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Jupiter in Leo: Wisdom Meets Expression
On October 20, Jupiter enters Leo, where it will remain for a few months before returning to Cancer on February 27. This transit is an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between wisdom and its expression. In my article on Jupiter in Cancer, I discussed how the transit speaks to nourishment through wisdom. Now, that wisdom finds a stage for expression: Leo. What happens when we bring what we have learned into the world through our words, actions, and choices? In Jyotiṣ

Aswin Subramanyan
1 day ago8 min read


Venus Retrograde 2026
Venus, the planet of theatre, art, entertainment, beauty and a lot of other aspects of the universe associated with niceties and love is going retrograde on Oct 3/4 depending on where you are living in the world. We are living in trying times as a result of socio-cultural, socio-economic and socio-political polarisation that makes the world look like a challenging place but Venus is a reminder of all that is beautiful and lovely that fills our hearts with peace and love. The

Aswin Subramanyan
Oct 34 min read


Interference in Hellenistic Astrology
Astrologers are familiar with Ptolemaic aspect doctrine. Over the past century, however, many configurations that do not constitute aspects in the traditional geometrical sense have also been attributed with astrological meanings. Those who study deeply the Hellenistic and medieval texts certainly we will understand aversion as a consequence of geometry, but it also speaks to a broader philosophical principle that not every portion of the chart, nor every planetary body, is a

Aswin Subramanyan
Oct 26 min read


When Critique Ignores Framework: Part 2 - On Reception and Transmission of Rays in Traditional Astrology
For the weekend, I registered for an online event, and the opening discussion about disagreeing or critiquing essential dignities and Hellenistic astrology brought me back to a question that has occupied my mind for some time: what happens to astrology when we remove the distinction between conditions that are supportive and those that are difficult? For a long while, I have considered the abandonment of essential dignities to be one of the more consequential developments in

Aswin Subramanyan
Sep 278 min read


Full Moon in Pisces
With Saturn in retrograde motion in Pisces, this lunation in Uttarabhādrapadā is an important trigger point, helping us become more aware of the times we are living in and of the resources that will carry us through the rest of the year. As crazy as it may sound, we are almost at the final quarter of the year, with the September Equinox having just passed. The Moon in Uttarabhādrapadā is an emotional trigger point that awakens both emotional and rational awareness, something

Aswin Subramanyan
Sep 263 min read


Hermes and the Dangerous Years
One of the best things about this US trip has been the opportunity to meet and spend time with astrologers who have materials from Project Hindsight. I am currently staying with astrologer Bob Mulligan, who has some wonderful materials, and I have been able to immerse myself in them. I am currently reading through Robert Zoller’s translation of Liber Hermetis, in which Hermes discusses the dangerous years for the native. Hermes says: “Take the distance from Saturn according a

Aswin Subramanyan
Sep 243 min read


Saturn, Jupiter, Sun Conjunction in Valens
Every time I open Valens, things that I took for granted innumerable times in my previous studies will come as something interesting. In Valens’ three planet conjunctions in Book I; Saturn, Jupiter, and the Sun are described as "unsteady and insecure." Valens says that when these planets are in such a condition, they can bring failure concerning possessions, friendships, and enterprises. They may first indicate assistance from unexpected sources, inheritances, reputation, aut

Aswin Subramanyan
Aug 223 min read


Jupiter in Āśleṣā: The Wisdom of the Serpent
The Sun is currently transiting Āśleṣā Nakṣatra in Cancer, and Atharva Veda 6.12 that speaks about protection from venomous serpents gives us an interesting symbolic entry point into understanding Āśleṣā Nakṣatra. "As the Sun goes round the heaven, have travelled round the Serpents' race. I ward thy poison off, as Night parts all else living from the Sun." The connection between the Sun and the serpent is fascinating. The Sun represents illumination, consciousness and the abi

Aswin Subramanyan
Aug 83 min read
The Giver of Life - Hillāja, Hīlāj, the Hyleg, and Primary Directions in the Tājika tradition
A PhD takes you to places you do not expect. When I began mine, I expected long days with books and open screens. It took me across western India to a manuscript library, to obtain a Sanskrit text that few people alive have read. For about two months I set other work aside, and the trip and the manuscripts cost me money and several things I gave up at the time. The doctorate is now near submission. Writing this essay is a break from the final polishing of the thesis, and it c

