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Astrology Patterns and Predictions for 2013

There are several strong planetary combinations forming in 2013, indicating powerful events

scheduled for the coming year.

The first notable astrology event is the nodes changing signs in mid-January (nodes: cross-

over points of the apparent paths of the Sun and Moon, i.e., the eclipse points). Ketu, the

South Node, enters Aries. Ketu has a fiery nature, as does the sign Aries. The energy pattern

of Ketu in Aries sets up a situation prone to intense dramatic events, especially when

activated by other planets transiting through this sign. Ketu will be in Aries until July 2014,

making this sign (and this part of your natal chart) especially sensitive for this year and half

of next.

Rahu, always opposite to Ketu, enters Libra in mid-January. This new transit is significant

due to Rahu coming together with Saturn, already transiting in Libra since November 2011.

Both Saturn and Rahu are strong indicators of Force and Focus. Saturn is the planet of Form,Structure, Control, and the Established Order. Rahu is an agent of Transformation and

Obsession. The sign Libra is an Idealist. Thus: the Ambition to Transform the Established

Order to some more Ideal Form during 2013. The last time Saturn joined with Rahu while

both were in Libra was in 1864-1865: the United States abolished slavery, and President

Lincoln was assassinated. Note that since this energy pattern is available to everyone, the

New Idealistic Order could just as easily be someone else’s ideals. In your personal astrology

chart, the area of life represented by the house position of Libra is where you can predict a

transformation. Rahu will be with Saturn in Libra until July 2014.

Jupiter, the planet of Wisdom, Truth, Prosperity, and Opportunity, has been in Taurus since

May 2012. Jupiter in the materialistic, value-oriented sign Taurus is usually good for prosperity. But the expected abundance has been held back by Jupiter being in its retrograde

phase since last October. Jupiter returns to normal, forward progress in the Heavens at the

end of January. Although this development should predict an improvement for the economy,

prosperity, and the financial sector, there is another astrological factor coming into play

which continues to alter the expression of this important planet.

Both Taurus, where Jupiter is transiting, and Libra, where Saturn and Rahu are transiting, are

signs owned by Venus. In astrological parlance, Venus becomes the dispositor of Jupiter,

Saturn, and Rahu. A planet's ability to manifest its potential is only as strong as the strength

of the ruler of the sign it is in. I.e., the health of Venus is critical for Jupiter, Saturn, and Rahu

to manifest their energies. Starting in the last week of February, and continuing until the endof April, Venus’s progress in the zodiac will keep it within 8 degrees of the Sun. Venus will

be combust , i.e., burnt up: we can't see it because it is so close to the Sun. This is Bad. When

the planet of Value disappears it is difficult to determine the value of anything. When the

planet of Guidance disappears "we are without guidance." Additionally, Mars will be

traveling with combust Venus. Mars the planet of War and Destruction overwhelms Venus

the planet of Harmony and Agreement. Since Venus is getting hammered while it is the

dispositor of Jupiter, Saturn, and Rahu, the damage extends to these planets as well. The net

result is that from late February until the end of April we can't really expect much of anything

positive; it is a poor time to begin any important projects. Everything from the Economy to

Finding Agreement will be in the toilet. Finally in the first week of May, Venus enters

Taurus, thereby entering its own sign and escaping from the Sun and Mars; signaling an

overall improvement.



Starting in the last week of February, and continuing until May, there will be a “mob” of

planets traveling together in the Heavens. When planets are closely packed together in one

sign their energies are forced to interact. Too many planets all in one part of the zodiac is an

astrology pattern for imbalance creating a higher likelihood for extreme events. The main

participants this time are Sun, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. While the group transits through

Aquarius from mid-February until mid-March they will be joining Neptune, planet of Confusion and Deception. From mid-March until mid-April the group will transit through

Pisces and join forces with Uranus, the planet of Sudden Unexpected Events, Rebellion,

Disruption, etc. As the travelers enter Aries in mid-April they will encounter Ketu, the

“dissolver.” By mid-May the participants are separating, and the difficulties begin to abate.

The houses of your personal chart containing the signs Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries will

likewise be sequentially influenced by this planetary mob during these months. If you have

any natal planets in these signs (or opposite to these signs) you can predict upcoming

incidents in your life tied to the significations of those natal planets and in the areas of your

life signified by those houses of your chart.

Another Celestial Event occurs in May: a Solar Eclipse, on May 9. This one will be at 26degrees Aries, and only a few degrees away from Ketu, Mars, and Mercury. Eclipses signal

forthcoming Changes and Events. Remember that Ketu in Aries is likely to give dramatic

events anyway whenever it gets stimulated by other planets. In May we have Mars the planet

of Violence, strong in its own sign Aries, with Mercury planet of Information and

Communications in attendance, and all of this opposite to Saturn the planet of Established

Order. Thus there is a strong pattern coordinating with the eclipse indicating a high likelihood

of something significant, probably violent, in mid-May. The events could be delivered

courtesy of Mother Nature, or by way of Human Acts.

On the last day of May Jupiter leaves Taurus and begins a one-year sojourn in Gemini. The

planet of Wisdom in the adaptable sign of Diplomacy is probably a good thing for everyone.

Gemini is the sign of Ideas, now augmented by Jupiter the planet of Increase. The downside

of this is having too many ideas, too many opinions, and not being able to decide anything.

Jupiter will have Mercury as its dispositor for the next 12 months, until June 2014. Mercury

moves swiftly through the Heavens and is easily influenced by whatever planet it comes into

contact with. Thus while in Gemini, Jupiter will be vulnerable to the ever-changing fortunes

of Mercury. From Gemini Jupiter will be sending its benefic energy to its own sign

Sagittarius on the opposite side of the zodiac, as well as sending energy via its full-force trine

aspects to Libra and Aquarius. Planets transiting in these signs, namely Saturn and Rahu in

Libra and Neptune in Aquarius, will benefit from Jupiter's positive energy. Likewise in your

own astrology chart, any natal planets in these signs will also receive a boost for the nexttwelve months starting June 2013.

While crossing over into Gemini at the end of May, Jupiter is in the company of Venus and

Mercury, putting three benefic planets together in the sign of Ideas and Consensus. For the

next couple of months these planets will have escaped the influence of the malefic Mars; the

pattern in the Heavens is overall more positive, a definite change from the previous months.

This situation prevails, more or less, into August. Therefore the summer months look to be

more favorable, or at least calmer.

Clouds begin to gather again in late August as another strong planetary pattern begins to

form. Rahu and Saturn have been getting closer and closer together in Libra, and will beexactly conjunct in the second week of September. Simultaneously Mars has moved into



Cancer, its sign of debilitation. Natural malefics, such as Mars, are considered potentially

very destructive when in their sign of debilitation. Mars throws its full energy onto the sign 4

signs ahead of itself (a "square" aspect); Saturn casts a full force aspect 10 signs ahead of

itself. Thus these two "bad" planets are in mutual aspect starting in late August (example of

someone born with this pattern in his natal chart: Adolf Hitler). By the second week of

September Mars is also at the mid-point of the Rahu-Ketu axis, another astrological patternthat puts a lot of stress on a planet, further increasing the potential for negative events. Venus

jumps in as well, and will be exactly conjunct with Saturn and Rahu in mid-September while

all three are simultaneously receiving the malefic aspect of Mars. The energy pattern is strong

for Transformative Events, potentially Violent. Once again, what occurs can manifest by way

of Mother Nature or Human Activities. Best to be wary of the month of September.

By October the stress of September is dissipating; things settle down somewhat. Then on

November 3 there is another Solar Eclipse, a 17 degrees Libra, this time closely associated

with Saturn and retrograde Mercury. Once again there is a strong potential for Stress and

Change during November 2013, but not to the degree of the May eclipse, or the September

combination.

As the year draws to a close Mars enters Virgo, where it will be opposite to Uranus in Pisces.

This astrology pattern pits the planet of Fast-moving Action and Aggression against the

planet of Sudden Events and Rebellion, obviously a problematic combination. Once again the

prediction is for Violent Events. The two planets will be exactly opposite each other on

December 24-25. About the same time Venus enters a 6-week long retrograde period, setting

the stage for more difficulties dealing with Venus’s significations of Values, Finance,

Guidance, Agreements, etc., as we enter 2014.

Who Wins? Predicting Victory Over an OpponentCan Vedic Astrology predict the outcome of a contest? As we enter the final weeks of the 2012 Presidential Campaign the subject of “who is going to win” has become theobsession of the nation, the media, and anyone else not living under a rock. Likewisein our personal lives, at times we have to go up against an opponent, be it in the

business world, in sports, or even a legal matter. Being able to determine the winner beforehand, if favorable to you, would give you the confidence to proceed, or if unfavorable could save you a lot of trouble and unhappiness.

A contest, a battle, a lawsuit –each is a match-up between two opposing parties. As

such, we should be able to “match up” two astrology charts and deduce which isstronger and thereby predict the winner. In fact, this is the essence of forecasting any outcome in astrology: the strength of the relevant factors, or conversely, their

weakness, is what determines the result. In the case of contests, the astrology of bothparticipants needs to be evaluated.

The part of the chart that is especially important in battles is the 6th house: the houseof Struggle and Difficulty. This sector of your chart foretells not only what sorts of problems you encounter in your life; it also indicates how well you overcome theseproblems. A strong 6th house gives the power to Win in Life. What makes a strong6th house? The ancient texts specifically indicate that natural malefics, i.e., Mars,

Saturn, Rahu, Sun, will bolster the energy of the 6th house and insure victory overopponents (interestingly, these same planets in the 6th house give you opponents).



But it is the ruler of the 6thhouse (the planet that owns the sign in your 6th) thatrepresents the actual adversary, and should it be strong, you’re in trouble. I.e., if theplanet owning the 6th house has strength and prominence in your chart, you have thekarma of having to deal with powerful problems and enemies.

