The Vedic Astrology Podcast

Episode 14 Show Notes

Pandemics and Predictions

With Corey Dowds

00:00 Overview

·         Welcome

·         Examining a Case Study – Eclipse December 2019

·         The Nature of Prediction as an Astrologer

·         How did you go about the prediction in the Case Study?

·         How can Astrologers get better at predictions?

·         Invitation to AstroliJam – Feb 6, 2022

00:30 Welcome

·         We share the same teacher

·         However, we don’t know each other

·         In September last year, you happened to share on Instagram a reflection on your prediction at the eclipse of 28 Dec 2019. AND I LOVED THAT! First because of its accurate content, but second because I’m really interested in what we can learn from reflecting on our predictions

·         Being on youtube and having a persona can make someone not want to be vulnerable and reflect – so I was SUPER-inspired by your post and reached out to do this episode!!!

00:45 Case Study details – Eclipse December 2019

·         We’ve picked the Eclipse of December 2019

·         26 Dec 2019

·         Capricorn – Sun, Moon, Ketu, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto

·         Visible in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Southern India and parts of Indonesia

·         Rasi Aspect from Mars in Scorpio

·         Rahu was in Cancer

·         Mercury in Sag, Venus in Aquarius

·         (and I guess we should say Neptune in Pisces and Uranus in Taurus)

·         N.B. There was also a lunar eclipse (10 Jan, 2020)

01:45 Why Predictive Astrology?

·         So, today we are going to be talking a lot about predictions but before we do that, Corey, tell us how you got into Predictive Astrology?

o   “Autobiography of a Yogi”

o   Ryan Kurczak

o   Ernst Wilhelm

03:50 Favourite type of Predictive Astrology?

·         Do you prefer

o   Prasna, 

o   Mundane Astrology or 

o   Personal Predictions?

06:15 Subjective nature of Personal predictions for clients

·         One advantage I see of Mundane Astrology is that in personal astrology people are so attached to is the going to be good or bad?

·         And that can be hard to tell right? For example, a divorce may seem bad, and will be hard to experience, but it will actually be a good thing long term etc.

·         There’s a very famous quote (that has now actually been debunked) from a Chinese statesman in 1970 apparently commenting that it is ‘too early to say’ what was the importance or lasting effect of the French Revolution. (It now seems that he was referring to a much more recent Paris riots of 1968)

o   https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191826719.001.0001/q-oro-ed4-00018657

·         But it makes us think about how can we tell what is good and bad – and when do we make that judgement?

07:50 Do you teach this stuff?

·         Access Corey’s teachings at 

·         eye-of-the-veda-university.teachable.com

08:40 AstroliJam

·         6 Feb 2022 – book your ticket now, limited places

·         Bookings: https://www.fionamarques.com/astrology/#AstroliJam

·         and: https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19866423&appointmentType=22783262

09:30 The Nature of Prediction as an Astrologer

·         “Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark” by Bernadette Brady

o   Publisher: Samuel Weiser, Inc. – Publication date:1999

o   (https://books.google.pt/books?id=ZO8gXACROqMC&lpg=PP3&hl=pt-PT&pg=PP25#v=onepage&q&f=false)

·         “Since time began, the human race has quested the future. Whether it be the knowledge of a successful hunt, the weather patterns, the movement of the enemy or the outcome of a journey, to know the future was to have an advantage. This need was so great that every tribe or clan had its own seer, sage, shaman or priest. This person's role was to explain the unexplainable and give meanings and patterns to seemingly random events, thereby reducing fear and creating greater stability. … The human race has come along way …But the need for the seer has not …. There are many pathways which lend themselves to the ancient projection of seership. Scientists predicting outcomes, the bureau of meteorology predicting weather, election forecasters predicting results, and the economists predicting the economy  (etc.) …

·         Thus as we decide to study astrology to fulfill our own needs, all too often, within a few weeks of commencing study, the student's friends will not only want to know about themselves but also want the student to be their seer. The student's personal quest for truth and meaning in life thus becomes burdened by the community's ancient longing for a seer.

·         (then she talks about how these expectations weigh and shape the journey of the Astrology student – creating unrealistic goals for the student)

·         Thus the first point to be made in pursuit of reliable predictive astrology is: Recognize that you can already predict using astrology and how impressive this is to a lay person.” (and she goes onto to share a simple example of Pluto transiting the Ascendent).

13:00 Unrealistic expectations

·         And I love this, because I think as students, we can have very high expectations of ourselves

·         And we forget how miraculous it is that we can predict anything!

·         We get hung up on a detail that we didn’t articulate

·         When in fact, just being in the ‘ballpark’ is way beyond random chance

14:05 The role of Jupiter and Venus in Predictions

·         IQ (Jupiter) vs EQ (Venus)

·         Chart research

·         Rapport

·         Intuition

·         Heart-centred 

·         Inner voice vs Force

·         Confirmation bias

·         Meditation 

16:35 Regrets in relation to predictions

·         Not writing something that your inner voice tells you

·         Self-editing / self-censoring because of perceptions of how people perceive you

·         The mind focuses on the 10% we didn’t get 

17:45 How accurate is average?

·         For example, I was watching a show examining the investigation of a notorious Insider Trading incident in Australia and the expert in charge of compliance at a large brokering house was sharing that any  trader who was getting more than 50% right, was flagged as unusual and warranted investigation.

o   “JOEL MURPHY, FOUNDER, EIGHTCAP: Traders in our space, if they're above 50 per cent, if they're above 55 per cent, they're doing a really good job. I remember the moment when the red flags first went off. I looked at three of the trades in a row and then just saw the fact that it was statistical data in each one, and then we could clearly see the pattern” 

o   (https://www.abc.net.au/austory/the-accomplice/13555466)

·         Imaging if Astrology was like that!  We really expect ourselves to be right all the time!!

