Time Requirements:
Each week there is about 5 hours+ of online video/audio to listen to, along with a chapter to read, a two hour live class and various studying/memorizing. Students should plan to devote at least 10 hours a week to this course. Some who are new to Sanskrit words may require more time.

In-person (Live) Class:
Live classes are on zoom 6-8pm at Pacific Time zone. The live class is not required to complete the course. Students may arrange a practicum time for their time zone to complete the interactive requirements of the practicum. Most students find the live classes highly beneficial. In the past, students from Australia, Russia, South Africa, South America, etc have joined from various time zones throughout the world.

Memorization:
The first 7 chapters have a lot of memorization to create a strong foundation as we move through the later chapters. If you sign up for the course before it begins, we ask that you focus on the material from the first 7 chapters, as this is where much of the new concepts and terminology is presented which requires memorization.

Teaching Assistants:
If you need further assistance when working through the course materials, there are graduate students who support as Teacher Assistants (TA) in the Facebook group and can be reached out to for questions. It is required before you reach out for a T.A., to make sure you have read the chapter and listened to the chapter audio.

For those who need more support, there are advanced teachers who offer paid tutoring sessions. A list of active tutors is available upon request.

For those thinking about taking level one who have no background, the 6 week Introduction class can be very beneficial to get started with a good foundation.

Social Media Interaction:
There is a Private Facebook Group for each of the Science of Light courses. This is a part of creating a supportive community environment and cultivating familiarity amongst the students. This is also a place to share any questions, comments, or insights as you work through the chapters each week. There are previous graduates and Teacher Assistants in the FB group that will help answer your questions. This page is also where any updates will be posted about the class (Zoom link, date changes, etc.)

What if I don’t like facebook? Facebook has bought out all other similar technology, and it saves thousands to use them instead of trying to build out what they do. Hence it is our preference. We appreciate their nested feeds, which make staying on topics and following certain ideas very organized. Facebook monetizes people who spend random time reading and clicking on junk stories and advertisements. Facebook allows you to select 30 profiles or groups to “show first”. It also allows you to unfollow anyone you don’t want to see. We suggest unfollowing random people, selecting Science of Light and any other Jyotish, Ayurveda, Yoga groups as show first, and you will only see Jyotish, Yoga and Ayurveda material- a wonderful experience.

Book for the Course:
Students buy the text book for the course on Amazon before it begins and are encouraged to start reading.  Level one uses the 2020 edition Introduction to Vedic Astrology , make sure to get the new edition for class, the Kindle version available at the same link.  Level 2 uses the Foundations of Vedic Astrology Science of Light book. People often ask if there is more in the course than in the book. For each chapter, there are 5 to 30 hours of online recordings discussing the material in the chapter. Students are expected to read the chapter and listen to at least the first 5 hours of recorded material before the live class. In class, there is discussion of the topic and question and answer which a student will be lost without proper preparation. Sometimes certain topics not covered as in depth in the book or previous classes are discussed to broaden the online archives. Other times, depending on topic, there is practical chart application to ensure proper understanding and application of techniques.

Consultations during the Course:
For students to not mix the student/teacher relationship with client/practitioner relationship, Freedom will not provide readings to students during the course time. You are welcome to schedule a consultation with Freedom once you have completed the course or seek out one of the advanced students for a reading.

How long do students have access the material:
There are hundreds of hours of recordings and material available inside the course. Once the course has been paid for, there is no time limit. Freedom is committed to students learning Jyotish. New material is constantly added and past students continue to have access to all material of the level in which they are qualified. Graduates of level one have access to monthly graduate classes to support continuing education, and a graduate forum to support beginning a practice as a professional astrologer.

How is SOL level 1 and 2 different than PJC
These courses are not the same and have a very different structure. The Science of Light (SOL) Course is two one-year courses designed to lay a strong foundation in a step by step process. All topics in this tradition of Jyotish are covered in a general way to understand how these techniques work together to be able to properly read a chart. This course is intended to give the framework and skills for a student to become a practicing astrologer.
The Parashara Jyotish Course (PJC) is a five-year course that goes very deep into specific topics to create advanced understanding of techniques. For example, the saptāṁśa (D7) chart is covered in two pages in the Science of Light book, one hour in the audio material, and contrasted with multiple other divisional charts for the purpose of usability. In the PJC course, there is an entire 8 hour day devoted to the saptāṁśa, with multiple examples to help make the student mature their skills with this chart. Similarly, many topics are gone into deeper analysis than contained in the Science of Light Course. Those who are not already well-studied practicing astrologers may find the PJC overwhelming or confusing and even drop out. Those who have completed Science of Light course experience the PJC as a culmination that deepens the system of astrology they have learned in a profound way. To get the best benefit from PJC, we recommend at least completing the first year of Science of Light, if not both years.

What if I am already well-known in professional practice ?
Because of the quality and integrity of this course, we regularly get Yoga studio owners, well-known Āyurveda teachers, people that are top of their field in other sciences, spiritual gurus, and well-known professional astrologers joining us. Occasionally, these people have requested to use pseudonyms in class to differentiate their public practice from their private studies and we respect that. The educational space holds a respectful space for whatever background an individual comes from and values that aspect of you. Whether you wish to share your background so others can appreciate it, or wish to use a pseudonym, we respect that choice.

2022 Course 1 starts February 17th: Syllabus is found on the Course page