With over four decades of expertise in the mystical realms of astrology, Edith Hathaway has established herself as a leading international consultant, author, teacher, and lecturer in the field of Vedic astrology. Known for her rare mastery of both Eastern and Western astrological systems, Edith has guided countless individuals through life’s complexities with the insight and precision of the stars. Her credentials include the prestigious Level IV Consulting Astrologer certification from the National Council of Geocosmic Research, Master AstroCartoGrapher from Jim Lewis, and multiple honors from renowned Vedic astrology councils, including the title of Jyotish Brihaspati from the Council of Vedic Astrology (CVA) and Jyotisha Mahasagara from the Raman & Rajeswari Research Foundation in Bangalore, India. In her journey of uniting East and West through astrology, Edith invites her clients and audiences to a deeper understanding of their karmic patterns and life’s potential. Her work transcends mere predictions, focusing instead on empowering individuals to navigate their lives with cosmic awareness and self-awareness. Through her unique perspective, Edith Hathaway has become a beacon of astrological wisdom in a world that constantly seeks guidance from the stars. Join Mystic Mag and read more.
Your book In Search of Destiny has been described as “ground-breaking” and “a monumental work” in Vedic astrology. What inspired you to weave together biography, history, and culture through the lens of astrology, and how did this approach shape your understanding of destiny?
I wanted to write a book that I wished had been available to me at the start of my astrological studies in 1976. I wanted more depth and complexity in the biographical content as related to the astrology, and a closer connection between the astrological components and the historical, cultural and spiritual framework. There are some studies that have been done that focus separately on mundane astrology (i.e. astrology as applied to world events), such as French astrologer André Barbault’s book Planetary Cycles (the English translation). Barbault covers specific geopolitical events using the cycles of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and their mutual conjunctions.
But since these outer planets are not considered an intrinsic part of classical Vedic astrology, I used the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycles and also the larger Jupiter-Saturn cycles running for several hundred years. These larger cycles are defined by the predominance of the conjunctions in one of the four elements: FIRE, EARTH, AIR or WATER. (All zodiacal positions are sidereal zodiac/Lahiri ayanamsha.) This in turn provides greater depth in which to explore the astrological complexities of a given individual chart as well as history and geopolitics in ways that are not provided elsewhere. In this way, we find that an astrological analysis of the individual or the collective resonates with the historical realities.
Though the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycles are well known, at this point in time there is no precedent for this particular approach, using both the larger and smaller JU-SA conjunction cycles. No other astrologer I know of discusses these matters in such a way. In the process I define the likely characteristics of each dominant period as well as historical examples over a 1000-year span: 1400 to 2400. I provide Time-Lines, both annotated and unannotated; thus the title of the opening chapter in my book: “Historical Context and Collective Destiny.” This chapter runs 56 pp. in a book that totals 531 pp., including a bibliography, extensive glossary and index.
The remainder of the book weaves in these larger collective themes, but focuses on how the individual with a given Ascendant chart is likely to deal with their destiny, and in fact how they did deal with it – what we know to be true historically, but also astrologically predictable. The destiny is mapped out in advance from the moment of birth, but what choices did the individual make along the way? There is free will to some extent, given the destiny assigned to each person or entity at birth, along with the timing of that destiny. But given the destiny that was assigned, did the person or entity (such as a nation-state or corporation) capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses? Did they take action or refrain from action at the right times?
The first breath on this earth plane provides the basis for the birth chart or map of destiny: the dharma (Jupiter and its cycles, Ascendant sign and lord), the karma (Saturn and its cycles), and the timing of all of it. All is laid out from the vantage point of the Ascendant primarily, but also secondarily from the Moon, Sun, and Dasha lord as important sub-Ascendants. Where the planets are laid out in the heavens and 12 houses of the chart from the Ascendant and key sub-Ascendants tell the story of the destiny, along with the Dashas and the planetary transits, notably Jupiter, Saturn and the nodal (eclipse) axis. This is why the rest of my book is organized by Ascendant signs. Dashas are the planetary periods that are famous in Vedic astrology, there being 55 of them, but one or two of them usually suffice, notably the Vimshottari Dasha system. Knowledge of these systems were received by the ancient sages and seers of India – spiritual guides and custodians of the culture.
