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Buddhist Astrology: Chart Interpretation from a Buddhist Perspective
Use Buddhist wisdom and compassion to clarify your astrological readings.
Become your own astrological guru with the first book to apply Buddhist practice to Western astrology. Buddhist astrology bridges familiar astrological thinking with the ideas of karma, interdependence, and impermanence. What if we consciously choose the compassionate way as we traverse those high peaks of a Pluto transit or climb to the summit of a Saturn cycle? Does such a response set up an array of rippling effects?
While Buddhism is theologically and metaphysically compelling, it is also very practical. Within its tenets every psychological state is embraced, integrated, and brought to light. It is spirit-medicine for modern astrology.
Selling Features
•The author Jhampa Shaneman combines his
depth of experience in Tibetan Buddhism with contemporary Western astrologer Jan V. Angel
•Provides a basic counseling/consultation modality for the astrologer
•Chapters on the planets, houses, and aspects
cover each in cookbook fashion
•Places astrology in the context of one's life, based on the inevitabilities we all face
•Provides an interpretation of the birthchart
of Buddha
Become your own astrological guru with the first book to apply Buddhist practice to Western astrology. Buddhist astrology bridges familiar astrological thinking with the ideas of karma, interdependence, and impermanence. What if we consciously choose the compassionate way as we traverse those high peaks of a Pluto transit or climb to the summit of a Saturn cycle? Does such a response set up an array of rippling effects?
While Buddhism is theologically and metaphysically compelling, it is also very practical. Within its tenets every psychological state is embraced, integrated, and brought to light. It is spirit-medicine for modern astrology.
Selling Features
•The author Jhampa Shaneman combines his
depth of experience in Tibetan Buddhism with contemporary Western astrologer Jan V. Angel
•Provides a basic counseling/consultation modality for the astrologer
•Chapters on the planets, houses, and aspects
cover each in cookbook fashion
•Places astrology in the context of one's life, based on the inevitabilities we all face
•Provides an interpretation of the birthchart
of Buddha
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 10, 2020
Summary: The parts that describe Buddhism and Astrology intersection with the West are wonderful. The parts on explaining the signs and houses is like nails on a chalkboard to me, mostly b/c I do not like how this particular author interprets the planets and houses.
I got to one day get to the source of all this really bad interpretation of houses, planets and conjuncts. I think it's coming from one of the most common forums of teaching, i.e. the Golden Dawn. So painful. Astrology needs an update. I am to the point now, where if I even hear certain words that I know are coming from Golden Dawn it's like hearing nails on chalk board.
First, the front part of this book is wonderful. I like it. I have nothing but positive to say. p. 19, I enjoy the way he describes Saturn, which - btw- is not a Golden Dawn approach to talking about Saturn.
But my issue that makes it so hard b/c he talks so much about the 3rd house is that it's described as the Golden Dawn people do as intelligence. You know, the other 11 houses are not dumb, so it's always bothered me. But even worse, is that the better interpretation of the 3rd house is communication and if the author had done it that way, I think he would have a far better interoperation of all the charts he's talking about. I mean, people with planets in the the 3d house, as with Siddhartha's chart are called upon to deliver a message. This particular person has both north node, moon, and Saturn there, with Saturn Conjunct the moon, it looks like. The act of teaching in this case, is not one of being smart, but of being a communicator and that - in this case means dealing with the emotional sides of it in a meditative way. Learning that type of emotional resiliance to be able to get through to others. But since this astrologer follows the Golden Dawn way of intelligence, he gets confused and preferences this particular word. He's lucky because this chart has 7 planets in the 9th house which does communicate intelligence from the perspective of expansive knowledge. This happens to be where mercury is, so the guy is likely lucky. But oh man... it was so hard to read the interpretations in the back.
And also, I hate when people do too cursory a description of the aspects. Square and opposition are not just negative. IT's so tough....
Still, I didn't give it less than 3 stars b/c I think what he has to say about the blending of religions and their impact on each other as we move forward to modern times is pretty good.
I Like the story on p. 68 about the king who asked his sages to give him a magic ring that could take care of anything. They give him a beautiful ring with the inscription: "this too shall pass." Nice.
