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Cancer
News from JohnHopkins: 2. No water bottles in freezer. 3. No plastic wrap in microwave. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he
pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when
placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked,
the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic
wrap and drip into the food. This is
an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life! The influence gems can have on our lives Few of us understand how the transfer of electromagnetism from gems touching the skin can harmoniously improve our physical, psychological and spiritual health. In the unending quest to improve the quality of our lives, many of us don't stop to analyze our karmic patterns; indeed, most of us are reluctant to take note of the repetitive events and unchanging characteristics of our lives. Our karma is reflected in our personality, interests, likes and dislikes, character, environment and opportunities. It attracts positive or negative circumstances into our lives by the sheer force of magnetism--a magnetism we ourselves have built by a gradual accumulation of the inherent vibrations of the way we habitually react to circumstances and events.No detailed scientific explanations have been offered, so far in this age, of how precious gems are able to rearrange and re-orient our negative karmic patterns into positive patterns which can heal our ills and improve our lives. As the study of gem therapy encompasses several fields of research not usually grouped together, a full scientific understanding of the healing potential of gems may well require an unusually wide scope of investigation, ranging from the macrocosmosm astrophysics to the microcosm of atomic structure. There is broad agreement among the world’s spiritual teachings--such as Jesus’ teaching that "We do not live by bread alone…"-- that our lives are dependent on sustenance from beyond the merely physical realm. In addition to food, water, air and sunlight, we require unseen vital rays to sustain our mental, emotional and physical well being. These vital rays--subtle cosmic radiation received from various sources in space--combine to influence our attitudes, behavior and chosen environment. A large part of this cosmic radiation "blend" is electromagnetic radiation from the planets. This planetary radiation has a definite impact on our ever-changing psychological dispositions, not only as individuals but as nations as well. A well-known example is the effect on people of the moon’s major phases, which is so strong that many consciously experience it. Sunspots, although of minor astrological significance, have also been shown to significantly affect us. Historically, even comets have been subject to some scrutiny in relation to their influence on the human mind and world events. Stengthening our receptivity to beneficial planetary radiation If a person’s astrological chart shows his or her receptivity to beneficial planetary radiation is weakened or out of balance, then that receptivity can be balanced and strengthened by the natural electromagnetic radiation emanating from specific, correlative gems. Just as we need many different vitamins and minerals to sustain our physical requirements, so also, as the rishis (illumined sages of ancient India) explained, we utilize different forms of invisible energy to stimulate and aid our mental, spiritual and physical dispositions. Modern science does not struggle to attain a synthesis of scientific and spiritual understanding, but aims instead for an institutionalized specialization of inquiry. Such an inquiry tricks us intellectually into separating the unifying pervasiveness of consciousness in creation into a pseudo "caste system" of understanding ("this is organic, that inorganic; this is conscious, that unconscious," etc.). Because of this, it becomes difficult to think of our environment, be it animal, vegetable, mineral or space itself, as a conscious field that deeply effects our level of well being. But the further one steps back from this myopic focus, to view the whole picture, the more one can see that the divisionist approach to comprehending life can separate us not only from life’s pulse but also, most unfortunately, from its deeper meaning and significance. Today's scientists may describe the growth process of a crystal in meticulous detail, yet not comprehend the universal, conscious Intelligence guiding it to its completion, nor its conscious influence on our personal environment (the self). Such a lack of comprehension of the underlying Force and Mind behind creation is seen, by those who do comprehend it, to be an abdication of our God-given faculties of feeling and intuitive perception. Scientists have been so deeply hypnotized by their more easily verifiable theories about the physical universe, that they have developed a cynical disdain for the vast possibilities inherent in the metaphysical domain. But anyone who has sincerely practiced positive affirmations, used mantras, or lovingly practiced "the presence of God," can testify to the wonderful results of such exercises on the body, mind and spirit. In a like manner we can benefit from the unseen influences of even physical instruments which produce helpful electromagnetic rays, if we can acquire an instrument which is powerful enough, and of the correct blend of radiation to be helpful to our particular electromagnetic "signature" (which corresponds to our karmic weaknesses and strengths). New forms of energy Even though scientists have discovered many different forms of energy, new ones may yet be discovered. Measuring instruments have yet to be designed which are sensitive enough to detect the subtle electromagnetic emanations from the planets and from gems. For more than two thousand years man has been aware of the attractive force of magnetised iron. In recent years new ceramic materials incorporating boron and beryllium have been discovered to be even more magnetic. When we consider the existence of this hitherto unknown magnetic attribute of simple inorganic materials, it does not seem so implausible that there could be beneficial electromagnetic influences passed from inorganic gems to the complex organic structures which our bodies are made of Paramahansa Yogananda wrote in his Autobiography of a Yogi, "Pearls and other jewels, as well as metals and plants, applied directly to the human skin, exercise an electromagnetic influence over the physical cells. Man's body contains carbon and various metallic elements that are present also in plants, metals, and jewels. The discoveries of the rishis [illumined sages] in these fields will doubtless receive confirmation some day from physiologists. Man's sensitive body, with its electrical life currents, is a center of many mysteries as yet unexplored." Science is at an impasse in either quantifying or qualifying the remedial influences of gems and pure metals because, although the human mind can experience conscious reactions, these phenomena are not yet empirically measurable. It may be true that only consciousness can measure consciousness. At any rate, instruments have not yet been discovered that can adequately measure the influences of gems on the human condition. The great yogis of India, who have displayed miraculous powers and shown their ability to subtly transcend material laws, have explained that man has three bodies: causal, astral and physical. They state that it is the astral and causal bodies which determine the "blueprint" for the physical body's creation. Just as the physical body is primarily composed of sixteen chemical elements, so the causal has sixteen "electrical" precursor ideas or powers. The astral body has directive functions (electrical instruments of intelligence), which govern the five physical senses, our ability to move our muscles, and, with particular regard to the subtle life force of gems, the five forms of prana (vital airs or chi). It is these five forms of prana which direct and control the vitality of the five essential bodily functions of crystallization, assimilation, elimination, metabolism and circulation. The source of the body's physical strengths and weaknesses Our health is in great measure dependent on a well-toned balance of these five