Glossary



Vedic BEACON? top

Vedic BEACON is a forecasting calendar, based on vedic astrology and precise astronomical calculations.

It does a lot of heavy lifting in the background, and translates them into easy to understand information to live your life in sync with the forces of the universe.


Vedic astrology top

Vedic astrology is a complex and well defined science. It helps in self discovery and gives a better idea on what the future may hold for us. There are many areas in vedic astrology like partner compatibility, birth horoscopes, predicting possible future events and even a single area takes more than a lifetime to master. Continuous learning opportunities are guaranteed.

There are 6 main fields in vedic astrology:

  • Ganita: Mathematics and astronomy
  • Jataka: Understanding birth horoscopes
  • Prashna: Determining the outcome of actions, events, etc... by asking questions and interpreting the answers by casting the horoscope of the moment the question was asked
  • Muhurta: Finding the right moment to start our actions. (Vedic BEACON is based on this)
  • Nimitta: Interpreting omens
  • Hasta Reka: Numerology, palmistry


Muhurta top

Muhurta is a field in vedic astrology which deals with finding the right moment to start actions. It is based on precise astronomical and astrological calculations using the position of the Sun and the Moon and your location on Earth. There are predictions which relevant to everyone at a given location, there are predictions which calculated based on the moment's horoscope and also based on the individual's birth horoscope.


Siddha - Mritju top

Siddha days are days when your actions have a good chance for succeeding should become easier. Mritju days are days when your actions require extra effort, and they carry a chance for failure. Siddha and Mritju are calculated based on the current Moon day(Tithi) and the day of the week based on your location. They are also called "Panchanga suddhi" the cleanness of the 5 limbs.

The emphasis is on when the given activity was started.

It does not mean that all Siddha days are sunshine and happiness, nor that Mritju days are hopeless, since the events we experience depend on multiple factors.

Finally, if you are committed, you will go ahead no matter what, even if it means going against the current.

I am here to say that you should go with the current whenever you can.


Rahu Kalam top

Rahu Kalam is a period (about one and a half hours long) during the day when you should not start anything important (kind of like a mritju day, but within the day).

EDIT: As more and more of my studies point to the fact that Rahu Kalam, Rahu Kaal, etc... has no any proven basis, this prediction is currently disabled on the site.


Chandra Bala - Tara Bala top

The Moon has a strong influence on life on Earth. The Chandra- and Tara Bala prediction is created to understand it more; based on the Moon phases and the individual's birth horoscope, it aims to be an easy to read prediction on how the Moon affects us at a given moment.

Out of the two Chandra Bala is more significant, and more straightforward; it is either good or bad at the given day. The Chandra Bala is the relation of the Moon's position in the current horoscope versus the birth horoscope of the given person. If the Moon is in the 6th, 8th or 12th house measured from the Moon's position in the birth horoscope, the Chandra Bala is bad for that time, any other times it is good.

The Tara Bala also has a Good-Bad indicator (with one special case which is the Best period), plus some extra information about the nature of the period (e.g. "Prosperity"). Also Tara Bala has 3 "cycles" as the lunar month progresses.
The first cycle is where the Tara Bala's current effects are the strongest, the second is medium and the third is the least strong. Tara Bala is calculated from the current person's birth horoscope and the horoscope of the current moment, but this time the current and the birth Nakshatras are compared.
List of Tara Balas:

  • Janma - Sensitive body (i.e. surgery should be avoided)
  • Sanpat - Wealth
  • Vipat - Danger, loss, accident
  • Ksema - Prosperity
  • Pratjak - Constant obstacles
  • Sadhana - Efforts are successful
  • Najdhama - Contains dangers
  • Mitra - Efforts cause good effects
  • Parama mitra - Very auspicious
Combining the Chandra- and Tara Bala with the other forecasts, we get more details when selecting the right moment for our actions.


New Moon - Full Moon top

The changes in the Moon can be felt by almost anyone, and many scientific and folk-lore are based on it. Both the New and the Full Moon have rather strong effects on us.

The waxing Moon is good for things which get bigger: good for generating income, good for acquiring material and non material things, starting advertisements, people in general like to acquire things during this time. According to vedic astrology, it is good for starting businesses and for getting married.

If the Moon is waning, it is a time for letting go. Losing weight, selling items, a discarding items from home or from the office.


