Jyotisha and Life Coaching
The intention of this article is to explore the arrival of new skills applicable to the field of Vedic astrology practice. In today’s world, full of mentoring, counseling and direct-control techniques, an innovative form of astrologer-client relationship is now available. For those who would wish to expand their ‘astrology bedside manner” there is a new astrology approach being offered for interacting with clients. It is called Vedic Astrology Coaching (VAC) which combines the assistive, co-active practice of life coaching with the behavioral assessment and forecasting abilities of Vedic astrology. Not only does the Vedic astrology coach look at behavior as revealed by assessment techniques such as the birth chart and through life coaching techniques, but fills the planning gap by using Vedic astrology to examine the implications of behavior over time. In the process, the VAC clients learn about their aptitudes, skills, values and motivations.
Modern clients especially from the West,want the astrologer to guide them more than direct them.The Astrologer’s role is changing from the “sage on stage” to the “guide on the side.”Clients come to find a way,working in partnership with the astrologer, to create new possibilities in a feature that is structured to be more successful and prosperous. Vedic Astrology Coaching is a new model of the Astrologer-coach that offers a way for the modern Vedic astrologer to collaborate with the client systematically building a new feature in time, working across a diverse range of culture,gender,age,education and socio-economic level all over the world.
The VAC clients learn about their aptitudes, skills, values and motivations. They learn how to structure a plan for success. In addition, the client learns how to work within time, being made aware of the astrological windows of opportunity in which to take the most appropriate action for improvement.
They learn how to structure a plan for success. In addition, the client learns how to work within time, being made aware of the astrological windows of opportunity in which to take the most appropriate action for improvement.
Clients often indicate that an astrologer can be quite skilled in the principles and practices of Vedic astrology. However, that same client might also report that the astrologer does not present and transfer their knowledge in a way that is relevant, respectful and appropriate for the level of the client. Experience shows that many clients come to an astrology session for direction. They might not necessarily want to follow that direction but they want some guidance. The client might also come to be comforted and encouraged. They want validation and to be freed of their doubts.
However, some clients don’t want to be overly directed by the astrologer. They just need a friendly guide to work with to point their way into the future in a successful and prosperous manner. The new model of Vedic astrologer coach offers a method for the modern Vedic astrologer to collaborate or “co-operate” with the client. Systematically, the Vedic astrologer coach helps the client step into a new vision of the future, competently co-working across a diverse range of culture, religion, gender, age, education and socio-economic levels all over the world.
21st Century Coach
The efficacy of counselling a client has been assumed to naturally emerge from learning the astrological techniques and processes alone. However, in a review of Vedic astrology instruction around the world, there appears to be a lack of structured, standardized, and empirically tested best practices for astrological assistance. Astrological practitioners and scholars, while knowledgeable, even gifted, in the techniques of Vedic astrology, may not know how best to serve as advisors to the unique population of Vedic astrology clients around the world. This is especially relevant for the X and Y Generation (1964 through present) and for cross-cultural clients. As Vedic astrology evolves into the 21st century it has new opportunities to provide practitioners of Vedic astrology with techniques, strategies and approaches that are based on established astrology practice as well as life coaching approaches.
Composite Approach
The emphasis on the development of the astrologer’s counselling skills and experience surpass technique use alone. The astrologer and client need to know more than just what’s broken, how to fix it and, when. As a team, they need a proven method for achieving higher performance, whatever the goal might be. A new opportunity in the astrologer-client relationship is emerging combining life coaching with Vedic astrology. In the Vedic astrology coaching model, the clients learn what behavior will lead to better outcome and how to time their improvement activities for the best results.
Life coaching is a guidance, practice where the coach supports or co-operates with a requesting client towards achieving a specific personal goal. The primarily operating style in the life coaching process is one of facilitation. The life coach does not do the work for the client, but guides him into new dimensions of higher performance. The Vedic astrology coach questions, inspires and even challenges the client to plan, set goals and move forward in ever increasing steps of self-sufficiency towards obtaining their desired goals.
At this time, the life coaching model, such as promoted by the International Coach Federation is being merged with Vedic astrological principles and practice, especially Vedic techniques of timing behavior.
As such, there is a need for astrologers to be more inclusive of diverse cultural heritages. For astrological consultations to remain relevant, astrologers must comprehend the implications of cultural diversity. The newer communication and software technologies might seem to give astrologers of the 21st century a competitive advantage. However, the greater gain is increasing cultural competence and understanding clients and their multicultural needs more deeply.
Three-Part Model
The Vedic Astrology Coaching Model provides three major components for successful astrological guidance, that is
As such the Vedic Astrology Coaching model provides a new paradigm using the skills of astrological analysis and forecasting combined with life coaching techniques.
Vedic astrology practitioners can use the insights they gain from the VAC model to promote client trust, rapport and cultural empathy and improve the astrologer-client relationship.
Cross-Cultural Astrologer
In the growing tide of globalization, a new astrological approach is needed to work with people internationally. An astrologer must speak in a way that the client will hear them. Increased telecommunications, the internet, software applications and social media have changed the scope of astrological consultations. Astrologers have expanded their domains from interactions in local areas to serving the needs of clients across the world’s borders. Astrologers and their clients are now connecting globally. They are still striving to maintain the integrity of their own cultures, but are expanding now to be something more…. citizens of the world.
