| Responsibilities of the Astrologer and
the Client
A client seeks the advice of an astrologer when the sequence
of events is not favourable for the client. Being impressed
with the results, the client seeks the astrologer’s
advice with increasing frequency. The questions degenerate
from the important (should I change jobs) to the ridiculous
(what is the best colour car to get for the dasha I am currently
in). The more detailed the questions, the less accurate the
advice. The client becomes increasingly dissatisfied with
the astrologer and seeks someone else, never really finding
the same level of satisfaction as the first readings.
Paying for professional advice is not the same as paying
for physical goods. With physical goods, there is usually
an expectation of what you will receive and its value to you.
If you are not satisfied, there are often avenues that allow
you to resolve conflicts. With seeking the advice of a professional
in personal matters, the situation is different. You can not
look at the "product" beforehand. Certainly, you
can (and should) research the person whose advice you are
seeking to verify their credentials. You should also obtain
references from past clients. Ultimately, though, you have
to take a chance that the person you have chosen will give
you good advice. Furthermore, if the advice does not work
out the way you wanted, there are often issues of whether
or not you followed the guidelines given below. The result
is conflict between you and the advisor and dissatisfaction
on both sides.
A major source of this conflict is a lack of understanding
on the part of the astrologer and the client as to what each
other’s expectations are and should be. Unrealistic
expectations often lead to frustration when they are not met.
In this article, I propose some guidelines for both the astrologer
and the client. You are of course free to disagree with any
and all of these guidelines
General Comments
Before presenting the proposed guidelines, some general comments
are useful for understanding their motivation. First, although
we live in a scientific age with advances in physics, technology,
biology, and may other fields occurring at an ever-increasing
pace, many people still believe in things that are not proven
and in many cases considered unscientific. Astrology is near
the top of this list. Interestingly enough, many of the people
involved with astrology have advanced scientific degrees.
Regardless of the level of scientific and technological advancement,
people are ultimately emotional beings who are strongly influenced
by feelings, intuition, and other subjective influences. This
has always been and always will be true.
Second, being human involves making a lot of decisions every
day. Most of these decisions are inconsequential (what should
I wear, where should I have lunch), but occasionally we are
confronted with choices that have major consequences on the
course of our lives (should I change jobs, should I marry
this person). We do not always gain all the information we
would like in order to evaluate the choices, and sometimes
the information we would like is not available. For example,
in deciding whether or not to accept a job offer, we might
want to know if we will have a good relationship with the
prospective supervisor. Talking to the person directly and
asking others about that person certainly provides some useful
information, but at a certain point we need to take a leap
of faith that our feelings are correct. Many people feel uncomfortable
or insecure when faced with these decisions and look for guidance
elsewhere. Astrology is one of the avenues that people turn
to. They want the additional information they think they need
in order to eliminate that last bit of uncertainty. Or maybe
they just do not know what to do and are desperate for any
guidance.
Third, there is an interesting feeling you get when you believe
you can predict the future. You start to feel really powerful.
If you think about it, the physicist and astrologer have the
same goal. Both want to identify events based upon what is
happening now (although physicists want to understand the
reasons why things work the way they do; astrologers may not
have the same inquisitiveness about nature). This feeling
of power often leads to arrogance, overconfidence, and a loss
of objectivity. This result is a loss of sensitivity to the
needs of the client, and this is a very undesirable situation.
The client may be too emotionally fragile to deal with the
advice (especially if it is not what they want to hear), and
this can exacerbate the clients’ situation further,
rather than helping it.
Finally, those not familiar with the technical aspects of
astrology need to understand its limitations. It may be possible
to provide general guidance on some issues to some people,
but to expect astrology (or anything else) to forecast detailed
events is not appropriate. An astrologer may be able to see
indications of disease, but to expect them to see its precise
severity, when (and if) you will end up hospitalised and for
how long is unreasonable. Similarly, some astrologers may
be able to correctly forecast the general direction of the
stock market for some particular period, but to predict daily
price moves is an unreasonable expectation. Despite many claims
to the contrary, we have not seen any successful demonstration
of daily stock market forecasting.
With these general points in mind, one could present following
general guidelines for the client and the Astrologer.
Guidelines for the Client
"Astrology is a perfect
science, astrologers can not be perfect."
Through this web site you may have gained some knowledge
to understand what Vedic astrology is and what it can do for
you. However it is best to experience astrology first-hand,
through a reading given by a good astrologer. Only then you
will realize how powerful a tool astrology is and how it applies
practically into your life and this will be possible only
if you consult a good astrologer.
Therefore, it is important to look for an experienced astrologer,
not a beginner. The inexperienced astrologer can generate
a lot of harm to the seeker and also bring disrepute to the
science. It is important for you to understand the following
issues before consulting an astrologer.
- Find out the astrologer’s level of expertise. What
is his background and the life experiences that he has gained.
Is he good in analytical and research studies? Is he an
educated person? Is he a spiritual and religious person?
Spiritual discipline as prescribed in the scriptures purifies
the consciousness and gives the astrologer heightened astrological
powers and increased wisdom through which to guide the seeker.
Avoid those who are non-vegetarian; consume alcohol, smoke,
or take intoxicants; or who have affairs with their clients,
or are generally immoral and dissolute. How did they learn
Jyotish (from books, professional training)? How many charts
have they done, and how many years of experience do they
have? To be sure that the astrologer is reputable, you could
ask him for a list of references.
