What's in a Name: A Vedic Astrology Perspective

...and the reasons behind my sudden name change

I recently had a consultation with the astrologer Visti Larsen, who is considered one of the masters in my Jyotish lineage. I booked the consultation to talk about career in general as well as my Vedic astrology business specifically.

Luckily, he could see potential in my chart for growing a strong business and sharing my knowledge of Jyotish with the world. He mentioned several areas of specialization to focus on, which thankfully are exactly the niches I’m particularly interested in.

However, he did mention one thing I should do to better ensure success: Change my name.

The key to understanding why this is the case?

The Hoḍa Chakra.

The Hoḍa Chakra

In Jyotish, one of the main techniques for understanding the energetic impact of a name is the Hoḍa Chakra. This is picture of the one I use in my (very dog-eared) copy of Freedom Cole’s book Science of Light: An Introduction to Vedic Astrology.

The Hoḍa Chakra, is a specialized tool used for selecting auspicious names based on the sounds associated with each Nakshatra. In this system, the 27 Nakshatras are divided into four padas each associated with specific syllables.

For example, the Nakshatra Ashwini includes the sounds "Chu," "Che," "Cho," and "La" while the Nakshatra Rohini is “O,” “Va,” “Vi,” “Vu.”

Although I’ve only focused on the Moon’s Nakshatra so far – as it is the most important Nakshatra for understanding your mind and persecption – each planet in your chart as well as your Lagna also correspond to a Nakshatra, and therefore a specific sound.

Why a name change makes sense for my business

Let’s start with my first name: Rebeccah.

“Re” is the 4th pada of the Nakshatra Chitra in the sign of Libra. Although I don’t have any planets in Libra, the sound is still energetically connected to my third house (which is in Libra) and its ruler, Venus.

Herein lies the problem:

Venus is poorly placed in my chart and directly connected to my 10th house and career. My name therefore energetically calls forth the energy of an artistic person (Venus) who is trapped and frustrated about their struggles in establishing a satisfying career (papakartri/MKS 10th lord in the 6th). As both a singer and a creative writer who has tried for years – in vain – to gain a foothold in artistic pursuits, I can definitely relate to this.

So what to do?

My moon is also problematic in my chart, so opting for the Moon’s Nakshatra is not the right choice here.

However, my Lagna’s Nakshatra in another matter. It is in the second pada of Magha, whose sound is “Mi.”

The good news?

My middle name is Michelle!

Therefore, as per Visti’s advice, I’m going to switch the order of my names in a professional sphere to Michelle Rebeccah Dean and the name of my business and Substack to Good Stars Jyotish. The “Guh” in “Good” is a Nakshatra sound that links to my Jupiter, which is also in the position to help with career and money matters.

Beyond Nakshatra considerations, I’ve decided to add “Jyotish” to the name, as it helps make it clear that I’m focusing on Vedic astrology, not its Western counterpart.

So don’t be surprised when you start getting content from Michelle at Good Stars Jyotish instead of Rebeccah at Crossroads Astrology!

Will you officially change your name?

No.

I’ve always liked the name Rebeccah and see no reason to shed it in my personal life.

However taking a new approach based on my own knowledge of the Hoḍa Chakra paired with a master astrologer’s insight (who likely took other naming techniques into account) is worth a try as I build my business. I’ll keep you posted as (when/if) I start noticing any changes.

Curious about which Nakshatra sound matches your name? You can find the list on Visti’s website here.