In between all the larger cycles are the 11.9 year Jupiter orbital cycles, the 29.6 year Saturn orbital cycles and how those two planets and their transits and cycles are pivotal in all astrological systems as the socio-political-economic factors. But beyond that, on a spiritual level, in Vedic astrology Jupiter is the planet of Dharma and Saturn is the planet of Karma. So they are of key importance in defining both the individual and the collective in any historical context. They work closely in tandem. Western tropical astrologer Robert Hand has called them “the two hands on the clock.” An individual will often notice – or be forced to notice – some big tests of lifetime choices at the Saturn return, when transiting Saturn returns to the same house and sign position as in the birth chart. This occurs between the ages of 28 and 30, again between ages 58 and 60, and ages 86 and 88.
In Vedic astrology most practitioners use whole sign houses. So this becomes quite clear what arena of life is being tested, as Saturn brings a strong dose of Truth, Reality, and Karma to whatever house Saturn is transiting or aspecting (influencing). In Vedic astrology there is also the concept of Sade Sati. In Sanskrit, this means 7 ½ and refers to the average 7 ½ years during which Saturn transits Houses 12, 1, and 2 from the natal Moon. Since Vedic astrology is such a Lunar-based astrology (whereas Western tropical astrology focuses more on the Sun and Sun-sign astrology), Sade Sati is considered crucial in testing one’s emotional and mental fortitude, the happiness of the heart, especially apropos the arena of life (the House in the birth chart) where the Moon is situated. Saturn always brings a test and often more than one test and sometimes with it greater opportunities, depending on the house position of tr. Saturn, the condition of the birth Moon, and one’s karmic destiny.
Jupiter’s cycle is more related to Dharma (right work, life purpose, expression of your true nature). For instance, in my own life, having begun my studies of astrology in 1976, it was exactly 12 years later that I had my first serious encounter with Vedic astrology. I was writing a book on Western tropical astrology at the time (Navigating by the Stars, published in 1991 by Llewellyn). Most of that book was written in 1988, but finding a publisher took longer, in part due to the shift in my personal planetary periods, my Dasha sequence. (The sequence is the same for everyone, but the birth date and time determines when your Dasha sequence begins. In this case it was the Vimshottari Dasha system.)
A favorable 17-year Mercury Dasha was due to begin in fall 1990 (when the book was accepted by Llewellyn), but I only first learned of my Vedic chart in late spring 1988. Of course Mercury is the messenger and communicator and my Mercury is well placed in the 9th house of publishing, higher education and long distance travel. The Dasha sequence tells you when this is likely to manifest more fully. It’s not as if I had not tried to find a publisher well before fall 1990, but the astrological timing was not yet ripe for it to happen. The Dasha sequence reveals the timing of when the karmic fruits will come due. This is what the astrologer learns and conveys to others in a consulting practice, in lectures, classes, articles, books.
Vedic astrology has a rich tradition that dates back thousands of years. How do you balance honoring this ancient wisdom with making it accessible and relevant to contemporary readers?
I have just briefly described how this works in the microcosm with individuals. Looking briefly at the the macrocosm and the larger JU-SA conjunction cycles, we note that explorations through sea voyages were most dominant during the WATER period, which ran 298 years: 1425 to 1723. This includes the Mutation periods from AIR to WATER: 1405 to 1544 and from WATER to FIRE: 1702 to 1782. Fittingly, WATER has the longest gestation periods and featured sea voygages undertaken for the glory of the monarchy, but also in most cases to expand Christendom or Islam. In the core of the FIRE dominant period (Nov. 1782 to Nov. 1901) there were religious themes, as in the WATER period, but the FIRE influence promoted more overtly nationalistic aspirations and the demand for personal freedoms, especially from religious persecution.
