Astrology and Marriage

Astrology and MarriageMarriage is a most complicated structure made up as it is of a whole series of subjective and objective facts of a very heterogeneous nature. Since we are concerned with the psycho-astrological aspect of marriage we shall exclude the objective factors of legal and social nature although these factors have a pronounced influence on the psychological relationship of the married pair.

Marriage is not an institution for simple brute sense gratification. The idea that it is a civil contract terminable at will smacks of meanness in conception of the grand liabilities and assets between the parties to be engaged in sacred wedlock. One of the great American judges said “the contract of marriage is something more than a civil agreement between the parties, the extent of which only affects themselves. It is the basis of the family, and its dissolution as well as its formation is a matter of public policy in which the body or community is deeply interested and it is to be governed by other considerations than those which obtain with regard to any other civil contract that the ground which shall invalidate the contract must be something more than a mere representation as to collateral matters that no ground will annual a marriage which does not go to the very essence of the contract”.

Marriage, both in the social and economic sense, is a sexual relationship entered into with the intention of making it permanent. In India, marriage was and is regarded as a religious sacrament and marriage comprehends the equality of the partner in respect of Dharma (right conduct), Artha (financial position), Kama (sex relation) and Moksha (final salvation). The universality of marriage constitutes one of the most striking differences between the Hindus and the other races. When the question of marriage is considered, various factors demand our attention, important ones being physical fitness, mental qualities, heredity, sexual compatibility and social and economic status.

In the modern world so much is made of the sex element in marriage that the other equally important factors, social and psychological, are practically ignored. The Hindu Shastras, having in view the climatic and ethnological conditions of India, have fixed the maximum and minimum age limits for marriage. Marriage between parties belonging to the same gotra is prohibited on account of the dysgenic influence on the offspring. Inter-racial, inter-communal and inter-religious marriages are equally condemned because in such matches there are great cultural differences. There can be very little sympathy between the parties. After a careful consideration of all these factors, the Hindus had devise astrological means of judging marriage compatibility whereby the relations between the couple may stand the strain of maladjustments. Pseudo-sexologists and sociologists are not wanting in India who are ever ready to point out their finger of contempt at the sound and sensible institution of marriage developed by the Hindus after centuries of experience and experiment. We are not concerned with such socialistic theories advocating companionate marriage and encouraging unbridled license in love affairs. They may be all right in countries like Russia and America-the melting pots of different races. But they cannot hold water in a country like India whose civilization, culture and social laws are peculiar to her geographical and historical positions. Inter-communal and inter-racial marriages are a gamble.

The Hindus have solved this complex problem of marriage selection by recourse to astrological considerations. If the horoscopes of the bridegroom and bride are correctly studied and investigations into the various kutas are undertaken, before marriage is contracted, there will be fewer tragedies than at present and less marital infidelity. Modern science has devised no means to find out the compatibility between the marrying couple. Sexologists suggest that the bride and bridegroom should subject themselves to a thorough medical examination. Although this sounds reasonable, it makes an important omission in that mere physical fitness does not ensure complete marital happiness. Happiness largely rests upon so many other factors that the aid of astrology should be sought for by every sensible individual.

In selecting horoscopes for marriage purposes, three factors have to be carefully considered. They are:

(a) The longevity of the bride and the bridegroom.

(b) The larger strength of the 7th and the 8th houses.

(c) Agreeability in regard to the Kutas.

When there is no longevity in the case of bride, the horoscope must be rejected even though the 7th house may be strong or the requisite number of units are available. Likewise, when the 7th house is weak and is considerably blemished, the horoscope to be matched should have antidotes or counteracting influences.

The Kutas or the units or agreement should be considered only when there is general sympathy between the horoscopes of the parties to be brought together. The existing practice almost all over India and particularly in the South is highly defective and dangerous as horoscopes are rejected simply because they do not conform to certain Kutas, while the most important factors such as longevity, widowhood, etc., are completely ignored. Therefore it is very essential to examine, to start with the general strength of the charts; and when good longevity is indicated in both the horoscopes and they are free from the afflictions in regard to the 7th and 8th houses, further agreement should be judged. When Mars and Venus are in the 7th, the boy or girl concerned will be highly sexed and such an individual should be mated to one who has similar instincts and not to a person having Mercury or Jupiter in the 7th, as this makes one under-sexed. When sexual incompatibility sets in marriage, life proves charmless and friction arises between the couple. Therefore, it is bounden duty of the parents to consult learned astrologers and not to entrust the work of comparing horoscopes to persons who have no practical experience. History is replete with ill-matched marriages and the most miserable lives the couple had to live.

