Next live class begins May 30, 2024

• Live classes meet on Zoom once a week on Thursdays from 4-6pm PST/PDT

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Foundations in Muhūrta is a 6-month course on the traditional branch of Vedic astrology known as Muhūrta, Vedic electional astrology. The course is taught from my translation of the classical Sanskrit text Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi - cover to cover. My new English translation and commentary will be published and available for purchase by Summer 2024. Scroll down on this page for an in-depth explanation of muhūrta and the structure of the course. Be sure to watch the video below.

What is Muhūrta?

Muhūrta is a branch of Vedic Astrology (Jyotiṣa) known in English as electional astrology. Muhur means moment or instant in Sanskrit and ṛta means order, and so a Muhūrta is order or quality of a moment in time. The science of Muhūrta is used by astrologers all over the world to understand how to elect auspicious timings for all the various undertakings in our lives. Muhūrta is an infinitely useful and necessary skill for all astrologers.

The foundation of calculating a muhūrta is understanding and evaluating the combinations of the various elements of time. These elements combine to create windows of opportunity that are used to maximize success in a particular endeavor. For example, one day may be great for opening a bank account, while another day may be best for launching a political campaign.

What is Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi?

Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi is an ancient Sanskrit and is the encyclopedia of modern Vedic electional astrology. The text written in the year 1600 AD by Śrī Rāma Daivajña, the nephew of the famous Nilakaṇṭha Daivajña who was the royal astrologer to Akbar during the Mughal reign in Northern India. Nilakaṇṭha is known for authoring the Tājika Nilakaṇṭhī, India's most famous work on the Arabic system Tājika, a branch of astrology that is known for it's extensive use of annual solar returns, yearly progressions, and sphuṭas, also called sahams.

An extensive commentary on Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi was written by the author's son in the year 1603 and remains the most scholarly and detailed of any commentary on the text to this day. The commentary analyzes each concept of muhūrta taught in the text, referencing a variety of classical texts such as Varāhamihira, Nārada, Phaladīpikā, and Vasistha, among others, and covers every single component time in great detail. The commentary that students will study in this course is my English commentary on both the original text and the Sanskrit commentary.  

How is a muhūrta calculated?

The Vedic Calendar, or pañcāṅga, is made of five foundational limbs or parts: weekday, lunar day, nakṣatra, yoga, and karaṇa. Then, the various divisions of the day such as the kāla, horā, muhūrta, ghaṭikās, and avasthās of the moon are assessed. After that, the nine planets, their strengths in transit, the ascendent, and the various divisional charts and their kārakas are analyzed with respect to the birth chart of the client.

Why study muhūrta?

No competent astrologer can truly practice and advise confidently without studying Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi at least once in their career. It is a rare opportunity to study a classical Sanskrit text in the traditional style even in India today, so studying this text in English is truly a once in a lifetime experience. The goal of studying a classical text is not just to memorize all the components of calculation, but to develop a deep connection and relationship with the author and his heritage of knowledge and experience so that you can understand his thought process, and in this way become his student. After this course you will be able to time your own life by the Vedic calendar and offer this service to your clients. You will also learn traditional marriage compatibility, transits, and cakras that will help you integrate the predictive astrology techniques you may already be using. It is a skill that you will use everyday for the rest of your life.

It is my great fortune and incalculable blessing to have had the opportunity to receive this teaching in the traditional Vedic format from a teacher and practitioner of Vedic astrology that traces his heritage in Varanasi, India, the city in which the text was written several hundred years ago. 

What you will learn:

• In-depth analysis of the Vedic calendar- weekday, tithi, nakṣatra, yoga, and karaṇa - what they are, what they mean, and how to choose them for all types of activities.

• Electing auspicious timings and avoiding inauspicious timings for all types of major events such as marriage, work, family, health, travel, business, education, and anything else you could possibly imagine.

• Relationship compatibility and match making between two birth charts for business and marriage.

• Transit and muhūrta integration

• Daśā and muhūrta integration

• Ghātaka moon, weekday, tithi, nakṣatra, yoga, karaṇa, and ascendant

• Study from my English translation and commentary on the Sanskrit classic “Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi”, an encyclopedia of Vedic electional wisdom.

Course content

The text is divided into 13 chapters. However, it is very important to understand that even though the text is organized according to different subjects, the techniques taught in each chapter compound upon each other and are applied universally throughout the text. The text is intended to be studied from front to back. For example, you cannot properly understand how to calculate a marriage election in Chapter 6 without first understanding the techniques taught in Chapters 1-5.

Chapter 1: Auspicious & Inauspicious timing (Śubhāśubha)

Chapter 2: Choosing the moon’s constellation (Naksatra)

Chapter 3: Solar movement & calendar systems (Sankrānti)

Chapter 4: Transits (Gocara)

Chapter 5: Traditional ceremonies of Hinduism (Samskāra)

Chapter 6: Marriage (Vivāha)

Chapter 7: Welcoming the bride (Vadhū Praveśa)

Chapter 8: The bride’s return (Dvirāgamana)

Chapter 9: Fire initiation (Agnyādhāna)

Chapter 10: Coronation & political elections (Rājyābhiseka)

Chapter 11: Travel (Yātrā)

Chapter 12: Vāstu

Chapter 13: Entering a new house (Grha Praveśa)

Details

• Next live course begins Thursday, May 30, 2024

• Classes are held once a week on Thursdays from 4-6pm PST/PDT

• Course duration: 6 months

• Weekly Zoom meeting accessible anywhere in the world

• All classes are recorded and available online if you miss a class

• Facebook group and Telegram thread for discussions, class updates, and notifications.

• Investment: $1600 USD one-time payment, or 4 installments of $500

• Payable through Zelle, Venmo, or Paypal

• Students are encouraged to purchase a copy of Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi English translation for reference, as well as any other translations available in your native language. Click here to buy

• Work-study programs are available for sincere students who have a reliable skill to offer

Sign up

Click the PayPal button below and enter the name of the course and the amount you're paying at checkout. If you need a different way to pay, contact me at elliothocker@gmail.com. The course syllabus and course access details will be sent to you upon receipt of payment.