Let’s examine the case of President Barack Obama. Since he is Capricorn Rising, his6thhouse is Gemini, ruled by Mercury. Mercury in itself is a rather weak planet whichshouldn’t present much difficulty, except that in Mr. Obama’s chart Mercury teamsup with the Sun, both in his 7th house, which gives him the karma of having direct,powerful enemies (the 7th house stands for the person “opposite” to you, typically

your spouse, but also includes “open enemies”). Further, the natural benefic Venus,the planet of Harmony and Agreement, occupies his 6th house, which is not what we

want to see for a strong 6thhouse. In other words, instead of trying to defeat hisenemies, Mr Obama tries to “make nice” and compromise with them.

Now switch over to Mr. Romney’s chart. For a Taurus Rising, Libra is the 6th house,

ruled by Venus. His Venus is in his 9th house, the house of Good Fortune. Thus, Mr.Romney has Luck on his side when it comes to defeating enemies. Further, there isno planet occupying his 6th house. But does this mean he wins in a real fight? Notnecessarily; in fact it would be more correct to say that he has the good fortune of nothaving to go to battle. This makes him vulnerable when there actually is a “worthy opponent,” such as when he ran against Ted Kennedy for senator of Massachusettes.

The natural malefics (Mars, Sun, Saturn, Rahu) if strongly placed in the natal chart,contribute much energy for success. What Mr. Romney does have is a very powerful10thhouse, the house of actions in the world; the house of Success. His Mars-Sunconjunction in his 10th house indicates karma for Leadership as well as someone who

will stop at nothing to achieve success, i.e., he is ruthless. What does Mr. Obamahave? He has the power of his Ascendant, which is occupied by its own ruler Saturn,giving him Persistence and Great Endurance.

Besides the karma for victory shown by the natal chart, we also have to considerTiming. I.e., is your karma for victory “turned on” in your chart when the time for

battle comes? How about your adversary? Is his karma for winning activated, or not?This question gets answered through the analysis provided by the Vimshottari Dasha(a.k.a. planetary period system) of Vedic Astrology. For instance, Mr. Obama justrecently entered his Saturn Major Period. Saturn is the most powerful planet in hischart: the ruler of the Rising Sign in the 1st house. This by itself is a strong indicationof Success at this time in his life. Mr. Romney is in his Sun Major period, andMercury sub-period. Sun and Mercury form a potent combination in his 10th house:he too is primed for success at this time of his life. But Mercury is a much weakerplanet, and is disadvantaged in his chart by its association with malefic Mars, makingMr. Romney prone to making mistakes.

And then there’s another group of important timing factors that must also beconsidered before we can pronounce the victor: these are the Transits. If you areundergoing a particularly “bad” transit to an important part of your chart, forinstance your Ascendant, that could weaken you to the point where it over-ridesother favorable factors in your chart and ends up handing victory to the other guy. Insuch a case it would be better, if possible, to postpone the battle until a moreauspicious time. Mitt Romney now has Ketu (one of the eclipse points) transiting



through his Taurus ascendant. Ketu is the connector to Past Karma. As we have seen,Mr. Romney’s past actions have become a major thorn in his heel all during thecampaign.

Mars is the planet of Battle and Victory. Its position in the zodiac should be favorable

to your natal chart when you are engaged in a battle. Starting a month before andcontinuing during the time of the elections, Mars is transiting in Scorpio. In Mr.Obama’s chart, that puts Mars in his 11th house of Goals and Accomplishments, whereit is exceptionally strong and promises favorable results. But in Mr. Romney’s chart,the same Mars transit shows up in his 7th house, the house of “The Direct Enemy.”Mars transiting in its own sign “powers up” this part of Romney’s chart whilesimultaneously afflicting his Ascendant (and by its special 4th house/ square aspect,also hammers his 10th house), thereby weakening his prospects for victory.

The Navamsha Chart in Vedic Astrology

Vedic Astrology employs many different techniques and formulas for evaluating thequalities, strengths and weaknesses of planets in the birth chart. One of thesetechniques is the use of “Vargas” or Divisional Charts, sometimes referred to asSubcharts, or Harmonic Charts. These charts are each created by applying a specificmathematical formula to the original data provided by the Birth Chart. Eachdivisional chart is then used to help interpret a specific part of life.

The most important of these Harmonic Charts is the Navamsha Chart. It is calculated by dividing the 360 degree zodiac into 108 equal segments. Thus the size of eachsegment ends up being 3 degrees and 20 minutes of arc. There are 9 segments in

each 30 degree zodiacal sign, hence the name Navamsha, based on the sanskrit word“Nav” meaning Nine. Each amsha or division is ascribed to a particular sign,following each other in the natural order of the zodiac. Thus the first division goesfrom 0 degrees Aries until 3 deg, 20’ and is called “Aries navamsha”, the 2nd divisionfrom 3 deg, 20’ to 6 deg, 40’ becomes Taurus navamsha, the next one is Gemini, andso forth. When you get to Pisces the 12thdivision, the next one is Aries again. Thesequence of 12 zodiacal signs repeats itself 9 times to complete all of the 108segments in the zodiac. The astrology software makes short work of the otherwiselaborious calculation.

Each planet and important point (such as the Rising Degree) ends up in a particular

place in the Navamsha Chart, which is usually different from the sign and house itoccupied in the Birth Chart. The new chart constructed by this process is theninterpreted according to the rules and guidelines described in the ancient texts. Thenavamsha chart is used in many different ways. What follows is a description of someof the common applications.

One of the most important uses of the navamsha chart is to determine the inner ortrue strength of a natal planet. This is done by noting what sign the planet occupiesin the navamsha chart. If a planet is placed in one of its own signs (for instance,

Venus in Libra) then that planet is considered strengthened by the navamsha. If onthe other hand the planet is in an “enemy” sign, or its sign of debilitation (Venus in

Cancer; Venus in Virgo) then it has been weakened in the navamsha. Even if a planet



is otherwise “good” in the birth chart, if it loses power in the navamsha its ability todo good has been compromised.

Another techique for the navamsha interpretation is to find out which planet is the“Navamsha Ruler” of a natal planet. If Mercury is in Pisces in the navamsha chart,

then Jupiter as the ruler of the sign Pisces, becomes the “Navamsha Lord” of Mercury. Now going back to the original natal chart, the astrologer looks to see if Jupiter is in a relationship with Mercury (for instance, Jupiter conjunct Mercury). If so, it means that Mercury has gained strength by its association in the birth chart

with its navamsha lord.In this case since Jupiter is a generally Benefic planet, theresulting strength is a favorable one (Jupiter + Mercury enhances Learning and

Wisdom). In other cases the combination may result in a planet gaining strength in anegative way, such as Saturn in a relationship with Venus adding an element of Selfishness or Cruelty in partnership.

Most famously the navamsha chart is used to analyze a person’s marriage prospects.

The birth chart’s 7th house is what is normally examined for relationship karma.Checking how well the planetary ruler of the 7th house fares in the navamsha chartevalutates the inner strength of the lord of the marriage house. Now anotherdimension can be added by analyzing the 7th house of the navamsha chart and itsruler. It has been found that in a large proportion of successful marriages the7th house ruler in the navamsha chart of each partner is a prominent planet in theother partners natal chart. For example: if Leo is the sign of the 7th house in aperson’s navamsha chart, then the partner likely has Sun as a dominant planet intheir birth chart, such as Sun occupying the 1st house.

The navamsha, being the 9th divisional chart, shows more details about the 9th house

of the natal chart. The 9th house is the house of Dharma and Destiny. Thus thenavamsha can be examined for details about “where you are going.” Traditionally this meant what sort of life your next lifetime would be. But we can also look at it as achart displaying the soul’s overall path. In this context the original birth chart

becomes the chart of the present life; what sort of lessons the soul has chosen as anexpression of its larger purpose. Sometimes the navamsha chart planets areespecially strong but the natal chart looks like a disaster. This would indicate a strongsoul choosing to undergo difficult lessons for this life.

The subcharts (there are many of them) are collectively used for making Predictionsfor a person. This technique is coordinated with the Vimshottari Dasha (planetary period system) to determine which areas of life will be especially benefited, or else

weakened, by any particular planet’s period or subperiod. For instance, if someone isin their Moon period and the Moon occupies the 7th house of the navamsha chart in afriendly sign, the prediction would be for marriage during that time of the person’slife. In a more general way, how a planet fares in the navamsha chart gives furtherclues about how the person fares during that planet’s period.

Each of the subcharts gives details of the karma of the house of the natal chartexplicitly associated with that harmonic chart. For instance, the Dashamsha chart isthe 10thdivisional chart; it can be examined for details associated with the 10th house,i.e., Career, Business, Status. The Chaturamsha is the fourth divisional chart; it isexamined along with the 4th house of the natal chart for the person’s prospects forowning a home, property, assets. But of all the divisional charts, the navamsha chart



stands alone as the most important harmonic chart. Using a whole range of techniques and special formulas, the navamsha chart becomes a gold mine of information for the astrologer; understanding the navamsha helps greatly in theinterpretation of the birth chart.

Venus in Vedic Astrology

Venus is the planet of Love, Romance, Affection. Love is what we call it whenour ego disolves in our desire for another, where we ultimately merge with the other.Being the ultimate merging, Venus represents sexual intimacy, and by extention,physical pleasure and delight. A strongly placed Venus in the birth chart, such as

when it occupies the Ascendant (1st house) indicates someone with a powerfully romantic nature, Attractive to Others, and a need to express oneself through one-to-one relationships.

Venus is the planet of Art, Beauty, Appearance. Beauty comes from thefeeling of exquisite pleasure we get when contemplating something which embodiesour sense of harmony and aesthetics. Thus Venus is Good Taste, Refinement, Purity,Quality. All of the Arts, ranging from Painting, to Music, Poetry, to Theatre, Cinema,etc. come under the significations of Venus. This includes people who are engaged inthe arts, from Musicians to Actors.

Venus represents Young Females, Wife, and Marriage. As the goddess of Love and Beauty, it comes as no surprise that Venus signifies young women (older women and mothers are represented by the Moon in Vedic Astrology). In a man’schart, Venus is one of the significators of Wife, as well as indicating one’s marriagekarma

Venus is the planet of Value, Price, Finance. Since Venus generally indicatessomething Desireable, it comes to represent Value, and therefore Money andFinance. A strong Venus is welcome in a natal chart, especially in one of the financialhouses, such as the 2nd or 11th house, as an indicator of Prosperity.

