Interview With James: Netera Alchemy
James Braha is interviewed by Andrew Mason of Netera Alchemy, April 2024. The topic is more personal: his life in astrology and advaita spanning several decades.
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Interview in the March CVA Journal
CVA board member Bruce Davis interviewed James for the spring equinox issue of Journal of the Council of Vedic Astrology. It’s now published online. The past three issues are generously available to all visitors; join the CVA to access all issues going back to 2011.
James’ latest book, The Braha Sutras, was reviewed extensively for the September 2022 issue of the Journal. As of today it is still accessible to non-CVA members.
James thanked the reviewer for that review: “It blew my mind. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could review a text that was essentially an astrologer’s lifetime of accumulated experience. You did exactly that, and I was stunned to be honest.”
A Highlight from the Interview
The following excerpt is about the supreme importance of looking at the birth chart as a whole. Just as importantly, that the astrologer can then convey this life-changing information to the person so that they get it:
BD—Do some people you work with already have a sense of their Dharma before you meet with them?
JB—Well, it depends on what you mean by Dharma, which many take to be a person’s career path. There’s a sutra in Braha Sutras, number 96, titled, “Note the difference between who a person is and what they do.” In my friend’s case, what he is doing, as a dramatist, is both who he is and what he does. There are plenty of cases where a person is not on their proper path because they haven’t embraced who they are. This causes untold problems. It’s actually who you are that gives rise to your purpose and context.
BD—Do you see this often, where a person isn’t able to embrace who they are? How does this happen, do you think?
JB—They’ve been hijacked by childhood traumas, fears, complexes, parental expectations, confidence issues, and so on.
The bottom line is to make sure you’ve set yourself on the right path from the beginning. Of course, we look for things like career, love, health, and money. Those all must be addressed. Indeed, when clients ask me if they should tell me their interests before the session, I say, “Well, you know, I’m pretty psychic. I’m thinking, love, money, health, career, and maybe spiritual.” And, they laugh. But, seriously, if you don’t look at the chart as a whole, you’re missing the point the same way every astrologer I ever saw.
BD—So how do you go about finding this wholeness in the chart?
JB—It’s just about adopting the right strategy. When we begin studying astrology, we are looking for isolated pieces because analyzing the whole chart seems daunting. How can you consider the whole when you’re struggling to find the money, the career, health, and the marriage?
Makes sense, right? Well, it’s like driving a car. Yes, you have to control the brakes, the steering wheel, the mirror, you’re front and back vision, and all of that. But, your purpose is to drive the car successfully. You have to focus on how all the parts function together. If you get everything right, except the brakes, you die. If you get everything but the mirror, you’re in trouble. This is why all the readings I ever got were relatively useless. The astrologers missed my essence, which is the point of a natal reading.
BD—This sense of a holistic reading plays a large role in your latest book, Braha Sutras.
This excerpt is only one screenful out of eight!
Thank you to the Council of Vedic Astrology and to Bruce Davis for this opportunity.
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