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FOUNDATION VEDIC ASTROLOGY COURSE (page 1)
To find out what is special about these astrology courses, please see the Tantric Astrology Teaching Course page on this web site. To read about the respective qualities and strength of western And Vedic Astrology, please go to the bottom of that page: Section 4: Comparison/Appreciation of western and Vedic Astrology.
The Foundation Course
There are 11 modules to the Level 4 Foundation Course, but they are not completed in the order shown here. Basically, what you do is you first learn how to draw the Hindu natal chart. Then you establish which sign is the Ascendant in your chart (I inexpensively provide you with full computer printed charts if you don’t have a Hindu Astrology computer program). But from this point on, you focus on each planet in turn (i.e. on the planet, not primarily on the steps of analysis). It is therefore a spiral of divine learning within the Hindu astrological technical framework, cross referring to western astrology if you wish. Having completed Module 1, you go through all the steps of analysis set out in the eleven modules shown below, planet by planet. You do this so as to expertly analyse the quality, strength or weakness of each of the planets in your chart. You focus on the planets – because the aim is to develop a firm accurate picture of them in your mind, astrologically, so as to build up a clear appearance of them later on as Gods. To undertake this exercise, I have designed a quite wonderful and very clear and simple pro-forma. This is unrivalled by any other course on Hindu astrology. It allows you to easily make the technical assessment of each planet, one by one, building up your awareness as you complete each of the technical steps for each planet, but all the while, keeping your mind and soul focussed on the planet. I feel that you can not realistically understand the nature of each planet, nor fully approach each planet as a deity (in the later stages of the course), unless you go through this ancient and detailed foundation analysis. The great need is to preserve the prime focus on the planet in question, at every point in time. Otherwise, you will lose sight of the planet and become a technician. This approach is guaranteed to give you the clear, crisp insights Hindu astrology uniquely provides on the fated and mundane levels of your life. The insights you quickly get will take your breath away!!! This approach is guaranteed to give you clear insight into the issues of your parenting, where your strengths truly lie, what will your experiences with children be, will you be rich or poor, subject to loss or gain – and at what times. Above all it will enable you to define and understand your true relationship with the divine.
FOUNDATION COURSE - LIST OF MODULES
To make an adequate web presentation of the Foundation Course, I now set out in a little detail the bare bones of the course, and start with a chart example which we follow through to demonstrate some of the learning steps involved so that you can see the strength of the learning that is offered. Chart 1 is a representation of the Vedic natal chart of the Priestess of a Wiccan Coven, whom we have already met in the Level 1 Course, in module 4 (on the Trine aspect):
CHART 1 – The Priestess: Vedic chart The above Vedic chart will be referred to as an example throughout this web page on the Level 4 Course, so as to give you a basic idea of how the course works. This chart uses the Sidereal zodiac of Hindu astrology, not the Tropical zodiac of western astrology (see the Signs section, below). So that you can compare the Vedic chart to the western chart, below is Chart 2: the chart of the same individual, generated by Megastar in western astrology.
CHART 2 – The Priestess: Western astrology Chart by Megastar And here are two other western versions of the same individual’s western astrology chart generated by Solar Fire: one chart using glyphs and the other using text: Charts 3 and 4.
