Nikita Ierisov - Jyotish Astrologer
I started exploring the world since eighteen years old, when I started working on merchant ships sailing across the continents. But my first transformational experience happened when I first went back-packing to India with my girlfriend at the age of 24. At the same time my interest in yoga began and I also became a vegetarian, so trip to India was logical continuation of this journey.
Since then I continued to work at sea, because it allowed me to travel and explore the world and at the same time I enjoyed the solitude the sea provided to explore various philosophical teachings in which I was always interested.
My first experience of awareness was also at sea, when I started to practice calisthenics and later combining it with yoga. On the ship you have very limited space and a lot of stress - many people there usually tend to coop with it using alcohol. I have many stories to tell how alcohol can adversely affect our mind and body, so eventually I decided to give up on it completely. Then it is very rarely when you can find a gym on the ship during that times, so I have to look for other options how to deal with stress and eventually I started my body-workout journey, which eventually brought me to yoga.
Many think that yoga is only physical practice of the asanas, but this is only one part of the yoga. In fact, this is a practice of exploring our awareness. We start with the most gross level, which is our body and move to more subtle levels like our breath and then eventually mind and meditation.
I became Chief Officer (Senior Deck Officer, 2nd in command after Captain ) at the age of 26 and continued to work at sea, which allowed me to feel pretty comfortable in my home-city of Odesa, which is in Ukraine. I also practice yoga there in yoga-club called "Maharaj" from 2018 till 2021.
But never mind the comfort I was filling that I am living not my true life, I was feeling that something was missing. I was feeling that life is meant to be more interesting. I didn't feel connected to any purpose of mine or mission.
At around 2019 my wife at that time initiated a shamanic ceremony for me, which I consider the second the most powerful transformational experience. Although I practiced yoga I still consider myself hard to shift my consciousness and perceptions. That is why I consider that psychedelics did necessary work to open this doors of perception and cleared imposed mental baggage.
We also started to travel more to Asia and at that time also I explored such a powerful places like Koh Phangan and Bali and understood that life can be different. Another important shift happened there through dance. I had never seen myself as someone who could dance, so stepping into it was deeply transformative. Through rhythm and music, I discovered a new level of connection with my body, along with powerful insights and emotional release.
And I believe that also there my journey into Jyotish had started. When I visited Sekumpul waterfall for the first time, something opened in my subconsciousness. I realised how the fantasies since my childhood manifested into my reality and I had strong urge to make a tattoo when I will come back home to Odesa.
There is a saying, that one doesn't choose to become a Jyotishi, nor did I think about astrology during any period of my life. But when I came to Odesa, my yoga-teacher Inna Goncharenko started Jyotish astrology course, so I decided to join, simply because I was interested to know more about Vedic worldview. But quickly I became immersed and realised that my tattoo was basically representation of my Moon in Sagittarius.
This is was my first deep encounter of my intuition.
Very soon after the first course was finished, I continued study of Jyotish, but with another teacher - Kali Shankar.
I realised also that immigration and wanderings were important parts of my development, and thus I decided to leave Ukraine. So in 2021 my wanderings has began: I lived on Bali, Koh Phangan, Chiang Mai. Then through Europe: Greece, Malta, Italy and Turkey and eventually I came to Canada. And here on Vancouver Island I together with my partner decided to create Dharma Station. Actually, we discussed a lot before, only in Canada we finally did it.
In Asia I immersed myself completely studying Jyotish, but also I have opened the creative side of mine.
Music fascinated my since childhood, but when I working at sea it was blocked: environment, false believes and so on. But on my Bali I bought my first DJ controller and my musical journey have began.
In Canada I even more realised the power of sound: that of healing and inducing meditative state or altered state of consciousness. So I immersed myself even more into musical theory and exploring the abilities of the sound by learning the instruments. In fact, each instrument is the teacher.
Now I am writing a book exploring the landscape of consciousness through meditation and sound. And also building Dharma Station together with my partner - Sasha to create of space, where knowledge can flow.
I think the best way to describe what I am doing is exploration of human nature and purpose, be it through travel, yoga, music, psychology or altered state of consciousness.
My teacher always said that Jyotishi have to know the world as well. Because Jyotish is symbolical language, and this symbol must be interpreted somehow. And the better they are interpreted the more you know about various aspects of the world: business, art, psychology, relationships and so on.
Thus, in my consultations you will not hear advice like “feed crows on Saturdays to pacify Saturn," but something very more concrete and specific. Not only you will find your psyche charted and described, but also will know very practical recommendations about your purpose, which you can start fulfilling here and now.