The American Revolution began in April 1775 but was not concluded until Feb. 1783, when King George III declared the Cessation of Hostilities. A peace treaty was not signed until Sept. 1783. As an astrologer, I am convinced that war could not have been concluded definitively until after the JU-SA conjunction on Nov. 5, 1782 at 7°18’ Sagittarius at the Galactic Center. This marked the end of the WATER to FIRE Mutation period and the start of the core of the FIRE dominant period, which favored the nation-state as well as the rights of the individual as given by God. The U.S. Constitution is still unique in that regard, and Sagittarius unites both religious and patriotic concerns. Among the three FIRE signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius), Sagittarius is the most patriotic.
The start of the core FIRE period was when the American colonies in North America finally broke away from Great Britain and became a separate nation-state – an earth-shaking development historically, given the military power of the British Empire by comparison to the American colonies. But it was not as if the last major battle was fought in late 1782. No, with the WATER element everything takes longer.
The last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War was the Battle of Yorktown (Virginia) from Sept. 28 to Oct. 19, 1781. General George Washington and his troops, aided by French troops and naval forces fought against British troops led by Lt. General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis was forced to surrender, along with his 7,000 troops. Yet the final surrender and peace treaty was not until Feb. and Sept. 1783, respectively. Nor did George III call it “surrender” but a “cessation of hostilities.” King George III was not happy with the rebel colonists.
Meanwhile, George Washington was a seminal figure in the American Revolution, first as a military general in command of the Continental Army, and later as head of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and as the first and second U.S. President, from April 1789 to March 1797. His birth data is well established (Feb. 22, 1732, 10 am LMT, Pope’s Creek Estate Westmoreland, VA), and it is fitting that his Ascendant is Aries – giving the destiny to have to go first and break new ground. His natal Rahu (North lunar node) is close to the Galactic Center in Sagittarius, his Moon later in Sagittarius in the fortunate 9th house, while natal Jupiter is in Virgo in a close opposition to Saturn in Pisces alongside exalted Venus in Pisces. A JU-SA opposition is a hallmark of the entrepreneur. The USA Kelleher chart (July 4, 1776, 6:30 pm LMT, Philadelphia, PA) has an Ascendant at 8°59’ Sagittarius, with Saturn in the 10th house in Virgo, Jupiter in Gemini, also featuring the dual sign axes, as does the chart of America’s first major leader, George Washington.
The last FIRE conjunction ending the core FIRE period occurred in Nov. 1901 and affected the years 1901 to 1921. The 1901 JU-SA conjunction was at 22°31’Sagittarius. Coincidentally, Sagittarius rules over horses, and this was the last 20-year period in modern history during which the horse was used as a major means of transportation and for fighting battles. During World War I (1914 to 1918) it is estimated that at least 1 million horses were killed in battle among British and French forces. This is not including horses lost by Germany and its allies.
Meanwhile, motorized vehicles started to appear more regularly in the 1901-1921 period, along with the airplane and its first successful flight in 1903. They would both reap the benefits of the first JU-SA conjunction in an EARTH sign (Virgo) in Sept. 1921 and the FIRE to EARTH Mutation period Nov. 1901 to Feb. 1961.
This 60-year period would quickly start to introduce the strong influence of big business, bankers and commerce as a competing force over the nation-state and its citizens. The EARTH influence favored the start of the Globalist orientation, including in the years leading up to 1921, with bankers and businessmen very involved in the starting and continuing of wars for their own profits. On the plus side, with the motorized vehicle one advantage was the new possibility of mass production, which could only occur after the invention of the hydraulic brake in 1918 by Malcolm Lougheed in California. But it was not applied to cars until 1921, clearing the way for the greater mass production of cars. In 1926 this company later became Lockheed Aircraft Co.