Venus is the planet of Guidance, Teaching. In the ancient mythology, it wassaid that the Asuras (the Demons) were so busy fighting amongst themselves thatnobody could teach them any of the Divine Knowledge (and thus raise up theircondition to something better). Then along came goddess Venus, who with herCharm, Grace, and Beauty, got their attention and was thereby able to impart someof the exalted teachings. Thus Venus became one of the planets of Guidance (theother one is Jupiter).

Venus is the planet of Balance, Agreements, Compromise. Being anessentially good planet, Venus wants everyone to be happy. This is achieved throughCompromise when parties have to come together to pursue some common action.

This necessarily implies some Sacrifice in order the Achieve Balance and Agreement.Sacrifice to attain Harmony is the basic nature of one of Venus’ signs, Libra. Venus



also is an important planet in Negotiations, Treaties, Contracts, etc. where the basicenergy is to find something that everyone can agree on.

Another way to understand the Venus Guidance quality is to realize that in ancienttimes in India, much travel was undertaken after sunset or before dawn, when it

wasn’t so hot. One way to tell direction was to know that since Venus is never too farfrom the Sun, the planet appears either as the Western Evening Star, or as theEastern Morning Star, depending on what time of the year it is. So again, we look to

Venus to guide us.

Venus represents our Inner Desire to be Good. On the spiritual level Venusmanifests as Love of God. Venus is Devotion and Devotional Practices, such as Bhakti

Yoga. Ultimately Venus is our Search for Inner Truth. In that way Venus, like Jupiter,comes to represent Truth in our lives.

Like all significators in Vedic Astrology, Venus has a negative side as

well. The desire for pleasure can become an Obsession. Thus Venus representsSensual Indulgence. The planet of Appearance and Beauty can degenerate into

Vanity and Self-absorbtion. The Devotion to an Ideal or Religion can becomeFanaticism. The expression of Sexuality can become Dissipation. The appeciation of

Value and Riches can become Hoarding and Selfishness. But, as a chiefly Beneficplanet, even the downside of Venus doesn’t go so far as say, Mars, which can be Crueland outright Destructive.

In a birth chart, the influences on Venus determine its quality in yourlife. If Venus associates with a good planet, such as Mercury or Jupiter, mostly thegood qualities will manifest. Venus with Mercury is found in the charts of people in

the Entertainment Business, the Media Arts, and Financial Transactions. Venus withJupiter brings Appreciation for Learning, Wisdom and the Arts. But Venus with Mars

will put the two gender planets together, creating Passion which can get out of hand. Venus with Rahu puts the Goddess and the Demon together which can bringObsession with Sensual Pleasures, even to the point of transgressing societal norms.

The placement of Venus in the birth chart shows how the planetexpresses itself . If we think of Venus as “Love” then just by noting its houseplacement in the birth chart we can get some analysis. For instance, Venus in the9th house would be Love of Religion, or of Guru, or a religion based on Devotion.

Venus in the 10th house of Career manifests as Loving one’s Career, which would bein some Venus-ruled part of life, from being a Provider of Arts or Pleasures toFinances to Teaching, depending on other factors in the chart. Venus in the 2nd houseof Family and Personal Finances is generally a good placement for Love of Family and Prosperity.

An accurate assessment of how Venus behaves is dependent on lookingat all factors of the birth chart. There are many variables to consider, and many techniques in Vedic Astrology for calculating the outcome of any particular factor.

What particular significations of Venus will manifest depends on the sign it is in, theplanets associating or aspecting it, the general nature of the chart as shown by Rising

Sign, Moon sign, current Major Period Ruler, etc., etc. A careful analysis of your natal Venus makes you aware of potentials that would be worth pursuing in your life. This



is where your own Intention, Choice and Action come in. By consciously augmentingthe positive qualities of Venus as shown in your birth chart you experience moreEase, Comfort, Harmony, and Love, and thus Live Your Life More Skillfully.

The Astrologer's Method of Prediction

Vedic Astrology has many different techniques of predicting the future. From theanalysis of the static picture of the Natal Chart we get the nature of one’s life and thepotentials that one is born with. But we need a way to determine when thosepotentials will be realized. The Ancients came up with many different methods,different formulas, for determining how and when the events promised by the birthchart would occur. Some of these methods of prediction look at long-term trends,other methods focus in on short periods of time. Just as there are many planets andtheir attributes to consider, so there are many factors to be considered. The variousmeanings then have to be layered on top of each other in order to derive a completepicture of what will actually happen. Although there are many many techniques forpredicting the future in Vedic Astrology, in this article I will describe the basics of themethod that is generally used.

We can think of the Method of Prediction as being like a Layer Cake. The base layer islike a foundation, which is solid and broad, and extends into time several to many

years. The technique in Vedic Astrology that performs this function is designated as

The Major Planetary Period. Technically it is called the Mahadasa of the VimshottariDasha. But for our purposes we can just designate it as the Current Major Period.Each of the major periods is named for the planet that directs its function, and eachhas a specific number of years of duration. These major periods proceed in aparticular order and continue from one lifetime to the next. The entire cycle is 120

years long, with each planet taking a portion of that 120 years. The portions are notequal; the shortest is the 6 years-long Sun Major Period; the longest is the 20 years-long Venus Major Period.

Where you are on the sequence of major periods is determined by the exactplacement of the Moon in your natal chart plus the number of years that have

elapsed since your birth. During any particular major period, the natural qualities of the planetary ruler are emphasized in your life, as well as the events related to thehouses (sectors of your life) that planet controls by way of where its signs ended up in

your chart, as well as the actual location in your chart of that major period ruler. Themajor period extends for many years and determines what is going on in your lifeduring that particular episode of the unfoldment of your destiny.

But a major period is too long a span of time to enable us to be specific about whenan event will occur. So we have to move up to the next level of the layer cake, calledthe Sub-period, which deals with smaller chunks of time. As with the major periods,the original nine Vedic Astrology significators (i.e., Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are

not included) again each take a turn at “ruling your life,” but now compressed intothe length of the time of the Major Period. The sub-periods last from a few months to



a few years at most (again, the exact calculation is determined by the ancientformula). We can think of the sub-period as the foreground of the painting: closer to

you, and more obvious, with the major period forming the backdrop. As with themajor period, the natural qualities of the planet governing the current sub-period

become more dominant themes in your life, as do the karmas associated with the

parts of your chart (houses) that the planet rules by way of its signs, as also theposition of the planet in your natal chart.

But even the sub-periods, short as they are, do not pin-point actual events. In orderto zero in on the timing more precisely, we have to move up to the next layer, oractually layers, of our layer cake. These are designated as The Transits. Here we leavethe Planetary Period System to access a new technique. The idea is to determine thepositions of the various planets in the zodiac, now and in the future, and then by

juxtaposing them against the static picture of your natal chart, we get a bunch of influences, which can be tracked forward into the future. Thankfully the software

written for the personal computer takes care of the actual calculations. By taking note

of what parts of your chart each planet impacts at any specific date we care toexamine, along with using various formulas that evaluate the strengths of theinfluences, the astrologer figures out what events are likely to occur in your life.

At this level of the Method of Prediction we usually go first to the layer called TheSaturn Transit. Saturn is sometimes called The Planet of Karma. It has a no-nonsense quality about it; it’s hard to negotiate with Saturn; the Karma Will BeDelivered. So if what we are looking for is some level of certainty in predictiveanalysis, then Saturn should definitely be checked out. Exactly how Saturn’s transitaffects your natal chart and your life is too big a topic to cover in a short article. Butagain we have a slow-moving factor: Saturn can take up to three years to move

through a sign. Saturn by itself will not nail down the timing of an event, although itdoes give a strong indication of what part of life there will be a focus on.

There are 12 planetary significators to look at in the Transit System: 8 planets plusthe Sun and the Moon, plus the Nodes (the eclipse points, given nearly the status of solid planets in Vedic Astrology). The faster-moving planets, vz. the Sun, Moon,Mercury, Venus, Mars, give us more specifics for timing of an event. These layers of the layer cake are getting smaller and smaller; by now the whole thing is starting toget too complicated and appears unwieldy. So we need a method to determine whichfactors are primary, i.e., have more power to create events. There are many tools inthe astrologer’s toolkit for helping in this regard.

One of the main techniques is simply to observe where the transits are impactingsectors of the chart that already have been “turned on” by other layers of the layercake of prediction. Going back to the Major Period Planet, and the Sub-period planet,and noting which houses they have activated, as well as the actual placements of those two planets, helps to narrow down the choices for making a prediction.Similarly, multiple influences will build upon each other: if two or more planets arecoming together in the zodiac, and simultaneously land on a significant planet’sposition in your natal chart, then we can more confidently predict for an event. Inthis way we see how the various layers of the Method of Prediction augment andreinforce each other, which is what we are looking for when trying to forecast thefuture.



Predicting the Success of Your Efforts

There are many different astrological factors which help determine one’s success inlife. Predicting when, and through what means, one should apply oneself to achieveone’s desires is a perennial question that astrology strives to answer.

The 10th house sector of the birth chart is generally referred to as the House of Success. But the 10th is really the karma for Status and Recognition, which may resultas much from one’s inheritance, luck, or help from others, as from one’s own actions.Perhaps the most satisfying success is that which develops from your own Initiativeand Effort. It is the 3rd house where one demonstrates Personal Desire and MakingEffort through one’s Everyday Actions. There is some inherent appeal here to theambitious amongst us who like to believe that personal free will, rather than fate, isthe basis of success. The truth is that life is more of a mixture of the two.Understanding this part of your astrology birth chart gives you a better idea of how

destiny, nature, and timing can help you to best apply yourself in the pursuit of success.

The essence of the 3rd house is how the soul in this lifetime deals with and overcomesthe inertia of the mundane surrondings in which it finds itself. As always in Vedic

Astrology, when trying to analyze the karma related to a particular house there areseveral factors that need to be considered: the nature of the zodiacal sign placed here,the location and condition of the lord of the house (the planet that owns the sign inthe 3rd), the nature of any planets placed in or aspecting this sector of the chart, andlastly the disposition of thekaraka (natural significator) of the house, in this caseMars, itself the planet of Effort and Initiative.