types of prana. The complex electromagnetic field (the astral body) in which the physical body is encased, is the source of all the body's physical strengths and weaknesses. This astral body, which includes the chakras (the seven cerebro-spinal, astral centers of the human body), holds a record of all our karma, and releases it appropriately into the physical body when stimulated by the macrocosm (planetary radiation being a part of the macrocosm). The body often has an insufficient ability to tap into the vibratory cosmic energy it needs. Its supply can be supplemented with a like radiation from specific gems, if these gems are of sufficient weight and are worn firmly in contact with the skin. God created the cosmos first by manifesting thought or ideas, then by giving each idea a different intelligent vibratory consciousness, and finally by condensing this consciousness into material form. As it says in the Bible: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made by him , and without him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1,3) The "Word," in this passage, is referring to the intelligent vibratory consciousness, otherwise known as the "Amen," "Aum" or "Om." Strong vibratory media can be utilized medically to cure or alleviate many ailments, which is why people can be helped by such a variety of vibratory media as homeopathy, gems, color healing, essential flower oils, sound, and herbal tinctures. The FDA reflects a more materialistic consciousness when it manipulates the ruling medical disciplines into favoring the more scientifically understandable, commercially exploitable, chemical and physical approaches to healing. Unfortunately for this approach, healing is more often the result of the regenerative intelligence of healing energy than of biochemical manipulation, which doesn’t change the cause of the problem. The lack of understanding of this has severely retarded the development of less intrusive healing arts. When a newscaster speaks, often each listener will hear a "different story," based on how he or she relates to the subject matter. In this article, I will often examine situations from the perspective of how we relate to something, since a failure in how we relate, can be a major obstacle to our understanding of the use of crystal energy. History shows how the conventional wisdom is repeatedly overturned by new discoveries--discoveries of laws that always existed but needed a new way of looking at the universe, a new "attitude," before they could be seen and understood. The physical sciences form a tightly knit empirical structure which can be used to predict extensions to the structure, and to create new materials and systems. Within its domain it is incredibly powerful, but it is a closed system which doesn’t concern itself with knowledge outside its domain. Yet it is often through great scientists’ awareness of phenomena beyond the understanding of current science that great extensions to the domain of science are made. Lesser scientists are often limited by the boundaries of current knowledge, and consider research into the soul-body connection "unscientific" and "New Age." Creation is a vast interconnected network, each part influencing the other visibly or invisibly, in a manner often too subtle for the intellect to comprehend. Different rates of consciousness flower into different vibratory units of energy. Scientists tell us that there is enough energy in a ton of water to power the earth's energy requirements for a whole year, if only we knew how to tap into it. It is obvious that energy is an integral part of the fabric of creation, and that we are still only scratching the surface of how to understand and utilize it. Science and Religion have traditionally maintained separate approaches, each resentful of being ridiculed or interfered with by the other; the empirical and clinical versus revealed truth, faith, and super-conscious experience. Science analyzes external observations, while a genuine religion discovers higher truths through the intuitive and experiential faculties of higher levels of spiritual consciousness. Some scientists ridicule the idea of a connection between the body and the soul or that this connection may have an influence on our health and well being. However, although the existence of the astral and causal bodies cannot be proven by the intellect alone, or detected by physical instruments, this in no way precludes their existence. Our actions from past lives will reverberate internally until finding outward expression in our mental and physical character. Many people say they can intuitively "read" a person’s karmic history from their eyes and face. The expression of intelligence and love of ideals written in the eyes, and the strong will in the chin, for instance, have come from deeply ingrained actions and repetitive thoughts in this life and in past lives, sculpting their influence in the physical body via the astral. The karmic push and pull of repulsion and attraction is a vibratory manifestation of consciousness, which even molds our molecular makeup (iridology and palmistry provide evidence for this). Many clinical psychotherapists contend that a deep resentment (from an unpleasant karmic "payback"), which acts like "a cancer on the mind," may eventually produce an actual cancer in the body. But, like the use of gems for therapy, this contention is not empirically provable to the satisfaction of Western scientific academia. It is, nonetheless, a real effect, producing real cancers! Fortunately, many have found that their unpleasant karma can be altered in a positive way by the subtle magnetic resonance of correct thoughts, right behavior, prayer, meditation, nutritious whole foods, flower essences (such as aroma and Bach flower remedies), healing herbs, and by wearing certain gems next to their skin. Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine use a host of media to enhance the vital airs in order to bring health and healing. However gems and metals can be effortlessly used, on a steady basis (worn permanently next to the skin) to achieve the same benefits. The great mystic, Edgar Cayce, was an early twentieth century pioneer of the art of gem healing (among other talents). He said: "[Gems] make... the body more sensitive to the higher vibrations." How modern science is catching up with ancient wisdom Although science is currently unable to comment objectively on the subject of the remedial influence of gems and metals, it is at least in agreement with the wisdom of ancient India on the source of all energy. Millenniums ago in India the rishis (fully illumed sages, authors of the Vedas and other Scriptures) explained that all forms of energy originate via the essence of light. In our times some theoretical physicists have describe light (electromagnetic waves radiating through space, governed by the laws of physics) as the medium which brings consciousness into form (matter). In 1983, Dr. David Bohm, a professor of physics at the University of London, spoke of matter as "frozen light." This seemingly radical statement is really just a slight extension of Einstein’s famous theory of General Relativity, in which he showed that matter and electromagnetic radiation are just two different states of the same thing, the two being related by his famous equation E=mc2, which described how much energy (E) you get when you "melt" a given mass (m) of matter into electromagnetic energy, and, conversely, how much energy (or light) needs to be "frozen" to give a certain amount of matter. The two are related by the most important constant in the universe, the velocity of light (c)--(186,000 miles per second). In order to better understand the atom, as a pre-requisite to understanding how larger objects like gems behave, it is useful to look at the parts of the atom. In examining a little bit of the internal "stuff" of the atom we can see how larger atomic composites, like gems, are not simply inert conglomerates of hard little "balls" but are, in fact, very "alive," active and full of energy. It is outside the scope of this article to go into the characteristics of the many sub-atomic particles that have been discovered to exist within atoms. The spin factors, electrical charges, typical modes of decay, and the average lifetimes of photons, gravitons, and