoscope. We can understand the level of intellectual capacity possessed, as well as talents, capabilities, and best directions for an individual to take in order to achieve success in life.This is not just materially, but also on an astral and spiritual level.

Therefore astrology is meant to make us think about our true spiritual nature for the goal of human life is self-realization. What is the point of repeating birth after birth only to immerse ourselves in materialism time and time again? Astrology teaches us that we are not these bodies, but eternal, immutable spirit souls. Only the body is born and dies. For the soul there is no birth or death. If I must give up everything I’ve worked so hard for in this life at the time of death, then my work in acquiring material things is obviously not the goal. Any sane person can understand that at the time of death, or leaving the present body, everything in relation to the body is finished. We cannot take anything of this world with us. Therefore it should lead us on a quest to discover transcendence, or our spiritual nature, for this is eternal.

To stir one into spiritual contemplation is the real message and usefulness of the holy science of astrology. It is of the utmost importance in life that we discover our true selves, and our true nature of happiness and love. How to do so? The Vedas give us so many ways of advancing on the path, as do the higher precepts of all religions. The real problems of material life are birth, death, old age, and disease. Is there a way to solve these problems? Most assuredly, there is, and it is our birthright to know the answers. We must learn to balance physical, emotional, and spiritual health to live a complete, happy, and satisfying life. A qualified astrologer can help a person to understand what has been brought into this life, and how to shape destiny by attracting positive forces and repelling negative ones enabling maximum use of all God-given potentials. The result is greater clarity of perception toward inner happiness, peace of mind and a healthy, progressive lifestyle.

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The Practicality Of Vedic Astrology - Take Charge Of Your Own Destiny Using Vedic Astrology

by Howard Beckman

Another year is drawing to a close and most of us find ourselves looking back over the past twelve months, reminiscing what might have happened if we had had the courage to start that new job or had the foresight to have seen what a terrible year it had been financially. What to speak of that awful relationship, that you just knew was going to be the love of your life! If we are always worrying about the past, thinking it to have made the present not fulfilling, it will do just that.

A good Vedic astrologer could have foreseen all of these things. The use of an astrological horoscope is meant to be practical, not something that is mystical and obscure. The astrologer gives you a tool, an invaluable map that will help you to make those important decisions. It will help you to make fewer mistakes and better choices, in all areas of your life. We can make plans and set goals to achieve success in all spheres of our lives. An astrological chart gives us a cosmic prognosis, which can be obtained with an accurate birth time, place of birth and date. Just as a physician comes to the conclusion of the likely course and outcome of a disease, the astrologer can predict how aspects of our lives will develop, give us the timing to sit things out and wait or strike while the iron is hot.

The Vedic birth chart should cover all aspects of life:

HEALTH

∑ Vedic astrology can foresee probable ailments and weaknesses in an individual’s chart. To be forewarned is to be prepared and allows the situation to be avoided or reduced. For instance you may have a weak chest or lungs, so smoking would not be a good idea.

∑ By looking at the astrological chart we can determine what metabolic type you are (eg. Vata, Pitta or Kapha) as is often used in Ayurveda.

∑ Mental and emotional health, are often a cause of frustration for those that practice allopathic medicine. Badly placed planets can sometimes cause severe depression and remedial measures unique to Vedic astrology are often used.

∑ It can empower us. and stress can be alleviated just by knowing what you are dealing with.

COMPATIBILITY

∑ Before getting into a serious relationship, compatibility charts can be done to ensure good compatibility before committing. Do you have the same goals and aspirations? Will you be best friends as well as lovers?

∑ For those who have been in a long-term relationship that is growing sour, the astrologer can interpret the qualities and attributes each partner has and what buttons not to push. With adequate counseling a relationship can be saved. Alternatively, if the partnership is doomed, having the charts read can give the individuals confidence to move on with their lives.

∑ We often think of compatibility charts being done for marriage, but they are also done for potential business partners, as well.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CAREER

∑ A Vedic astrological chart will indicate strengths, weaknesses, and propensities when deciding on what career to follow.

∑ Parents can have a child’s chart done and see their talents before they even start school. If the child is very artistic, they may feel lost if pushed into mathematics or science and vice-versa.

∑ All is not lost if you are 30 something and wished you were doing something else. The horoscope will indicate what you would be happy doing, it is just up to you to take the leap of faith! Emphasis is put on “happy”, for what is the point of being in a well paid job if you are miserable?

WHY VEDIC ASTROLOGY?

India is the birthplace of Vedic astrology, where in the ancient Indian scriptures it is considered an Absolute Science, which is proved by the movements and actions of the Sun, Moon and the other planets within our solar system. Astrology is a combination of science and metaphysics, brought together to make a cosmic map that involves planets, mathematics, skill and considerable expertise.