Each of the zodiac’s signs has certain characteristics. The sign that winds up in yourthird house will suggest the approach towards solving the problem of overcoming theinertia of the your circumstances. Due to the natural order of the zodiac, each RisingSign has a specific sign as the 3rd from it. For example: each of the Air signs (Gemini,Libra, Aquarius) has a Fire sign (respectively: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries) in the3rd house. Fire signs are very pro-active and forceful. Thus Air sign people, eventhough naturally mental and disposed towards cooperation with others, display acertain “pushy” quality when it comes to implementing their Ideas and Desires.

The house position of the 3rd house ruler gives a clue as to what department of life

your efforts are naturally directed at and most likely to result in success. Forinstance, if the 3rd house ruler shows up in the 7th house, efforts and desire areexpressed through partnerships and/or success in places at a distance from the birthplace (two of the significations of the 7th house). The third house ruler showing up inthe 5th house is a combination for potential success through one of the 5th houseactivities: creativity, sports, speculation, involvement with children, teaching. Thethird house ruler in the 12thhouse indicates efforts and potential success involving12th house significations: dealing with unknown people in unknown places (e.g.,through the internet), actions with institutions, or the inner world of psychology andmeditation.

More details of the 3rd house karma, as well as the ease or difficulty by which thekarma is realized, is shown by the condition of the 3rd house ruler. If the planet is in



its own sign, or exalted, or associated with a natural benefic (Jupiter, Venus), thensuccess of efforts is more certain. If however the planet is in an inimical sign, orassociated or influenced by malefic planets (Mars, Saturn, Ketu), thenaccomplishment is more problematical. Likewise, we can look at the situationregarding Mars in the birth chart. Since Mars is the natural significator of the

3rd

house, it functions like a secondary ruler of the 3rd

house. A strong Mars in your birth chart contributes much to the success of your efforts, and can compensate for a weakened 3rd house ruler.

Planets located in the 3rd house have a lot of influence on the type and nature of theefforts and potential for success. Malefic planets such as Mars and Saturn are usefulin the 3rd house. Mars is the planet of Force and Courage; in the house of Efforts itprovides bold initiative backed up by a powerful desire that helps to push onethrough to achievement. Saturn as the planet of Focus, Discipline, and Organizationhelps seeing endeavors through to completion. Venus as the planet of Agreement andHarmony is useful when one’s desires necessitate getting the cooperation of others.

But when planets influence a house (i.e., by being placed opposite the 3 rd, in the9th house) the effects are different: a natural malefic like Mars or Saturn aspecting the3rd house actually makes achieving success through effort more of an uphill battle,

whereas a benefic planet like Venus or Jupiter contributes a more favorable energy pattern.

After analyzing the birth chart karma for success through 3rd house efforts, the nextquestion is When will be the Best Time for making that effort. Using the well-known

Vimshottari Dasha (aka “Planetary Period System”) we can tell when the karma of the 3rd house gets activated either through the periods of the ruler of the 3rd orperiods of a planet occupying the 3rd. Again, the nature and condition of the planet

concerned will give the details of the success potential.

But sometimes one has to wait years for an appropriate planetary period to begin. Inthat case, the best astrological technique for timing is to use the Transit System of analysis. A planet’s current or future position in the observable zodiac, whentransposed to a house in your chart by way of its sign, will influence outcomes relatedto the actions and events of the house containing that sign. Having 12 significators to

watch (including the nodes, Rahu and Ketu, as well as the “modern” planets Uranus,Neptune, Pluto) gives more opportunities within a given year for potential influencesto impact a given sector of the birth chart.

The transits of Mars and the Sun, both firey ambitious planets, are beneficial to thirdhouse themes of courage and initiative. Rahu as the significator of Desire andInnovation also helps to energize your intentions and efforts. Jupiter as the planet of opportunities is welcome in this sector, although one has to beware of jumping ontoo many bandwagons and not getting anything accomplished. Conversely, Saturn

brings focus and discipline and although it may delay the fruition of one’s efforts, itdoes bring lasting accomplishment. Venus and Mercury transits are fairly short-lived, and although good for cooperation, have more mild effects which may not leadto anything significant. Ketu transiting the 3rdhouse brings change and instability,and is not usually beneficial except for spiritual pursuits.

As always, the idea in Vedic Astrology is to keep yourself in alignment with theplanetary energies. In the case of the Third House of Efforts and Desires, we are



given a choice between “go with the flow” or to take action on behalf of our desires. With an understanding of our personal karma and awareness of possibilities forovercoming the ambient inertia, we can take a shot at victory and the resultantsatisfaction that success brings.

Predictions using Planetary Patterns

As the planets move along on the zodiac they form an ever changing sequence of combinations with each other as well as with the stationary backdrop of the stars. Forcenturies the Ancients kept track of the many patterns formed in the Heavens along

with the ongoing event sequence on Earth, creating the system of correspondences we know as Astrology. This body of anecdotal data, along with the precise regularity of the planetary movements, makes possible the interpretation of forthcomingcelestial patterns as predictors of future developments in human affairs andhappenings on Earth.

Each of the planets has its own set of intrinsic significations (called 'karakas' in Vedic Astrology). Likewise, each of the signs of the zodiac has its particularcharacteristics. By combining the qualities of a planet with the qualities of the sign itis transiting through the astrologer comes to certain conclusions about the nature of the resulting pattern. If another planet enters the picture the energy pattern acquires

yet more definition, making accurate prediction of upcoming events more certain.

For Instance: in 2010 Saturn and Uranus, slowly moving along on opposite sides of the zodiac, came into opposition with each other. Uranus is the planet of Freedom,Rebellion, and Dramatic Change. Saturn is the planet of Order, Structure, and

Stability. This planetary pattern set up a powerful potential for Upsetting theEstablished Order. In May 2010, Jupiter the planet of Confidence and Optimism, and beneficial happenings in general, entered Pisces, thereby adding its positive energy tothe Uranus side of the opposition, tilting the energy pattern in favor of the Rebels.Consequently, the Tea Party Republicans were victorious in the November 2010elections. Later, in March 2011, Mars, planet of Confrontation and War, enteredPisces resulting in the various rebellions in North Africa and the Mideast taking amore violent turn.

At the time of writing this article (June 2011), Mars and Ketu are together in Taurus.(Ketu is the Moon's South Node, one the of the intersection points of the apparent

paths of the Moon and Sun). Taurus is an Earth sign, very concerned with Value andTangible Worth, and thus connected with Finance and Banking. Taurus alsorepresents Wealth from the Earth, i.e., Natural Resources, Crops, Forestry, etc. Marsand Ketu are both considered 'Firey' planets and thus are capable of Destruction. Thedebt situation in various countries (including the USA) has reached crisisproportions; meanwhile a series of wildfires are destroying huge areas of forests inthe Southwestern states.

The usefulness of predictive astrology is the ability to look ahead to see what planetand sign combinations are forming and thus be able to predict what sorts of events toexpect. For instance, by keeping track of what Jupiter is doing, we can predict for the

economic situation. Looking ahead to 2012, we see that Jupiter will enter Taurus inmid-May of 2012. Simultaneously Venus, while in its retrograde phase, “backs into”



Taurus from Gemini. Both of these planets are karakas of Wealth and Prosperity, andshould do well in materialistic Taurus. But Ketu, which entered Taurus in 2011, isstill in Taurus in 2012. Ketu has a reputation for dissolving things on the materialplane. In fact, in late June, all three of Jupiter, Venus, and Ketu will be tightly conjunct in Taurus, marking this time as highly problematic for economies

throughout the world. At the same time, in another part of the zodiac, Mars andUranus will come into opposition to each other, creating a planetary pattern wellknown for sudden, unexpected, and even explosive events. Putting all of these factorstogether we get the prediction for a worsening financial situation in May and June of next year, along with a dramatic event in late June that could precipitate a financialcrisis.

The Astrology of Bad Karma

“Why is life so unfair?” “It feels like I am cursed.” “ My Moon must be in Feces.”

“What have I done to deserve this?” The Vedic answer to these questions generally comes down to “you must be dealing with some Bad Karma.” The notion of karma ispopularly perceived as the Law of Cause and Effect. If we include the potential“causes” as extending back into actions committed during your countless past lives, itstarts to sound like eliminating bad karma is close to impossible.

The technical meaning of karma is “Dust on the Mirror” –the mirror being the soulas a reflector of the Divine Spirit; the obscuring dust being the accumulation of impressions produced by the experiences of many lifetimes. It doesn’t matter if thedust is beautiful rainbow dust from delightful experiences –the soul is still obscured,i.e., still experiencing a false view of reality. This is the nature of human existence.

Stuck as we are in our individualized life-dramas, the prospect of complete escape,i.e., full Realization of Divine Consciousness, seems a rather remote possibility.Naturally we wish for our lives to be at least relatively free of pain and misery. Yet inspite of living seemingly “good” lives, inevitably we all come to experience hardtimes, times of unhappiness and difficulty.

Why is this? From the multi-lifetimes point of view, it’s some of your past evil karmathat has popped up. How was this evil karma created? Why is it manifesting now?How do I get rid of it? When will it be over? These are some of the questions peopleask and which Vedic Astrology tries to answer. The specifics of how the bad karma

was created in the first place we may not be able to answer. We only have the birthchart of the current lifetime. Yet within this natal chart there are indicators of theinherited karmas of the past –both good and bad –that are scheduled to show up asevents in this life. Timing –when the karmas are to be activated –can be determinedthrough using the various predictive techniques. These same techniques show theduration, i.e., answering the question “When will it be over?”

But to be truly useful, Vedic Astrology’s analysis needs to offer some guidance onhow to eliminate or at least diminish this mysterious bad karma that contaminatesour lives. First there are the traditional remedies that are common to all spiritual andreligious systems: the doing of good deeds, the fulfillment of family duties, the

practice of rituals and ceremonies honoring the deities. To these Vedic Astrology adds specific suggestions derived from birth chart analysis. The structure of the birth



chart clearly distinguishes between personal life and community life. Pursuing only the selfish gratification of your personal desires without participating in somethinglarger keeps you stuck on the spiderweb of attachment to sensual experiences.Stepping out of that sticky web is key to finding a way out of the bad karmasyndrome. By interpreting the meaning of the placement of the planets in the signs,

including the lunar signs (nakshatras), and the arrangement of the planets in thehouses (departments of life), the astrological analysis draws a picture of yourpotential roles in this lifetime. Using your free will, you can then choose fromamongst your potentials a course of action that generates positive, i.e., good karma.By leading a virtuous, service-oriented life you then start to counteract the BadKarma of the past.

