By Natori Moore

Anyone who has spent hours reading Vedic astrological literature at a bookstore, or attending back-to-back lectures at a Vedic astrology conference, knows that Hindu Astrology, or Jyotish, can be complex.  In learning this fascinating yet detailed spiritual science, there is great potential for what astrologer Marc Boney calls “MEGO disease– My Eyes Glaze Over.”

So before leaving for the Vedic Astrology conference trade show in Sedona, Arizona, on a mission to purchase Vedic remedial gemstones, I prayed for divine wisdom and infinite intelligence to guide my decision-making.  I had studied Jyotish enough to know the basic strengths and weaknesses of my chart, had a good Vedic astrologer’s recommendation for the best remedial gems to purchase and had saved the funds to purchase them.  But I wanted to be sure I purchased the right stones.

After arriving in Sedona, greeting a few friends and reviewing the wares of a couple of gem vendors, I struck up a conversation with Jay Boyle, a reputable purveyor of natural gemstones for Vedic purposes.  I intended to look for a pearl (based on having an afflicted Moon and currently being in Moon dasa), a green Mercury stone (to remedy my afflicted Mercury) and a yellow Jupiter stone (as a general benefic for my Sagittarius ascendant and benignly placed Jupiter).  I estimated I could afford a pearl and one, but probably not both, of the other stones.  My Vedic astrologer had recommended the pearl and the green Mercury stone as priorities, since as far as placement in my chart, Mercury needs more remediation than Jupiter.  Yet standing at the point of decision, I was drawn to the available selection of Jupiter stones (yellow sapphires) more than Mercury stones (emeralds or tourmalines).  In addition, I had for some reason felt a growing possibility of buying a yellow stone rather than a green one in the weeks leading up to my Sedona trip.  As I combined my knowledge and intuition with information from Jay, I finally chose and purchased a five carat pearl and a two carat yellow sapphire.  A kind, friendly woman wearing a Vedic ring that included a yellow sapphire, came up at that moment and congratulated me on my purchase.

Returning home to California the following day, I felt a wave of buyer’s remorse – or not remorse exactly, but an irritating feeling of incompletion.  I was pleased to have purchased a good quality pearl to mitigate any negative effects of my afflicted Moon during its dasa and a beautiful, clear yellow sapphire for my Jupiter-ruled ascendant that would serve me my whole life.  Yet I hadn’t done as much as I wanted to remedy my Mercury affliction.

Mercury rules my seventh (relationship) and tenth (career) houses, after all.  I wanted to do something to improve these areas, yet the thought that this would require an emerald discouraged me.  It would take me months to save for an emerald, and I didn’t even especially like their bright green color!

I consoled myself by recalling the words of astrologer Penny Yarrow, who has wisely said that remedial gems, though potentially useful, are not much of a sacrificial choice for Americans, since we would most often rather throw money than time at a problem.  I was indeed grateful that while I had not been able to afford gemstones, other types of remediation had been available to me.  Getting accustomed to saying Vedic mantras as prayers was a big step.  For the first few weeks of counting beads while saying the Moon mantra, I wanted to sneak in the Hail Mary prayer of my youth, which I did a few times since I considered the Great Mother wouldn’t object!  I found an organization that donates milk (ruled by the Moon) to undernourishedchildren (Express Au Lait, Inc., P.O. Box 3713,Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 92067) and when possible,donated a few dollars to their cause at the grocery store.  I made efforts to visit my disabled aunt, whose astrological chart has an even more debilitated Moon than mine.

These investments of time and energy have been of worth, I am sure.  Yet for me, who has never made a lot of money by Western standards, purchasing remedial gems was a significant demonstration of faith.  It was a stretch of my capacities that I hope pleases the planetary gods from whom I am beseeching grace, and the God/dess at the source of them all.  Perhaps there is thus within remediation both Western and Eastern ways to go about it that we can balance as necessary – the purchase of gemstones and other relatively costly or visible actions on one hand, and the charities, austerities and investments of time that generate good karma from behind the scenes on the other.

>> Assuaged by these thoughts but still feeling unsettled about my gem purchasing experience... (continued on next page) >>