Back in January of 2022, during the Venus retrograde in Capricorn, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Fiona Marques on The Vedic Astrology Podcast. We talked about pandemics and what it is like to be an astrologer that gives predictions. While both Jupiter and Venus are Brahmin planets that can make one an astrologer, it is Venus that is the planet that makes one a predictive astrologer, at least in Vedic Astrology. The Rishi Jaimini highlights Venus as the planet of “knowing prophecy” in his Upadesa Sutras. I found it interesting that I was invited to speak on this topic of predictions while Venus was retrograding over my own natal Venus in Capricorn.
I will link to the interview on Spotify below. Fiona wrote a lovely little intro about it here:
“Cast your mind back to the Solar Eclipse on 26 December 2019 – What goes on inside an Astrologer when they are making a prediction? And how can we get better at it?? It’s not often that you find an Astrologer who is public with their predictions AND one who is open and willing to share their self-reflection and learnings from the process. And this is what we have in today’s special guest, Predictive Astrologer and Teacher, Corey Dowds. In this episode, he selflessly shares his approach, tips, techniques, and understandings of predicting in Vedic Astrology. We examine a case study that you can follow along with us and consult the transcript for even more links and deeper research. We cover rashi aspects, financial astrology, pandemics, nakshatras, the bhava lagna and more. You can also learn from Corey at https://eye-of-the-veda-university.teachable.com/
I have not had too much time to study this in-depth, but it really looks like these upcoming eclipses are going to cause some world-changing events. Likely major economic shifts. I wanted to write a little about this while I have time…There could be economic or survival threats and challenges with this happening in the earth sign of Capricorn which deals with survival. Capricorn is also a movable, changeable sign, so this is a point where major long term changes can occur. This rashi also has to do with all of the big worldly structures that we humans have built. It seems like many of the powerful and elite are finally getting hit with a reality check that was long overdue. That is definitely going to continue. No rational thinker can deny that the indictments were unsealed and the Epstein arrest happened within days of the last eclipse, as well as the major earthquakes in California. There are still many more unsealed indictments. Indictments are used to prosecute organized crime at very high levels in an immediate fashion so that no evidence can be destroyed. This means that the Government knows about a lot of major crime and is ready and waiting, lurking in the dark waters of the swamp for just that right moment to strike….Remind you of a certain aquatic animal that is literally the sanskrit name of this sign? The Makara, or Crocodile, is the sanskrit name for Capricorn. This sign is known for appearing slow and dull and just trodding along, and then all of a sudden out of nowhere doing something very powerful. { Capricorn is also where we get the word “Capricious”, which means “motivated by sudden whim or fancy.” }
The Crocodile is known for being very still for long periods of time, and then taking a sudden powerful action. It is the apex predator but rules from behind the scenes.
This sign also rules the common folk, which will not let the Epstein story fade away like so many other important news stories have. There have been ongoing “Epstein didn’t kill himself” memes everywhere. There will have to be more ongoing legal actions with the Epstein case and there will likely be a lot more arrests going on of high profile figures coming up this Christmas, new years, and throughout the winter. Even the mysterious figure (that is so controversial I will just say that they go by the 17th letter of the alphabet) has been saying that there will be more arrests before the end of the year as well. This is all very interesting and does seem to be in line with the astrological trends. The amount of people who are becoming more interested in alternative views and media is increasing dramatically. Astrology has become tremendously more popular in the last year, as a result. New ways of thinking are accepted everywhere. New paradigms are not being smashed immediately every time anymore. Is it possible that we have reached a critical mass already? Is it possible that things are actually already much better than the mainstream media is telling us?
From another angle, economy experts have been talking about a downshift in the economy for some time and it is very likely that this might finally happen since every time Jupiter leaves a place of good dignity and enters a lower dignity place, there does seem to be a downtick in the world economy. This could occur in the next 2-3 weeks or it may not occur until January if the holiday season keeps the economy buffered until January.
What we might see is a record low for black friday spending. Black friday is called this because it is the day when all the departments stores go from being “in the red” that year, to being “in the black”, meaning, profitable. Perhaps that will not hold so true this year. With all this Capricorn energy running, there will be a lot of people wanting to hold tight to their wallets. (Whether that’s a great idea or not will depend on each person’s chart)
The thing about Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn with Ketu is that this is showing that old structures based on outdated religions, beliefs, cults, or just outdated worldviews are needing to be dissolved and are going to be dissolved one way or the other. Prince Andrew has stepped down from his official royal duties as a result of his obvious associations with Epstein. Faith in the white house is very low. Faith in the mainstream media is very low. All of these structures that previously held so much power and control over us are being threatened right now. They are appearing obsolete and outdated. Google’s insider Zach Vorhies has made it abundantly clear that Google wishes to control and manipulate the public for its own agenda, suppressing sites that they choose to, selling our private data to other countries, denying cold fusion exists and yet creating their own cold fusion projects so as to corner the market, the list goes on and on. Facebook has also gotten a lot of bad press lately. Its time for some new things to replace them if they cannot change and adapt to the times.
We will continue to have new advancements and rollouts in aviation and in free energy, we will move away from fossil fuels even faster. Jupiter represents energy and Saturn will force the world to change its energy structures. As I said in my previous video on Saturn in Capricorn, I predicted in April of 2018 that we would see new advancements in aviation, new types of airplanes or new ways of flying. I also said we would see the UFO controversy taken seriously. Here is the video if you want to watch it, at 8 min in I talked about how there will be crazy new advancements in aviation happening during this period. I said “Major changes in our aviation….we will go up into space more”, and “ufo disclosures may occur, and ufos will definitely be taken more seriously over the next 2.5 years”
An image of one of Boeing’s new Aircrafts
Now keep in mind that I said all that before we saw these new inventions come out in the media. Check out this new engine that will enable flights from the UK to Australia in just 4 hours!