As such, there is a need for astrologers to be more inclusive of diverse cultural heritages. For astrological consultations to remain relevant,astrologers must comprehend the implications of cultural diversity. The newer communication and software technologies might seem to give astrologers of the 21st century a competitive advantage. However, the greater gain is increasing cultural competence and understanding clients and their multicultural needs more deeply.
What VAC is About
Some of the key characteristics of an astrologer-client coaching relationship are:-
• The astrologer conducting a respectful conversation that focuses on the needs of the client being coached.
• A positive uplifting “we can find a way” style of relating that can be utilized across any culture.
• A focus on helping people achieve improved performance by systematically looking at their problems in terms of solutions.
• Interacting with clients in a way that stimulates their understanding about what needs to be accomplished, empowers them to take ownership and control of their own self-discovery, and leaves them feeling open and motivated to take more effective actions in time to release more of the potential that,lies in their charts.
Guide on the Side
A shift is occurring worldwide. People are advancing from collectivistic thinking and action to a more individualistic outlook. They are becoming increasingly self-sufficient with access to amazing reservoirs of knowledge. The new astrological clients are seeking guidance rather than the traditional paternalistic direction seen so often in astrology consultations. Modern younger clients, especially in the West, are more self-sufficient and want to be more engaged in the process. The astrological session in now becoming a co-operative venture. The astrologer guides the client into a better understanding and action plan for the future. A new breed of clients is emerging who want to be held responsible for managing their own personal development. They want relevant information delivered in a way that is comprehensible for their setting.They want a “guide on the side,” and not a “sage on the stage.”
Environment of Trust
The new Vedic Astrology Coaching model is about creating a trusting and collaborative environment between the astrologer and the client. It is a co-directed relationship that fosters personal development and improvement of the client’s performance on any level.
Qualifications of a Coach
A Vedic Astrology Coach:-
• Comes from a place of integrity modeling standards of good behavior to others.
• Develops a collaborative or co-directed relationship with the client.
• Works to gain the client’s trust—a very important component of coaching.
• Treats the client with respect, talking in a way that is positive, supportive and helpful.
• Tells the truth in a straightforward way but such that it enables the client to hear through their defenses, accept the guidance offered, and take action to grow as a result. The Vedic Astrology Coach both comforts and appropriately challenges the client.
• Works with the astrology chart, looking for timing opportunities, while helping the client realistically assess those areas of attitudes, knowledge and action that limit him from reaching his full potential.
• Presents the coaching information in an objective manner.
• Inspires the client to their innate ability to discover new possibilities. Lets them know that solutions or new ways of working in the world can be found.
• Encourages the client to go beyond his boundaries and to stretch into a new future, in alignment with his highest nature as revealed in the chart.
What VAC is Not
Coaching is not:-
• Directing,controlling or manipulating the client according to the astrologer’s agenda and perceived superior position over the client.
• Having all the answers and being responsible for taking ownership or directly solving problems for the client.
• Being impatient, judgmental or scolding in tone.
• Giving assistance to the client without attaining mutual understanding of what outcomes are needed and without seeking permission from the client to be coached.
• Mentoring, counseling, therapy, “hand- holding” or “bossing around”.
Benefits of VAC
This method of Vedic Asrology Coaching benefits the clients as follows
• Uses simple, proven concepts of astrology and coaching that are applicable to individuals across any culture.
• Uses a common set of terms that are easy to relate to.
• Focuses on the potential improvement of individuals, not just their problems.
• Uses the chart’s analytic and forecasting tools to provide a structure, process and timetable for understanding the client’s behavior over time.
• Emphasizes respect for the clients and their potential.
• Focuses the clients on their own capacity and responsibility for solving problems.
• Strives to build self-confidence and accelerate achievement of the highest levels of performance revealed in the chart.
• Understands that outcomes are based on behavior and helps the clients plan for better performance in any chosen area of life, specifically as revealed in the chart.
• Provides a model for personal development using the chart and a special diagnostic tool developed by ACVA called the “Dharma Karma Chakra Wheel.”
• Keeps the client focused on conversations and perspectives that helps him reach higher achievement.
• Using Vedic astrology principles and practices in the chart to help maintain the focus on future-oriented possibility thinking.
The Difference VAC Makes
• The VAC consultation develops a clear purpose and focuses the astrologer and client on improving specific behavior systematically over time, using the chart, the Dharma Karma Chakra Wheel and the performance objectives of the client.
• The structure and process of a VAC consultation helps both the astrologer and the client to stay on track, thus achieving new behavioral outcomes in less time. A VAC consultation keeps everyone’s attention focused on identifying and improving not only behavior but behavior over time.
A VAC consultation strives to create a place for the client to feel safe in discussing the limitations and opportunities for creating improvement, as seen in the chart. Appropriate time frames for agreed-upon actions are identified via the chart and a step-by-step action plan for improvement is established with the client.The VAC process strives to help the client maintain accountability for creating a new future for themselves. •
Courtesy: MODERN ASTROLOGY(Author : William R. Levacy)
