Nakshatras

Rating:
Summary: Very handy reference guide for beginner & practitioner
Review: Very handy reference guide to the twenty-seven (with Abijit, twenty-eight) nakshatras, or lunar mansions, used extensively in Jyotish practice to find the specific character of the Moon. These days we use nakshatra readings for the lagna, too. Harness writes about 3 pages of description for each nakshatra. 3 pages turns out to be perfect for quick reference without detailed study. Each 3-page description includes David Frawley's definition of the nakshtra's "shakti" or divine energy, the central stars in its astronomical constellation, ruling planet & ruling deities, animal symbol, and descriptive psychological profile. (Harness has a PhD in counseling psychology.) There is a brief but useful section on using nakshatras to establish relationship compatibility employing the traditional Indian weightings, and a note on kuja dosha. Good index too! (A great rarity in Jyotish books...) Finally an appendix of the basic rashi profiles will be helpful for beginners. By all means buy this modest volume for your Jyotish bookshelf. There is nothing else like it in English. I find myself reaching for it quite often!