the numerous kinds of leptons, mesons, and baryons which are within the subatomic realm of wave and particle activity, express the dynamic pulse of micro-creation. But to gain respect for a small area of study of the atomic universe it is worthwhile to at least consider the electron. Electrons are one of the three primary particles the atom is made of. As they are not in the nucleus, but revolve around the outside of the atom, electrons do not require very much energy to "strip" them from the atom. Electrons have an almost negligible mass, compared to the protons and neutrons in the nucleus, but have a negative electrical charge exactly equal in magnitude to the positive charge of the proton. Electrons are viewed, in some conventional schools of scientific thought, as orbiting around the nucleus, much like planets orbit the sun, but it is not quite that simple. No one has ever "seen" or photographed an electron, not even with the most powerful microscope; its existence is inferred by observation of its effects, much like air (which also cannot be seen) can be inferred to exist by its effects, such as wind. In fact an electron is so infinitesimally small and moves at such an incredibly high speed that no one can even predict with any assurance where it is in its "orbit" at any moment. Its position or "orbit" around the nucleus of the atom should be more correctly likened to a thin, spherical "cloud" formation or "shell", in which it could be at almost any point, statistically, at any moment. Other scientists see it as more accurate to describe electrons as "standing waves"--in other words as energy, and not as matter at all. Such are just a few of the more recent discoveries of this will-o-the-wisp "entity" called the electron, which is nonetheless an essential part of the atom. To understand the relative sizes of the primary parts of the atom, imagine that the nucleus (a tight little "cluster" of one or more protons and neutrons) is proportional to the sun, then the first electron "orbit" would be even farther away than our outermost known planet, Pluto! This gives an accurate picture of the atom as being almost entirely empty space, but held together by a very powerful forces. The strictly materialist thinker will prefer not to look at atoms, let alone gems, as forces of harmonic energy patterns (resonance) held together by electrical, vibratory intelligence (consciousness). Instead, he or she will prefer to compare the bonding of atoms to something as simple as Lego toys or structural velcro. But many highly regarded, objectively rigorous, quantum physicists are now exposing unusual characteristics of the atom's substructure that previously would have been considered untenable. Professor Amit Goswami’s has this to say about sub-atomic particles in his bridge-building book, The Self- Aware Universe: "Today modern science is venturing into realms that for more than four millennia have been the fiefdoms of religion and philosophy. Until the present interpretation of the new physics, the word transcendence was seldom mentioned in the vocabulary of physics. The term was even considered heretical." Goswami further states that a 1982 experiment by a team of physicists in France confirmed the idea of transcendence in quantum physics. The experiment, conducted by Alain Aspect and collaborators, proved that two quantum particles emitted from the same source remain inextricably correlated: when a change is made to one particle, instantaneously the other particle is affected similarly--even when separated by vast distances. Goswami says, "When there is no signal in space-time to mediate their connection…where, then, exists the instantaneous connection between correlated quantum objects that is responsible for their signal-less action at a distance? The succinct answer is: in the transcendent domain of reality…A consciousness that can collapse the wave function of a photon at a distance, instantly, must itself be non-local, or transcendent." Science, in its pursuit of trying to be understandable and useful to all interests, has locked itself into a system of bite-sized fields of study and measurement. The more limited our open mindedness to the spiritual reality of the "grand unifying theory" the less open we are to the inter-weaving or unifying aspect of creation. When is a measurement complete? It is actually a philosophical question, that is misconstrued in science by a practical need dependent on the goal of the inquirer--not necessarily on "the whole truth" itself. As the children of a materialistic, scientific culture we forget that consciousness is ever transcendent, not limited to finite manifestations; because it is everywhere, it appears nowhere. Hence, scientists say they alone will explain what measurements they can use to circumscribe gems (or any other objects), and from the point of view of gemology this process of identification is important. But the questions go so much further than this: what are the potential transcendental qualities of these atom-structured units and how do they come about? The now scientifically established wave-particle dual nature of matter ("wavicles") has been a hard pill for the rigidly materialist thinker to swallow. For the staunch proponent of "solid", reliably "constant" matter, it seems impossible that something can be known and defined alternately as a particle--a discrete, irreducible entity occupying a finite (albeit a very tiny) portion of space--and as a wave, which can be spread out over a comparatively large and indefinable region of space, and which is neither discrete nor an "entity" as such. (In fact, "wavelike" is a description most commonly applied to energy, not matter.) And yet, this dualistic nature of matter is exactly what current scientific findings are forcing us all to accept, unsettling and paradoxical though it may be. Fritjof Capra, in The Turning Point, writes, "The situation seemed hopelessly paradoxical until it was realized that the terms 'particle' and 'wave' refer to classical concepts which are not fully adequate to describe atomic phenomena. An electron is neither a particle nor a wave, but it may show particle-like aspects in some situations and wave-like aspects in others. While it acts like a particle, it is capable of developing its wave nature at the expense of its particle nature, and vice versa, thus undergoing continual transformations from particle to wave and from wave to particle. This means that neither the electron nor any other atomic 'object' has any intrinsic properties independent of its environment. The properties it shows--particle-like or wave-like--will depend on the experimental situation, that is, on the apparatus it is forced to interact with." More than a few well-respected physicists are now publicly asserting that the atom is not inert matter but is rather energy with incessant vibratory motion, and that this atomic energy might better be crudely described as "mind stuff"--because at the subatomic level it is continuously appearing and disappearing in a way we do not yet understand. One of the greatest hypnotic illusions of creation is that matter is solid, tangible and constant. In their fundamental essences all "solid" objects are, in fact, just light (electromagnetic energy) in their slowed down or "condensed" rates of vibration. From the above quotes from scientists, it is clear that the atom, as matter, has a vibratory (wave) nature as well as a particle nature, and that there is even a telepathic-like resonance between atoms which seemingly annihilates space and time. The power of consciousness, and the influence of gems on it Telepathy is communication by means other than the physical senses. Scientists seldom consider the "psychology" of matter. We haven't confirmed the conscious behavior of atoms, or even plants, as worthy areas of research. Some great pioneers have had their findings in this area largely sidelined by the universities which dominate the sciences. An example of this is the evidence suggesting that plants tremble with fear when we go near them with the intention of plucking their leaves. Brilliant publications like Autobiography of a Yogi or The Secret life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, give clear insights into why we should return the protection and service nature gives