But this approach, although helpful, does not necessarily release you from theinherited negativity resulting from lifetimes of ignorance, selfishness, fear, greed,and indulgence. The karmas shown in the astrology chart have real inertia. “Living

your Life Skillfully” means to acknowledge and cooperate with the natal energy

pattern, but does not mean we should blindly accept it. Some karmas are negotiable,some are not. In order to make real progress towards eliminating negative karmas,

we need to cultivate Spiritual Wisdom; we need to step back from our own self-importance and see our lives in a larger context. Within the natal chart there are alsoindications for an individual’s best spiritual path.

Bad Karma means it is necessary to pay back for past lifetimes full of misdeeds,transgressions, willfulness, criminal behavior. This seems terribly unfair if we insiston maintaining the limited view of a single life being all that we are responsible for(which itself is another form of ignorance, adding even more dust to the mirror).From the Vedic viewpoint you, your soul, needs to work through it all; to “burn up”

your bad karma. From this larger perspective, it may be necessary to experience arotten marriage, or live in a damaged body, or fail in your business, in order for thesoul to “shed” the accumulated dust from another life. Eventually the pain andmisery forces us to accept truths about ourselves and the true nature of reality. The

world of excess no longer fascinates, and we are finally on the path towardsenlightenment. The astrological birth chart can provide a shortcut towards theserealizations, if we are willing to listen to its wisdom.

Relocation Astrology:Change your Destiny by Moving

Changing where you live as a way to change your fortune is an idea that has been around for

a long time. There are countless examples of people who say that “their luck changed” once

they moved away from where they were living. Others maintain that their lives “took a turn

for the worse” when they tried living in a different place.

Does Astrology have a way to determine the outcome of moving to a different location? Yes

it does, through a technique called Relocation Astrology.

The interpretation of the horoscope depends on two structural factors: how the planets were

arranged in the zodiac at the time of birth, and how the entire pattern was positioned relativeto the exact place on the earth where you were born. The first part of the structure gives us



the signs of the planets and their aspects to each other; the second part of the structure puts

the planets in the houses of the chart. The first part is going to be the same no matter where

you are on the Earth at any given time, but the second part changes depending on where on

the Earth you are placed. Since the analysis of the one’s astrological chart depends so much

on the houses (the various “departments” of life), which in turn depend on the location of

birth, you, and your destiny, would be different if you were born somewhere else.

This then, becomes the basis of Relocation Astrology. With the help of the personal computer

and the software written for it, a few keystrokes creates a whole new birth chart for you as if

you where born in the place you are thinking of moving to. Similarly, we can search the

globe for where your birth time would have created the most optimal astrology chart for

professional success, or for marriage, or winning the lottery, or... the possibilities seem

endless!

So all we have to do is move to the new location with the best chart set-up and Voila! Life

will be Wonderful! Ahh... would that it were that simple.

In reality, where you were born actually has a lot to do with your destiny; the “flash photo” of

the Heavens taken from the place of your birth doesn’t go away simply by moving to a new

spot on the globe. But it can be modified. Although your essential nature and destiny won’t

be different, some of the potential positive outcomes can be strengthened, and negative or

difficult karmas weakened. By re-creating your birth chart as if you had been born in the new

location, and comparing it to your actual birth chart, the astrologer sees which elements of the

celestial pattern will be emphasized in the new place. For example, if you lack opportunities

for marriage in your life, your could try moving to a place where Jupiter, the planet of

opportunity, would end up in the 7th house of marriage for you. The potential of that part of

your chart would then become more dominant. Likewise, there may be undesireable

components in a birth chart whose potential to manifest can be decreased by choosing a

location that de-emphasizes their importance.

If all this works, then why not just visit the new place to experience the new good karma?

That sounds logical, and sometimes people do experience immediate results, but mostly what

happens is that it takes a while to adjust: the habits and memory patterns of years of

experience in one location do not disappear so quickly by simply moving somewhere else.

I.e., you have to give it some time; usually several months at least.

Another corollary to all of this is that the place on the Earth which would emphasize a part of

your chart can be the source of something, or someone, who strongly impacts your life. For instance, if moving to the Far East would emphasize the 7 th house of marriage in your natal

chart, you may have a particular fascination for, and potential success with, an Asian partner.

If the 9th house of your chart gets strengthened by having you born in India, you may find

“religion” by following the path of Yoga or Hinduism. Similarly, if a particularly negative

pattern in your birth chart gets emphasized in some part of the world, then people or ideas or

even material items from that country or culture could have an undesireable effects on you.

Relocation Astrology is a fascinating technique for altering components of your destiny. It is

not the final answer to every problem. But it can be considered as another type of practical

remedy in the Vedic Astrology arsenal of techniques for “Negotiating with Destiny.”



Predicting Health with Vedic Astrology

In Traditional India, the astrologer was called upon for predicting wealth, good fortune,

marriage, progeny, etc. But without Health, none of these other areas of life would be

enjoyable. So the birth chart would always be examined for any upcoming health issues. The

correlation between the planets, signs, houses, and diseases was established over many

centuries of meticulous observation by the ancient astrologers. Modern astrologers continue

this research today.

As with everything in Vedic Astrology, we have to deal with the two fundamentals: the

karma and destiny shown by the birth chart, and the activation of that karma shown by the

predictive techniques, primarily the dasha (planetary period) system, and transits.

When considering natal health issues, the first step in analysis is to look at the Ascendant, the

1st house.The 1st house represents the body as a whole, therefore the strength of the 1st

house is key to one’s ability to stay healthy and to overcome disease. The basic principles of determining strength in the chart are applied: is the ruler of the Ascendant (the planet that

rules the sign in the 1st house) well disposed in the chart (i.e., in its own sign or exalted, in a

good house, not in the 6th, 8th, or 12th houses)? Is the Ascendant itself free of malefic

influences? The association or aspect of the “natural malefics”, i.e., Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and

Ketu, is considered detrimental. Do the Ascendant and its ruler have the good fortune of

having benefic planets, i.e., Venus or Jupiter, influencing them?

Another key to overcoming disease is the natal vitality. Life Force is shown by the 8th

house of the chart, which also indicates Longevity. Once again, the usual techniques are

applied to evaluate the house and its ruler. A strong and well-disposed 8th house gives the

karma of overcoming obstacles in life and the ability to regenerate one’s health.

That’s the basic scheme for the first level of evaluation, but it quickly becomes more

complicated than this, since all significators in Vedic Astrology have multiple meanings, and

every rule has exceptions. For instance, although the planet Saturn, as the planet of suffering,

is detrimental to health generally, its placement in the 8th house of the chart gives good

longevity because Saturn signifies endurance.

The houses in the chart are sectors of the Heavens registered to the Horizon. In medical

astrologyeach house corresponds to a particular part of the body. An affliction or

weakness showing up in a particular house of a birth chart gives a clue to the area of the body

that is vulnerable to disease:

1st house :Head (and general health) 7th house : Rectum, Pelvic Area

2nd house :Mouth and Neck; Teeth 8th house :Genitals (and Longevity)

3rd house :Hands, Arms, Shoulders, Upper Lungs 9th house :Hips, Thighs

4th house :Chest, Lungs, Heart 10th house :Knees

5th house :Stomach, Upper Digestive Tract 11th house :Lower Legs

6th house :Intestines (and disease in general) 12th house :Feet

Each planet governs specific body functions and parts of the anatomy:



Sun: Heart, Bones, Spine (and general vitality)

Moon: Blood, Stomach, Breasts, Body Fluids, Heart-Mind (Feelings/

Psychological)Mars: Muscles, Circulation of Blood

Mercury: Nervous System, Skin, Speech, IntellectJupiter: Liver, Gall Bladder, Fat in the body

Venus: Uro-genital system, Kidneys, Hormones, Female organsSaturn: Joints, Knees, Teeth

Additionally, the Natural Malefic planets, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu, have

areas of ill health that they specialize in:

Mars governs Accidents, Injury, Fevers and Infections, and Surgery

Saturn rules over Chronic Conditions, Debility, Exhaustion, and Depression

Rahu presides over Unusual Diseases, Poisons, Cancer, Loss of ConsciousnessKetu rules Mysterious Diseases, “Unseen” causes, i.e., Viruses and Parasites, and

Karmic Diseases

The 6th house is the house of Health and Disease in general, and has a special

role to play in medical astrology. Any planet located in the 6 th house of the birthchart is likely to suffer with respect to the organ of the body it represents.

Additionally, the ruler of the 6th house (the planet that owns the astrological sign in

the 6th house) brings with it the energy of ill health and makes the part of the chart

it occupies especially predisposed towards the diseases associated with the part of

the body that the house designates.

Putting these factors together, the astrologer can determine from the birth chartwhat parts of someone’s body are going to cause problems. Then, applying the

techniques of prediction, the timing for episodes of bad health can be predicted.Here are a few examples of diagnosis:

For an Aquarius Rising chart, Cancer is the sign in the 6th house. Since the Moonrules Cancer, the house position of the Moon shows what part of the body has an

inherent weakness. If the Moon occupies the 11th house, the health issues will be

with the lower legs. Since the Moon represents the blood, the problem will likely

be related to veins and arteries, such as deficient blood in the lower legs, resultingin difficulty walking, etc. Symptoms will arise during the years of the Moon major

period, or during a Moon sub-period in another planet’s major period. Transits of malefics (Mars, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu) in the 11 thhouse of the chart will also

precipitate problems.

For a Libra Rising chart, Pisces is the sign in the 6 th house, ruled by Jupiter. If

Jupiter is placed in the 4th house of the chart, the chest, heart, and lungs, are at risk.

