Category Archives: karakas

Example of Childbirth Using Caranavamsa and Vimshottari Dasa at Once.

The native's rasi chart.

In this post we will examine how to see the possible birth of children happening in the chart of a woman, by using both the vimshottari and caranavamsa dasas together.  Everyone uses vimshottari, but it is always better to use more than one technique or timing system to see something before predicting it with confidence.  The more techniques, the better, or else, why would Vedic Astrology texts have so many different techniques?

This person had their first child around September of 1981, and the second child around February of 1987. We will start with the first child.  But before we go into the example, certain principles need to be known to fully appreciate this example:

  • In the chart of a woman, the 9th house often is equally or more important for children than the 5th house, which is more commonly known. This is important to know.
  • Similarly, the saptamsa varga (D-7) is the most important varga for childbirth and is a bit more important for a female in this context than it is for a male.
  • With vimshottari dasa, it is always an important time for a varga when the period and sub-period are connected by one being ruled by the other, or both.  For example, if Venus rules Mercury, then Ve/Me period becomes more important for the areas of life that are represented by the Varga that this is happening in. If Venus rules Mercury in the navamsa, we can bet some important marriage related events could occur during this time.
  • Of course, Jupiter is the karaka of children, this must be understood.
  • Saturn and Jupiter conjunctions particularly indicate children according to Vedic Astrology texts.
  • With caranavamsa, it’s all about the rasi and its strength, and whether it is getting manifested or not. There is much more to it than that, but for brevity’s sake, I will have to keep it simple here. (The way I learned how to make caranavamsa dasa actually make sense is basically not found anywhere online except for Ernst Wilhelm’s courses, so go take those if you want to understand this example more completely.)

Now let’s look at the first example. Here is the saptamsa chart of the native, and the vimshottari dasa. The first child was born during Sa/Ke dasa, which is not naturally a dasa that relates to having children, but let’s look more closely. Saturn rules Venus which sits in the 4th house, suggesting motherhood could be coming soon. Venus is also the Matrukaraka and Putrakaraka, the “Mother-producer” and “Child Producer”, respectively.

vimshottarri-d-m
Vimshottari Mahadasa and Antardasa of the Native.

Ketu is ruled by Venus in the rasi, and so giving the results of Venus, which is to say that Ketu has the same children focused agenda as Venus. Saturn is in a sign of Jupiter, and Ketu is being rasi aspected by Jupiter, showing the connection to children (Jupiter) of both Saturn and Ketu. Jupiter is the planet of children and progeny, so here is another connection to children with Saturn and Ketu. But it gets better when we look at the Saptamsa.

saptamsa-dm
Saptamsa of the native

Here we see that Saturn is conjunct Jupiter, the karaka of children, in the key varga of children and fertility. Further, it is in the 9th house, the key house for a woman when it comes to childbirth. Even further, Ketu, the sub period lord, is ruled by Jupiter, so acting like Jupiter. Now we see that Ketu has an especially strong agenda to also produce children, even though you wouldn’t think that because its Ketu.  Ketu is also in the 5th house, the main important house for children. Notice also how the important 7th house of the Saptamsa holds Moon and Mars, two key planets of motherhood, further confirming this woman is meant to be a mother. This Mars also rasi aspects and gives “manifesting strength” to Aries, enabling it to manifest its indications more smoothly, and its indications are to produce children as we can see. Also, it is important to remember the rule that Saturn and Jupiter conjunct often indicates children, which is working nicely here. Also, when the sub period lord is in a trine to the main period lord, then things work out more smoothly.  All of these factors may also have helped buffer the fact that Saturn was fallen here in the D7.

So now we can see how Sa/Ke period was a very important period for this Native to have a child and have the course of their life change completely as a result.  But if the course of life is going to change greatly, then we should also see this from caranavamsa dasa, as this is great for seeing big changes in our path unfold. (Cara means “change” and the Navamsa we know has a lot to do with the changes on our path, so the name itself implies this)

Caranavamsa of native
Caranavamsa of native

We can see that the native was running Cancer/Aquarius period at the time of the birth of the first child (Sept 81′). In the rasi chart, Cancer is the all important 9th house, the very important house of children for a woman. It holds its lord, the Moon, which gives it “manifesting strength”. Cancer and the Moon are also the most appropriate planets and signs for Motherhood as well. Aquarius holds Venus, which we already know has an agenda for children (PK) and is aspecting the Moon in Cancer, while the Moon aspects back to Venus in Aquarius.  This shows that the Cancer rasi and the Aquarius rasi both have a karmic connection (rasi aspect) and an agenda to yield progeny. This is further indicated by Jupiter rasi aspecting the Aquarius rasi, giving Venus strength to manifest. So both the Cancer and Aquarius rasi have an agenda for children and are being manifested to do so. Is it any wonder, then, that a child was born to her during the time that these two signs were letting their karmas play out? On top of what was playing out from Vimshottari as shown above?

Looking further at the saptamsa, Cancer is manifested by the Moon and Mercury, and Aquarius is manifested by Saturn and Jupiter, so it is even further confirmed in the saptamsa that children are likely to change her path during the Cancer/Aquarius caranavamsa period.

2nd Child:

The second child was born around February of 87, when Saturn/Moon period was running. The Moon sub-period running just makes sense, as we have already seen how important that 9th house moon is for making her a Mother and for childbirth.  All of those same Moon factors were being triggered again in the rasi chart and I don’t need to repeat myself here.

Looking at the saptamsa, we see that Moon in the seventh house in Aquarius again. Note that again the idea of the Mahadasha and Antardasa lords ruling each other or connecting in that type of way makes it an important time for the varga where it is occuring in. Here we see Moon in the sign of Saturn, and both of them Rasi aspecting with the aforementioned children agenda and so it is really very logical that in the Saturn/Moon period another child was born. The Moon is also in the 11th from Saturn which is a favorable Mahadasha/Antardasa house alignment and leads to more gains in the period. But this may just be canceled out by the fact that Saturn and Moon are in 6th/8th house positions which can imply disharmony and friction in the period. The period certainly had its share of challenges which is to be expected when raising one’s second child while the first is only five years old.

Looking at the caranavamsa dasa, the Cancer/Leo signs were running. Cancer was still running its karmas and so much of what was said above was still true of this time in her life. Leo was the sub-period, and Leo is the 10th house of her rasi chart. Leo also has strength to manifest as it is aspected by Jupiter, and it’s lord the Sun, both giving manifesting strength (Leo also holds the pada of the Sagittarius rasi, which is where the lagna lord sits, for those who study padas). When we look at the

When we look at the saptamsa chart, we see that Leo is the lagna, so of course Cancer/Leo period will be important for saptamsa things (progeny).  Leo again gets manifesting strength from the Sun (who is fallen though, so not much) and Jupiter (who is strong and making up for it) in this varga as well, so childbirth is further confirmed in the saptamsa again by using caranavamsa dasa.

Conclusion:

Is it not fascinating to see how both these timing systems were able to pinpoint two very important times for children to be born, using the same techniques and principles in a repeatable fashion? This is when Astrology begins to really become scientific, if you ask me. When we can repeat techniques over and over on the same chart or others and still get good results 75% of the time, that is an amazing thing. There is more to Astrology than just science and repeating techniques of course, but this is a very important facet and one of the features that distinguish Jyotish from other occult systems. I hope this serves as a good example of that.

Synchronicity of the Number Seven

7Why 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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”.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.