to man. Scientific awe should engender enormous reverence and love for nature, manifesting as nurturing farming techniques, not viewing nature with the extremely economic and selfish aggression which is so prevalent today. Environmental insensitivity subconsciously erodes our own loving sympathies for grasping the conscious energy field in nature through its animals, plants and even crystals. An example of this insensitivity was when Prince Charles was fervently ridiculed in the English tabloids for publicly explaining why he lovingly spoke to his plants. Every society has its limits of understanding, and as individuals we have to break past the norm of lower thresholds of understanding. Saints have explained that all space has, and is a part of, Gods consciousness. Indian saints have said that God sleeps in the stones, dreams in man, but is fully awake in the Self-realized, liberated man. Fortunately, science is becoming liberated from cultural influences, and its pursuit of the understanding of energy (and its origin) will eventually give it more respect for timeless spiritual explanations. In recent years, more and more scientists are hypothesizing that everything in creation is, in fact, intelligent mind stuff. And some have felt freed enough by the relentlessly focused truth-seeking of laboratory experiments to finally understand that the evolutionary path of each human individual is ultimately to overcome this delusion of separation and to merge back into the cosmic consciousness that our false self-identity (ego) has hidden from us. This evolutionary path has many processes, techniques and aids for hastening one's progress toward the goal. Foremost among them is the scientific, devotional practice of yoga meditation and prayer, which with practice, develops our mind control to achieve the birthright of self-realization. Studying the teachings of true spiritual masters is also crucial to success. Somewhat less important, but not neglected by earnest seekers, is the subtle lift to the consciousness which comes from wearing atomically symmetrical, precious gems or crystals next to the skin. Gems, as intelligently grown crystal forms, share--by common design--unique, patterned symmetries in their atomic lattices that structure billions of atoms in geometric alignment. The precise structure adopted by atoms when they link to form a crystal depends upon which kinds of atoms are present at the time, which ones end up in the crystal structure, and the conditions (temperature, pressure, etc) which control the way they link together. A sapphire gem of five carats (one gram of sapphire crystal) is made of 10,000 million million atoms of aluminum and oxygen which have linked together at high temperature to form a crystal structure in a threefold repeating pattern. And we must remember that subatomic particles are never at rest. Unlike the situation with most non-crystalline forms of matter, this effectively allows for a greatly amplified flow of unencumbered and regulated multi-frequency waves that can harmonize (resonate) and strengthen the correlative beneficial radiation that the planets shower upon the earth. Furthermore, energy is both patterned after, and reflects, a level of consciousness. Gems are considered, by those who study Ayurveda, to have a particularly potent and stable resonance of energy (consciousness) due to an exceptionally free flow of energy from their geometrically aligned atoms. This resonant energy has either an obvious or subtle effect on the mind (consciousness), depending on the individual wearing the gems. Richard Gerber, MD, in his book, Vibrational Medicine, describes resonance as "a phenomenon which occurs throughout nature. At the level of the atom, we know that electrons whirl about the nucleus in certain energetically defined orbits. In order to move an electron from a lower to a higher orbit, a quantum of energy with very special frequency characteristics is required. An electron will only accept energy of the appropriate frequency to move from one energy level to another. If the electron falls from the higher to the lower orbit, it will radiate energy of that very same frequency. This required atomic frequency is referred to as the 'resonant frequency.' Atoms and molecules have special resonant frequencies that will only be excited by energies of very precise vibratory characteristics. For instance, the singer who is able to shatter a wineglass by delivering a high amplitude note does so by singing in the precise resonant frequency of the glass. "Another definition of resonance has to do with the phenomenon of energy exchanged between tuned oscillators. Let us use as an example two perfectly tuned Stradivarius violins placed at opposite ends of a small room. If we pluck the E string of one violin, a careful observer will notice that the sister violin's E string will also begin to vibrate and 'sing' in harmony. The reason that this occurs is because the E strings of the violins are carefully tuned and responsive to a particular frequency. The E strings can accept energy in the E frequency because that is their resonant frequency. The E strings of the violins are like the electrons of the atoms. They will vibrate at a new energy level only if they are exposed to energy of their resonant frequency." If we were to hypothesize that in the human body there may be a low or weakened degree of receptivity to a frequency of needed cosmic radiation, due to various karmic reasons, then a gem which resonates at a frequency which is identical to that "weak link" in the individual's bio-electronic pattern could well be the catalyst for a definite improvement in physical, psychological and spiritual health (Please see the Testimonials Page). We can infer that what gems do is resonate to the needed frequencies radiated by the planets and hence strengthen or retune our weakened receptivity to these frequencies. Holistic practitioners agree with the rishis of ancient India when they explain that disease is generally a symptom of a lack, or an excess, of a particular form of energy. The correct balance of energy is the remedy that seems to procure the greatest health. As Dr. Gerber pointed out in the quote from him earlier in this article, the sound waves of a violin's E string will activate and excite its harmonic partner on a nearby violin. If we look at life, we see this responsive resonance at work in our own interactions. One of the transforming effects of meeting a saint is that we immediately feel inspired and uplifted. This is because we begin to resonate with the saint's higher qualities and love, which in turn seems to magnify our own essential goodness — that is, the saint "strikes a chord" in us (related to our good karma). In so doing the saint helps uplift our self-identity so it is more open to higher and larger possibilities. Somewhat like the "receiving violin" we resonate with the saint's higher consciousness. A saint’s spoken advice and blessings are received not so much through the vibration of sound but by the subtler, unspoken vibration of his or her high spirituality. And how many of us have noticed the "coincidence" that when our friends laugh we usually find it infectious and laugh with them, but that when someone not on our wavelength is laughing, we may not be inclined to join them? The infectious laughter occurred because of our resonant empathy (common resonance frequency) with our friends. Prayer - resonating with the Divine Intelligence When we pray we send out appreciation, or a request for some quality to be improved, or a situation to learn from, and so on, and we are sometimes amazed at how wonderfully the universal Intelligence responds. But if we were to reflect that when we pray we are actually resonating with the abundance of divine love and goodwill that is readily available to everyone, and our prayers are simply acting as the channels through which the love and goodwill flow, then perhaps the bountiful response would not seem so astonishing. Of course, if our mental instrument--our attunement--hasn't developed the ability to resonate with the abundance of the Divine Intelligence, then we should not find fault with a less than hoped for response. Most people believe that a positive attitude eventually brings success to our endeavors (some even acknowledge subtle