|
 |
| Home Vedic Venue eMagazine Current FAQs Contact Us Links |
Jyotish Star of the Month |
By Juliana Swanson |
|
Juliana Swanson: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to do the interview. Phyllis Chubb: Certainly�I�m honored! Juliana: Where did you grow up?
Phyllis: I found astrology through my curiosity! The things I had been told about how the world went around didn�t make sense to me. From an early age, I was an avid reader, an act that fuelled my curiosity. I wanted to know why people thought and acted the way they do. Conformity was not my strong suit when I was young. The answers held within one philosophy invariably lead to another philosophy; for many years, Western astrology had the most to offer me, until I found Jyotish, which definitely satisfies my curiosity. Juliana: Who were your earliest astrology teachers? Phyllis: When I first started with Western astrology, I had the great privilege of being Elizabeth Tessier�s apprentice at the Institute of Astrological Studies in Toronto, Ontario. The years I spent with her were gruelling; however, she gave me a phenomenal education. Juliana: How did you meet her? Phyllis: I found her by the hand of fate. The day after I arrived in Toronto, I picked up the Yellow Pages phonebook, and it opened to �Astrologers.� There was a listing for �Institute of Astrological Studies, 20 St. Clair Street, Toronto.� I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Immediately I called the number, and Tessier answered the phone. Little did I know how rarely she did that. As fate would have it, after I had attended four classes, the president of the Institute announced that they needed a new assistant. I volunteered immediately, and 3 weeks later moved into the Institute while Elizabeth was away in Europe. When she returned in January and found me there she said, �You�re going to work for this knowledge,� and work I did. What she gave me was priceless. Now I know some of the things she taught me came from Jyotish, not Western astrology. Juliana: Was this the same Elizabeth Tessier who was astrologer to former French president Fran�ois Mitterrand? Phyllis: No, this wasn�t the same person to whom you are referring, or at least she never told me that, although she worked in rarified circles for sure. [Mitterrand�s astrologer was Elisabeth Teissier of France, not the same astrologer as Elizabeth Tessier.] Phyllis: Elizabeth Tessier, my teacher, was a psychologist and astrologer par excellence who had been bounced on the knees of Carl Jung as a young child. She and Dr. Jack Griffin, then-president of the Institute, decided I needed academic degrees to support my astrological studies. So the academic years began in 1974 at the University of Toronto, and continued in Carlton University in Ottawa, Ontario, before I returned home to BC and Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. Juliana: What was your course of study? Phyllis: I earned a BA in Psychology and finished in 1986 with an Independent Master�s Degree in Human Relations, covering community counselling and psychiatry, at Simon Fraser University. Juliana: How long did you practice Western astrology? Phyllis: In total, I practiced nearly twenty years. Being blessed with a very high energy level, I was able to study full time and practice and teach astrology full time, as well. Unfortunately, as valuable as Western astrology is, something was missing for me. I didn�t know what was missing, so I couldn�t even ask a question. During my internship and after graduation, I went �straight,� meaning I counselled clients without the benefit of an ephemeris. All my advisors at school and my employers knew about the astrology, so the ephemeris was allowed �out,� behind closed doors, in challenging situations. Juliana: When, why and how did you change over to Vedic astrology? Phyllis: In 1997, while in a bookstore staring at the stacks, a book fell and I caught it. The book was Richard Houck�s The Astrology of Death. It changed my life. (The story is on my website at http://phyllischubb.com/about/) Basically, Jyotish and its philosophy have answered my questions. The more I study, the more I realize how much there is to learn. Juliana: Are there any other astrologers in your family? Phyllis: Absolutely not! My grandmother could read tea leaves and had a fine sense of intuition. She seemed to know both good things and bad things, but the bad things scared her terribly. Juliana: Which teachers inspired you, mentored you, and have been your strongest guides in Jyotish? Phyllis: I hold Richard Houck responsible for starting the process of my marriage to Jyotish. His suggestions led to the honor of my meeting Mr. Narendra Desai, a man who blew my mind and changed my life. He also took me to the post-conference workshop conducted by C.S. Patel and introduced me to him. It was Mr. Patel who introduced me to the nakshatras. That�s another story for another time. Juliana: Narendra Desai is a legend. I wish he had left behind some books of his teachings! Phyllis: Yes, my only wish is that Mr. Desai had left some books, or that I could get his tapes. I�ve tried so many times and so far have come up with nothing. All I have is what he told me, and that information has kept me working 