Shiva Das - Divine Love Astrology: Revealing Spiritual Truth for Personal Transformation

Whats it all about?
Its all about Love!

This book began as a journal almost thirty years ago, after I had been studying astrology a few years. Where do I begin to thank all the people who have influenced and helped it to come to fruition?

I have to start with my wife Mercy Ananda, without whose being such a patient and beautiful example of the ideals expressed in this book I may never have had the endurance to keep working on it and myself.

Our wonderful children: Sita, Jade, Forrest, Amber, Sunny, Sarasvati, and especially Prema who couldnt stay here long enough to see its completion, and, of course, our grandchildren now, who have been and continue to be our teachers.

Grita, whose highly intuitive nature unknowingly sparked my journey into astrology thirty-five years ago.

All those inquiring souls, too numerous to list, who wrote the astrology books I could study and draw information and inspiration from.

All the brave people who have allowed us to learn and grow through reading their charts.

Jacob Wartel, for introducing me to North Atlantic Books, and all the fine people there whose help has been inexpressibly invaluable.

Craig Perkins and all the beautiful people at Yandara Yoga Institute, who so graciously created the space where we could experiment, grow, be, and flower in an environment that is supportive in trying to live the spiritual life.

Every spiritual teacher I have met, read, or heard about and every person Ive ever met or become aware of and every experience that has taught me in positive and negative ways that have become the ingredients creating this book. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Anyone who has the courage to read this book and wishes not only to experience the transcendental truth but also wants to make this world a better place.

And lastly but mostly, the Divine for instilling in me the questioning nature that could not accept what I had been taught without wanting to know and experience it for myself that brought me to my spiritual path at the age of twenty (although I now realize that I had always unawares been on it since birth) and that keeps me going still.

S HIVA D AS , A PRIL 2014

When Shiva Das and I met, he had already begun working on this book. It was mostly a large pile of papersideas that he was thinking through, feelings he had, sketches of hand-drawn astrology charts, and meanings of relationships and themesall packed into a brown, accordion folder. He opened his heart and mind to me, and our life together has always had this book in it. Thank you, dear One, for including me in what you love. We have learned together how to live in Divine Love.

All my Love, Gratitude, and Appreciation to:

Our parents.

Our children and grandchildren, you have kept us loving, strong, true, and humble.

Our friends, you support us with kindness and joy, and

Our teachers, for your awakened, spiritual guidance.

Thank you Divine Love, for everything, for the eternal and luminescent abode.

M ERCY A NANDA , A PRIL 2014

What is astrology? The way we see it, astrology is a gift from the universe, sent from the past, through the ages, to help us today to reawaken our intuition. The ancients used intuition to perceive in nature the system of astrology. The system of astrology reveals the principles of life and the laws of polarities. In this world, we really are free only as much as we are able to meet the present moment with confident acceptance and joy. Understanding the principles of life gives us the confidence to meet life fearlessly, and the capability to cooperate with life by bringing us a conscious awareness of the forces of Nature and the laws that govern interaction.

What astrology is not is a predictive tool able to see the future, and we are not controlled by the movements of the planets. We are creating the future right now, in the present, by the choices we make and in the way we choose to express ourselves. We can know the consequences an action might bring, but that is very different from knowing the future. What astrology is able to do is show us that we are connected in a very real way to the entire universe.

The movements of the planets do not cause things to happen, they merely reflect what happens as it happens. They depict, in the progression of their movements, the evolution of consciousness, which we are a part of, and, although we do have freedom of choice in life, we still must deal with things the way they are in the present. Some say that astrology helps us to see our destiny, which can make us feel as though we are cast in an inescapable role. We say that by revealing the principles of the way life works and helping a person to understand the underlying evolution of consciousness that is taking place, astrology helps to free us from our destiny, free us from the karmic dramas the unconscious mind tends to get us enveloped in, and help us to become a force in the awakening of consciousness.

We are very powerful, more powerful than we realize sometimes. Everything that we think, feel, and do goes into the mix that helps create the now. Therefore, we have a great responsibility and opportunity to help create a world that is a beautiful place not only for ourselves, but for all. The study of astrology can help us to act in accordance with the laws of Nature, Divine Love, dharmic law, and the laws of karma, and we shall show you in this book how astrology confirms the adages as we give, so shall we receive and as we believe, so shall it be.