forces at work), no matter from whence it comes. And they also equally believe that the reverse--a negative attitude--will bring great obstacles, appearing as if from nowhere. Most healers who use their mental or bodily magnetism to tap into the universal healing energy, believe that although they don't know the color, form or texture of the healing energy which flows through them, their pure intention has, nonetheless, a resonance that of itself can rectify the specific problem. They realize that to develop the ability to attract and hold this resonating healing power, they have to live in a pure way and maintain a high level of consciousness. Even to just feel especially happy is to become aware that we are literally resonating with joy or well being; this feeling is the result of resonating with the residual memories of our good past actions and thoughts, which culminates in a higher vibratory consciousness. Homeopathy An often-misunderstood form of vibratory healing through the use of resonance is homeopathy. Homeopathy recognizes that the body will resonate at a different frequency when it is afflicted by a particular illness. It recognizes that different virus and germs will make the body resonate at different frequencies in an attempt to throw them off. Let's say, in a simplified example, that Jane is normally resonating at 300 Hertz (cycles per second) but, in order to throw off her cold, has an immune function which responds by changing her vibratory rate to 450 Hz, a higher frequency at which she may feel discomfort. Homeopathic reasoning will advise that she can be helped by amplifying her capacity to resonate at 450Hz so that she can throw off her illness and return to balanced health more quickly. This amplification is accomplished by having Jane ingest a homeopathic vibratory medicine which consists of very little actual material substance but which retains the subtle vibration of the substance. This boosts her electromagnetic signature in such a way as to deal with the stressed higher vibratory range. Her body is, thus, able to make use of the higher frequency that it temporarily needs to overcome the cold. (This same theory applies to why it is beneficial to wear a nine-gem bangle--a navaratna--touching the skin. The navaratna allows the body and mind to benefit by selecting a needed frequency from the broad range available from the nine gems working together in different combinations.) Because the human body is composed of both particle and wave-like properties, (remember the dual nature of matter), the wave-like (light-like) properties of the body confer unique frequency characteristics that respond by moving up or down a frequency range, giving it the ability to resonate with gems. It can do this at any one of a range of frequencies, and this gives it the ability to respond to many different stimuli. As an illustration of this phenomenon, psychiatrists have documented emotional changes in our behavior when in the presence of different colors. In terms of what I have been saying, this is a resonation with light frequencies. It is known that within the "spectrum" of vitamins we need for our nutrition, different vitamins have affinities with different colors. Gems also have a range of helpful frequency radiations that can be intelligently utilized when required by the higher mind and the chakras, each of which needs different rates of vibratory assistance. But we also react to many other kinds of stimulation, for example, environmental, conversational, recreational, and digestive, just to name a few. They will all act to change our rate of resonant frequency. Our mental resilience and physical immunity in the face of such daily stimulation will depend on how much balance we have in reserve to help counteract inharmonious forces that could otherwise disturb us. In our varied lives, when we are being bombarded with such a broad range of experiences, we need, as humans, to expand our capacity for empathy. This means we need to be able to resonate both sympathetically and discriminatively with the full spectrum of human experiences, so that we can compare and understand how best to interpret and react to them. Endlessly repetitive misjudgments can cause us lasting harm. Every incorrect thought and action that we engage in damages our ability to interpret our next experience, and so on, until we may find ourselves sliding into mental or physical illness. If we cannot recognize a truth, it is because we have allowed delusion, via repeated misjudgments, to have too great a hold over us. If the body cannot recognize and overcome a virus, it is an immunological weakness initiated by the lifestyle and habits from this life or a previous one. Cancer seems to be the result of such a process, where the body's intelligence has seemingly forgotten how to overcome its tumor making tendencies. As a psychological example, along a similar line, an incorrect reaction to an insult can be resentment (an example of a common, all too human misjudgment). If this type of reaction becomes repetitive in a person's life, it can create chronic tension and even lead to a breakdown in both physical and mental health. And, again, this type of experience will implant a resonant frequency in the body which correlates to the person's reactive tendencies. Some people, perhaps because of their humility, do not harbor resentment to insults or other minor injustices. Could it be that such individuals are more whole, and more developed in their range of learned reactions, because humility has a resonating frequency in their mental characteristics? We know that humility makes a significant difference to people’s mental health, but our present-day medical vocabulary hardly seems to have words to encompass the concept. Positive people and the mind-body connection Despite their traditional mechanistic training, doctors are beginning, in ever-greater numbers, to realize the supreme importance of the mind-body connection in relation to disease. Research is showing that there is, in fact, a correlation between positive people and a low incidence of disease, in the same environments as depressed, or otherwise negative, people who contract a disproportionately high number of bacterial or viral infections. Such research into the connection between mental states (mind) and resulting physical health (body) is only the beginning of what, I predict, will some day become a fully accepted and fundamentally comprehensive set of principles on the origins of disease. Most people who have purchased a navaratna (nine-gem bangle) say they feel there has been a positive shift in their mindset which has had a subtle, or in some cases an obvious, affect on their character and lifestyle. We should perhaps forget about the word disease for a moment and concentrate on the inter-relatedness of the concepts of receptivity and resonance. With respect to something as complex as a human being, it would be unwise to say categorically that everyone who thinks or acts in a certain way will necessarily contract certain diseases. But it is nonetheless unequivocal that our vibratory resonance will act like a magnet to increase our receptivity to certain environments, people, philosophies, health strengths and weaknesses, and relationships. In fact, everything of crucial importance to us in life is summed up in this last word, relationship. The sum total of all our actions and thoughts will create a whole internalized set of relationships, with the inevitable conclusion that our lives are ever growing composites of a changing set of causal conditions--all related to each other in a complex pattern. We have to realize that we are magnets, alternately attracting or repelling everything from positive or negative health to a wonderful or an unsupportive life partner. The basis of all our problems in life lies in our receptivity (resonance) to them. As our receptivity can be either negative or positive, reactive or proactive, we must, therefore, strive to become magnets that attract only the positive. We must increase the positive aspect of our receptivity. The real significance of karma is not in what happens to us but in how we react to it. And the greatest challenge of life is to react to events in a positive way. Many people approach astrology without understanding or utilizing positive