CHARTS 3 and 4 – The Priestess: Western astrology - Solar Fire Charts Some characteristics of the Vedic natal chart: This is the southern Indian chart-style. The Signs are shown clockwise. They are always shown in the arrangement set out above, with the first Sign, Aries, always shown in the position it is above, second-sign-in from the top left. All the other signs numbered off clockwise from Aries. The Ascendant Sign is marked by a small diagonal and the abbreviation AS in the Vedic chart. This is the first House. In this particular chart, the Ascendant is in the sign Virgo. The 12 Houses are numbered off clockwise, starting from the Ascendant. A House equals a Sign. This is called the Full House Sign system, so that the 1st House is the 1st Sign; the 2nd House is the 2nd Sign, and so on. Basically, in the first Module, you learn the way the Hindu astrological natal chart (The Rashi Chart) is calculated and drawn. You learn the difference between the Tropical Zodiac of western astrology and the Sidereal Zodiac of Hindu astrology. We mention the Navamsha chart and the Divisional charts; and, above all, you learn about the planets (grahas) and the Rashis or Signs that each planet is placed within. Having completed module 1, you then focus on each of the planets in turn, working through the each of subsequent modules. You use the ‘pro-forma’ I provide for each planet, to work out the essential quality of each planet; the exact way each planet will manifest in your life (as revealed in your chart), and its divine nature. In module 3, You learn about the Nakshatras or Lunar Mansions. In Module 4, you lean about the Bhavas, the twelve Houses within which the planets are distributed, and in Module 5, you learn about the effects of the Drishtis or inter-planetary aspects. These eleven modules are the blocks of masonry that are put together to form the Foundation for the main Tantric Astrology Course which follows, where we fully approach the planets of Vedic Astrology as Gods, as Faces of the Divine, and also deepen our astrological awareness. THE PLANETS The planets used in Hindu astrology are deities who are prayed to. They are deities who create situations in our lives that will manifest according to our need to grow spiritually. They have the full force and power of ‘faces of the Divine’. How we will experience them depends on our karma and our state of consciousness and level of our spiritual perception, and therefore on how kindly these gods can reveal themselves in our lives. In Hindu astrology, four types of karma are identified in the natal chart from the strength of the significations and patterns:
Of the Prarabdha karma which will fructify in this lifetime, three levels of manifestation will apply:
Lordship is a central issue in deciding how a planet will function in your life. You actually need to first technically and astrologically establish the strengths and weaknesses and the qualities of each planet in your natal chart, before you can effectively interpret the chart, and before you can more fully experience them, tantrically, as deities, as divine forces manifesting in your life. One of these considerations is Lordship. Here is a summary of sign Lordship:
As you can see, a planet can be Lord over two signs/houses. If these are favourable, a powerful condition called Rajayoga may be in force in your life. Otherwise, a planet can be Lord of a favourable and an unfavourable house, or, of course, of two unfavourable houses. You learn to evaluate the other factors used to determine the strength, weakness and qualities of a planet:
It can be helpful to visualize the planets as a Court – a court of desires. This can help in astrological method. This can be done as follows:
Here are some simple indicators of the planets, which may be summarized as follows:
These are the planets: The Foundation Course list focuses on the astrological nature of the planets; the nine Modules of the Tantric Hindu Astrology Course (shown below) approaches them as Gods: Chandra, The Moon
Also called Soma, Chandra represents Prakriti, the divine female energy that nourishes the world. On a human level, the Moon represents mind, imagination and memory, daily communication, emotions, the past – unconscious intellect. It signifies the Mother, females, liquids, attraction and beauty. The good home-maker. Religious devotion. Grasp of knowledge. Love and friendliness. The Moon signifies incoming emotions and stimuli. The Moon is a mild benefic. It is strongest benefically at Full Moon when it fully reflects the light of the divine. A Full Moon is Grace; it is a blessing. But the Moon actually becomes a mild malefic if you were born under a waning Moon: up to 40 degrees before the dark of the Moon, and up to 30 degrees after the Dark Moon. The Moon is very sensitive to association with other planets, so aspected to Saturn it becomes depressed (or detached); aspected to Rahu, our minds become clouded or lost from our control; aspected to Mars we carry an angry aggressive mind. The Moon is so impressionable: it can mould itself according to the Devine Light, but it can mould itself to other people, or negative complexes or evil conditioning, mass influences and collective trauma. The Moon measures our popularity (if not our honesty). The Moon rules the sign Cancer. The Moon is most Exalted at 3 Taurus and most deeply Fallen at 3 Scorpio. Moon is Mulatrikona 3 – 30 degrees Taurus. The Moon is the Karaka (indicator) for the 4th House (Mother, feelings, emotions and mind) Note that the Moon’s signification of ‘mind’ and ‘daily communication’ is different from the Moon in western astrology. Friends who welcome the Moon into their houses are Sun and Mercury. All the other planets are neutral to the Moon. The Priestess has Moon in Gemini in the 10th House.
