Yseeker E Magazine 01 01

Volume. 01 Issue 01 November 2008

#1 Global e-magazine

WISHING YOU A HAPPY DEEPAVALI HALLOWEEN & THANKSGIVING

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EDITORIAL TEAM

Our warmest welcome to all! The first Global e-magazine, YSeeker, is here.

Volume 01 Issue 01

As a non-profit, nonpartisan general interest monthly e-magazine, without boundaries, without political/religious motives, we have an unshakable dedication to bringing out the hidden truth and aspects of everyone and everything.

PUBLISHER /CHIEF EDITOR Vishwas Manjulaa Byrappa [email protected]

EDITOR - MYSTIC Liana “SuryaMukhi” [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Niki [email protected]

EDITOR - TECH

PRAKAASH [email protected]

EDITOR - WEB & DESIGN Adrian [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY SWIPCOM 38, RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY ROAD, (Opp. KANTEERAVA STADIUM), BANGALORE - 560 027

Disclaimer No part of this e-magazine is to be reproduced, without the written consent of the Publisher. Views expressed in the e-magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial, articles and advertising content, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.

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Catering to the multi-facets of life, you will find us both, serious and humorous; scientific and spiritual; hip/cool and mature as our articles open worlds you never imagined. Our authors are from all walks of life who will take you on a multidimensional journey each month, showing you the inner depths of the soul and the infinite expansion of the universe, expanding your thoughts to planes you never knew existed. Discover unknown facets of life and new questions to the answers you always thought you knew. Travel with us to the unimaginable, unthinkable and the unknown…fasten your seat belts, as it promises to be a jet propelled quantum leap. Get ready, warp speed ahead! We are a brand new organization, and our emphasis is on conveying information to everyone, simply, and comprehensively. Facts and truth presented in an easy to understand language, with the minimum possible technical jargon, without compromising on the quality. Our goal is to develop a world-wide network of authors who are committed to producing high quality information, free-of-charge, for the development and benefit of all of mankind. At the same time, searching for and promoting new talent not only in writing, but in many other different fields. Articles on many varied subjects like Technology, Spirituality, Lifestyle, Movies, Music, Science, Games, etc, written by authors/contributors from various parts of the globe, will fill our pages each month. A section for showcasing new websites, books, music, and any up and coming , worthwhile, talent or gift—our special column YSeeker Picks. Every month we will be selecting a website, a book, and/or some other area of special interest, for YSeeker Picks – Website of the month, Book of the month, etc. Through this section, we will highlight both existing and new products and services, which may be useful for everyone. In the inaugural issue, we have selected MysticBoard.com for the Website of The Month. The excellent work they have done in expanding knowledge on spiritual and mystic subjects while also helping people work through difficult situations, charitably and without expectations, has been paramount. Congratulations MysticBoard.com! I hope you will find this issue useful and informative. This is just the first issue, so you can expect a lot of information and interesting things from us in the future. Your suggestions and feedback is very much welcomed. If you are interested in contributing to the magazine, please feel free to contact us. From Around the World, Wishing everyone, a Happy Deepavali, Happy Halloween, and Happy Thanksgiving. -

Vishwas Manjulaa Byrappa - Founder, Publisher and Chief Editor.

CONTENTS

Around the World, 04 Deepavali – The Festival of Lights The history behind the celebration of Deepavali. - by Byrappa 10 Trick or Treat Brief introduction about the origins of Halloween. - by Niki. YSeeker Picks 11 Website of the Month – MystiBoard.com Exclusive interview with Swetha and Abhishek Lodha. - by Liana “SuryaMukhi”. New horizons 16 Microsoft Office 2007 Series of articles about the best Office application ever built. - by Prakaash Sacred Journey 26 The OM The history and usage of OM/AUM through the ages and its meaning. - by Liana “SuryaMukhi”

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What is Astrology? Series of articles: 1 - Explaining the origin and history of Astrology. - by Byrappa

Living Life 33 Deepavali Sweets Lip smacking sweets for Deepavali.

REGULARS

02 – Editorial 15 – Quotopedia 38 – Pic of the Month

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DEEPAVALI THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS memorizing, and then speaking it out to someone else. Thus the process continued, there have been many theories about its origin. It was even theorised that Deepavali might have originated from a harvest festival, as it is the last harvest season of the year before winter. The history of Deepavali is related to the Hindu Puranas. Hindus believes that whenever the power of evil increases in the world, Lord Vishnu comes down to earth in a different form to defeat evil. Deepavali is a festival where people These forms are called Avataras. from all age groups participate. They Rama and Krishna are two popular give expression to their happiness Avataras of Vishnu. Deepavali by lighting earthen ‘diyas’ (lamps), celebrations are especially a time doing Puja’s, decorating the houses, for telling stories about Lord Vishnu wearing new cloths, sharing sweets and his wife Lakshmi, and about & snacks, bursting firecrackers Krishna, Rama and his wife Sita. and inviting near and dear ones to There are many several significant their households for partaking in events associated with Deepavali, a sumptuous feast. The lighting of such as: lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, The return of Lord Rama who was wealth, knowledge, peace, valour the King of Ayodhya, with his wife and fame. Sita & brother Lakshmana, after a long 14 year exile & war in which he In 2008, Deepavali starts from the killed the tremendously powerful 25th to 30th of October 2008. demon King Ravana of Lanka. When Lord Rama came to the city, the people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit the entire city with diyas & ORIGIN celebrated their return. The origin of Deepavali dates back to periods, when there were little Another popular event is the or no writings, and knowledge killing of an evil demon called as used to be transferred through Narkasura, by Satyabhama, who generations, purely by listening, was provoked by her husband Lord Deepavali or Diwali is a major Indian festival, which celebrates & signifies the victory over evil & the removing spiritual darkness. It is also called as the Festival of Lights. Deepavali is taken from the Sanskrit words Deep & Avali, Deep means “light of the Dharma”, and Avali means “a continuous line”. Diwali is the easy-to-pronounce form of Deepavali. It is significantly celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs & Jain’s all around the world.

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Krishna. Satyabhama was believed to be the Avatar of Bhoodevi, the mother of Narkasura. It is believed that just before his death he requested for a boon from Satyabhama, requesting that his death be celebrated by everyone with colour light signifying the victory of goodness over evil. Hence we celebrate Naraka Chaturdasi, which occurs 2 days before the Deepavali day. Lord Krishna saw huge preparations for the annual offering to Lord Indra (King of gods & the deity of thunder and rain) and questioned his father Nanda about it. He debated with the villagers about what their ‘Dharma’ truly was. Since they were farmers, they should do their duty and concentrate on farming and protection of their cattle. Lord Krishna continued to say that all human beings should merely do their ‘karma’, to the best of their ability and not pray for natural phenomenon. The villagers were convinced by Krishna, and did not proceed with the special Puja for Lord Indra. Indra, who then got angered, flooded the village. Lord Krishna then lifted Mt Govardhan and held it up as protection to his people and cattle from the rain. Indra finally accepted defeat and recognized Lord Krishna as supreme. This day is usually celebrated as Govardhan Puja; it is celebrated the day after Deepavali.

in the year 705.

