Back in January of 2022, during the Venus retrograde in Capricorn, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Fiona Marques on The Vedic Astrology Podcast. We talked about pandemics and what it is like to be an astrologer that gives predictions. While both Jupiter and Venus are Brahmin planets that can make one an astrologer, it is Venus that is the planet that makes one a predictive astrologer, at least in Vedic Astrology. The Rishi Jaimini highlights Venus as the planet of “knowing prophecy” in his Upadesa Sutras. I found it interesting that I was invited to speak on this topic of predictions while Venus was retrograding over my own natal Venus in Capricorn.
I will link to the interview on Spotify below. Fiona wrote a lovely little intro about it here:
“Cast your mind back to the Solar Eclipse on 26 December 2019 – What goes on inside an Astrologer when they are making a prediction? And how can we get better at it?? It’s not often that you find an Astrologer who is public with their predictions AND one who is open and willing to share their self-reflection and learnings from the process. And this is what we have in today’s special guest, Predictive Astrologer and Teacher, Corey Dowds. In this episode, he selflessly shares his approach, tips, techniques, and understandings of predicting in Vedic Astrology. We examine a case study that you can follow along with us and consult the transcript for even more links and deeper research. We cover rashi aspects, financial astrology, pandemics, nakshatras, the bhava lagna and more. You can also learn from Corey at https://eye-of-the-veda-university.teachable.com/
Hi and welcome back to the Eye of the Veda blog. This is Kelley, an Astrology Apprentice and student of Corey’s. Today, I’ll be highlighting some of his recent predictions surrounding the eclipse cycles of 2020. They were all incredibly accurate and specific; so much so, that I wanted to do a follow-up blog post to show the benefit and power behind using Vedic Astrology correctly.
For example, in December 2019, Corey spoke about the potential for severe economic turmoil as well as inflammatory-related health issues; long before Coronavirus even hit the news in the U.S.
In fact, in a short and casual Facebook post that Corey shared with friends and family, he specifically predicted that these planetary influences will cause economic and health-related issues that will impact Asia the most (remember the Coronavirus ‘started’ in China). He also touched on the fact that the Moon rules the respiratory system, and the North Node of the Moon (Rahu), rules viruses.
He wrote this on December 28th, 2019 at 10:06 AM:
I also remember Corey telling me how bad these eclipses could be when he was reiterating what his teacher, Ernst Wilhelm, had explained to him back in November 2017. When the virus first hit the U.S., I also remember Corey saying he had a month worth of rice and beans already stored because he had been so aware of the major changes that were on the way.
“My teacher told me and others back in 2017 how bad this (Jan 2020) eclipse was going to be, and how it was going to cause major economic and survival issues for the planet. So I knew what was coming and I already had a month worth of beans and rice on hand for this winter because I was quite certain major changes were going to take place as a result of these eclipses in the changeable signs of Cancer and Capricorn.” —Corey Dowds
So let’s circle back for anyone who doesn’t already see the connections: The Moon rules the Respiratory, Urinary, and Circulatory systems. The Moon also controls the flow of the tides on our planet in the same way it controls the flow of water within our own bodies. The Coronavirus is considered to be a “wet” virus, and is believed to primarily impact the lungs and respiratory system. As mentioned earlier, the Moon rules the lungs / respiratory system, and is coincidentally the wettest planet of all. The transit of Rahu (Viruses) over Cancer, the sign of the Moon, along with all the other bad health and disease indications of this eclipse made it very likely that some sort of widespread inflammatory respiratory issue would occur.
In the post, Corey also mentioned swelling and issues related to water retention (the primary symptoms the Coronavirus is causing ie: inflammation of the lungs). He also specifically stated that the respiratory system was targeted at this time and that “issues could occur around that system.”
