Differences Within a Single Sign (Part II)

This is a continuation from a previous post: Variations in a Single Sign. I’ll start by summarizing that previous article.

Primary Divisions of the Signs

There are 12 signs in the sky (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.) because the moon cycles from one full moon to the next 12 times during the course of one solar year. The complete year has roughly 360 days, so each month originally had a 12th of that many: 30 days. Therefore there are 360º in the entire zodiac, and each sign has a 30º slice of that zodiac.

The next most important division of the sky is into 27 signs, each one covering the amount of space that the Moon traverses in the course of a single day: 12 1/3º. These 27 signs are called Lunar Mansions, or Nakshatra. They overlay the 12 solar signs in an important pattern building blending-bridges between signs but creating dramatic chasms between every water and fire sign. These fire-water chasms split the zodiac into 3 supersections. Each lunar mansion has it’s own characteristics. Thus being in one lunar mansion in a sign is very different than being in another lunar mansion in the same sign.

The solar signs and lunar mansions are united by the harmonic thread of the navamsha – a division of each sign into 9 harmonic slices, which correlates to each lunar mansion being divided into 4 slices – and reinforces the depth of the 3 zodiacal chasms, since these navamsha slices always end with the final sign, Pisces on the water side of the chasm, and begin with Aries on the fire side of the chasm. Each slice is 3 1/3º in length. Even being in the same lunar mansion in a sign, it will be quite a different place depending on which navamasha slice one finds oneself in, within that lunar mansion – because the characteristics of the sign of that navamsha slice will affect those 3 1/3º of the sign in an underlying manner.

In this way we can see that the signs themselves are just rough estimations of the zodiac effect on a planet. A finer estimation, about twice as detailed, comes from also considering the lunar mansion. And a still finer estimation, about 4 times more detailed than the lunar mansion, comes by also considering the navamsha – which changes every 3 and 1/3º.

Still More Detail

There is a lot more detail beyond even this! But before going there let me first explain what I consider to be the next most practically important consideration after the Sign, Lunar Mansion, and Navamsha: the “age” of the planet.

Avastha – Age of the Planet

Avasthas

Depending on it’s position in a sign, a planet will feel itself to be either

1. Newborn
2. Youtful
3. Adult
4. Elderly
5. Near death

As you might deduce, since a sign has 30º and there are 5 different ages within a sign, each age spans 6º.  A planet in first 6º of Aries (for example) feels itself to be newly born. In the second 6º, feels itself to be youthful, etc.

It’s almost that simple except there is a gradual rise and fall of the age experience of a planet. In other words, lets say the Sun goes into the final 6º of Aries (24º – 30º), feels himself drained of energy, and feels dead. Now what happens when he passes 30º of Aries and suddenly enters 0º of the next sign, Taurus. Does he suddenly feel like a newborn? No. He still feels drained and dead, but starts to recover and gradually becomes more youthful, until he gets to the final 6º of Taurus where he feels once again newborn.

So, remember that all the odd numbered signs are male, and all the even numbered signs are female (Aries is 1, Taurus is 2, etc.). In any male sign, the 1st section of 6º makes planets feel like they are newborns. And in each section of 6º thereafter, the planet feels older and older. In any female sign, the 1st section of 6º makes planets feel like they are dead, but in each section thereafter they feel younger and younger.

I’ve represented this on the graphic above by showing various shades of grey along the outer compass layer of the wheel. The lightest gray is the newborn section of the sign, progressing to the darkest section which is the dead section.

Now, here is how the various ages affect the planets:

1. A planet in a newborn degree of the sign indicates an area in life in which a person can and likely will make significant progress and improvement and growth, but their starting point in that area is relatively week and vulnerable and naive.
2. A planet who is youthful has lots of energy and enthusiasm, but still lacks some experience. In general though, this is a strong degree placement and let’s the planet be a more positive contributing factor in the person’s life
3. A planet who is adult is at her very best. She still has strength and energy similar to youth, but now has experience and wisdom similar to being old. So planets in these degrees grant the person a lot of power and strength in life.
4. A planet who is elderly has wisdom, but not health. These planets can be sources of wisdom, but tend to cause health problems and need help from other factors in the chart to be highly effective for the person.
5. A planet who is near death is almost unable to do anything for the person. It presents challenges to a person’s life, and will be involved in actually bringing about the death of the person.

