Nature Of Planets
Planets are
the most important factors in assessing the horoscope. Depending on
where they are placed in relation to each other, a person's planets can
decide very basic issues in life, such as happiness in marriage, the
number of children they will have, and the kind of career they will
pursue. While each planet represents a range of affairs, they each have
a core symbolic meaning. Venus, for example, signifies love in the
person's life. A Venus that is well-placed will bring love and
happiness. A Venus which is associated with malefics or bad houses will
bring more challenges in the love life. The idea here is that strong
planets bring about good results in the areas of life they rule while
afflicted or weak planets bring about bad results.
In Vedic
astrology there are numerous rules for assessing planetary strength.
Here is a very brief "bluffer's guide" to some of them. First, it's
important to remember that Vedic astrology divides planets into
benefics and malefics. Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are considered
generally benefic, while the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu are
considered malefic. There are numerous exceptions here but that is the
starting point. Also Vedic astrology divides the houses into favourable
and unfavourable houses. Basically, planets ruling or placed in houses
1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 are considered favourable, while planets
ruling or placed in houses 6, 8, 12 are considered malefic. The 3rd and
11th houses are considered neutral although there are many exceptions.
In practice, they can be seen as broadly favourable if their rulers are
strong and unafflicted. Boiled down to its bare essentials, the basic
rules for planetary strength could be summarized as follows:
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If a planet is conjunct or aspected a benefic planet, then it's good or strong.
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If a planet is conjunct or aspected by a malefic planet, that's bad or afflicted.
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If a planet is conjunct or aspected by a planet that rules a good house, then it's good/strong.
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If a planet is conjunct or aspected by a planet that rules a bad house, then it's bad/afflicted
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If a planet is placed in a good house, then it's good/strong
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If a planet is placed in a bad house, then it's bad/afflicted
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Moon (Chandra)
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The Moon rules our
looks, emotions and our mental health. Well placed Moons tend to
promote happiness, social and physical attractiveness, and this can
often lead to greater accomplishments. A happy person will often
integrate well with others and this can lead to success in life. By
contrast, badly placed Moons will often introduce a measure of anxiety,
depression, or hardship.
For example, Barack
Obama's Moon is exalted in Taurus and receives an aspect from benefic
Jupiter. This enhances his attractiveness and also makes him a happy
and well-balanced person. By contrast, the gloomy German philosopher
Friederich Nietzsche had a badly placed Moon conjunct malefic Rahu in
Scorpio -- a sign that works poorly with the Moon. He suffered from
loneliness and depression most of his life and eventually lost his
mind. Of course, he still was capable of great achievements due to the
solitary nature of his work, but he was deeply unhappy on an emotional
level. |
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Sun (Surya)
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The Sun rules our
physical health and vitality and determines our self of ego and
self-projection in the world. A strong Sun makes a person very
energetic and the centre of attention. A weak and afflicted Sun can
give a weak constitution and create an egomaniac.
Singing icon Bob
Dylan has a great 7th house Sun conjunct benefic planets Venus and
Jupiter. He's very healthy and still tours despite his advancing age
and is one of the most famous people in the world. Mass murderer
Charles Manson also has his Sun in the 7th house (whatever else he is,
he is certainly well-known) but it is closely aspected by malefic
Saturn which can explode the normal boundaries of the ego and create a
megalomaniac. It is also telling that he, too, has a super close
conjunction between his Moon and Rahu like Nietzsche. So when both the
Sun and Moon are afflicted, profound problems in life can occur. |
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Mercury (Budh)
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The fastest planet
in the solar system rules intelligence and our ability to communicate.
A strong Mercury gives high intelligence and great dexterity (since
Mercury rules the hands as well) and an aptitude for speaking, writing,
or teaching. An afflicted Mercury would hamper an individual's ability
in these areas such that an afflicted Mercury could indicate slower
mental development, or an harsh speaking style.
Horror writer
Stephen King has a very strong Mercury placed in the 3rd house of
communication in Virgo, an excellent sign for Mercury. It is also
conjunct Neptune (ruling the imagination) and benefic Venus -- a great
combination for a successful writer. Former President Richard Nixon had
a Mercury that was closely conjunct Mars. While this gave him great
logical and speaking abilities, it also was one astrological reason for
his lieing and penchant for bad language, as the secret White House
tapes later revealed. |
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Venus (Sukra)
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As everyone knows,
Venus is the planet of love. It also represents women in general,
beauty, art, socializing and pleasures of all kinds. A strong Venus
will promote a good marriage, contentedness, and appreciation of the
arts. A weak or afflicted Venus will tend to create disharmony in
relationships or an inability to relate to others.
American movie
actor Johnny Depp has an excellent Venus in its own sign Taurus,
closely conjunct benefic Mercury in the 11th house of gains. He has
enjoyed the fruits of this strong Venus through his good looks and his
career in the arts. The late Princess Diana also had a strong Venus
placed in Taurus aspected by benefic Jupiter. Considered to be an icon
of glamour and beauty, she was considered to be the most photographed
woman in the world. Truly, she was Venus incarnate. The infamous
Hollywood prostitute Heidi Fleiss has a prominent but afflicted Venus.
While its first house placement gives her good looks and popularity, it
is afflicted by the malefics Rahu and Mars. This affliction to Venus
can cause the individual to act beyond the norms of society in areas of
love and sexuality. The artist Vincent Van Gogh also had a mixed Venus.
