I was born in Byron Bay, Australia, in 1978. My family are from New Zealand, but lived in Australia from 1974 to 1979. My parents went to Australia to meet Prabhupada, the guru and founder of the Hare Krishna movement, where they became his disciples and helped with the formation of a spiritual farm community in northern New South Wales. The community was called New Govardhan, and I was the first child born to the community. I was born on a dark moon night in May -  vaishaka amavasya - the same one as a medieval saint named Gadadhara Pandit, and that's how I got my name: Gadadhara Pandit Das.

My family name is Reid, an archaic spelling of the colour red. This family name is traced to the Scottish Lowlands where it was a descriptor-type surname, that is, my ancestors had red hair, or red hot wit, or red hot tempers, or red facial complexions from all that fine Scotch Whisky... or possibly all of the above! 

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Occasionally I wonder what my ancestor Reids - who had first names like Mark, John and Luke - would think of a 'Gadadhar' Reid sprouting up in their proud, red lineage. But they can rest easy knowing that the medieval saint Gadadhar, after whom I was named, dressed himself in red clothes... so it fits. May ye rest in peace and joy, oh revered ancestors.

As with my name, my childhood environment reflected a hybrid of worlds. I attended a Hare Krishna boarding school (gurukula) on the outskirts of Auckland, New Zealand. The teachers, themselves fresh converts to the Hare Krishna faith, struggled to separate their psuedo-Christian concept of religion with its shadows of guilt and sin, from the goodness of the sweet and devotional ethos of Vaisnavism (Hare Krishna). ​But that's another whole story in itself.

One good thing about growing up in a quasi-Vedic environment was that around eight years old I heard about this thing called Vedic Astrology. Its Sanskrit name is Jyotish, the Science of Light, and it intrigued my young mind. 

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However it was Ayurveda, India's ancient medical science, which I began to seriously study as a teenager. I'd gained a certifcate in Ayurveda at age eighteen and was planning to pursue it further when a book-worm friend called me up one evening.

"I'm off to live in India" he announced, "I thought you might like to inherit my book collection." Of course I did, I'm a book-lover too.

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In the inherited book collection were English translations of the great astrological classics such as Brhat Parasara Hora Sastra, Brhat Jataka, Saravali, etc. as well as the majority of BV Raman's pioneering works. I proceeded to drink deep from the well of jyotish scripture. I lived and breathed it, viewing the world through a lens of planets, signs and stars. On my many visits to India (I have been over 10 times) I sought out the wisdom of jyotish experts both famous and obscure. Collecting the charts of a large number of known people, I correlated events in their lives to the placement of planets in their horoscopes, and likewise matched the planets to their personality and character traits. Crucially, I learned how the theoretical principles in the old literatures actually manifest and operate in today's modern world. Over the years I developed a high level of proficiency in astrological analysis, such that I was increasingly approached for astrological insight and counsel, which I offered informally and free of charge for many years. 

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In 2018, after 22 years of study, research and informal consultation, I decided to offer my services in a more formal capacity. On this site you can view my videos and articles, many of which contain original astrological insights and ideas that have come to me through both research and revelation. You can also order one of my bespoke astrological reports should you want some extra light to shine on your life.

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I am glad you're here. Please don't hesitate to get in touch; I'm happy to be of service.