You should note the basic principle is that the closer a planet is towards approaching the middle of it’s adulthood (i.e. the middle of the sign) the better off the planet is. While the further the planet has progressed past the middle of it’s adulthood, the worse of it it. These effects can be referenced by an astrologer in the course of developing his or her basic interpretations of the planets in a person’s chart, and they are particularly important when ascertaining the effects that a planet will cause during it’s dasha (chronological cycle).

Now, if you ask me, that is fantastically useful info! =)

More Harmonic Divisions

We already mentioned one of the many harmonic divisions, the 9th division or navamsha. That division deserves special mention because it is by far the most significant. But there are many other divisions of a sign which I will describe now.

Hora

2 Parts – Hora

If you split each of the 12 signs into two parts you wind up with 24 parts. 24 Horas. That’s why we have “24 hours” in a day.

The first half of male signs belongs to the Sun, while the first half of female signs belongs to the Moon. You can see this mapped out in the graphic at left.

This division is not very clearly understood by many who work with Vedic astrology, but in Phaladeepika the author, Mantreshwara, gives a clear guid how to use it.

• Malefics (see: What the Planets Represent in Astrology) produce the most desirable results when they are in the Sun’s half of male signs (not just the Sun’s half of any sign). In this case they will make a person hard to defeat, and therefore strong and wealthy.
• Benefics should be in the Moon’s half of female signs to produce their best possible results. They would them promote humility, grace, and fortune in the individual.
• Other combinations do not produce particularly noteworthy results.

You should combine this, of course, with everything else you’ve learned about the divisions of a sign. For example, you know that towards the middle of a sign is where a planet is youthful and strong. So for malefics in the first hora/half of a male sign, if they are towards the end of that half, near the middle of the sign, they will be exceedingly powerful. But if they are in the early portion of that half in a newborn condition, they will require some nurturing. Etc.

Drekkan

3 Parts – Drekkan

Next, divide each sign into 3 sections. Each would be 10º in length. The sign of each division starts with the sign it is a division of. The next division is the 5th sign from it, and the final division is the 9th sign from it. So for example, in Aries, the first drekkan is Aries, the middle drekkan is Leo, and the final drekkan is Sagittarius.

You can note that each sign in a drekkan is the same element as the sign it is a division of. This division of a sign is particularly relevant to the Ascendant. In a future post I will mention more about the effects of the various drekkanas on the Ascendant.

Trimshamsa

5 Parts – Trimsha

This is a fascinating division of the sign into 5 unequal parts. It goes hand in hand with the hora division in the sense that only the Sun and Moon rule the hora, and in the Trimsha only the other 5 planets, not the sun and moon, rule. If you click to enlarge the graphic at right and contemplate the trimshamsa ring on the wheel you will perhaps notice that a male sign is divided only into other male signs, while female signs are divided only into female signs. The order of the rulers of the signs is Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus. But in female signs the order goes in reverse. So the males signs of these planets manifest in the divisions within the males signs, and visa versa. Look at the graphic enlarged and it may make more sense!

These divisions are usually taken out of context of the larger wheel and drawn as their own individual charts. In that context, the Trimshamsha divisions represent the misfortunes a person faces. Perhaps that is why it is the only crooked and uneven division system?

In the larger context, the Trimshamsha is relevant primarily to differentiating the degrees within a single sign, as will all the others. To explain how to utilize this info is my main intention for describing all these divisions, but will have to wait to be described in a soon forthcoming article!

All Divisionals

All Divisionals

There are a few more divisions of the horoscope that also mainly contribute to dividing a sign into different areas. After the trimshamsa there is the 7-part divisional (saptamsha). This splits every sign into 7 subsigns. In male signs, the subsigns start with the sign itself, in female signs they start with the opposite sign. See the graphic (enlarged) to make more sense of this description.

Then there is the dashamsha which is relatively weak as a divisional on it’s own, but which contributes like all the others to a planet’s experience of the exact degree it occupies in a sign. This is the 10-part division. In male signs, the subsigns of these divisions start with the sign itself. In female signs they start with the 9th sign from it. Again, see the illustration.

Then there is the 12-part divisional (dvadashamsha). In each sign the subsigns for each of these slices start with the sign itself.

