Nakshatras and characteristics

Vedic astrologers identified number of Constellations, but constellations falling in the orbit of moon were considered instrumental for the purpose of Indian astrology. Constellation means – constellation of stars. On an average there are visible 5-6 stars in each constellation and the group was to be named identified via a major star of the group.

At all 28 constellations were supposed to be more influential & time-space relationship was innovated and a few formule invented on the basis of moon-constellation (Nakshatra) relationship. Mythological stories explain these 27 (out of 28, one Abhijit was considered less important) constellations be the wives of moon.

Moon transiting through a constellation, though very near to earth, it affects all the cosmic radiations reaching up to earth or the native, the final destination of Indian astrology. This is the reason. The moon & the constellation relationship assumed maximum importance in Indian astrology. As a later development from one birth to another via position of moon in particular constellation. Break up point between the two birth was supposed to be longitude of the moon.

Ashwini :- This falls in ‘Aries’ the zodiac of Mars and Lord of this Nakshatra is Ketu. Mars & Ketu combination gives dynamism, aggression, strong impulse and stubbornness. The animal symbol of this Nakshatra is a horse’s head, conferring the horsepower in the individual. This is deeply related to ‘sun’ as sun is exalted here and the mythological story of Ashwini brothers is related to sun. Ashwini the divine doctors make medicine and healing, an important feature of this Nakshatra.

 Bharni :- It also falls in ‘Aries’ and ruled by Venus, hence ‘Mars+Venus’ combination a blend of masculine and feminine ushers great creativity symbol is ‘Yoni’, the female reproductive organ. This beas the energy of Shakti. Venus-Mars influence point towards strong desire for sex and luxuries. The animal symbol is male elephant reflecting great endurance power and ability to carry burden. The deity related is ‘Yama’, which guides the soul, therefore the individual has qualities of truthfulness and self sacrifice. Exalted sun confers leadership. This a kroor sangyak Nakshatra which gives restlessness, irritability, impatience and pride.

 Kritika :- It shares Aries and Taurus both and is ruled by sun. A Sun + Mars combination till 3.20o gives leadership and authority remaining 10o has Venus-Sun combination. Venus gives artistic fervor and highly sophisticated taste. Ruling deity is ‘Agni’, which motivates for self-purification and raising voice for social causes. Sun and Agni combination makes the native stubborn and aggressive. It also give destructive tendencies.

 Rohini :- This falls in Taurus and is ruled by Moon. In Rohini, moon is in its ‘Mool trikona’ sign. Venus-Moon combination has a magical impact on creativity and sensuality. The residing deity is ‘Prajapati’ so we find power of growth and creation. Strong duty sense is also there. The animal symbol is ‘male serpent of blessing the strong’ Venus’ gives inclination for extreme materialism and highly luxurious life. Located in the head of Taurus it makes one very obstinate. The mythological story related to Rohini being the favourite wife of Moon, explain the waxing and waning of the moon.

 Mrigshira :- It is divided between ‘Taurus’ & Gemini, and is called the searching star, ruled by Mars. Venus + Mars combination gives the great impulse to materialize ideas. The second part of this Nakshatra has Mercury + Mars combination which gives ability of writing and oration. The characters of Mercury become very prominent of curious and inquisitive. This a ‘Mridu Sangyak’ Nakshatra which gives gentle, peaceful, sensitive nature. The animal symbol is a female serpent, rendering sensuality and enigma to the nature. Mythological story of Soma and his attraction to Jupiter’s wife Tara reflects the dark side of this Nakshatra. Mercury, the son of ‘Soma & Tara was in Vedas described as out of the moon the mind was born.Strong attachment towards pleasures, comforts and sensuality.

Ardra :- It lies completely in Gemini and the ruling planet is ‘Rahu’, hence it is a Mercury+Rahu combination. It can be considered as the combination of intellectual feeling with passionate thinking. The deity is ‘Rudra’, the God of destruction and it renders this quality in the native. ‘Ardra’ means moist or wet. It is symbolized as a teardrop. As Rahu is the ruling planet the darker side of keen desire of materialism, causing troubles for others. Thunder power can make a person violent by nature. Native of ‘Ardra’ can be complaining and ungrateful.The animal symbol is female dog (bitch) again confirming violence. This is a ‘teekshna Sangyak’ Nakshatra, leading to destructive acts.