24/7 for many years. Basically you could say the content of the first ACVA conference and Mr. Desai�s words started an intense period of study that continues today under the direction of Sanjay Rath. Juliana: Who were your other Jyotish teachers? Phyllis: I began to study with Roeland de Looff who started Dirah Academy. His courses are without a doubt exceptionally good. Later on, I was fortunate to be a representative for his course, a task I thoroughly enjoyed. I also studied with Dennis Flaherty, completed David Frawley�s course, and took the ACVA Level I exams in Sedona, Arizona. After completing the Level I exam at ACVA, I �accidently� opened Pandit Sanjay Rath�s group on the Internet, and the rest is history. Juliana: What do Vedic astrology and psychological counselling have in common? Phyllis: Effective psychological intervention of any type requires consciousness and frequently basic cognitive restructuring, which goes by numerous names. One of the great values of Jyotish is its recognition of different levels of consciousness. Academically, I have been taught intervention techniques, and through Jyotish all five levels of consciousness can be seen. Every Jyotishi has a bias and mine is that the chart�s main value is the depth of self-knowledge it provides, and therefore the self-understanding it makes available to a client. When we understand the �why� of something we are better able to deal with its management effectively. Juliana: Will you please say something about these five states of consciousness which can be seen through Jyotish? Phyllis: Commonly, the five levels of consciousness are called: (1) physical, (2) conscious, (3) sub-conscious, (4) super-consciousness and (5) supra-consciousness. These levels are covered through the varga charts. For example, charts D-1 to D-12 cover the physical and all things seen outside of the individual. For example, we can see our siblings, our parents our lovers, cars and homes. The conscious level is shown by D-16, D-20 and D-24. This is a powerful level however there is nothing here that can be seen outwardly, everything is internal. The work I am developing with the lunar cycles functions at this level. D-16 focuses on an individual�s happiness within themselves; D-20 on their relationship with spirituality; and D-24 deals with an individual�s learning capabilities. D- 27 and D-30 deals with the unconscious mind. D-40 and D45 deal with the super conscious mind and cover such things as group or family karma; and D-60+ deals with supra-consciousness. The last two levels are well and truly beyond the average person. Juliana: How do you combine astrology and counselling in your professional work today? Phyllis: Having access to self-knowledge is one of the greatest blessings of Jyotish. Probably one of the greatest challenges is getting people to recognize how much power they have to help themselves. Frequently I hear people wanting someone else to make them happy, when the keys to their happiness rest within themselves. Living consciously is not easy to attain, although it certainly feels good and the chart provides the information necessary to get there. Juliana: Are you in full private practice as an astrologer consultant and tutor/teacher? Phyllis: Yes, I am. I�m very fortunate to have the opportunity to devote all my energies to the practice and study of something I love. I teach from my home office, over the phone and on Skype. At least once a year I offer a short course called Introduction to Vedic Thought and Jyotish. This course is designed to help people decide if they want to undertake the study of Jyotish. In January 2015, the course will be offered through my website for anyone who wishes to take it. Juliana: Do you also hold large classes? Phyllis: I try not to hold large classes because I remember very clearly what it was like being a newbie and I wanted all the attention of the teacher. In small classes, I can develop a stronger connection and rapport with each student. In a small class it is easier to get off topic and provide unscheduled information that brings the subject to life while making all that memory work more relevant. Additionally, people tend to work harder in a small group. Over the years some wonderful relationships have developed between my students. Juliana: What do your online classes entail? Phyllis: All the on-line classes involve lectures, extra reading material and websites for further research, plus the all-important opportunity to ask questions! These classes are also kept small for the same reasons as stated earlier. Generally I am only �an email away� for all my students. And, all the courses naturally carry credit hours including the introductory course, so no time is wasted. Juliana: What is the gist of your process in doing an astrological consultation? Phyllis: A lot depends on how each client approaches me and their questions. My practice has been built on word of mouth referral, so each client coming knows someone who has seen me, so they have some idea of what to expect. As a rule, I strive to normalize a person�s cognitive patterns, challenges and strengths while linking the past with their immediate situation and potential effects on future probabilities. An important factor, from