This is the second part of an interview I did with Ryan Kurczak of Asheville Vedic Astrology. We talk about the conjunctions of Saturn and the Moon. Take a look if you are curious about the implications of this conjunction.
Also, just for fun, here is a picture of the Alligator that was in my back yard on the day that we did this interview. The Gator and Crocodile are perfect symbols of Saturn.
The word for the sign of Capricorn in Vedic Astrology has always been “Makara”, which translated, literally means “crocodile”. The crocodile is possibly the only animal we know of that has not changed or evolved in any way over hundreds of thousands of years, when we look at it in the fossil records. You can see a skeleton of a crocodile or alligator that lived during the time of the dinosaurs, and it will be the same as a modern skeleton of a crocodile. This perfectly symbolizes the nature of the sign Capricorn, which is the sign of Karma, and action. The best actions we can do are those that are done so right and so effectively to begin with, that they stand the test of time and do not need to be redone or improved upon. This is the nature of Capricorn, and Saturn as well. To do something right the first time, to be patient, to be methodical, and when the right time comes, to execute the appropriate action. Saturn takes 30 years to go around the zodiac, not like the Moon who makes the same course in a Month. We can think of it like this: We want to do work and karmas that are so well done, that Saturn doesn’t have to go back and revisit that work for 30 more years. Observing Alligators and Crocodiles in nature gives us a window into this type of consciousness, and this type of activity. This is also why Mars, the planet of all kinds of action, is exalted in Capricorn. The highest action is that which can stand the test of time.
Each house in the astrological nativity at birth is said to signify a certain area of life. The first house, which is also the first sign in the birth chart, the rising sign, represents the body of the thing that was born at that moment. It also represents the path which that body is on in this life. So a Capricorn ascendant (AKA Capricorn first house) has a body and path in life that is connected to the qualities of the sign of Capricorn. What does Capricorn relate to in Astrology? Capricorn is the 10th sign, and from the natural 1st sign Aries, Capricorn is the place in space that is directly overhead, directly above us in the sky, the 10th place in the 12 stage journey of the zodiac. It is the highest point in the sky, and from there the 11th and 12th are descending points in between that highest point and the eastern horizon.
Knowing this, we can now have an idea as to why Capricorn represents what it represents as a sign, or as the 10th house. The house is the same idea and feel of the sign of the same number, but on a different level of viewpoint we could say. Capricorn is the sign of a crocodile in the Vedic tradition of Astrology. It is the sign of lasting accomplishments, doing something that is done so well, that it never needs to be refined or improved upon, it simply stands the test of time as some say. That is the nature of Capricorn and the crocodile. You can look at crocodiles in the fossil record from millions of years ago and they are essentially the exact same, and have not evolved or changed to any noticeable degree… This is not the case with many other animals. This is why Capricorn is the sign of doing something so right the first time that it cannot be done any better and will thus endure through time. Its ruling planet is Saturn, which according to the Upadesa Sutras, deals with “Accomplished Deeds”. Saturn is associated with long term things and things that last longer than the rest and so we can see the connection. You may recall from Greek mythology that Saturn was known as Chronos, the God of time and agriculture. Chronos is still the root of many words that relate to time, such as “chronology”, “chronic”, “anachronistic” etc….
So the 10th house in the birth chart relates to these similar themes of the 10th sign Capricorn, but in a more specific way that relates to that ascendant which we are viewing it from. Moreover, each ascendant is naturally geared towards a certain type of karma or action in the world which the 10th house from that ascendant gives us clues to. And this same logic applies to each of the other astrological houses that are the same in number as the astrological sign that they relate to, and when analyzed all help to add a more nuanced perspective of chart interpretation. (For example: 7th sign libra is about relationships, 7th house is the house of relationships and your partner in your own chart)
With this understanding, we can now see why the 10th house is so important for career, because our career is usually connected with the type of actions or work we do in the world which we hope to cause a lasting change or effect. For example having Venus in the 10th house from the rising sign at birth can make it more likely that someone will try to have a work or type of action in the world that creates harmony, beauty, entertainment, pleasure, or some type of luxury for others. These are all Venusian types of work. How good they are at these types of karmic work will depend on all the more particular factors such as the dignity of Venus, any yogas that are connected to Venus, the lajjitaadi avasthas on Venus, how the strength of those avasthas on Venus weigh out in each of the varga charts that relate to specific areas of life, what dasas (timing systems) are triggering Venus and when, the transiting place of Venus, and many, many more factors. This is where it gets more complicated, but is still very fun and worthwhile to do. But from just seeing Venus in the 10th, most jyotishis can know this person may have a career that is more about bringing pleasure to the senses, or harmony to a person, and that alone is a pretty amazing thing to be able to predict… And it will be correct most of the time. To get the finer details takes time and skill on the part of the jyotishi, but even just to understand the basic connection of Venus to work is worthwhile information for most to have.
One more note about the 10th house: Not all of us do make a big difference or change in the world, and not all of us are meant to do this as our dharma… Still others are meant to be on this Earth for a very important reason. If they were not here then the world just would not be the same. But then others are just meant to be here and enjoy life with more of an internal focus, not so much about external karmas. That is more of a 4th house factor, the opposite house/sign. The 4th house is related to enlightenment and liberation, and retiring from the world. There is a Jaimini Yoga that relates to the 10th house in certain vargas, and whether one will be “resolute, and important”. This technique is very useful and very accurate when you look at the charts of people who have made a profound impact on the world, without which Earth would just not be the same. I cover these issues in readings when requested, but if you are curious about learning the Jaimini technique yourself I would strongly recommend taking the first of 3 audio courses on Jaimini by Ernst Wilhelm. All three of the classes together total 62 hours of instruction, and it is my sentiment that just the first course could be studied and contemplated and re-studied for years, as that is what I have been doing myself… Its that good. These courses can be purchased on his website, found Here.
