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Light On Life
Light on Life brings the insight and wisdom of Indian astrology to the Western reader. Jyotish, or Indian astrology, is an ancient and complex method of exploring the nature of time and space and its effect upon the individual. Formerly a closed book to the West, the subject has now been clarified and explained by Hart de Fouw and Dr. Robert Svoboda, two experts and long-term practitioners. In Light on Life they have created a complete and thorough handbook that can be appreciated and understood by those with very little knowledge of astrology.
464 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1996
160 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Robert E. Svoboda
41 books310 followersDuring and after my formal Ayurvedic training I was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Tantra and allied subjects by my mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He also owned thoroughbred race horses, and I served as his Authorized Racing Agent at the Royal Western India Turf Club in Bombay and Poona between 1975 and 1985.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2020
Just perfect.
April 12, 2020
Coming from a Hindu family, I have always seen people consulting jyotish for financial, marriage, business advices. If they should buy a house, whether a girl or guy are compatible with each other, if a land is good for the factory and much more. I wanted a book from which I can understand objectively how jyotishi could provide with so many answers. Studying astrophysics, AI
briefly, I believed there could be some ways that the cosmos are affecting the biological decision making of our brains, or how some fluids flow within our body or the thoughts which ultimately affects our lives and futures depending on when we were born and what was the astronomical map at that time and how when we are at certain age and changes going on these maps affects us individually. So I see that the jyotishi as mentioned in this book have two foundational concepts on which it works: astronomical and astrological.
1. Astronomical: It is mentioned briefly but quite concisely in this book how the astronomical data is calculated and how your individual birth chart is created. Reading about this I could very well imagine how our ancestors would wait whole day for the night to settle in so that they could study the movement of the cosmos. The system of birth charts that they have developed is brilliant and I believe as important as knowing the city where you were born, although in reality outside the jyotishi we couldn’t find the use of those personal charts. I believe one day may be we will discover something.
2. Astrological: This is majorly where the jyotishi tells and interpret a personal life from birth charts. Describing how a particular planet, constellation, location affect certain parts of your life. I didn’t find any explanations how it has been established that saturn, mars are not good and mercury, moon would affect your life positively. I expected from the minds of these authors who approached jyotishi without any pre-conceived notions to seek for these explanations. Rather it has been just stated in the book that a planet rules two constellations on the basis of stories like mercury approached sun and moon to ask for constellations to rule.
It would be interesting to make a study/research to use this astronomical data to build the similar data interpretation models using AI and maybe target one graha/bhava/rashi/nakshatra at a time and building on top of it and analysing it with the people’s brain scans/sleeping models/medical histories/decisions/psychological behaviours etc. to discover and establish a strong study behind the astrological aspect behind the jyotishi and further improve and synch it.
briefly, I believed there could be some ways that the cosmos are affecting the biological decision making of our brains, or how some fluids flow within our body or the thoughts which ultimately affects our lives and futures depending on when we were born and what was the astronomical map at that time and how when we are at certain age and changes going on these maps affects us individually. So I see that the jyotishi as mentioned in this book have two foundational concepts on which it works: astronomical and astrological.
1. Astronomical: It is mentioned briefly but quite concisely in this book how the astronomical data is calculated and how your individual birth chart is created. Reading about this I could very well imagine how our ancestors would wait whole day for the night to settle in so that they could study the movement of the cosmos. The system of birth charts that they have developed is brilliant and I believe as important as knowing the city where you were born, although in reality outside the jyotishi we couldn’t find the use of those personal charts. I believe one day may be we will discover something.
2. Astrological: This is majorly where the jyotishi tells and interpret a personal life from birth charts. Describing how a particular planet, constellation, location affect certain parts of your life. I didn’t find any explanations how it has been established that saturn, mars are not good and mercury, moon would affect your life positively. I expected from the minds of these authors who approached jyotishi without any pre-conceived notions to seek for these explanations. Rather it has been just stated in the book that a planet rules two constellations on the basis of stories like mercury approached sun and moon to ask for constellations to rule.
It would be interesting to make a study/research to use this astronomical data to build the similar data interpretation models using AI and maybe target one graha/bhava/rashi/nakshatra at a time and building on top of it and analysing it with the people’s brain scans/sleeping models/medical histories/decisions/psychological behaviours etc. to discover and establish a strong study behind the astrological aspect behind the jyotishi and further improve and synch it.