So like, I read a few more books while I was here in Sedona and now I understand why people keep saying Gemini is the intelligent sign. This is because everyone says that "I think" is the modus of Gemini. Ok friends, here's the deal. I think doesn't mean you're intelligent, it just means you have an active mind. If you're going to say intelligent means clever, then yes. Gemini is clever. But the true nerds are elsewhere, like Virgo and Sag. If you're a Sag, the "intelligence" of a Gemini will drive you mad, b/c it will often fall just short of actual knowledge from a Sag's perspective. They are also below the horizon so they are not really expansive like Jupiter and the 9th house/Sag is. Just saying. It's not that Gemini is dumb. Quite the opposite. They are excellent at a lot of jobs, particularly where communication is key like law, for example. That's what makes a Sag so insane. gemini is smart, but in such a different way. Even when they get along Gemini just seems to stop short for a Sag.
Anyway, just saying, I'm cool with Gemini being smart. I'm just not cool with the what this sign is portrayed as uniquely smart. No. All of the 11 are smart, just at different things; and their relationship with needing to be called or considered smart... also very different.
I got to one day get to the source of all this really bad interpretation of houses, planets and conjuncts. I think it's coming from one of the most common forums of teaching, i.e. the Golden Dawn. So painful. Astrology needs an update. I am to the point now, where if I even hear certain words that I know are coming from Golden Dawn it's like hearing nails on chalk board.
First, the front part of this book is wonderful. I like it. I have nothing but positive to say. p. 19, I enjoy the way he describes Saturn, which - btw- is not a Golden Dawn approach to talking about Saturn.
But my issue that makes it so hard b/c he talks so much about the 3rd house is that it's described as the Golden Dawn people do as intelligence. You know, the other 11 houses are not dumb, so it's always bothered me. But even worse, is that the better interpretation of the 3rd house is communication and if the author had done it that way, I think he would have a far better interoperation of all the charts he's talking about. I mean, people with planets in the the 3d house, as with Siddhartha's chart are called upon to deliver a message. This particular person has both north node, moon, and Saturn there, with Saturn Conjunct the moon, it looks like. The act of teaching in this case, is not one of being smart, but of being a communicator and that - in this case means dealing with the emotional sides of it in a meditative way. Learning that type of emotional resiliance to be able to get through to others. But since this astrologer follows the Golden Dawn way of intelligence, he gets confused and preferences this particular word. He's lucky because this chart has 7 planets in the 9th house which does communicate intelligence from the perspective of expansive knowledge. This happens to be where mercury is, so the guy is likely lucky. But oh man... it was so hard to read the interpretations in the back.
And also, I hate when people do too cursory a description of the aspects. Square and opposition are not just negative. IT's so tough....
Still, I didn't give it less than 3 stars b/c I think what he has to say about the blending of religions and their impact on each other as we move forward to modern times is pretty good.
I Like the story on p. 68 about the king who asked his sages to give him a magic ring that could take care of anything. They give him a beautiful ring with the inscription: "this too shall pass." Nice.
So like, I read a few more books while I was here in Sedona and now I understand why people keep saying Gemini is the intelligent sign. This is because everyone says that "I think" is the modus of Gemini. Ok friends, here's the deal. I think doesn't mean you're intelligent, it just means you have an active mind. If you're going to say intelligent means clever, then yes. Gemini is clever. But the true nerds are elsewhere, like Virgo and Sag. If you're a Sag, the "intelligence" of a Gemini will drive you mad, b/c it will often fall just short of actual knowledge from a Sag's perspective. They are also below the horizon so they are not really expansive like Jupiter and the 9th house/Sag is. Just saying. It's not that Gemini is dumb. Quite the opposite. They are excellent at a lot of jobs, particularly where communication is key like law, for example. That's what makes a Sag so insane. gemini is smart, but in such a different way. Even when they get along Gemini just seems to stop short for a Sag.
Anyway, just saying, I'm cool with Gemini being smart. I'm just not cool with the what this sign is portrayed as uniquely smart. No. All of the 11 are smart, just at different things; and their relationship with needing to be called or considered smart... also very different.
July 19, 2014
Excellent revised and updated edition of a classic Buddhist book, by one of the first western Buddhist monks in the Vajrayana tradition.
January 4, 2022
I love Buddhist teachings + astrology so this was an entertaining read. I've since veered into Vedic astrology, but I appreciate the author's spiritual journey and perspectives.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews