Lal Kitab (Red Book of Astrology) by Pt. Beni Madhav Goswami & Pt. Laxmi Kant Vashisth Synopsis: What eventually became the Lal Kitab was issued over a series of years, beginning in 1939. Subsequent installments appeared in 1940, 1941 & 1942. These were collected into one volume in 1952, all in the Urdu language. This translation is based on the 1952 edition. The translators believe the actual author to be one "Pt. Roop Chand Joshi who hailed from Pharwala in United Punjab under British Rule. Panditji was an accountant in Royal Indian Army during the British Rule. During his tenure in Army, he received some old manuscripts from one of his collegues who often ventured into Palmistry.... Since the soldier was not a man of letters, he pleaded with Pt. Roop Chand to translate his acquired knowledge into black & white. Thus, the foundations of a great book was laid." (pgs. xiv-xv) Sagar, 775 pages, hardcover with dust jacket. Continued below. Price: $45.00 Contents: Acknowledgement; Preface; Abbreviations used in the book; Glossary. Index of Volume 1: Introduction of Lal Kitab; Difference between old & new systems; Different signs of planets on mounts; Zodiac signs on the hand; Method of casting horoscope from the hand; Phrenology connected with astro-palmistry. 1. How nature determines fate, decrees of nature, doubts about birth time, intricacies of stars; 2. Houses & planets, fixed houses, mutual friendship, enmity of planets, periods of planets, intermediary planets, effective age, measure of strength, secondary state, 35 year cycle, birth time/birth day planets, blind-half blind-pious companion planets, scapegoats, firm-own house, adult-non adult planets; 3. Fixed & joint houses, relationship of planet & sign, exaltation & debilitation; 4. 12 fixed houses, joint houses, bodily strength, bland & dormant houses/planets; 5. Aspects of planets, prior/latter houses, normal & inverse aspect, aspects of planets & relationship with houses, effect of sight for health, illness, marriage, etc, Yog Drishti, mutual assistance, general condition, confrontation, foundation, deception, joint wall, sudden strike; 6. Debts/complicated planets, kinds of debt/placement/symptoms, first & second degree debts, remedy for debts; 7. Planet of major period, moon chart, planet of deceit; 8. Remedies, remedy of Mars (-), Helpful remedy as per birth day/birth time, remedies at the time of marriage, interrelations of male & female charts, order of remedies; 9. Effect of planets, effect of artificial planets, effect of joint planets, effect of joint houses (JH), joint houses no. 1, 7, 8, 11, JH 2, 6, 8, 11, 12, JH 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, JH 1, 7, 9, 11, JH 2, 4, 10, JH 3, 4, 7, 12, JH 2, 3, 4, 8, special effects, effect of a lone planet, general signs of debilitation, exaltation of planets; 10. Changing conditions of a child as per movements of planets in universe; 11. Structure, rectification & kinds of horoscope, simple rectification, moon horoscope, astrology of birth & horoscope, house chart, horoscope of joint family, planet movements, kinds of horoscope & comparative strength, rectification of planets, kinds of horoscope; 12. Annual predictions/analysis of horoscope, effect of planets, time of general effect, analysis, effect of planets, general principles of planetary effect, some examples of interpretation of horoscopes; 13. Rajayogas; 14. Items/business/relations pertaining to different planets & houses, items of some combinations of planets; 15. Residential houses, remedies, types of houses, doors; 16. Individuals dominated by planets, matters relating to service, travel; 17. Marriage of children, propitious time for marriage, complexion/nature of wife, age of couple, happiness after marriage, matrimony of daughter, tips for comforts of family life, progeny, adoption, birth/time of birth, number of children, relationships between parents & children, combinations giving children, barren woman, obstructions to child birth/marriage; 18. Money matters, average income, savings/expenses, types of wealth, financial transactions, donations; 19. Disease/age/death. Index of volume II: Jupiter through the houses; Sun through the houses; Moon through the houses; Venus through the houses; Mars through the houses; Mercury through the houses; Saturn through the houses; Rahu through the houses; Ketu through the houses; Two Planets Conjoined [all possibilities considered, many include house-by-house delineations]; Three Planets Conjoined [all possibilities considered]; Four, Five & All Planets Conjoined [all possibilities considered]; Annual chart matrix; Practical examples. Comment: Said to have been based on ancient manuscripts, Lal Kitab is a unique combination of astrology, palmistry & remedies. It originally appeared in five parts, between 1939 & 1952: Lal Kitab Ke Farman, 1939; Lal Kitab Ke Arman, 1940; Lal Kitab Part III, aka Lal Kitab Gutka, 1941; Lal Kitab Ke Farman, 1942; and a compilation, entitled simply, Lal Kitab, 1952. The author is believed to have been Pandit (Pt.) Roop Chand Joshi, from Pharwala in the United Punjab. Since 1983, Lal Kitab has been increasingly popular in India, with many reprints of the orignal five books, along with a general commercialization of the name, Lal Kitab itself. The translators write, The reason that drove us to translate the five issues of Lal Kitab was our desire to put an end to all controversies cropping up about the origin of the work & its validity. Secondly, since the books were readily available with us in Urdu language we could endeavor to check indiscriminate commercialization to the masses the reality or facts about the original work in an international language like English. (pg. xv) The words, Lal Kitab mean Red Book. It is based on Oceanic Thought, an undefined term. A Lal Kitab chart shifts house numbers by 2, but leaves the planets where they are, eg, house 12 becomes house 2, whatever planet was in the old twelve is now in the new 2. With its own rules, Lal Kitab draws astrological charts from the palm, closely integrating astrology, palmistry & phrenology. The various pages of palms & symbols extracted from them are very clearly printed, as is the case with the head diagrams. Back to the Miscellaneous Vedic Books Page.

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