Punarvasu :- The major part of this Nakshatra is in Gemini and the minor one (3.20o) in Cancer. Ruling planet is Jupiter. The combination of Mercury+Jupiter renders the native intelligence and spiritualism. It also ensures impressive speech. The symbol is quiver of arrows which depicts hitting the target.In the minor part there is a combination of Moon & Jupiter, blessing the native with sensitivity, wisdom and prosperity too.The animal symbol is female cat, offering the native a vigilant eye and desire of freedom. The meaning of the word ‘Punarvasu’ is repetition of good. So it motivates for self-purification. The deity is Mother Goddess Aditi, mother earth, giving ability to forgive, stability and fertility.The over intelligence lacking the practicality of life are the grey shades of this Nakshatra.

Pushya :- It lies completely in ‘Cancer’. The ruling planet is ‘Saturn’, so this is a Moon-Saturn combination making a unique rhythm of imagination and creativity with stability. It is a ‘Laghu Sangyak’ Nakshatra. The symbol is ‘Udder of a cow’. Moon also symbolizes milk and ‘Pushya’ means to nourish, therefore nourishing and healing are the major characteristics. Ruling deity is ‘Brihaspati’ and Jupiter is exalted in this Nakshatra. This combination gives intuitive power, good fortune, strong oration and a pious soul. The animal symbol is male sheep. Showing stubbornness. The excessive good sometimes turns to arrogance, envy and pride too. Piousness of heart unable the native to discriminate a real friend or a foe.

Ashlesha :- It lies entirely in Cancer. Ashlesha means to embrace and ruled by Mercury. This Mercury, Moon combination leads to philosophical, researchful creative mind. The individual (native) of this Nakshatra will have an interest towards writing and will be highly explosive. The symbol is coiled serpent or kundalini and the deity is ‘Ahi’ the serpent so kundalini when activated lightens spiritually and mystically. The animal symbol is male cat, giving magnetic and enigmatic the fascination of cat and serpent reflect on the native of ‘Ashlesha’ Nakshatra. The dark side of a serpent is danger, sudden attack and poison. Fascination, strong ego is present accompanied with hot temper.

Magha :- This Nakshatra lies entirely in ‘Leo and is ruled by Ketu, there combination becomes of Sun and Ketu. Ketu gives the desire of sacrifice and the Sun gives leadership, this makes ‘moksha’ possible. The symbol is Palanguin (Palki) the ‘kings’ seat the symbol also matches with royalty which sun gives. The ruling deities are Pitris worshipped and prayed to maintain traditional pride and power. A native of magha reflects the combined effects of the above as being ambitious, born leaders, family pride and strong spiritualistic feeling. The generosity and piousness of Ketu is present. The impact of pitris is there in form of deep attachment with the rootes.The animal symbol is male rat. It is a kroor Nakshatra giving cruelty too. The dark sides of Magha are in the extremes of its bright side as racial superiority and proud of status. Strong attachment for materialism sometimes deflect them from the path of spiritualism. Setting high goals but not working up to the mark is a big draw back.

 Purvaphalguni :- This lies entirely in ‘Leo’. The ruling planet is Venus, so it is Sun, Venus combination, which brings a unique fusion of love for music, beauty, pleasure with passion and zeal and strong leadership too. The ruling deity is ‘Bhag’, the God of fortune blessing with prosperity, good luck, success, victory and pleasure. Venus with Sun gives dynamism to fulfill the desires the symbol of this Nakshatra is a ‘swinging hammock’ reflecting rest and carefree attitude.The animal symbol of this Nakshatra is ‘female rat’ vehicle of ‘Lord Ganesha’. This again confirms good fortune and prosperity.The dark side of this Nakshatra is the extreme of excitement and indulgence in pleasures, keen interest in black magic is also found.

Uttaraphalguni :- It lies in Leo & Virgo the major part is in Virgo. It is ruled by Sun. In first part there is Sun & Sun combination. It bestows tremendous enthusiasm for pragmatic and creative approach. Sun gives the power to overcome any hurdle of life. The later part of this Nakshatra has a combination of Sun & Mercury. This strong combination gives vision to explore the life and strong intelligence. The native of this Nakshatra happens to be the leaders of their field with inherent talents. The symbol is bed, revealing the healing effect in this Nakshatra. It is reflected in the native as a helping, loving and caring nature. The ruling deity is ‘Aryaman, God of patronage and the native is found raising voice for noble causes and humanity. Aryaman is the protector of family, therefore the native strengthens the unity of the family.The animal symbol is ‘bull’ giving strong endurance power and hard work. The dark side of this Nakshatra is the feeling of loneliness inculcated if the they do not get strong relationship. Bull also gives them strong stubbornness.