receptivity. Instead of using astrology as a warning to deal with or overcome a potentially harmful situation, many people just shrug their shoulders and accept the "fated pronouncement of the stars" like helpless lambs being led to slaughter. People could increase their positive receptivity by viewing astrology as predominantly a science to aid in finding remedial solutions to nullify or mitigate the irritations of life. Unfortunately, most astrologers don't have the luxury of dealing only with people who realize they should actively seek a spiritual path which will help them to consciously overcome their negative tendencies and resonance's before it is too late. Such a path will always take self effort and discipline, inspired by an exemplary teacher--it is not just a blind belief system. Those who don't understand this will sadly assume that astrology is a fatalistic science. Astrology is, on the contrary, merely a science of resonance, and its concomitant attractive or repulsive qualities can be countered, improved or altered-- ideally before the destined pattern becomes an irritating reality. Science likes to focus on details, and at the same time fails to see that pervading consciousness which is everywhere, but can be found nowhere if the observer is not receptive. Consciousness is not a function of the intellect; it is rather a matter of feeling and receptivity, increased through harmonious living. Does it seem so strange that a pearl, which is made by Nature's reaction, in an oyster, to overcome an irritation, should also electromagnetically have that same influence--reducing irritation--on a person's mind when wearing it next to the skin? Does it not sound reasonable that, even though many crystal and gem purveyors could be promulgating outrageous claims about their wares, there is nonetheless at least some truth in this yet to be widely respected science? Shamans, witch doctors and modern medicine More than a few shamans, wizards, and witch doctors have had a better intuitional understanding than most Western doctors of Nature's forces present in herbs and gems, and in their healing attributes. Perhaps the "outsiders" (mechanistic doctors) have, in focusing on the external trappings of natural cures, not grasped the essential reasons for their popularity in ancient times. Of course, Western "modern medicine" has had a short-term, overall, high success rate, particularly with infectious diseases, though not so much with chronic systemic ills. This is why it has, relatively recently (but maybe only temporarily), superseded the world's ancient healing systems. I am not suggesting a pearl can cure malaria, but I am proposing that it may lessen the discomfort to some degree. It may be remembered that only twenty years ago acupuncture was barely respected in the west, and was sadly ridiculed in many western hospitals. Even herbs, which were unfairly criticized as being either "toxic" or worthless, have finally moved up in respect as healing substances. Yet, despite this advance in consciousness, the majority of people still feel the "magic" in nature's infinite variety seems too simple and ingeniously accommodating to allow that gems can make a difference. In "The Wisdom of Forrest Gump" by Winston Groom, he advises "not to put stock in newspapers as you can find out more just by lookin' around at what is goin' on." It's a bit like the best newspaper in the world will never give you the news of your day. And so, to a degree, are the limitations of scientific research. Like a harmonically resonating violin string, we need to respond to our environmental situations sympathetically, yet with full awareness of our environmental conditions. We need to respond to a broad range of ever-changing conditions in our lives, which require a reserve of different kinds of energy to draw upon. An accomplished musical composer knows all the combinations of notes within the octave, and how best to arrange them in his composition. When a person is not able to digest a certain vitamin efficiently, it may help to either increase or purify the supply. When our horoscope indicates how we can be helped by understanding our strengths and weaknesses, we can activate our superhuman will to help ourselves, but we can also take advantage of the limited, but benign, cosmic nutrition of the electromagnetic radiation from gems touching the skin. To wear gems for wellbeing without also seeking a spiritual goal in life is to show a complete lack of understanding of the long-term purpose of gems. They are merely stepping stones to help us on our path, a minor but useful adjunct to our willpower and devotion in seeking the goal of self-illumination. Wisdom arises from correctly learned lessons from past experiences. Increasing our wisdom increases our ability to comprehend our lives, and to know how to act in different situations. It is not so much an intellectual capacity as a function of how we tune in (or resonate) with our experiences and perceptions. A dictionary cannot adequately define the word "wisdom"--it is too broad a subject. But in one important respect we could say wisdom involves making decisions, in all circumstances, on the basis of truths revealed when we resonate with a higher plane of existence. Such an attainment comes to people who have a strong center of focus on spiritual perception. People with wisdom don't just happen--they work, within a helpful environment, on developing discernment, and instill in themselves, through willpower, the habit of practicing virtues such as patience, consideration, tolerance and humility. Nine-gem bangle It has been interesting to note that many people who wear the nine-gem bangle have noticed small but gratifying increases in their willingness to be virtuous in their behavior. They have said that their attraction to lower-vibration activities and places had inexplicably lessened, and that this was something that took them by surprise. It was clear to them that it was not a question of trying to change their habitual pastimes, but rather one of just not being attracted to them as much. I would explain this by suggesting that, in absorbing the electromagnetic vibrations of the gems, their inner personal resonance subtly changed in such a way that there was a reduction in the level of attraction to their past behaviors. Like will attract like, and when your rate of vibration changes there will be a definite change in your attraction to past habitual actions and thoughts. Some have said to their surprise, "Now I just want to meditate more." Others have said, "Now I just want to balance my life with a stronger spiritual environment than before." And still others say it seems that their lives are more fulfilling now, and there are fewer obstructions. So many people look at karma as that which is irrevocably "coming to them," consequently they don’t understanding how the gems can help their karmic pattern. Again and again I have talked to people who have expressed amazement that, after wearing the bangle, their reactions to circumstances which used to irritate them greatly has dramatically shifted, so that they are not nearly as bothered by them, and their overall well-being is much improved. They have told how their resonance to negative circumstances has greatly lessened, and not reverberated in their minds as irritatingly as usual. This in turn has changed their former magnetism of reacting in a negative, defensive manner. How we resonate to life determines how we respond to circumstances, which in turn helps determine our future circumstances, and large gems make demonstrative improvements to our personal resonance. Resonance and Magnetism are strongly interrelated in our lives. The wisdom in our consciousness will gauge the way we relate and react to karmic situations. Three people can be insulted; one will be amused, another mildly irritated and the third will want to hit back. Our resonation with the circumstance created the magnetism for the reaction. Many people have testified that their reactions to circumstances changed greatly when they started wearing gems--certain things did not bother them as much, and they could express themselves more clearly and attract better life situations. Our karma is really just a form of time-delayed magnetism (attracting the "good" or the "bad") that we can