Vedic Astrology or Jyotish (Science of Light) uses the Sidereal Zodiac, which is using the fixed constellation of stars called Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc., as a backdrop to calculate the positions and movements of the planets. This is also what astronomers use in their calculations.

Western Astrology on the other hand, uses the Tropical zodiac, which is based on the premise that the Sun will be at zero degrees Aries annually on the 21st of March. The Tropical system was created (based on the equinox), about 1900 years ago, when the Sun was actually at zero degrees Aries. The assumption was made that the Sun would return to this position every year on the spring equinox.

The Earth takes approximately 365 and 1/4 days to orbit the Sun. It is astronomically impossible for the Sun to be at zero degrees Aries every year at the time of the Spring equinox. Therefore, after many years of discrepancy there is about a twenty-three degree difference between the constellations and the signs of the same names. This makes the Tropical system completely inaccurate for predictive purposes from a natal horoscope.

The Vedic system, said to be over five thousand years old, takes into account a phenomenon called (in Sanskrit) the Ayanamsha. This is the gradual rotation of the Earth’s axis over thousands of years. Called the precession of the equinox, it is central to modern astronomy, as well as to Vedic Astrology. This means that the actual positions of the planets are constantly getting further behind the “imaginary” tropical placements. Vedic Astrology is based on a very old, unbroken tradition since time immemorial whereas Western Astrology has had a very checkered history.

Astrology virtually disappeared in the West during the Dark Ages (circa 500-1000AD); it resurfaced during the Renaissance, only to fall out of favor during the so-called Age of Reason. In fact, it totally disappeared from the European continent until the late 19th century. It had been kept barely alive in England during that time. Western Astrology as we know it today has existed for about 130 years only when it began a resurgence. The point is that the Vedic tradition is very strong and vibrant, with the heritage of many millennia of accumulated knowledge, whereas Western Astrology does not have the advantage of an unbroken tradition and is based on false mathematical assumptions, not scientific/astronomical facts.

The birth-map, or horoscope, is also a symbolic representation of the Earth, planets, and stars at the time of one's birth. It is a divine language, a mystic cryptogram by which the Creator has communicated what a person's destiny will be in the present span of life. To understand one’s destiny is to be able to direct oneself towards success in all areas of life.

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Vedic Astrology, Ayurveda, And Yoga - Ancient India's Sacred Sciences of Healing

by Howard Beckman

Ayurveda, translated as the “science of life”, is inextricably intertwined with “Jyotish” (“science of light”), the sanskrit name for vedic astrology. In times past ayurvedic doctors in India were also vedic astrologers. The combination of these two sciences gave a complete system for diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the body, mind, and spirit. Even the 12 salts of homeopathy are related to the 12 signs of the zodiac. As without, so within, and the basic cosmic lesson is that we are a part of the universe, non-different but in quantity of elemental factors. Man is viewed as the microcosm, an indivisible part of the macrocosm. The same energies moving the stars and planets of our universe also operate within our bodies and minds to operate physical and mental functions.

The ancient seers of India revealed the sciences of astrology and ayurvedic medicine to not only allow human beings to understand the workings of their bodies, but also the inner spiritual knowledge of mind and soul. Astrology itself is the oldest science known to man and its secrets hold keys to the healing of mind, body, and spirit. To realize our relationship with the cosmos is to realize our own true natures beyond the temporary body and manifested personality of this single lifetime. This revelation of our destiny, our fate, gives a window into the karmic reactions of past lives. Its higher purpose is to reveal the prime path of action for the present, facilitate healing both inwardly and outwardly, and to direct us further upon our spiritual journey. Therefore vedic astrology is the science of time, and timing for proper action.

Time sees the creation, maintenance, and destruction of all things. The order of the universe is maintained by the electromagnetic energy emanated by planets in their orbits. By noting the planetary arrangements at the time of one’s birth, the future health or prosperity of a person (their “karma”) can be accurately foretold. The message of the seers was to open our “inner” eyes that will see and comprehend the reasons for our repetition of birth and death, the transmigration of the soul. It is not that this science only shows how we are bound by the planetary energies, but more importantly how we can become liberated from the cycle of constant birth, aging, disease, and death. In doing so we may open the door to higher dimensions of consciousness and reality, even while we inhabit these bodies on the earthly plane. Awareness of our “higher selves” allows us to make progress on all levels, materially, emotionally, and spiritually.

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Heal and Enhance Your Life with Your True Birthstone

by Howard Beckman

In ancient India, as well as other cultures, gems were valued for their abilities to heal and to enhance a person’s life. They were said to possess energies that could help a person in all areas of life, physically, emotionally and spiritually. A person wore a gem that was transmitting cosmic energies of the planet that ruled the Sun’s position when they were born as a birthstone. Even better was to wear a stone (still the optimal means of choosing gems) to strengthen the energies weakest in their lives. For this a qualified Vedic astrologer was consulted.

