Drupada McDonald

Prominent Vedic Astrologer

TOPIC: The Inner Science of Vedic Astrology

Drupada (John McDonald) is a seasoned Vedic astrologer and long-standing scholar of the esoteric sciences whose work spans more than three decades of international teaching, consultation, and research. Grounded in the classical Vedic tradition and informed by lifelong spiritual discipline, his approach to astrology integrates precise astronomical calculation with subtle perception, treating astrology as a sophisticated system of knowledge rather than a merely predictive art.

A disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, Drupada emphasizes that Vedic astrology was never intended to be understood solely through linear logic or mathematical abstraction. While planetary mechanics provide a necessary structural framework, he teaches that astrological meaning emerges through dynamic relationships—between time, consciousness, and cosmic order. In this view, astrology operates as an interface between inner and outer worlds, reflecting patterns of awareness as much as planetary motion.

In his presentation, Drupada will examine significant planetary configurations and long-cycle influences shaping both the immediate future and the broader arc of human development. Drawing upon Vedic cosmology and its cyclical understanding of time, he will situate current astrological conditions within larger evolutionary rhythms—offering context for periods of cultural upheaval, transformation, and renewal.

Drupada may also address the concept of the Akashic Records, traditionally described as a subtle, non-material field in which information is conserved beyond space and time. Interpreted through a contemporary lens, this idea can be likened to a universal informational field—analogous to theoretical constructs in physics such as the zero-point field or quantum vacuum—through which past, present, and potential future states may be accessed. Within the esoteric sciences, astrology functions as one of the symbolic languages through which this deeper informational substrate becomes intelligible.

What distinguishes Drupada’s work is his ability to synthesize rigorous study with contemplative insight. His interpretations arise from decades of disciplined practice, meditation, and direct inquiry, enabling him to communicate complex astrological and metaphysical principles with clarity and intellectual depth. His lectures are known for their ability to engage both analytical and intuitive faculties, offering audiences a framework for understanding astrology as a genuine science of consciousness.

At the Conference on Precession and Ancient Knowledge, Drupada McDonald invites participants to reconsider astrology not as superstition or belief, but as a refined epistemology—an ancient system for reading time, memory, and meaning within a living cosmos.