improve by prayer, will power and self-help disciplines, such as those offered by any spiritual path which has practices incorporating improvements in the heart, health and mental faculties of the student. I have many clients who told me their astrologer could not understand why they were not having health problems, when the placement of their planets indicated that they should be. They concluded that because they did so much work on strengthening their health earlier in their life, and in developing exceptional health patterns, their developed resilience thwarted the karmic inclination toward weakened receptivity to the needed planetary radiations, so it seemed as though nothing negative was occurring. Preventive karmic activity is based on developing a strong mind and body, so that we don’t even know we are experiencing a weakened receptivity to the needed cosmic radiations. The magnetism of "destiny" can, therefore, be changed by determined, wise actions that become deeply integrated into our mental and physical health. Wearing appropriate gems supplements the dosage of the blend of useful electromagnetic radiation that the planets radiate. The gems’ atomic frequencies also resonate to counteract our weakened karmic disposition for not being receptive to a healthy balance of planetary radio frequencies that feed our astral body, and which in turn, are so vital to our physical body. Gem Therapy Benoytosh Bhattacharya, in his groundbreaking book, Gem Therapy, explained that, from his life's research in this field, he has concluded that we deeply need light in its balance of all the rays of the visible spectrum--in deep rich tones--to be healthy. He understood that certain gems have a radiation that, though not visibly a certain color, represent that frequency of color vibration on an etheric or higher resonance level. All energy manifestations have harmonic frequencies which interact with each other on a higher plane; for example, a musical note may resonate with a color, a geometric shape, a planet, a crystal or even a vitamin. We know the vitamin will assist the physical body, but we discount the possibility that the astral body can also be helped by "nutrition" of a different kind; which in turn benefits the physical body. Many gem healers have suggested that the rays from gems can help the mental and spiritual bodies even more than the physical. And they further suggest that, in the manifestation of God's consciousness, different kinds of medicine work better if the patient's lack of radiation receptivity is supplemented by some "applied means". Bhattacharya's specialty and recommendation for the applied means was, quite naturally, the non-invasive use of gems, and his book claims he had satisfying results. A large part of his explanation of health improvement was that, as "beings of light", we need to be receptive to all the colors of the rainbow--in an even, deeply toned balance--for maximum health. He considered certain gems a repository of harmonically resonant color frequencies that can nourish depleted healing forces. Happily, the best means to supplement receptivity are the least invasive and the simplest. I am not, of course, endorsing gems as the panacea to all ills, but I do recommend them as a valid part of a combined approach to resolving a health problem. Gems have measurable scientific qualities, some of which are related to their interaction with the electromagnetic radiation of light, as for example their color, and their indices of refraction, dispersion, and pleochromism. In addition, they have various unique reactions to different parts of the visible spectrum, which show the stable, set pattern of how they interact with light. Each crystal has a natural frequency of vibration, which depends on its size and shape. If such a crystal is introduced into an oscillating electronic circuit that resonates at a frequency very close to that of the natural frequency of the crystal, the whole circuit (including the crystal) will oscillate at the crystals natural frequency, and the frequency will remain constant over considerable periods (a good crystal will maintain oscillation for a year with an accumulated error of less than 0.1 of a second). In a quartz watch or clock the alternating current from the oscillating circuit containing such a crystal is amplified and the frequency subdivided until it is suitable to drive a synchronous motor, which in turn drives a gear train to operate the hands of the clock. Quartz crystal radios and watches, laser and radar equipment, photoelectric cells, and computers are all based on the extraordinary power and stability of the electromagnetic phenomenon of light interacting with crystals. Electro-medicine Electro-medicine is a scientific practice that stimulates the cellular Electro-physiological energies by using a special electromagnetic field to create a desired equilibrium of health. Many physiologists believe that cellular replications, which are continually carried out in the human body, involve bioelectric switching mechanisms. Cancer is a prime example of a disorder in which the cellular replication has gone awry, with an attendant massive overproduction of tumor cells. Since replication is in itself a natural process, the fact that the body has betrayed its otherwise balanced instincts is indicative of its intelligence being thrown out of balance at a deeper vibratory level. Mainstream Western scientists are unable to rectify this problem because they have not yet fully researched the interaction between living organisms and the spectrum of cosmic rays they require. Botanists have discovered surprising responses of different flowering plants to different rays of the spectrum--like the lunar Jasmine which opens only on a full moon. But overall, there is still much to be discovered about color and light therapy. In millenniums past, the rishis explained that within every physical object and living being there is a finer astral counterpart, composed of luminous lifetronic energy. This lifetronic energy is a consciousness that, when strong enough, will influence its immediate environment--its outer physical form. Most people think that the influence of gems is a New Age discovery, but, in fact, their powerful influence has been known for at least four thousand years--the age of the Garuda Purana texts of India which mention it. The correspondence between gems and planets From the penetrating insight of the rishis' illumined state of consciousness, they were able to offer us the insight that the electromagnetic frequencies of particular gems are harmonically very similar to those of one or other of the planets. This correlative similarity means that when a person's vedic horoscope reading indicates that a problem may arise due to a weakened planetary influence (poor receptivity), it can be strengthened (counteracted) by the use of a specific gem's electromagnetic radiation, especially if the gem is of sufficient weight and quality. All rishis (those who have attained liberation from the little self into cosmic consciousness) have experienced and witnessed the energy relationship between the human body instrument, the mind imprisoned within it, and its planetary and cosmic environment. In their quest to help mankind they have had, down through the ages, to deal with our very limited understanding--arising from our tendency to make judgements on the basis of our own much more limited range of experience. As an example, when one saint explains the words of another saint we can get a glimpse of how limited our understanding is. Such a case is in a chapter of the Autobiography of a Yogi on the great twentieth century German Catholic stigmatist, Theresa Newman. In a dialogue with her, Yogananda comments on her explanation of how she lived without eating food: In a footnote to this dialogue Yogananda explains that this biblical quote, from Matthew 4:4, expresses that the "body battery" of man is not dependant on gross food ("bread") alone but rather primarily on the vibratory cosmic energy ("God's word" or Om) which invisibly flows into the human body via the medulla oblongata at the base of the brain. We can ameliorate our karmic debts if we, with the hands of wisdom, utilize gems' and metals' electromagnetic vibrations. Wearing certain gems and pure metals next to our skin