Hast :- This Nakshatra lies completely in Virgo. The ruling planet is moon. The Mercury+Moon combination gives strong mental set-up with creative mind and strong oration. Mercury is exalted here blessing the native with strong sense of humour, pleasant appearance, skill in arts ‘n’ crafts. The symbol is the palm of the hand’, showing hard working and target oriented efforts, hand also shows blessings and native of this Nakshatra renders a helping hand always. The ruling deity is ‘Savitri’ God of creativity and energy. It ensures healing, meditation etc for self development.‘Hast’ also confirms flexibility and strength to withstand any odds. The Moon Mercury influence makes the native sensitive in health issues. The native of this Nakshatra can sometimes be impatient, clever and absolutely merciless. The animal symbol is ‘female buffalo’.

Chitra :- Chitra lies in Virgo and Libra, Mars is the ruling planet hence, there is combination of Mercury+ Mars and Venus+ Mars. It is the most enigmatic Nakshatra with deep spiritualistic feeling. Native has strong desire and inspiration to explore oneself. ‘Chitra’ means pretty picture. Those born in this Nakshatra are beautiful, have attractive personality and strong full. They are talented and are fond of bright and colorful things. They are very near to nature. The Venus gives them a passion for dance, drama and music. This is a ‘Mridu Sangyak’ Nakshatra making native soft and kind hearted. The symbol is pearl or bright jewel, which justifies the fondness of native towards jewels.The animal symbol is tigress, which gives passionate personality, well built body and arrogance.The deity is ‘Vishwakarma, the architect of universe who represents prosperity, creativity and accumulation of goods in life.The dark sides of this Nakshatra is the demonic temperament. Native has a strong ego and is famous for tongue lashing. They love to remain in illusions.

Swati :- It lies completely in Libra. The lord of this Nakshatra is ‘Rahu’. Rahu is an airy planet and Libra is the air sign. It gives the native a restless and exploring mind. Rahu’s combination with Venus gives a strong lust. This is a ‘dev Nakshatra’ and word ‘Swati’ means the priest. Therefore, native is generally generous charitable, virtuous and religious. The symbol is ‘Coral’. Which gives strong mind set-up and initiative power to the native. The deities are Vayu and Saraswati. Vayu makes the native fickle and works as life giving. It also blesses the native with the great quality of adjustment in every situation. Saraswati gives them intelligence and a strong desire to learn. The animal symbol is male buffalo.The dark side of this Nakshatra is self-concealment. The energy in the native can prove to be destructive, they are very discontented and presence of Rahu with Venus gives a strong desire for comforts and pleasures, which may lead them to any extent.

Vishakha: - Vishakha is the 16th constellation lies majorily in Libra and Scorpio. Hence it is a combination of Venus & Jupiter and Mars & Jupiter as the ruling planet of Vishakha is Jupiter. This combination reflects energy strength and potential. The symbols of Vishakha are archway and potler’s wheel.Archway symbolises victory whereas the potler’s wheel symbolizes patiently creating the art hence it gives native patience, consistence and devotion to complete the task. The natives of Vishakha achieve success in later stage of their lives. The deities of this Nakshatra are ‘Indra’ and ‘Agni’.Over accumulation of energy results & the shadow side of this Nakshatra. It makes native aggressive and dominant. The nature of this Nakshatra is ‘Rakshasa’ making a quarrelsome personality. Over ambitious results to frustration. Moon is debilitated in the last segment (IV pada). The bitterness of the temperament keeps them aloof from social network and friends. The animal symbol is ‘Male tiger which reflects both energy and violence.’

Anuradha: - Anuradha lies completely in Scorpio. The ruling planet of this Nakshatra is ‘Saturn’ hence it is a ‘Mars-Saturn’ combination. Saturn gives spiritual inclination whereas Mars give courage and risk taking abilities. So the native of ‘Anuradha’ Nakshatra can achieve impossible even in foreign land.The symbol of this Nakshatra ‘Lotus’ confirmed this ability as ‘Lotus’ symbolizes the ability to bloom even in the hardships of life, so Anuradha called the star of success. The deity is ‘mitra’, the god of friendship. This renders in the native the power to create balance in relationship. Another important deity is ‘Radha’, the better half of Lord.The primary motivation of this Nakshatra is ‘Dharma’ so the native can maintain relationships along with his goals. The moon is in debilitated sign here giving melancally nature, jealousy and desire of dominance.