“Flights to Australia from the UK could become just a four-hour journey in the near future, thanks to a new engine that’s currently being developed. Meanwhile, a flight between the UK and New York could become a one-hour journey. UK-based firm Reaction Engines has been working on a Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE), which could propel an aircraft to Mach 5.4. Basically, that’s the equivalent of five times the speed of sound. The idea is that a SABRE engine will be able to deliver the fuel efficiency of a jet engine, with the power and high-speed abilities of a rocket.
That is quite an advancement in aviation, and it was long overdue really. But even more shocking is the fact that on September 16th, 2019, the United States Navy officially disclosed UFOs. They did it. They finally did. They officially stated that some leaked footage of pilots following a UFO was indeed an unidentified object and was genuine footage, that the public was not supposed to see.
“Joseph Gradisher, the Navy’s spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, confirmed that the Navy considered the objects in the videos to be unidentified...
“The Navy designates the objects contained in these videos as unidentified aerial phenomena,” he said in a statement to The Black Vault, a civilian-run archive of government documents. The term UFOs, which stands for “unidentified flying objects,” is now used less frequently by officials, who have instead adopted the term “unidentified aerial phenomena,” or UAP.”
“…Navy pilots reported to their superiors that the objects had no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes, but that they could reach 30,000 feet and hypersonic speeds,” the Times report said. Hypersonic speed is more than about 3,800 mph — five times the speed of sound.
The thing everyone has been talking about is how little of an impact this has made, since most people already believe this was the case. I think we will continue to see more important UFO disclosures coming forth now with Jupiter about to enter Capricorn as well.
One more thought…If I had to guess where we might see some other major negative news events, I would guess the Catholic Church and the Vatican might come up a bit more in the news. Or other major religious institutions, due to Jupiter and Venus crossing Capricorn, the two planets of the priest class.
I recently have been very fascinated with the solar return system of astrology called Varshaphala. In Sanskrit the word Varsha can be defined as “year” and phala means “fruits”, so Varshaphala is the system that shows us the “fruits of the year”. I interviewed Laura Barat who has been practicing this ancient system of astrology for over 12 years and has recently taught a course on it.
It is based on the exact moment that the sun goes back to its original degree and minutes that it was at when you were born at the exact place that you were born. We cast a chart for that moment each year , which is not always on your birthday because of the nature of the modern gregorian calendar, but it is usually on the day before, of, or after your birthday. So each year at that exact moment of the Sun returning to its place where it was when you were born, you cast a chart for it. This chart is therefore unique each year, and so you get a completely unique and different chart for each year, and this system works great for predictions.
There is an entirely unique system of techniques that has developed for just this purpose of divining the state of affairs for each year. It was used for Royalty when normal birth chart astrology got too complicated. Check out this interview for great tips on how to read your yearly varshaphala chart
And in part 2 she gives a lot of different examples. I learned a lot here as she was giving chart analysis of Serena Williams, Brad Pitt, Princess Diana, Steve Jobs, and even my own chart as well.
Over the last few months I have been making a free learning course on my youtube channel. This course is focusing on just one planet, Venus, and covering the avasthas of Venus. What are Avasthas? Avastha is a sanskrit word that can basically mean a “condition” or a “state” to be in. For example Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita to act from the standpoint or mental state of yoga, or the “Yogavastha”. In the context of Jyotish, an avastha can show the various states of karmic well being a planet is in. These avasthas I cover are the ones specific to Parashara, the Lajjitaadi avasthas. Not to be confused with the deeptaadi, or balaadi, or jagradaadi avasthas. These Lajjitaadi Avasthas are described in ways such as “starved, shamed, proud.” As such, the implication is that they show a great deal of how we feel about that planet and what it is doing in our charts. So Venus can have good yogas for marriage and get one married. We all know that. But how do we determine how fulfilled various people will actually feel in their marriage? For this, the lajjitaadi avasthas are great.
So please enjoy this free series if you want to understand how Venus will feel in each of the various signs it falls in, and to grasp the deeper layers of what Venus represents in the natal chart.
This is a playlist, and be sure to check out the other videos I have on my youtube channel as well.
The Jaimini system is a solar, and rasi based system, emphasizing rasi aspects over planetary aspects, and rasi dasas over planetary dasas. As such it is useful for more objective data such as the career a person will have. The Parashara system works beautifully alongside it, but is for different things. It is more Lunar and Nakshatra based and is therefore more subjective. We could then see how one feels about their career and how satisfied they are from this system.
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.
Why do things so often get grouped up into seven in this world? Have you ever noticed that? Not to say that the number actually occurs more than other numbers, but in the sense of the way we tend to see, group, and categorize things. When we think about our common use and grouping of things, seven seems to have a significance, dare I say, even something sacred about it. It happens with really big things too, like the seven continents of the world, the seven seas, seven openings or cavities in the human face, seven colors in the rainbow or visible spectrum of light that we can see, and almost all mammals have seven cervical vertebrae. These are things we cannot seem to change very much, but what is equally interesting is that there are also many things that we as human beings have intentionally perceived or classified as being seven in type or quality, when we could probably have divided them into other numbers if we wanted to.
Let me give some examples:
There are seven notes on the musical diatonic scale, but other ways of dividing the notes up have also been created. But this is a very popular one, probably the most popular.
We have this idea in folklore of many different cultures (including American/European and Indian) of seven years of bad luck coming to someone for various reasons.
There are said to be seven deadly sins.
There are seven wonders of the ancient world.
There are said to be seven heavens in Islam and many, many other philosophies as well as occult systems of knowledge.
Seven horizontal rows are in the periodic table.
According to the Baltimore classification, there are seven types of viruses.
