“In the universe every crossroads is predetermined. The choice is not.” –The Little Light by Dipa Sanatani

Astrology had been a part of our life since time immemorial. While some tend to put their entire faith upon it, leaving everything to their fate and hoping destiny to drive their chariot of life; some deny it completely and set upon building their own path through determination, hard work and perseverance. But there are very few rare souls like author Dipa Sanatani who can combine the two paths into a single entity: Astrology with Allegory, Fate with Freewill, Destiny with Hard Work. She is among the ones who believe that astrology can only determine one’s character but it cannot actually solve one’s problem or predict their future; it is the choices one makes based on their character as well as the hard work they put in to achieve their goal which determine their future.

After her thoughts on Astrology as revealed through the human experience, Dipa Sanatani is back with another exclusive interview where she reveals a brand new view of Astrology that combines freewill and hardwork into it. With her signature style of anecdotal narration, Dipa Sanatani recounts how she discovered her interest in astrology and how she comprehended the subject with greater understanding, knowledge and practice. She talks about her book “The Little Light” where she had reiterated the notion of freewill and explored the importance of hard work through the astrological characters of Saturn, Rahu and Ketu who are depicted in a different light of being great teachers to mankind.

Read on to know what author Dipa Sanatani reveals on the topic of “Astrology, Free Will and Hard Work” and gain a new perspective on the subject of Astrology and a new taste of enlightenment.

“I don’t believe that death is the end. I also don’t believe that life is the beginning. There’s a whole world out there beyond what we can see and understand.”

Q:. Were you always interested in astrology or is it a recent discovery?

A: As a kid, I was curious about astrology. But my visits to the astrologer didn’t inspire my confidence. So I would sit there, roll my eyes and ignore everything that had been said to me. The predictions the astrologers made never came true. Their ‘remedies’ seemed utterly ridiculous to a born-and-bred city girl like me. And don’t even get me started on the exorbitant prices that are charged for the privilege of an all round awful experience. Unpleasant experiences have a way of leaving a bad taste in your mouth.

In 2009, someone did a reading for me that blew my mind. I saw myself revealed in a new light.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Q. Your book has quite a considerable part based on astrology. What was your research methodology?

A: My understanding of astrology is a result of curiosity, having a few good teachers and reading lots of books on the subject. But theory isn’t enough. It was when I started doing astrology readings for people that I developed my own interpretations based on experience.

If I had to describe it, it’s kind of like taking a course and then finding yourself having to apply it. You can read all the theories to understand the framework of how things work, but until you’re out there in the real world testing the hypothesis for yourself, you don’t know if what you’ve learnt is actually applicable.

Q. Sometimes astrology is mistakably intertwined with superstitions. What’s your take on that?

A: Don’t believe anything anyone tells you till it makes sense to you.

You can apply this guideline to newspapers, politicians, sales people and so on and so forth. You can even apply this guideline to your teachers and parents.

Q. According to you, what role does astrology play in our life?

A: Currently, my knowledge of astrology is limited to natal chart readings. A natal chart can show the energy patterns that a soul has brought with them from previous lives into this life.

I’m especially interested in Rahu, Ketu and Saturn. They are the strongest indicators of past life karma that needs to be worked out in this life. They show where the soul has been and where it needs to go in this life. I don’t believe that death is the end. I also don’t believe that life is the beginning. There’s a whole world out there beyond what we can see and understand.

For instance, we know that Wifi exists. We can’t see it or even understand how it works, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

A lot of people have told me that astrology is BS and then gone on to request a reading. Some of these people even go on to discredit my knowledge as I’m doing the reading. These people are a real waste of time. Why would you trouble someone with something you don’t believe exists or has value?

Human behaviour never fails to baffle me.

“Beautiful gems can emerge from dirt. Struggle can teach you self-discipline and resilience.”

Q. If everything is pre-decided for a person by the planets of the universe, then what’s the significance of hard work?

A: I don’t believe that everything is pre-decided for a person by the planets of the universe. One of the concepts that I reiterated over and over again in my book is the notion of free will. That life gives us choices and we must choose for ourselves and take responsibility for our decisions and the resulting consequences.

I explored the importance of hard work with the character of Saturn in The Little Light. Saturn’s the school principal of the cosmos. If you’re not doing your homework and putting in the effort to succeed, he WILL throw you out of school with a loud thud on your behind that you’ll never forget.

“What Rahu, Ketu and Saturn are trying to teach you is: If you want something – earn it.”

Q. People are generally very afraid of Rahu, Ketu and Saturn. But in your book, you depicted them in a different light. Why so?

A: It is human nature to resist difficulties and bitter truths. If you study astrology long enough, you’ll understand that Rahu, Ketu and Saturn are making us face up to our ‘soul task’. I’ve always seen life as a kind of school where souls are born to learn and graduate from one level of consciousness to another.

And Rahu, Ketu and Saturn are the best teachers that you’ll ever get. As a former teacher myself, I know that it isn’t always easy to get students to face up to their responsibilities and do their best. Sometimes all they need is a little encouragement. And sometimes they need a strong dose of tough love to wake up and smell the roses.

If it was up to me, I’d sit at home everyday, eat chocolate at every meal and enjoy my life. But what would that achieve? Absolutely nothing.

We humans want quick results but to truly learn life’s lessons takes time and effort. When people build something for themselves brick by brick, it will have more value. They will cherish it because it didn’t fall into their lap.

That’s what Rahu, Ketu and Saturn are trying to teach you. If you want something – earn it.

Q. What is that one thing you think readers generally don’t know about this specific theme?

A: If you treat astrology as allegory, you will learn a lot about yourself from a good astrologer. If you’re expecting astrology to solve your problems and make predictions… it’s going to be a long life of going round in circles.

Take a long hard good look in the mirror. It’s your life. Own it.

“Life gives us choices and we must choose for ourselves and take responsibility for our decisions and the resulting consequences.”

“When people build something for themselves brick by brick, it will have more value. They will cherish it because it didn’t fall into their lap.”

Available on Amazon: USA UK India Australia

Available on Kobo: USA UK India  

Available on Flipkart

Available on the Apple iBooks App

Available on Barnes & Noble

Available on OverDrive for Libraries

About the Author:

Hailing from the city of joy, Kolkata, Sanchari Das contributed to multiple anthologies besides publishing her book of poetry, “Leisure“, along with her debut novel, “Not Just a Love Story“. She aspires to inspire millions of readers through her writing. Presently, she is a part of a writing community named “Scribbled Feels”. She loves writing articles, book reviews, travelogues and interviews on her blog. Apart from reading and writing, she also loves to paint, dance and travel, and feels an intimate connection with music.