acts to mitigate the rebounding results of transgressions of universal law. To undo the results of past wrong actions it is, therefore, helpful to "armor" ourselves against any weakness in our receptivity to the cosmic flux of radiation. Not only do we benefit from the full "rainbow", or spectrum, of cosmic nutrition which enters our being more easily if we have a strong will, and a healthy body and mind, but we function more resiliently with that rainbow being in strong amplified tones. Gems and the aging process What we have done that is wrong we are obliged to undo. The science of life is to learn how to undo it as efficiently and quickly as possible in order to not slow down the spiritual journey to our goal. With the onset of the aging process, our resilience to the karmic cycles of strong or weak receptivity to planetary radiations is weakened to such a degree that the help offered by the supplementing electromagnetic radiation from gems can be even more beneficial. Older wearers of the gems have reported this, when they testified that their developing pattern of ill health--or psychological problems--inexplicably improved, and that they were sure the rays from the gems helped create this shift. The great yogi masters have explained that we need the flow of life force, or prana, to enter our astral nervous system in five differentiated forms, so that in the physical body they will manifest as crystallization, circulation, assimilation, metabolism and elimination. Man's sensitive body with its electrical life currents is the center of many mysteries as yet unexplored. This explanation highlights how limited the Western understanding is of how the human body really functions. Medicine is, however, slowly yet inexorably moving towards the realization that light rays will be the primary healing medium of the future. Ayurvedic Astrological Jewelry Ayurvedic Astrological Jewelry is at the forefront of research and testing of the means of using light for healing, and of trying to build interest in the scientific rational of this benign healing art. Scientifically speaking, man (whose body is composed of electrical circuits and energy fields) can help change for the better the cause-and-effect patterns (karma) that he has set into motion from his past, using the unusually simple electromagnetic phenomenon of light, effected through skin contact by ayurvedic gems. Therefore, while not neglecting the spiritual path, the traveler would be wise to also take advantage of any aid that may lessen the karmic obstacles between him and his goal. The wise will, of course, realize that the teachings, advice and blessings of the saints and masters is of greater value than gems. Divinely guided will power directed to yoga meditation, environmental choice, right behavior, prayer, diet, exercise and study can more greatly influence our response to planetary stimuli than gems can. However, specific gems and metals have the unique distinction of not requiring will power to assist in these most important activities and, thereby, can free the will power of determined travelers to make even greater efforts toward success. A humble man will accept blessings and boons from whatever source the divine laws allow. The wise will know how best to apply them. Some vedic astrologers attempt to sell corrective gems, however, very few Vedic astrologers have the extensive experience of meeting people who can relate their observations on wearing a properly made nine gem bangle for a lengthy period of time. They may recognize the navaratna (the nine-gem bangle) as a potent material way of passively protecting ourselves from the numerous karmic irritations that result as the planets move in and out of benign and malefic cycles during our lives, but they do not have the day-to-day experience of hearing people comment on the benefits they get from wearing gems. And some other astrologers have even less experience because they are trying to supplement their astrological practice by also selling gems, and to be able to do both is difficult, given the limitation of the time needed for each field of study. So limited is the understanding of the benefits of navaratnas, that even in India many astrologers believe that wearing the nine gems in a ring, with the gems not touching the skin, is perfectly effective. Also the science of the use of ayurvedic gems is generally so misunderstood in that country that many wear navaratnas with gems that are less than the required two-carat weight, making them practically useless. These misunderstandings, however, are quite naturally widespread, as the understanding of the influences of electromagnetic radiation is very much still in its infancy in its renaissance in this age, compared to in past higher ages. In Chapter 16 of his eminently readable autobiography, Yogananda quotes Swami Sri Yukteswar explaining the true function of the stars as follows:
The stellar and planetary rays have the power to activate latent, harmful effects of past karma. As mentioned earlier, they interact with the spinal centers that sustain man's body and mental clarity. Ignorant men seldom realize how their actions affect the chakras for good or for ill. When the physical environment and the mind are out of harmony, it is the result of past and present transgressions of spiritual law. This causes a definite inharmony between the chakras and the twelve signs of the zodiac, and this inharmony is also reflected between the two. Paramahansa Yogananda's interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita, God Talks with Arjuna, further elucidates Sri Yuktestwar’s explanation. Where to begin For a customized selection of gems relating to an individual's karmic pattern, a detailed planetary gem analysis is recommended. This interprets the individuals strengths and weaknesses for the purpose of selecting which gems would be of most benefit to wear. For a free gem analysis and vedic horoscope, please click here. All too often, the surprising benefits of gems are neglected because of their high cost at typical retail outlets. Few people realize that some of the gems can be purchased for less than $25 per carat, which, for an investment that should last a lifetime, is a very modest sum. Ayurvedic Astrological Jewelry was the first company in the Western world to specialize in crafting customized navaratnas full time. And because of this, we have been able to observe and evaluate which combinations of gems work most effectively, based on feedback from hundreds of satisfied customers. The link-to-link design was pioneered to enable the client to purchase and wear all the gems that a modest budget will allow, and, by inter-changeability of the gem-set links, to add or upgrade gems at a later time, if desired. Please review the other pages, and especially the frequently asked questions page, to learn more about this fascinating subject. Please feel welcome to email or phone in any additional educational comments you may have pertaining to this essay. A Clever Multi Links Page - Water Disaster www.alkalinewaterangel.com Alkaline Ionized Water for Health and Meditation - Karen Kean
Astrological World Cycles by Laurie Pratt Download (PDF)
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The most important decision of your life can be the choice of your life partner. Life should be training us to recognize who is compatible for us and whether both partners will thrive in the same long term journey. This is an advanced Vedic astrological analysis tool to assist our discrimination.
At the same time this report can indicate to you that further commitments to each other may not be the best course unless you BOTH have the enthusiasm to do some work.
For thousands of years in India, prospective couples would always consult a Vedic astrologer to ensure that the potential marriage was a well suited union. They would want to evaluate how they would fare and what issues may come up in the future. Without the astrologers impartial blessing they would think twice about committing to a long-term union. It was partly for this reason that the parents, who were much less emotionally involved, would have so much say in the approval for marriage. Compared to western standards the marriage system of India has proven a dramatically higher rate of success than in the West.