biennial meetings which took place at Amritsar on the first of Baisakhi For the Sikhs Deepavali is a story and at Deepavali. These assemblies of the Sikh struggle for freedom. were known as the “Sarbat Khalsa” From the time of Guru Nanak (1469 and a resolution passed by it – 1539), the founder of Sikhism, became a “Gurmata” (decree of the popular seasonal or folk festivals Guru). like the harvest festival of Baisakhi, or previously ancient Hindu festivals In Maharashtra, the thirteenth day such as Holi and Deepavali began to of Ashwini, the trayodasi, is observed take on a new significance for the as a festival commemorating a Guru’s students, the Sikhs. The Guru young prince whom Yama, the God used these festivals and special of Death, had claimed four days days e.g. first day of each lunar after his marriage. Filled, however, month, as symbols or pegs for his with compassion for the luckless teaching themes. The enlightened youth, the legend goes, Yama ideology of Guru Nanak gave new promised that those who observed significance to ancient festivals like the day would be spared untimely Deepavali and Baisakhi. death-and so the lamps that are lit to mark the festival are placed But it was the release of Guru facing south, unlike on other festive Hargobind Ji, the Sixth Guru on the days, because south is the direction Deepavali day, the Sixth Guru, from mythologically assigned to Yama. imprisonment along with 52 Hindu Kings (political prisoners) whom he had arranged to be released as SIGNIFICANCE well. After his release it is believed that he went to Darbar Sahib Deepavali has much significance; (golden temple) in the holy city of from Ramayana we get the return Amritsar. There, he was greeted by of faith & goodwill after the absence Sikhs and many other people. In for a period of time. Narkasura’s happiness they lit candles and diyas story gives us the significance of to greet the Guru. This is said to be victory of good over evil & the celebrated even today as Deepavali removal of the spiritual darkness. by the Sikhs. The lights/lamps also signify victory of good over the evil within every In 1699, on the festival of Deepavali, human being. the group Khalsa, the Sikh saintsoilders, was formally established A wonderful significant spiritual Jain’s celebrate Deepavali as the by the Tenth Guru Gobind Singh. meaning of Deepavali is the day that Lord Mahavira achieved awareness of the Inner Light in Nirvana, (which is said to have The Sikh struggle for freedom a human being. A very central occurred on October 15, 527 BCE). against the Mughals, which feature in the Hindu Philosophy is Deepavali is also mentioned in intensified in the 18th century, the existence of the Atma, which many Jain Books, with the oldest came to be centred on this day. is a pure, infinite & eternal part of reference to the related word, After the execution of Banda any human; it has no death or birth, dipalikaya or deepalikaya, which Bahadur in 1716, who had led an & can never die. Deepavali is the occurs in Harivamsha-Purana, uprising in Punjab, the Sikhs started celebration of this Inner Light is us, written by Acharya Jinasena and the tradition of deciding matters which has the power to outshine composed in the Shaka Samvat era concerning the community at the all inner & outer darkness like Another famous legend is that of an emperor named Bali who was a generous but ambitious King, he with the blessings of gods, became all-powerful and many lesser gods were defeated by him, so they requested Lord Vishnu to defeat him. As Bali was a god-loving person & had many good deeds, Lord Vishnu wouldn’t kill him, so Lord Vishnu is said to have come to earth in the form of a short Brahmin (The Vamana Avatar), and presenting himself before the mighty Bali asked for “as much land as three of my footsteps would cover.” As no king should refuse a Brahmin’s appeal for charity, Bali readily granted what seemed to him a trifling request. Then the diminutive Brahmin resumed his all-pervasive, omnipresent form and covered the heavens with one foot and the world below with another. The Lord Vishnu asked Bali as to where he should place his foot for the third step. Bali bowed before him and offered his own head for Lord Vishnu to place his foot on. This pleased Lord Vishnu, as it showed that King Bali was a man of his word & let him rule for another Mahasamvatsara, & then gave him a place in heaven. The fourth day of Deepavali is observed called as Balipadyami & is King Bali is remembered on that day.

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obstacles, ignorance, & awakens the individual person to their true spiritual nature. With the realisation of a human that he is part of an unchanging, universal, infinite, pure, & transcendental truth, he achieves universal compassion, unconditional love, & the awareness that everything is connected. This brings a joy, peace or happiness which nothing else can. The custom of lighting diyas, signify a welcome to prosperity in the form of Lakshmi, and the fireworks are supposed to scare away evil spirits.

CELEBRATION Deepavali is usually celebrated on different days by different communities. It is usually spread over a period of 6 days. It usually starts in the last 4 days of Ashwini month & ends on the 2nd day of the next month Karthika. In parts of North India, Deepavali occurs in the middle of the Ashwini month. In the Gregorian calendar it usually falls in the months of October or November. In Nepal, it is celebrated for 5 days, starting on the last 3 days of one month & ending on the 2nd day of the next month. Each of these 6 days have been designated a name in the Hindu calendar. They are: 1. Vasu Baras (First day): Baras means 12th day and Vasu means Cow. On this day Cow and calf is worshipped. Since it is believed that Cow is symbol of God, Deepavali is begun by worshipping Cow and Calf, which is a www.YSeeker.org | Page 6

symbol of love between mother and her baby. 2. Dhanatrayodashi (Second day): Dhan means “wealth” and Trayodashi means “13th day”. Thus, as the name implies, this day falls on the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. It is an auspicious day for shopping of utensils and gold. This day is also regarded as the Jayanti of Goddess Dhanvantri who came out during the churning of the great ocean by the gods and the demons. It is also called as or Dhan teras or Dhanvantri Jayanti. 3. Naraka Chaturdashi (Third day): Chaturdashi is the 14th day on which demon Narakasura was killed. In south India, this is the actual day of festivities. This being a no moon day, many will offer special tarpana (offerings of water and sesame seeds) to their ancestors. This day is also called as Roop Chaturdashi.

4. Lakshmi Puja (Fourth Day): Lakshmi Puja marks the most important day of Deepavali celebrations Hindu homes worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesha, the God of auspicious beginnings, and then light lamps all across the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and wellbeing. 5. Govardhan Puja (Fifth Day): This day is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. On this day mountain of food is decorated symbolizing Govardhan Mountain lifted by Lord Krishna. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Padva or Bali Pratipada. The day commemorates King Bali. Men present gifts to their wives on this day. In Gujarat, it is celebrated as New Year, as Vikram Samvat starts on this day. Also called as Balipadyami. 6. Bhaiduj (Sixth & Last Day): On this day, brothers and sisters meet to express their love and affection for each

other (especially in Gujarat & Bengal). Most Indian festivals bring together families; Bhaiduj brings together married sisters and brothers, and is a significant festive day for them. This festival is ancient, and predates ‘Raksha Bandhan’ another brother-sister festival celebrated in the present day. It is also called as Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or Bhayitika. On the Naraka Chaturdashi, Hindus wake up way before dawn, some as early as 2:00 in the morning, have a fragrant oil bath and wear new clothes. (On this day it is believed that taking a bath before sunrise, when the stars are still visible in the sky is equivalent to taking a bath in the holy river Ganges.) They perform a special Puja with offerings to Lord Sri Krishna or Lord Sri Vishnu, as he liberated the world from the demon Narakasura on this day. After the Puja, children burst firecrackers heralding the defeat of the demon. As this is a day of rejoicing, many will have very elaborate breakfasts and lunches and meet family and friends. In the evening, lamps are lit and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped and offered special dishes. Traditionally Deepavali marks the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agricultural cycle. Since Goddess Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, she is worshiped and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead. As per spiritual references, on

this day “Lakshmi-panchayatan” enters the Universe. Sri Vishnu, Sri Indra, Sri Kuber, Sri Gajendra and Sri Lakshmi are elements of this “panchayatan” (a group of five). The tasks of these elements are:

auspicious & lucky. Most people buy new cloths for the festival. The bursting of crackers (Fireworks) is a major part of the festival. Sweets & snacks are an integral part of the Puja’s.