October 18, 2018
A great book on vedic astrology, especially for those with some intermediate knowledge of jyotish astrology. One thing I do admire with the astrology of India (sometimes) is how they don't mince words, or spin everything overly positive. Some things do sound very black and white, but if you're able to understand that a chart is comprised of a variety of things--you don't read anything as all good or all bad. I really enjoyed the section on the lagnas in particular.
June 13, 2012
This book is a couple of Westerners researching the much practised and honoured skill of Jyotishi in India. But unfortunately this book is not for the causal sort of reader wanting to understand the intricacies of Hinduism. I have yet to read a book which is able to explain the Hindu mythology or philosophy in any simple terms. There are negations and contradictions from the very second page which only get complicated as you leaf further. These faculties can only be properly understood with a living Guru not with a paper one I am afraid. I have yet again managed not to finish this one :(
July 14, 2021
This was my first book of 2021.
I'm going to try and keep up with reviewing what I've read immediately after, but I'm very lackluster like that so no promises to myself.
I was really excited to read this book and I had first picked it up years ago, and then picked it up physically at my college library in the US funnily enough, and finally finished it on my Kindle one drab day. And, honestly I just think that I should have been mentally prepared myself to know that this book is more for practitioners than laymen who are interested in Astrology. I think I could have done a lot more justice to the reading with that attitude because I skipped through a few portions. It's very interesting but it would be good to practice with others' birth charts and example birth charts as the author has done at the end so you really apply what you've read. It's very educational and detailed and think it's a very good book for practitioners, and my respect for Dr. Svoboda increases with every book I've read of his- with my second (completed) book being Aghora. What a man of pursuit, he really has a unique and charming way to jolt the reader into learning from his books. You will always take away something or the other from his books if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and be taken on the journey. I am currently dabbling through Aghora II: Kundalini but have set an expectation for myself that I will not be getting through it any time soon.
It's a great book this one too, and my favorite portion which I always reference and learn from is the section about Nakshatras. This book actually allowed me to open up to my deeper spirituality and to not be ashamed of my interest in darker subjects as a Purva Bhadrapada native myself. I am very happy to have read any book that gives me a glimpse of myself, and how fitting is it that after this book, my next reading was Aghora which has the tinge of occultism to it.
Overall, due to the density of the book and because it could be a lot more consise than it is though, I rated it a three but as any book goes, the rating is in the reader's perception and availability to receive the message of the book.
I'm going to try and keep up with reviewing what I've read immediately after, but I'm very lackluster like that so no promises to myself.
I was really excited to read this book and I had first picked it up years ago, and then picked it up physically at my college library in the US funnily enough, and finally finished it on my Kindle one drab day. And, honestly I just think that I should have been mentally prepared myself to know that this book is more for practitioners than laymen who are interested in Astrology. I think I could have done a lot more justice to the reading with that attitude because I skipped through a few portions. It's very interesting but it would be good to practice with others' birth charts and example birth charts as the author has done at the end so you really apply what you've read. It's very educational and detailed and think it's a very good book for practitioners, and my respect for Dr. Svoboda increases with every book I've read of his- with my second (completed) book being Aghora. What a man of pursuit, he really has a unique and charming way to jolt the reader into learning from his books. You will always take away something or the other from his books if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and be taken on the journey. I am currently dabbling through Aghora II: Kundalini but have set an expectation for myself that I will not be getting through it any time soon.
It's a great book this one too, and my favorite portion which I always reference and learn from is the section about Nakshatras. This book actually allowed me to open up to my deeper spirituality and to not be ashamed of my interest in darker subjects as a Purva Bhadrapada native myself. I am very happy to have read any book that gives me a glimpse of myself, and how fitting is it that after this book, my next reading was Aghora which has the tinge of occultism to it.
Overall, due to the density of the book and because it could be a lot more consise than it is though, I rated it a three but as any book goes, the rating is in the reader's perception and availability to receive the message of the book.
June 2, 2025
It is a good starting point to understand Vedic Astrology. As a Westerner, Svoboda's explanations are methodical and systematic (as compared to Indian texts, where the emphasis is more on intuitive grasping of jyotish rules).
