Dear Friend,

As the Equinox approaches, marking either the start of Spring or Autumn depending on your hemisphere, I'm pleased to offer a 10% discount on all consultation sessions. Your discount can be applied using the code SPRING2026. You can use this coupon until March 31, 2026. I'm eager to share an upcoming announcement via an interim letter, but unfortunately, Mercury's retrograde motion requires us to delay.

In modern times, astrology is often dismissed or ridiculed as pseudoscience, yet criticism of astrology is not something new. Throughout history there have always been voices questioning its validity. The strongest critiques have often come from the scientific community. Yet something heartening happened this Saturday, March 14. I had the privilege of speaking with a client who is a scientist of remarkable accomplishment, someone whose contributions to humanity through science are truly meaningful. What touched me most was the respect they brought to the conversation about astrology, and that openness made my day. It reminded me that the sincere work many astrologers are doing today is slowly helping others see astrology for what it truly is: a symbolic language of meaning and timing. Experiences like this renew my confidence in the path I have chosen.

Astrological Commentary

From a mundane perspective, however, the world currently stands in a difficult moment. The ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions are creating ripples that reach into everyday life. India itself has begun to feel the effects through disruptions in gas supply connected to developments in Iran, placing strain on ordinary life and business. Astrologically, the lunation ahead indicates that the situation may remain tense for another fortnight. Many of the planets are gathering near the nodal axis, with the lunation occurring on one side of the axis (close to a Kala Sarpa). When such configurations occur, trade routes, supply chains, and global exchanges often face challenges, and nations across the world can experience days of uncertainty.

The Moon in Uttarabhadrapada during this lunation symbolically points towards the depths of the ocean. The deity of this Nakshatra, Ahir Budhnya, is the great serpent dwelling beneath the ocean floor, representing immense forces hidden below the surface. This clearly reflects pressures building beneath the visible world, tensions that are not immediately apparent but are nonetheless powerful. It is a reminder that we may be moving through the most delicate phase of the unfolding situation, and one can only hope that the tensions already present do not intensify further.

Yet astrology does not speak only of collective events. It also speaks intimately to the lives of each one of us. This new moon is a good period for deeper reflection and understanding. Something within us that has remained unexplored may begin to reveal itself during the coming fortnight. As the Sun transits through Pisces and approaches Saturn, we will be able to see clearly where our limitations lie. Saturn can be associated with Ratri (night) or Yama if we go back to the Rigvedic symbolism and it represents the darkness through which deeper wisdom is gained. When the Sun passes over Saturn, it is as though a light is carried into the night. Through this, we have an opportunity to see what must be accepted, what must be strengthened, and what must be patiently worked with.

The intense Mars-Rahu conjunction has now passed. With the Sun entering Pisces and moving towards Saturn, what seemed turbulent may gradually end up being a hidden blessing. When emotion drives action without reflection, mistakes can easily occur. But the universe is generous in offering moments of correction. Now is the time to step back, to see more clearly what we may have done impulsively, and to act accordingly to adjust our course. That course correction may prove crucial for fulfilling the overall promise of the year that unfolds uniquely within each of our birth charts and which I explore with clients during personal consultations.

There are also rays of hope in the sky. Jupiter has recently turned direct, and Venus remains in Pisces for another 10 or 11 days. Jupiter and Venus help us understand that beauty, compassion, and grace continue to exist even when the world appears troubled.

There is a beautiful line in The Hobbit. Gandalf tells Lady Galadriel that it is the small acts of kindness and the simple lives of ordinary people that keeps darkness at bay. I often think about that line. In a world filled with noise, aggression, and division, it is these kind acts of humanity that sustain us. A kind word, patience with another person, a moment of understanding. These are not small things. They are the pillars that hold humanity together.

Many of us likely felt the intensity of the Mars-Rahu period in our own ways. I certainly had my moments, and perhaps you did as well. Yet if there is a foundation worth returning to, again and again, it is love. Love keeps us grounded. Love prevents us from losing ourselves in the storms that pass through our lives.