Socrates, philosopher as he was reputed to be, was united in marriage to Xantippe, who, if rightly reported, perpetually ridiculed his philosophical teachings and mercilessly nagged him in his home. Once when he had invited a distinguished friend to dinner, she spitefully emptied the contents of a vessel upon his head. Plato sympathisingly asked him why he bore such indignities. Meekly replied the old philosopher :”She teaches me patience and charity, and shows to me that if I can bear with her, I can bear all else in the world.” Alcibiades, noted for brilliancy of intellect and a most graceful carriage of personality, was strangely unfortunate in his marital relations. Too proud to direct desert his wife he at one time contemplated and even attempted suicide as a release from his bonds. Pericles, ruling Athens for 50 years, finding it brick and leaving it marble was not only orator and statesman, but in other ways the most discrete and majestic character of that remote period. His relations with Aspasia caused bitterest criticism. His wife, being a fault-finding, social drag, failed to stand by him supporting him in his great work for the upbuilding of Athens, he deliberately parted with her, bestowing upon her half of his estates. Plato, warned by Socrates, his teacher, though noble, wealthy, scholastic and exceedingly popular in the higher walks of Grecian society never married, though a great admirer and lover of women. Cicero, the Roman orator and early pleader in the forum, studied at the feet of Zeno and Demetrius and married the heiress Terentia. It is needless to produce the full story of his unsatisfactory married life. Milton, holding in English literature one of the highest places as poet and patriot, wrote three pamphlets upon divorce and lived not merely unhappily but at times miserably with his wife, Mary Powell. Thomas Carlyle’s married life was rough as a tempestuous sea, and accordingly far from being happy. Dickens, as writer, author and world painter of human emotions stood for a time in Great Britain unrivalled and yet his matrimonial home life was a most painful failure.

We can multiply the instances any number. In the modern times, America counts such social ship-wrecks by thousands upon thousands, both in the lower and the higher planes of marital life. In India, the number is on the increase. All these tell their own sad stories of connubial dissatisfaction and family wretchedness. Readers must note that in the examples given above, the married lives were not shattered by the death of wife, or husband but they proved tragic because of the dislike between husband and wife. Having read the above paragraphs, the reader may be tempted to put the question “Is marriage-true harmonial marriage-possible at the present state of the world’s civilization”. The quick answer is, of course, in the affirmative. We shall come to this question again.

It is interesting to note that in India cases of divorce are few and far between. The very idea of divorce is repugnant to the average Indian lady. A little before the Second World War and enterprising Indian scholar had a German professor of Sociology as his guest. The German professor remarked that he found the institution of marriage much more of a success in India and that he could feel the presence of a deeper harmony in domestic relations in India that in any other civilized region he had so far visited. The India professor’s reply was that this stability and harmony were probably due to the system of matrimonial matching of horoscopes, invariably resorted to by parents prior to settling of marriages. The Indian scholar started collecting case-histories of married couples and he managed to get 603 cases for study. The age-group selected was 30 to 40. The survey was made in 1940-41. All the people concerned were born between 1901-1910 and married between 1915-1930. The economic background was mostly rural and agricultural though 22% of the case-histories concerned people who derived their livelihood from commercial and industrial occupations. In most cases, the informants were males. It was found that divorces and separations were about 6% and deaths of husbands or wives 10%. The scholar’s findings were that 47% was positive, 42% neutral and 1% negative. Y positive, he means very successful marriages. Y neutral he means a fair degree of harmony in domestic lives. And by negative he means disharmonious family lives. His conclusion is that these figures prove the efficacy of astrology in marital settlements.

In his book The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche, Dr. Carl Jung, the eminent psychoanalyst, refers to his researches to test astrological techniques and has used for this purpose the horoscopes of 966 married couple.

He counted all the conjunctions and oppositions between the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Venus, the Ascendant and Descendant. His graphs confirmed the traditional astrological correspondence between marriage and the Moon-Sun aspects.

Following the Sun-Moon aspects, came the conjunctions (in horoscopes of married persons) between the wife’s Ascendant and the man’s Venus, and the woman’s Moon and the man’s Ascendant.

