In this MysticMag interview, we speak with Oana Gonzalez, a skilled Vedic Astrologer, about her transformative journey from London to India, where she discovered the profound power of Vedic Astrology. Oana shares insights on how this ancient practice helps individuals understand their soul’s purpose, navigate karmic patterns, and align with their spiritual path.
How did you get into Astrology, and what sparked your interest in it?
I went into astrology after spending three years in India, in an ashram. In my late 20s I met my Spiritual Teacher (Ammachi, also known as the Hugging Saint) in London, during one of her programs there. Within a couple of years of meeting her, my comfortable life in London started to feel very empty and pointless.
At this point I decided to leave it all behind and go to India, to Amma’s ashram for one month, to figure out what to do next. That month became three years. While in Amma’s ashram, I had a reading from the resident Vedic astrologer. I had received several readings from Western astrologers in the past, but none of them had resonated with me. However, as soon as the ashram astrologer started to speak, it was like he had known me intimately for all of my life. I had shared nothing with him around the physical and emotional pain I had been in for the past year, and yet he opened the reading by saying: “This terrible time you had this past year – you will never go through something like this ever again, in this lifetime.” My mind was blown and my heart opened to hope again. It was at that moment that I fell in love with Vedic Astrology.
After leaving India, I moved to Boulder, Colorado. There, I studied Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional medical system of India), as well as Vedic Astrology. After a couple of years, it became clear that astrology is my true calling as I love offering others what Vedic Astrology offered me during the hardest time of my life.
What makes Vedic Astrology unique and different from Western Astrology?
I get asked this question a lot. I am not very familiar with Western Astrology and its history so it’s hard to draw a direct comparison.
I would say that one major difference is that Vedic Astrology has its roots in the spiritual tradition of India and has been practiced without interruption for 4,000 years. Its techniques have been refined as part of lineages in which the student learns directly from the teacher over many years of daily study and interactions.
The student of Vedic Astrology is also expected to have their own daily spiritual practice that can help hone their intuition and connection to Source.
Vedic Astrology also uses very powerful and special predictive methods that are not found in Western Astrology, also known as the Dasha system.
As for what is unique about it, I would say it’s the fact that it doesn’t see the person just as a psychological being, but as an eternal, cosmic being who takes birth on this planet repeatedly and whose ultimate purpose is to awaken to his/her true divine nature.
From this higher perspective, fulfilling one’s Dharma (the thing we are meant to do in this lifetime) during this incarnation, as well as one’s societal Dharma, is what leads to the highest level of happiness and contentment. The Vedic chart can help us identify our specific Dharma.
Another way to achieve wellbeing is through nurturing our higher Dharma in this life – the effort to wake up to who we really are. As we pursue this noble goal, our whole psychology orients itself to harmonise with this higher reason for taking birth. As a result, a lot of psychological issues slowly resolve over time and we begin to experience wholeness and joy. To help us on our spiritual journey, the Vedic chart can pinpoint those spiritual practices that are most suitable for us.
Another way in which Vedic Astrology is different from Western Astrology is how we view the Vedic chart.
The Vedic chart is considered to be a map of our karmas (consequences of past actions). In some areas of life, we are more likely to enjoy positive karmas, while in others we might have to experience difficult ones, due to errors of judgment in past incarnations that are still informing who we are. The difficult karma is not a punishment we have to suffer through in this birth. It is a past misalignment with the governing principles of the universe that is still part of who we are. The difficulties we encounter in this lifetime are here to make us aware of this misalignment so that we can come back into alignment and live a happier life.
What are Upayas?
I am so glad that you asked me this question. Vedic Astrology can make incredibly accurate predictions. As a result of this, there is this perception in the Western world that Vedic Astrology is “fatalistic” and our future is predetermined. Upayas are proof that this is definitely not the case.
Upaya means “method” in Sanskrit. Upayas are methods that can be prescribed by a Vedic Astrologer in order to remedy adverse astrological combinations. Vedic Astrology can often diagnose the good and bad times a client will encounter in life. The Upaya can help mitigate the bad and enhance the good ones. If Vedic Astrology were fatalistic, or “predetermined”, how could these remedies that can help us change our course in life even exist?
Upayas come in many forms, depending on the personality of the client and other chart indications. Let’s say that a client is struggling financially due to Saturn blocking the flow of money in the chart. The client might be advised to wear a blue sapphire (Saturn’s stone), or chant a Saturn mantra (mantras are sacred syllables or prayers), or feed the poor by volunteering at a soup kitchen, or feed a Saturn-type of animal (crows are a good example).
Can you walk me through one of your Astrology readings?
Of course! I begin the reading by doing an overview of the client’s chart. I look at major life themes, major personality traits, talents, tendencies, and what I see as one’s dharma (life purpose).
Then, I discuss the Planetary cycle a client is in, by consulting their Dasha sequence. The idea behind the Dasha sequence, the main predictive tool of Vedic Astrology, is that our lives unfold in cycles. According to the wisdom of the enlightened sages who gave us this astrology system, during each cycle, a certain planet dictates the type of experiences we will have. This means that depending on what a planet signifies, where it sits in our chart and lots of other considerations – this will inform a lot of the themes and events in one’s life at any given time.
If the client has specific questions or concerns – I spend the second part of the reading answering and discussing those concerns.
What can people expect from your consultation?
My clients have more clarity following their consultations. They get a stronger sense of who they are, what their soul purpose is, and the direction they are meant to be moving in at the time of the reading. Finding out where they are in the Dasha sequence helps them align themselves better with the flow of the universe by embracing the opportunities and challenges of the present, while also finding out what type of experiences and opportunities the near (or distant) future holds for them.
To learn more about Oana’s work, you can visit www.insightastro.com