Surya, The Sun
Also known as Ravi and Savitar, the Sun is consciousness. It signifies the Father. It is self, ego, soul, jiva-atman. It is good health, power and ambition, self-reliance, independence, and status in the world. The Sun represents purusha: the male polarity of the life force. In Vedic astrology, the first House is actually a stronger indicator of the Ahankara (egoic self), than is the Sun. The Sun is a mild malefic, but leads us through practice of detachment, even renunciation and sacrifice, to our inner light. The malefic influences of the Sun are quite easily modified if it is aspected by Venus, Jupiter or the Moon, such that the Sun will then act more beneficially in our chart and in our lives. The Sun produces very good results in Upachaya (or growing Houses) where malefics are welcomed. The 10th House is the best house placement for the Sun. a weak Sun indicates poor fathering and weakness of character, poor perception or marginalization – but can make us eager to do good and receptive, if too easily falling under the influence of others. An over strong is arrogant and tyrannous, manipulative and harmful. Medically, the Sun rules the heart. The Sun’s position in the chart shows were we may shine and how we may shine – and on a higher level, what sort of spiritual aspirations we will hold. It shows us what sport of authority issues we will have; what our sense of the highest and the best will be. Friends who welcome the Sun into their Houses are Moon Mars and Jupiter. Venus and Saturn are enemies. Mercury is neutral. The Sun rules the Sign Leo. The Sun is most Exalted at 10 Aries and most deeply Fallen at 10 Libra. Sun is Mulatrikona 0 – 20 degrees Leo. The harmony between the Sun and the Ascendant Lord shows the harmony between the individual and the path of his inner urges.
Budha, Mercury
Mercury is speech, discriminating conscious intellect, education, teachers, writing, ideas, trade: buying and selling, short journeys, nervous system and nervous disorders. Mercury signifies quick comprehension, facility and plasticity of expression, correlation and interchange of ideas. His energy is mental, nervous and articulate. He also indicates the state of childhood, troubles in home life or difficulties at school. He represents commerce and the articles of trade: he thus opens communication between people, though if afflicted he will exploit people, and he can indicate our trade or profession. He likes standards and prices and scales of measurement and organization. Strong Mercury is The Trickster. Weak Mercury rationalizes, lies and is fickle, and may be a thief and has a childish view of the world – he can produce hallucinations and a neurotic schizoid vie of life. Mercury’s character is chameleon-like and androgynous. It takes on the energy of the planets around it. Mercury rules the signs Gemini and Virgo. Mercury is most Exalted at 15 Virgo and most deeply Fallen at 10 Pisces. Mercury is Mulatrikona 16 – 20 Virgo. Mercury is Karaka (indicator) for the 2nd House (as communication and thinking) and for the 10th House (as profession). Mercury is best placed in the first House. The friends who welcome Mercury into their Houses are Sun and Venus. The Moon is an enemy to Mercury. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are neutral to it. Saturn – Mercury aspects can indicate dulled or delayed intelligence. Afflictions to Mercury indicate speech defects, dyslexia. The Priestess has Mercury in Aquarius in the 6th House.
Sukra, Venus
Venus is sexuality, sensual enjoyment, desire and love. He is semen, art, beauty, taste, refinement, love and marriage, poetry and sense of harmony. Venus represents ‘small fortunes’, harmony, creativity, artists, glamour, the ovaries – and our capacity to love. Venus is beautiful, magnetic and attractive. Venus is the guide of demons and spiritual teacher. He is male, but his energy is feminine. He rules the reproductive system, love affairs, the spouse and marriage - and if afflicted by malefics can cause sexual disorders or diseases. Sukra enhances the House he is placed within. He is the spark of our aspiration for the good and Venus’ beauty can be a gateway to the divine realms; Ananda is the divine bliss of creation. Afflicted, he can be vain, superficial and affected, wanting the joy of possession and the adulation of others; can be seductive and even vampiric. Whole cultures can give themselves over to negative violence and be based on greed, image and materialism. Venus signifies the man’s wife. Venus rules the signs Taurus and Libra. Venus is most Exalted at 27 Pisces and most deeply Fallen at 27 Virgo. Venus is Mulatrikona 0 – 15 Libra. Sukra is the Karaka (indicator) of the 7th House, for a man, in respect of wife and love-life. Venus in the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th (Kendra) Houses is very forgiving. Venus’ friends are Mercury and Saturn. Its enemies are Sun and Moon. Mars and Jupiter are neutral to Venus. The Priestess has Venus in Aquarius in the 6th House.