“For students, this should provide inspiration for further research. Favourable Sun and Moon aspects between the charts of a man and woman link them strongly and indicate a tendency (other things being equal) for them to marry. On the other hand, Mars-Venus aspects might bring about physical attraction but do not necessarily point to legal marriage


“A man’s Ascendant conjunct the Moon in a woman’s horoscope, according to Jung’s figures, points to marriage, as does a woman’s Ascendant conjunct a man’s natal Venus position.

“Jung’s findings bore out classical astrological claims in relation to marriage. The strongest links were the Moon conjunct Moon and the Moon conjunct the Sun in horoscopes of mated persons. His highest percentage showed the Ascendant conjunct the Moon, which is traditionally characteristic of marriage. He points out, too, that this is strange indeed (for those skeptical of astrology’s worth) since the ascendant, together with the Sun and Moon, forms the trinity that determines fate and character.”

To quote Jung: “Had one wanted to falsify the statistical findings so as to bring them into line with tradition, one could not have done it more successfully.”

In attempting to explain “why” astrology works, Jung made note of the fact that magnetic storms occur during the squares and oppositions of the planets. By the same token, clear radio weather is evident when the planets are harmonious; trined and in sextile aspect.

A careful consideration of the important astrological works reveals the following information:

If Mars is in the 7th house unaspected by benefics, there will be frequent quarrels in the married life often leading to misunderstandings and separation.

When Saturn is in the 8th house, and particularly in a square to Mars, the married life will be crossed by discord, lack of mutual understanding and absence of real attachment.

When Leo is Lagna and the 7th lord Saturn is in the 2nd, the husband will be completely subservient to the wife, carrying out all her orders.

Saturn in the 7th house is also indicative of unhappiness in marriage.

According to Prasna Marga, the famous Kerala work on astrology, if the Sun and Venus occupy the 5th, 7th or 9th house then the native will lack marital happiness.

A strong malefic in the 4th, particularly Mars, is not conducive to conjugal happiness.

It in the ashtakavarga of Venus, the 7th house from Venus contains a large number of bindus (positive units) and the wife is born in any of the asterisms of the Sun, then his wife will be as dear to him as life.

When the longitude of the 7th house falls in a malefic navamsa, the wife will be bad in a nature and frequent quarrels and misunderstandings will ensue.

If the lords of the 7th and 1st are not enemies, then the native will be loved by his wife. Otherwise, there will be hatred.

The above combinations do not speak of either death of wife or more than one marriage. They simply state that the dispositions of planets in a certain manner, in the (male’s or female’s) horoscope, render the marital life unhappy.

Make the necessary reductions in the ashtakavarga of Venus. Mark those rasis that contain bindus or dots. Then take that rasi which contains more dots and get the bride from the direction indicated by that rasi. The marriage will bring real happiness.

The presence of a malefic in the 7th especially in the constellation of Rahu, Mars or Saturn is an indication of tension in the married life.

Persons born in Aries and Scorpio, subject to other factors affecting the seventh house, will get amenable partners.

The life-partners of persons born in Taurus and Libra will generally be of a domineering nature and married life will be crossed by discord.

Person born in Cancer will hardly have a happy married life. The misery will be less pronounced when Leo is the Ascendant.

Person born in common signs will be inclined towards extra-martial adventures unless the 10th house is subject to the influence of Jupiter.

Saturn’s sign as Lagna confers a philosophical outlook and married life will generally be marked by understanding, attachment and affection, despite temporary upsets and tensions.

The position of Venus in a horoscope is of utmost importance in ensuring a happy married life. Venus-Rahu-Mars or Saturn combination may often lead to trouble and sometimes to tragic consequences. The female will be the cause for all these troubles-physical and mental. When Ketu is in association with Venus, further afflicted by Mars or Saturn, there is deceit and danger of scandal in marriage. The sensual pleasure may take a sadistic turn if the 10th is also ill-disposed.

There is danger of poisoning and counter-acting dreadful forms of disease.

The principal factor in looking for marital concord is Mars-Venus relationship. These planets represent the masculine and the feminine each in its fundamental role and from them the force of attraction for the opposite sex can be derived. Mars rules energy and Venus rules beauty. It follows that the proper use of this combination will produce a desirable union.

Venus-Mars dispositions are a yardstick of happiness in sex-relations and understanding of each other in marriage.

We have given above some general hints. There are, of course, quite a number of other factors, but they do not fall within the purview of the present discussion. While the 7th house and the Navamsa chart are the prime factors for judging marriage, the second house becomes equally important as it rules the kutumba or the family.

Matrimony, like any other life-phenomenon, is preeminently guided by the constitution of the mind. An unbalanced mind is a sure indication of matrimonial misadventure.