Apart from these, there are many Mela’s (Fairs) held throughout India, usually in towns & villages. Indra: Opulence (satisfaction due to All these make Deepavali the most eagerly awaited festival of the year. wealth) Vishnu: Happiness (happiness and satisfaction)

Kubera: Wealth (Generosity; one who gives away wealth)

DEEPAVALI TODAY

Gajendra: Carries the wealth

Earlier Deepavali was celebrated only in India, & soon became its Lakshmi: Divine Energy (Shakti) national festival, soon Deepavali which provides energy to all the spread to its neighbouring countries above activities. too. Now with the Indians migrating & settling down in many different parts of the world, with the advent CELEBRATION IN DIFFERENT of globalism, & an ever growing interest in the world about India & PARTS OF INDIA its traditions, Deepavali has become In South India the Naraka famous all over the world & is being Chaturdashi is the main day of the celebrated in many countries. festival. Where as in North India United Kingdom, the the main day is on the 4th day. The Netherlands, New Zealand, The third day is celebrated as the Balipadyami, as the day of Vamana’s Suriname, Canada, Mauritius, Fiji, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, victory over Mahabali. Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Homes are usually thoroughly Lanka, South Africa, Trinidad and cleaned & decorated before Tobago, Thailand, United Arab Deepavali. Many offices perform Emirates, Australia, much of Africa, Puja’s on the day and grant Bonuses and the United States, celebrate & holidays to their employees, Deepavali on the same lines as in some companies even give gifts to India, with a few minor changes. all their employees & their family members on these auspicious days. In some countries it is only the Indians, or people from Indian origin Some North Indian business celebrating the festival, in other communities start their financial countries Deepavali is becoming year on Deepavali and new account a part of the countries local books are opened on this day. culture. Gradually the celebration of Deepavali in other parts of the People buy property & gold on world is increasing. these days as it is considered www.YSeeker.org | Page 7

In Nepal on the first day of the festival called Kaag tihar, crows are given offerings, considering them to be divine messengers. On the second day, Kukur tihar, dogs are worshipped for their honesty. On the third day, Lakshmi Puja and worship of Cow is performed. This is the last day according to Nepal Sambat, so many of the businessmen clear their accounts on this day and on finishing it, worship goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The fourth day is celebrated as New Year. Cultural processions and other celebrations are observed in this day. The Newars celebrate it as “Mha Puja”, a special ritual in which the body is worshipped to keep it fit and healthy for the year ahead on this day. On the fifth and final day called Bhai Tika, brothers and sisters meet and exchange pleasantries.

In Malaysia, Deepavali is known as “Hari Deepavali,” and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday throughout Malaysia. In many respects it resembles the traditions followed in the Indian subcontinent. ‘Open houses’ are held where Hindu Malaysians welcome fellow Malaysians of different races and religions to their house for a sumptuous meal. ‘Open house’ or ‘rumah terbuka’ is a practice very much unique to Malaysia and shows the goodwill and friendly ties practised by all Malaysians during any festive occasion.

In Singapore, the festival is a public holiday. Deepavali is one of the festivals that unite the people irrespective of their religion and nationality in Singapore. The festival is typically marked by a light-up in In Trinidad and Tobago, the Little India district. The Hindu communities all over the islands Endowment Board of Singapore get together and celebrate the along with Singapore’s’ government festival. One major celebration that organizes many cultural events stands out is the Diwali Nagar, or around Deepavali time. Village of the Festival of Lights. It features stage performances by the In Sri Lanka, this festival is celebrated east Indian cultural practitioners, by the Tamil community. On this a folk theatre featuring skits and day, it is traditional for people to plays, an exhibition on some aspect wear new clothes and exchange of Hinduism, displays by various pleasantries. Hindu religious sects and social organizations, nightly worship of In Britain, Hindus and Sikhs Goddess Lakshmi, lighting of lamps, celebrate Deepavali with great performances by various schools enthusiasm and in most ways very related to Indian culture, and a similarly to as in India. People clean food court with Indian and non- and decorate their homes with Indian vegetarian delicacies. The lamps and candles. A popular type festival culminates with magnificent of candle used to represent this fireworks displays ushering in holiday is a diya. People also give Deepavali. Thousands of people each other sweets, and the different participate in an atmosphere communities may gather from devoid of alcohol and in a true around the country for a religious ceremony and get-together. It is also family environment. www.YSeeker.org | Page 8

an important time to contact family in India and perhaps exchange gifts through the post. It is a greatly celebrated holiday and is a great way to connect with the culture and heritage of India. Deepavali is becoming a well known festival in Britain and non-Indians also join in the festivities. Leicester plays hosts to some of the biggest celebrations outside of India itself. In New Zealand, Deepavali is celebrated publically among many of the South Asian Diaspora cultural groups. There are main public festivals in Auckland and Wellington, with other events around the country becoming more popular and visible. An official reception has been held at the New Zealand Parliament since 2003. In Australia Deepavali is one of the major festivals that are celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Indian community there. The lightening of diyas on Deepavali is a common practice. However, the non-availability of the appropriate material of or some other reason have influenced the celebrations and has given in the touch of modernity in the celebration of the festival of light in Australia.

WHO CAN CELEBRATE Now we have a really good question as to who all can celebrate Deepavali. Yes it was a festival started by Hindus, yes Jains, Sikhs, & even Buddhists (in Nepal), who were all part of Hinduism before they changed into different religions, celebrate Deepavali.

But it is also true that many people in India celebrate Deepavali regardless of their faith or religion. There is no bar on who can celebrate Deepavali. People from any religion, caste, creed, age & gender can celebrate it, because it has more of a spiritual meaning than a religious meaning, & for most people, including Hindus, today it has more spiritual significance. So whether you are Christian, Muslim, Orthodox, Jewish, Parsi, or anything, you are free to celebrate this great festival, thereby celebrating the inner you. There is no rule that you have to pray or worship a Hindu god or goddess, you can pray or worship your own god. But do light the lamp of brightness inside yourself. I wish you and your family a very Happy & Prosperous Deepavali. - Byrappa.

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TRICK or TREAT Niki gives us a brief look into the origin and celebration of HALLOWEEN, which is celebrated regularly on the 31st of October. “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat” Jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins adorn doorways and windowsills—orange and black predominate as the favorite color themes. Goblins, witches, ghosts, devils, vampires, ghouls and other creatures that go bump in the night, fill the streets on October 31st, or what is commonly known as “Halloween”, and look to fill their “goodie” bags with treats from all the homes they visit. The origins of Halloween date back over 2,000 years, to Celtic times where it was known as Samhain -- the night before the Celtic New Year that marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, or the season associated with death and dying. They believed that on this night, the dead returned to walk the earth as the veil between the two worlds ceased to exist. Celebrated with bon fires, dressing up in costumes of animal skins and head, they used this time to honor their gods, through sacrifice www.YSeeker.org | Page 10

of animals and crops. It was also a time of fortune telling and the Celts would use this night to practice their powers of prophecy. The roots of dressing up as ghosts and goblins, also date back to the Celtic times, when people used to fear that the dead were walking the earth on this day and the only way to protect themselves was to dress up like a ghost or ghoul and blend in. In addition they used to leave food and candy out to appease the dead, so they would not harm their crops or livestock. As others began to permeate the Celtic lands, the mores of those people were incorporated into the Samhain traditions. More specifically, the Roman commemoration of the dead in late October and the worshipping of the Roman tree and fruit goddess Pomona became part of the Samhain celebrations. Still to this day, there is the tradition of “bopping for apples” which is thought to have its beginnings with this blending of cultures, as

the apple was the symbol of Pomona. Another important influence in the shaping of Halloween is the spread of Christianity. A tribute to saints and martyrs, All Saints Day, comes to join the rest of the Samhain traditions and the name begins to move from Samhain to All Hallows Eve and eventually to Halloween. Today, the commercialization of Halloween has made it the second most popular holiday, after Christmas for decorating. This has helped maintain the holiday’s popularity in our present day society. It is still celebrated in many countries all over the world, with costumes, candies, pumpkins, apples and so much other paraphernalia that has evolved from the various traditions and customs over the centuries. - By Niki