I have written more extensively about these larger JU-SA cycles in subsequent articles, including with graphs that were included in my lectures and articles from fall 2019 onward. My most recent article covering this topic and with these graphs is titled “The Long View of 2024 & Why 2020 is Still the Pivot Point of Our Times.” I also discuss the JU-SA cycles at some length during my YouTube interview with Amata Giovale Astrologa YouTube, Italy, released March 2024. (Please see my website for all these items: www.edithhathaway.com.)
As an astrologer, how do you approach the task of translating complex astrological concepts into insights that can be practically applied by your clients and readers?
This unique way to view history, culture and geopolitics was given to us from ancient times and from the greatest civilizations. But more often it was used by kings or high priests for decisions about when to crown the king, when to fight a battle or plant the crops. Over the centuries a larger public did not have the privilege of learning or using astrology, as it required a certain amount of learning, aside from which its application tended to be used exclusively for the rulers, the priest class and higher classes of people within a given society or culture.
Vedic astrology is based on the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads, and this is a culture that is not pagan but polytheistic. All of life including human life is regarded as sacred, but with so many complex aspects to that sacredness – there is the need to describe them by a variety of deities to whom one can turn for deeper understanding and also for propitiation and remedies in times of turbulence and for gratitude in times of celebration. Accordingly, there is a large system of remedies, including mantras, pujas (ceremonies), gemstones, vastu (the Hindu Feng Shui), and ayurveda, among other things.
The planets themselves are regarded as sacred beings or forces. Even the word Graha (the Sanskrit word for planet) means “that which seizes you.” That is, these planets are deities in and of themselves which need to be understood and regarded as sacred forces. They are always and forever influencing us, so we benefit by understanding what they represent and working with their forces. The days of the week also have a sacred order and in Vedic astrology they are propitiated in that order, not in their order distance-wise from the Sun. The days of the week start with Sunday, Monday, etc. through to Saturday, and these represent the 7 physical planets, who rule those days from sunrise to sunrise, regardless of the calendrical day. That order is: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. Astrological Sunday starts at sunrise Sunday and ends at sunrise Monday. Rahu and Ketu (the north and south lunar nodes) are the other 2 sacred planets but are non-physical and are points in space. They represent the eclipse axis and together round out the 9 classic Vedic planets ruling over the 27 nakshatras. Each nakshatra in turn runs for 13°20’, the average speed of the Moon per day. There are Vedic deities and symbols ruling over each nakshatra.
When you’re drawing on ancient wisdom and timeless truths, they are always accessible and relevant once you learn how to translate. In the case of astrology, the astrologer has to learn to speak the language of the planets as related to human life on earth. Truth shines through the millennia because it is God’s map of the human destiny, both for the collective and for individuals. In his Autobiography of a Yogi (1946), Paramahansa Yogananda says: “It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified in discarding his maps.” By maps, he is referring to the individual birth chart, with the placement of the planets in the heavens playing a key role in describing the destiny of a human being.
If you are living in an age when secularism and even Satanism are gaining a lot of traction – as in today’s world – you are not necessarily guaranteed an audience. The astrologer is involved in a sacred art and science that pre-dates us by millennia and must be preserved for the well-being of the civilization. The astrologer has to learn the language of the planets and the multitude of rules that govern how these planets behave when in numerous conditions, by house, segment of the zodiac, and interplanetary connections. In Vedic astrology, 100s of yogas (planetary combinations) must be learned.
The recipients of this knowledge will benefit the most when they understand that the astrologer is conveying a sacred language directly to them, and that they in turn are fortunate to receive it and have the ability to act on it. The astrologer is the guardian of sacred knowledge that must be honored and revered. The first order of business is to convey the meaning of the birth chart, and the second order of business is to convey the map of destiny in terms of timing over the lifetime, and then up close within the year.