Sunrise - Sunset top

In astrology a great significance is placed on the birth of things. While analyzing a person's birth horoscope, we check when he/she was born for example. This is the same with days.

The most significant time for a given day is when it is "born", and that birth is when the Sun rises. Calculating the correct sunrise time and checking what is on the sky at sunrise is the basis for setting up a Muhurta.

Sunset also plays an important role for calculating the Rahu Kalam periods for example.


Importance of location top

Location of the observer on Earth is a required attribute in setting up a Muhurta. The observer's location determines the sunrise for example.

Location has less and less significance the farther the celestial body is from Earth. We do not need to know the very precise location on Earth if we want to see where Saturn is, but we need to know it well if we are determining the location of the Moon.

Since many calculations in Vedic BEACON need the location of the Moon, the observer's precise location is important.


About astronomy top

To see what extent astronomy is used for vedic astrology, I invite you to check how planetary positions are calculated at Paul Schlyter website: How to compute planetary positions.
The majority of these calculations are required for Vedic BEACON, but you will find other astrology related calculations too.


Days of the week top

Days of the week are so natural to us like breathing air. Even so that sometimes we don't really realize how they pass us by. Yet in astrology our days of the week carry certain significance, and all of them are good for something, which is determined by the qualities of their ruling planets.

Some of the languages still carry these reminders in the names of the days, e.g. in English, Sunday signifies the Sun. In Italian, Friday is venerdì; signifying Venus, etc. .

  • Monday - Moon's day, it's color is white. Example quality: quick.
  • Tuesday - Mars' day, it's color is red. Example quality: aggressive.
  • Wednesday - Mercury's day, it's color is green. Example quality: accounting, keeping track of things.
  • Thursday - Jupiter's day, it's color is orange. Example quality: teaching, learning.
  • Friday - Venus' day, it's color is pink. Example quality: gourmet, arts.
  • Saturday - Saturn's day, it's color is dark blue. Example quality: ascetic, hardworking, slow results.
  • Sunday - Sun's day, it's color is yellow. Example quality: royal, luxurious, strong foundation.


Tithis top

Tithis are the lunar days.

There are 16 of them, and one lunar month consist of the same tithis coming after each other two times: 15 during waxing Moon (Shukla) and 15 during waning Moon (Krishna). The reason for there are actually 16 tithis is that the last tithi of waxing Moon and waning Moon are called differently. The last tithi of waxing Moon, which is during Full Moon is called Purnima, while the last tithi during waning Moon which is New Moon is called Amavasya.

The tithis are calculated from the Moon-Sun elongation. Each tithi lasts for 12 degrees, and 12 times 30 equals 360 degrees; a full cycle. The tithis are together with the weekday's and nakshatras' properties create one of our basis for prediction.
If you just check these three and see what effects they currently have, you can already have a good idea on what energies will dominate on a given day.
The tithis and the weekdays together are also used to calculate the Siddha and Mritju days.

The list of tithis, their general good/bad indicator, and their type:

  1. Pratipat - good - solid
  2. Dwitiya - good - quick
  3. Tritiya - good - movable
  4. Chaturthi - bad - angry
  5. Panchami - good - soft
  6. Shashti - good - rough/soft
  7. Saptami - good - rough
  8. Ashtami - bad - movable
  9. Navami - good - rough
  10. Dasami - good - solid
  11. Ekadasi - good - rough
  12. Dvadasi - bad - quick
  13. Trayodasi - bad - angry
  14. Chaturdashi - bad - angry
  15. Purnima(during Full Moon) - good - solid // Amavasya(during New Moon) - bad - angry


Nakshatras top

The nakshatras are 27 smaller constellations on the sky, and the current nakshatra is the one where the Moon resides (There are actually 28 nakshatras but one of them Abhijit (which is considered very auspicious) is a sub section of another nakshatra: Uttara Ashadha).