Its favourable placement in Pisces its sign of exaltation in the 10th
house of career may have helped push Van Gogh towards artistic
pursuits. But at the same time, it was closely conjunct Mars which may
partially explain his inability to form meaningful relationships with
women throughout his life. |
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Mars (Mangal)
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As the planet of
action and athletes, a person's Mars will show how much initiative they
have to make changes in their life. A strong Mars will show a lot of
get up and go and an ability to outlast competitors. An afflicted Mars
may show a person who fights too much or becomes subject to punishment.
Boxer Muhammad Ali
had a powerful Mars in the 10th house in Aries -- both places where
Mars does well. It was also aspected by Pluto which gave him a
indominable will. Adolf Hitler also had Mars well placed in Aries and
in a good house-- the 7th. However in the case of the Hitler, his Mars
was closely aspected by malefic Ketu. Ketu gives an unpredictability
and sharpness to whatever planet it touches. Hitler's Mars certainly
had an unpredictable and unbounded energy for fighting and violence.
Martial artist Bruce Lee had a superstrong Mars closely conjunct Venus
and the Moon and aspected by Jupiter. Not only could he be an expert
fighter, but the Venus-Moon influence meant that his fighting (Mars)
would be appreciated for its aesthetic side. Lee became famous for his
kung fu movies. |
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Jupitar (Brihaspati)
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Known as the Great
Benefic, Jupiter represents wisdom, religion, expansion in general, and
wealth. Individuals with strong Jupiters will tend to adhere to
organized religions, usually the same ones as their parents. Strong
Jupiters also tend to be well-educated people who are well-to-do.
Afflicted Jupiters may not enjoy material prosperity, or follow foreign
religious traditions, if any at all.
The Dalai Lama has
a very strong Jupiter placed in the 2nd house of wealth. His wealth may
not be "on paper" but is largely spiritual in nature. In this chart,
his Jupiter in the 2nd also conveys his constant speaking (2nd house)
about his higher spiritual knowledge (Jupiter). Karl Marx's Jupiter was
mixed: while it had enough strength from its 11th house placement to
generate wisdom, it also was aspected by malefic Rahu. This combination
gave him his atheistic outlook and fueled his great skepticism for the
existing social structure in 19th century Europe. |
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Saturn (Shani)
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The planet of loss
helps us to understand our limits and the things around us we cannot
change. Saturn rules discipline, hard work, responsibility, longevity,
and loss. Strong Saturns will be very committed people with a
dedication to rules and traditions. Afflicted Saturns may be obsessed
with rules to the point of detriment, or may be irresponsible and
undisciplined.
The world's richest
man Bill Gates has a strong Saturn as it is placed in the 5th house
with benefic Venus. This gives Gates an indefatigable discipline and
untiring work ethic. When he does things, he goes all the way.
Vice-President Dick Cheney has a relatively strong Saturn as well.
Although it is poorly placed in the sign of Aries, it is in close
conjunction with Jupiter in the favourable 9th house. This gives Cheney
a great sense of responsibility about his actions and confers a sense
of leadership to him. Marilyn Monroe had an afflicted Saturn which
contributed to the often unidiscipined and rollercoaster nature of her
life. Saturn was aspected simultaneously by malefic Rahu in the 12th
house and Neptune. Since both Rahu and Neptune tend to erase boundaries
and limits, Marilyn may have not understood the her own physical limits
in her short life. Beat writer Jack Kerouac also had his Saturn closely
aspected by malefic Rahu. While this inability to adhere to society's
limits may have given him a great advantage in his pioneering literary
style, it also created a reckless and often destructive lifestyle. |
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Rahu (North Lunar Node)
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Rahu is the
Sanskrit name given to the north lunar node, the astronomical point
where the upper orbital path of the Moon intersects with the orbital
path of the Sun. Although considered a malefic, a well-placed Rahu can
contribute great wealth and success when affliliated with benefic
planets. It can also promote orginality in the arts and science. When
afflicted, it can cause all sorts of problems depending on the planet
is it most connected to. Usually these problems have to do with the
loss of boundaries in some way.
Actress Julia
Roberts has a very well placed Rahu in the 10th house of career where
it is aspected by benefic Jupiter. This Rahu is one of the main sources
for her great success and fame in the movies. O.J. Simpson's Rahu is
also placed in the 10th house of success but it is conjunct Mars there.
This was part of the source of his great fame as an athlete, but it
also showed a propensity for losing control (Rahu) of his temper (Mars)
leading to violence. |
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Ketu (South Lunar Node)
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Ketu is the
Sanskrit name given to the south lunar node, the astronomical point
where the lower orbital path of the Moon intersects with the orbital
path of the Sun. Like its nodal brother Rahu, it is considered a
malefic, although it too can give a great boost to a horoscope if other
planetary configurations are favourable. When this occurs, Ketu creates
spirituality and insight. When poorly placed, Ketu can bring about
problems depending on the planets it is associated with. Where Rahu is
usually related to worldly things, Ketu tends to bring people to the
spiritual or otherworldly realm -- for good or ill.
Albert Einstein's
Mercury (the planet of intelligence) was closely aspected by Ketu in
his chart. This gave him unparalleled powers of insight and mental
creativity. Former President Reagan had his Jupiter closely conjunct
Ketu which may have confered a great religious faith and special
leadership gifts. Disgraced evangelist Jim Bakker had debilitated
Saturn closely conjunct Ketu in Aries in the 3rd house of communication
suggesting losses (Saturn) related to spirituality (Ketu) in the realm
of communication (TV preacher). Even more generally, one could also
simply note Ketu's damaging influence on Bakker's sense of Saturnine
responsibilities and structure. |
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Note
The outer planets
(Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) are not part of traditional Vedic
astrology but I include them in my analyses because they are helpful
and provide unique |
Nature Of Planets
