*Eleditor’s note: Astrology isn’t a religion. We’re not sure it’s a science, either. It’s magic, maybe. But, as with feng shui, say, things affect things. So as long as we don’t go blaming our problems on the stars, as long as we assume responsibility for our own actions…well, hell, a little auspicious coincidence and applicable wisdom can’t hurt. And so, with that grain of salt…enjoy!

How to Use Jyotish Wisdom to Heal Your Body

Most people think of Jyotish Astrology as a means of charting the planets, the stars and the movements of the heavens. For those of us who subscribe to this ancient body of Vedic knowledge though, we understand that there is a correlation between the cosmos and our own inner nature, our experience of life.

There is a connection between the macrocosm and the microcosm—the two are not separate, but dance, mingle and co-create. This divine interplay is what makes studying Jyotish so valuable.

I use Jyotish as a means of explaining and exploring the inner being, the inner realms of our own felt experience. In fact all of my transit reports are a reflection of my own experience with the cosmos, my own expression of their movement. This is why the consciousness of the Jyotishi is of the utmost importance; traditionally, the life of the astrologer has been one of constant purification and refinement, so as to “see” more and more clearly.

Jyotish after all is the science of light, the science of vision, sight.

If we can use the wisdom of Jyotish to see within ourselves, our consciousness, we can use this awareness for healing insights as well. Truthfully, Jyotish is so vast and all-encompassing, it includes all expressions of our humanity—our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, or the four bodies. I share more about this unique correlation in my article on sensitivity.

Quite literally the Jyotish chart (I strictly use a North Indian style chart) shares in detail the connection to our various bodies—through the planets, houses and even the nakshatras. We could even say that each one of these pieces of jyotish wisdom connects to one of the four bodies, so that ultimately when we are looking at our jyotish chart we are looking at a web of energies, a web of our own cosmic energies.

The multiple layers of the chart are so interwoven, it is this complexity that we study in Jyotish in order to see the many relationships between energies and how they express themselves uniquely through us. This is a nuanced and intuitive awareness that comes with much studying, clarity and inner vision. I believe in fact that this gift is possible for each one of us to embrace; it is after all connected to our intuition, our felt senses, our inner knowing. This is a refinement process we can learn and create.

One of my greatest passions is helping others awaken to their own cosmic nature—studying one’s jyotish chart gives us that ability. I encourage all of my clients to study their own charts. In fact, I believe that is really the whole point of Jyotish: to know ourselves, truly, inside and out. To awaken to our own cosmic nature!

Because I bridge my Jyotish knowledge with the wisdom of the body, as well as the creative arts, I use the Jyotish chart as a resource specifically to study the physical body and its myriad of expressions. My embodiment work is deeply intertwined with body part metaphors and the implications this has on our life experience. Therefor the connection one’s chart has with specific body parts is of the utmost fascination and importance for me.

We can look at the body part connections within the chart from multiple lenses—whether it be through the houses, the planets or the nakshatras. To keep it simple, I’ll share in this article the specific body parts that are connected to specific houses in the chart, as this is a wonderful first step for identification purposes.

We can then connect the houses of our own chart to our own specific body parts.

If for example you are having hand pain, you would look to the third house to see what is effecting the “house of hands.” There is also a natural connection to Gemini as well because Gemini correlates to the number three, or the third house. The body parts (and houses) also connect us to specific chakras as well. For now, let’s just stick to the houses and their correlating body parts and keep it simple.

First House: Head and face
Second House: Throat, neck and mouth
Third House: Hands, arms and shoulders
Fourth House: Chest, heart, lungs, breasts
Fifth House: Upper stomach, solar plexus
Sixth House: Lower abdomen
Seventh House: Pelvic bowl and organs therein
Eighth House: Sexual organs, genitals, excretory organs
Ninth House: Legs but specifically thighs
Tenth House: Knees
Eleventh House: Calves, ankles
Twelfth House: Feet

My work specifically includes a synergy of Jyotish wisdom, embodiment tools and art therapy resources, so working with body parts specifically is highly useful for making diagnosis and prescriptions for my clients. Often we can get ample wisdom from the body itself, and then take that information back to the chart for deeper investigation. It’s this cross checking that becomes a potent healing and transformation tool.

To give you an example of this, I’ll share a Creative Ritual here so you can get started with the self tracking process.

It will also help if you have your own North Indian style chart to study. If you need a copy of your chart, I offer this service here.

Creative Ritual

Self Tracking, Learning from the Wisdom of the Body

1) Sit, stand or lay down. Close your eyes and fall into the rhythm of your breath. Notice the rise and fall of your chest, the waves of breath moving in and out of your body. Take some time to relax into this rhythm.

2) As the body moves to greater stillness and relaxation through breath awareness, locate a sensation in the body. This sensation might show up as a tingling, a pulsing, or a sense of vibration. There might even be a color, a shape, a sound or a word that arrives in connection to the body part. Listen and honor whatever arrives for you. Don’t filter the messages, judge or critique them. Your only job is to listen right now. Be curious, be interested, and be present to the body’s messages. What body part emerges? What sensations are arriving? What messages are shared? Take note of this wisdom coming to you from your body.

3) Create an image of this physical body sensation that arrived through your self tracking. Use craypas or paint and put your experience on paper—so as to transfer the felt senses into a tangible, visual expression. This is a powerful part of the process and one that can shift us into deeper awareness of our body wisdom.

4) Once your image is complete, give it a title. Now, let it speak. What does your image have to share with you? If your image could speak, what would it say?

5) Pull out your Jyotish chart. What body part emerged in your self tracking exploration? What house of the chart is connected to this body part? Study this house within your chart. What do you notice? We can analyze the experience of the house by noting: What planets are sitting there, if any? What sign is located in this house? Do any planets give their drishti (gaze)? Finally, note the current transits and what planets might be effecting this house currently.

Your body is sharing with you a specific message. This message is directly connected to your needs, your desires, your deep longing for nourishment, comfort, safety and support on some core level. When we can access the wisdom of the body directly, we get very clear, unfiltered messages and insights.

The cosmic intelligence of the jyotish chart can then help us further identify what is impacting us both macrocosmically and microcosmically. This is the vital information we need for deepening our healing and transformation process.

Want the podcast version? Listen here. Ready to learn more? Want to dive into more about this divine interplay between your body and your karmic Jyotish map Join me for my weekly Sunday classes, Jyotish Basics for Transformation and Healing. Register here. Need some extra guidance and clarity? Schedule a session with me. Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter.

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Author: Saraswati J.

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photos: Vicki Mania/Pixoto, Author’s Own