Consulting the stars before an auspicious event is a natural inclination for many; the perfect wedding date, ideal time to start a venture or to buy gold are often decided with a cosmic counsel. Influencing many calendars in India and affecting our largest decisions, India’s consumer purchasing behavior seemingly ebbs and flows along with the sun, moon and stars.

The impact of these belief systems is debatable, especially in rural versus urban India. However, a recent Business of Fashion article  recently stated that India’s bridal market amounted to $38 billion per year, in which a staggering 60,000 weddings were held over one auspicious day in Delhi, in November 2012. The incremental demand this places on the entire system; wedding blouses to be tailored, horses to be hired and caterers to cook is unaccounted for – but that everyone stands to gain in this premium demand cycle is undisputed. Save perhaps the hosts of the wedding and those stuck on the roads waiting for the baraats to pass.

For the sake of illustration, we focus on the Hindu calendar which definitively declares periods that are looked upon as better for starting new ventures, buying gold or planning a wedding.

Akshaya Tritiya and Dhanteras are the two major festivals in which buying precious metals is encouraged. Gold prices rise up to 40,000 INR per 10gm. On the contrary, Shradh is believed to be a period for paying homage to ancestors, removing generational karmic debt and creating additional positive karma for the descendent who spends this time making donations or offerings. It is not recommended to begin new business or make new purchases during this time and retailers such as Tommy Hilfiger, with over 100 stores in India, account for this two week period, adjusting budgets accordingly.

Akshaya Tritiya & Dhanteras

Hindu tradition follows an almanac and calendar that stipulates appropriate times in the year to take a new step. Akshaya Tritiya is one such occasion, considered to be one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar. It comes every year on the third day of Vaishakh masa (during the months of April – May). The Sun and Moon are in exaltation and simultaneously at their peak of brightness, occurring only once every year. The word “Akshaya” means imperishable or eternal – that which never diminishes, implying that any meaningful activity pursued on this day reaps infinite benefits. Nowadays, gold and property is purchased or housewarmings take place on this day but in earlier times, it was a day for a river bath, havans (offerings to Lord Agni) and Brahman bhojans.

The festival of Dhanteras falls in the month of Kartik (October – November) on the 13th day of the dark fortnight. It is celebrated two days before the festival of lights, Diwali. On Dhanteras, Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, is worshipped to provide prosperity and well being. The word ‘Dhan’ literally means wealth and ‘Tera’ comes from the date 13th.

I wouldn’t say it is necessary to buy gold or anything on these days, but if you do, make a fresh beginning and decide from that day onwards that you will live a ritualistic life. Not just for selfish reasons, but realize that you were born for a reason and find a purpose for your life – and then do something auspicious to celebrate it.

Buying 1gm or 10gm doesn’t mean it will multiply; do something good for you, your family, society – charitable deeds bring positive karma that take care of you in difficult circumstances.

Universal and Individual Karma

Every country has an ascendant and star just like human beings and India’s ascendant is Taurus,  as it was ‘born’ at midnight between 14th and 15th August, 1947. Looking at its birth chart, we can predict and tackle the economy or enemy invasions. Today if our economy is so important to us, why do we pay for fuel with the US dollar? The person making decisions is in the drivers seat. A good or bad decision affects the outcome, especially those of a person heading a company or country. In the same way, buying gold or investing on Akshaya Tritiya or Dhanteras doesn’t always make you a millionaire, it depends on individual karma and human effort. Nothing extraordinary has to happen, but the element of free will we all possess can be powerful in deciding our destiny.

Shradh and Sade Sati

Shradh is a Sanskrit word, which means “devotion” or “anything done with sincerity and faith.” Shradh is performed annually on the death anniversary of deceased relatives or during the 16-day lunar period called Pitr Paksha. Descendents receive blessings for progress and material wealth from their ancestors who are watching over them. There is a sense of apprehension because it is recommended that new business or work not be started during this period. However, my advice is that if there’s something that must be done, do it with utmost humility, faith and concentration.

