The teachings of Theosophy repeatedly make clear that astrology is a legitimate and important science, albeit with a number of significant provisos:

“Astrology is built wholly upon this mystic and intimate connection between the heavenly bodies and mankind; and it is one of the great secrets of Initiation and Occult mysteries.” (H. P. Blavatsky, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 500)

“It remained for long ages a secret science in the East, and its final expression remains so to this day, . . . [it is] part and parcel of the sacred Science of the Mysteries.” (HPB, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 38-39, Entry for “Astrology”)

“. . . the origin and real significance and occult meaning of the Zodiac were, and are still, a mystery, to all save the Initiates. The latter preserved their secrets well. Between the Chaldean star-gazer and the modern astrologer there lies to this day a wide gulf indeed.” (HPB, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 387-388, Entry for “Zodiac”)

“In days of old . . . the great Astrological Initiation took place in Egypt at Thebes, where the priests perfected, if they did not wholly invent the science. . . . Unfortunately the key to the final door of Astrology or Astronomy is lost by the modern Astrologer; and without it, how can he ever be able to answer the pertinent remark made by the author of Mazzaroth, who writes: “people are said to be born under one sign, while in reality they are born under another, because the sun is now seen among different stars at the equinox”?” (HPB, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 39-40, Entry for “Astronomos”)

“We believe in astrology as we do in mesmerism and homeopathy. All the three are facts and truths, when regarded as sciences; but the same may not be said of either all the astrologers, all the mesmerists or every homeopathist. We believe, in short, in astrology as a science; but disbelieve in most of its professors, who, unless they are trained in it in accordance with the methods known for long ages to adepts and occultists, will, most of them, remain for ever empiricists and often quacks.” (HPB, “Horoscopes and Astrology”)

“In astrology the stars do not cause our good or bad luck, but simply indicate the same. A man must be a psychologist and a philosopher before he can become a perfect astrologer, and understand correctly the great Law of Universal Sympathy. . . . Without having thoroughly studied the latter, astrology becomes a superstition.” (HPB, “Native Astrologers”)

“The ancient Rishis, to condemn whose books without a hearing was till recently a general practice, had by observation, experiment and deep occult knowledge, taken account of all conceivable combinations of various causes and determined with mathematical precision almost to infinitesimal point their effects. But yet, since the cosmos is infinite, no finite being can ever take cognisance of all the possibilities of Nature; at any rate they cannot be committed to writing, since as Isis Unveiled says:– “to express divine ideas, divine language is necessary.” Recognising the truth of this most important but unfortunately often neglected axiom, they laid down as the first condition of success in astrology a pure life, physically, morally and spiritually. This was intended to develop the psychic capacities of the astrologer who could thus see in Akasa the combinations, not alluded to in the written works, . . . In short, true Astrology is a mathematical science, which teaches us what particular causes will produce what particular combinations, and thus, understood in its real significance, gives us the means of obtaining the knowledge how to guide our future births. True, such astrologers there are but few: but are we justified in condemning the science of electricity because there may be very few real electricians? We must not at the same time lose sight of the fact that although there are numberless combinations which must be determined by the psychic vision of the astrologer, there are yet a very large number of them which have been determined and put on record by the ancient sages.” (HPB, “Astrology”)

“[True astrology shows us] that course of effects, the causes of which were already produced by the individual during his previous “incarnation.” We hold that the science of Astrology only determines the nature of effects, by a knowledge of the law of magnetic affinities and attractions of the Planetary bodies, but that it is the Karma of the individual himself, which places him in that particular magnetic relation.” (HPB, “Faith in Astrology”)

“Although the science of astrology is based upon mathematical calculations, it is impossible that the precise results of each of the innumerable combinations which may occur could be calculated and written down by any mortal man, and that, therefore, in order that his astrological predictions may be correct, the astrologer must be versed not only in the science of astrology, but also in its art, that is to say, by purity of life, thought and deed he must develop his clairvoyant perceptions so far as to be able to take note of the minutest combinations possible in every individual case, and the effects they produce on one another. . . . We should also be glad if any Theosophist who is competent to undertake the work, would contribute a series of articles on Hindu astrology, giving a detailed account of the science. . . . Very little is known by most people about what astrology really is, and the science is frequently abused through ignorance of its true principles, . . .” (HPB, “A Remarkable Astrologer”)

