Janos Melocco - Indian / Vedic astrologer

I grew up in a family practicing Yoga, Buddhism and using Western astrology, exposed early to the wisdom of Carl Jung, and I immediately recognized that Vedic Astrology was a deep and methodical pursuit of the same wisdom. After my first Vedic reading in 1990. I bought the classic "Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra" and introductory books like James Braha’s "Ancient Hindu Astrology for the Modern Western Astrologer," and started to calculate the charts of friends and family from ephemerids and Western programs. Later I took Maharishi Jyotish Courses offered by the Transcendental Meditation organization (whose founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi no doubt significantly contributed to the growing popularity of Indian astrology in the computer age).

The Indian pandits surprised me with uncanny accuracy. All they had was the approximate time and place of my birth, but soon they told me that my parents separated before I was one year old, and that I was living abroad since the October or November of 1984. (It was actually October 23, 1984, when I left Hungary for several years.)

 

It was in 2002, after years of studying as a hobby, that I joined the study group of Indian astrology of Maria Csom, a mystical astrologer of Budapest, Hungary, and a new era dawned upon me. By 2004 I resolved to become an astrologer, bought a used laptop and started seeing clients and teaching introductory classes.

Maria's study group demonstrated a new approach to Vedic astrology, one based on the 27 nakshatras. She had hundreds of charts and life stories in her memory pinned to the particular combination we were studying. Her teachings always had a solid foundation in Indian mythology and while we openly debated and compared various Indian techniques and even some Western ones, with her help we succeeded in transmitting something from the depths of the Soul with deep emotion and mysticism, freely talking about the energies of possible previous lives, the future designs of your Soul or Buddha-nature, your Yogic connection to the Divine, and the trials and the meanings of karmic patterns. We explored many Indian techniques from various schools, and developed new explanations to ancient codes.

 

In this astrology, the Moon is the central planet of karma, defining cycles while becoming aware of patterns could free you from long-term trials or at least moderate them. I also use the three outer planets of Western astrology, but what immediately grabbed my attention was the practical use of the 27 lunar mansions (see the picture on the opposing side). With four padas (feet) each, they are the foundation of the 108-part Hindu zodiac. Over the years, I refined my understanding of transits and planetary periods (which are also based on the same timeless source). After years of practice, I published a book on the nakshatras on the inspiration of the leader of a Zen monastery.

 

This system is close to the neo-Vedic astrology developed by Joni Patry in Texas and they also relate to the World Ages taught by Shri Yukteshwar, the guru of Paramahamsa Yogananda. Deciphering the ever-growing individual charts and world events in the light of astrology, I can still feel what I felt years ago: that some divine, enlightened intelligence is guiding me. I think Nakshatra-astrology is eminently suited for the needs and requirements of modern men and women. Despite its complexity, it will give much-needed information to help self-knowledge in the light of karmic patterns, and it seems to confirm findings of schools of psychology like family constellation or Jungian studies to answer current karmic questions, while still preserving its practical, down-to-earth aspects. It’s an unending journey, perhaps continuing in my next life.