There are two more important divisional slices of a sign that become to small to easily illustrate. These are the 16-part division (1º16’52″ each division) and the 60-part division (half a degree for each slice!!!).

Astrologers use these divisions of a sign in different groups or packages.

• Using all 10 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, and 60 part divisions) is called the 10-part package (dasha-varga). This 10-part package is extremely important for calculating exactly how a planet feels in a given birth chart, which I will explain in my next article.
• When reading the divisional slices as separate sub-charts unto themselves we commonly use 6 of them (the 1,2,3,5,9, and 12 slice divisionals). This is called the 6-part package, shada-varga.
• Sometimes the 7th divisional chart is also included, in which case the package is called 7-part, sapta-varga

When you look at the graphic I created be aware that

• The innermost ring is the 1-divisional = the 12 signs themselves.
• Outside that is the 2-divisional = the hora
• Outside that is the 3-divisional = the drekkan
• Outside that is the 5-divisional = the trimsha-amsha
• Outside that is the 7-divisional = the sapta-amsha
• Outside that is the 10-divisional = the dasha-amsha
• Outside that is the 12-divisional = the dvadasha – amsha
• Outside that are the lunar mansions
• Outside that is the 9-divisional, the most important one besides the main sign = the nava-amsha
• Outside that, outtermost, are the 360 degrees of the zodiac, grayscale coded for the various ages of the sign.

Look for my next article to really put all this information to fantastic use!!!!

Thank you,

Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Variations in a Single Sign

One of the greatest misconceptions in astrology is that a sign is a uniform place all the way through. It is akin to thinking that America is the same in the north, south, midwest, etc. The people in the American midwest are very different from the people in the northwest, who are different from the people in the South, etc. etc. In the same way, a sign is not the same place all the way through! 1º of Aries is quite different from 15º Aries, which is quite different from 6º Aries, etc. etc.

Now, by explaining the 3^rd Chapter of the medieval classic She Who Illuminates the Fruit, I’ll explain what the different sections within a sign are, how they differ, and how to utilize this in interpreting an astrological chart.

Main 12 Sections of the Zodiac

The 12 Main Solar Signs

Above is a chart diagraming the primary division of the sky into the 12 familiar zodiac signs, Aries through Pisces. Why do 12 and not some other number? It is because our planet will make a complete spin on it’s axis (a day) approximately 360 times during the course of going around the Sun once (a year). Thus we measure a circle as having 360 degrees. Why not a more exact 365? Because it’s not a round number and is very unwieldy! But this lets you know that the borders between the signs are slightly fuzzy. When you have elements close to borders you should use fuzzy, inclusive thinking. But that’s too advanced for right now. Let’s get back to the topic at hand. Why do we have 12 signs and not some other number?

Firstly it is because we have roughly 360 days. And during the course of those 360 days in which the Earth goes around the Sun, the Moon will go around the Earth roughly 12 times. This is why we have 12 months in a year, and it is why we have 12 main divisions of the zodiac and not 13 or some other number. Each division or “sign” marks the amount of space that the Sun moves (which is how it appears from Earth, when in fact Earth moves around the stationary Sun) during the amount of time it takes the Moon to go around the Earth once, and thus complete a cycle from full moon to full moon (or new moon to new moon).

Each sign therefore holds 30º of space, since 30 x 12 = 360.

I’ve already described the characteristics of these 12 “signs” in other posts, articles, chapters, etc. So let’s not divert to that discussion right now. Instead let’s move forward to investigate the next most important division of the sky.

27 Lunar Mansions, Nakshatras

The 27 Lunar Manions

The next most important division of the zodiac after the 12 solar “signs” are the 27 lunar mansions, depicted in the illustration above. While the 12 solar divisions mark the sections of space covered by the Sun in one complete lunar cycle (month), the 27 lunar mansions mark the sections of space covered by the Moon in one complete solar cycle (day).

You’ll notice that there are exactly 9 lunar mansions corresponding to 4 solar signs. This causes the zodiac to develop three distinct super-sections. Aries through Cancer mark the first section in which new things begin. Leo through Scorpio mark the middle section of 9 lunar mansions, in which we work hard to turn blueprints into realities. Sagittarius through Pisces mark the final section, in which we reap the finished product of our desires and efforts. The borders between these three sections are called “chasms” (gandanta) and represent significant challenges in the evolutionary process.