YSeeker Picks

MysticBoard.com with a humongous library of mystic software’s, an online mystic software site, readings, classes and not to forget the forum with a Hugh base of members, (let’s not forget all for free), make this one of the biggest Mystic related website in the world. It is a pioneer in the mystic field and has innovation under its belt which has given it many feathers on its cap. For the very helpful & selfless service it has given to many people, it has been selected as the YSeeker Picks – Website of the month. Liana has an exclusive interview with Swetha Lodha and Abhishek Lodha, the wife-husband founder-duo of the site, about just what is MysticBoard.com. Liana: Hello Swetha, I am Liana, can we start the interview? Swetha Lodha: Yes, I am all yours. Li: By way of an introduction, could you please tell us a little about yourself? SL: I am a computer science post graduate; my husband and me run a software firm and are into development of software applications. Li: ok so any “Mystic” profession :D. SL: LOL not me, but my husband (Abhishek Lodha) is a certified graphologist, MysticBoard.com just “happened”. Li: Hmmm ...interesting, can you say “how it just happened?”. How did you get the idea for MysticBoard.com? SL: We had a domain called sunsigns.org which hadn’t been developed; we started a forum hoping we would get people interested in this field, together more like a group of people with associated interests. Li: So we can call it “Divine inspiration” great :) SL: I suppose :) Li: Tell us a bit about MysticBoard.com. SL: MysticBoard.com is the world’s largest Mystic Community Online by member count - 30,000 members. There are more than 200,000 live discussions on varied different topics on MysticBoard.com. The 3rd largest Mystic community in the world by discussion count. We also have FREE online classes taken by members in Astrology, Tarot, Palmistry, Medium-ship and Reiki. More than 350 occult related software’s all under one roof under 48 different categories. For all practical purposes, we have software’s for any and all esoteric subjects. And not to forget the world’s largest Mystic Scripts library (online software’s). Li: Are you practicing any of these Astrology, Jyotisha, and Numerology? Or you are only a trampoline to share? www.YSeeker.org | Page 11

SL: Personally I do not practice any form, I am more into research and development of Astrology related software’s. Li: What was the vision behind Mysticboard.com? Sharing for what? SL: Vision -- fun, play, love, knowledge, laugh, cry, hug, help Li: I see.... So is it as an escape from daily routine? SL: I would say more a part of the daily routine :), the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to sleep. Li: Who all are & have been involved in MysticBoard.com? (Abhishek Lodha, husband of Swetha & the other founder of MysticBoard.com joins us for a few minutes) Abhishek Lodha: Hey Abhishek here :) Li: Hey Abhishek AB: The board would have been incomplete with Rutho (Rhutobello, admin) for one, plus there have been so many nice members who have been a part the community. Li: This was on my mind to ask how you started your team. Free voluntary contribution for the beginning? AB: Vishwas, Eye of the tiger, the mod team - Suzisco, RishiRahul, dhav, to name a few and many more, and mostly Swetha’s effort. I am only the back end man. Li: Oh that is great :) Li: What does mysticboard.com provide? AB: Building communities isn’t an easy job and we learnt it the hard way. MB.com provides a place (for you) to be yourself, MB.com provides a place (for you) to seek advice, MB.com provides a place (for you) to laugh, MB.com provides a place (for you) to cry, Li: To express the same inner Divine nature and human nature. (Abhishek leaves as he gets a call & Swetha is back) Li: How can one distinguish MysticBoard.com from other Astrology or Mystic related sites? Is MysticBoard.com unique? If yes Why? SL: I would say MysticBoard.com is in a class of its own. Many of our members are members of other forums, but they all feel that the “warmth” that one gets on MB.com is missing on the other forums, there is a feeling of “one big family” with happiness and arguments, but at the end of the day we are all there for each other. www.YSeeker.org | Page 12

Li: I agree I am also member on MB.com forum :) SL: thanks :) Li: How can you explain that warmth from MB.com and missing from other places? There is a mixture of energy but still so warm and organised SL: There may be other forums which are more organized than MB.com and much better in many ways, but I feel the warmth comes from our members. We may live in an Internet age but I guess human feelings do make all the difference at the end of the day :), all credit goes to our members and mods and admin. Li: What do you hope to accomplish out of MysticBoard.com? SL: We hope to make it the Largest Mystic Resource on the Internet, with forum, software’s, readings, books, articles, bazaar and other such related stuff. Absolutely anything and everything related to mysticism. Li: Which is the most popular services/content/software on MysticBoard.com? SL: The tarot, psychic and Vedic Astrology forums, amongst software’s I would say it is MB Subliminal Message software. SL: We also have one of the largest mystic script’s resource at MysticScripts.com Li: Which of these services do you feel are beneficial for people & why? Do you personally use any of them? SL: All these services are beneficial in their own ways. Voluntary readers on the forum can help you a lot when you are in trouble. Yes... I have asked for readings on the forum and they have helped me tremendously. I use the subliminal software too on a regular basis, and find it useful. Li: ok I will try this one too ;) Li: What is the single most challenging aspect of running MB? SL: Running a forum this size with people from various backgrounds requires a lot of diplomacy and patience, and I think our admin Rhutobello is doing a great job. Li: Can you tell us a bit about the new scripts installed in the site. What was the idea behind MysticScripts. com? SL: This was Abhishek’s brainwave. The first word that comes to my mind is fun and all for free. Many people are scared to download software’s in fear of virus. Li: How do you manage the content on your web site and do you have a publishing policy? SL: These online scripts make it easier for people to access them, they say content is king on the Internet, we do not have any publishing policy at the moment. The website at the moment runs on phpBB forum, regular backups are taken on the server. Li: How do you afford to give all these away for free? I mean software, scripts... all these free content. www.YSeeker.org | Page 13

SL: MysticBoard.com was never a money making venture.. It was more from the heart and never dealt with in the form of a business, we survive on Google ads and donations from software’s. It is a voluntary service. Wherein the readers do readings for free, even we don’t charge anyone for a reading. Li: Yes that was nice, I personally was client, and there was indeed a free and a good reading ;) SL: :), yes. But we do have restrictions for people asking for readings, because there are many one timers and we do not want our readers to be overburdened. Li: Ii understand you perfectly, I am also practicing Astrology and Tarot and I know what you mean... Li: ok and the last question now. What are the future plans for the site? SL: At the end, we want all to have fun. SL: Give the best for our members, make the MysticBoard.com experience a memorable one. SL: We soon plan to launch a site for paid readings, mystic articles, mystic bazaar. Li: Ok thank you for your replies, and for your time SL: thanks Liana Li: Thanks Swetha and thanks to Abhishek too, I wish you both the best of Luck :) SL: Great talking to you, thank you, same from here

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QUOTOPEDIA “Take the first step in faith. You

“Love is life. And if you miss love,

to see what you believe.”

don’t have to see the whole stair-

you miss life.”