Jupiter signifies the energy of “expansion”, indicating 4th

house diseases such asenlarged heart, swellings, or growths such as cancer of the lungs, breasts, etc. The



Jupiter major period, Jupiter sub-periods, and negative transits in Capricorn

(Libra’s 4thhouse) will activate the inherent disease potential.

In a Gemini Rising chart, Mars represents the 6th house by way of being the ruler

of Scorpio. This predisposes the Gemini person to infection and potential injury or

surgery (significations of Mars) in the part of the body indicated by the house inwhich Mars resides. If Mars occupies the 2nd house, the person gets sore throats

and will require dental surgery. If Mars is in the 3rd house, there will be colds andflu due to infections in the upper lungs. Once again, the major and/or sub-periods

of Mars, as well any negative planets transiting Mars’ position, are times to be

vigilant.

Vedic Astrology gives us the body location and timing for health problems. It

does not however, recommend treatment. For that, you have to see your

health professional.

MAKING PREDICTIONS IN ASTROLOGY USING TRANSITS

Within Vedic Astrology there are many different methods of predicting the future.One of the most used, most reliable techniques is the method known as “Transits”.The basic scheme of applying this technique is straightforward: first determine thezodiacal positions of the planets for any date under consideration, then take thoseplanetary positions and juxtapose them against the positions of the planets as they

were at the time of birth (i.e., the birth chart). The resulting pattern is analyzed foreffects due to the interaction of the transiting planets with the natal pattern.

The key to this system of prediction is knowing what the result will be when aparticular planet is interacting with the pre-existing planetary pattern in the birthchart. The initial approach is to consider what house (area of life) the transitingplanet impacts by way of transposing its zodiacal sign position to the birth chart. Forexample: if Jupiter is moving through Capricorn, as it is now and through most of 2009 (using the sidereal zodiac), and the birth chart is Leo Rising, which makesCapricorn the 6th house sign, then the transit of Jupiter, the planet of prosperity andenlargement, can be counted on to create more opportunities in the employmentarea for that person.

Going beyond basic affects due to the sign and house the planet is transiting, we canexamine how the transiting planet interacts with other areas of the zodiac and, by extension, of the natal chart. Using the current example: since Jupiter is consideredin Vedic Astrology to fully influence (aspect ) the signs (and therefore the houses)

which are in the 5th and 9th positions from itself (called the “trines”, i.e., 120 degreesaway), then both Virgo and Taurus are benefiting from Jupiter’s transit in Capricorn.In the Leo rising chart, these signs are respectively the 2nd and 10thhouses, i.e.,Income (the 2nd) and Career (the 10th). So, at this point in the analysis, we see thatpeople born with Leo rising are favored to earn more in their career throughemployment opportunities in 2009.



The next part of the analysis looks to see if the transiting planet is interacting withany of the birth chart’s natal planets. Each planet has “natural significations”. Forinstance, Venus is the planet of Love and Romance. Using the example of Jupitertransiting in Capricorn, if the birth chart has Venus in Capricorn, then 2009 will

bring Opportunities (Jupiter) for Love and Romance (Venus). If we are still looking

at the Leo rising chart, the romantic involvement will show up in the 6th

house of employment, i.e., a romance with an employee or a co-worker.

Here’s another example: Mars is one of the faster moving planets, taking about 6 weeks to pass through a sign of the zodiac. By transposing the sign that Mars istransiting in the Heavens to the natal chart under consideration, we find out whatpart of that persons chart Mars will be affecting while it remains in that sign of thezodiac. Since Mars is the planet of Energy and Action, its transit usually givesnoticeable results and is worth keeping track of. At the time of this writing, Mars istransiting in Sagittarius. Wherever Sagittarius shows up in your Vedic Astrology

birth chart, that part of life will be “energized.” If you are Sagittarius rising, then the

key word for you is “Action” for the six weeks of Mars transiting through yourascendant sign. Mars likes physical activities, so keeping busy is important. Mars isalso combative, so beware of a tendency confront others. Mars in Vedic Astrology isconsidered to cast its full force 90 degrees in front of itself, thus the transit of Mars inSagittarius affects Pisces as well. Since Pisces is the 4th house of the Sagittarius risingperson’s chart, Mars’ transit puts stress on activities involving the home, as well ascreating the potential for conflict with the mother.

Compared to the rest of the celestial bodies, the Moon moves very rapidly; it takes alittle more than 2 days to move through a sign. In Vedic Astrology the Moon is of great importance in determining events on Earth. Therefore the Moon is given

special consideration in the study of transits. Its influence shows most particularly when it enters a sign already occupied by a transiting planet, and often performs thefunction of “setting off” the event promised by the analysis of the other planet’sposition. Thus the Moon becomes the “seconds hand of the cosmic clock”. Forexample: during most of the coming year, 2009, Jupiter will be transiting inCapricorn. The Moon will move through Capricorn for about 2 consecutive days ineach lunar cycle, i.e., about once a month. Whatever the planet Jupiter signifies by itstransit in a particular house of a natal chart, that potential will be significantly increased when the Moon goes into Capricorn each month. By keeping track of theMoon’s position, we can pin down the most probable dates for events related to any particular transit we are trying to predict for.

When several transits are occurring simultaneously in a sign or affecting a sign by aspect, the available energy for events increases; more so if there is simultaneously interaction with natal planets in someone’s birth chart. Although the probability of something happening becomes high, predicting exactly what will transpire becomesmore difficult since there are multiple significations of various planets interacting

with each other. Here is where the Vedic Astrologer must rely on the many techniques and formulas used for assessing the power and quality of each transitingplanet in a particular sign, to determine which of the planets has the upper hand, and

will therefore dominate the outcome. Making an accurate prediction of theinteraction of planets with each other is the main subject of both ancient and moderntexts written about astrology, and an area of continuing observation and study by allastrologers.



For instance, the current transit of Saturn in Leo will be going through a period of higher likelihood for negative events due to the planet entering its retrograde phasefor the first five months of 2009. Since Saturn is simultaneously opposed in theHeavens by the Uranus transit in Aquarius during early ‘09, the dates during whichthe Moon transits through either Leo or Aquarius create an even higher probability

for significant events in the world. If in a person’s natal chart, there are any planetsplaced in the last degrees of Leo or Aquarius, that person will be at risk for somethingunpleasant happening in their life, especially on those days when the Moon’s transitcontributes additional activation. The house affected will tell what area of life theevent is to occur in.

With 12 celestial bodies to account for (if we are including the outer planets Uranus,Neptune, and Pluto, as well as Rahu and Ketu), it is obviously quite a task to figureout what will happen on any particular day. It gets even more complicated when thetransiting positions are transposed to the picture of the natal chart. The astrologertherefore concentrates on which transits are dominating the situation. We have to

remember that the birth chart pattern has a lasting quality to it; in a sense, the birthchart has a measure of “resistance” to the impact of the transiting planets. But whena particularly powerful planet, such as Saturn or Mars, comes into intimate contact

with a planet, sensitive point, or an activated house of a natal chart, then we shouldpay attention. The transits form an ever-changing pattern in the Heavens akin to thehands of a Celestial Clock; it is through the study of astrology that we learn how totell time.



Astrology Analysis for Barack Obama:Born: August 4, 1961, 19:24:00, Honolulu, Hawaii

Barack Obama’s chart shows a strong Ascendant, with both Jupiter and Saturn inCapricorn, a goal-oriented sign drawn towards taking on responsibility and gettingthe job done. Capricorn people are known for hard work, patience, and taking asystematic approach towards solving problems. It is a sober sign, thoughtful andprudent, respected by others, and best suited to a position that involves the use of structured authority.

The Moon in his chart is in the earth sign Taurus, known for practicality,appreciation of the arts, an amiable temperament, and romantic. Taurus is a signthat always seeks tangible results and wants value for its efforts. Like Capricorn,Taurus does not openly display emotions. The Taurus Moon is what gives Mr. Obamathe ability to maintain his composure in (nearly) all circumstances. The Moon isexalted in this sign, and in the 5thhouse, makes him very attractive to the Public.

The presence of Saturn in the first house, as ruler of the sign Capricorn, gives him astrong sense of self and reinforces the natural steadfast qualities of the rising sign.Since it is retrograde at his birth, Saturn’s energy is experienced more inwardly: Mr.Obama is governed by a strong internal reality structure. Although he will listen to

what others say, his own opinions don’t change easily. Jupiter, the planet of Wisdom being placed in the Ascendant, grants him the ability to act wisely from a larger



perspective. Jupiter is retrograde as well: his belief system comes from within, andisn’t too susceptible to outer influences.

In the 7th house of Partnership lies the Sun and Mercury, a combination that givessuccess and intelligence, and in the house of the Spouse, grants these qualities to his

wife as well. In a more general sense, the Sun in the 7th

house signifies being drawn toand making a partnership with power, while simultaneously being opposed toauthority: Mr. Obama is constantly managing his relationship with authority andkeeping it “on review”.

Mars shows up in Leo in the 8th house of this chart. Mars is the planet mostadvanced in degrees, and thus becomes the atmakaraka of the chart, the indicator of “spirit”. Mars is the planet of Action. Its placement in Leo grants superiorstrategizing ability like that of a general or a chess player. Mars is with Rahu in the8th house indicating success by employing innovative techniques for obtaining others’support and money.

Venus in this chart represents the 10th house of Profession, and is placed in the6th house of Service, indicating his predisposition to pursue a service-oriented career.The 6th house is the house of Enemies, occupied by the sign of diplomacy, Gemini.

Venus here shows Mr. Obama’s preference to negotiate and win over his enemiesrather than devastate them.

In the Lunar Zodiac, the rising degree is in the sign Dhanishta, the sign represented by Shiva’s drum or Krishna’s flute: i.e., he sees himself as “an instrument of God”.This is a very principled sign, known for holding back, keeping the cards close to thechest, waiting until everyone has expressed their opinions before giving one’s own.

This sign is noted for being skilled at intelligent argument, having good timing, beingin tune with universal forces, and always maintaining proper conduct. Thesignification of “good timing” is what makes him good at sports.

