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.
Lately I have been thinking often on the idea of remedial measures. How some people get great results from a certain astrological remedy that was suggested in the chart, while others do not get such a good result.
There is this idea in Vedic Astrology that if you have issues you can do an “upaya”, or a corrective action that will fix the problem. The word upaya can be thought of as a means of attaining a goal. So if one wants more money they may do a ritual or mantra practice to Laxmi, a goddess of prosperity and wealth. This is the basic idea. And there is a lot of truth to this idea.
It seems like in the past in some ages the masses were not able to comprehend the higher ideals of the vedic religion and as such the wise sages and Rishis of the time had no choice but to issue a general type of recommendation that would be useful to all. So they gave cut and dried rituals and mantras and practices that could be done and yield some good.
In time these rituals may have gotten embellished with more importance than was true of them. Like mixing up the chaff for the wheat. The chaff is important and protects the grain, but it is the grain that is ultimately the most important. If Sri Yukteswar is right and we are in an ascending cycle this would explain why so many are waking up on this planet and finding a renewed appreciation for jyotish. It therefore makes sense to work on shifting this idea of upaya and remedial measures from a habit of relying on “cut and dried”, general prescription, “one size fits all” approaches to a more alive and intelligently informed formula that is catered to the individual and their needs.
Ayurveda is the same way, where at this time it desperately needs practitioners that are experienced and skilled enough to shift away from the cookbook food lists and into a living and inspired form of medical therapy. One catered exactly to the individual and not to “pittas” or “kaphas” exclusively, since no one is a perfect pitta or kapha type, but a unique mix. I have talked with many Ayurveda experts and practitioners about this and they all seem to feel the same way, wanting to keep the tradition alive and human and not based on following a bunch of rules in a book written by someone who never met the client.
So with all this said, that is what I have been focusing on a lot lately with my practice here at Eye of the Veda. Just trying to find the best remedies and approaches to life for the person. But its quite hard because the chart itself seems to show what will work and not work so well for each person, making it require so much personalization. I have made some recent videos talking about different approaches based on the particular chart in question, as well as showing examples of successful remedial measures that have been applied in peoples lives.
Here is one on the idea of planetary remedies in general.
And here is a video on healing through astrology and how that works. I talk about Rahu and Ketu here as well as they are so important for our healing and balancing of our karma.
And in this video I give some examples of people who have had great experiences from mantras or other remedial measures that I have suggested
I hope these videos and thoughts are helpful and give advice to those who have tried upayas and failed or succeeded, and wondered why. Any upaya is good, but it is better to have an upaya that is intelligently selected for you and not just one suggested for the masses as a whole.
Rahu and Ketu are one of the most important long-term transits to take note of. When we talk of transits, we must remember that they only give the fruits of what your chart already shows. For example, if there are very little wealth yogas in your chart, a lucky transit for wealth will simply not deliver the same amount of money as it would for a very rich person who has a lot of wealth yogas in their chart. This simply means that the rich person put more effort into this area of life in a past incarnation, and deserves the greater fruits of wealth as a result. The person with few wealth yogas overall and a chart that shows they need to work hard to accumulate wealth is simply not meant to have lots of money come from a transit, no matter how great it is. This factor is not often stated by astrologers or in horoscopes, and ignorance of it leads to a greater misunderstanding of astrology itself.
With that said, here are some of the results that Rahu and Ketu can give as they transit the 12 houses, but always keep your own birth chart in mind and factor that in with the outcome.
Rahu through the 1st house/Ketu through the 7th:
This can be a time of confusion for a person about how to best move forward in life. Ketu transiting the 7th can indicate that one has been over-focused on enjoying life or on social aspects of life. The 7th being furthest from the 1st, there is a need to shift attention back to one’s self and to pay more attention to self-development. Sometimes this can mean also to focus more on one’s health if other parts of the chart show that. Ketu crossing the 7th can give breakups to long-lasting relationships, and abrupt changes with one’s relationships or ways of going about them.