In a YouTube interview I did in March 2024 with Amata Giovale Astrologa (Italy), I was asked about my transition from Western tropical astrology into Vedic astrology in 1988, and why I was attracted to the astrology of India. (As described earlier, this happened after 12 years in Western tropical astrology – a Jupiter orbital cycle.) I found myself quoting these lines from The Upanishads:
“Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self and the immortal Self are perched on branches of the selfsame tree. The individual self tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes.
The individual Self, deluded by forgetfulness of his identity with his divine Self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. But when he recognizes the Worshipful Lord as his own true Self and beholds his glory, he grieves no more.”
For me, this is an example of the breathtaking beauty and poetry of The Upanishads, and of Indian or Vedic philosophy in general, condensing for us some of the timeless wisdom of the sages. It is innately accessible if you understand and accept the principle that this life on earth is sacred, its purpose is sacred, and no matter how many ups and downs you face in a given lifetime your soul is divine and comes from a divine source. It lives on before and after this current body manifests on the earth plane.
The key thing to note is that karmic lessons and “karmic credit” are lived out on the earth plane, and this requires effort and understanding of one’s life purpose. Vedic philosophy also adheres to the idea that there are multiple lifetimes, but there is one soul proceeding through all these lifetimes in order to learn the many lessons that human beings need to learn. It is also possible we can exist on multiple planes simultaneously, but that is beyond the comprehension of many of us, myself included.
Though many of us in the West were raised in the Judeo-Christian culture, I personally find no contradiction between that culture and the Hindu culture and its practices. Some Christians might quarrel with that approach, in that you have to believe in one God and the Holy Trinity. But to me it is not cancelled out by the Hindu deities. It is all part of the sacred whole. Jupiter is Guru (one of its Sanskrit names), which means “he who removes the darkness.” Jesus does this, as does any great avatar. Jupiter provides protection and teaches tolerance and forgiveness. Astrologically, the blessing of the Guru can be found by studying Jupiter and the 9th house in the chart.
It is also fitting that Jupiter rules Sagittarius, the most patriotic of the FIRE signs, if not all the signs. Jupiter also rules Pisces, the 12th sign of the zodiac very much associated with sacrifice and the ultimate connection we have with everything and everyone. The WATER signs and houses (Houses 4, 8, 12; Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are closely associated with Moksha, liberation of the spirit, whether or not the Moksha houses are in WATER signs.
These are considered the most important houses of the birth chart, according to the spiritual teachings of Vedic culture, as is Moksha, the 4th aim in life. The other three aims in life, in this order, and in the order of the houses, repeating 1 thru 4, etc.: Dharma (right purpose); Artha (material wealth and well-being); Kama (the desire to connect with others and to do commerce). They repeat the classic order of the elements: FIRE, EARTH, AIR, WATER. Likewise, where the Moon is situated in all of this is crucial, bearing in mind the orientation to the Ascendant. This basic orientation is essential, and if the astrologer conveys it to the clients or readers, everyone is well served to deal with life’s greatest boons as well as its challenges.
I try to convey this understanding when I do client sessions or when I teach, lecture or write. In fact it is our duty (dharma) as astrologers to convey this wisdom, once we have studied long enough, though we are always learning more over the years. This also requires learning a lot within astrology and beyond it.
Given the depth of your research for In Search of Destiny, how has your perspective on fate and free will evolved over the years, especially in relation to astrological influences?
If you are practicing astrology with any depth, it is impossible not to see the effect of fate and free will at work, and for me it is now nearly my 49th year in astrology. Using Vedic astrology since 1988, that capacity has increased quite a lot, and I attribute that to the beauty, complexity and rich spiritual basis of Vedic astrology.