The Moon in the Lunar Zodiac is in Rohini . This sign is noted for having magneticand seductive qualities: it’s easy to see that people are attracted to him. The image of Rohini is the Ox-cart, therefore associated with material abundance, commerce andcivilization, as well as the qualities of the Ox: being straight forward, stable, andstubborn. Rohini-born people persist until they get what they want.

Both of his rising sign planets, Saturn and Jupiter, are in the nakshatra (lunar sign)of Uttara Ashada, the sign of the “latter victor”: ultimately he wins in the end.

Predictions for Barack Obama:

Mr.Obama is currently in his Jupiter Major Period, a powerful period of Hope and Opportunity. In his chart Jupiter becomes the ruler of both the 12th houseof Spirituality and the 3rd house of Initiative: his courage and his connection with theUniversal Forces help him in achieving success. During 2008 Obama was in hisMoon sub-period. The natal Moon is exalted in Taurus and receives the trine aspectof benefic Jupiter, which made him the favorite of the people during the election.



In March ’09, he entered the Mars sub-period for almost a year. Mars periodsare characterized by a great deal of activity as well as potential conflict. As the rulerof his 4thand 11th houses, Mars turned on his heart-felt ambitions. But since natalMars is placed in his 8th house of chronic obstacles, there were problems fulfilling hisdreams, unless he could get the support (8th house= support) of others. Jupiter and

Rahu transiting through Capricorn, his 1st

house, in 2009 contributed greatly to hisambition and optimism.

He is now in his Rahu sub-period, which runs from February 2010 toJuly 2012. The placement of natal Rahu in his 8th house is powerful forTransformations and Confronting Obstacles....but it also gives obstacles. Theposition of Rahu in Leo indicates that one of his challenges in this life is to moveaway from the past life Aquarius tendency of trying to include everybody, and instead

become more Leo, more of a King. Obama’s natal Rahu is conjunct Uranus, theplanet of Unexpected Events, bringing in the karma of having to deal with a Crisis.(President George Bush also has this combination in his chart. He had to deal with 9-

11, as well as a financial melt-down).

Will Obama get re-elected in 2012? In the middle of that year he will begin hisSaturn Major Period. Saturn is the ruler of his chart and very powerful in its own signin the 1st house. In 2012 Saturn in the Heavens will be transiting in Libra, Obama’s10thhouse of Status and Position. He will be very hard to beat, whoever his opponentis.

LIVING YOUR LIFE SKILLFULLY WITH VEDIC ASTROLOGY

What should I do about my financial situation? When am I going to

get more money? What does my chart say about prosperity in my

life? Such questions are among the most frequently asked of the

astrologer.

In ancient times each family produced the commodities needed

for their own consumption. If you wanted something you didn't

yourself produce, there was barter. Somewhere along the line the

'medium of exchange' was invented, so that now the struggle for

survival comes down to the struggle for money. Classical works

on astrology are full of formulas and combinations of planets and

positions indicating the potential for riches as well as for poverty.

Through astrology we seek guidance on what the financial



attainment in this lifetime will be, and when, and how we can

improve the outcome.

Where in the natal chart do we find clues regarding income? Each

sector (house) of the astrology chart makes its own particularcontribution to the overall scheme of prosperity. The 2nd house is

the most specific regarding the resources that the soul has at its

disposal for this particular journey on Earth. Thus we first

evaluate the 'health' of the 2nd house to determine general

prosperity. Conditions for a healthy 2nd house include having

'good' planets, especially Jupiter or Venus, either in or influencing

the 2nd house, and having the lord of the house (the planet that

rules the zodiacal sign located in the 2nd house) in a strong andbeneficial placement, such as being placed in one of the power

houses (the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th), in a favorable sign, and/or

associated with one of the benefic planets.

The 11th house gets analyzed in a similar manner. The 11th

house is distinguished from the 2nd house by being the house of

Profit and Gain, and thus more associated with 'chunks' of money

rather than the regular income and stored up prosperity of the2nd. A connection between the 11th house and another house in

the chart shows in what part of life you can seek profits. For

instance, if the lord of the 11th house is found in the 4th (Home),

profits can come from real estate.

We live in a job-based society, so obviously the parts of the chart

related to employment and career have a major bearing on

prosperity for most of us. The 6th house is the house of service,

servitude, and therefore employment. An involvement of the 6th

and the 2nd houses indicates income from employment. Such

would be the case if the lord of the 2nd house were to be placed

in the 6th house. This relationship, if it exists, has to be analyzed

for favorable or unfavorable influences: if favorable conditions

exist, the person gets good employment that contributes to their

prosperity, if unfavorable, then the person works at a low-paying

job, or has difficulty sustaining employment.



The 10th house of the chart is the sector called 'status and

position' and 'action in society'. This comes down to Career and

Profession in our modern world. The connections made by

planetary placements in the 10th house, and the location of the

lord of the 10th house in the chart, tell a lot about what sort of acareer a person has. For instance, a favorable connection

between the 10th house of career and the 11th house of profits

indicates one who makes money through commissions, sales,

deals, etc. Involvement of the 1st house, the house of 'Self' with

the 10th house indicates a Self-employed person, an

Entrepreneur. Involvement of the 7th house of Partnership with

the 10th house of Career shows success through Business

Partnership. As with all analysis that the astrologer makes, anassessment of the benefic or malefic influences on the 10th house

and its lord must be made in order to determine the degree of

success.

But what if the chart doesn't indicate favorable placements and

influences connected to the financial houses? There are still other

potential sources of prosperity. One that I like to look at is the 8th

house. Usually thought of as the House of Obstruction and Death,the 8th has another meaning: Unearned Wealth. This is because

the 8th is the 2nd house (prosperity) from the 7th (partner), so it

indicates the partner's wealth, and by extension, any unearned

wealth. Thus, a strong planet and favorable conditions in the 8th

house indicates benefiting from another person's wealth; i.e.,

being supported by another, an inheritance, alimony or insurance

payments, etc.

There are two houses in the chart that generally indicate Good

Fortune. The 9th house and its lord are primary significators for

Luck in the chart, and if connected with the income houses,

especially when strong and under benefic influence, give

excellent potential for good financial karma in one's life. Likewise,

the 5th house, indicating 'Good Past Life Karma Dividend', when

connected with the 2nd or 11th house, will pay out as favorable

finances in your life, due to the meritorious actions from the past

life.



After examining the potentials shown by the birth chart, the next

question is “When does it happen?” For the answer the astrologer

goes to the various techniques of prediction that give the

timetable for activation of the latent potentials. The first of theseis the dasha system, the so-called planetary periods. During the

years of the major period, or sub-period, of the planet ruling the

2nd house or the 11th house, the karmas associated with money

are 'turned on'. But the dashas cannot give more than the

potential shown in the natal chart. So if the strength of the lord of

the 2nd house is only medium, we can expect only medium

results. If we are wondering when the might be an inheritance,

the astrologer looks for activation of the 8th house. But even if the promise of unearned wealth is there, the payoff can only be

as large as the house and its lord's strength indicates.

Outside of the dasha system, the ongoing planetary transits to

the natal chart help to determine times of increased prosperity.

Most notable of these is the transit of Jupiter, since it is the

general indicator of prosperity and expansion. Thus, if Jupiter by

its transit moves through or influences a money house in yourchart, and if that house is strong and favorable and especially if

the house is already 'turned on' through the dasha system, then

you can anticipate an up-tick in income. For instance, when

Jupiter transits through your 6th house, there are increased

opportunities for employment, usually accompanied by an

increase in salary, because Jupiter influences by its trinal (120

degree) aspect, the 2nd house (income) when it transits the 6th.

These are just some of the possibilities that the astrologer looks

for when analyzing your chart for answers to the money question.

There are more levels to investigate for more details, such as the

divisional charts (called vargas) or the functional nature of the

moon signs (the nakshatras), which, like the houses in the chart,

each demonstrate potentials which have their opportunity for

expression during the life. It is through a careful reading of the

planetary patterns that the astrologer can point out what

potentials you are not making use of, as well as when activation



within the chart creates the most favorable time to make your

efforts most productive. And, if you are so blessed, the astrology

chart shows that there are times when circumstances arise

having nothing to do with your conscious efforts, that are hidden

in the workings of the lords of karma and grace, when yourfinancial needs are taken care of in any case.

Certainly one of the most frequently asked questions of the Astrologer is 'When will my

Finances improve?' or its corollary, 'How can I improve my Finances?'

To answer the question of How to improve finances the Astrologer looks for connections

between various parts of your natal chart and the 'money houses': the 2nd and 11th houses.

To answer the question of When the financial picture will improve, the Astrologer looks for

timing factors which will activate the areas of the chart which show financial promise.

The 2nd house of a chart is most directly concerned with Income. The analysis of this sector

tells us what manner of material resources the soul has at its disposal during this particular

sojourn on Earth. Each of the houses has a Lord: the planet that owns the zodiacal sign in the

house, and thus represents that house in the chart. If the lord of a finance house ends up in a

troublesome house, such as the 6th house of Struggle or the 12th house of Loss, or vice versa,

finances will be problematical in general, and especially when activated by astrological

timing factors. Where can your money be coming from? Any planet placed in a finance house

will be the lord of some other house in the chart. That house, i.e., the area of life, that the

planet is representing is a potential source of income. Likewise, the placement of the lord of

the 2nd itself gives clues to sources of earning. For instance, if you have the lord of your 2nd

house in the 4th, or the lord of the 4th in your 2nd, you can derive income from 4th house

affairs such as real estate. In millionaire J. P. Morgan's chart we find the lord of the 4th in his

2nd house.

Planets also have special meanings inherent in their nature: Venus, the planet of Art and

Luxury, if connected to your 2nd house, gives potential income from artistic endeavors and

art related fields. Such is the case in the chart of Lord Tennyson, the poet, with Venus in his

2nd house. The planet that most generally represents difficulties, Saturn, placed in the 2nd,

will make attainment of riches a slow and arduous process, as in the case of Mahatma

Gandhi. Jupiter, the planet that signifies wealth in general, is most welcome in the 2nd house.We find Jupiter in the 2nd house in the birthcharts of Henry Ford and Bill Gates.

