CHAPTER 21
HOW TO JUDGE A HOROSCOPE
A normal problem facing all students even after a primary and initial study of the science of Astrology is about the judgment of a Nativity. The dry rules inunciated in the textbooks are of no avail unless these are tested in practice when examining a chart.
The first step is to consider the Ascendant, its Lord, and its exact Navamsa along with the lunar chart placing the Moon on the cusp of the Ascendant. Thus, next to the Ascendant, the Moon and the Sun automatically gains tremendous importance.
In the Indian system of thinking, the Moon is given a high degree of importance because it signifies our mind and it is the mind which impels us to certain actions. Here the student must note that the stars impel but do not compel. Thus, it is very difficult to judge the will power of a person by referring to the chart. This will power of a person is slightly indicated by the Moon, the Lord of the Sign it occupies and also similarly the Meridian Cusp, its Sign and degree.
The next step is to see whether the lord of the Ascendant is placed in an angle or 5th or 9th houses; amongst the angles the strongest in order are 1, 10, 7 and 4. Here a small word of caution is necessary. The 4th house is indeed important, but is the weakest of all the angles and indicates the beginning and end of life. The 5th house is more important than the 9th house because 9th house is one of the cadent houses and the lord of the Ascendant placed there, has got lesser importance, unless it is in trine to the Ascendant and is not afflicted.
The student should then study the elements along with the number of planets in Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Signs. Any predominance in the Elements or Characteristics has to be studied with its plus and minuses. When studying the Elements, please make a mental note of the Decanate also.
Next to the Navamsa, these Decanate have a very important story to tell. This can be observed and studied from the textbooks of Allen Leo, Max Heindel, Sephariel, etc. The Indian textbooks do accept the concept of the Decanate but we rarely find such detailed observation and guidance as we get in the books of the Western Scholars.
Only after this much ground has been covered, we can give a greater importance to the aspects. The house positions of a planet in the chart is strengthened or weakened by the aspects. In the initial stage, the student is advised to consider the following aspects only i.e. Conjunctions, Oppositions, Squares, Semi-squares, Trines, Sextiles and Parallels. The other minor aspects only add or subtract to the main findings. Please note that all Squares and Oppositions are not bad by themselves. Only the Square aspects from Fixed Signs and the Semi-Square aspects should be evaluated with due care and caution. The evils of the squares from Cardinal Signs can be successfully overcome only if the native girds up his loins to fight a situation with care and abundant caution. Squares from Mutable Signs have only a temporary weakness and this can be fought out if a wise astrological counsel issues an advance warning for preparations.
The real anxiety takes place when judging the Squares from Fixed Signs. Sometimes, there is a Grand Cross, but if this is from Cardinal Signs it demands lesser skill than facing a Grand Cross from Fixed Sign.
The student is advised that excessive tenements in Cardinal Signs can make a person a day dreamer and incapable of completing a project taken in hand. He may even be a rolling stone that gathers no moss but only has an outside polish.
Please never underrate a Semi-Square taking place from any Sign or house, because this gives a definite setback between the ages of 42 to 48 years when a person is rather mature and is not strong enough to readjust himself.
The Oppositions with benefic planets cause a comparative lesser damage than with the malefics. In spite of this, it should be clearly noted that in the event of a Semi Square, Square or Opposition with Mars, it gives only stress to the physical vitality and nothing neither more nor less. In other case, let it be noted that Mars, though a second rate malefic is a friend of no planet. (This is not to be confused with the natural friendship of planets. Mars here is considered as Vishwamitra i.e. Viswa + Mitra). In the event of an opposition with Mars, there is an overflow of energy, which if not channelised properly, can do physical damage like shedding of blood, accidents, operation, etc. Any Sextile with Saturn has to be judged with greater caution because, Saturn gives only if the native deserves. Our mere desires are of no avail. The Trines are automatically beneficial, but in case of Sextiles, some outsider, a brother, neighbor or an acquaintance, comes to help when the need to solve a problem arises. In spite of all this, a Trine of Mars in female nativities is not to be judged favorably under Indian conservative conditions. This makes a woman rather impulsive and careless about results.
When taking into account the aspects, do not fail to note the ownership of the house(s) of the planet.
It is not easy to judge the effects of Parallels, because the orb is just one degree. In the event of a good aspect, the Parallels, if both are of the same direction, are very effective but in the absence of aspects, these Parallels work as Conjunctions or Oppositions resulting into some confusing result or a calamity, which is not easily seen and observed by a cursory glance of the aspects.
In certain cases, we do come across a Stallium i.e. over cargo of planets in one house or Sign. This gives at least physical debility as far as the house or Sign is concerned. Thus, we often find Sun, Mercury, Venus in one Sign but if any other planet comes along in that house or Sign, then the good judgment has to be reserved and then only, after a deeper evaluation should an opinion be expressed. Please study the effect of the Signs and the planets. This is described in all the textbooks and certain Signs are favorable for certain planets e.g Mars in Gemini or Virgo is by itself bad but Saturn does lesser damage in Aries, Cancer & Leo.
When taking the orbs, take the orb of Sun and Moon as 12 degrees and 17 degrees respectively, but in case of other planets, watch the daily motion of the planets before coming to a final conclusion. A separating aspect is, therefore, given a larger orb than an applying aspect. This is emphatically stated in the textbooks of Raphael.