Seven is the neutral ph value between acidity and alkalinity.
The Bible is overflowing with a sacramental implication of the number seven, the most commonly known being the beginning part wherein the Earth was created in seven days (it also clearly mentions the creation of the “heavenly bodies” for “Signs and seasons”, aka Astrology, by the way).
There are seven temples in the Book of Revelations (Which Edgar Cayce also revealed to each relate to a certain chakra and the sins most associated with that chakra/state of consciousness.)
Seven is the sum of any two opposite sides of dice.
In India there is the Sapta Rishis, or the Seven Sages.
There are also the Seven Sages of Greece.
There are seven main chakras in Yogic philosophy, also seven according to psychic Edgar Cayce.
Seven main endocrine glands (gonads, leydig, adrenal, thymus, thyroid, pineal/hypothalamus, and pituitary.)
We have seven days of the week, which is so ancient that we actually do not know where this originated. The Norse had a seven day week which is where our English names of Friday (Freya/Venus day) and Thursday (Thors/Jupiters day), and Wednesday (Odin/Mercury day). The ancient Indians also had a seven day week, which makes one wonder if any other cultures of antiquity also had this tradition.
There are probably many more classifications of seven in number that I am not recalling, but I feel this has made a strong enough case as these are big parts of our human life. Also you will notice that fiction writers love to use the number seven in their fiction works, simply google the number seven and you will see one after another fantasy book that has something to do with “Seven gemstones of power” or what have you. A modern example of this can be seen in the hugely popular Game of Thrones HBO series, which is based on fiction books. It takes place in a medieval Europe (Kali Yuga-style) fantasy realm and their is of course an emphasis put on the “Seven Kingdoms of Westeros”, which is where the majority of the story takes place. There are also many different faiths throughout the kingdoms but the most popular faith is the “Faith of the Seven”, interestingly enough. Obviously this is influenced from the actual medieval European times when the seven planets were worshipped as deities. It is also made very clear that “The Seven” is one deity, that manifests itself into seven aspects. This is identical with European and Indian style Astrology. { NOTE: Many people still think that Hinduism is polytheistic (believing in many Gods) but if they actually researched it they would learn quickly that it is monotheistic. Hindus acknowledge only one God, but with many different names, aspects, and forms. This is like how there is just one Sun that lights the world, but it can be seen to appear differently depending on where one is on the world, at sunrise, sunset, or midday. We don’t say that there is a different Sun at sunset, even though it may look different than the mid day Sun, with its bright red and orange shades. In the same way, Brahma is the same as Vishnu, and Vishnu is the same as Shiva. } Also even the seven different deities are pretty much the same in this fictional series as they actually are in Astrology, which may have been intentional or not on the part of the writer, but because these archetypes are so prominent in our consciousness, I would not be surprised if the Author of these stories just thought them up himself. (Read the descriptions of “The Seven” here and see for yourself)
Why is this the case? Why does the number seven keep coming up? Could it be that there is something within the human psychology and the way that we are designed that makes us see things in terms of seven? Well, the reason I am bringing all this up is because it is very peculiar in the light of the Jyotish philosophy of India. In Jyotish/Vedic Astrology philosophy, all things that exist on Earth are “produced” by the seven planets that we can see with the naked eye, and can, in a sense, see us. And so there are seven basic states of consciousness, that when mixed, produce all the varied forms and types of consciousness on Earth. Each of the visible planets relate to one of these states of consciousness, and each state is an aspect of the divine. Each planet is a “karaka”, which literally means a “producer” of various things in your life. Based on one’s past life karma, one will incarnate with these various producers in the proper harmony to produce or not produce the life that this soul needs to have for its own development and growth beyond just this one life.
So now we can see that this number seven coming up so much is really a reflection of the seven planets and how they mix and create life on Earth as it appears to be. It validates Astrology, that we have seven of most things, either uncontrollably, or by our own arbitrary intellectual divisions.
To see how this works, let us take the human body as an example:
The Sun produces the bones and the immune system, which are one system in the context of astrological truth, but not current medical books. This is because the immune system relies on the mineral supply stored within the bones to regulate the health of the body. So in a birth chart, a weak Sun in the rasi chart and the D30 (trimsamsa) chart can indicate that one does not have a lot of strength in the bones and may have low mineral density, or low mineral absorption, and should eat a mineral rich diet to balance this. A strong Sun person can eat a lot poorer quality food before there bones start to suffer, because they will tend to have better mineral reserves overall. Strong Sun/Leo people tend to eat a lot of meat and even though meat always leaves a toxic residue on the body, these people can handle that more efficiently than others, and they also have a stronger Agni to burn off these toxins as well.
The Moon produces the blood of the body, the ocean within the body. A weak or afflicted Moon means that one will need to be more mindful of foods that dirty the blood, because this will happen more easily for them if they eat poor foods. They may also have emotional issues as well as a result of having not the best blood quality. They may need to avoid table salt in favor of good quality sea salt, and add an extra amount of the healthy salty tastes like lettuce. A strong moon person will crave healthier foods for their blood naturally, and will have better blood flow and health overall as a result of having a strong “producer” of blood, a strong moon influence.
Mars produces the nervous system, and the nerve tissue within the body. A weak or afflicted Mars indicates that one has nerve problems. They may get nervous too easily, not what you want in a profession like surgery or war. A strong Mars person can hold the knife steady, and that is why a surgeon usually has a strong Mars “producer” in his chart, producing the healthy nerves needed to do such a job. This is also why someone who isn’t willing to stand up and fight is said to “not have the nerve”.
Mercury produces the cognitive/sense/integumentary system which is to say bluntly that Mercury produces our senses and cognitive ability. A bad mercury means one does not perceive and cognize things accurately. Now we can understand why Mercury is always involved in combinations for mental insanity in the old Indian Texts. A good mercury will be the opposite, and will contribute to rational thinking.
