The Vedic Astrology Podcast

Reconsidering Retrograde - Chesta Bala and Effective Readings

November 09, 2021 Fiona Marques Season 1 Episode 10
The Vedic Astrology Podcast
Reconsidering Retrograde - Chesta Bala and Effective Readings
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Is a planet in retrograde motion a good thing or a bad thing?? In a major difference from Western Astrology, Vedic Astrology counts retrograde as 'Motional Strength' (or Cheshta bala) in one of the six strengths which determine the potency of a planet (called Shadbala).
In today's episode we explore what Cheshta bala is, how it shows up in a chart and how to use it wisely with clients.  From NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) we know that rapport allows communication to be even more effective because it happens a subtler and automatic level.  Is Cheshta bala a secret code that will allow us to build deep rapport with our clients and execute even more effective Readings? Listen now to find out!
For background on the differences between Vedic Astrology's treatment of retrograde and other astrologies, see this video where I interviewed Fernando Raul Castro.

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The Vedic Astrology Podcast

Episode 10

Reconsidering Retrograde - Cheshta bala and effective readings

Introduction & Welcome

  • My name is Fiona Marques and I am your host for this episode of the Vedic Astrology Podcast
  • Today we are going to be re-considering retrograde and getting into the nitty gritty of Cheshta bala 
  • This forms part of ‘Topic 3 – the techniques and knowledge of Vedic Astrology’
  • And it all starts with the kind of armchair astrology that I’m sure, like me, you find unavoidable as soon as someone starts sharing their life experience!
  • And from their we will revisit how to calculate Cheshta bala
  • And then how Cheshta bala shows up in each of the planets
  • And finally, how to use Cheshta bala to unlock the secret of client rapport
  • But for now, sit back and relax as we catch up on some story telling …

00:56 A Mercury retrograde story …

  • Today’s topic came about because of a beautiful story that unfolded over several weeks …
  • What happens next …
  • Now, I’m sure, like me, you hear that story and you think ‘Mercury Retrograde’, right?  It’s such a classic tale of Mercury retrograde. (And by the way, it was during the recent Mercury retrograde in Libra in 2021)
  • But wait till you hear what happens next …
    • It was at exactly this moment – one TV box, 3 computers and an old radio later - that my friend finally surrendered to the SILENCE of her home
    • And, of course, it was in that moment, that, just like that, she was back in the flow

05:09 Retrograde in Western Astrology vs Vedic Astrology

  • So, here we come to one of the big differences between modern Western Astrology and Vedic Astrology
  • But in the popular media, Mercury retrograde is almost an urban myth LOL!
  • And it gives the idea that retrograde is bad
  • However, in Vedic Astrology, retrograde gives high cheshta bala – which contributes to the overall strength of the planet through Shad bala
  • And this is what we are examining today in the podcast

06:00 Can you do Astrology without a chart?

  • Because my friend’s story highlights how Mercury retrograde is working in her chart.
  • Now, we don’t know her chart at all, I’ve no idea what her birth time is or even her birthday
  • But this is what I think is so valuable about studying Vedic Astrology – not necessarily reading charts – but understanding the philosophy – understanding this very rich tapestry of how humans are all different and all the same.
  • In fact, I remember telling Ryan at my final exam that I didn’t think I would ever read charts – and now it’s what I do for a living (God loves Fun as they say!)
  • But I guess what I was trying to say was that I don’t know if it was reading charts that attracted my to Vedic Astrology – it was more the vedic psychological theories and observations that I was interested in

“I have a book in mind …”

09:26 What is Mercury’s true role?

  • Meanwhile, back to my friend …
  • What if it was the case that Mercury retrograde was truly helping this person?
  • Could all of those communication and connection problems that we associate with Mercury retrograde actually have been Mercury purposefully (consciously) trying to connect my friend with source?
  • Isn’t that truly Mercury’s role? Not the internet, not our printer cartridges – but connection and communication with source, with our inner knowing, with our purpose?
  • Could it be that the natal placement of this person’s Mercury was with low dig bala somewhere in her chart?  Or in a sign currently being transited by many planets?

10:20 What is High Cheshta bala Mercury like? 

  • Let’s look at the qualities of Mercury when it has high cheshta bala …
    • Mercury is a planet of communication. With high cheshta bala a person can ask for what they want and need.  They can follow up on requesting what was agreed.
    • Mercury is the tubing in the body – the myelin sheaths, the blood vessels – it is not the flow – but it connect the flow with where it needs to go.
  • So, could we perhaps say that with high cheshta bala, Mercury the project manager has the confidence to disconnect and redirect any wiring that is not in line with the project plan.
  • With low cheshta bala – maybe Mercury takes on more and more tasks for the project but doesn’t have the confidence to say no, to prune out the tasks that are not important, they just become a bit of a doormat or passive receiver of task rather than a respected manager?
  • We might experience that as disruptions to our technology, but my friend’s story reminded me that all those disruptions may be for our own good.

12:45 Reconsidering Mercury Retrograde

  • And maybe in my friend’s case, the quality of Mercury in her birth chart, needed a Mercury cheshta bala boost to follow through on what had been agreed.
  • She started the process herself by removing the TV box – but high cheshta bala Mercury helped her follow through with the project plan.
  • I’ll be interested to hear how you experience Mercury retrograde transits when viewed through this lens?
  • Is Mercury retrograde bringing you back to the simplicity of your connection with source?  It is directing your flow by ‘breaking’ distracting wiring and snapping you into the present?  Is it drawing your attention to what is important in managing your LIFE project?  Is it following up on what you agreed to yourself, the agreements you made with yourself about how you would treat time, distractions, tasks, technology, your project?

13:58 What is Cheshta bala?