February 9, 2020
This book inspired me to the fullest and opened a whole new occultic world for me. I believe It will keep shedding light on more jyotish students at all level.
June 12, 2020
Very good information. Answered a lot of my questions.
November 4, 2021
This is the 1st book one should read if interested in Jyotish.
January 2, 2022
It is truly incredible how complex jyotish is, and I long to learn more
April 11, 2022
A concise yet very clear views on astrology. Not only includes predictive astrology but the spiritual and phylosophical bases for the ancient science.
July 8, 2015
It is too factual, and not very explanative in places. Some facts sound a bit incorrect or inaccurate. They authors have tried hard to not dumb down the knowledge aspect, but can't say they have completely succeeded.
September 22, 2008
Part of my study of Jyotish. A really good introductory book, very clear, comprehensive and a good read.
January 26, 2019
Just a glimpse of astrology, well written
December 24, 2021
Such a detailed information about astrology and it's various combination provided by author.
Immensely awesome...
Immensely awesome...
Read
September 29, 2017Proud of myself for making my way through this one finally! It was my first book on Vedic astrology and I chose it based on the good reviews it had on amazon and elsewhere.
I do agree with another reviewer that I remember reading - this book is probably more accurately an intermediate level Vedic astrology book. When I read that about it I thought, "Well I'm smart, I can figure it out." But I did sort of pay for that in trying to digest this book. I found myself having to treat it more like a reference book, flipping backwards usually to previous sections in order to remember certain terms and principles previously elucidated that were being employed in the later chapters.
For the beginning Jyotishi, it is quite a dense read! However, having made my way through it (often felt more like "slugging" my way through it) I do feel quite accomplished and like I have a pretty good foundation of knowledge of Jyotish to build on.
What I'd recommend and what I've done is dogear pages that key charts and figures and principles or terms are on - e.g. The lords of the rashis (I'm still trying to memorize that), the numbers that correspond with the rashis (I actually wrote these next to a list of them and referred back to it often), the special aspects, planetary relationships (friend, neutral or enemies), exaltation and debilitation rashis, the navamsha degrees, avastha etc. You'll be greatly aided by doing similarly I believe. Really helps to put all the principles together because when they go on and use the principles to build on and explain more and make interpretations you won't likely remember what they are referring to (e.g. "what does navamsha mean again? Or was it nakshatra that I'm thinking about?.. hmmm").
To the new student of Jyotish there are a lot of terms to memorize, and it really does feels a lot like learning a new language in order to be able to learn Jyotish on a foundational level. The authors explain this well in the introductory chapters too though.
I don't really feel like I can give it a rating because I have no other experience in reading Vedic astrology books, so my review stands in the place of that.
I do agree with another reviewer that I remember reading - this book is probably more accurately an intermediate level Vedic astrology book. When I read that about it I thought, "Well I'm smart, I can figure it out." But I did sort of pay for that in trying to digest this book. I found myself having to treat it more like a reference book, flipping backwards usually to previous sections in order to remember certain terms and principles previously elucidated that were being employed in the later chapters.
For the beginning Jyotishi, it is quite a dense read! However, having made my way through it (often felt more like "slugging" my way through it) I do feel quite accomplished and like I have a pretty good foundation of knowledge of Jyotish to build on.
What I'd recommend and what I've done is dogear pages that key charts and figures and principles or terms are on - e.g. The lords of the rashis (I'm still trying to memorize that), the numbers that correspond with the rashis (I actually wrote these next to a list of them and referred back to it often), the special aspects, planetary relationships (friend, neutral or enemies), exaltation and debilitation rashis, the navamsha degrees, avastha etc. You'll be greatly aided by doing similarly I believe. Really helps to put all the principles together because when they go on and use the principles to build on and explain more and make interpretations you won't likely remember what they are referring to (e.g. "what does navamsha mean again? Or was it nakshatra that I'm thinking about?.. hmmm").
To the new student of Jyotish there are a lot of terms to memorize, and it really does feels a lot like learning a new language in order to be able to learn Jyotish on a foundational level. The authors explain this well in the introductory chapters too though.
I don't really feel like I can give it a rating because I have no other experience in reading Vedic astrology books, so my review stands in the place of that.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews