Important Astrological Alignments: Mutual Exchange (“Parivartana”)

“Mutual Exchange” is a very powerful, influential and important astrological condition which deserves to be discussed with clarity. In Sanskrit, the language of “Vedic” astrology, this condition is called parivartana. The word literally means “circular motion” and is used to indicate situations in which things revolve around one another, come and go and thus exchange in a mutual way.

What It Is

In the illustration here you can see the circular motion in a chart caused by a mutual exchange. This chart actually has two mutual exchanges, but let’s just focus on one for the purpose of this article.  Find Taurus (_), it is the 4^th House of this horoscope. Venus owns Taurus so find Venus (the pink planet, the “female” symbol), and notice that she occupies Capricorn (g), which is the 12^th House of the horoscope. Now, realizing that Saturn owns Capricorn – look for him. He is the blue symbol that looks sort of like a scythe. You will find him in Taurus.

The scribbles (drawn with a mouse so please forgive the 1^st grade appearance!) trace the path of what you just did and reveal how it is a circular motion where energy goes from one house to another and then comes back again. It is a “mutual exchange” of energies. So this chart has a parivartana (“Mutual Exchange”) involving the 4^th and 12^th houses.

Now you know what a parivartana yoga or “Mutual Exchange” is. The next question is, what does it mean?

What It Does

Well, I have already given the foundation of the answer to that in noting that the energy of one house mutually exchanges with the energy of another house. Put in another, perhaps more simple way: parivartana causes two houses to form strong mutual links.

If you link two reservoirs – water will start flowing back and forth between them. This is exactly what parivartana does. It links two houses and thus causes their “water” (their significations and nature) to exchange and intermingle.

I have heard some astrologers elaborate that parivartana causes the significations of one of the houses to change into the significations of the other. I think this may work in some of the cases, because when there is a link between two places, the two places change to become more like each other. But that is just it! Both the places blend their energies and both become more like the other. I am not in favor of the opinion that parivartana causes a unidirectional flow of change from one house to the other, rather it causes a bi-directional exchange or circulation of their energies. After all, “circulation” is a very good literal translation of parivartana. And the english term “mutual exchange” supports this bi-directional understanding of the phenomena.

Types

The most classical and fundamental way of differentiating various types of parivartana follows a very simple formula:

1. Links between houses of common themes and natures have generally positive effects
2. Links between houses of uncomplimentary themes have generally negative effects.

So, in our example of a parivartana exchanging the 4^th and 12^th houses, this formula would call it a “negative” type of exchange (dainya-parivartana). The 4th house is basically a positive place and the 12th house is basically a negative place – so their combination evaluates to be negative (dainya).

The classic Sanskrit scriptures on astrology are uniformly exaggerative and oversimplified because that allows the nuances and nature of things to be described more clearly. A real astrologer, however, cannot be as simplistic. The fact of the matter is that every house has multiple significations. The significations which have common grounds in both the houses involved in the parivartana will be enhanced while the significations that are not in common will cause issues to arise.

Practical Example

Here we have the 4^th House exchanging and intermixing with the 12^th House. We begin to understand how this yoga works by letting our non-linear mind make associations between the common and non-common characteristics of the two houses.

For example, springing to my mind initially is that the 4^th House signifies ones kin and close relationships, whereas the 12^th House signifies unknown persons who are outsiders and foreigners. The yoga (“Mutual Exchange”) causes these two to blend – and the results could very likely be unfortunate (dainya), especially if supported by other indications elsewhere in the horoscope.

Something else my inner mind shows me is that the 4^th House pertains to the deep emotions, while the 12^th House pertains to withdrawing to the interior things and hidden places. Thus the yoga causes emotions to become very deep and withdrawn, hidden within oneself cautiously. This could be an unfortunate situation, but could be a positive indication if the chart is supportive of spirituality – because it would incline one to be very philosophical in the search for their true inner self, negating the illusions of their outer self.

Another thing is that the 4^th is about treasures deposited safely, while the 12^th is about incurring losses through expenses. This certainly favors a dainya or “unfortunate” interpretation of the likelihood of loosing treasures – but one has to see the quality of the planets involved and their relationship. If they are strong and blessed one could actually turn losses into treasures. But if the exchange occurs under bad influences the flow would be more one of treasures being lost. In the illustration we are working with in the example, Jupiter influences both the planets involved in the exchange at that is a good sign that as a result of philosophy, religion, and morality (Jupiter traits) the native was able to overcome the loss of treasures and emotional peace she first endured, and turn the situation around turning her losses into gains in a foreign country.

More Help

For more help figuring out the nature of an individual’s mutual exchange you can also examine which houses are affected by the exchange from the point of view not of the ascendant but of the Moon and Sun. In the example we are using, the Moon is in the 1^st House, so the exchange also affects the 4^th and 12^th houses from the Moon. But the Sun is in the 10^th House, Scorpio – and therefore the exchange effects the 3^rd and 7^th Houses, since Capricorn is 3 signs/houses from the Scorpio Sun, and Taurus is 7 houses/signs from it.