Jupiter produces the endocrine system, an incredibly important system for how one feels and for unfolding the spiritual capacities within us. An afflicted Jupiter means that one does not produce an ideal endocrine system health, and as a result may have hormonal imbalances or other chemical imbalances that interfere with their happiness and emotional health. A strong Jupiter indicates that one has produced a healthy endocrine system and feels good in their own body. It is also noteworthy to mention that in deep meditative states, the endocrine system secretes powerful hormones and antioxidants, that make you very happy, and Jupiter is also the karaka or “producer” of one’s happiness and contentment.
Venus produces the digestive system, and so a weak Venus means one does not absorb nutrients and digest well. This means the body loses its vitality more quickly because it requires more of its own vital energy (Virya, which Venus rules) to digest the food and assimilate it than it should. A strong Venus does the opposite, it helps one absorb and digest well, and leads to a healthy and well built body. This is also why Venus rules rejuvenation, as the health of the digestive system has a big say on whether one will rejuvenate easily or not.
Saturn produces the muscular system of the body. The part of the body that does all the labor, basically. Saturn also produces one’s laborers, servants, and lower level employees, which play the same role but in the context of a business. A weak Saturn shows weak muscles, and so one tends to feel lazier. A strong Saturn shows strong muscles and good lymph and so one will tend to not feel so lazy. A strong Saturn is also associated with accomplishing many deeds in life, and here we can see how that relates on a physical level, to the dignity and strength of the “producer” of the muscles, Saturn. Someone who feels lazy all the time is of course not going to accomplish as much as the opposite type of person.
In this way, the seven grahas mix and produce all things for us, and in accord with our karmas that we are meant to experience in this life. This same idea is the logic behind how we see the good or bad karmas connected to each area of life for a person, and is a fundamental concept for practicing Astrology, both western and eastern. Now we can reflect and see, that it is no surprise that in this world of seven colors, seven seas, and seven continents, that we also have seven visible lights in the sky, guiding us along the path of our Soul in this incarnation.
At the time of this writing, it is May 4th, 2015, and the Sun is making its regular pass through the second sign of the zodiac, Taurus. With this in mind, I would like to share some general information about the zodiac with particular emphasis on the meaning and symbolism of this second sign and how it relates to human life on earth.
The time the Sun passes through the zodiacal sign of Taurus is between April 20th and May 20th, and it is this same time every year, as the course of the Sun is completely fixed and has not altered in any observable way in the past. The Sun’s apparent movement through the sky is what creates the seasons and the environments on life as we know them to be. Each sign’s duration is exactly 30 degrees, or days long, and the Sun moves through each of these regularly and consistently. In this way, the zodiac is created and begins on March 20th (same time as the moment spring begins, its the same thing) with Aries the ram, and then on April 20th moves to Taurus, followed by Gemini beginning on May 20th, and so on. In this way the course of the Sun throughout the year is permanently fixed and consistent, and this is why the Sun rules Kings, constancy, commitment, as well as being steadfast in one’s purpose (Dharma in sanskrit).
The first sign Aries is ruled by Mars, because it is the moment that the days begin to get longer, and there is more daylight on Earth than darkness. Thus it makes sense to have this sign ruled by the warrior of the zodiac, Mars, as he is the one who cuts away the darkness and brings in the light of inspiration and courage to welcome spring. Spring is not usually in full swing by this time however, but everything in nature is bursting forth from the ground and eager to receive more light. It is not until around the time of April 20th- May 20th that most of the landmass on Earth has warmed up sufficiently to have flowers blooming, and for the average human to be able to enjoy spending time in nature. This is essentially what the sign (or rasi, in sanskrit) of Taurus is all about, being able to enjoy life as well as being productive and providing something to life in return. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet that is about enjoying life on earth, the planet that also gives us divine love, artistic inspiration and appreciation (but not skill, that is Mercury’s job), poetry, beauty, flowers, the ability to make decisions that lead to the highest fulfillment… These are all things that relate to and are ruled by Venus in all branches of Astrology. Now we can see why this time would be ruled by Venus, because its the first time in about half a year that most people on the Earth can even enjoy spending any time in nature without having to deal with the harshness of the elements, be it snow, wind or just extreme cold. At this time the elements are more harmonious in general for most of the people on Earth, and Venus rules harmony in Astrology.
Each sign of the zodiac also relates to a part of the body as well. Aries represents the forehead and top of the head, where the higher brain and crown chakra reside. Aries is the sign of ideas, inspirations, and intuition. In occult philosophy and yogic philosophy, the higher brain centers along with the crown chakra are where our higher intuitions come from, and the more developed this region is through meditation, the more effortlessly those inspirations come through. Along with this, the Sun which rules the Soul and the higher self (Atma in Sanskrit) is exalted in this sign. No wonder the “King” of the zodiac (Sun) is exalted, or most strong, in the sign that relates to the “crown” chakra.
Taurus rules the section of the body from the eyes down to the rest of the face. This fits with Venus as this is the part of our body that we enjoy life from, and Venus again is the planet that is about enjoying life. This is the part of the body that we eat from, speak from, and kiss from. Its a part of the body that matters to us whether it is beautiful or not. No one looks at the knees and makes a judgement about beauty, because Venus does not rule the knees. The knees are ruled by Saturn, and its not important for him to be beautiful in order to fulfill his cosmic role. The sign of Taurus also represents the food we eat, and our wealth capacity, both things that help us enjoy life. We may also note that for most parts of the world, this is the first time that there is any available food that is fresh and enjoyable to eat, which was probably much more appreciated back in the days when most people’s winter reserves were running quite low by April. Again we can see the grace of Venus being felt quite naturally in our consciousness at this time.