“The eclipses here will bring water and flooding issues. Also in a medical sense more people may have water retention issues, swelling, constipation, or issues with the blood flow and water in the body. The Moon rules the circulatory/urinary/respiratory system, issues could occur around that system.” – Corey Dowds
The Moon is said to rule over swelling and inflammation to some degree, as it moves the tides of the earth, and appears to “swell” and grow half of the month, and then receded and wane the other half. He explained that this was known in ancient times even:
“These characteristics of the Moon were known even in ancient times when Hippocrates clearly stated that no one should conduct surgery on a part of the body that is ruled by the sign of the zodiac that the Moon is transiting. This is because wherever the Moon is transiting is likely to be more swollen because more blood flow will be circulating to that body part at that time. Going through with surgeries under these transits is likely to increase the amount of blood loss and possible complications than at another time.” -Corey Dowds
So we already have a historical precedent for the Moon and its ability to cause swelling and inflammation, especially when afflicted, or during an eclipse time. This is EXACTLY what COVID-19 causes according to WebMD: “The new coronavirus can infect the upper or lower part of your respiratory tract. It travels down your airways. The lining can become irritated and inflamed.” SOURCE: WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on March 25, 2020
As previously mentioned, it is well known how Rahu (North Node of the Moon) rules viruses…. a commonly known fact in Vedic and Medical Astrology. Cancer, being ruled by the Moon, is the zodiac sign connected to the lungs and respiratory system. So when Rahu crossed Cancer, planet earth was scheduled to have a lung / respiratory-related virus emerge.
It’s also interesting how Corey highlighted Capricorn as being ruled by the planet Saturn, and how that connects to the muscular and lymphatic systems, both ruled by Saturn. As a result of the Coronavirus, much of the world was forced into a total lockdown/quarantine. So in relation to the Capricorn/Saturn reference, the entire planet did end up feeling rather cooped up and isolated as a result of these eclipses, just as expected. The planet Saturn rules death, disease, loss, poverty, poor health, wandering, depression, delays, despondency, and feeling stuck in life.
This was the advice that the CDC was giving to people: “Try to take a walk, try to maintain your routine and not forget to exercise while you are in the lockdown, etc.” which is the exact advice Corey gave (using Vedic Astrology), an impressive 6 months earlier.
In hindsight, another interesting point is how Saturn rules isolation, and this eclipse created a lot of isolation for people, among many other things that Saturn rules. Corey pointed out that almost all of the planets were in signs ruled by Saturn when we had the eclipse in January 2020….. as a result, many of Saturn’s significations dominated the collective world this year.
As for the economic crisis…. Corey had previously mentioned his teacher, Ernst Wilhelm, having already forecasted dire economic issues for the world in 2020. Ernst said this way back in 2017, while Corey and a few other astrologers were hanging out in Ernst’s living room enjoying a giant salad. With that in mind, look at what Corey wrote on the Eye of the Veda blog on November 25th, 2019, long before the economic crash of 2020:
Literally, the first thing he said is that these upcoming eclipses are going to cause world-changing events and major economic shifts….. “There could be economic or survival threats…”
(Note: Corey chose not to elaborate on this too much as it was already predicted by so many other astrologers. Even one of his colleagues, Ganesh Jayakumar, predicted the major economic crisis down to the exact months of February and March of 2020. He forecasted this on a forum in 2017: Click here to read more about that from Ganesha’s website.)
In is blog post from November of 2019, Corey also pointed out how major long term changes are likely to occur during this time period as a result of the strong emphasis on the ‘cara’ or changeable signs. He also mentions how many of these big worldly structures and systems that rule us, will be hit with a long-overdue reality check.
Think about how much faith we have lost in our worldly structures and systems over the last several months. Faith and trust in the mainstream media continues to decline tremendously, as well as in the modern medical world as more stories of corruption and for-profit caregiving surface. Countless celebrities and elite figures have also taken a fall this year; so many that it would require an entire additional post to cover them all. A few worth mentioning though would be: Ellen Degeneres, Madonna, Prince Andrew, Harvey Weinstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Let’s focus on Ellen for example, who has had this eclipse falling in her first and seventh house axis, as a Cancer lagna. The first house is the house of the self, and the seventh is the house of other-selves, and hence the public and one’s public image. It certainly seems her public image has been “eclipsed” over the last year.
Apparently, Ellen has been called one of the “meanest people alive” and a Twitter thread about this received over 2,000 responses. I wanted to highlight this because in his eclipse prediction video, Corey explains how the sign of Capricorn rules the elite…. but even more interestingly, it is Saturn who rules Capricorn, and Saturn is the planet who rules the masses and common folk. It is always the people/common folk that actually empower and support the rulers. As current events unfold, it seems many more people are beginning to realize that the elite cannot remain in power without the support and cooperation of the masses. There is an underlying theme of using unity to overcome and take down corrupt Capricorn figures both on the entertainment and government platforms. Ellen, who had her house burglarized over the 4th of July weekend, is just one quick example of Saturn responding.
