Everything in this sublunary world is governed and given form by the energies of the planets. In this series of articles we will look at how this planetary influence can be seen in the concrete environment. Astrology is not theoretical knowledge you find in books, it is alive and it is everywhere around us. In herbs, metals, precious stones and natural substances the diverse aspects of a planetary energy can often be seen very clearly and when we have recognized the planet we can use this knowledge for example for medical purposes, to strengthen weak points in the natal chart or even to enhance spirituality.

I am not a wealthy astrologer. You can blame excessive idealism, lack of public relations know-how, my second house Saturn, or anything else you like, but the truth remains I am not raking in tons of dough from astrology-related activities.

This does not, however, bum me out.

Nadi in Sanskrit means the pulse, the subtle channels in the body, a division of time (24 minutes). In Tamil, the language of Tamil Nadu, Nadi means in search of. To be in search of the past, the reason of existence, to search the roots and essence of the past. In Yoga and Ayurveda, Nadi are the subtle channels that give message to the different parts of the body plus the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna nadi. Grantha is a great book of knowledge.

My work as a counseling astrologer and psychic medium has brought me to explore some of the darker sides of human experience. (I have to feed my Scorpio Sun somehow!) Whether working with a client on healing issues of abuse or working with a spirit on healing whatever reasons he or she is still hanging around the Earth plane, I've found that acknowledging the darker parts of life is necessary to support healing journeys, which are, after all, those to greater wholeness.

The term 'Arabian Parts' is misleading. The medieval Arab astrologers inherited their art from a long-established tradition, which they did much to refine and develop, but did not originate. References to the parts are found in all the major astrological texts that have survived from Greek and Roman times. One such account is given in the Mathesis of Firmicus Maternus, written in the 4th century. He had a rich legacy of sources to draw upon and, despite the gloomy fatalism of his interpretations, the Mathesis is invaluable for its insights into classical techniques, such as antiscia, dodecatemoria (an early form of harmonics), and parts.

In consideration of Eris and for astrologers to gain a needed affection and application of this disruptive planet, perhaps an examination of charts in which Eris stood as notable for better for worse or for yet to be determined, offers a solid start and prevents astrologers from the blunder of snubbing Eris.