In the rest of the cases besides these chasms, the lunar mansions build bridges across the borders of the solar signs. For example, the 3^rd mansion, Krittika (“The Incisive”) bridges from Aries into Taurus. The 6^th, Mrigashira (“The Searcher”) bridges from Taurus to Gemini, etc. These are important definitions of “fuzzy zones” and “cuspal areas” where the traits of neighboring signs make exchanges and blend together somewhat (slightly).

The lunar mansions have tremendous effect on the nature of the place a planet inhabits within a sign. The Moon in the mansion of Krittika, for example, finds her environment a very sharp and lusty place, while when in Rohini she finds herself among tremendous creative talents and urges for self-knowing. In both cases we would say “the Moon is in Taurus” but both situations are quite different! At the end of Taurus the Moon would find herself in Mrigashira, where the environment is decidedly more quiet and contemplative.

Naturally, an astrologer needs to become as throughly acquainted with the qualities of the 27 lunar mansions, as with the qualities of the 12 solar signs.

9 Subsections of a Sign

The 108 slices of 9

Now we come to dividing the solar signs into smaller subparts (amshas). The most important and influential of all these divisions occurs when we divide the sign into 9 subparts. The reason these are the most influential and important subsections of a sign is because the 9 slices form a bridge which unifies the 12 solar signs and the 27 lunar mansions. It is the only division system that correlates exactly with both the solar signs and lunar mansions, there being exactly 9 slices in each solar sign and exactly 4 in each lunar mansion. The 4 slices within each lunar mansion are known as it’s four quarters or legs (padas).

Another reason for the importance of this system of subdivisions is that it results in the sky obtaining 108 slices, which is the occult number of supreme importance.

Each slice within a sign brings the quality of the sign that it represents into the larger sign in which it exists. For example, at 1º of Taurus we find ourself in a slice of Capricorn. In the area of this first slice, Taurus is extreme stable and practical with some additional critical intellectual skills. However in the next slice, Aquarius, we find Taurus becoming more eclectic and more socially inclined and interested in pleasures and enjoyments.

Each sign will have one slice which is identical to the sign itself. And it’s always either the beginning, middle or end slice in which this happens. For example, the 1^st slice of Aries is also Aries, the middle slice of Taurus is also Taurus, the final slice of Gemini is also Gemini, etc. This slice of the sign is the sweet spot in the sign, where the trademark characteristics of that sign are most predominent. When a planet get’s into this sweetspot, the effects of being in that sign get amplified.

So with this information we know that there are 9 distinct areas within every sign, just like a country like America has several regions with their own distinct traits and characteristics.

To Be Continued…

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

What the Planets Represent in Astrology

First, please read the previous posts on the main things represented by the planets and their main physical characteristics. In this post I am going to describe some rather specific and somewhat obscure things about the planets, which Mantreshwar describes in the 2^nd Chapter of his Book, Phaladeepika – She Who Illuminates the Fruits.

Basic Nature

She's "benefic" - gentle

Planets are either “malefic” or “benefic” – that’s that. But frankly 2% of the people who use these terms probably know what they mean. These are not even Sanskrit words, but they are used with such authority and finality! The Sanskrit words are krura and saumya, respectively, which literally means cruel and gentle. The real meaning of this whole shindig about “malefic” and “benefic” is that some planets have a harsh nature and some have a gentle nature. This has nothing to do with “good” and “bad”! It has everything to do with the personality of the planet.

He's Malefic, Harsh

Lets say you are overweight. A harsh (“malefic”) planet will come up to you and say, “hey, you are fat. What’s the problem? Can’t you stop eating, or are you just a weakling? Come on already, get with it!” A gentle (“benefic”) planet will instead say “you are so pretty today. You are looking better and better all the time. I think you’re starting to lose weight! Let’s buy some new clothes and get dressed up!” Neither of these is “good” or “bad” in any absolute sense. The harsh person could really be trying to help you, and the gentle person could really be trying to make you even fatter! Or it could be the harsh person who is just trying to hurt your feelings, and the gentle person is being your friend and trying to keep you inspired to look good and lose weight that way. The personality trait of a planet being “malefic” or “benefic” has nothing to do with the good or bad -ness of the planet for you! It has everything to do with their style of interacting with you.