Mangala, Mars
Mangala is the will of the self, also the mental faculty which decides which action or thought to go for. Also known as Kartika (or Kartikeya) and Kuja or Skanda, Mars is a most strong malefic. He can be as strong as Saturn, but his effects are acute, whereas Saturn’s are long-lasting. Mars is the flame contained in matter. He signifies independence, self-will and confidence, the needed strength to have interests and do things. Mars is boundless courage, energy, sexual potency, passion, and arrogant action, arms, muscles and physical prowess, competitiveness, accidents, war, disease, impulsive action, exploration, inquiry, sport, war, arguments, injuries, ambition, sex and blood. Mars is goal-orientated action. His nature is electrical, violent, insatiable and thirsty: the urge to penetrate and unite with – and by the transmutation of this, he is the energy for questing spiritual realization and the achievement of truth, giving self-discipline and asceticism. The position of Mars can indicate premature death in a chart, the loss of the husband, impotence in a man. Mars is certainty; he is critical, perceptive and discriminating. He is the lawyer and the orator, the machinist and the miner, the engineer, the inventor, the planner, the researcher, the warrior, the soldier, the murderer. He causes discontent which impels us to seek ‘better’: ideally, to seek the truth. He can also bring out the dark side of the Earth energy: titans, destroyers, chaos. Differing from western astrology, Mars also signifies younger brothers and sisters (older sibs = 11th House). Mars rules the signs Aries and Scorpio. Mars is most exalted at 28 Capricorn and most deeply Fallen at 28 Cancer. Mars is Mulatrikona 0 – 12 deg Aries. Mars is the Karaka for the 3rd House (as younger siblings, courage and energy) and the 6th House (as accidents). Mars performs well if it is placed in one of the Upachaya (growing) Houses, but its best House placement is the 10th House. Aspected with Jupiter, Mars can bring great achievements for law and truth. Aspected with Saturn, Mars can bring selfish, perverted or criminal tendencies, or if in a more enlightened chart: discipline and the capacity for great accomplishment (or a bit of both). The Priestess has Mars in Taurus in the 9th House.
Brihaspati, Jupiter
Indicator of the expansive quality of consciousness, Jupiter is the Great Benefic, also called ‘Guru’. Jupiter is guru, divine grace, philosophic knowledge, happiness and joy, children, spirituality, luck, fortune, affluence and creativity, faith in life, long-distance travel, optimism, and speculation. Jupiter shows us the way to health and is the strong immune system. Negatively placed in the chart, he can be too materialistic, over-optimistic, over-expansive, exceeding resources, and too full of himself and self-indulgent. Jupiter represents ‘large fortunes’. He can indicate musical talent. Jupiter is traditionally regarded as the indicator of the woman’s husband (though Mars can be indicative of the man in her passionate relationships). Jupiter rules the signs Sagittarius and Pisces. Jupiter is most Exalted at 5 Cancer and is most deeply Fallen at 5 Capricorn. Jupiter is Mulatrikona 0 – 10 Sagittarius. Jupiter functions best in Cancer and its best House placement is the first. Its friends are Sun, Moon and Mars. Mercury and Venus are enemies to Jupiter. Saturn is neutral. Sani, Saturn
Indicator of boundaries and of the illusion of boundaries between your self and God, Saturn is the Great Malefic. It victimizes the house it is placed in and the planets it aspects. Its power is to restrict and destroy. If Saturn is well-paced, out of this can come wisdom, humility, dedication and leadership abilities. A powerful well-placed Saturn indicates long life. Saturn signifies sorrow and discipline, poverty, old age and death, bad luck, misfortune, difficult karma and unfortunate destiny, bondage and servitude, obstinacy and selfishness; fear, insensitivity; also hard lessons, premature aging, depression, melancholy and self-pity, deprivation and want restriction, accidents,; even more negatively: the pursuit of gross pleasure, a life prey to miserliness or phobias, the feeling that we can never succeed, crime and perversity. Positively, Saturn can bring wisdom from