Cancer is also the sign of one’s dwelling space and home, and is Ellen’s first house, where the eclipse occurred. We had a Lunar eclipse on July 5th, one day after the fourth of July, the day Ellen’s home was robbed. (It is also worth noting that Ghislaine Maxwell was also indicted within a few days of this eclipse, but that require another article to properly address.)
The first and seventh houses are the houses of the self, (1st) and the other self (7th) aka the public. One’s overall popularity can have a lot to do with the seventh house. With the eclipses in these parts of her chart, she has lost her power to influence the public during this eclipse.
“They say when Saturn is happy with you, he makes your name remembered for a very long time. They say if Saturn is unhappy with you and the karmas you have been performing, he destroys any trace of your existence from the world. It appears that Saturn has been busy with what I refer to in this video as a changing of the guard(s).” —Corey Dowds
With this eclipse, Saturn has been busy ‘dethroning’ all of the elite figures who are not karmically meant to remain in their position for the next 30-year cycle of Saturn. We have seen this with numerous CEO resignations, and we have seen this with high-level people finally being sentenced to prison in the case of Harvey Weinstein.
When we look across the globe at many different cultural traditions, there seems to be an emphasis on the importance of the astronomical periods known as the Solstice and Equinox times. Many of the most ancient landmarks that have ever been discovered, such as Stonehenge, Newgrange, the temple at Karnak, Macchu Picchu, and Chichen Itza have all been oriented to these four points, the winter and summer solstice, and the spring and fall equinox.
Why is that the case? Well, we may not know all the reasons why. Historians point out that these times needed to be known in order to know when the seasons were coming, to know when to plant seeds, and to know when to harvest them. So there is likely a practical reasoning behind it, but there also seems to be a profound spiritual logic behind the awareness of these four times. In this post I will try to clarify the importance and meaning of the astrological and astronomical significance of the solstices and equinoxes, which have been called the “Celestial Cross”.
First lets clarify what these terms “Solstice” and “Equinox” actually mean. The Solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in its apparent year long course across the equator and back down. And the equinoxes are the two middle or “equal” points that the Sun hits as it goes up and down across the ecliptic as we see it from the Earth. The Equinoxes are the exact days when the day and night are of equal length.
(Note: Astrology is an Earth based science, and as such, it is not important whether the Earth actually is moving around the Sun, or the Sun around the Earth. The symbolic importance is what appears to be happening from the perspective of being on Earth. So we say that the Sun moves north and south, even though it is commonly understood that the Earth is what is moving around the Sun. From the perspective of the relativity of motion, it really cannot be proven that the Earth is moving around the Sun, as the entire Universe could equally be said to revolve around the Earth, as the famous physicist Ernst Mach has contended.)
THE VERNAL EQUINOX
The vernal equinox is usually around March 20th of each year and marks the beginning of “Spring” as we commonly call it. This is astrologically the beginning of the sign of Aries, “the ram”, and the beginning of the Sun’s course through the Zodiac again. As this is the point where there begins to be more daylight than night, and all of nature begins to awaken and “spring” up from dormancy, we can see why this is symbolized by a ram. Rams are powerful and fearless creatures that climb mountains and smash into their enemies head first. They push the boundaries of what can be possible. We can see how this fits as a perfect symbol for the time of year when nature itself seems to awaken and burst forth into activity. Aries individuals are very comfortable with this sort of activity and are courageous, adventurous, pioneering, and love initiating new projects.
THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX
The autumnal equinox is the exact opposite point of the solar path, and marks the first day of “Fall” or “Autumn”, and is astrologically the first day of the sign of Libra, “the scales”. Libra is the sign of the balancing scales, and that should make sense to us as we now know that this is the middle point, or “balancing point” of the zodiac. Naturally Libra is a sign that seeks balance, equality, and harmony, and we can see the logic behind that, in the Sun’s yearly course. Also, Libra is the sign where the Sun is weakest, and the weakest sign for a planet is referred to as its “fall”. Its as if the planet falls from its natural strength at that place. Hence, we call this time of year, “The Fall”, as it is the time when the Sun “falls” astrologically, but also this means in actuality that the light on earth is diminishing more quickly each day as winter approaches. So the fall equinox marks the equal point of the Sun’s descending path, after which there will be more darkness than light for 6 months.
