Bharatiya jyotish mantra saadhana .: How To Read The Vedic Chart

How To Read The Vedic Chart

by Joni Patry
for “The Blast” Astrology Conference
Sedona, Arizona September 16 - 21, 2008
Vedic astrology can give more detail and specifics not seen with Western astrology. Here we will analyze some of the specifics used in Vedic astrology.
Whole Sign Houses
Vedic astrology uses whole signs per house. Each house contains an entire sign of 30 degrees. The cusp of a house is contained within that house. Each sign is ruled by a planet. Therefore, there will only be one sign ruling each house.

Ascendant Sets Up The Planetary Rulers For Each House
The ascendant sets up the entire chart in terms of how planets affect the individual. Each ascendant sets up which planets will rule each house. The most important effect is the planets that rule each house take on the qualities of the houses they rule. Therefore, the planets will change in their effects for that individual depending on which house/houses the planet rules.
Because the outer planets are not used in terms of rulership, each planet, except the Sun and Moon, will rule 2 houses.

Rules

Trikona Houses
Houses 1, 5, and 9 are the most beneficial. These houses are the trikonal houses. The planets that rule these houses give very good effects for the individual, even if they are natural malefic planets.

Dusthana Houses
Houses 6, 8 and 12 are the most difficult. These houses are the dusthana houses. The planets that rule these houses will cause problems in a person’s life even if they are natural benefic planets.

Maraka Houses
Houses 2 and 7 are considered neutral. I have not found this to be true. They will bring problems as well. They are considered Maraka houses, and can cause death. Maraka means killer. They derive this meaning because the 7th house is the 12th house from the 8th and the 2nd house is the 12th from the 3rd house. Both the 8th and 3rd houses are the houses considered when assessing the length of life. Therefore, the 2nd and 7th houses indicate loss of life.

Upachaya Houses
Houses 3, 6, and 11 are Upachaya houses indicating growth and improvement over time. The planets that rule these houses are still problematic. The ruler of the 11th house is considered very problematic when determining the results of a planet in a chart, BUT, planets do prosper very well when placed in the 11th house.

Kendra Houses
Houses 1, 4, 7 and 10 are the angles in a chart. They are called the kendras. These planets can be very strong in their results. They create events and changes in life.

*The most important rule to remember here is that the planets will take on the qualities of the houses. Understanding the meanings of each house will further flavor the effects a planet will produce in a chart.

Moolatrikona Signs Carry More Weight
Basically the benefic planets for a chart rule the trikonal houses, 1, 5 and 9. The malefic planets for a chart are the planets that rule the dusthana houses 6, 8, and 12. But if a planet rules both a dusthana and a trikonal house, the trikonal house will take priority particularly when the planet that rules the trikonal house is in the moolatrikona sign. The moolatrikona sign will be the masculine sign, (air and fire) with the exception of Mercury and the Moon. The moolatrikona sign of Mercury is Virgo and the Moon is Taurus, which is their exaltation sign. The house that is ruled by the moolatrikona sign will ALWAYS give more effect.

For example: Gemini ascendant has Saturn ruling both the 8th and 9th houses. Capricorn is the sign on the 8th house and Aquarius is the sign on the 9th house. Aquarius as an air sign is the moolatrikona sign, therefore, Saturn will give more of the effects of the 9th house. The 9th house is a trikonal house indicating Saturn is a benefic planet for Gemini ascendant. Saturn will bring good results for someone with Gemini rising even though it does rule the malefic 8th house.

Moolatrikona Signs
Sun – Leo
Moon - Taurus
Mercury - Virgo
Venus – Libra
Mars - Aries
Jupiter - Sagittarius
Saturn – Aquarius

Yoga Karaka
When a planet rules a trikonal house and an angular house (Kendra) this planet becomes the very best and most powerful for that chart. It is called the yoga karaka planet.

For example: Taurus ascendant has Saturn as the ruler of the 9th house and the 10th house making Saturn the most powerful planet for Taurus rising. Saturn will produce great things in this individual’s life.

Drishtis (Aspects)

Ways the Planets are Associated or Connected
Drishti means “to glance at”. The Greek word aspektos means “to gaze” or “to glance”. As the planets rose upon the horizon and gazed on each other across the descendant, they exchanged glances. They aspected each other. It was considered that planets gave their full aspect when they were opposite each other looking directly at one another. Aspects connect or link the planets.

Vedic astrology uses whole sign houses, which means a sign is a house. The planets aspect the houses with or without any planets there. All planets aspect the house or planets in opposition to them. Planets in the same house/sign aspect each other as a conjunction. Planets aspect the entire sign, but the influence is stronger when the orbs are closer. Planets that are out of sign but close in degrees still influence each other.