Aswin Subramanyan
Jul 278 min read


Saturn in Revati
Before leaving for my trip to the mountains, I invoked Pūṣan in my fire ritual, asking for a safer path on the journey ahead. As I joined one of Meghna Bhagat's Vision to Form classes, Saturn entered Revati. It felt like a literal manifestation in many ways, because Revati is associated with Pūṣan, the deity of journeys. Pūṣan guides movement with wisdom and protection, not merely ensuring that we move, but that we move well. Ṛgveda 1.42 is dedicated to Pūṣan and speaks to i

Aswin Subramanyan
May 272 min read


The Vessel and the Waters: Jupiter in Cancer
Jupiter enters Cancer on the 25th of May 2026 and remains there until the 17th of June 2027, a little over a year in the sign of its exaltation. This transit sets the tone for a longer period rather than mark a single event, and Jupiter in Cancer has long been understood as one of the most significant placements because of Jupiter’s exalted position. The essay that follows is an offering for the season ahead. The first looks at what Jupiter actually meant in the older traditi

Aswin Subramanyan
May 2415 min read


The New Moon in Aśvinī in Aries Before the Saturn-Mars Conjunction
The New Moon in Aśvinī is one of the triggers in the month of April that helps us move forward, but that only takes us close to the Saturn-Mars conjunction. However, Aśvinī, associated with the Aśvin twins, will eventually indicate speed, agility, and endurance, but on the flip side, it can also indicate problems in follow-through of what we start or initiate. The New Moon is a good moment for us to plant some seed at an internal level because now is not the time to announce

Aswin Subramanyan
Apr 154 min read


Precursor to Saturn-Mars Conjunction
Mars in Aquarius without reception from Saturn can flare things up and blow them out of proportion, which has been the case for the most part. Mars in Pisces, however, is an entirely different expression altogether. Without going into the mundane aspects, I am going to strictly discuss only the personal dimensions of what Mars in Pisces can offer. Mars, considered as the planet of war, can easily be taken very literally, and within that unidimensional vision, it is easy to fo

Aswin Subramanyan
Mar 284 min read


Reconsidering the Horse in the Rig Veda
In a recent social media exchange on Vedic ritual traditions, a critique was raised suggesting that the Vedas were not composed within the Indian subcontinent. One of the key arguments presented in support of this view was that horses were not native to India, and therefore the prominence of the horse in the Rig Veda must point to an external origin of the text. This line of reasoning is in alignment with the older migration-centered models of early Indo-Eurasian history, cal

Aswin Subramanyan
Feb 153 min read


When Critique Ignores Framework: On Debility in Traditional Astrology
Criticisms and attacks on traditional astrology are most often made by those who have not spent serious time studying the subject. Usually they claim to “rethink” traditional doctrines while engaging only with surface-level ideas about them. One such example is an article I read that attempts to critique essential dignity by focusing on Venus in Virgo. The reason I am not quoting the author or referring to that one particular article is because of two reasons. One is that I a

Aswin Subramanyan
Feb 59 min read


Full Moon in Aslesha in Cancer
Soma is celebrated in the Rig Veda for what it is: the nectar of immortality.

Aswin Subramanyan
Jan 293 min read


Indian Cosmology - Part 1
An independent exploration of Indian cosmology through Vedic and Brahmana texts, examining tithi, lunar time, and forgotten astronomical frameworks.

Aswin Subramanyan
Jan 2317 min read


New Moon in Capricorn
The New Moon in Uttarashada Nakshatra evokes the sense of victory or the condition of being victorious. This period can be approached as a time for engaging in serious and thoughtful planning that helps us to emerge victorious over the next fortnight or so. Along with the luminaries, Venus, Mars, and Mercury are also placed in Capricorn, and because of this prominence, it becomes extremely important to accept and embrace the necessity of hard work in almost every area of life

Aswin Subramanyan
Jan 184 min read


A Mundane Judgment on Iran’s Leadership
Iran is going through a period of serious turmoil, arguably the most intense since 1979. Naturally, this has generated a wide range of political opinions about what is happening and what may happen next. Most people approaching this situation will do so from an ideological or emotional position. Astrologers too are no exception, and I assume there are already many strong astrological opinions circulating, even if I have not followed them closely. What I want to do here is som

Aswin Subramanyan
Jan 155 min read
The Final Leg of Jupiter in Gemini, in Punarvasu
2025 has been a roller coaster year for many of us in several ways, largely shaped by Jupiter’s stay in Gemini, the transit of the Lunar Nodes across the Leo–Aquarius axis, and Saturn’s transit through Pisces. If you have already read my 38-page booklet on Saturn in Pisces, you may already have a sense of how the coming year is likely to unfold and why periods that feel draggy are not necessarily periods of stagnation. It is important to recognise that each planet plays its o

Aswin Subramanyan
Jan 114 min read
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