We now begin where we left off in describing the different effects of the Atmakaraka falling in each of the twelve signs of the navamsa chart. This is called the “Swamsha” and has a large bearing on the nature and dharma of a person as described in part 1.
Libra: With a Libra Swamsha, the native has a life marked by trade and relationships. Libra is the sign of trade, it is symbolized as a balancing scale, which implies balancing as well as decision making and “weighing the options”. Libras can make some of the best businessmen if that is what the rest of the chart is pointing towards. Libra is also the sign of relationships, (which involve a lot of trading) as well as the public. Libra has a keen understanding of society and the social side of life. A strong and healthy Libra swamsha is able to relate to the world in such a way that it may not have much itself, but it trades what it does have so wisely and appropriately that it ends up with much more than most. Afflicted Libra swamshas may have to work harder at this, and diplomacy in general. They may have to work on making better decisions and seeing what others have to offer. Prince, the musician, has Saturn as the Atmakaraka and falling in Libra in the navamsa chart, and is a great example of a strong Libra swamsha. He ended up with a very fulfilled life. (His chart is really strong overall though as well, to be fair, and this is not the only reason for his success.)
Scorpio: Scorpio swamsha is a very fascinating one. They can be very extreme individuals, with whatever they do in life. Scorpio is a fixed rasi after all, so it can be very devoted and fixed on what it focuses on as being worthwhile. Scorpio swamsha is a person who is working on their vulnerabilities essentially. They are without a doubt going to face more emotional issues that bring up their vulnerable places because they are meant to battle through those issues. They often have difficult issues come up in the early family life, or a separation from the mother of some sort is also common. Or the Mother of the native may be there but less comforting than the average mother, etc. They have to learn to fight so much harder for everything that they get than the average individual, and this can lead to both positive and negative extremes. Paramahansa Yogananda is a very positive example of taking this energy and the death of his Mother in his early life to galvanize him to seek the Divine Mother with great ardor. Adolf Hitler is another example of a swamsha in scorpio, on the other more negative end of the spectrum. He suffered in a household where his Father abused his Mother and there was nothing he was able to do about it, likely leading him to have a hateful approach towards life in general. If the rest of the chart also supports it, these swamshas can make great spiritual progress in life, or can have a life that involves the occult or hidden side of life somehow. I have noted that two of the greatest Astrologers I have found in my life are Scorpio Swamshas. They seem to have learned to better deal with the troubles of life from their understanding of the somewhat hidden forces in life, such as the planets.
Sagittarius: Sagittarius swamsha, when aspected by malefics, is actually a sign of accidents and falls from heights. This was surprising to me, when I learned this. Most people paint Sag as this really lucky and joyful sign, and if not blemished than that often is the case. Sagittarius is the sign of the bowman, the archer. It symbolizes seeing the goal and pursuing it. But if there are malefics aspecting (rasi aspecting, we are talking about here) then the Bowman misses his mark, essentially. If all benefic planets are associated with Sagittarius then the person is likely to find grace from accidents and such, but this is rarely the case. In that case, the person may even work around accidents but still end up being okay for the most part, such as being a fireman or something of that sort. If cruel planets are aspecting, these people need to be cautioned to be more realistic with their goals and not expect things to work out easily on the first try. This can often be the case too, because Sagittarius is a sign of being overly optimistic; overconfident.
Capricorn: Capricorn is a very fascinating swamsha. It can make one involved in aquatic animals, particularly crocodiles and alligators. Capricorn itself is the sign of crocodiles and all aquatic beasts. Capricorn swamsha also makes “villages”, as Jaimini puts it, an important karmic factor. Sometimes these people always feel like they have to leave the home town or village that they grew up in to make it in the world and be successful. Often they are right as well. This is because Capricorn is about as far away as it gets from the signs of royalty and success, the prime real estate of the zodiac. That would be Cancer and Leo, the signs of the King and Queen; the summertime when all is plentiful. Capricorn is opposite of those signs and rasi drishtis them (dhristi is the word for aspect in Jyotish, literally meaning “sight” or “glance”. This means that Capricorn literally “sees” the Leo rasi), wishing it could have what they seem to have. This is also part of why Capricorn is a very driven and ambitious sign. They often dont feel very supported in their home towns and therefore move away. Capricorn is also a sign of tumors, and cancer is more likely to be the thing to take out this person, so they need to get themselves checked out more regularly for that sort of thing as they age. Capricorn is also a sign of Kapha, and stagnation, like the swamps and alligators and crocs that it also rules. Jaimini also states for capricorn swamsha, “Things flying in the air”, which is very mysterious and intriguing. One interesting thing is I have noticed people who are pilots or involved in flying to often be having planets in the 10th house of their chart, like the 10th sign Capricorn. I also find Gemini coming up a lot for pilots, but havent done enough research on this to be sure. We may speculate and say that Capricorn would be the sign of flying in planes, and perhaps even UFOs would fall under this sign.
Aquarius: Aquarius is the swamsha of the “maker of tanks and ponds” according to Jaimini. Which is to say that one is involved in providing resources that make life more bearable for everyone. Everyone needs water and to help provide a source of water is to be a real humanitarian, which is what Aquarius is, essentially. This water is also symbolic of psychological wholeness, which is the true goal of Aquarius, to become whole in oneself, and accept and make peace with all of one’s weaknesses and shortcomings, and just be okay with them and love oneself anyway. This is why Aquarius may seem so odd or weird. It is because they are learning to stop doing things to compensate for their inner lack, and instead to just be there with the lack…..and eventually it goes away, but it might seem weird to other people passing by in the meantime. This probably has to do with why they get stereotyped in western astrology as being without charm and aloof. Sometimes Aquarius people will be social workers or people who do a lot of service of some kind, other times they may do more of a pyschological service for people, and sometimes they may actually work around water and provide it in a literal way as well.
Pisces: Pisces swamsha, as the last sign of the zodiac, is the most spiritual sign and the sign of “Kaivalya” or liberation of consciousness, according to Jaimini. He also says of it, “perpetual dharma”, and seems to convey that Pisces is a sign of steady spiritual progress throughout the life of the native. As long as the rest of the chart points mostly in that direction I do find this to be true, but you will also find many cases of Pisces swamshas that live a very negative life and are most definitely not progressing spiritually as well so that is not always the case. Edgar Cayce is an interesting example of a Pisces swamsha, and I hope to do an article on his chart soon. Robin Williams is another example, someone who is most definitely a sensitive soul with spiritual inclinations, but the rest of his chart had many difficult karmas indicated, and so he often could not bear the pain of life on earth and needed to escape or find liberation through more immediate means such as drugs. That is a more mixed example, which is often the case. We could say that this placement makes the person more sattvic and naturally inspired, within the context of the rest of the chart. Roy Eugene Davis, the last living direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, is another example of a positive pisces swamsha. He has written many books and lectured on Self Realization for over 50 years and in countless countries, and is noticeably more realized than the average spiritual author/public figure.
These twelve swamshas are very important signs for the individual, and one will also note that the sign the atmakaraka goes to in the rashi chart will also have some of these significations as well, but not as much as the navamsa chart. For example, Robin Williams is a pisces swamsha, but has scorpio as a rising sign, so this reinforces more of the difficult emotional struggles and battles that he would face on his path in life. Say it was a cancer rising, and no tough aspects from Sun, Saturn, or Rahu, then he may not have had such a painful life and perhaps could have enjoyed more of the positive Pisces qualities in life.
The planet that is falling in the swamsha determines a great more of it, but this is one important part of the puzzle of what ones dharma will involve in this life. With some careful study and application on charts, one should begin to see some clear correlations of the charts examined and the associations described above.
Hi Corey,
I just discovered your website and i really have a great time here! Thank you! I red your articles about Saturn in Sagittarius and Atmakaraka few times 😀 and if you don’t mind, I have a question concerning „falling from a height“ and Atmakarakas and career.
My Atmakaraka is Mars (in 3rd House Sagittarius, 29°) and I’m just having my Saturn return (retrograde in 3rd House Sagittarius, 9°).
I fell from a lot of heights (refering on my inward „mind/emotional/.. life“ not visible losses. Or I do not perceive them as losses but as a relief or eye-opener as i lived in denial/delusion before) and I can be a hardcore workaholic as well. IF I really enjoy my work. If i don’t I get very depressed and can’t take it that long.
Nearly everything aspect of my life already fell apart in Saturn return or I got a completely different perspective so that I had to change a lot what is both, a blessing and more or less painful. Except my work that got a big boost and flourishes… until now…. (I am scared losing it, too lol!).
The Swamsha of Mars is Sagittarius, too in 12th house (23°) with his enemy Mercury (17°).
My natal debilitated&retrograde Mercury is in Pisces in 6th house, 18° (with Jupiter, 8°).
I am not into Mars careers and I know a lot of people with those kinds of careers (in my family are firefighters, ingenieurs, chirurgs). In nursing school I really had to fight hard not to pass out when I just had to WATCH a surgery – I can’ t handle blood and open bodies… although I liked a lot of being a nurse I could not handle really heavy Mars stuff (blood, missing body parts, cruelty…).