experience, detachment and renunciation, sincerity, non-attachment, manual work, real estate, agriculture, subordinates; Saturn is the guiding ancestor and the law-giver. Saturn’s malefic effects are long-lasting, as opposed to those of Mars which are acute. Saturn can be experienced as mean, petty and spiteful, offering periods of restriction, ugliness and perversity, offering suffering – but to motivate us to grow and learn, Saturn is not at all ‘negative; for example a Venus – Saturn aspect in a man can mean hard treatment given to women, but its most exalted manifestation is the committed relationship: a spirituality of partnership. Equally Saturn – Venus can signify eczema or psoriasis Saturn (skin) blemishes Venus as the beauty of the skin). Saturn is ‘reaping’; he was an agricultural deity. Saturn signifies longevity, asceticism, material values and hard labour. Saturn is connected with the nervous system, and can manifest as numbness, paralysis or degenerative-nervous-system disorders. Saturn rules the signs Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn is most exalted at 20 Libra and most deeply Fallen at 20 Aries. Saturn is Mulatrikona 0 -20 Aquarius. Saturn is the Karaka for the 6th House (as illness); the 8th House (as length of life, death and the occult) and for the 12th House as loss. Saturn receives strength in the 7th house but this is strength of a malefic nature. Saturn functions best in Libra. It can function well in Jupiter’s signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. Mercury and Venus are its friends and welcome it into their houses. Sun, Moon and Mars are enemies to Saturn. Jupiter is neutral. The Priestess has Saturn in Sagittarius in the 4th House.
Rahu
Rahu is a powerful malefic. He can be the most powerful malefic in the chart. Rahu is the North Node of the Moon, the ascending Node. Rahu is a God. He teaches us through often negative phenomena, by highlighting those qualities within ourselves that cut us off from the light (as Rahu swallows the Sun and the Moon): attachment to the world, negative karma. The energy of Rahu is animal-like, insatiable and instinctual, not governed by conscious will or intelligence. It is outward rather than inward. Rahu is ambition, compulsions and insatiable desire; he can offer material success (which can be temporary). In fact a strong Rahu usually brings material success and worldly power (though not necessarily inner fulfillment) and strong Rahu can bring psychic powers and mediumship (though with danger from negative forces). Rahu can be carried away by uncanny psychic sensitivity to mass trends (though some of these can link us to positive spiritualities if we learn). He can represent self-delusion, psychosis, and insanity/mental problems (Moon-Rahu is a major indicator of insanity), negative entities, possession and imprisonment, drugs and mysterious diseases. Rahu generates fear and paranoia. Rahu can be psychic and can lead through trance. He disturbs by way of doubt, lethargy, grossness and insensitivity. He is Lord of magic. The Outcast. There can be a strong theme of foreignness and foreign parts. He can lead us to mastery of the occult and study of abstruse subjects. His purpose is to lead us to our true self. Rahu is Exalted in Taurus and Fallen in Scorpio (interpretations vary). The Nodes are ‘better placed’ in houses that can utilize malefics: the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th. Rahu usually functions best in a strong house like the 9th or the 10th. If Rahu is closely conjoined to another planet, that planet can be terribly ruined, suppressed and left powerless to function, as can the house it rules. The Nodes’ motion is normally retrograde, but when they occasionally become stationery or direct, their effects become even more powerful. The Nodes are the great enemies of the Sun and the Moon and give worse than usual results in their signs. Sun obscured by Rahu portends karmic fault to be worked out cast in spiritual darkness through excruciating psychological and psychic pain of karmic origin; Moon afflicted by Rahu is the individual isolated from his higher nature prone to emotional turmoil, even suicidal tendencies, depression and drugs, almost beyond conscious control. The Priestess has Rahu in Virgo in the 1st House.