Hopefully one can now have a better feel for what this time of Taurus is all about. It is a time to be enjoying life on earth, as well as finding ways to provide for ourselves and loved ones in a healthy and holistic way.
“Within a few years a simple and inexpensive device, readily carried about, will enable one on land or sea, to hear the principle news, to hear a speech, a lecture, a song or play of a musical instrument, conveyed from any other region of the globe. ” Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943
Nikola Tesla is one of the most profoundly interesting, influential, and eccentric figures of the last two centuries. In the above quote he predicts the advent of smartphones. He did not just conceive the idea, he was the one to invent the technology. I was unable to find the year that he said this quote*, but we know he died in 1943. Take a moment to think about how significant that prediction is…. He invented pretty much everything that has made the modern world what it is today, including the alternating current, radio, X-ray technology, remote controls, electric motors, robotics, lasers *, wireless communication and even “limitless free energy”, according to this blog. We still dont have this last bit of technology, because Tesla was being funded by JP Morgan. When Morgan realized there was no money to be made off of giving free energy to everyone, he stopped funding Tesla along with making sure that he would never have enough money to succeed in his altruistic goal of providing free energy to all. This is also part of why he was not as popular as other inventors, because he did not care to make money himself, and in a sense he was a threat to the fortunes of those who did care about money.
A man of such profound karmic impact as Nikola Tesla should logically be expected to have a unique birth chart to match, and its true, though this writing will only scratch the surface…There is so much noteworthy information to share about this man that it will take more than one blog post… In this article, for the sake of brevity, I will focus on just a few unique characteristics this man had, and how they related to the karmas indicated in his natal chart. If you aren’t familiar with his contributions and eccentricities you may want to watch a documentary on him, or read up on him here, to get the full appreciation.
Nikola Tesla does not have an exact birth time, but it is said that he was born at the stroke of midnight on July 9/10 1856 in the Austrian Empire (modern day Croatia). He was born in the middle of a lightning storm as well, and as the story goes, midway through the birth, the midwife wrung her hands and declared the lightning to be a bad omen, saying the baby would be a child of darkness. Tesla’s mother responded saying “No. He will be a child of light”….The mothers instinct again proved correct, as it usually does, in that he did go on to be the foremost master of light and its manipulation and application. He invented fluorescent lighbulbs and also made the more practical technology for electricity, the alternating current, which we still use today.
Tesla’s Natal Chart – As it happened, right around midnight on the 9th/10th of July 1856 the sign of Aries was just about to end and the sign of Taurus was just about to rise. At exact midnight, Taurus was rising at 1 or 2 degrees. We know that the exact time of midnight may have been difficult to discern exactly back in an Austrian countryside in 1856, and so we cannot be 100% sure what his actual lagna (the sanskrit word for the rising sign) was, Taurus, or Aries…. But as said earlier, a man of such pronounced karmas should have a noticeable birth chart…. When I looked at the two charts, (one as Aries lagna, one as Taurus lagna) it was very clear that he must have been an Aries lagna.
To begin with, Aries is the sign of ideas, and the initial spark of existence. It is the sign of pioneers and heroic acts, as a Ram is born to climb anything in its path. Aries is the sign of “active fire”, which is electricity. (The other two fire signs are Leo, the fixed fire, and Sagittarius, the dual fire, which has both fixed and active qualities. Aries is perhaps the most appropriate sign for pioneering fire or electricity at this fundamental symbolic level) Aries is a sign ruled by Mars, the fire element, and fire is the same as electricity and light in the context of elements. Also, on the elemental level, fire has to do with intelligence, and cognition, and how well we think. We know he had a lot of karma involving thinking, conceiving, light, electricity, and pioneering the applications of electricity, all of which are Mars related activities. Also Rahu and Jupiter are in his first house as an Aries lagna, and Rahu makes one a pioneer in their field, as well as sometimes making one a bit of an outcast to society (sometimes because they are too ahead of their time). So that is two marks for a pioneer as an Aries lagna. These qualities strongly marked his path in life, along with a not so mature but still positive idealism (Jupiter with Rahu in okay dignity). Jupiter is also the lord of the fire sign of Sagittarius, another sign that can relate to electricity and lightning. Jupiters placement here in Aries with Rahu also shows that his path was that of pioneering knowledge and wisdom more than a more classically physical Aries type of path. Mars ruled people are not always soldiers or police officers. Mars can also give one a career in surgery, or science, engineering, electricity, as well as mining and work dealing with the minerals of the Earth, to name a few examples.
If he were a Taurus lagna, his ruling planet would be Venus, which does have to do with making life more enjoyable for everyone, but does not have any strong fundamental association with fire, electricity, inventing, pioneering or being a scientist. Also his Venus falls in the 3rd house (which does fit him in some ways) but is strongly starved by Saturn, Sun and Moon. This means Venus is afflicted in every possible way in the context of Lajjitaadi Avasthas. Such an afflicted benefic as the ruling planet in the 3rd would indicate very weak willpower and wanting to have things done for oneself too much and throughout life…. This is not the case, as he had an incredibly strong willpower. It also does not fit his sharp and exacting personality as much as the Aries lagna.
