Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans, Literature Classics and Vedic Astrology

The nature of war and its effect on active participants has always remained the same despite changes in technology; be it Trojan war, Mahabharata or Iraq war.

“There is nothing more troubling than to discover an evil crime of which one is the culprit”. This is what Tecmessa says to Ajax in a Greek tragedy by Sophocles enacted as part Marine Corps Combat Operational Stress Control Conference recently to help recover Marines from post-traumatic stress disorders after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. This statement is “corpsmen’s burden: how to forgive himself”, as a conference panelist pointed out, reminding of a navy corpsman tortured by the fact that he killed Iraqis in ways outside the rules of engagement.

The major issues facing a combatant in any war, the combat stress, the inner conflicts and the loss of one’s own self, has always persisted without resolution. In addition to reflections on ancient classics, Vedic astrology can be very effective in helping combatants develop a better understanding of their role, resolve inner conflicts and reduce stress levels. A study of individual horoscopes can be very revealing to war veterans.