Ketu
Ketu is the South node of the Moon – the descending Node: indicator of final release and the enlightener of the intellect, Ketu is a powerful malefic. The forces of the Nodes are difficult to handle. Ketu is inward energy: spiritual desire, asceticism, moksha, isolation and doubt, asceticism and even renunciation - but his great concentration can lead to spiritual knowledge (though his wisdom can be marred by narrowness or self-righteousness). He can teach us through illusion in spirituality and chaos, self-doubt, lack of self-confidence, lack of self-worth – the shadow manifestations of which can be self-aggrandizement and megalomania. If inauspiciously placed, Ketu can ruin things in an awful and devious way; he can create the macabre, alcoholism or drug addiction. Ketu can give sudden unexpected results for good or ill (depending on how it is placed). A well-placed Ketu can make the individual strong (though not necessarily sensitive or good). Ketu’s aim, in his deviousness, is to teach us to break free from the world. Embodying the great cyclic Law that underlies creation and acting as Agents of Karma, the aim of Rahu and Ketu is harmony and balance, but they achieve it by working with the horrific sides of our egoic personality. Ketu is associated with psychism, unconscious behaviour and phobias/addictions. There can be deception, theft or even murder, also skin disease even cancer. The person can become as if invisible! If Ketu closely conjoins another planet, that planet can be hopeless ruined, as can the house it rules – it is as if the planet is sucked into a black hole and dissolved, to be left as a weird compulsive inert mass. Ketu has the power to boot up and give considerable power to a planet with which it is conjoined, especially if that planet is in its own sign (though this will not be an easy process). Venus in 2nd House conjunct Ketu in Libra can bring wealth. MARS IN Scorpio in the 3rd House can bring military prowess, and so on. Ketu is Exalted in Scorpio and Fallen in Taurus (interpretation vary). The Nodes motion is normally retrograde, but when they occasionally become stationery or direct, their effects become even more powerful. The Nodes are the great enemies of the Sun and the Moon and give worse than usual results in their signs. The Priestess has Ketu in Pisces in the 7th House.
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC (CONSTELLATIONS) At the moment you were born, the planets were distributed across the signs of the Zodiac in a particular pattern. This pattern or distribution creates an ‘incarnational fate’ for you to experience and grow spiritually within. In order to understand how a planet will manifest in your natal chart, in your predictive astrology, and in your consciousness and in your life, you need to know how the energy of the Sign which a planet is placed in will modify the unique nature of that planet. This is one of the necessary steps to take before you will be fully able to contact the energies of the planets in your natal chart as Gods, as Faces of the Divine. Tropical and Sidereal Zodiacs – It is important to note that Hindu astrology does not use the same Zodiac that western astrology uses. Hindu astrology used the Sidereal zodiac, which is anchored to a ‘fixed’ star (Spica at 0 deg Libra), whereas western astrology uses the Tropical zodiac which takes the first point of Spring, the moment of the Sun’s ingress into Aries, the Vernal Equinox, as the position of 0 deg Aries; so the western Tropical zodiac is not fixed, but it moves each year relative to the backdrop of the stars due to the phenomenon called Precession: the wobble of the Earth’s axis of rotation. The western Tropical Zodiac is thus Sun astrology. It is more geared to issues of egoic unfoldment in the manifest world, whereas Hindu astrology orientates itself to the eternal. Sign Rulership and permanent friendship or animosity - It is also important to note that you do not just have to consider how the energies of a planet are modified by the qualities of the Sign it falls in. You must also assess how the planet ‘gets on with’ the Ruler of that Sign. Sign Rulers are identified in the brief bit of text about each Sign that is set out below. If a planet falls in a Sign ruled by a friendly planet in your natal chart, it can manifest its energies well and easily in your life; the two planets can work well together. If a planet falls in a Sign ruled by an enemy planet in your natal chart, however, it will find it hard to perform its tasks in your life: it may, therefore, act as a ‘loose cannon’, or cause you harm, even though it is a benefic, or it may have its energies drastically reduced; the two planets are adversaries. To simplify, the