Sade Sati is another period that invokes fear in many people. It translates to 7 ½ years of Saturn transiting your 12th, 1st and 2nd Houses. What I’d like to say is that Sade Sati arrives like a judge to instill divine consciousness in an individual and his attitude towards life and society. It’s a warning that you may be going down the wrong path, and it teaches you to be humble, charitable, God-fearing. It creates awareness.

Hindu Weddings

As long as you’re single, your chart works fine independently. For a woman, until she gets married, her positive karma goes to her father. After she ties the knot, it goes to the groom. The timing of events is extremely important in Indian astrology – when do you prosper? when do you marry? And the position of the Moon has a very key role to play. While Western astrology only takes the Sun and Zodiac into consideration to determine the character of an individual and his/her match, Indian astrology uses the position of the Moon additionally to arrive at the best time.

A muhurat is calculated based on the Vedic almanac. Today, people match based on the first letter of the names of their children that were decided according to the day they were born, but that is a superficial guess at best. The birth chart is much more powerful. An astrologer first determines the groom’s astrological position in relation to the moon, then does the same for the bride in relation to the sun. The bride and groom’s ascendant, yoga and karna are vital elements to be matched. In light of this data, we give the couple lucky times and dates for their wedding. Depending on convenience, economic variables and the availability of marriage venues, the shubh muhurat is arrived at. You can calculate a muhurat up to two years in advance.

Birth charts – the starting point

There are 12 houses and 9 planets – every house has a sign and is ruled by its own Lords. Out of the total 360 degrees of the globe, 30 go to each house, resulting in 12 houses of the Zodiac. 27 points bisect the sun, moon and earth, marked by stars. The sign that is rising at your date, time and place of birth is your Rising Sign or Ascendant, and your First House. From this point, you can see where all the other houses were situated at your time of birth and find out what each represents for you. Your chart is like a balance sheet on your date of birth, from which you can assess your karmic points. Every phenomenon and living being is connected to planetary influences and it is in your best interest to energize the planet whose blessings you want. Gemstones prescribed per your Ascendant (never by the Moon) have qualities that enhance the effect of certain planets. If you can’t afford a gemstone, chant guru mantras because chanting creates energy too. It is physics and it all comes down to good and bad energy – doing something repeatedly to creative positive energy and nullify the negative.

On ceremonies, trousseaus & their incremental cost

I believe the engagement is more powerful than the marriage in terms of its significance because that’s the day the boy and girl decide in their minds that they want to be with each other for the rest of their lives. The marriage itself is ritualistic. People need to remember that an engagement is as – if not more – important than a marriage. Also, a reception before the marriage should be prohibited. It happens because of convenience and hall availability – but hugging, garlands and celebrations before the marriage makes no sense! According to Vedic scriptures, the couple shouldn’t even touch each other before the wedding. There are certain things to be followed in a marriage – first, the engagement ceremony. Second, buying saris for the bride, and third, the mangal sutra; both these should be bought on auspicious days.

I don’t look at the economic repercussions very closely because I give a muhurat across all financial or caste barriers. A poor man deserves an auspicious day whether or not he can afford gold or an expensive sari. The ring may be a solitaire or worth 10,000 INR but it’s not the ring that matters, it’s the time.

The main principle is that if you do certain things at the wrong time, things can go wrong. You may make a wrong decision, and suffer the loss. Before going to a board meeting, my clients consult me, asking what their priorities should be before making their minutes. I feel 100% responsible because by taking my advice, someone puts 100 cr into the market, and they obviously would like some surety. But astrology is not taboo or soothsaying because everything is calculated based on mathematics and physics. From meeting a friend, making a companion or partnership, to the welfare of society and mankind; if we use it the right way and with utmost faith and humility. The fruit of your efforts corresponds exactly with how much faith you have.

The truth is that everything is debatable and there’s no authority telling us how it will all turn out. And yet, astrology is a science with the existence of the sun and moon as witness to the subject.

_________________

Ganesha N. is an astrologer based in Bangalore.