In the horoscopes of women, the Moon gives the following results, when occupying different sign:

Aries: The lady does not tolerate other points of views. She is domineering and self-willed. She may become a house-tyrant. She is impulsive and sometimes hot-headed.
Taurus:The woman is firm, resolute, somewhat sensual, confident and persevering. She is industrious and generally calm. There is a desire for possession and worldly joys and pleasures. She is tolerant, affectionate and may become stubborn and obstinate if the Moon is afflicted.
Gemini:The lady has a restless mind, with a desire for change. There is a craving for diversion. The tendency to nag, comparing the husband with other men will be pronounced. She has the capacity for adaptability also. Intellectual inclination, capacity to love and be loved and quick emotional upsets are the other characteristics of this sign.
Cancer:This is generally an ideal place for the Moon provided the constellation is either Punarvasu or Pushyami. The lady loves her home. She is receptive and responsive. She lacks confidence and allows herself to be influenced by more dominant people. Married life will be affected by separation, illness, ill-will and even infidelity if the affliction is severe.
Leo:She will have a strong will, dignity and confidence. The emotional life is strong but there is danger of over-bearing. She may be inclined to indulge in show and luxury but she can be an understanding wife though temperamentally incompatible with the husband.
Virgo: She has a meticulous mind, a propensity to be critical, a good sense of reality, deft in what she does, practical though often emotional. She has the capacity for discussion, the mental faculties being well developed.
Libra:Generally anxious to please the husband and work for harmonious relations with him, but her home-life cannot be happy due to husband’s domineering nature. She is discreet in her actions, fair minded, amiable, likes music and fine arts, and has a propensity for community life.
Scorpio:The lady is generally attractive to the opposite sex. She is prone to have miscarriages. Sexual passions are strong and energies are dissipated soon.
Sagittarius:The lady is sincere, sincere, frank, kind-hearted and noble. There is a lively disposition and the husband can be moulded by her sheer personality. She is independent and has a quest for knowledge. The mind is restless and somewhat impulsive. She is disappointed in her private life due to her own impetuosity and haste.
Capricorn:She is a serious thinker and sober in action. There is attachment though the emotions are not quite consistent. She is practical, cold, and lacks tender regards, and is a matter-of-fact wife.
Aquarius:She is tolerant, emotional, restless, practical, benevolent and free from bitterness. She is broad-minded, big-hearted, independent, self-willed, and is guided by her own inner sentiments. She is a task-master and sometimes hard to understand. She is deeply attached to the husband and the family, but married life is often crossed by tension.
Pisces: She is sensitive, but receptive and active; she is not able to form independent judgments. Somewhat dreamy, she likes to be in the background. She is sentimental and lacks self-confidence.

In the above delineations, if the influences are disturbed by the general structure of the horoscope and by other influences operating on the Moon, the characteristics have to be modified.

A woman inclined to romance may go astray if there is a combined influence of Rahu, Mars and Venus. She may confine her romance to her own husband if the influences of Jupiter are dominant. One’s religiousness may descend to trivial rituals if Saturn’s influence is dominant.

We do not propose to deal with the question of marriage adaptability in this article. But we should like to say a few words about certain superstitions current in India about so-called Kuja dosha, etc.

There is a belief current amongst the public that boys and girls born in certain constellations cause the death of certain relatives. For instance a girl born in Visakha is said to bring about the destruction of her husband’s younger brother, so that parents generally try to find out a bridegroom who does not have a younger brother. Even when there are other merits in the horoscope, it is rejected on the simple ground that the girl is born in Visakha. This is entirely due to ignorance of the real astrological factors governing such considerations. Only certain Padas or quarters should be held inauspicious and not the entire constellation. Thus, in regard to Visakha, only the last quarter is evil and not the first three. Therefore, a girl born in the first three-quarters of Visakha should never be considered to bring misfortune to her husband’s younger brother. Similarly, the boy or girl born in the last quarter of Moola is to be rejected as it is said to cause the death of the father-in-law. The last three-quarters of Moola are highly beneficial. A girl born in Jyeshta is said to cause evil to her husband’s elder brother. Almost all authors agree that (certain parts of) Visakha, Aslesha, Moola and Jyeshta are destructive constellations-Aslesha (first quarter) for mother; Visakha (last quarter) for husband’s younger brother; Jyeshta (first quarter) for girl’s husband’s elder brother; and Moola (first quarter) for father-in-law.