Rahu through 2nd house/Ketu through the 8th house:
Rahu moving through the 2nd bhava shows the need to focus more on the earning capacity and there is often a need to bring in more money that somehow arises during this transit. Ketu through the 8th can give a sense of lack of support from relationships that were previously going fine, which often cause the native to shift back attention to supporting themselves more at this time.
Rahu passing over the 3rd/Ketu moving through the 9th:
When Ketu is crossing the 9th house one finds themselves less comfortable within the culture that they live or around the teachers and guides they are finding in life. Rahu in the 3rd is pointing to a need to update one’s own experience of life and one’s own understanding based on their own intellect and not that of another. It is a good time to explore curiosities and hobbies that one has been putting off. A good time to learn a new skill.
Rahu moving through the 4th/Ketu through the 10th:
This can cause one to be much more likely to move during this 18-month window that Rahu crosses the 4th. Or they may purchase a vehicle, or travel a bit more than usual. During this transit, the workplace can seem less fulfilling and one may find themselves spending more time at home for some reason.
Rahu crossing over the 5th house/Ketu crossing the 11th:
Rahu is pointing to the 5th house that deals with managing all of the affairs of our life. So often when Ketu is crossing the 11th one has been too tied up in social circles or organizations of some sort. The 11th house represents groups and society, organizations, and universities. This transit shows the need to pay less attention to one’s social situation and more on handling their own affairs and getting their own life in order so that they can do what they love more easily.
Rahu traversing the 6th house/Ketu transiting the 12th:
This can be a time when the native needs to pay more attention to paying their bills and keeping up with debts and financial matters. Situations call for a need to pay more attention to the material side of life and less to the spiritual or pleasurable side of life when Ketu crosses the 12th house. A need to focus more on one’s health, diet, and daily routine can arise.
Rahu going through the 7th/Ketu crossing 1st:
A time to be more social and focus more on relationships. May want to just stay at home but really needs to “put themselves out there” more during this time. It may not pay off initially but later on after Rahu leaves this place, some of the friends, relationships, or business partners they made will end up developing into good things down the road. This transit can also lead to children and getting pregnant, depending on the situation. That’s definitely one way that one can find themselves needing to pay more attention to a relationship.
Rahu passing through the 8th/Ketu transiting 2nd:
Often can lead to a lot of “drama” or stressful and surprising situations during this transit. One may find themselves having to depend more on a marriage partner at this time. Money problems can come up. Vulnerabilities come up that need to be addressed.
Rahu navigating the 9th/Ketu crossing 3rd:
Time to let go of developing one’s own skills so much and instead help others develop theirs. Can feel more critical of others at this time. Can cause difficulty with parents and younger siblings. One’s talents and skills don’t seem to mean anything if they do not fit in with a greater purpose and applicability to life as a whole. This transit makes one focus more on the bigger picture. What purpose can one put their skills towards?
Rahu crossing the 10th/Ketu crossing the 4th:
Now is the time for action, and this period can also make one leave their home and move away. Often this is because of a need for achievement or a job opportunity, some 10th house factor. Moving location and changing jobs are very common at this time. More attention needs to be given to the career at this time.
Rahu passing through the 11th house/Ketu crossing the 5th:
This is a time to pay more attention to the groups one is involved in, and one may need to switch up their social circles. The 11th house represents impersonal groups that can validate us, so one may desire to go and get a degree in something from a university at this time. Or one may be doing the same work but want to reach out and connect to a social group or organization. One may have been “in their own world” and needs to put themselves out there more at this time.
Rahu crossing 12th/ Ketu in the 6th:
This is a time to relax more, take more vacations, and not be as focused on the material side of life. It is good to spend time by the ocean during this transit, or take vacations that involve water. One may start spending more at this time, and that can be an issue to watch out for if the chart speaks to that as well.
Hopefully you find these notes helpful as a guide through the houses, and rememeber to use the chart as well to see what potentialities will be triggered by these transits.
I taught a course on the Nodes recently, you can find that in the “Astrology Courses” section of this site.
The Nodes are a tricky and subtle energy, but without them, life just wouldn’t be the same.
