There are plenty of Astrologers, yet…

There are many Astrologers out there.

A few are well known, a lot many are trying to get famous and then there are some who prefer anonymity or working in privacy.

I suppose, fame and popularity is a function of their respective Natal birth charts and the inherent Yogas. (Doesn’t necessarily have to do with high abilities).

However very few (anecdotally speaking) are able to consistently give genuine advice and predictions. Why is that the case?

Jyotish is a super science

To begin with, Astrology (or specifically Jyotish) is a super science i.e. it offers the practitioner flexibility to operate at multiple levels and expects one to synthesize technical proficiency with intuition.

At a basic level it is like any other subject which can be learnt and then offered as a professional service. However, it can be much more. A window to understand our place in this world, our Karmas and experiences.

Not that facing all that stuff is easy, one can easily feel overwhelmed to see difficult situations happening to good souls. And also to oneself.

Secondly, Jyotish is a complex subject to study and master. There are theories and counter theories and more theories.

It is easy to get trapped being hostage to theory or get dogmatic and clingy about ones specific approach.

It is a subject where one needs to combine knowledge (available to all) + intuition (By nature not accessible all the time) and apply it in a certain context while looking at a specific chart or consulting a client.

Hence, 1+1 is not always equal to 2, certainly never equal to 2 all the time. And this is where it gets tough for practitioners and students alike. Clients need repeatability and consistency in advice.

Consistent good interpretation takes years of practice

My Jyotish teacher has been a student, practitioner and teacher for more than three decades I think. He is one of the best out there.

And yet, he is clear about areas where he is sure about the interpretive principles and ones where it is still subject to further research. That is transparency which clients (I think) would appreciate.

However, most practicing Astrologers tend to brush this under the carpet and act as if they are know it all’s. And throw a bunch of fancy sounding theory around.

This visual that I created explains it.

It is not easy, I admit, it is a catch 22 situation. If one doesn’t act confident or knowledgeable then it is hard to get clients. Especially for the ones on Social Media.

Readers will notice most of them end up venturing into the teaching side of the house as it is safer. Not that teaching is not a noble thing to do.

Then there is also the nature of Consultation

At a simplistic level Jyotish consultation can be divided into two broad categories, followed by Astrologers:

1. Behavioural Counselling (Including Personality assessment, likes dislikes etc.) – Not, surprisingly there are many clients who are interested to know about themselves. The difficulty with this area is that its all too wishy washy and subject to personal interpretation. One can get away with saying many things because some of it will resonate with the client. It is a comfort zone for most Astrologers (YouTube channels are full of this).
2. Predictions – Tough to do consistently and hard to master. The image above shows the progression From Theory –> Retrofitting –> Application

In Conclusion

In the long run I feel Astrologers who are genuine in putting all the disclaimers out there yet charging a reasonable fee based on the effort put in will stand in good stead.

Personally, I have been switched off from Jyotish for a few months now. It is a heavy subject and it reached a point where I felt overwhelmed by the technical complexity and by analyzing difficult situations in people’s charts (and in my own chart for that matter).

Especially, if one is constantly conscious about giving the right advice to clients. I am sharing this so that the readers appreciate it takes effort and time to be reasonably good at the subject.

I am still in touch with the subject, however nothing like how I was a few months back. Maybe it will pick up again at an appropriate time.

However, please do feel free to reach out for a consultation or to have a general conversation. Many thanks.

Disclaimer: These are my thoughts and may not be acceptable by everyone out there. Let us respectfully agree to disagree.

Note: Jyotish is a very technical subject and requires careful weighing of many variables. No one factor determines the complete picture. There are always exceptions. Every chart is unique

Thank you for patiently reading and for your constructive feedback and insights.