“Astrology is a science as infallible as astronomy itself, with the condition, however, that its interpreters must be equally infallible; and it is this condition, sine qua non, so very difficult of realization, that has always proved a stumbling-block to both.” (HPB, “Isis Unveiled” Vol. 1, p. 259)

“. . . of all operations in the occult sciences, there is not one that is not rooted in astrology, . . .” (HPB, “Stars and Numbers”)

From the above statements by H. P. Blavatsky, who the Masters of Wisdom called Their Direct Agent, three main points emerge:

(1) Only Initiates and Adepts have access to or knowledge of true Esoteric Astrology as a complete system. 

It is certainly conceivable that valuable fragments of that knowledge are made publicly accessible at certain times but it is as inconceivable that anything approaching the full science will be made available to us anytime soon. This means that, with a few exceptions, the world at large only has access to varying degrees of exoteric astrology. However, just because something is exoteric does not automatically mean it is false or useless or completely unreliable. According to HPB, everything contains at least some truth.

(2) The Law of Karma is the chief factor in everything. 

This is not fatalism or predestination but the law of self-created destiny, working through cause and effect, action and reaction, carried on over repeated lifetimes on this Earth. Not only our externalised physical actions but our every thought and feeling play a crucial role in determining our future. Whatever we sow, we will reap, whether good, bad, or neutral. Hence a person’s astrology in a particular incarnation serves simply as an indispensable agent of their own Karma and is an effect rather than a cause. It is not “our stars” which make us what we are or decide our future; in the past, we created our present and in the present we are creating our future. Our own personal astrological configurations represent an intricate combination and focusing of energies and influences which make the perfect justice of Karmic Law an experiential actuality for us. A knowledge of one’s own personal astrology – when accurate – will thus enable us to perceive something of our past lives, as well as our dharma, or Karmic duty, responsibility, and task, in the present one. Many of us may already have glimpses into that but astrology can provide meaningful added confirmation.

Robert Crosbie, the founder of the United Lodge of Theosophists, writes:

“The fact that at any given time or place we are subject to certain beneficial or malevolent influences, that we were born as persons at a certain time and place, under certain conjunctions of the planets means only fulfilments of Karmic law. We could not have come through any “holes in the sky” except those we had made for ourselves; we could not have made a place of entrance at certain conjunctions of the planets, except the conditions for us were there at that time and at no other time. Planetary influences express our tendencies, yes; but there is no “God” above to compel us, and there is no possibility of our being pushed into following certain wrong tendencies unless we want to be pushed. If we have made up our minds not to be so influenced, then we cannot be: we simply do not follow those tendencies in ourselves which we have discovered to be wrong. So, we make another kind of birth possible. . . .

“Each one is absolutely and unconditionally responsible for the condition in which he finds himself. To blame planetary influences for this or that condition is as foolish as to blame the water for drowning a man whose own carelessness, and not the water, was responsible for the drowning. But the same laws govern other planets than ours, and we do make of ourselves magnets which draw to ourselves like things in operation at any given time anywhere. . . . It remains for man to see and realize that he has within him all the elements of the great ocean of Life. It remains for him, in that realization, to act as one who understands all the rest, and who sends out benefit in every direction for those knowing still less than he does.” (“Planetary Influences”)

(3) “People are said to be born under one sign, while in reality they are born under another, because the sun is now seen among different stars at the equinox.”

This is extremely important and it is a reference to the distinction between what are known as sidereal astrology and tropical astrology. The sidereal system and approach is the more ancient and is what was followed and practised by all the ancient astrologers – whether Indian, Egyptian, Tibetan, Babylonian, etc. – and is most prominently represented today by the Vedic Astrology of India, known there as Jyotisha. Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D./C.E. favoured the tropical system over the sidereal and the former then became the basis for the whole of Western astrology ever since.

In short, sidereal astrology takes into account the gradual shift of the Earth’s axis over time, also known as the precession of the equinoxes. This results in sidereal astrology aligning much more closely with the current astronomical positions of the stars. In contrast, tropical or Western astrology has chosen to stay fixed and static and not take such undeniably important factors into consideration.