- Saint Augustine

case, just take the first step.”

- Leo Buscaglia

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I think your whole life shows “When I stand before God at the

in your face and you should be

“To keep the heart unwrinkled,

end of my life, I would hope that

proud of that.”

to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful,

I would not have a single bit of

- Lauren Bacall

reverent that is to triumph over

talent left, and could say, “I used

old age.”

everything you gave me”.

“Doubt is a pain too lonely to

- Amos Bronson Alcott

- Erma Bombeck

know that faith is his twin brother.” - Kahlil Gibran

“Life is wasted on the living.”

“Love takes off masks that we fear

- Douglas Adams

we cannot live without and know

“Any idiot can face a crisis - it’s day

we cannot live within.”

to day living that wears you out.”

- James A. Baldwin

- Anton Chekhov

“When you’re in love you never

“To me - old age is always ten

really know whether your elation

years older than I am.”

“To resist the frigidity of old age,

comes from the qualities of the

- John Burroughs

one must combine the body, the

one you love, or if it attributes

mind, and the heart. And to keep

them to her; whether the light

“Gates is the ultimate program-

these in parallel vigor one must

which surrounds her like a halo

ming machine. He believes every-

exercise, study, and love.”

comes from you, from her, or from

thing can be defined, examined,

- Alan Bleasdale

the meeting of your sparks.”

reduced to essentials, and rear-

- Natalie Clifford Barney

ranged into a logical sequence

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” - Aristotle

“The purpose of life is a life of

that will achieve a particular goal.”

purpose.”

“Faith is to believe what you do

- Robert Byrne

not see; the reward of this faith is

- Stewart Alsop www.YSeeker.org | Page 15

Microsoft Office 2007 MS Office 2007 was launched over 21 months ago, has received many boquets and brickbats. It has been touted as the best ever office suite by Microsoft. Prakaash takes a look at just what is Office 2007 and its plus and minus points.

Microsoft Office 2007 (officially called 2007 Microsoft Office system) is the most recent Windows version of the Microsoft Office system, Microsoft’s productivity suite. Formerly known as Office 12 in the initial stages of its beta cycle, it was released to volume license customers on November 30, 2006 and made available to retail customers on January 30, 2007. Office 2007 contains a number of new features, the most notable of which is the entirely new graphical user interface called the “Ribbon”.

How it started The first beta of Microsoft Office 2007, referred to as Beta-1 in emails sent to a limited number of testers, was released on November 16, 2005. Office 2007 Beta 2 was announced by Bill Gates in 2006, and was initially released to the public at no cost from Microsoft’s web site. However, because of an unprecedented number of downloads, a fee of $1.50 was introduced for each product downloaded after August 2, 2006. The Beta program ended on November 8, 2006, when Microsoft declared the product “Released to Manufacturing” (RTM) and started manufacturing the final product. After RTM, the availability of the beta download ended. Office 2007 was released to volume licensing customers on November 30, 2006, and to the general public on January 30, 2007.

User Interface The new user interface (UI), officially known as Microsoft Office Fluent, has been implemented in the core Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and in the item inspector used to create or edit individual items in Outlook. The rest of the applications in the suite will also be upgraded to the new UI in subsequent versions.

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Office Button

The Office 2007 button, located on the top-left of the window, replaces the File menu and provides access to functionality common across all Office applications, including opening, saving, printing, and sharing a file. It can also close the application. Users can also choose color schemes for the interface

Ribbon

The Ribbon, a panel that houses the command buttons and icons, organizes commands as a set of tabs, each grouping relevant commands. Each application has a different set of tabs which expose the functionality that application offers. For example, while Excel has a tab for the graphing capabilities, Word does not; instead it has tabs to control the formatting of a text document. Within each tab, various related options may be grouped together. The Ribbon is designed to make the features of the application more discoverable and accessible with fewer mouse clicks as compared to the menu-based UI used until Office 2007. It is not possible to remove the Ribbon, modify it, or replace it with menus with the normal Office 2007 functions.

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Contextual Tab

Some tabs, called Contextual Tabs, appear only when certain objects are selected. Contextual Tabs expose functionality specific only to the object with focus. For example, selecting a picture brings up the Pictures tab, which presents options for dealing with the picture. Similarly, focusing on a table exposes table-related options in a specific tab. Contextual Tabs remain hidden when the object it works on are not selected

Here is an example:

In the above example, a new tab “Format (Picture Tools)” comes up when you have a picture in a document highlighted or clicked upon.

Live Preview

Microsoft Office 2007 also introduces a feature called “Live Preview”, which temporarily applies formatting on the focused text or object when any formatting button is moused-over. The temporary formatting is removed when the mouse pointer is moved from the button. This allows users to have a preview of how the option would affect the appearance of the object,

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without actually applying it.

Mini ToolBar

The new “Mini Toolbar” is a type of context menu that is automatically shown (by default) when text is selected. The purpose of this feature is to provide easy access to the most-used formatting commands without requiring a right-mousebutton click, as was necessary in older versions of the software. Because the Mini Toolbar is automatically displayed, it remains semi-transparent until the mouse pointer is situated on the control in order to allow an almost-unobstructed view of what is beneath it. It also appears above the right-click menu when a user right-clicks on a selection of words. The Mini Toolbar is currently not customisable.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar, which sits in the title bar, serves as a repository of most used functions, regardless of which application is being used, such as save, undo/redo and print. The Quick Access toolbar is customisable, although this feature is limited compared to toolbars in previous Office versions. Any command available in the entire Office application can be added to the Quick Access toolbar, including commands not available in the Ribbon and macros.

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Smart Art

SmartArt, found under the Insert tab in the ribbon in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook, is a new group of easily editable and formatted diagrams. There are 115 preset SmartArt graphics layout templates in categories such as list, process, cycle, and hierarchy. When an instance of a SmartArt is inserted, a Text Pane appears next to it to guide the user through entering text in the hierarchical levels. Each SmartArt graphic, based on its design, maps the text outline, automatically resized for best fit, onto the graphic. There are a number of “quick styles” for each graphic that apply largely different 3D effects to the graphic, and the graphic’s shapes and text can be formatted through shape styles and WordArt styles. In addition, SmartArt graphics change their colors, fonts, and effects to match the document’s theme

Themes and Quick Styles

Microsoft Office 2007 places more emphasis on Document Themes and Quick Styles. The Document Theme defines the colors, fonts and graphic effects for a document. Almost everything that can be inserted into a document is automatically styled to match the overall document theme creating a consistent document design. The new Office Theme file format (.THMX) is shared between Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook email messages. Similar themes are also available for data reports in Access and Project or shapes in Visio. Changing a theme on one of the application would change it on others too. Quick Styles are galleries with a range of styles based on the current theme. There are quick styles galleries for text, tables, charts, SmartArt, WordArt and more. The style range goes from simple/light to more graphical/darker

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Office suites Office 2007 is available in different flavours, you could go for any of these depending on need. You can buy them of a store near buy or can also buy them online. Most of the Office applications like Word, PowerPoint are also available as an individual package. The flavours and its features have been shown below,

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Downloads Microsoft allows you to download a trail version of Microsoft Office 2007 for free, thus if you do plan to see what it holds before you can buy it you can go ahead and download them and use it for the trial period which is about 90 days, after the trial period the product will be in a Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) - which means that you would no longer be able to use the application to its full extent as most of the features would be disabled. Hence after the trial period you can choose to buy the product or you can choose to remove the trial version.