The 11th house of a chart is the house of Profit and Gain. In finances, it represents 'chunks' of

money, whereas the 2nd represents the weekly paycheck. Thus the 11th can be looked to

especially in the case of entrepreneurs, businessmen, consultants, and others who don't work

a regular '9 to 5'. Again, the house's 'health' is determined by analyzing the house itself, as

well as its lord, for the influence on it of benefic vs. challenging planets. If Jupiter, which in

general represents Opportunity and Prosperity, is occupying the 11th house, or associated

with its lord, then the chart is well on its way to proving to be a materially successful chart.

Similarly, the involvement of Saturn or Ketu (the spiritual, non-material significator) gives

the 11th less potential for benefits. Connections between the lord of your 11th and other houses, or vice versa, give indications of where 'profits' can come from. For instance, the lord



of the 5th house, which amongst its many meanings is the house of speculation, when placed

favorably in the 11th, gives money from investments. A connection between the 2nd house

and the 11th house has a special name: Dhana Yoga, meaning Wealth Combination. Nelson

Rockefeller's chart has the lord of the 11th in the 2nd house.

But even in a chart that shows financial problems, there are possibilities for relief. The 8thhouse of a chart, amongst its many meanings, is the house of 'Other People's Money', or

Unearned Wealth. This simply translates into support from outside of one's own efforts. A

strong and well-disposed 8th house will put the resources of others' at the person's fingertips.

Paramahansa Yogananda, the famous Yogi, has the lard of his 5th house (Past Life Dividend)

in the 8th house of his chart. The lord of the 7th house, the house of partnership, if placed in

the 9th house of luck, brings Good Fortune through marriage. The 2nd house ruler, placed in

the 7th, puts the planet representing income in the house of Partnership, thus: income from

the partner (could also be from Business partners). As always, any combination of factors in a

chart must be evaluated carefully using the formulas of Vedic Astrology to see if the result

will be strong and benefic before predicting positive results.

The patterns shown in the natal chart are always regarded as being latent, i.e., they await

activation. Vedic Astrologers look to two main activating systems: the Dashas (planetary

period and sub-period) and the Transits (juxtaposing of planets in the Heavens alongside the

Birth chart). The dasha system in Vedic Astrology tells you during which years of your life a

certain potential shown in the chart will come into play for you. For finances, we are

particularly looking for dashas that involve the 2nd and 11th houses of the natal chart. But

dashas activating other houses can as well bring material improvement, for example: a dasha

which activates a good connection between the 5th house of Investments and the 4th house of

Property brings prosperity through real estate.

The Transits are the easiest technique to use for determining when something happens,

although it can get complicated when contradictory transits occur simultaneously. For a

positive effect on finances, we first look to Jupiter, the planet of Increase and Prosperity.

Thus, if Jupiter is transiting in the 2nd house, it generally represents an uptick in wages.

When Jupiter transits your 3rd house, benefits can come from 3rd house people: siblings,

close relatives, and neighbors. The 3rd house is also the house of Initiative and Self-

promotion, so now would be the time to realize benefits through advertisement. Jupiter

transiting your 8th house of 'Unearned Wealth' can indicate a loan from a bank, support from

the partner, or even a Windfall such as an inheritance. When Jupiter is moving through your

10th house prosperity comes through an increase in Professional Activities. But, since

nothing in the Heavens operates in isolation, the Astrologer always has to watch for possible

countervailing factors (mainly other transits) that may limit Jupiter's effects.

Yet another technique for increasing one's prosperity is to utilize activation that comes

through contact with another person. There is a highly developed system within Vedic

Astrology for evaluating this, too complicated to go into here, but basically the idea is that

prosperity factors inherent in your natal chart can be 'turned on' (or off!) by someone else's

karma interacting with your own. Most commonly this is the marriage partner, but it can just

as easily be an employer or employee, a teacher, a relative, etc. The analysis requires a birth

chart from each of the people involved, and doesn't necessarily result in positive results going

both ways, i.e., it may be that only one party benefits, or that one is actually impoverished by

the other! This is why in traditional India prospective marriage partners, business partners,

and even parents of a new-born would run to their astrologer and get an analysis of inter-chartconnections to see if the person coming into their life would bring benefit them or not.



Past Lives, or Rebirth as it is often referred to, is not a theory in

Hindu culture; it is a fact. Generally we have amnesia about out

past lives, but with the help of Vedic Astrology we can get some

clues about where we came from, and how that past is influencing

our present circumstances.

One of the best techniques for examining the past life is through

the analysis of the placement of Ketu in the natal astrology chart.

Ketu is the South Node of the Moon, one of two eclipse points:

crossover points of the path of the Moon with that of the Sun, as

seen from the Earth. Ketu is known as the 'inlet point' for past life

karmas. Here the word karma is referring to past life completed

actions. The prior activity of the soul comes through in thislifetime as unconscious behavior patterns, naturally familiar due

to the prior experiences. The past life actions have created a

'groove' in the soul's memory. Thus, in this life, we are prone to

fall back into that groove.

Opposite Ketu is Rahu, the North Node, which is considered to

represent the karmas (actions) that have to be encountered in

this lifetime for the soul's continued education. The relativestrength of Ketu vs. Rahu has to be determined to tell whether

the person tends to 'hang out' in the old, familiar, past life

behaviors, or else embraces the new lessons shown by the Rahu

position. Additionally, at different times in one's life one or the

other of the Nodes will be emphasized, most notably during the

Dashas (the planetary periods) connected with that node, but also

through activation from other planets when they transit over the

natal nodal positions. The activation of Ketu brings up unresolved

issues from the past. The activation of Rahu makes us confront

dilemmas related to what we are becoming in this life's

incarnation.

If we wish to take a more active part in our soul's evolution, and

move forward in this life, it would be good to understand more

about our past life. We can become aware of where we are

repeating the past; where we fall back into the old groove. The

Houses of the chart correspond to specific different areas of



human activity. Thus, the house position of Ketu in your Vedic

Astrology chart will tell you something of what activities in the

former life were a dominant concern.

For instance, if Ketu is placed in the 3rd house of everydaysurvival, then running around doing errands, keeping busy with

the affairs of close relatives and neighbors, and promoting oneself

to others with gossip, etc., are familiar activities that one tends to

naturally fall into. In this case, Rahu's placement would indicate

that the lessons of the opposite 9th house: the pursuit of higher

knowledge, practice of religion, relationship with father and guru,

are areas that need development. If the reverse is true, where

Ketu is in the 9th house, then one has a tendency to studyscripture, hang out in an 'ivory tower', and/ or stick to a religion or

philosophy inherited from the past life. Rahu's corresponding

position shows the 3rd house with its practical everyday

requirements, cooperation with others, and development of

mundane skills to be what one has to focus on this time.

The sign that Ketu occupies gives us clues about the qualities of

the person we were in the former birth that become naturalinclinations in this lifetime. These qualities are particularly

obvious while we are young: the past life is still fresh in the soul's

memory. The opposite sign position of Rahu shows what qualities

and attitudes the soul seeks to learn to express in this birth. If

Ketu is in Sagittarius, then you come in with a strong belief that

your own way is best, that your own freedom to act comes first,

and so feel threatened by anything that comes from another's

reality. What you need to learn is to become more 'Gemini-like':

to be interested in gathering more data, cultivate an interest in

other people's truths, and to enjoy the exchange of ideas. Another

example: if you are born with Ketu in Virgo, the past life was

given over to the examination of details, with a need for

exactness, getting everything right, and an attachment to order

and routine. This lifetime you need to become more Piscean: be

aware of the universal consciousness, surrender to the Higher

Power, and trust what can't be measured or controlled.



A more detailed analysis of the relative strength of Ketu vs. Rahu

is necessary to determine which house and sign position tends to

predominate in one's life, and what potential issues will arise from

the imbalance. But by simply knowing our own chart's nodal

locations we can become more aware of unconscious behaviorpatterns inherited from the past birth and thus see more clearly

what we have to overcome to continue on our path.

TIMING AN EVENT THROUGH ASTROLOGYIdentifying a certain event is a horoscope is of utmost importance. There are several

methods by which an event can be predicted. The most important among them are dasha

and bukthi (main period and sub period) and planetary transits. One need not attach greater importance to transits than dasha and bukthi. In fact one can look into sub-sub dasa periods

than relying upon transits. Generally, moon is taken as ascendant for transitory effects. This

may not give the correct result. One has to go by the powerful of the following – ascendant

lord, atmakaraka planet, sun and moon. It is always advisable to make a study from

atmakaraka planet along with the powerful planet amongst the other three. The transitory

effects also depend upon the strength and nature of the planet in the natal chart. The study

of transit can be used only to supplement the interpretation on the study of dasha and bukti

and should not be used as the main tool to identify an event. There is tedious but accurate

procedure for timing of an event called ‘saham’. It is point in a horoscope, calculated based

on the longitude of various planets and houses. To cite an example, to find one’s punya,

deduct sun’s longitude from the moon and add the longitude of the ascendant. If the figure

arrived is strong, punya is more. The placement of the lord of saham is also important. If it is

placed in 6, 8 or 12th houses, one’s experience will be bad. However there are only 50

sahams available in ancient scriptures. In general, it is better to make a prediction after

studying all the planets and all the houses in the natal chart. The placement of dasa lord in

other divisional charts is also to be studied. One has to study the holder of the dasa lord and

its sub lord. The placement of the dasa lord and its aspects are also to be considered. But if

transit and dasa period give contradictory results and if the dasa lord is powerful in shad

bala, well placed and well aspected one can ignore the effects of transit. If the dasa lord is

debilitated and ill placed, then study of transit is important. In such cases effect of transit

should be studied from Sun and atmakaraka planet as well. As a general rule planets that

are powerful, well placed and well aspected do not cause difficulties during transits. To offset

any affliction on the dasa lord or if dasa lord is ill placed, certain remedies have to be

performed. The best remedy is to chant mantras of the dasa lord and the planets afflicting

them. Each planet has its own bija and if these bijas are recited along with atma bija and

certain other bijas depending upon other afflictions in a horoscope, the ill effects can be

gotten over effectively. Poor feeding and animal feeding will supplement the effects of the

mantras

astrology patterns and predictions for 2013.doc

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