Thus, instead of a blank chart, (Khokha Kundali) an exact Sayana Chart, shows greater importance because when judging the effects of a planet in Ascendant, the planet does not reveal its proper Sign position when it is either in last degree of a Sign or at the beginning of a Sign. Here we are likely to misjudge the advantages or disadvantages of the planets.
When you judge a chart of a male, especially study the position of the Ascendant Lord and its Navamsa, the position of the Lagna Lord shows where the field of activity lies. In a female chart, similarly, the Moon should be given more importance.
After that, study the longevity. For longevity, you must see not only the Eighth House, but also the Fourth House and their lords. The lord of the Tenth House shows us the connection of our activity with the past. Especially in Cancer and Leo, the importance of Mars and Saturn is good, not elsewhere. Mars has no friends and, therefore, the conjunction of Mars with Mercury in both the male as well as the female charts are full of tricks. Do not trust 7/8 degrees of Cancer and 10 degrees of Pisces. These are considered as unfortunate in all respects.
When a planet is plated in an “intercepted” Sign, the results are likely to come rather late i.e. with delays. There are certain charts, even for North Indian places, where the MC and Ascendant are both in the Sign of same element (e.g. airy). Those people are endowed with natural intelligence.
Rectify the time of birth by seeing that the exact Navamsa Ascendant is in some major aspect with any planet in the radical chart.
The conjunction of Mars with Sun. gives extraordinary energy. Similarly, with Moon, it bestows high mental qualities, with Mercury there is a tendency to commit fraud or to face a fraud; with Jupiter it gives less of wealth; with Venus there is a tendency for extra passion and sexual activities; with Saturn there is natural aptitude for engineering skill and capacity to face hire and fire; with Rahu, its evil effects are destroyed especially by the Square aspect. The effects of the aspects of Mars with Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are yet to be determined properly, but these effects, at best, can only be on the psychic plane.
For Cancer, Leo, Capricorn and Aquarius Lagnas, the domestic happiness is always less (maximum 49%). This is true especially in the case of female charts.
Any person having Saturn, Uranus in the Fourth House should preferably leave his place of birth. On the other hand, natives having Venus or Jupiter in the Fourth House should not normally move away from the place of birth.
In a female chart, base your judgment more on the Lunar Chart than on the Ascendant. But if in the radical chart, there are many planets in the bright half, the person is very active outside and not suited for domestic chores. In a female chart, any evil planets in the seventh house, denotes tragedy in domestic life. Therefore, instead of rebelling or seeking separation or divorce, they should try to adjust and accept or surrender to destiny. Be very careful while judging the Sun, Moon or Ascendant in the Sign Cancer, since Cancerian water though fresh, may be very deep and equally deceptive. For females, the best ascendants are Virgo or Pisces, but not in the case males.
Planets in debilation are good for worldly life but not for spiritual efforts. The only care to be taken in such cases is, if the health is weak, because then, the debilated planets could be dangerous.
If the lord of a Sign is weak or a planet is placed in the Sign of a debilated planet, be very careful.
The lords of 3/6/8/12 should be watched very carefully. Preferably, they should occupy 3/6/8/12itself, but not be in their own Sign, or strong. For example, for Libra Ascendant, Jupiter becomes the Lord of 3/6 houses. If such Jupiter is placed in Capricorn, it makes Jupiter Neecha by the rules of Anonyana and hence this is desirable.
Lastly, please ensure that your predictions are based only after examining the chart in its entirety and not merely on the basis of a particular placement.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Recommended Texts for further Study (in alphabetical order of the authors)
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
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Myths and Symbols of Vedic Astrology |
Behari Bepin |
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Class Notes |
Bhatt Jitubhai |
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A BASIC TEXBOOK OF ASTROLOGY |
Bhartiya vidhya bhavan |
|
Divisional Charts |
Choudhry V.K. |
|
Encyclopedia of Medical Astrology |
Cornell H.L. (Dr.) |
|
Astrology of Seers |
Frawley D. |
|
Sun Signs |
Goodman Linda |
|
Mind and Body in Astrology |
Harvey R. |
|
Simplified Scientific Astrology |
Heindel Max |
|
Message of the Stars |
Heindel Max |
|
Jyotisha Kalpatru – Ganit (Gujarati) |
Joshi Someshwar Dwarkadas |
|
Jyotisha Kalpatru – Vol I & II (Guj.) |
Joshi Someshwar Dwarkadas |
|
Brihadparasharitil Sutra Chintane (Marathi) |
Joshi S.G. (Sayanacharya) |
|
Learn Astrology Easy Way |
Kapoor G.S. (Dr.) |
|
Class Notes |
Lad J.G. |
|
Class Notes |
Mody G.D. |
|
Test Book of Astrology |
Pearce A.G. |
|
Class Notes |
Rajyagor J.S. |
|
Hindu Predictive Astrology |
Raman B. V. (Dr.) |
|
A Manual of Hindu Astrology |
Raman B.Y. (Dr.) |
|
Three Hundred Important Combinations |
Raman B.Y. (Dr.) |
|
Applied Astrology |
Rao K.N. (Dr.) & Raut |
|
Key and Guide to Astrology |
Raphael |
|
The Manual of Astrology |
Sephariel |
|
Nakshatra Based Predictions |
Shubhakaran K.T. |
|
Complete Arcana of Astrology |
Simmonite |
|
Class Notes |
Sompura V. M. |
|
Dynamics of Aspects Analysis |
Tierney B. |
|
The Giant Book of the Unknown |
Wilson Collins & Evans C. (Dr.) |
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