This is why many people find that their zodiacal sign according to Vedic astrology is not the same as that claimed by Western astrology. There is around a three week difference between them. Depending on what point in the month one was born, the sign may therefore be the same in both but usually it will shift.

Writing for “Hermes” magazine, published by the Santa Barbara Lodge of the United Lodge of Theosophists, Helen Valborg remarks:

“In the tropical system of Western astrology, Sagittarius is designated as presiding over the period of November 22nd to December 21st, while the older sidereal system reflects the celestial changes of precession that have occurred over the last two thousand years, indicating that Sagittarius governs the period from the Winter Solstice to January 19th. To understand how different time periods could relate to the same characteristics, one may reflect that man, in general and particularly in the West, has slipped away from his awareness of himself as a soul and of larger cycles relative to many lives. Thus he has tended to forget what the ancients saw as a natural relation, the analogy between the cycle of the soul and that of the sun. Instead, being focused upon the personal cycle linked up with a worldly, one-life view of existence, he tends to concentrate on the attributes of the social and physical self. It is thus not surprising that the Western astrological system should attach the characteristics of a particular sign to people who are now actually born in the next sign. In adhering to an exoteric and inflexible system, there has been a slipping back by failing to move ahead with the rest of the universe. Though there is a certain validity in the Western system, it is mainly in relation to the more superficial and tropically determined characteristics of personalities rather than to the sidereal force fields that operate at a more causal level.” (“Sagittarius,” “Theosophical Astrology” p. 182, published by Theosophy Trust and available online for free here)

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BASICS OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY

It’s important to make clear that Vedic astrology – based on the Vedas, the most ancient Hindu scriptures – is not what Theosophy means by esoteric or occult astrology. 

Being a publicly accessible, publicly available system, it cannot be that, but it could certainly be described as semi-esoteric due to numerous reasons, including (1) it is sidereal rather than tropical astrology, (2) it takes a far more intricate and precise approach than Western astrology, thus typically resulting in details and explanations far more personalised, applicable, and meaningful, than the often overly broad and generic Western approach, (3) it includes such principles as Karma and reincarnation in its basis.

On numerous different occasions, both H. P. Blavatsky and prominent associates of the United Lodge of Theosophists have indicated their positive view of Vedic astrology and their less than positive view of Western astrology.

Let us see the annual dates of the twelve zodiacal signs according to both Vedic and Western:

ARIES
Vedic: Mesha – 14th April to 14th May
Western: 21st March to 19th April

TAURUS
Vedic: Vrishabha – 15th May to 14th June
Western: 20th April to 20th May

GEMINI
Vedic: Mithuna – 15th June to 15th July
Western: 21st May to 20th June

CANCER
Vedic: Karka – 16th July to 16th August
Western: 21st June to 22nd July

LEO
Vedic: Simha – 17th August to 16th September
Western: 23rd July to 22nd August

VIRGO
Vedic: Kanya – 17th September to 16th October
Western: 23rd August to 22nd September

LIBRA
Vedic: Tula – 17th October to 15th November
Western: 23rd September to 22nd October

SCORPIO
Vedic: Vrishchika – 16th November to 15th December
Western: 23rd October to 21st November

SAGITTARIUS
Vedic: Dhanu – 16th December to 13th January
Western: 22nd November to 21st December

CAPRICORN
Vedic: Makara – 14th January to 12th February
Western: 21st December to 20th January

AQUARIUS
Vedic: Kumbha – 13th February to 13th March
Western: 21st January to 18th February

PISCES
Vedic: Meena – 14th March to 13th April
Western: 19th February to 20th March

In terms of the general characteristics attributed to the above twelve “sun signs” (Surya Rashi in Sanskrit), Vedic and Western astrology say virtually the same thing. Such details naturally originated first in India and the East and in more recent millennia became part of what is now known as Western astrology.

But one of the several big ways in which Vedic and Western astrology differ is that whereas the above-listed “sun sign” details are viewed as the main and most important thing in the Western, they are considered of merely secondary importance in the Vedic and not greatly dwelt upon.

Instead, the main thing is one’s Nakshatra. This is why Vedic astrology is described as lunar astrology rather than solar. 