The native in fact overcame the initial losses indicated by the 4/12 Mutual Exchange as a result of internet communication (a modern connotation of the 3^rd House) which led her to a happy marriage (7^th House).

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

The Twelve Houses in a Nutshell

1: Physical self and tangible life. Birth, appearance qualities, and the practical effects thereof.

2: Things that support the self: wealth, nutrition, and family networks.

3: The inner being becoming tangible and affecting oneself: desire, enthusiasm, willpower, writing and dexterity.

4: The inner, private self. Emotional happiness, domestic comforts and fortunes.

5: The inner self becoming subtle and affecting the world: intelligence, creativity, education & studies, and children.

6: Things that support other people, not you: limitations, flaws, obstacles, enemies.

7: Other people – especially the spouse. Endings, destinations, disappearance, death.

8: Things which undo the power of endings: Life force, perception of the unknown and hidden, sexuality.

9: The public self becoming subtle and affecting the world: social welfare in the form of morality, religion, philosophy and higher education.

10: The public self. Career, social role, public impact and status.

11: The public persona becoming tangible and affecting oneself: social enjoyments, prosperity, friends.

12: Things which undo the power of the physical self and tangible world: spiritual knowledge, detachment, losses, distance, etc.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Jyeshtha

A mystical talisman – a source of divine, spiritual and occult protection – symbolizes this lunar mansion. The word itself, jyeshtha, means “the elder” – signifying a wizened person whose arcane, shamanic, and supernatural guidance protects the masses. Indra, the king of heaven, is the god of this mansion – illustrating that invincibility, authority, and bravery can be acquired from the supernatural protection of Jyeshtha. Mercury is the planet owning this mansion, which exists within Scorpio – the home of Mars.

Thus, although Jyeshtha holds profound access to sub- and supra- conscious intuitions, she is challenged by weakness towards the normal rational processes of intellect and communication, which become clouded and confused by passions and lack of direct simplicity.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Astro-Transits for May 2010

April 28/29 – Mercury & Sun conjunction

Retrograde mercury will move into exact alignment with the Sun. Children born near this time have heightened potential for self-understanding, but will have challenges speaking in public without becoming nervous or feeling unqualified. Benefits will be highest when Sagittarius and Taurus are rising.

May 2/3 - Jupiter enters Pisces

Persons in Jupiter cycles and subcycles (“dashas” etc) will get a general bost of prosperity as a result, specifics of which depend upon your rising sign and other factors. Persons born under Sagittarius or Pisces especially will also get overall boosts, unless Jupiter is under distress in your individual chart. Others with Jupiter in Pisces, Virgo, Cancer or Scorpio will also get some (most likely) beneficial effect from the transit.

May 9th/10th – Moon Conjoins Jupiter

The effects will vary from individual to individual (as always) depending on the conditions of Jupiter and the Moon, and their inter-relationship, in each individual’s birth chart. However, in general, this presents good opportunity for increased philosophical or moral reflection.

May 14th/15th – Sun & Venus move into new signs

At nearly exactly 30º apart from one another, both the Sun and Venus will almost simultaneously change sidereal signs. The Sun will move into Taurus, and Venus will move into Gemini. The resulting situation is unusual because the three inner planets, Sun, Mercury and Venus will each be in a separate sign (Mercury in Aries, Sun in Taurus, and Venus in Gemini). These three are most often clumped closely together in the same sign – so having them spread out in three different signs distributes their energies in a strong and balanced way. Children born during this condition (which lasts for roughly a month) are benefitted by having stronger ability to express themselves through their intellect and senses. This would be particularly beneficial to those born while Leo or Aquarius rises.

This will cause the 9 planets to occupy 7 different signs, and when the Moon is in Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn or Aquarius, they will be distributed to 8 different signs, which is fairly unusual and suggests a good balance of energy and stability in general in the world during these times and for newborns.

May 26th/27th – Mars finally leaves Cancer!

Mars has been debilitated in sidereal cancer for a very abnormally long period of time: since the beginning of last October! This has been quite troublesome for those with Mars cycles and subcycles (“Dashas”, “Antardashas”, etc), especially those of us with planet in all the locations that Mars primarily aspects from Cancer. Today Mars will finally get to leo, and for many of us, that lets us close the chapter on contentious feelings and events brewing and surfacing since October.

Note

It is not possible to be “accurate” giving generalized “predictions” such as these. This is because each and every individual has a different astrological configuration in their birth chart – and therefore the same exact current transit will effect different people in different ways. Real accuracy and reliability can only be hoped for in one-to-one consultations with capable astrologers who can interpret the transits in reference to your personal birth chart.

Nonetheless I have tried to bring out some general themes of the transits for May, 2010 and phrase them in such a way that you do not lose sight of the fact that they are not personal interpretations for you, but general observations of potentials.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com