Caution: To install the Office 2007 you need to remove older versions of office (if any) to avoid conflicts. So when you want to try office 2007 but already have a 2003 or an older version of office installed, make sure you have the disc for the same.

http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/product.aspx?sku=3203895&culture=en-US

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http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/product.aspx?sku=3082920&culture=en-US

http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/product.aspx?sku=3203895&culture=en-US

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http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/product.aspx?sku=3082907&culture=en-US

Microsoft Office and all its flavours, images, are copyrighted and trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

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OM OM is a mystical sound related to almost all major religions, SuryaMukhi takes a look at the origin and usage of this mystic word.

OM Certainly, AUM, OM, words are well known by most of people around the world. The purpose of this article is to share some less known meanings of AUM/OM as syllabus, symbol and mantra.

THE ORIGIN The origin of the syllable AUM/ OM is lost in the misty past. It is not being specific to any one country or civilization is indicative of its being a universally perceptible sound for the human race. This reason for this universal perceptibility possibly lies in the fact that AH is the most natural sound that issues from the human voice. This is evident when a person cries out naturally in extreme pain, anger or fear. When emotions reach an extreme pitch the articulate sounds evolved by man are not the ones that are heard, but the syllable natural to man which is AH or OH. AUM / OM are a mystical or sacred syllable and symbol in the Hindu, www.YSeeker.org | Page 26

Buddhist and Jain religions. It is considered the primordial sound, the symbol of infinity, where is not beginning and no end. It is the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, and it is said to be the first sound produced by the breath of a new-born child. This term occurs in various ancient and modern civilizations. It also exists in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

IN HINDUISM The syllable AUM is first described as a mystical entity in the Upanishads. It symbolizes the three Vedas, the three states of the nature of man, the three divisions of the universe, the three Gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, which are the agents of creation, conservation, and destruction on Earth respectively, or more properly speaking, the three attributes of the Supreme Being personified by these divinities. Mandukya Upanishad greatly explains the significance of AUM. “All this Cosmic Universe is the Eternal word OM. Its further

explanation is this: the past, the present, the future and everything is just OM. And whatever transcends the three divisions of time - that too is just OM. Thus the Word OM is verily the Self (Atman). He who knows this, with his self (Jiva), enters the Self (Atman).” Mandukya Upanishad The syllable OM is quite familiar to a Hindu. It occurs in every prayer. Invocation to most Gods begin with this syllable. Invoking the sacred syllable, the ancient Rishis of India said, “Nothing either begins or ends; all is change, and that which we call death is transformation”.

AUM IN ANCIENT EGYPT It seems that the ancient Egyptians were familiar to AUM as Amen or Amun. Amen-Ra was the name of the supreme God who was considered the primordial creator and ruler of the other gods of Egyptian Pantheon.

IN ANCIENT GREECE

The ancient Greek alphabet had Alpha as the first letter and Omega as its last letter. Omega written in the lowercase of the Greek alphabet, if turned to its side, looks quite similar to the Sanskrit way of writing OM. It is from the Greek alphabet that we have the English phrase “the Alpha and Omega,” which means, “to include everything.” “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Amen.”

IN JUDAISM & CHRISTIANITY Indian mystical thinking influenced Judaism in many ways. Scholars believe AUM became Amen and, as such, was later incorporated into Christianity. The word AMEN used in almost all popular religions was fast incorporated into the Christian prayers and hymns. Amen is said to mean “so be it” or “let it be”. Amen is widely mentioned in the Bible. It is used during worship as an expression of benediction, for expressing one’s Love of God, or as sign of gratitude. Christian Orthodox religion uses Amin instead of Amen.

IN ISLAM The word Amin is widely used in Islam, the meaning of the word is truthful, faithful, trustworthy. In Hebrew, the meaning of Amin is honest and trustworthy. Interesting to mention that if in Hindu religion prayers to Gods

start with OM, in Christianity, prayers end with Amen/Amin. A very subtle interchange to Alpha and Omega as stating letters of both OM and Amen.

AUM /OM AS MANTRA A mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure. Every mantra contains within it some vibrations, a certain power of penetrating all kind of structures. OM mantra called also “Pranava” which is taken from the Sanskrit word “prana”. Pranava means “humming”. “Prana” means life, energy, prayer, and “Va” is positive receptive syllable. Pranava is a bija mantra (seed mantra), because it contains the seed for all other mantras within itself. There are so many references to AUM in this Upanishad. One of them, referred to as the Pranava mantra, is given below: Pranavo dhanu sharo hyaatmaa brahm tallakshya muchyate. apramatten vedadhavyam sharavattanmayo bhavet. The Sacred Word (AUM) is called the bow, the arrow is the soul and Brahman is its target; He shall be pierced by him whose attention does not swerve. Then he will become one with Him as the arrow becomes one with the target whence it has pierced it. (Mundakopanisad II.ii.4) Chanting OM is called Omkaaram. The Upanishads mention that the word OM represents the interbreath, the gap between the innerbreath and the outer-breath. It is said the Gods hidden the letter OM in this gap so that their enemies would not think of looking for it in their location. From Brahma

Himself, to Manu the first man and lawgiver, all the great spiritual Masters have done japa on AUM. Daily chanting or listening OM mantra invites positive energy, Prana in your life.

AUM/OM SYMBOL For thousands of years Indian Rishis and sages have been meditating on AUM. When you look at AUM symbol, your brain waves calm down from beta levels to alpha level and eventually further down to gamma and delta levels. Trataka Meditation on OM symbol is one of the easiest meditations to get clarity of mind and to purify your nerves. The technique is as follows: Place an AUM symbol on the wall at eye level. Sit in cross-legged or padmasana (lotus pose) with the head, neck, and trunk in a straight line. Look at AUM symbol for a few seconds without blinking the eyes. Do not strain the eyes. When tired, gently close the eyes and visualize AUM or the after image of AUM mentally. Eventually, increase the duration of Trataka to 1 minute, and then to a maximum of 3 minutes. This simply technique, practiced daily will give unexpected results in a good sense, inviting for positive energies into your mind, body and life. - SuryaMukhi

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WHAT IS ASTROLOGY Astrology, is it a science? is it an art? is it a supersitition? Astrology has been much followed and much degraded over the years, but not everyone knows what it is. Byrappa gives a glimpse as what exactly is Astrology

WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?

sciences.

Astrology is a Technology derived from a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs in which knowledge of the apparent relative positions of celestial bodies and related details is held to be useful in understanding; it is also called as a Divine Knowledge.

The word Astrology is derived from two Greek words, “Astra” meaning Stars & “Logos” meaning Study of. A practitioner of Astrology is called an Astrologer, or an Astrologist, in Russia they are called Cosmo Biologists & in India as Jyotishi.

It deals with the study of cosmic celestial objects & events and their vibrations & effects on the behaviour of people, animate & inanimate objects, nature & events on Earth. Especially co -relations which cannot be explained by gravitation, magnetism, or other forces that are well established in Medicine, Physics, and/or others www.YSeeker.org | Page 28

According to the Chaldeans “An affinity exists between the stars and the souls of men, that the ethereal essence is Divine; that the souls of men are taken from this reservoir to it at death, and that the souls of the eminent of mankind are converted into stars”. Pythagoras believed & said that “The soul is a spark taken from the stellar essence”.