Inevitably that has an effect on how one views fate and free will. Vedic/Hindu philosophy describes Dharma as right action, and “one’s true nature” and “that which you must do in this life.” Karma is the buildup of credit that you accrue for good and/or bad actions during a given lifetime, and there are three types of karmas which I won’t go into here. The Vedic Dasha systems document how this journey is likely to proceed, and though there are 55 Dasha systems, the Vimshottari Dasha system (mentioned earlier) is considered the most important one. It runs from the moment of birth for 120 years, and indicates when the Dharmic and Karmic factors in the astrological chart will play out. This can give major clues about the progress of a given life.
I use the Vimshottari Dasha system alongside the birth chart and the harmonic or divisional charts. Through my studies and key influence of the South Indian method, I tend to use the Navamsha (9th harmonic) chart more than any other divisional chart. From that, and with the use of the Vimshottari Dasha system, one is often surprised (or not) at how the individual is living out the karmic destiny exactly when it is supposed to happen, according to their birth chart and the timing to it. Sometimes too, especially if it is an excruciatingly difficult part of the destiny, the astrologer can be of great help in advising the client where they are in time – according to their life’s destiny – when the most fiendishly difficult part of it will be over and how to minimize the effects until it ends.
One of the more memorable of these stories from my client files is of a woman who fled from Yugoslavia during their civil war (1991 to 1999). She had a young son whom she did not want to get killed in that war. So she emigrated to another country, and in doing so she took a big hit to her career as a psychologist. She left quite a prestigious position in her profession in Yugoslavia. The supreme irony of all this was that in the new country her son turned against her for some reason. So she had left behind her country of origin, lost her professional standing, and most bitter of all – her son’s love and affection. She had professional knowledge and understanding of her emotional distress, but even so – she was suicidal.
During her consultation I suggested some remedies, but I regarded my greatest service at the time as telling her when this very gruelling period would be over. She had a Cancer Ascendant, giving major focus to the family and country of origin, with a debilitated Moon in Scorpio in the 5th house of children, Neecha Bhanga (i.e. correction to soften the affliction of the debilitation). So her natural focus was on her child, among other 5th house realms, and at the time she was in the Dasha of Moon-Saturn. Saturn can have a very repressive effect on the Moon (the mind, heart).
To compound this issue, in the Navamsha chart the Moon is in Capricorn again in the 5th house of children in mutual exchange with Saturn in Cancer. A Moon-Saturn opposition can be a fierce emotional conflict, though since the natal Moon in Scorpio is Neecha Bhanga I thought that the conflict with the son could be resolved after the Moon-Saturn period finished. But most crucial was for her to survive this period emotionally and mentally and stop considering suicide. I don’t know the outcome of this story, but my hope is that she survived it and lived to resolve the conflict with her son. There’s a good chance that happened, as the Moon-Saturn period lasts exactly 19 months and she had endured at least half of it.
What type of services do you offer?
I offer client sessions with the usual array of astrological services: readings of the birth chart, ongoing sessions from there, which regularly include timing updates and looking at specific issues that may be more critical at a given time for the client, whether health, finances, marriage, career, etc. We may look at compatibility, muhurthas (auspicious dates and timing), prashna (question charts), or relocation concerns (astrocartography, relocation charts). Every arena of life is covered through the 9 classical planets, the 12 houses, and the 27 Vedic nakshatras (the zodiac divided into 27 segments reflecting the Moon’s passage each month through the 12 signs of the zodiac. I also include Uranus, Neptune and Pluto if they are configured very closely to the chart, usually within 5 degrees.
However, most of my focus these days is on writing and research. See my website for some video interviews and my articles, up through Oct. 2024 and including the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. In addition, I am working on Vol. 2 of In Search of Destiny. It will include the Ascendant charts Scorpio through Pisces. In the meantime, my Audio course is available at my web store, along with various lecture recordings. The individual Ascendant signs are available as single mp3s or as a package of 12 mp3s: The Vedic Chart: An Expert Guide Through the 12 Ascendants. My initial 2002 course was revised in 2015 and includes pdf files: Go to: www.edithhathaway.com . Email: [email protected].