The origin of modern western "birthstones" can be traced to the days of Moses when he gave instructions about the “Breastplate of Judgement. In the Bible, the breastplate is described as being set with 12 gemstones, each with an engraving of the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel.. In the Book of Revelations, gems in the breastplate were described as being the foundation stones of the temple of the “New Jerusalem”. The order that the 12 gems were given was used as the order for birthstones for the months also related to astrology.

These stones were used as birthstones until August 12, 1912 when the American National Retail Jewelers Association (ANRJA) changed the list to stones, which would be more advantageous commercially for the jewelry industry. Then, in 1938, the American Gem Society (AGS) adopted the new list, adding one additional stone, citrine quartz, to the list. In 1952 the list was once more changed and gained the approval of ANRJA, AGS, NJA (National Jewelers Association) and ASIA ( American Stone Importers Association). This then established the official list of birthstones that is still used today.

The Jewelery Industry Council of America established this as the official list of birthstones. It is not hard to see that this list was arbitrarily created and has no astrological meaning. Such a system has no relevance for the wearer. When a person wears a stone truly advantageous for them it can help to enhance their health, relationships, career, wealth and so many areas of life.

The Ancient Vedic Birthstone System was as follows according to birthdate:

January 14 through February 12: blue sapphire
February 13 through March 13: same as the previous as Saturn stilled ruled
March 14 through April 13: yellow sapphire
April 14 through May 13: red coral
May 14 through June 13: diamond or white sapphire
June 14 through July 15: emerald
July 16 through August 15: pearl
August16 through September 15: ruby
Sept. 16 through Oct. 16: emerald
Oct. 17 through Nov. 15: diamond or white sapphire
Nov. 16 through Dec. 14: red coral
Dec. 15 through Jan. 13: yellow sapphire

For persons born during these times the birthstones were said to bring prosperity. Many other gems were used to enhance overall life by first diagnosing the needed gems through the Vedic horoscope.

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Vedic Cosmology - The Planets of the Material Universe

by Howard Beckman

The cosmology and cosmography of the ancient Vedas is awe inspiring to say the least. The more “modern” of the Vedic texts are known to originate from approximately 3000 B.C., thus being the oldest scientific and religious doctrines known to man. The descriptions of our solar system and what modern astronomy has discovered of the visible universe corresponds with the ancient Vedic knowledge, proving that man has had advanced knowledge of astronomy for thousands of years before our modern civilization began. This article describes the Vedic version of planetary systems from the topmost, eternal planets down through the temporary planetary systems within innumerable universes of this material world.

When saying “cosmic manifestation” we speak of two separate worlds, the spiritual and the material. The spiritual planetary systems are eternal, beyond the limits of the material universes, and belong to a “super dimensional” or “anti-material” dimension. These are beyond the limitations of material time and space and therefore beyond our vision, or powers of perception. In these planetary systems there is no occurrence of creation or dissolution, and these planets are unlimited, indestructible, and eternally existing. There are descriptions of these spiritual planets in the vedic literatures, but this article concentrates on those within the material universe.

The material planetary systems are created at some point in time and will be destroyed at another. They are bound by the influences of time and space. Both of these energies (spiritual and material) are of the same divine source called “brahmajyoti”, the spiritual light. About 1/4th of this brahmajyoti is covered by the “mahat-tattva”, the material energy, where are found innumerable material universes. The 3/4th portion is the eternal spiritual sky. In the spiritual world are two realms of existence, “Goloka-dhama” and “Hari-dhama”. The material world has one realm called “Devi-dhama”.

Goloka-dhama is the topmost planet and residence of the Supreme Godhead Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Below this is Hari-dhama where the spiritual planets of the Vaikunthalokas are situated. Below the Vaikuntha planets is “Mahesh-dhama” (also called Sadasivaloka, or the abode of Lord Siva). This is the realm dividing the spiritual from the material universes. Below Mahesh-dhama is Devi-dhama, the realm of the material universe. It is said that the systems of yoga offer different destinations. Bhakti yoga directs one toward entering Hari-dhama or Goloka-dhama. Jnana yoga directs the aspirant toward entrance to Mahesh dhama, and karma yoga directs one to remain in Devi-dhama, experiencing repeated birth and death in the material worlds.

The Planetary Systems of Devi-Dhama

In the Bhagavad-Gita we find a statement that there are three divisions of material planets in our universe. They are “urdhva-loka” (highest), “madhya-loka” (middle), and “adho-loka” (lower). Above the urdhva-lokas are the coverings of the material universe beyond which lie the eternal realms of existence. Within these three spheres of existence are 14 main planetary systems with different standards of life and duration of existence. The residents of the upper three systems have almost no disease or aging of the body, and they have no sense of fear. As the planetary systems progress downward there is lesser duration of life and standard of living, as well as a greater manifestation of disease and anxiety.