planets fall into two permanent friendship/animosity groups, as follows: I: SUN MOON MARS JUPITER (rulers of Water and Fire Signs) II: MERCURY VENUS SATURN (rulers of Earth and Air Signs) Planets are friends to the other planets in their group, but hostile to the planets of the other group. Actually, the picture is a little more subtle than this, and you learn the full details of the planets’ friendships and animosities during the Foundation Course. Sign Rulership and Temporary friendship or animosity – You also learn that the permanent state of friendship or animosity between planets, described above, is modified by consideration of house sequence, thus creating states of temporary friendship or animosity which modify the states of permanent friendship and animosity. Temporary friendship or animosity depends on the number of houses counting on from the house the planet occupies whose status you are analyzing, that the Sign Ruler of the planet under analysis occupies. Thus, temporary friendship or animosity can improve or make worse, the permanent friendships/animosities. Combined Friendship or animosity - The states of permanent and temporary friendship and animosity need to be ultimately weighed against each other to work out the Combined status of the planet. For example, if a planet is a permanent friend as well as a temporary friend, the resultant Combined condition is ‘Great Friendship’. If a planet is a permanent enemy but a temporary friend, the resultant Combined condition is ‘neutral’, and so on. Friendship or animosity with the Ascendant Lord – How a planet ‘gets on with’ the Ascendant Lord (the Ruler of the sign that occupies the 1st House) will further importantly modify how you will experience the energy of that planet, especially in that it may alter (worsen or improve) the level of its benefic or malefic power to operate in your life. The Priestess’ Ascendant is in Virgo. Virgo is ruled by Mercury. To take the example of The Moon, look at the ‘friendship’ chart above to see whether The Moon will benefit from this Ascendant Lord, or not. Exaltation and Fall - Planets can express themselves much better in certain Signs than others, so you have to consider where a planet is Exalted (and where it is Fallen), also a condition called Mulatrikona is good for a planet, as it is when a planet falls in it Own Sign (i.e. the Sign it rules).
The Mulatrikona signs and degrees of the planets are as follows:
Overall considerations of a planet’s strength or weakness: Once you have gone through these steps of analysis, you learn that the planets’ strength in you chart and in your life can be decided according to the following ‘tariff’:
Direction: If the planet’s direction is Retrograde (i.e. it has apparent backward motion in the heavens) Benefic planets are held back, and Malefic planets offer even more problems (except in certain houses). If a planet is slow or Stationary, it is strong and its influence is increased (for better or worse, depending ion its status). Position in sign: If the planet is placed very close to the edge of its sign, its condition is Sandhi, where it is very much weakened. If the moon is in the last 3 degrees of a water sign or in the first 3 degrees of a Fire Sign, this is a condition called Gandanta, which is very bad for worldly affairs, but ultimately offers great spiritual potential. Doshas: The Signs are divided into the three biological humours of Ayurveda, related to disease propensities. These are called Doshas (there is some variation on the assignation of some signs to Doshas):
(the Earth Signs are divided up among the three Doshas) Masculine and Feminine: The Signs are divided between the two polarities. Odd numbered are Masculine; even numbered are Feminine:
As I said, elsewhere, I have developed a ‘proforma’ of unrivaled effectiveness in helping you through Hindu astrology’s interpretation maze simply and clearly’ as I hope this web page demonstrates. This provides a firm foundation to working more accurately and powerfully and perceptively with the planets as Gods: Gods in your chart and in your life - with the ultimate aim being the generation of powerful self-understanding and more powerful connection to the divine. Lastly, The elements: The signs are divided between the four elements:
Here is a list of the Signs of the Zodiac (called ‘Rashis’ or ‘Constellations’), with a brief indication of the sort of energy they imbue in any planet that falls within them.
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Within the Foundation Course (and within associated optional ritual events), I teach two very special features of Hindu astrology to contact the unique and individual truth of each of your planets’ energy:
