FAQs

Vedic or Eastern astrology is different from Western astrology in that it’s more complex, goes much deeper, and is reflective of events and actualized/experienced circumstances in your life. Western astrology deals mostly with generalized psychological and personality traits.

When you were born, the stars and planets were lined up in a unique way. This pattern is shown in your birth chart, and it can give clues about your life experiences, your relationships, and what makes you, you. Even twins born minutes apart have small but important differences in their charts.

Most people know about a kind of astrology called the tropical system. It’s useful for learning about personality and how people think, but it doesn’t always show where the stars and planets actually are in the sky. Looking at a chart of what the sky looked like on the day you were born, gives a whole new perspective and a differently calculated birth chart.

The kind of astrology we do here, which measures the real-time sky, is called the sidereal system of astrology. It uses the current positions of stars and planets as they really are in space.

I work with both systems so we can see a more complete and fascinating picture of your life.

Western astrology is based on a symbolic zodiac which is not anchored to where the stars are actually positioned in the sky. Your big three (sun, moon & rising signs in your Western astrology) are based on the changing of the seasons (following the elliptical movement of the Sun across the sky as well as the spring equinox every year), not the placements of the stars. This is why astrology in the Western world, is largely known as a high level or broadly personality-based tool.

Western or tropical astrology has its use cases in understanding how life feels (but not necessarily is) to an individuals. At large, its cultural use-cases are largely in the ways of mass generalizations of planetary themes and the oversimplification of surface-level interpretations. This does not fully negate tropical birth charts — they can offer personal understanding of your ego self.

Sidereal (Vedic or Eastern) astrology goes quite deep and reflects your unique life path, karma, purpose and life themes. With an accurate birth time, your chart reflects what it means for you to be living in alignment with flow of nature’s rhythm. Your sidereal chart is aligned with the real-life events, circumstances and people of your life because it is based on the astronomical placements of the planets and stars.

Vedic Astrology is a largely untapped reservoir of what is basically an ancient and time-tested astrological system built over thousands of years, originating in Ancient Babylon and further developed in Ancient India. It uses a different set of calculations to pull up a birth chart.

The tradition is is thousands of years old, predating the earliest human civilizations of Mesapotamia, and has been kept alive in todays modern India (as well as parts of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and has begun to spread into the Western world since the 1970s, when Eastern teachings were brought to the West. Since it’s based on the astronomical locations of planets and zodiacs, it offers an empirical (real-life verifiable) reflection of an individuals life path.

The best way to think of Vedic astrology, is that it is a map or guide to your soul in this human incarnation. What lessons are you here to learn? What blessings and challenges are you here to experience?

In traditional Hindu astrology (Vedic), the birth chart tells of your karma, from the previous life into this one. If you like to think of it this way, then do so. However, when thought of in an secular or scientific way, the system of Vedic/sidereal astrology absolutely holds tried and true. In this way, I believe it to be a reflection of how we are the microcosm which contains the macrocosm of the greater Universe.

In many Eastern nations, Vedic astrology is considered a legitimate spiritual science. I look forward to continuing to see science and spirituality merge together in the Western world.

There are so many advanced but necessary considerations and techniques without which an astrologer misses crucial components of the chart reading process. Detailed, discerning, holistic and trustworthy birth chart interpretations are hard to come by. Unfortunately, the vast majority of folks claiming to be an authority on the topic have a lack of complete instruction. Ultimately, real astrology cannot omit the sidereal chart.

Please see Testimonials page.

Your chart interpreter, Yaz, is trained under the teachings and guidance of world renowned James Braha, an astrologer known for being the first to synthesize Eastern teachings from direct learning in Southern India, into a format that Westerners could understand. Braha traveled multiple times to India during the 1980s, where the oral tradition of Vedic astrology has been kept alive. He synthesized his findings with Western techniques.

Yaz: “It is a blessing to have learned under such trusted and holistic guidance. I am humbled to bring these techniques to you. Despite my confidence in my extensive coursework and practice reading birth charts since 2017, I am firm in my commitment to a being a continued student of this vastly powerful guidance system. James’ classes, books and email correspondences have transformed my understanding and practice of astrology. He always encourages that everyone who practices astrology, must find his, her or their own way. Braha’s many courses and books have taught me me what is a rare and humbling-ly accurate synthesis of a powerful healing art-form and its many blessed technicalities”.

Many forget that the twelve zodiac signs correspond and refer to constellations in the sky. In a birth chart, each of the twelve constellations will occupy a designated 30 portion of the 360 degree circle. The zodiacs/constellation/30 degree pieces in Western birth charts do not correspond with the actual constellations in the sky but are divided up along the elliptical path of the Sun’s movement. Eastern birth charts refer directly to where these constellations appear in the sky. The change in vantage points (Sun-based vs Sky-based) leads to a 23-24° difference between the two charts.

Benefiting from your chart’s guidance comes with the responsibility of relying on your own agency and power of choice. Despite any indications of your chart, you ultimately have free will. Despite any indications of your chart, you ultimately have free will. There are some areas of life where free will is easier to enact. Birth charts indicate aspects of life which seem to occur beyond one’s control (to varying extents). Astrology appears to unfold in a manner which honors the enigmatic or mysterious components of life. While exploring the indications of your chart, it’s important to embrace uncertainty as well as your own free will. Astrology is an intricate and sometimes illusive tool. Lastly, it’s important to say that you should not live and die by astrology or form generalized ideas about someone based on their Sun, Moon and Rising signs. This is how people often talk about astrology, but this way of using it omits the complex dynamics that are actually important to understanding a birth chart. Astrology is a deeply complex and detailed pattern recognition art form that requires holistic analysis and data collection. I recommend not making a judgment call regarding a particular situation or person based on one specific chart detail.

If you know me (Yaz), you know I’ve always been interested in astrology, which I started researching in 2017. I mainly saw birth charts as a means for self reflection because Western astrology provided a fun tool for understanding somewhat generalized psychological and personality traits. What I derived from Western astrology was interesting and fun, but not incredibly substantial. I discovered Vedic astrology in 2022. Vedic astrology is a largely untapped reservoir of what is basically an ancient and time-tested system built over thousands of years, originating in Ancient Babylon and further developed in Ancient India. The accuracy of its predictive timelines led me to take a serious interest in learning its methods, which use a very different system for calculating and analyzing the birth charts than Western astrology does. I learned the basics of how to read Vedic/Eastern charts in 2022 and have since practiced astrology using sidereal rather than tropical (Western) charts. I’ll be explaining more about their differences soon. After making the decision to do this professionally, I studied intensively under the guidance of James Braha. Braha is widely known as one of the first astrologers to bring Eastern teachings to the West. Many, including myself, consider his classes to be legacy. The methods he teaches are unique in that they synthesize Vedic astrology with Western techniques. In addition to solidifying my knowledge of advanced chart reading methods, I learned the correct way to read charts with discernment, skepticism, a carefully holistic mind and the right amount of intuition. I’ve since developed my own system for natal chart reading which is careful, accuracy-focused & built with love. My readings are sensitive, never alarmist, depth-focused and intended for people seeking clarity and understanding.

Full Life Chart readings are 90 minutes. The consultations are very detailed. It is recommended to take notes. I will audio record your session. Our sessions are always private unless you desire company. You are welcome to have a friend present. Consultations are virtual (through Google Meet) unless you’re located in the greater Los Angeles area.