Jyeshtha: - It lies completely in ‘Scorpio’ and ruled by ‘Mercury’, hence it is the dynamic combination of ‘Mars and Mercury’. Mercury gives intelligence and analytical ability and ‘Mars’ gives capacity to achieve high positions. It makes native highly innovative. The literal meaning of ‘Jyeshtha’ is senior most and it makes native the most powerful and successful mythologically, ‘Jyeshtha’ is the eldest queen of moon who was superseded by younger wives. It is interesting to find that Jyeshtha is opposed by ‘Rohini’, the favourite wife of moon. The chief deity is Indra who is known for courage, royalness all this is reflective in the native of this Nakshatra.The primary motivation of Jyeshtha is ‘earth’ hence there is always a battle between their major goals. To be successful, arrogance, pride and egoism has to be kept under check.

Mool:- This lies in ‘Sagittarius’ and the ruling planet is ‘Ketu’. So the Jupiter Ketu combination gives native a philosophical nature and exploring mind. ‘Mool’ means the root, it confirms the inquisitive approach of reaching to the depth of the subject in the native. The primary motivation of this Nakshatra is ‘Kaam’ or material desire. The deity of this Nakshatra is ‘Niriti’ is called ‘Lakshami’ i.e. poverty the hardships put the native on the track of salvation.The animal symbol is a ‘male dog’ and the nature is Rakshasa moreover mool is a teekshna Nakshatra inferring cruelty in the native.

Poorvashadha :- It lies completely in ‘Sagittarius’ and is ruled by ‘Venus’ therefore the combination of Venus and Jupiter confers on the native . A convincing influence and the ability to empathies the masses. The influence of two masters ‘Venus & Jupiter’ makes the native proud. It is further confirmed as the literal meaning of ‘Purva ashadha’ is undefeated.

Uttara-Ashada:- One pada of Uttara ashada is in Sagittarius and three are in Capricorn. This is ruled by Sun, so we find a combination of Sun-Jupiter and Sun-Saturn. The combination of Sun-Jupiter gives a sharp insight and a good temperament controlled by Jupiter.The native is blessed with excellent concentration power. Sun gives the leadership quality, strong efforts and power. The Sun-Saturn combination gives spiritualistic aptitude, high goals and pious deeds.The primary motivation of this Nakshatra is ‘Mokhsa’ and the effect of ‘Saturn’ confirms the native’s desire for liberation. The symbol is elephant’s tusk, reflecting the blessings of ‘Lord Ganesha’ on every endeavour of the native.

Person under the influence of this Nakshatra would take rest only after the accomplishment of their job. The ruling deity are the ‘Vishwadevas’, they are ten in number and are said to be the sons of ‘God Dharma.” These tend duties are Vasu, Krathu, Daksha, Kaal, Kaam, Dhrit, Kuru, Pururavas and Madrava. The native is showered with the blessings of virtues governed by these ‘ten devas’. The animal symbol is ‘male mongoose, as there is no female counterpart. The native’s had troubled married life.The dark side of this Nakshatra is an introvert and adamant personality. If they don’t have any work, they are extremely lazy. The love to remain alone and sad without any reason. The first half of life of the natives of ‘Utara-Ashada’ is troublesome but they get success in the later half. ‘Abraham Lincoln’ is the best example who had his natal moon in Uttara-Ashada.

Shravan:- This lies completely in ‘Capricorn’ Astronomically it consist of three stars which are taken as the three foot prints of Lord Vishnu. As this constellation is ruled by mo, so there is a moon-Saturn combination. Saturn gives the inquisitive nature and the keen desire for knowledge. Shravan is called the ‘star of learning. The duties of this Nakshatra are Vishnu and Saraswati, Vishnu the protector, renders the virtues of humanity and charity in the native and goddess ‘Saraswati’ blesses the native with knowledge, music and humanitarian attitude.The word ‘Shravan’ has its roots in the Sanskrit word ‘Shiv’ which means to hear this could to co-related to Shruti i.e. learning by hearing. It also represents their ability of a keen observer. The relation of this Nakshatra with knowledge is further justified as it is related to ‘Peepal tree’ under which ‘ Buddha’ got enlightment. The animal symbol is female monkey. The activeness in the native of ‘Shravan’ can be co-related with the animal symbol. As it is said, that excess of way thing is bad the excess knowledge of the native makes them rigid or obstinate. They create enemies themselves because of this nature. The primary motivation is earth, they earn money first and then go for higher goals.

Dhanishtha:- One half of Dhanishtha lies in ‘Capricorn’ and the remaining in Aquarius. And the ruling planet is ‘Mars’ so there is a combination of Saturn & Mars. The effect of Saturn gives spiritual inclination and an interest in occult sciences. Sympathy and compassion for others is very evident in the native. Mars bestows its energy and enthusiasm on the native as mars is exalted here. The animal symbol of this constellation is female lion which justifies the extra energy. When required they put their best. It is appropriate to call these native as spiritual warrior. The symbol of this star is a musical drum. There is a natural inclination for music in the native and the interesting point is that these people have a rhythm in their every activity.The deities are eight vasus, the gods of energy and light. The eight vasus give high virtues, kindness and high ambition to be prosperous. The dark side is that over ambition makes them greedy and self-centered. This is demonic in nature and the native sometimes becomes merciless. They enjoy isolation and become arrogant.

Shatbhisha:- This constellation lies completely in Aquarius. Shatbhisha means of hundred physicians pouring divine nectar to nourish humanity. The pot in the zodiac sign Aquarius reflects the same. Another meaning of Shatbhisha is “hundred stars”, hence, it is a fortunate star. The native of Shatbhisha enjoys exploding vigour which helps them defeat their enemies and emerge as a winning star.The ruling planet is Rahu. Hence this is a combination of Saturn and Rahu. Together, Saturn and Rahu gives the native philosophical and mystical mind. We can find secretive nature of the native enjoying independence and solitude, Rahu, reflects serpent energy and is associated with kundalini energy. Meditation can make this energy active and can pave path for big achievements. Animal symbol is female horse which is reflected in the native in form of energy and loyalty.The deity is Varuma, the god of rain. Varuma is also known for power of healing. The primary motivation is dharma. Hence the power of healing is justful and impartial. The native of this constellation is an excellent judge of moral and immoral.The dark side of this Nakshatra is the dominant depression and loneliness. The native takes life as a set rules of duty and leads restrained life. Persons born in this Nakshatra witness a difficult childhood making them mature pre-timely. As this constellation is demonic in nature reflecting harshness of speech and dry nature.

Purva Bhadrapada:- The major part of this constellation lies in Aquarius with one part in Pisces hence it is a combination of Saturn and Jupiter and the ruling planet is also Jupiter. This beautiful Saturn-Jupiter combination connects with the intellectual on one hand and a philosophical brain on the other hand. The effect of ‘Saturn’ denies the set norms of the society.The animal symbol is made lion and the king sets his own rules. The striking feature is the foresightedness. Purvabhadra means former lucky feet. It has an interesting relationship with the deity ‘Aja ek Pada which means ‘one-footed goat’. The deity is considered to be a form of Lord Shiva and vehicle of God of fire Agni hence they are energetic and passionate.The primary motivation is ‘Artha’ and the natives are usually found skilled in the art of earning money.One of the merits of this constellation i.e. enthusiasm when increases in ratio become the negative of this constellation and the native can be very short tempered, arrogant and anxious and a decline in enthusiasm makes them nervous and fearful. They may be very harsh in speech and extremely criticizing. One of the symbols is two-faced man. This symbolizes their ability to see a thing from different point of view but to others they seem to be double faced.

Uttarabhadrapada:- This constellation lives entires in ‘Pisces’. The ruling planet is ‘Saturn’ and hence the combination is same as that of Poorvabhadrapada i.e. Jupiter-Saturn. As the ruling planet is ‘Saturn’ there is more endurance discipline and self-control, as this called the warrier star so we find the native fighting for the noble causes. The combination of Saturn &Jupiter confers generosity and kindness the spirituality is of high level. The sign is a tow headed man and the deities are ‘Ahirbhudhanya and Lakshmi who is a serpent and a part of Lord Shiva’s army. Snake symbolizes fertility, secrecy and ‘Kundaline power, all this makes the native energetic and exploring. The other deity Lakshmi bestows the native with fortune, health, wealth and happiness.The animal symbol is ‘female cow’ who is sacred and worshiped in India. The women of this Nakshatra are honoured in their families. Although Uttarabhadrapada people are more controlled than Poorvabhadrapada yet anger and arrogance is the negative shade of their personality. They can be extremely careless and ignorant sometimes. The primary motivation is ‘Kama’ which makes them addicted sometimes.

 Rewati:- This Nakshatra lies completely in Pisces and the ruling planet is Mercury. The combination of Jupiter and Mercury leads to excellent creative intelligence. Pisces is the sign where Venus is exalted. So fine arts and literature is in the blood of the native. Ravindranath Tagore is the example of moon in this Nakshatra. Rewati means wealthy and hence material prosperity is associated with it. The primary motivation is moksha in the blessings of Jupiter results in high level of spiritual growth. Moreover it is a ‘mridu’ Nakshatra giving its natives. The animal symbol is female elephant which in India is considered sacred and is associated with wealth.The symbol is fish, who has a deep attachment with its place and never hurts others. The empathic nature of the persons of this Nakshatra is therefore justified. Devguru Jupiter minimized most of the negative shades. They sometimes feels disappointed and are dominated by inferiority complex till they assess themselves. They are highly sensitive and sometimes become very stubborn. They do a lot for others and then expect the same which ultimately leads them to frustration. Their emotional depending is very high.

Palmistry and health( the lines of your hands and health)

| YOUR HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS |

It is a super specialty hospital and there is heavy rush of people in the waiting hall. A middle-aged man is sitting with a gloomy face in the chair. He has a report in his hands and waiting to be called into the doctor's room. After 1 hour, he is sent into the room. The doctor examined the report and declared that the man has cancer in advanced stage and he may not survive. After 3 months, the man died.

Even though, now-a-days hospitals have latest lab equipment, the doctors are able to diagnose a disease only at its culminating stage. Can't we know the onset of a disease well in advance, so that we can get rid of the disease at its preliminary stage itself? Palmistry helps very much in such cases. Reading the lines of the palm can provide the information about the diseases well in advance, that is even difficult to diagnose using modern lab equipment in a hospital. See what the editorial of Journal of American Medical Association writes: "The human hand is a unique organ from which an extraordinary amount of clinical information may be derived".

Let us now try to understand how to diagnose some diseases by observing the nails of the fingers and the lines in the palm. Let us now try to understand how to diagnose some diseases by observing the nails of the fingers and the lines in the palm. The picture below will be useful to recognize certain Mounts and lines of palm.

Nails: (a) long nails: indicate weakness of lungs and respiratory problems. (b) short nails flat and raised up at edges: throat and bronchial troubles. (c) thin nails: headaches and body aches. (d) triangular nails: nervous disorders and paralysis. (e) circular nails with the finger tips look like knobs: weakness of heart. (f) spoon shaped nails: malnutrition and glandular diseases.

Eye troubles: If the heart line has an island formation or a circle under the ring finger, it represents eye weakness and sometimes blindness.
Heart aches: If the heart line has breaks, it represents heart attacks.
Fatty heart: If the heart line has ridges below it and appears wide, it is an indication of accumulating fat into the heart's valves which may be closed.
Teeth problems: If the heart line has fine vertical lines cutting it under the middle finger, it represents the problems to gums and teeth.
Headaches: Minute dots in head line represent tensions and headaches.
Mental ill health: Any breaks and chains in head line represent mental ill health.
Tensions: If the head line has islands, it tells about mental tensions and memory loss.
Intestinal Ulceration: Malformation of ridges and some thin lines parallel to the health line under the head line represents bacterial infection in intestines and if strong leads to intestinal ulcers.
Female problems: Crisscross or horizontal lines on the Mount of Moon indicate weak uterus and discharge problems for women.
Venereal diseases: A star at the junction of the Head line and Health lines indicate venereal diseases. The same thing is indicated by island on the lower portion of Mount of Moon.
Asthma: The space between the head line and heart line is narrow under the middle finger and one or two lines starting from the Mount of Venus move towards the head line - indicate asthma.
Kidney troubles: If there is a grille or cross on the lower part of the Mount of Moon, it represents kidney troubles.
Cancer:  Malformation of ridges below the ring finger under the heart and head lines represent cancer virus has set into the body. In the next stage, the entire hand is filled with cob web formation of thin and crisscross lines.

While observing the lines, observe them in both the palms. If the above indications are found in both the hands, then the above conclusions can be confirmed. If the above indications appear in only one palm, then we can say the person is prone to that disease.