my point of view, is the sharing of tools for self-management and personal expansion, such as the use of breath, mantra and the power of their inner awareness or consciousness. Juliana: I understand you presented a new approach to the use of the ashtakavarga at the June 2014 CVA Conference. Please tell us more! Phyllis: In the bhinna ashtakavarga, I found a key that explained behaviors which I had seen on the acute ward at Riverview Hospital (a provincial mental hospital) and among the general population, myself included. Finding nothing to support my thinking, I just chalked it up to my poor research skill and/or lack of patience and soldiered on. After finding the Asktakavarga it wasn�t long before I started asking clients if they could recognize the patterns I was showing them which come from this system, and without fail the answer was �yes.� I have an Aries Lagna, so you can appreciate how I just charged forward. This all took place about 14 years ago, and now after seeing thousands of examples, I am ready to share my findings and thankfully my guru Sanjay Rath is encouraging me to do so. Juliana: What are your findings? Phyllis: Erratic lunar cycles commonly result in broken family structures, multiple relationships, self-medication through drugs or alcohol and generally a lot of suffering. The primary cause for these challenges relate to individual consciousness. In other words, if people are looking outside of themselves, rather than within, it is easy to see the world incorrectly which in turn leads to poor behaviour. What we know so far, when used appropriately, can save the quality of lives and the choice of direction is up to the individual. The most important thing for everyone to remember is that this method is not the answer to everything, nor is the result of this type of analysis helpful to everyone. Secondly, there are many years of research necessary to fine-tune this technique and many factors to consider. Juliana: Why are these lunar cycles so important? Phyllis: The Moon relates to consciousness. Learning to use our second level of consciousness is vital because that�and only that�gives us the power and control to be able to live in the present, allowing us to deal with our unfolding karmas in a beneficial and very sattvic way. The more we pay attention to our consciousness and our conscious decision-making processes, the less likely we are to expect someone else to make us happy or to do our inner work for us. This is a tough idea to give up because we live in a society where instant gratification is considered a birth right. Juliana: Since you spoke about this topic at the CVA conference in Seattle, I assume the recording of the lecture is available from CVA? Phyllis: Yes, and I have also written an introductory article about the technique titled Monthly Moon Cycles in Ashtakavarga. Juliana: What is it in your astrological chart that points to your longstanding love affair with Vedic astrology? Phyllis: Of course, there isn�t just one thing. Rather, there are groups of patterns supporting this affair: the relationship between my atmakaraka Jupiter conjoined Rahu, showing a foreign study; the Varnada Lagna and the 11th from it also contribute. If nothing else, I have learned that it is all about relationships in Jyotish (as in life itself). One placement alone and in isolation means nothing, each factor must be in relationship with something else to have meaning. If anyone wants to play with it my birth information is: September 25, 1943 at 20:34:50 in Chilliwack, BC, Canada (121W57 / 49N10) and 26� 57� Aries lagna using Pushya Paksha ayanamsha. Juliana: What advice would you give that could be helpful for students of Jyotish? Phyllis: Ask questions, test out or find your own examples of each new technique. Read translations of the Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata. The Holy Science, written by Sri Yukteswar Giri, is another very valuable read. These volumes will bring the principles of Jyotish alive. Most important of all, do your mantras. Juliana: You completing a five-year Jaimini Scholar program. What�s this about? Phyllis: It�s not really possible to fully describe this program. The knowledge that has been presented over these years has reached unimagined depths. Each lesson holds awe-inspiring information and methods of application. This study was, and is, the most demanding and time-consuming course I have ever taken. It also has been the most valuable. There are only a couple of weeks to go before the exams and the major job of digesting this material, which may or may not occur in this lifetime. Juliana: Thank you for sharing your light, and we wish you the best in your exams as well as all your endeavors! Phyllis Chubb Biography
Phyllis' students gain hours toward their eventual accreditation through the Council of Vedic Astrology (CVA). For more information about mentorship and certification, visit the CVA website at http://www.councilvedicastrology.com or contact Phyllis personally through her website: http://www.phyllischubb.com or via telephone at 250-757-9498. |
Juliana Swanson Biography
|
 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
 |
|
||
| Jyotish Star Copyright 2014 C. C. Collins - All Rights Reserved |