- The astrologer should be in a position to guarantee your
satisfaction, this will tell a lot about the skills and
confidence of the astrologer. He should offer to make sure
that you are satisfied with the "quality" of the
reading. He can not guarantee that you will be "happy"
with the reading, but you should at least be satisfied with
the professional way in which the reading was conducted
and the level of accuracy, expertise and advice. I always
tell my clients "If you are not satisfied with reading
then please tell me so that I could spend more time to make
you to understand the reading. I always try to make sure
that my client is happy and satisfied at the end of the
reading. These days, people tend to present themselves as
"intuitive" or "psychic" astrologers,
which simply means that they speak whatever thoughts enter
into their minds. Occasionally you will find good astrologers
with true psychic powers but it is important that a good
astrologer explains and educates his client about how he
came to his conclusions and the findings in the chart.
- Recommending and selling gems and jewels as an astrological
remedial measure has become very popular in the world of
astrology. Therefore, do not trust those who will try to
generate income by selling remedial measures a part of the
reading.
- Some Vedic astrologers may use Neptune, Uranus and Pluto
in his calculations. They are not practising Vedic astrology
as those planets were not known to the ancient Vedic astrologers.
Also Vedic astrology is a very advance and ancient science
that one should not complicate the issue by adding newly
identified planets to the reading. Also one should not mix
it with Western astrology and still call it Vedic astrology.
- Accept responsibility for your own actions
- Do not cede decision-making responsibility to others.
Seeking advice and information to enable you to make an
informed decision are encouraged, but the ultimate decision
is yours.
- Accept the fact that sometimes things will not happen
as you expected or planned. That is part of life. If things
do not happen as you expected, be open to the possibility
that the current situation may actually work out better
for you. When events go against you, see if there is any
way to turn the situation to your advantage (without hurting
others).
- Some may consult astrologers in the hope that one will
tell them what they wants to hear. It is inappropriate to
expect astrology to do our thinking for us. Astrology is
a wonderful tool for forming policy, but it is not a substitute
for responsible thinking. Astrology is a guidance to life,
not a substitute for living.
- When seeking advice, summarise your concerns and questions
as clearly as possible. Indicate what you expect to receive,
and find out if the astrologer can satisfy your needs.
- If you take someone else’s advice and things do
not work out, do not blame the adviser. It was you who made
the decision. If you determine that the advice was not good,
use it as a measure of the astrologer’s ability. Use
this information to decide if you should deal with the astrologer
in the future.
- Only consider astrological counselling if all other methods
of gaining information are not sufficient to allow you to
make an informed decision.
- Do not seek astrological counselling more than twice a
year.
The last two guidelines may offend some people. This is not
the intent. It is important to develop self-sufficiency and
responsibility for our own actions. Astrological counselling,
if considered, should only be considered as a last resort.
Otherwise, it becomes too easy to become dependent on astrological
counselling, without accepting responsibility for your own
actions.
How can you benefit the most from
your reading:
- Before going to the astrologer find out if he is going
to record the session. If not, request permission to record
it yourself.
- Before starting the session pre-arrange with the astrologer
to turn off the tape recorder when you make a particular
signal; this indicates that you wish to discuss something
not to be recorded.
- It is good to prepare any questions or aspects of your
life that you want cover in the reading. It is generally
best to let the astrologer know this in advance so that
he will be able to focus extra attention on those areas.
Some topics may require extra research.
- Avoid breaking his flow of thought while the astrologer
is speaking. Bring a note pad, and if you have a question
write it down; if it isn't resolved in the course of the
reading, then you should ask it at the end. Breaking the
astrologer's stream of thought will cause digression; similarly,
asking another question before the previous one has been
answered will be distracting.
- Of course the client should offer feedback, both positive
and negative, so that the astrologer knows that he is on
the right track. Astrology is, after all, a difficult science.
If the astrologer makes a mistake, let him know--he will
adjust his calculations. If he is right, confirm it by a
nod or simple gesture so that the astrologer may continue
with confidence.
- Whatever the case, don't just sit there like a piece of
wood. Interact. But do so in such a way as is appropriate
to the reading. This may mean that you have to go into a
long explanation of your situation, or it may mean that
you simply listen while he explains. The point is that both
of you should stay on track.
- Be honest with your astrologer. You wouldn't lie to your
physician, would you? If you don't feel comfortable telling
the astrologer the truth about your situation then find
an astrologer whom you can trust. Misleading your astrologer
could have serious consequences. And don't try to trick
or test him. If you intend to have a long-standing relationship
with the astrologer, and you want to consult your astrologer
in the future, then it is best not to start out with a negative
approach. The astrologer will be able to identify that there
is doubt in the client’s mind, and this will only
hamper the process.
Guidelines for the Astrologer
- Understand that clients trust you with their emotional
well being. Be sensitive to the needs of the client. Clearly
indicate what information you need, and what the client
can expect from you.
- Before providing a professional reading based upon Vedic
astrology, analyse the horoscopes of a minimum of 500 people.
This should take 2-4 years.
- Before giving guidance to someone with a cultural background
that is unfamiliar to you, take the time to understand their
cultural issues. What works in Australia may not work in
India, and what works in India may not work well in Australia.
- Spend some time analysing your clients’ charts carefully
before interpreting them. Do not analyse charts immediately.
- Inform clients of the indications in their chart. Do not
predict. Instead of saying "You will become very wealthy",
say "Your chart indicates good earning potential".
- Speak the truth but at the same time do not say "You
will have a tough life", but rather "Your chart
indicate some obstructions in life. Some of the strengths
you need to gain in order to overcome these obstructions
are…”
- Do not ever think you know enough. Study, read, talk to
other astrologers, and learn as much as you can.
- Do not apply any interpretation technique until you have
validated it yourself. To be considered validated, it should
work at least 75% of the time under repeatable conditions.
- Try to give clients enough information to be self-sufficient.
Discourage relationships of dependency.
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