The Surya Rashi or sun sign refers to whichever of the twelve main constellations (which are star systems) the sun appeared to be in at the time of one’s birth. The Chandra Rashi or moon sign denotes the constellation position of the moon at the time of one’s birth. The Vedas and ancient Indian civilisation held this to be much more important and revealing but even this was not precise enough, so they chose to focus most of all on the Nakshatra – often translated as “lunar asterism” or “lunar mansion” – which is the particular, specific star or star group that the moon was in, within one’s moon sign, at the time of birth.

In other words, one may have been born at an hour when the sun was in Taurus and the moon in Aries. But Vedic astrology goes deeper and discloses which star or stars in Aries the moon was actually in. That is one’s Nakshatra. But it still doesn’t stop there, for each of the 27 Nakshatras has a “ruling planet” or “planetary ruler.” 9 ruling planets are counted: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, and Moon, plus the “shadow planets” Rahu and Ketu, which are celestial points rather than actual planets. Each of these nine is therefore the ruler of three different Nakshatras.

It is one’s Nakshatra and its ruling planet that are considered in Vedic astrology to be the most important, precise, and illuminating details. But as the cosmos is not something fixed and static, two people born on the same date in different years will often not have the same Nakshatra. The only accurate way to discover one’s Nakshatra and its ruling planet is to either consult a reliable and experienced Vedic astrologer or – much more conveniently and without any expense – use a website, such as this one, changing the date and place of birth accordingly. Sometimes there is only one Nakshatra applicable to the whole day but on other occasions the Nakshatra changes during the day. It will show if that applies in your case; if so, you’ll need to know your time of birth in order to get an accurate result. The details to pay most attention to in your results on that page are “Moonsign,” “Nakshatra Pada,” and “Sunsign,” under the heading “Rashi and Nakshatra.”

Unless one is already acquainted with Vedic astrology, the results will seem meaningless at first. But if you then research about your Nakshatra and its ruling planet online, using the descriptions and summaries on such sites as The Times of India, Northern Lights Vedic, and thenakshatras.com, it is likely to prove quite – or even very – illuminating and informative (despite these inevitably not being truly and fully esoteric in the Theosophical sense) especially if one remembers the explanations given earlier that these things are not themselves causes but are effects of your own Karma from previous lives, particularly the preceding one.

Those students of Theosophy who are familiar with the book “The Jewel in The Lotus” compiled and edited by Raghavan Iyer will have noticed that that book links each day of the year to a specific Nakshatra and seems to imply that the Nakshatras are fixed to the same specific dates, year in and year out. Astronomically and astrologically, this is not the case, as we commented earlier. We are also aware that Iyer’s knowledge and understanding was such that he would have been well aware of that, so what the Nakshatra correlations in “The Jewel in The Lotus” are actually intended to apply to remains something of a mystery. The one for 10th March – Punarvasu – is indeed accurate with regard to his own date of birth (10th March 1930) but does not apply to 10th March every year. We personally researched what our own Nakshatra and its ruling planet would be according to the key in “The Jewel in The Lotus” and according to the detailed astronomical analysis on the site just linked to. The former did not describe us even remotely; the latter described us with astounding accuracy. The same holds true for others for whom we applied this test.

~ * ~

Although H. P. Blavatsky clearly indicated and practically asserted that sidereal astrology possesses a great accuracy that tropical astrology lacks, on a very few occasions she made statements that seem to be giving credence to the dates used in the tropical system; for example:

“Every one knows that [Capricorn] is the tenth sign of the Zodiac into which the Sun enters at the winter solstice, about December 21st. But very few are those who know – even in India, unless they are initiated – the real mystic connection which seems to exist, as we are told, between the names Makara and Kumara.” (“The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 576)

In the inaccurate tropical Zodiac, the month of Capricorn is from 21st December to 20th January. In the sidereal Zodiac, such as Vedic, it is 14th January to 12th February. However, saying that “everyone knows” such-and-such is not necessarily the same as saying “such-and-such is the case.” We all “know” things we have been taught but not everything we have been taught is true.