THE WINTER SOLSTICE
This brings us to the Solstices. After the autumn equinox, the next major change will be at the winter solstice, which occurs on December 20th or 21st. This is the shortest day of the year, where the Sun is seen from Earth’s perspective as being the furthest away and dimmest that it will be. If one is far North enough above the equator, then the sun can appear to disappear or not even rise on this day. At the north pole, the sun does not rise at all. For three days the sun’s path stays the same, and so in the northern regions of Earth, the Sun is apparently gone (or barely visible) for three days after the 21st. Then on the 25th of December, the Sun rises just a bit further North, and is just a bit more visible, and the day is just a bit longer. This day marks the beginning of the Sun’s 6 month journey northward across the equator and the beginning of the longer days. This winter solstice point is astrologically the first day of Capricorn, the goat-fish in western tradition, and the crocodile in the Indian tradition. Both symbols represent the same energy of coming from darkness into more light. The crocodile is often half submerged when seen, and lays low but can be quite powerful and fearsome when it moves up onto dry land. This fits the nature of this time, when the Sun is most hidden, but is beginning to make its journey towards more light. The goat or goat-fish in the western tradition, has the same symbolic meaning. The fish-half can represent the submerged, hidden, or darker emotional aspect of ourselves or our karmas that can sometimes surface during the winter time. The goat, being a natural mountain climber and survivor, symbolizes the inevitable rising up into life and light of the Sun on its 6 month journey that begins at this stage of Capricorn. The goat will always make it to the top of the hill eventually, but may take its time. This is how capricorn natives behave, they are focused on long term goals, security, moving up in the world, and on metaphorically “getting through the winter”.
THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
After 6 months of the Sun moving north, it reaches its peak of northern movement on the summer solstice on June 21st. This is the brightest day of the year, and the Sun is as far north as it will ever be. For 3 days the Sun stays at about that same place, just like the opposite winter solstice. Then on June 25th, the Sun actually starts descending and moving south. This is astrologically known as the sign of Cancer, the crab. And as crabs are easily seen to side-step as they move, this is exactly how the Sun behaves here. The sun was moving north, north, north, then it stops at cancer…. and then side steps for 3 days, and then retreats back south, like a crab running back to its hole in the sand. Cancerian individuals are known to be a bit fickle, and often dont address issues head on like the ram, they tend to pause and side-step around the issue if possible. They are able to yield to the moment, and enjoy receding from the world into their home or something they are comfortable with. This makes sense as this is the point at which the Sun actually stalls and yields from moving any further north, and then changes direction, and begins to move south. Cancer natives are very receptive and are similar in that they can stop and check in with their emotions and say, “is this the right course for me? Perhaps I should change the course”.
Hopefully it is beginning to make sense that this course of the Sun, along with the Moon’s monthly course around the Earth, are the cycles that create our seasons and therefore our sense of time and rhythm as we live on Earth. That is very important! It makes sense that these cycles will also have a big influence on our psychological states, and this is obvious when we take even a basic look at the signs that are associated with the four major points of this solar cycle, as we did earlier. These four major points that correlate to Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are places where the Sun and the Earth are in an alignment, and so naturally we would assume that these signs would have importance. And even those with a basic knowledge of astrology know that this is true, as these four signs are called the “cardinal” or “chara” (changeable) signs. These cardinal signs are naturally the most active, and the most changeable. This makes sense as these are the actual points where the sun “changes” its course. The Sun represents the “Soul of All”, or Saarva Atman, as discussed in a previous post. Logically it makes sense that if these signs are where the Soul of everything changes its course, the people born under that sign will also be more likely to change course throughout life, and be more comfortable with change.
We can also think about this and see that it is likely not some star constellation that looks like a ram that is making an aries person so impulsive, but the very framework of the Sun and Earth’s movement (these equinoxes and solstices) that is the factor. This makes more sense when we contemplate it, as stars can burn out or appear in different areas over time, but the Sun and Earths relationship appears to be much more consistent over the long term, and hence a better framework for time.
We have been dealing with these cycles our whole lives, so we may not notice the effects from day to day, but these cycles can definitely be noticed and felt to varying degrees, depending on the consciousness of the person experiencing them. This is a very important pattern and the ruins of ancient cultures across the globe are all aligned to this “celestial cross” as it has been called. In the next post about the Solstices and Equinoxes I will elaborate more about the spiritual and yogic symbolism of this same cycle.