Tesla’s celibacy- Nikola Tesla never married and was celibate. As an Aries lagna, we can see that his ruling planet is Mars. Mars is a planet that is said to be “Brahmachari”, meaning one who is celibate and does not marry, so as to fully pursue their goals and focus that they have in this lifetime. (note: One could be brahmachari for many reasons, not just the traditional reason of expediting one’s spiritual progression. A person could choose a celibate lifestyle just because they prefer the freedom it affords them to continue doing other things they are drawn to.) This was the case with Nikola Tesla, as he was strongly sought after by women while he lived in the west, but never engaged in a single sexual relationship (according to him) and preferred to be celibate. That is not very common. We can see this shown in his chart by the placement of his ruling planet Mars. Mars falls in Libra in the seventh house, and is in a temporary friend dignity because of Venus being four houses away. Mars is with Ketu and the waxing Moon, a benefic and a friend to Mars. Ketu can show where we have a strong karmic foundation in past lives, and here it shows that there is already a lot of karmic development in respect to relationships. There is also attachment (shown by the Moon here also) as well as frustrations (Mars) being shown. So he is not going to find as much happiness in the area of relationships as a whole in this incarnation, due to having already exhausted those karmas in recent previous lives. Rahu represents the area of life we are destined to develop in this incarnation. In Tesla’s chart it is in the opposite sign, Aries, his first house, putting the spotlight on himself. Rahu in Aries in the first house also speaks to a life of self development, and Tesla was an incredibly disciplined person. Rahu is with Jupiter, showing that in this life he is wanting to develop faith in himself and all of his amazing ideas and noble endeavors, rather than focus on his enjoyment of life or relationships. But as is often times the case with those planets that are connected to Rahu, many of the Jupiterian goals he had were never realized, such as providing free energy to the entire world. He did do many great deeds for the world as a whole, though. Aries is also a sign that is fundamentally about being pure and virtuous, (Mars rules our Sattvam, our strength of character as well) which is why the most pure planet, the Sun, is exalted there. Another interesting thing about his apparent celibacy is that he directly attributed it to his amazing intellectual abilities, which is a viewpoint also held by most Yogis. As one example, he had the ability to visualize every invention in his mind down to the final stage. Due to this uncanny skill, each of his inventions was said by his assistants to have been made correctly the first time, never needing to be revised, and never even leaving a blueprint behind!
“I do not think you can name many great inventions that have been made by married men.” -Nikola Tesla
Another unique thing about his ruling planet Mars being with Ketu and The Moon in the seventh is that this means Mars is “delighted” (mudita, in sanskrit) by the Moon. The Moon is the ego mind, and when Mars is delighted by the Moon then one has a consciousness that can more easily act on the desires that are specific to it’s particular incarnation. This also just empowers Mars overall, which is his ruling planet. The moon helping his lagna lord is showing that he has a lot of consciousness to work with. We know this was the case with his extreme productivity, and his ability to only sleep 2 hours a night and an occasional nap. Mars is also a planet that when strong, gives one the drive to stay awake all night working, to go hungry all day, or to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Mars is described in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra as “Cruel with red eyes…” As Ernst Wilhelm has explained, we get red eyes when we have been up all night working and not sleeping, and this is the nature of mars, to keep pushing all through the night if he has to.
Life in the public eye- His lagna lord being in the seventh house and seventh sign is significant to his path in life for many reasons. To begin with, he was known to the public, and in the eye of the public. The seventh house is the house of the public as well as a house of foreign lands, and relationships. Having the ascendant lord in the seventh house in good dignity often causes one to live in foreign lands or to be involved in the public in some way. Libra represents the western direction, where his ascendant lord falls, representing him in action in life. He did have to travel west to America to leave his legacy for us all to enjoy. He was well liked by the public and had many worthwhile relationships with prominent figures such as Mark Twain, Swami Vivekananda, and Rudyard Kipling. Also it is interesting that his sexuality was known to the public, especially back in those days…..perhaps his ascendant lord being in the 7th house and 7th sign also had to do with his sexuality being known to the public. The 7th house also has to do with our dynasty that we leave for the world and public at large. In this way the 7th house has to do with the Saptamsha, the 7th divisional chart, which relates to children, the main dynasty that most people will leave for the world. Jupiter is the key karaka for the Saptamsha, as this planet also relates to children and the dynasty that we leave for the world. There is a strong double reinforcement in his chart on dealing with leaving some kind of legacy to the world. One being the lagna lord in the 7th as previously mentioned. The other being Rahu conjunct Jupiter on the ascendant, showing the focus of his life to be on some kind of dynasty, child, or creation to leave for the world. His dynasty was much greater than one child. (Perhaps he knew this and it was also a reason for his celibacy, as he was very clairvoyant.) His child is every single light bulb, every single smartphone, every single i-pad or ebook. His dynasty is this entire modern world we are living in.
to be continued in part 2….
*There is actually evidence he was not the first human to have laser technology, see the book Ancient Secrets of the Lost Ark by Laurence Gardner, which gives evidence that ancient Egyptians may have used rubies to create lasers from the Sun’s light, which possibly may explain how they were able to cut certain stone materials, but does not explain all of Egypt’s mysteries by any means.
The etymology of words can be very fascinating, especially in the astrological context. A surprising amount of our old astrological knowledge has been forgotten in this current age; yet our very own English language still preserves clues to it, when we know the astrological language that birthed these words. See my previous blog on astrological word origins for more on this. One example I find fascinating is how in English speaking countries there is a negative saying about when someone is getting too curious about things that are not any of their business to be knowing about. We say that person shouldnt be “meddling in the affairs of others”. The word “Meddling” means to be intruding into other people’sbusiness, or to handle something in a careless way. It may have a latin root meaning “to mix” according to the Free Dictionary.
So to meddle in the affairs of others is to be concerned with affairs of others that aren’t really important and that often lead to unneeded gossip and trouble. This term is never used when one is genuinely inquiring about how they can help someone in a serious way. This term is used when one is more likely just curious and potentially seeking self-aggrandizement by comparing themselves to another.