The Malefic or Harsh planets are (in lessening order of harshness):

• Rahu & Ketu
• Saturn
• Mars
• The Sun

The Benefic or Gentle planets are (in lessening order of gentleness):

• Jupiter
• Venus
• The Moon
• Mercury

Mercury and the Moon have to do with the emotions, mind and intellect, and those are often not super reliable things, that can change, right? Similarly, there are some conditions under which the Moon and Mercury will display a harsh attitude (“be malefic”) instead of their normal gentle attitude.

If the Moon is too dark she becomes harsh. “Too dark” generally means a few days surrounding the new moon. Mercury becomes harsh if he hangs around harsh people. So if you see Mercury in a strong conjunction with a harsh planet, or with harsh planets on both sides of him, he will become more harsh than gentle.

Genders

Females:

• Venus
• Moon
• Rahu (yes, mantreshwar says Rahu is a female, in his phaladeepika 2:27)

Males:

• Mars
• Sun
• Jupiter

Androgynous:

• Mercury
• Saturn
• Ketu

S/he's very androgynous

Female planets represent women, and they have a feminine approach to dispensing their karma. That is they are rather thoughtful, talkative, introspective, and look for group support and affirmation. Male planets literally represent men, and they have a masculine approach to dishing out their destinies. So they are selfish but ambitious and strong, extroverted and can give support. Androgynous planets represent those who are bisexual, bigendered, androgynous, etc. They are very flexible and open and dextrous in how they operate.

Relationships

The inter-relationships of friendship, neutrality and enmity between the planets is extremely, extremely, extremely important to understanding how astrology operates. I’ve described this extensively in other articles.

Basically, the authority planets are all friends with one another: Sun, Mars and Jupiter. The Moon is also in this group, but she is not as adamant. The rebellious planets are also friends with one another: Saturn, Venus, & Mercury. The nodes (Rahu & Ketu) hold more allegiance to this group, of course. When planets are too close or too far, their relationship deteriorates. If the are at a good distance, their relationship improves. A “good distance” is 3 signs to either side of the planet, not including the sign the planet is actually in.

Aspects

When a planet sit’s at one point in the sky, it influences other places as well, to different extents. It’s like having a stereo playing in a room. As you move about the room you will hear it differently due to the acoustics in different places – it doesn’t just affect the area where the stereo is located.

They system of aspects that Mantreshwar describes is the same system that most classics describe, but is really not followed by most astrologers. He says that every planet has the following aspects or influences to other places in the sky

Fully affects the opposite point in the sky as if it were there. (this is the 7^th house / sign)

• Affects the 4^th and 8^th house from itself with ¾ of it’s power.
• Affects the trines from itself (5^th and 9^th) with ½ power.
• Affects the 3^rd and 10^th from itself with ¼ power.

There are three exceptions

• Jupiter’s influence on the trines is full-power, not the usual ½ power.
• Saturn’s influence on the 3^rd and 10^th is full power, not the usual ¼.
• Mars’ influence on the 4^th and 8^th is full power, not the usual ¾.

Those familiar with the aspect system popular in modern western astrology please pay careful attention to this. There doesn’t need to be a planet in the sign or house to receive the influence of the aspecting planet! The sign and house itself will absorb the energy of the aspect.

Casts NICE trines

If you are wondering if squares, trines, etc. are in Vedic astrology the answer is that one can see how Vedic astrology influenced this system of aspects by noting that benefic Jupiter is the planet who casts trine aspects in Vedic astrology, and malefic Mars and Saturn are the planets who cast square aspects. Conversely one can see the influence of Persian and Mediterranean  astrology on Vedic astrology if one includes tajjika aspects, which Mantreshwar does not make reference to in his book, but are identical to the western aspect system currently in vogue and have been used for centuries in Vedic astrology.

Directions

Every planet signifies a specific direction. If you are looking in a chart for an answer that requires a general direction, consult these details, as well as the directions indicated by the signs and houses relevant to what you are investigating in the chart.