Vedic astrology uses special aspects for the planets Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Mars aspects the fourth and the eighth house from itself. Saturn aspects the third and the tenth houses. Jupiter aspects the fifth and the ninth houses. These are all considered full aspects, 100 percent in their influence. There are weaker aspects of 75 - 50 percent that are rarely used, but all aspects are cast in forward direction.

Rahu and Ketu (not recognized by all Vedic astrologers) cast trines like Jupiter to the fifth and the ninth houses. The aspects do not have a meaning by themselves but carry the meanings of the planets. Aspects are the connectors of planetary energy. So Rahu and Ketu convey their malefic energy to the planet or house they aspect, but not with the meaning of a trine as in Western astrology.

The meaning of each planet varies from chart to chart. The variation is determined by asking:
1. Is it a natural benefic or malefic?
2. Is it a temporal malefic or benefic?

This is based on the houses these planets rule in a chart. Mars can be a functional benefic for Cancer ascendant because it rules the auspicious fifth house (trikonal), and the tenth house (kendra). Jupiter can be a functional malefic for Taurus ascendant because it rules the difficult eighth house (dusthana), and the eleventh house.

The planets carry the meanings of the houses they rule. As they cast their aspects to houses and the planets therein, they impregnate those planets/houses with all the energy they possess. This means that if one planet aspects another planet it will alter that planet’s meaning. For example, if Mercury is aspected by Saturn and Mars, Mercury is impregnated by both natural malefic planets. It will carry with it the houses that both Mars and Saturn rule (the houses they rule determines if it is a functional benefic or malefic) and the houses Mercury rules itself. So, this Mercury carries the meanings of six houses. The aspects Mercury casts either by conjunction or opposition will have all these houses attached to them. Mercury has a potent punch and much complexity with its aspects.

*An important rule: Anytime a planet aspects a house it rules it will give it an added force for the good of that house. It is similar to the planet being in that house in its own sign.

*Planets can mutually aspect each other. This happens with the opposition and conjunction, and sometimes with the special aspects.

For example, Mars in Capricorn and Saturn in Aries. Here Mars aspects Saturn by its fourth aspect, and Saturn aspects Mars by its tenth aspect. They mutually aspect each other. It is a two-way connector.

When planets are in each other’s sign of rulership it is called mutual reception or parivartana, and is a very powerful connection. If the planets are also mutually aspected it is even more powerful. This complete connection is called sambandha.

The example above with Mars in Capricorn and Saturn in Aries is in sambandha. They mutually aspect each other and are in each other’s sign (mutual reception). Another example would be the Sun in Aquarius and Saturn in Leo. They mutually aspect each other by opposition, and are in each other’s sign.

Outline

Aspects are the planets influencing each other by their specific relational distance.
Full aspects are considered 100 percent in influence. There are weaker aspects that have effects of 75-50 percent. Most do not consider these.
Aspects are connectors of planetary and house energies.
Aspects are always counted in a forward direction.
Planets aspect houses even though no planet resides there.
Planets in the same sign/house are in aspect (conjunction).
Planets in opposite signs/houses are in aspect.
Mars’ special aspects are 4, (7), and 8 signs/houses from its position.
Jupiter’s special aspects are 5, (7), and 9 signs/houses from its position.
Saturn’s special aspects are 3, (7), and 10 signs/houses from its position.
Rahu and Ketu’s special aspects are 5 and 9 signs/houses from their position.
Aspects have no meaning of their own, only the energy of the planets.
Planets are either natural benefics or natural malefics. The natural benefics are Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Moon. The natural malefics are Mars, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, and Sun.
Planets carry the meanings of the houses they rule. Natural malefics become functional benefics if they rule trikonal houses (1, 5, 9). Natural benefics become functional malefics when they rule the dusthana houses (3, 6, 8, 12), and not a trikonal. When a planet rules both a dusthana and a trikonal, the planet is still considered benefic. The trikonal house outweighs the dusthana house.
A planet that aspects a house it rules empowers that house, and the matters ruled by that house. It operates like a planet in its own sign in the house it aspects.
Planets can mutually aspect each other. They have a two-way connection, reinforcing each other.
Sambandha is when planets are mutually aspected and in mutual reception. This means a complete connection.
Planets that are out of sign but very close in degrees still influence each other. Example: Jupiter 29 degrees of Scorpio, and Mars at 0 degrees of Sagittarius.
The aspects from the Moon give further clarification to the chart.
The transiting planets, aspecting the natal planets, trigger life events.