The nakshatras were developed in the old days since it was easier to divide the sky to 27 sections and checking if the Moon occupies one. This can be done, even with a naked eye.
The nakshatras are the third piece of the puzzle of our predictions, along with the weekday's and the tithi's properties.
The list of nakshatras, their general good/bad indicator, their type and their ruler:

  1. Ashwini - Good - Easy-quick - Ketu
  2. Bharani - Bad - Angry-agressive - Venus
  3. Krittika - Bad - Rough-soft - Sun
  4. Rohini - Good - Solid - Moon
  5. Mrigashira - Good - Soft - Mars
  6. Ardra - Good - Rough - Rahu
  7. Punarvasu - Good - Movable - Jupiter
  8. Pushya - Good - Easy-quick - Saturn
  9. Ashlesha - Good - Rough - Mercury
  10. Magha - Good - Angry-agressive - Ketu
  11. Purva Phalguni - Good - Angry-agressive - Venus
  12. Uttara Phalguni - Good - Solid - Sun
  13. Hasta - Good - Easy-quick - Moon
  14. Chitra - Good - Soft - Mars
  15. Swati - Good - Movable - Rahu
  16. Vishakha - Good - Rough-soft - Jupiter
  17. Anuradha - Good - Soft - Saturn
  18. Jyeshtha - Good - Rough - Mercury
  19. Mula - Good - Rough - Ketu
  20. Purva Ashadha - Good - Angry-agressive - Venus
  21. Uttara Ashadha - Good - Solid - Sun
  22. Shravana - Good - Movable - Moon
  23. Dhanistha - Good - Movable - Mars
  24. Shatabhisha - Good - Movable - Rahu
  25. Purva Bhadrapada - Good - Angry-agressive - Jupiter
  26. Uttara Bhadrapada - Good - Solid - Saturn
  27. Revati - Good - Soft - Mercury


Yogas top

Yogas are not the same yogas we find as auspicious constellations in one's horoscope. These yogas are part of another prediction system which can be used to give further detail to predictions. Yogas are calculated from the addition of the longitude of the Sun and the Moon, and bought back to the 0-360 degree range if needed. Each yoga occupies 13°20' so there are 27 in total.
The list of yogas and their general good/bad indicator:

  1. Viskumba - Good
  2. Priti - Good
  3. Ayusman - Good
  4. Saubhagya - Good
  5. Sobhana - Bad
  6. Atiganda - Bad
  7. Sukarma - Good
  8. Dhrti - Good
  9. Sula, shoolam - Bad
  10. Ganda - Bad
  11. Vrddhi - Good
  12. Dhruva - Good
  13. Vyaghata - Bad (Good for spiritual)
  14. Harsana - Good
  15. Vajra - Bad
  16. Siddhi - Good
  17. Vyatipata - Bad (Good for spiritual)
  18. Variyan - Bad
  19. Parigha - Bad
  20. Siva - Good
  21. Siddha - Good
  22. Sadhya - Good
  23. Subha - Bad
  24. Shukla - Bad
  25. Brahma - Good
  26. Indra - Good
  27. Vaidhriti - Bad


Karanas top

One karana is one half of a tithi, and once more they are here to give us more details for finer predictions. There are 11 karanas in total, and together with 15+15 tithis for waxing and waning Moon, they are coming after each other in a certain order, to fill 60 states during one lunar month.
The list of karanas and their general good/bad indicator:

  1. Shakuni - good
  2. Chatushpada - ok
  3. Naga - ok
  4. Kimstugna - v.bad
  5. Bava - bad
  6. Balava - ok
  7. Kaulava - bad
  8. Taitila - ok
  9. Gara - ok
  10. Vanija - good
  11. Vishti - v.bad


Muhurtas top

Muhurtas are 48 minute sub sections of the day. They start from the moment of sunrise and there are 30 of them in total during one sunrise to sunrise cycle. Each of these sections have certain significance, so keeping track of them helps to find an auspicious moment.
The list of the muhurtas and their good/bad indicator:

  1. Rudra - Bad
  2. Ahi - Bad
  3. Mitra - Good
  4. Pitr - Bad
  5. Vasu - Good
  6. Varaha - Good
  7. Visvedeva - Good
  8. Vidhi - Good except Mon and Fri
  9. Sutamukhi - Good
  10. Puruhuta - Bad
  11. Vahini - Bad
  12. Naktanakara - Bad
  13. Varuna - Good
  14. Aryaman - Good except on Sun.
  15. Bhaga - Bad
  16. Girisa - Bad
  17. Ajapada - Bad
  18. Ahir-Budhnya - Good
  19. Pusya - Good
  20. Asvini - Good
  21. Yama - Bad
  22. Agni - Good
  23. Vidhatr - Good
  24. Kanda - Good
  25. Aditi - Good
  26. Jiva/Amrta - BEST!
  27. Visnu - Good
  28. Dyumadgadyuti - Good
  29. Brahma - BEST!
  30. Samudram - Good


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