The 14 planetary systems are named as follows, from highest to lowest:

  • 1) Satya-loka
  • 2) Tapa-loka
  • 3) Jana-loka
  • 4) Mahar-loka
  • 5) Svar-loka
  • 6) Bhuvar-loka
  • 7) Bhur-loka
  • 8) Atala-loka
  • 9) Vitala-loka
  • 10) Sutala-loka
  • 11) Talatala-loka
  • 12) Mahatala-loka
  • 13) Rasatala-loka
  • 14) Patala-loka

In one of the Vedic scriptures called the “Hari-vamsa” there is a description as follows: “Above the planetary systems where humans live is the sky. Above the sky is the orbiting sun, which is the entrance point of the heavenly planetary systems. This is the middle of the universe where begins the planets of those elevated by great austerities and penances. The planets above these, up to Satya-loka are the residences of those advanced in spiritual knowledge. All these planets are within the material world and under the control of Devi (Goddess Durga), and therefore called Devi-dhama.”

The term “amara” (deathless) is often used to describe the residents of the heavenly planets because their span of life is inconceivable to us, but although they live for millions of years by our calculation, none within the material worlds can live here eternally. In Bhagavad-Gita there is given a description for the life span of those living on Satyaloka. One day is equal to 4,300,000,000 solar years. On other heavenly planets the day is considered to equal six months of our time, and the night also equal to six months on earth. These souls live in their bodies for 10 million of their years.

Time duration such as day, night, months, and years are different in different planetary systems, and there are also different types of human beings, animals, trees, and vegetation. Some of the planets that are visible to us are considered heavenly planets with different timings. Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon are examples of planets where one day is equal to six months on earth. How can that be, one may ask, when we can see these planets orbiting the Sun?

One point of reference that may be difficult for some to understand is crucial to this realization. All planets have different dimensions surrounding them. The dimension of existence visible to our eyes gives us the impression that the other planets in our solar system are mostly devoid of life. In actuality astronomers have found proof of intelligent life on other planets, regardless of the fact that little is yet public knowledge. The purview discernable by our physical eyes, though, cannot enter into the heavenly spheres of these planets where devas, angels, and higher beings exist, nor even that of humans who enjoy an existence far superior to what is obtainable on our planet earth.

Just as on and surrounding earth there are realms of existence inhabited by ethereal beings invisible to our eyes, some highly advanced and others bound by unfortunate circumstances (such as ghosts), all planets have different spheres of existence. We can never gain knowledge of the multi-dimensional reality on earth with our physical eyes, so how could we possibly expect to enter into the higher realities of other planets with them?

There are also different types of oceans on different planets in the material world. “Siddhanta-siromani”, an ancient vedic astrological text describes them as being of seven varieties:

  • 1) an ocean of salt water
  • 2) an ocean of milk
  • 3) an ocean of curd
  • 4) an ocean of ghee (clarified butter)
  • 5) an ocean of sugar cane juice
  • 6) an ocean of liquor
  • 7) an ocean of sweet water

Our minds may balk at such a conception of different types of oceans, but why should any of these be more fantastic than the ocean of salt water that we have here on earth?

There are also some eternal planets seemingly situated within this material universe, but they are always inaccessible for human beings. The text “Laghu-Bhagavatamrita” describes these eternal planets as follows: “Above Rudraloka, the planet of Lord Siva, is the planet called Vishnuloka. It is 400,000 miles in circumference, and inaccessible for any mortal living being. Above that Vishnuloka is a golden island called Maha-Vishnuloka in the ocean of salt. Brahma and other demigods sometimes go there to meet Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu lies there with Lakshmi (the goddess of fortune). East of here is the “ocean of milk” where within is the island of Svetadvipa, where Lord Vishnu also resides with Goddess Lakshmi. His transcendental island is 200,000 square miles and covered with desire trees for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord.”

This planet is called “Dhruvaloka” and we see it as the polestar. It is said to be 3,800,000 yojanas above the sun (one yojana is equal to 8 miles). Above Dhruvaloka by 10,000,000 yojanas is Maharloka. Above Maharloka by 20,000,000 yojanas is Janaloka, a further 80,000,000 yojanas lies Tapaloka, and above by 120,000,000 yojanas is Satyaloka. The Vaikuntha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas beyond Satyaloka.

The scripture “Vishnu Purana” describes that the outer covering of the universe begins 260,000,000 yojanas above the sun. About 70,000 yojanas below the earth begin the seven lower planetary systems of Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala. Below these planets 30,000 yojanas is the Garbhodaka Ocean where Sesa Nag