Nakshatras

A. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEDIC ASTROLOGICAL NAKSHATRA SYSTEM
In this part I will look at the Nakshatras from the point of view of:

1. The relationship to the navamsa, which is the chart of the soul
2. The gunas, which represents qualities of energy.
3. The four purposes of life.
4. Some other characteristics of the Nakshatras

1. THE SIGNS OF THE PADAS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE NAVAMSA
There are 27 Nakshatras. Every Nakshatra measures 13.20' (13 degrees and 20 minutes).
Each Nakshatra is divided into 4 parts of 3.20’ (3 degrees and 20 minutes). These parts are called padas.
Each pada has the characteristics of a sign of the zodiac, starting with Aries.
Therefore, the pada system can be seen as a system which integrates the Nakshatras with the commonly used zodiac.
In each Nakshatra there are 4 padas. Therefore, in 3 Nakshatras we have 12 padas. Because each pada represents a sign of the zodiac in a group of 3 Nakshatras we find the entire zodiac in the form of padasigns.
Now each sign of the zodiac covers 2 ¼ Nakshatras. That is 4 + 4 + 1 = 9 padas.
The navamsa is the 1/9 division of the zodiac. Therefore, there is connection between the padas and the navamsa. The connection is simple. If a planet is in the pada of Aries then it is in the navamsa in Aries. If it is in the pada of Taurus it is in the navamsa in Taurus and so on.
Therefore, the navamsasigns and the signs of the padas are the same.
The navamsa is the chart of the soul. It gives information about the state of the soul and thus of the inner life of the person.
Therefore, it can be said that the signs of the padas give information about the soul of a person.
If the rashi contains information about in which padas planets are located, there is no need for a separate printout of the navamsa. Navamsasigns and padasigns are the same.
You will find an overview of this system in the next table:

TABLE: PADAS OF THE FIRST NAKSHATRAS

1. Ashwini	0-13.20 Aries	padalord
0-3.20 Aries	pada of Aries	Mars
3.20-6.40 Aries	pada of Taurus	Venus
6.40-10 Aries	pada of Gemini	Mercury
10-13.20 Aries	pada of Cancer	Moon
2. Bharani	13.20-26.40 Aries
13.20-16.40 Aries	pada of Leo	Sun
16.40-20.00 Aries	pada of Virgo	Mercury
20.00-23.20 Aries	pada of Libra	Venus
23.20-26.40 Aries	pada of Scorpio	Mars
3. Krittika	26.40-10 Taurus
26.40 Aries-0 Taurus	pada of Sagittarius	Jupiter
0-3.20 Taurus	pada of Capricorn	Saturn
3.20 -6.40 Taurus	pada of Aquarius	Saturn
6.40-10 Taurus	pada of Pisces	Jupiter
4. Rohini	10-23.20 Taurus
10-13.20 Taurus	pada of Aries	Mars
13.20-16.40 Taurus	pada of Taurus	Venus
16.40-20 Taurus	pada of Gemini	Mercury
20-23.20 Taurus	pada of Cancer	Moon
5. Mrigashirsha	23.20 Taurus -6.40 Gemini
23.20-26.40 Taurus	pada of Leo	Sun
26.40 Taurus- 0 Gemini	pada of Virgo	Mercury
0-3.20 Gemini	pada of Libra	Venus
3.20-6.40 Gemini	pada of Scorpio	Mars

2. THE THREE GUNAS
There are three gunas or types of energy.

1. First, there is Rajas. Rajas is the energyspark of the soul which is incarnating in the world. Rajas gives activity.
2. Then there is Tamas. The soul, which comes into this world, immerses itself into materiality. Tamas is about materiality and the material world.
3. After the soul has encountered materiality, it is time for the soul to liberate itself. The energy of liberation is called Sattva. Sattva is about going beyond the material world. It is about the soul wanting to return to its heavenly home.

Each Nakshatra represents certain gunas. And it does so not only on one level, but on three levels.

FIRST LEVEL

1. First, we have a group of 9 Nakshatras that represent Rajas energy on a primary level. These Nakshatras coincidence with the signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. Aries is the first firesign, Taurus the first earthsign, Gemini the first airsign and Cancer the first watersign.
2. Then there comes a groups of 9 Nakshatras which represent Tamas on a primary level. These Nakshatras coincidence with the signs Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio. Leo is the second firesign, Virgo the second earthsign, Libra the second airsign and Scorpio the second watersign.
3. Finally, we have a group of 9 Nakshatras which represent Sattva on a primary level. These Nakshatras coincidence with the signs Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Sagittarius is the third firesign, Capricorn the third earthsign, Aquarius the third airsign and Pisces the third watersign. .

SECOND LEVEL

Now each group of 9 Nakshatras can be divided into 3 groups of 3 Nakshatras. This represents the gunas on a secondary level.
In each groups of 9 Nakshatras the first three Nakshatras represent Rajas on a secondary level, the second three Nakshatras represent Tamas on a secondary level and the third three  Nakshatras represent Sattva on a secondary level. We see that the order of Rajas, Tamas and Sattva, which we saw at the primary level, repeats itself on this level.