Many readers of this article are bound to have heard of, or even read, the book “Esoteric Astrology” by Alice Bailey, which was claimed to have been inspired and telepathically dictated by “the Tibetan,” Djwhal Khul, whose name had been given in the original Theosophical literature as a disciple or chela of the Master K.H. This site has several articles demonstrating the untheosophical and even anti-theosophical nature and content of the Bailey teachings and how her unseen inspirer (who we believe actually existed) shows himself to be thoroughly Western and Christian, rather than Tibetan, Eastern, or Buddhist in any way. See, for example, the extensive study Tibetan Master or Christian Priest? (Uncovering The Real Inspiration behind the Alice Bailey Books) or the shorter Why Do Blavatsky Students Warn Against Alice Bailey?

We mention all this here because it seems significant that Bailey’s so-called “Tibetan” presents as “Esoteric Astrology” a system based exclusively on the tropical system and asserts that Western or tropical astrology is more accurate than and esoterically superior to Eastern or sidereal astrology! According to this “D.K.,” the Trans-Himalayan Brotherhood and Shambhala and all the Masters use the Western, tropical approach as their astrological basis, which would be remarkable and astounding if it were true.

As we observed in the articles just linked to:

“Bailey’s “Tibetan” is so undeniably Christian that he speaks not of “THE New Testament” but of “OUR New Testament” (“D.K.” via Alice Bailey, “The Light Of The Soul” p. 426). . . . In the Bailey books, the religious scripture referred to, quoted from, and expounded upon most often, is the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Her unseen inspirer also evinces some small degree of familiarity with the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali but none at all with anything Tibetan or Buddhist. Judging from his quotes and references, he prefers even the Old Testament to any Buddhist scripture and doesn’t even make the slightest mention of the existence of such a thing as the Dhammapada, the most popular, well known, and basic Buddhist scripture.

“And yet this Christ-praising, God-believing, Gospel-recommending, Church-supporting, Bible-quoting “Tibetan” is implicitly believed by Bailey followers to be some sort of wise old Lama or Abbot at a Buddhist monastery somewhere in Tibet and a high ranking member of the Trans-Himalayan Brotherhood! And why? Simply because Alice Bailey said so.”

Yet we thoroughly understand and sympathise with the wish to find a Theosophically reliable form of genuine Esoteric Astrology.

For reasons quoted from HPB at the start, we cannot justifiably expect to find much in this regard, even in the 21st century. But we personally believe the book “Theosophical Astrology,” which we quoted from earlier, may come the closest. Much of what is in those articles by Helen Valborg, written in the 1970s and 1980s, is derived mostly from the writings of HPB, Vedic and Western astrology, ancient symbolism and mythology, and modern astronomy.

As with everything else, each must make up their own mind as to what is most likely to be reliable and trustworthy. But one thing is for sure:

“Yes; “our destiny is written in the stars!”” (H. P. Blavatsky, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 639)

“Those ancient men . . . they took the planets with the heavenly road in which they travel, and erected a scheme based on experience and the universal reign of law, which enabled them and will enable us to guide the faltering steps of man through the dark and rugged valley of this life. Anxiety is one of man’s greatest and most insidious foes. It fetters his energy and defeats his ends. If Astrology will relieve one at any crisis from anxiety, is it not well to foster its pursuit and spread its fame? It has relieved me often from anxiety which, without it, I would have felt for months. It will do the same for any one.” (William Q. Judge, “Astrology Verified”)

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This article, which should not be taken as in any way exhaustive, may have raised more questions about various things. Please make use of the site search function (the magnifying glass symbol at the top of the page) and visit the Articles page to see the complete list of over 400 articles covering all aspects of Theosophy and the Theosophical Movement.

Two articles closely related to this one are The Zodiac and Ourselves and Theosophy on The New Age of Aquarius.

~ BlavatskyTheosophy.com ~

“The Egyptian priests had the Zodiacs of the Atlantean Asura-Maya, as the modern Hindus still have. . . . The forefathers of the Aryan [i.e. Indian] Brahmins had their Zodiacal calculations and Zodiac from those born by Kriyasakti power, the “Sons of Yoga”; the Egyptians from the Atlanteans of Ruta.”
(H. P. Blavatsky, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 436)

“The occult system of Astrology [is] founded on the type of the Triad and the Quaternary, [which] correspond to the three higher and four lower principles, making seven in all.”

“The signs of the Zodiac and the labours of Hercules, represent the cycle of degrees of Initiation.”
(H. P. Blavatsky, Commentary on the Pistis Sophia)