Places

Religious Places

Surya

The Sun concerns temples of male gods, while the Moon temples of female goddesses. Mars, connected with places of fire, can be connected to the alters of fire rituals. Mercury is specifically connected to temples of Vishnu-tattva (The transcendental forms of godhead, beyond the universe). Jupiter is the place where the priests and gurus reside. Venus, like Mars, doesn’t have a direct location in religious spaces, but by extension can be said to concern the areas where dance and music is performed in religious ceremonies. Saturn is specifically connected to temples dedicated to logic and debate, such as Buddhist and “jnanic” schools of Hinduism.

Other places

Chandra

The Sun concerns open, bright spaces – well exemplified by deserts. The Moon concerns places of water, healing, and women. Mars concerns places of fire, and where there are ruffians, thieves, and other dangerous types. A battlefield is a great example of a place you will find Mars in full effect. Mercury dwells in playgrounds, arcades, amusement parks and schools. Venus dwells in places connected to sex, art, and pleasure – bedrooms, restaurants, and cinemas, for example. Saturn lives in dirty places, with people of “strange” culture. You will find Rahu & Ketu in the darkness, and in anthills and the holes of snakes.

People

The Sun = Doctors, kings, & ministers. The Moon = Women, farmers & washers. Mars = Soldiers & police, cooks and goldsmiths. Mercury = Teachers & students, artisans, mathematicians. Jupiter = Teachers, priests, advisors, astrologers, renunicates, important people. Venus = Musicians, artists, models, actors, and the wealthy. Saturn = Workers, servants, blacksmiths & iron workers, those who deal with oil. Rahu & Ketu = Snake catchers & those of foreign religions.

Animals

Now you know why monkeys and thieves are so similar

The Sun - tigers, deers, and turtle dove. The Moon – Fish, rabbits, antelopes, cranes, partridge. Mars = ram, cock, jackal, monkeys, vultures. Mercury = Vishnu’s personal eagle, Garuda. parrots, cats, other birds. Jupiter = Swan, horse, and pigeons. Venus = cows and parrots (note the connection of this most articulate and beautiful bird to both Venus and Mercury). Saturn = Elephants, cuckoos, and crows. Rahu & Ketu = owls, donkeys, wolves, camels, snakes, mosquitoes, insects.

Flora

The Sun = strong and tall trees. The Moon & Venus = creeping vines, flowering trees. Mars & Saturn = thorny trees and bushes. Jupiter = fruit trees. Mercury = fruitless trees. Rahu & Ketu = thickets.

Tons of Facts

There are just tons after tons of facts packed into the verses in the second chapter of She Who Illuminates the Fruits. And these facts are found nearly verbatim in most of the astrological scriptures and classics of India. Students used to memorize these as well as kids today know the characteristic minutia of various Pokemon monsters. I will try to reproduce them here is a table for ease of reference.

That’s a lot of facts. And I’ve left out a few. Let me give some comments on some of these that strike me. Jupiter controls Gold and Venus controls Silver. Thus the two most precious metals are controlled by the two most benefic and generous planets. As described elsewhere don’t forget that the Sun is always connected to Gold, and the Moon always connected to silver. They delegate these powers partially to their regents, Jupiter and Venus, respectively.

The Sun is a clear-headed leader, but Mars is a dark-minded leader. In other words the Sun makes a good king, while Mars makes a good general. Mercury is an artisan (shudra) because of his manual dexterity. Saturn is a misfit. People like me love Saturn. ;~)

Don’t be too confused by the family attributes of the planets. Remember that the Sun always represents dad and the Moon always represents mom. What this new information tells you is that if it is daytime, the Sun fully represents dad, but if it is nighttime, dad also gets represented by Saturn. If it is nighttime the Moon completely represents mama, but if during the day – Venus will be a co-indicator of dear old mom.

Duration information can be used largely for reading specific queries from a divination chart (“prashna”). You can also read it to understand the relative stamina of planets. Saturn has the highest stamina and the Moon has the least.

Maturity indicates when a planet really hits a human being. For example, Saturn – the force of death, matures at 100 years. Mars, the force of sexual hormones, matures at 16. The Sun, the force of natural leadership, hits at 50 and is followed by the Moon, indicating a more graceful and behind the scenes leadership.