·         Bernadette Brady goes onto say “Acknowledgement of such simple feats in astrology, considered awe-inspiring by the general public, allows predictive work to be taken down from its pedestal. By recognizing the simplicity of these skills and how easily they can be taught to another, the minefield of projection becomes a little less dangerous.”

20:10 The role your own chart in Art of prediction

·         For example

o   Ketu

o   Rahu

o   Mars

·         Being the artist, the skateboarder, the surfer

24:10 Being surprised 

·         And Corey, you had something similar that you shared with me from “Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View” by cultural historian Richard Tarnas

o   Publisher: Plume – Publication date: 2006

o   https://books.google.pt/books?id=OLaJ2HhW2zcC&lpg=PP1&dq=cosmos%20and%20psyche%20tarnas%20google%20books&hl=pt-PT&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=cosmos%20and%20psyche%20tarnas%20google%20books&f=false

·         We are might end up touching on some very specific transit content of this book. But this paragraph also caught my eye …

·         “In the vast majority of cases in which I have considered the likelihood of … future (events), I have been surprised – both by the many ways (they have) actually manifest … beyond what I imagined, AND by the ways in which they did not manifest … as I might have thought or feared.

·         Instead, in countless instances, I received a new lessons in the infinite creativity of the cosmos …”

26:35 Context of this Case Study Prediction

·         Discussion of Astrologers such as

o   Channing Ayers -channingayersastrology.com

o   Ernst Wilhelm -www.vedic-astrology.net

o   Ganesh Jayakumar - vidyavaridhi.org

§  Post discussing prediction of economic impacts - https://vidyavaridhi.org/index.php/2020/03/25/the-2020-roller-coaster-ride-jupiter-and-saturn-in-tropical-capricorn/

29:00 Saturn and Pluto

·         Discussion of Corey’s notes from Richard Tarnas’ book

o   30 years of research into outer planets

o   Saturn / Pluto conjunction – previous events

o   September 11, 2001

30:50 Prediction Bias

·         How do we deal with prediction bias when we are doing our work?

·         Visualcapitalist.com put together a great iconographic about Cognitive Biases eg

o   https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/all-188-cognitive-biases.html

·         When we have too much information we …

o   Notice things that we’ve already memorised – e.g. our favourite transits etc

o   We notice changes

o   We are drawn to details that confirm our existing beliefs

o   Eg confirmation bias, congruence bias

·         “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail”

·         Not see things we don’t want to see

·         Know your own chart

34:05 Case Study Prediction

·         I remember watching a satire show we had here in 2020 by a very funny observational comedian named Ricardo Araújo Pereira where he cut together all the astrologers and tarot card readers who had gone on day time TV stating wonderful things that were going to happen in 2020. (sic.pt/programas/istoegozarcomquemtrabalha)

·         But there were some astrologers who saw elements of what was to come, and that is how this episode came about – because Corey you shared what you had written at the time …

·         There will likely be some extreme cases of flooding in asia or other parts of the world. There may be extreme thunderstorms and lots of damage due to water. Capricorn rules "watery ground". Cancer rules floodable, tidal areas as well. The eclipses here will bring water and flooding issues. Also in a medical sense more people may have water retention issues, swelling, constipation, or issues with the blood flow and water in the body. The Moon rules the circulatory/urinary/respiratory system, issues could occur around that system. Saturn rules the muscular and lymphatic system, which swells up if it is not used enough. So if you feel cooped up this winter just do some stretches, take a walk, keep the muscles and the lymph moving in the body and that should help.

36:05 Analysis of the prediction

·         People can read the analysis of this prediction at 

·         eyeoftheveda.com/2020/07/astrologer-predicting-respiratory-issues-for-asia-in-2020-back-in-2019-covid-update/

38:55 Were Astrologers debilitated?

·         Jupiter is a karaka for Astrologers

·         Discussion of whether its placement left Astrologers debilitated and eclipsed?

·         Contrast with September 11, 2001

43:15 How can Vedic Astrologers get better at predictions? 

42:30 Is Prasna important?

·         Lunar New Year Charts

·         eye-of-the-veda-university.teachable.com/courses to access Class 5 (coming soon)

·         Laura Barat’s Varshaphal course - laurabaratastrologer.com/product/secrets-of-the-solar-return-varshaphal-tajkia-astrology

·         The Asheville Vedic Apprenticeship on teachable.com “Timing and Dasas” Assessable class and “Prasna” Bonus course https://vedic-astrology.teachable.com/courses/vedic-astrology-apprenticeship-program?affcode=472402_kmvc7dum

45:35 Are Rasi aspects important?

·         The Asheville Vedic Apprenticeship on teachable.com “Rasis and Signs” Assessable class https://vedic-astrology.teachable.com/courses/vedic-astrology-apprenticeship-program?affcode=472402_kmvc7dum

45:45 Nakshatras?

·         eye-of-the-veda-university.teachable.com/courses to access Nakshatra course (coming soon)

48:25 Lagna?

·         Solar ingress charts – 00.00 degrees Aries

·         Lunar ingress charts – calculate for the country you are interested in

·         Bhava Lagna – Jaimini 3 - www.vedic-astrology.net/Courses/Jaimini-Courses.asp

53:30 Practice?

54:30 Persona?

·         How do you deal with the ‘persona’ aspects – i.e. people want to rate you and judge you – it’s risky right?

58:15 Conclusion