Now I am a self employed massage therapist and i LOVE it! This work I would consider being in „Venus/Libra’ realm“ and my customers nearly all (often pregnant or older women) are women.
I hope my Saturn return, high degree Sagittarius Mars and broken Mercury won’t take that from me or that it is my duty to work in a Mars career. My work is awesome and it was a road of blood and tears 😉 to get there, but it is not „Mars-like“ anymore at all (?!) therefore I hope it does not have to go away?
Does it help to stay in a Venus career If my natal Venus in Aries is high in degrees, as well? Venus is in 7th, 22° (but Sun in 5° is in that very same house..). And Venus is chart ruler as a Libra asc (with Moon in Libra).
In Navamsa, Venus is in Libra in 10th house.
Not sure If it is okay to write such a wall of text, to ask or what kind of comments in what extent are welcome. If this was just inappropriate I am sorry! Best wishes and thank you in any case!
Leonie
hi,
what happens when navamsa and swamsa is the same?
When the Navamsa lagna is the same as the swamsa this can be a good thing because it can strengthen the overall indications of that svamsa. The person will likely tend to find a path in life that they really identify with more than most, and will feel anchored to that path moreso than the average person that may sort of drift and wander through life, trying various things but never finding anything that really feels like it makes life work for them.
Atmakaraka Venus shows downfall, but in the below mentioned article it is observed in spiritual gurus,pl enlighten me
My DOB 06/06/1971,time 22.41.36 sec,Trivandrum
http://blabberwockying.blogspot.in/2014/11/some-observations-on-horoscopes-of.html?m=1
Who says having the AK as Venus shows a downfall? I have not heard of such a thing.
Pranam
My atmakaraka is guru he is in kataka rasi cancer in navamsa though he is not placed good in rasi chart will he do good for me
You will need to hire an astrologer to figure out the answer to that question and what that means for you. It is not a simple yes or no thing.
hello Corey,
what is your opinion about the atmakaraka being in vargottama? I read that the atmakaraka is not only the ruler of the chart but also points out the major karma of the individual. Is the punishment doubled if vargottama? For instance, I have my ak moon in 6th house in pisces and it goes in lagna navamsa of pisces…
You know, it was one of the first things that I learned when starting out, about Vargatama planets. Nowadays I do not put a lot of emphasis on it though. Moon in pisces is in neutral dignity on its own, (deena) so it can get by but not robustly. With the atmakaraka being in pisces in both D1 and D9, then pisces themes will be very very prominent in the persons life usually. I wouldnt consider that to be a type of punishment unless the rest of the chart is saying that. 6th house is not a good house for ak to be in for enjoying life and a lot of things, but it is not all bad. AK in 6th house makes one intelligent and good at problem solving according to Jaimini sutras.
Thank you very Corey for your rapid answer.
I got your point about vargottama. Everyone would start to feel much enthusiasm by having planets in vargottama and directly thinking that:” oh it’s great, I’m saved and I’ll get some gains about the matters of the planets”. But I think it would be very superficial and egoic such way of thinking. I never read any kind of paper giving a full and effective explenation about the concept of vargottama. Perhaps, it can be learnt from some good vedic schools or traditions. I humbly think, according to my small research, that vargottama may express a strong link between the physical plane and the astral body or a “subtle” body which I don’t feel define the “soul” as being unborn and unchanging. In short, the will of the body is supposedly aligned to an highest will and we are more aware about the path indicated by the vargottama planet/s. But it is just an opinion and I’m below the beginner stage. I wrote this because I have four planets in vargottama but should I cry of joy? I think it would be quite egoic.
I think it probably refers to the lagna and Moon mainly, the idea of vargatama. Not the most important principle. I think it strengthens it naturally simply because it means that the path of ones life (the rasi chart) is in line with the path that they are going to connect to and identify with as this life path unfolds (navamsa).
So it can be more congruent for the person which would be normally more desirable. But if your moon is AK it complicates it more, but its too much to go into. Would have to hire an astrologer to know more, but otherwise just keep studying.
When Ak falls in Pisces and exhaled but is conjucted with sun. The spirituality would burn??? Rasi chart has Pisces ascendant with moon which is amatya karaka. Venus falls in 5 house in sign of moon which is a good indication of food and spirituality. But Venus sitting with sun in navamsa in 3 house from navamsa lagna makes a political reader. Correct my understanding if it’s wrong.
Hello
Can you please enlighten your blessings on my birth chart
Dob- 24.02.1975
time – 6.00 am
place- new delhi
Regards
Sumeet