Why Is a Port in Central America on an Ancient Indian Map?
"The Hindus of antiquity had an ancient astro-geographical map with four lotus petals pointing in the cardinal directions, called Mt. Meru (the world mountain). The point of the left petal fell on a seaport called Ketumala or Chetumala. Both pronunciations were used. The lower center petal was Jambudvipa (subcontinent India ). One day, I decided to examine a map of Meso-America in order to find out whether a Chetumala or Ketumala ever existed there. It did not take me long to find out that Chetumal is even now a safe port in what is presently Belize, Central America. (See the illustrations [above and below]). The name of this port of Chetumal has never changed in all these thousands of years. According to the available evidence, I knew I had found the Chetumala depicted on the point of the left petal of the Mt. Meru drawing." -- Gene D. Matlock, "India's Conquest of the America's
Related Article: Why is Sanskrit Found in the Tribal Names & Languages of North and South American Indians?
T O S H O W E R T H I S B L O G / P O S T with W E B L O V E S U B S C R I B E ( v i a R S S ) and / or
S H A R E IT using A N Y of the I C O N S below
Hi! I've recently entered into the world of vedic astrology through the work of Thea. I was wondering if you had any other recommended texts on this subject, beside the books of Thea? I would be grateful for an Answer Lori.
ReplyDelete/edvard.danielsson@gmail.com
Hi Edvard, Your request for recommended texts on Vedic Astrology has stumped me a bit because what is usually called "Vedic" Astrology is based on the Sidereal Zodiac, which Thea teaches is not truly Vedic (but rather a post-Vedic distortion). Thea is a forerunner in teaching that the Tropical Year or Zodiac as the one that is truly Vedic. So you won't find much at all about Vedic Astrology based on the Tropical Zodiac; though there are plenty of Indian astrologers and people who do use the Tropical Year as their 'measure'. Here's a web page I created a while ago that discusses the problem: http://www.quantumyoga.org/Western%20vs%20Vedic%20Schism.htm
ReplyDeleteI don't have any favorite books on the Tropical Zodiac, other than The Magical Carousel and The Gnostic Circle. I studied various books on the Tropical Zodiac (i.e. Western Astrology) in my 20s but I can't even remember the names of them ... perhaps one was Astrology, A Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey. There are many that teach the basics of the signs, houses, planets, luminaries elements, energy flows, aspects and such. I hope you find something that suits you.
Thea's 'Vedic Astrology' or cosmology as you may have noticed, is an Integral and Supramental Yoga. If you are wanting to understand that framework or yoga, I would recommend reading something like Adventures of Consciousness by Satprem and work your way up to reading something by Sri Aurobindo himself. In Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo touches upon the importance of the 12 month Vedic Year in terms of 'journeying' towards the highest consciousness. But that is probably NOT the best beginning book on Sri Aurobindo.
I hope your studies are fruitful, and I wish I could be more helpful, it's just that whereas all of the books I read in my 20's were useful and similar in their understanding of what astrology is, Thea's books seemed to up the level of knowledge so much that it is hard for me to know what to recommend. I suppose first you have to decide if you resonate with Thea's teaching that Vedic Year is the Tropical Year/Tropical Zodiac. If you are interested in the Sidereal Zodiac in use by so-called "Vedic" astrologers, then that will take you in a different direction in which the signs of the Zodiac are in NO WAY connected to the Earth's seasons, or Equinoxes and Solstices. These are distinctions any student of astrology needs to study, understand and make informed choices about.
Best Wishes, Lori
Thank for the link to your esssay. That was partly what I what looking for, since I wasn't really sure about Thea's view on the tropical zodiac. I'm quite new to astrology, I came to Thea through aurobindo, richard tarnas(western astrologer) and my interest in the Enneagram.
ReplyDeleteRegarding aurobindo I read his book on Integral Yoga(compilation of letters) but the one that most deeply changed my life is his book "The mother", which really simplifies his yoga and it has really changed my life. Few people seem to have read this gem while getting lost in philosophical issues in his other books, without really getting to the essence. It's not a critique to his other books, it's just that some people become to mental/-oriented about yoga. "Secret of the Veda" is a book I'd like to study in combination with my vedic studies.
I will order the Gnostic Circle today actually. Money is an issue, so I will have to wait a few weeks until I get the Magical Carousel.