  • And if that is the case, what else is cheshta bala doing?
  • Let’s revisit what cheshta bala is and how it shows up differently for each planet …
  • Cheshta means movement, gesture, action and effort
  • In Vedic Astrology Cheshta bala relates to the movement or speed of the planet
  • For the planets of the solar system, it is calculated relative to their average speed.  If we plot a planet every night in the sky and it is going faster than usual – it gets low cheshta bala, if it is going slower than usual – it gets high cheshta bala
    • In our podcast comparing a birth chart to a symphony score , we talked about low Cheshta bala being the musician who races into his seat with no time to practice or clean his instrument, vs high cheshta bala being the musician who is calmly prepared having practised and maintained his instrument with care.
  • Now, the Sun and the Moon don’t change speed in the same way, so
    • The Sun uses Ayana bala – and we discussed that in Episode 4 of this podcast 
    • The Moon uses Paksha bala – which is one of the calculations made for Kala bala (relating to fortnights) and loosely links to the waxing and waning of the Moon.
  • Please note, I’m describing the complex astronomical measurement of Cheshta bala here in a very relaxed, layperson way.  If you want to understand the calculation better you could

Now that we know that Cheshta bala relates to the speed of the planet – the motion – how does that play out in a birth chart?

  • Shows how the person moves through the world (with that planet). If the planet is a vehicle for a particular aspect of our consciousness, how does that planet navigate through its experiences – what is its quality of character?  The slower a planet moves, the more powerful that quality becomes. 
  • Think of the grace, poise and confidence of a master vs
  • The rushing of a novice hoping no one will notice the mistakes
  • To behave at its best, a planet needs sufficient cheshta bala. Planets with low cheshta bala do not move through a person’s life with brilliance, with quality, they lack confidence, may lack positive intention.  cheshta bala reflects the innate ability to express that planet in its most confident form.
  • Planets with high cheshta bala are a bigger part of the person’s life. Higher cheshta bala the planet will tend to be more supportive of the things it is a ruler/indicator of.  More confident.  How confident will be person feel with the nature of the planet?
  • High chest bala is like natural magnetism in that area.
  • Low cheshta bala planets rarely get consciously used because typically a person doesn’t have confidence with that planet so they don’t try, so they perpetuate a sense of failure.

20:25 Shadbala Planetary Groupings

  • And remember with Shad bala, we have family groups of planets
    • The Sun, Jupiter and Mercury need the most cheshta bala to achieve a sufficient level of confidence – that is they need 50 points out of 60 to be sufficient
    • Mars and Saturn need 40 points out of 60
    • And The Moon and Venus need only half that is 30 out of 60
  • So the planets that relate to our goals and purpose need a lot of confidence
  • Planets that deal with troubles and problems need two thirds confidence
  • And the Moon and Venus which represent our receptivity are able to function well even on half their confidence.

23:40 What does high Cheshta bala look like?

The Sun, Jupiter and Mercury

  • With high cheshta bala, they give us the confidence to pursue our goals and purpose
  • The Sun let’s us stand out the front and take a beating for our inspiration and to inspire other
  • Similarly a confident Jupiter has a rock solid sense of purpose and faith, but is never fanatical and be wise in relation to our beliefs
  • And Mercury allows us to turn our vision / our goals into reality by follow up on agreements, asking for what we want and directing are flow to the tasks that will achieve the goal

Mars and Saturn

  • With high cheshta bala give us the confidence to 
  • Use our will to overcome obstacles and
  • Our resilience to face failure without fear
  • If we go after our goals, we are definitely going to fail, Saturn gives us that fortitude to survive the reality of failure and keep going

The Moon and Venus

  • Help us value our self
  • Love and acceptance of the self from the Moon
  • Knowing our own worth from Venus

Cheshta bala weighting

  • It’s interesting to reflect on the weighting of Cheshta bala – all things being equal …
  • It seems to suggest that it will be more likely that we will find self love and acceptance than that we will have the confidence to follow our goals and inspirations
  • Do you think that that is true?

26:18 What does low in Cheshta bala look like?

  • When we are low in Cheshta bala we withdraw
    • Moon and Venus withdraw because we don’t value the self, we don’t love the self, we don’t think we are worth taking pride in
    • Mars and Saturn withdraw because we are afraid of failure or afraid we won’t survive failure
    • And Sun, Jupiter and Mars withdraw because we doubt ourselves, we doubt our right to be visionary, wise and have agreements delivered

27:35 The importance of Cheshta bala in effective readings

  • Regardless of that, making note of a client’s cheshta bala while preparing their chart can be very helpful because it tell you where the person lacks confidence and where they are most likely to withdraw.
  • If your goal as an astrologer is to connect the person with inner flow – as the story at the start of this podcast outlined – one wants to be mindful and careful with how one approaches a client’s areas of lack of confidence.
  • If we pay no regard to that as the astrologer, we are in danger of being ineffective by neglect, that is by accidentally and with disregard damaging their confidence and brightness – this has little chance of leading to success for the person.

28:50 Summary & Conclusion

  • I’d love to know your thoughts on how you use Cheshta bala in your readings
  • And how you read charts of people that tell you stories as Ryan and I suggested earlier in the podcast
  • And how you make the most of each high cheshta bala transit for each planet – what do they teach you when they are at their most confident?
  • And until the next episode of The Vedic Astrology Podcast I wish you good health, brightness and confidence!

 

 

Welcome and Introduction
A Mercury Retrograde story ...
Retrograde in Western vs Vedic Astrology
Can you do Astrology without a Chart?
What is Mercury's true role?
What is High Cheshta bala Mercury like?
Reconsidering Mercury Retrograde
What is Cheshta bala?
Shadbala Planetary Groupings
What does high Cheshta bala look like?
What does low Cheshta bala look like?
The importance of Cheshta bala in Effective Readings
Summary and Conclusion