If you write a newsletter or share thoughts with friends, I would encourage you to send a message of kindness. With Rahu in Aquarius, Mars still transiting there, and the Sun about to conjoin Saturn in Pisces, polarisation can easily arise. Each time Mars transits through Aquarius, I notice political arguments intensify, especially across social media. Differences of opinion quickly turn into divisions.

But perhaps this is precisely when we must do the opposite. Even when we disagree because of different perspectives, we can still choose dignity and respect. Humanity has always moved forward not through perfect agreement, but through the willingness to remain connected despite differences.

Astrology, in times like these, becomes more than prediction. It becomes a reminder of patterns, humility, and perspective. The sky reflects both the tensions and the possibilities of our time. And if there is one message that the heavens seem to send to us again and again, it is this: No matter how turbulent the world becomes, the strength of compassion, patience, and kindness will always carry us forward.

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Diploma in Indian Astrology - Batch 3

The course I began in July 2025 has taken shape and progressed wonderfully well, thanks to those who study with me. With more zeal and motivation, I look forward to welcoming you if you are interested in studying Indian astrology. 

Diploma Enrollment

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A Weekend Intensive on the Nakshatras for AstroCollege - Australia

If you are interested in a Nakshatra only course, I am going to be teaching a weekend intensive for the Esoterically from Australia on March 28/29, 2026. I'd be looking to see some of you there.

Nakshatras Course Enrollment

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I have a few more slots left for March 2026 are open now. If you are interested in a session, I’d be privileged to work with you.

Personal Consultations

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Inward Glance

Epictetus' Discourses: A Retelling

Book I, Chapter 9, 1.9.18 to 1.9.24

Epictetus now contrasts what philosophy should look like with what it usually becomes in practice. The conversation between a teacher and an idealistic young student should revolve around the highest truths. They should speak about human dignity, divine kinship, and the courage that comes from understanding our true nature. Such a conversation would lift the mind upward and free it from fear.

But Epictetus immediately brings us back to reality. Instead of living with such lofty understanding, most of us behave quite differently. After eating a full meal today, we already begin worrying about tomorrow’s food. Even when our immediate needs are satisfied, our minds remain restless and anxious about what might happen next.

He reminds us of a fundamental Stoic principle. If food comes tomorrow, we will eat. If it does not come, we will leave this life. The door is always open. Why then all the complaining, fear, or desperation? If we truly understood our nature, there would be no reason for tears, flattery, envy, or admiration of wealth and power.

Why should anyone envy the wealthy or fear the powerful? What power do they really possess? Their power only extends over things that lie outside our true selves. They can touch the body, property, or reputation, but they cannot control the things that truly matter to us if our values are properly ordered.

For someone who understands this, external power loses its grip. No ruler, tyrant, or threat can force such a person to act against their will. Their freedom lies in their judgment, not in their circumstances.

To illustrate this, Epictetus turns to Socrates. Socrates understood deeply that his life was connected to the divine order. Because of this, he did not fear threats or compromises. If someone told him that he could be released on the condition that he stop questioning people and engaging in philosophical dialogue, he would refuse.

Socrates would answer that abandoning philosophy would be absurd. If a military commander assigned him a post to defend, he would remain there even at the risk of death. How then could he abandon the position assigned to him by God? Philosophy was his duty, his purpose of life. Leaving it would be like deserting a sacred post.

Through this example, Epictetus makes his point clear. If we truly believe that we belong to a divine order, then our lives carry responsibilities. Each of us has been placed in a role within this larger whole. To abandon that role out of fear, comfort, or pressure would be to betray the very source from which we come.

So the real question is not whether we claim kinship with God. The real question is whether we live in a way that honours that kinship.

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Have a wonderful time.

Until Next Letter,

Love,

Aswin