The reason this is so interesting to me is because if there ever was a “meddle” or “likely to mix” type of planet, it would be Mercury. He is the most mixed and intermediate planet in many ways, being malefic when with malefic planets and benefic when close to benefic planets. He rules, is exalted in, and is fallen in ONLY dual signs (which have both masculine and feminine qualities), showing how pronounced his mixed nature is. Mercury is exalted in the earth sign of Virgo, which he owns. The main symbolic quality to remember with the earth element is its mixed nature. Each other element is just one thing, like water or fire. Earth is dirt, rocks, gaseous space, some water, and it is that mixed state that is important to remember from a symbolism standpoint. Mercury rules the Earth element as well, this most mixed element. Mercury is not male or female, but “neuter” or a more apt modern word for it would be Androgynous. (It is very interesting that from the ancient astrology standpoint there was an even spread of 3 female planets, 3 male, and 3 androgynous.)
Mercury also happens to rule one’s curiosity, and whether one has a healthy sense of curiosity, or whether they use this faculty to simply “meddle in the affairs of others”. A person with a weak Mercury may find themselves with a somewhat unhealthy sense of curiosity and can therefore get themselves into trouble with gossip or backbiting.
Let me elaborate on this point further. Mercury is very much in the middle of things, and he likes the harmony that being in the middle, or being mixed, can provide. He doesn’t like to choose a side, so much so that in a negative state mercury people are often stereotyped as “two-faced”, when they are usually just trying to maintain a good harmony with everyone they associate with, but may fail to really express how they truly feel to the person (which can cause problems down the line).
When it comes to our sense of taste, each planet rules one of the tastes, or “rasa” in sanskrit. For example the moon rules the salty taste, and Jupiter rules the sweet taste. Mercury rules the “mixed” taste, or the savory taste as we often say, and what is referred to as “umami”. This is what MSG (monosodium glutamate) is designed to replicate. The taste can be created from the mixture of different chemicals and so is not easily created without being “mixed” with a bunch of other chemicals, or tastes, we could say. Some examples of the umami, mixed taste of mercury would be the flavor that sauteed onions and garlic add to a dish, or the savory quality that tomatoes cause when cooked in dishes with other vegetables. The quality that aged wines develop is said to be umami. ( See Ernst Wilhelm’s Graha Sutras book for the best treatment I have found on the tastes of the grahas.)
Another example of Mercury being very mixed is the genders of the grahas (graha is the sanskrit word for planet). Sun, Mars and Jupiter are male grahas. Venus, Rahu, and Moon are female grahas. Saturn, Ketu, and Mercury are said to be neuter grahas. Again we see Mercury not necessarily choosing a side but preferring the mixed place. Also, each planet is given an avatar that relates to that planet; such as the Sun is correlated to Prince Rama, the Moon to Krishna, etc. Mercury is connected to the Buddha. What did the Buddha eventually end up teaching after experiencing all paths? The “middle way”….
Now we can see how this old phrase happens to match so well with what we know about the most mixed or “meddlesome” planet, who also happens to rule over one’s sense of curiosity, be it healthy or unhealthy…. Another saying in English to express the same sentiment is that someone is being “too nosey”. The nose is the organ of the sense of smell. Can you guess which of the five senses mercury rules?
Sage Vyasa, compiler of the Vedas and son of Parashara, sitting with Ganesh
There are so many different types of people living in this world, with different temperaments and constitutions. It seems fitting that there would also be so many different types of spiritual paths, philosophies, or religions that are pursued. The horoscope of an individual can reveal many of the innate tendencies one may have towards spirituality.
In astrology, there are five elements, Ether (space), Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. When it comes to the mechanics of the zodiac signs however, there are only four elements, with Ether being left out. I feel this is because in the context of earthly existence, space is always there, containing and holding all other elements. It therefore may not be as relevant as the other four when it comes to environments and places we go to, which is what the zodiac signs symbolize. Ether is the most spiritual element, being closest to the source, and the zodiac is the unconscious manifestation of Vishnu, keyword being “unconscious”. The signs therefore are not the conscious aspects of God, this is given to the planets. That is why the planets are deified and described as conscious beings. The signs are given the opposite distinctions, as animal signs, symbolizing the unconscious aspect of Maha Vishnu (God). It logically follows that the most conscious element (ether or akash) would be left out in the field of the “unconscious limbs of Vishnu” (the zodiac).
With that understood, it is important to see that each of the four elements of the zodiac signs has a certain nature, and is best able to approach truth in a certain particular way, which is most fitting to its own element. The different spiritual paths all tend to overlap the more they are practiced, but initially one will make the most progress by focusing on the mastery of the one that is most natural to them.
The air and earth signs are both more connected to the senses, and with actual manifested things. Because of this, they are inclined towards spiritual paths that help one see and realize God in the world, and not as some ideal or principle in life. The air signs often do well with a bhakti yoga (devotion) or karma yoga (selfless service) approach. The Earth signs do well with karma yoga, because they naturally want to be of service. If Mercury is strong and other intelligence yogas are present, then a jnana, or knowledge based path may work out also. The fire and water signs have more to do with ideas (fire) and feelings (water), which are more invisible things. These therefore, have more of an affinity for finding God as God really is, as a transcending-worldly-life experience, and not so much as a thing in the world. The fire element does well with paths that emphasize self control, such as raja yoga or kriya yoga, and also jnana yoga potentially. The water element does well with a jnana yoga path also as well as a bhakti path. The water signs are said to be the most spiritually developed, being Satya yuga rasis, and often they will be utilizing all or more than one of these paths, from what I have noticed.