Why Technology, or Knowledge? Technology as we all know in a broader sense has several meaning like, let’s take some of those meanings and see how they apply to Astrology. “Any specific information and know-how” – Well Astrology is after all an information which talks about the Cosmic influence on Earth, & a person needs to know the knowhow’s of Astrology before it can be used for any kind of consultation. “A piece of equipment or a technique for performing a particular activity” – Astrology has many tools both, direct & indirect used for consultations, & each of these tools is a technique

in itself, & they are used in performing the consultation.

“Technology is a broad concept that deals with a species’ usage and knowledge “A body of knowledge used to of tools and crafts, and how create tools, develop skills and it affects a species’ ability extract or collect materials, to control and adapt to its the application of science (the environment.” – Astrology is combination of the scientific used by Humans (Species) & method and material) to the knowledge of the subject meet an objective or solve & usage of its tools in used in a problem.” – Astrology is consultation. The information a body of knowledge as I learnt in the consultation, can previously mentioned, it uses be used by the client (species, many tools, a person has to us humans) to control and/ develop skills in the subject, or adapt to the situations & with the skills, & collected around us. materials (or information which is the Name, Date, So is Astrology an Art or Time & Place of birth) to Science? extract the information from the horoscope to give Art means “the products a proper consultation, the of human creativity”, now application of Astrology that is just one of the many with the collected materials possible definitions. Science (information) helps us know is “the effort to discover, about the situation & solve and increase human any problems associated with understanding of how the the situation.” physical world works, through controlled methods, using “Tools to help represent or observable physical evidence solve a problem.” – The last of natural phenomena to paragraph explains this. collect data, and analyze this information to explain what “Is the process of applying and how things work.” Simply established knowledge to put it means “systematically meet identified market and acquired knowledge through social needs” – Astrology is research that is verifiable.” an established knowledge & applying it to the situation of Now Astrology is defiantly a client while in touch with not “a product of human what the market & society creativity”, it has been needs. observed, researched & tested through the ages

by many different people from different civilisations throughout the world. So it isn’t an Art. Scientists don’t want to call Astrology as a Science, because of their inability to keep an open mind to study & test the knowledge, and also the unavailability of proper tools or techniques or methods to test the validity of Astrology. They just test a part of Astrology namely Sun Sign, & then claim that Astrology isn’t a Science. After all Astrology is more Knowledge than Science & it doesn’t need the label of Science to survive, it has survived without it all these millenniums & will do in the future too. Therefore Astrology is neither an Art nor a Science. History of Astrology Astrology has been around from time immemorial, we have lost the exact date of discovery of Astrology & the name of the discoverer in the chronicles of time. But popular belief is that Astrology has been around since the time of conception of the Universe itself, because Astrology has played a part on all previous Humans & animals too. So whether you believe in Creationism or www.YSeeker.org | Page 29

Evolution, you cannot deny that other Planets or Stars didn’t exist then, & those very planets or stars have had a lot of influence on us.

played a role in the shaping of culture, early astronomy, and other disciplines throughout history.

Astrology and astronomy But Astrology hasn’t been were often indistinguishable discovered in one place or before the modern era, with by one person. It has been the desire for predictive and discovered by many people all divinatory knowledge one over the world & each group of the primary motivating of people who studied it have factors for astronomical developed their own school observation. In the western of Astrology. world, astronomy began to diverge from Astrology after a Astrology has been period of gradual separation mentioned in various works from the Renaissance up until from different religions & the 18th century. Eventually, civilisations, namely Indian, astronomy distinguished Egyptian, Babylonian, itself as the scientific study Chinese, Islamic, Mayan, of astronomical objects and Tibetan, Persian, & many phenomena without regard to more. The earliest known & the Astrological speculation recorded work on Astrology of these phenomena. In India is from the 3rd millennium Astronomy is a Science, but BC. But there have been Ancient Indian astronomy various books of unknown which is still followed today dates which have similar in many parts of India, are information about Astrology. still integrated with Astrology Namely, Vedas of Hindus, & their yearly Almanacs are which are disputed to be called as “Panchanga”. between 25,000 to 7000 years old, or the Christian Bible, Contrary to Popular belief, especially the Old Testament Vedic Astrology or Jyotisha also used in Jewish religion, or has influenced Western even other written text from Astrology a lot over the years lost civilisations. rather than the other way round. Even if Vedas are Numerous traditions and considered to be 7000 years applications employing old, that would make its Astrological concepts have origin around 5000 BC that arisen since its earliest is the 5th millennium BC, recorded beginnings. It has making it the oldest piece of www.YSeeker.org | Page 30

work with direct or indirect connection to Astrology. And Hinduism which believes in Creationism believes that the Earth has been around for many billions of years & has the horoscope charts of many influential Lords, Sages, Kings & major events from Indian History or Mythology. From the classical period through the scientific revolution, Astrological training played a critical role in advancing astronomical, mathematical, medical and psychological knowledge. Astrological influences included the observation and long-term tracking of celestial objects. It was Astrologers who provided the first systematic documentation of the movements of the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars. The differentiation between astronomy and Astrology varied in different places, they were indistinguishable in ancient Babylonia, India and medieval Europe, but separated to an extent in the Hellenistic world (Greek & Greek conquered civilisations, especially conquered by Alexander the Great). The first known distinction between Astrology and astronomy was given in the 11th century by the Persian

astronomer, Abu Rayhan alBiruni. The pattern of astronomical knowledge gained from Astrological endeavours has been historically repeated across numerous cultures, from ancient India through the classical Maya civilization to medieval Europe. Given this historical contribution, Astrology has been called a Protoscience, along with pseudoscience such as alchemy, but this classification of “Protoscience” & “Pseudoscience” is wrong. Astrology was not always uncritically accepted before the modern era; it was often challenged by Hellenistic sceptics, church authorities, and medieval Muslim astronomers, such as AlFarabi (Alpharabius), Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, Avicenna and Averroes. Their reasons for refuting Astrology were often due to both scientific and religious (conflicts with orthodox Christian & Islamic scholars) reasons. Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya (1292-1350), in his Miftah Dar al-SaCadah, used empirical arguments in astronomy in order to refute Astrology and divination. Many prominent thinkers, philosophers, scientists,

statesmen, medical practitioners, celebrities, noblemen, & artists, have practiced, used or significantly contributed to Astrology.

(auspicious) time for starting any event, predicting the weather, & many other uses.