Rahu and Ketu

Rahu

Rahu and Ketu got ignored somewhat in all these tables and lists. Mantreshwara gives some compensating info. Rahu’s gem is hessonite garnet. Ketu’s is cat’s eye. Rahu is blue, huge, misfit, has skin problems, hates religious structures, get’s hic-coughs a lot (yes, that’s what it says!). She has a real tendency to lie and talk bad about other people

Ketu has red eyes and a ferocious glance. He has a serpent’s tongue, poisonous bite. He is lean, full of bruises and carries weapons. She’s a misfit, is the color of smoke, and always smokes (as in cigarettes or drugs). Don’t mess with him.

Ketu

Rahu controls lead, and wears old and worn out clothes. Ketu controls earthen pots (like Mars) and wears multicolored clothes. Mars is the one authority planet who can tolerate Rahu and Ketu. This is because they serve as soldiers in his army. The rest of the authorities are dire enemies of Rahu and Ketu, especially the Sun and Moon. The rebels (Saturn, Venus and Mercury) get along well with Rahu and Ketu.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Physical Effects from the Planets – Phaladeepika 2:8-14

When a planet is very dominant on the physical focal points in a chart, the physical characteristics of that planet will manifest in the person’s body. The physical focal point is the Ascendant – which includes

• The Ascendant itself
• The Rising Sign / 1^st House
• The lagnesh (Ruler of the 1^st House)
• The Navamsha of the ascendant.

Take Saturn for example, he aspects three houses – the 3^rd, 7^th and 10^th house from him. So if Saturn is in the 4^th , 7^th or 11^th house he will aspect the 1^st House and have some influence on the person’s physical characteristics. Say that Saturn is in the 7^th House while the lagnesh is in the 4^th or the 9^th. In this scenario Saturn would be aspecting both the 1^st House and the 1^st House ruler (lagnesh), so his influence on the person’s physical characteristics would be twice as strong. Say further that the ascendant is at 10º of the 1^st House, while Saturn is at 10º in the 7^th House. In this case the effect is tripled for Saturn also effects the first house by Tajjika aspect (“western” orb-aspects, an “opposition” aspect). If the Lagnesh is also within a few degrees of 10º in the 4^th House we add yet another influence, saying that Saturn’s effect on the physical characteristics of the person is “quadrupled”. This is intentionally simplified somewhat, just to give you an idea. Say Saturn also happens to be in the navamsha’s first house, etc. this can multiply his effect on the physical body still further.

You can say that the 2^nd house is another focal point for appearance, as far as the appearance pertains to the face specifically.

Also when a planet is simply much more powerful and dominant that the other planets in the chart, the physical characteristics of the planet will “leak through” into the person.

So this is how you analyze the chart to see how much each planet influences the physical characteristics of a person. Now, She Who Illuminates the Fruits will describe what the typical effects of a planet’s influence on our physical characteristics will be.

The Sun

High metabolism (“pitta”)

Strong bones

Thins the hair on the head

Darkens and reddens the complexion

Reddens the eyes

Brave attitude

Gives a build which is quite sturdy, square

Inclines one to dress in red

The Moon

Ample body (“kapha w/ some vata”)

Fluctuating weight

Fine black hair

Pale and fair complexion

Attractive, wet eyes

Mild attitude

Fair speech

Inclination to dress in white

Mars

High metabolism (“pitta”)

Strong bone marrow

Shiny and curly hair

Reddish complexion

Fierce eyes

Hash attitude

Angry but generous

Lean body and thin waist

Youthful appearance

Attraction to wearing red

Mercury

Sensitive constitution (balanced “tridosha”)

Good symmetry in the limbs

Prominent veins on the skin

A greenish look, or attraction to wearing green

Love for fun and games

Jupiter

Ample, plump, big body (“kapha”)

Big chest

Brown hair

Brown eyes

Intelligent

Powerful voice

Interested in wealth

Yellowish complexion

Interest in (or you might say “looks good in”) yellowish cloths

“Yellowish” actually means the color of saffron. This is a sort of mix between orange, yellow and brown.

Venus

Ample body, larger size (“kapha” and some “vatta”)

Beauty

Long, lovely eyes

Curly hair

Powerful sexual charisma and potency

Attraction to colorful clothes

Saturn

Cold body type (“vatta”)

Lanky (long and thin)

Deepset eyes

Large teeth and nails

Thick hair shafts

Dark complexion

Prominent veins

Peculiar walk

Stiff body, lack of flexibility

Fierce look

Mature or old look

Attraction to black clothes

Heart hearted and insensitive

Lack of cleanliness

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com