As an example, a Leo has a fiery nature, and because of this, they are meant to act. The fire signs are the warrior caste, or the kshatriyas (pronounced “shaw-tree-ya”), and are the people on earth who are naturally inclined to lead, to protect, and to preserve and uphold the universal order or “dharma”. They do well with a raja yoga path, or a path that emphasizes purifying actions, discipline, and self control. Some may (with the best of intentions) emphasize to a strong leo personality the need to surrender themselves to God, and to see everything as god and renounce worldly life and actions in favor of serving a guru; in other words to set them on an initial path of bhakti. This can sometimes work out but many times it will initially go against the nature of a Leo and cause unnecessary confusion or aversion to the spiritual path… This is because for the Leo/Solar person, it is not the right time and place for that practice, and they don’t feel natural doing this. After doing a decade of raja yoga the Leo person may then be able to practice bhakti w great results, but initially this doesn’t appeal to a fiery nature, and it is better to get them on the right path quickly, to prevent any unneeded suffering.
It is important to follow the path of ones natural inspirations and inclinations. When we do things out of inspiration (sattva) those are the things that we will do for the rest of our lives, and so that is the best way to approach a spiritual path as well. If you want to make actual progress and not just have new ideas and terms in your mind to talk about, you need to find the path that is best for you and really anchors you to your destiny. People who change spiritual paths or religions frequently usually do not make noticeable spiritual progress in that incarnation. Paramahansa Yogananda said that it is better to dig one deep well when in search of water, than to dig several shallow wells. It is the same way with self realization.
One thing that astrology has been used for since who knows how long, is helping one understand their path in life, their dharma. Not everyone’s path will be like the typical “spiritual path” we may think of, but we all are on a path and in the greater context it all leads to the same goal, as all rivers flow towards the sea. This is what Jyotish can be so helpful towards. It can show us the path that is laid out for us, and help us see if we are being true to it or not.
Here is a simple technique to see begin to see how this works, but it does not show the full picture, and as such it should not be used as a stand alone technique, but in the context of the whole chart. The first house represents the person, and the ninth house represents the outcome of walking there path, and therefore represents the gurus or teachers that help guide one along their path in life. The first and ninth houses will always be the same element, and this shows us that each element has to approach their path and be guided along their path via a sign of the same element, their own nature, and not by another element. So if you have an Aries lagna, they are a fire sign, and are naturally oriented towards action, discipline, and protecting or defending what is right. The 9th sign from Aries is always Sagittarius, another fire sign. This shows that for Aries, its purpose is to act with that fiery inspiration that comes innately to it. Its gurus (the 9th house), Sagittarius, being fire signs themselves, will naturally encourage a spiritual path based on right actions, (such as a Raja yoga or Kriya yoga path) because that is what worked for them. This will generally work well for Aries, and to go and encourage a bhakti yoga path, or a path of detachment, is often “going against the grain” of an Aries personality. What is the point of being a warrior and defending what is good in life if even their Guru is telling them to surrender? Well….there isn’t much point to it, because a ram is meant to ram things, and when the Aries uses these thoughts as fuel and inspiration, he burns out quickly. That is not the path of an Aries. Aries is a warrior and is meant to fight the spiritual battle, which is why it is a fire sign and its 9th sign (its gurus and philosophy) is a fire sign as well. It is true that everything is God and that there is no real good or bad, from one perspective (and there will be other areas of this persons life that require that understanding). But from the Aries perspective it is really better to have healthy concepts of what is right and what is wrong, and to act with a belief in the purpose of life, and in acting righteously. When Aries follows its fiery dharma that is innate to it, it finds more fulfillment from walking its path in life.
Now lets take the opposite sign Libra, an air sign. Air signs are based on intellect, which is using one’s own sense perceptions to gather intelligence. This is different from Aries, which is a fire sign and based off of intuition. Aries just “sees” how it is. It just knows instantly, without the use of senses, which is the definition of intuition. Libra is not like this, Libra, and all air signs, use intellect, or the senses, to understand life. So each Libra will see an idea differently because of their own individual perspective in life, what their own senses have come to. The 9th sign from Libra is Gemini, another air sign, showing that the outcome of the Libras path is based on one’s own personal sense based intellectual understanding. This is why Libra does great with a path of detachment, or a path of bhakti (devotional surrender to God), because both of these approaches focus on purifying the intellectual perceptions until one begins to perceive God as manifested in everything. So for Libra, it is great for it to see everything as God, to simply surrender to God, and to have a sense of even-mindedness and detachment around what happens in life, and how one understands life. Libra is the 7th sign, the midway point of the zodiac, and as such, is the sign of karmic balancing. This is symbolized by the scales. The Libra is meant to weigh their experiences with detachment and understand that what is happening is what is being handed to them by life, to best balance out their karma. They shouldn’t fight it (but Aries should, remember). So the Libra does not have to “do” anything as much as an Aries does. The Libra has already been “doing” in its previous lives (when it was an Aries for example) , and is now coming to the stage of “accepting” one might say. Thus Parashara states that the best planets for Libra are Mercury and Saturn. These are the planets that are the most helpful for us to have a sense of detachment, and accept life how it is, so that we may best serve life the way we are meant to. And now we can see why a path of devotional surrender to the will of God (bhakti) or a path of detachment (jnana) are great avenues for the Libra to walk its spiritual path. If the Libra was to only follow a Raja yoga path, and renounced the world to go live in a forest and meditate unceasingly, this would only serve to enlarge the Libra ego by giving it too much focus on itself, rather than focusing on purifying the heart through love and service to others, which is the natural path of the airy Libra.
Hopefully these examples will give some insight into the value of using Astrology to help one understand the path in life they are walking. Each sign has its own particular path that is most suited to it in the rasi chart, the first varga, or divisional chart. That’s just the beginning though. In Vedic Astrology, there are 15 other charts that are used, and so there are many other ascendant signs, for many other areas of life, all with different elements and different outcomes. So different mental approaches will be better for different areas of life and for different people. The example given above is simple, but in actuality it can get quite complex when we start using all the other vargas, as well as the Atmakaraka.