Love
/Edvard
Hi Edvard, It's been a while since I've read or picked up 'The Mother'. Apparently that is also Thea's favorite book by Sri Aurobindo. I have been reading through parts of it today, re-acquainting myself with it ... thanks to you.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know how your reading of 'The Gnostic Circle' and 'The Magical Carousel' goes.
I also studied the enneagram a bit before finding Thea's works. My favorite in that genre was Sandra Maitri's 'Spiritual Dimensions of the Enneagram'.
Hi Lori! I hope you are doing fine! I remember you had some familiarity with the enneagram of personality partly through the books of Sandra Maitri. I was wondering what you thought about the character types Aurobindo and the Mother? Some might say they were quite beyond fixation but they certainly had a character. I don't think you can escape the personality when you are an embodied human being.
ReplyDeleteI would say Mirra were either a 9 or a 6, perhas more of a 9. Aurobindo was a 9 I think.
It would be interesting to hear your thoughts about this!
Hi B., I really don't know about where they would fall in terms of enneagram personality typing. In The Gnostic Circle and elsewhere in her books, Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet presents and discusses a very different seeing and use of the enneagram, in conjunction with the zodiac, which takes into account or integrates time, cycles of time (such as the day and year), the structure of our solar system as well as Vedic wisdom such as the essential trinity of Transcendent, Cosmic and Individual Divine. In our number system (which needs to be understood as a circular/cyclical system developed by Vedic seers) the numbers 0/9, 6 and 3 form/describe this trinity. Ms. Norelli-Bachelet discusses Sri Aurobindo as the 9 - the Transcendent (his birth year 1872 reduces to a 9 in Theosophical addition; the Mother as the 6 - the Cosmic (her birth year 1878 reduces to 6); and herself as the 3 - the Individual (her birth year 1938 reducing to 3). In light of the info in The Gnostic Circle, the personality typing use of the enneagram gives way to a much more interesting story and system of integral knowledge. One quickly sees the limitations inherent in enneagram studies when leaving time and Vedic cosmology out of the picture. Let me know if you read TGC, it widens the picture quite a bit!
ReplyDelete* The Enneagram and Zodiac
Yes I am familiar with Patrizia´s cosmology. I have read some since last time i commented on your blog. The structure of the Gnostic Circle is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the enneagram of personality and the use of enneagram within the Gnostic Circle are two distinct disciplines that can't be compared. They aim to describe different things or different dimensions of existance.Surely the enneagram of personality have limitations but it seems to explain things that the gnostic circle doesn't. Both have their limits, but that doesn't reduce them. But I really don't know what aspect of the enneagram you are talking about.
I do find the study of personality very interesting and I'm sure Mirra and Aurobindo had their fixation even though it isn't pronounced. For example they both seem to be greatly aware of inertia which is the passion of nine. Also aurobindo was said to have the characteristic light of light blue. That is the colour I personally correlate with especially male nines. Or just the panoramic vision of seeing a spectrum of perspectives which Aurobindo could, is also a typical nine trait. Some other types have that too ofcourse. His intellectual ability is remiscient of fives but his whole manner of being seemed more like a mature nine. He guarded his inner silence like true nine.
Buddha is said to be a five, with his emphasis and on clarity, understanding and truth. And as you may are aware of, Gurdjieff is one of the famous eights, which you rarely find in spiritual circles.
/Edvard
Sorry Edvard, I forgot about our earlier exchange (on this same page). Yep TGC cosmology and the Enneagram personality really are in different dimensions. So true.
ReplyDeleteI am sure I don't have enough or any direct experience of Sri Aurobindo's or the Mother's personality throughout their lives to accurately assess their personality types. And to boot, I'm much more interested in their yoga than in their personalities. Certainly their personalities were a vehicle or an assistance for what they incarnated to accomplish, but their yoga and Vedic knowledge are the gifts which humanity should be concerned about ... not their personalities.
I do understand why it is an intriguing question, and I am intrigued by your comments, but I also think it's all a bit of a distraction. Even if there were somehow a way to NOT speculate on these matters, would knowing their personality type bring one any closer to knowing the Supramental Self that expresses its grand Self through all being and becoming?
Knowing the personality types of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother seems like a booby prize compared to knowing the golden seed and golden thread of their yoga as it stretches through time, in cycles of 9.