Those of you who watch my YouTube Channel “Astrology by Richa” will already be familiar with my ‘Journey so far’ in the world of YouTube, Content Creation, and Astrology. I’m Richa Shukla, born to Dr. Jagdish Prakash Agnihotri and Mrs. Nandini Agnihotri. I am the 4th and youngest child of my parents who is sure that her genetic roots in astrology have helped the divine craft find its way to her in a manner that made it comprehensible and so easy to understand. My father was well-acquainted with the science and art of Jyotish. He laid the foundation of my Astrology profession which started at the tender age of 14.
My father has been the architect behind my Astrologic expertise as he taught me the incomparable value of ‘Knowledge’ and how to never underestimate my ability to inspire. Born in a middle-class family, the values of hard work, consistency, and perseverance imbued in me by my father have uplifted my spirit over all these years. ‘Astrology by Richa’ is a combined effort of my father’s excellence and my mother’s teachings of making the best of our abilities. Their heroic support is undoubtedly the bedrock of my life’s achievements.
Educational Background
After completing my master’s and Ph.D. in History, I got married and settled in Gurugram with my husband. I have been greatly supported by my husband and two children in all my endeavors. Without family support, life can truly be an uphill battle. Prior to starting my own venture ‘Astrology by Richa’, I attended Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which is one of the most reputed and comprehensive institutes of Astrology in India and perhaps in the world. Therein I was one among the few fortunate people who have studied in the physical presence of Gurudeva Shri K.N Rao. I finished my ‘Jyotish Alankar’ and ‘Jyotish Acharya’ from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
The heavenly science of Astrology chooses whom it wants to work with and not the other way around. It was my inner calling and gradual fascination with Astrology that led to the birth of ‘Astrology by Richa’ which has proved a life-changing decision for me and now I am a part of a rather vast family of like-minded souls for whom my heart is filled with immense gratitude and blessings.
Chronicles of Fate – How YouTube Channel Happened
I wanted to be a history professor initially but the chronicles of fate are perplexing yet so in harmony. I always advise my clients to not be disappointed as ‘right things’ will always happen at the ‘right time’ in the ‘right place’. It is from my personal experience that I draw inspiration from – the upbringing of children and responsibilities at home prevented me from approaching Astrology professionally and I was quite satisfied with pursuing it as a hobby and helping my friends at the time. I did not let the frustration build up in any form and I kept learning and practicing, and today, as I write this blog, I am in the 20th year of my professional Astrology practice. The more years I spent refining my art, the more quality I have been able to deliver through ‘Astrology by Richa’, which essentially, is a reflection of my deep-rooted journey into this cosmic science.
People around me always encouraged me to teach, counsel, and help others owing to the clarity and conciseness they saw in my oration. I owe that to my father who commanded an extensive expertise in speech. With that being said, ‘time’ is the sovereign and I am a true believer in the superiority of time. However, it was the global pandemic that shattered my preconceptions of time, making me realise the transient nature of life in a different light. ‘Now’ is the only time we ever truly have in the world, and we got to start ‘somewhere’ in life. The penetrating stillness of Covid-19 further concretised my dream of sharing my acquired knowledge with people and helping them through mentally challenging times and ‘Astrology by Richa’ became a medium for that, and I, a vessel.
Purpose Behind “Astrology by Richa”
One of my main purposes behind ‘Astrology by Richa’ is to really get Astrology out into the world, with as much transparency as possible. I am a strong believer in optimism and I aspire to impart the same to people who seek my guidance in response to stress and anxiety. When done with sincerity and utmost devotion, Astrology has great potential to help people deal with distressing life events and cope with the uncertainties of life. Another purpose was to return this divine science of ‘Jyotish’ which is a part of ‘Vedas’, also known as one of the ‘Vedangas’, to its rightful position. Vedic Astrology deserves more recognition for its incredible explanatory power and precision.
And lastly, there are certain presuppositions about planets being either good or bad, which is partially true and highly misleading. No planet in Astrology is bad; the 9 planets are the 9 incarnations of Lord Vishnu and thus each planet is magnificent in its own way. ‘Astrology by Richa’ has also been an endeavour to eradicate those misconceptions and re-establish the faith of people in the majesty and opulence of Astrology. Maharishi Parasara has given us the most comprehensive treatise on Astrology in the form of ‘Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra’ and we should indeed be paying our obeisance to him for his unmatchable contribution and legacy. However, I believe one has to be able to interpret and synthesise the given principles in a meaningful way on his own – interpreting the cosmological blueprints as given by our Maharishis is one’s own genius.
To my subscribers and readers, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and commitment throughout my Astrological journey. I am eternally indebted to you all for being a replete source of my motivation. The journey is the ultimate reward, and you all are an integral part of mine!