Even today Astrology can be & is being used for the Use of Astrology above mentioned purposes, but along with it Astrology Astrology is usually seen as a has found many uses in divination tool. But the truth modern times, for selecting is Astrology does not foretell the right education, to your future or fate. It tells answer questions, for about the opportunities and predicting the outcome of crossroads in your life. The stock markets, for finding outcome depends solely upon the right channel to invest the choices made through our money into. Astrology our free-will. Apart from is used by many companies identifying the possibilities in world over to find the right our life, Astrology is also used candidate for a position or for psychological (personality job. To find the best location & individuality) interpretation (city, state, country) to live of a person. in for achieving our full potential possibility, to know Astrology is used to find the whether to take calculated health, energy level, and risks or suicidal risks, to activity patterns of the body; know whether the person is and the desires, urges, beliefs, better off as an employer or reactions, and thought employee, etc, etc,. patterns of the mind, in a human. Astrology & Karma Astrology has long been used to decide the best times One really unpredictable part and periods for planting of Astrology is Karma. Karma and harvesting in farming in Sanskrit literally means, and other agriculture, to “Action, Work, or Deed”, it decide the best time for the can be defined as an universal slaughter of cattle and other law of cause and effect which breeding practices, planning governs rebirth and the world daily activities, selecting at large. profession, for compatibility with potential spouse, Karma can be either good or children & business partners bad, depending on what we (even family), to find the best do in this life will determine www.YSeeker.org | Page 31

whether you are rewarded or punished in the this life & future lives. What we did in past lives will have an effect in this life. Our ancestor’s actions affect us. And at last let us not forget that our actions also have an effect on our descendents. Karma is a very integral part of Astrology, it is used to find out the how past deeds of a person can & will affect him/ her & his/her family, in this life. Apart from Karma, Indian philosophy talks about a concept called as Adrustha, which is often confused with Karma. Karma is more like a result of a person’s actions, but Adrustha is like fate or destiny. It talks about an unknown and invisible mystical/divine force at work behind the universe. Conclusion Astrology has many techniques & tools to find a lot of information about a person or an event. But to make a living as an Astrologer is not easy, therefore many Astrologers try to attract clients by giving them the impression that Astrology is a magical science that through supernatural means can tell the individual everything www.YSeeker.org | Page 32

regarding his past, present and future. But this causes more problems both for the Astrologer & the subject, if the Astrologer isn’t able to predict properly. Astrology works, but not by magic, it uses many tools/techniques/ methods & with Karma Theory (& Adrustha if you are visit any Astrologer following the Indian philosophy), but again Karma isn’t magic & Adrustha (whether it exists or not) is unknown. Many people degrade Astrology because they are either: • Afraid of what they don’t know, or • Haven’t properly researched the subject themselves, or • Inherit another person’s prejudices based on their experience with a bad Astrologer, • Have had personal bad experience with an Astrologer, • Or it might be anything at all. To deny Astrology any value without proper research is a crime, as with any other subject. Therefore it is my humble request to all people to study about Astrology,

test it & feel its accuracy & you can determine about its validity, rather than ignoring it, or denying it, its validity without prior proper research. I have heard many Astrologers say that they would love to prove its validity through tests, research & discussion of the results, rather than just dismissing something. Do remember one thing, Astrology is NEVER wrong, but Astrologers can be. - Byrappa

LIVING LIFE Recipes for Lip smacking Deepavali sweets. Vermicelli Kheer or Shavagai Paasya Ingredients : Vermicelli - 1/2 cup (thin variety) Milk - 4 cups Sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup Cream - 1/4 cup Ghee - 4 tabs Almonds - 2 tabs Cinnamon powder - 1 level tsp Bananas - 3 (small)

Method Fry vermicelli in 2 tabs of ghee, till it turns light gold in colour. Let it get cold. Skin almonds & chop them into small pieces. Fry in 2 tabs of ghee, till they become well roasted.

Boil the milk, add the vermicelli and keep on stirring over low heat till the vermicelli is just cooked and the milk is thick. (Do not overcook the vermicelli). Reduce heat and add sugar little by little stirring all the time till the sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat, when cold, mix in the cream, almonds, cinnamon powder and chopped bananas. Optionally you can add the silver foil on the top for decoration.

Serve chilled. www.YSeeker.org | Page 33

Rice Kheer Ingredients :

250 gm Raw rice 3/4 Litre milk 300 gm Sugar 100 gm Sago 3 Cardamom pods A few cashew nuts A pinch saffron A few raisins

Method

Boil water in a vessel, wash the raw rice properly. Put the rice into the boiling water, when rice becomes half cooked, add washed sago to it. When the rice is cooked properly, sago should turn transparent, if required add a little water.

Mix sugar and cashew nut pieces with cooked rice. Mix continuously until it boils. Boil the milk in another vessel and remove its cream. Add this milk to the rice and sago mixture. Dissolve saffron in little milk. Add it to the cooked mixture with cardamom and raisins. Mix well.

Rice Kheer is ready to serve for four, can be served both hold or cold. www.YSeeker.org | Page 34

Badam Kheer Ingredients :

1 cup Badam 4 to 6 cups milk 1 cup sugar ½ tsp saffron a small pinch Kesari powder

Method

Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep aside. Soak badam in hot water for at least 1 hour. Peel skin and grind the almond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water. Measure the amount of badam paste and keep the same amount of sugar aside. Cook the badam paste for 5 to 10 and keep on stirring it constantly, till the flavour comes out. Now put sugar and keep stirring. Add the remaining milk, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the soaked saffron. Ready to serve. www.YSeeker.org | Page 35

Carrot Halwa. Ingredients : Carrots -1/2 kg Milk -1 litre Cardamom -4 to 5 Sugar -1/4 kg Charmagz (dried melon seeds) -1 tbsp Ghee – A few spoons Cashew nuts -100 gms Raisins – 100 gms Almonds -a few

Method

Peel the carrots and then grate them. Boil milk heavy bottomed pan, then add the grated carrots.

Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally without closing the lid till the mixture is fairly dry (approx 30 to 40 min).

Add sugar, cardamom crushed and melon seeds, mix well till everything becomes semi solid dry.

In a separate bowl, fry cashew nuts, raisins & Badam in the ghee. Then add the ghee into the carrot mixture & stir well to mix.

Can be served both hot or cold, optionally silver foil can be used for decoration.

Tip: Warm Carrot Halwa with Plain Vanilla Ice-cream is a favourite in India. I have tried it with Chocolate chips & even Butter Scotch Ice-cream & it tastes wonderful. So it is up to you to experiment. www.YSeeker.org | Page 36

Besan Ka Ladoo Ingredients :

Ghee - 225 gms Besan (Bengal gram flour) - 225 gms Castor sugar - 350 gms Cardamom powder - 1 tbsp Cashewnuts chopped - 1 tsp Almonds chopped - 1 tsp Pistachio - 1 tsp

Method

Melt the ghee over a medium flame, in a thick-bottomed pan.

Add the besan and keep stirring to avoid the formation of lumps, the besan will also turn darker as it cooks and when done should be a deep golden brown colour & gives an aroma. This browning process can take up roughly 20 minutes.

Add the cardamom and mix well.

Turn off the fire and mix in the powdered sugar, chopped cashew nuts (optionally you can use Almonds & even Raisins, together or seperately) to the besan mixture and stir thoroughly. Allow the mix to cool.

When cool, form into golf ball-sized rounds from the mixture. Then they are ready to serve. Optionally silver foil can be used for decorating.

Store in an air-tight container in a cool place, to maintain freshness. www.YSeeker.org | Page 37

Earth at the Night This is what the Earth looks like at night. Can you find your favorite country or city? Surprisingly, city lights make this task quite possible. Human-made lights highlight particularly developed or populated areas of the Earth’s surface, including the seaboards of Europe, the eastern United States, and Japan. Many large cities are located near rivers or oceans so that they can exchange goods cheaply by boat. Particularly dark areas include the central parts of South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The above image is actually a composite of hundreds of pictures made by the orbiting DMSP satellites. Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive

YSeeker C/o SWIPCOM, No. 38, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, (Opp. Kanteerava Stadium), Bangalore - 560027 Email: [email protected] Website: www.YSeeker.org www.YSeeker.org | Page 38