THIRD LEVEL

There are 3 groups of 9 Nakshatras. Because each group of 9 Nakshatras has been split into 3 groups of 3 Nakshatras we have a total of 9 groups which consist of 3 Nakshatras.
These groups of 3 Nakshatras represent the tertiary level. The first Nakshatra of such a group represents Rajas, the second Nakshatra Tamas and the third Sattva.

THE GUNAS AT THREE LEVELS

What we have here is a rather complicated system in which each Nakshatra represents certain gunas on different levels.
Let us look at the first Nakshatra of Ashwini. On a primary level Ashwini represents Rajas,because the Nakshatra of Ashwini is in the range of the signs Aries to Cancer.
On a secondary level, Ashwini represents again Rajas, because it is part of the first group of 3 Nakshatras within the range of Aries to Cancer.
And also, on a tertiary level Ashwini represents Rajas, because it is the first Nakshatra of the first group of 3 Nakshatras.
Therefore we say that Ashwini is Rajas – Rajas – Rajas.
The next Nakshatra Bharani is Rajas – Rajas – Tamas
Only the tertiary level has changed.
Next comes Krittika which is Rajas – Rajas – Sattva.
Again only a change at the tertiary level.
Then we come to a new group of three Nakshatras, which causes for a change at the secondary level. This group does not have Rajas at the secondary level but Tamas.
Of course at the tertiary level, we start again with Rajas.
So Rohini is Rajas – Tamas – Rajas
And Mrigashirsha is Rajas – Tamas – Tamas
And Ardra is Rajas – Tamas – Sattva.
Now we come to the third group of Rajas Nakshatras at the primary level. These have Sattva on the secondary level:
Punarvasu is Rajas – Sattva – Rajas
Pushya is Rajas – Sattva – Tamas
and Ashlesha is Rajas – Sattva – Sattva.
Ashlesha, which is located at the end of the sign Cancer, is the last of the Rajas Nakshatras at the primary level.
The next Nakshatra has Tamas at the primary level. It is the Nakshatra of Magha which is placed at the beginning of Leo.
Magha is Tamas –Rajas –Rajas
Purva Phalguni, which is next, is Tamas –Rajas –Tamas
Hopefully, the reader now has a certain feeling for the system and can easily finish this on his own. A list of all the Nakshatras follows in the table below. The gunas are mentioned in this scheme. The primary guna is mentioned first, then the secondary and then the tertiary. R is Rajas, T is Tamas and S is Sattva
If you would like to know which gunas are emphasised in a chart you could look in which Nakshatras the ascendant and the planets are located, look at the gunas of these Nakshatras and give one point for each time you see a certain guna mentioned.
For example, the first example chart in the section about interpretation is the chart of Bill Clinton He has his ascendant in Hasta, which is Tamas-Tamas-Rajas. This gives 2 points for Tamas and 1 point for Rajas. If we add to this the gunas of the planets we get the following score:
Rajas 10 points, Tamas 15 points and Sattva 5 points.  Therefore Tamas is the most important guna in the character of Mr. Clinton, then comes Rajas and last comes Sattva.
We can compare this to the chart of Al Gore (not printed here, but birth data are March 31, 1948, 12.53, Time Zone 5 West, 38.54 North, 77.02 West). We get Rajas 13 points, Tamas 3 points and Sattva 14 points. Therefore, Al Gore has a Sattva/Rajas character with almost no Tamas.
Of course, this system is helpful, but to really evaluate a chart we should always look at the chart as a whole and not just at the gunas the planets and the ascendant are in.

DIAGRAM: AN OUTLINE OF THE 27 MOON CONSTELLATIONS USED IN VEDIC ASTROLOGY/JYOTISH
(NAKSHATRAS)

constellation	size	ruler	gunas	Purpose
1. Ashwini	0.13.20 Aries	Ketu	RRR	D
2. Bharani	13.20-26.40 Aries	Venus	RRT	A
3. Krittika	26.40 Aries-10 Taurus	Sun	RRS	K
4. Rohini	10-23.20 Taurus	Moon	RTR	M
5. Mrigashirsha	23.20 Taurus-6.40 Gemini	Mars	RTT	M
6. Ardra	6.40-20 Gemini	Rahu	RTS	K
7. Punarvasu	20 Gemini-3.20 Cancer	Jupiter	RSR	A
8. Pushya	3.20-16.40 Cancer	Saturn	RST	D
9. Ashlesha	16.40-30 Cancer	Mercury	RSS	D
10. Magha	0-13.20 Leo	Ketu	TRR	A
11. Purva Phalguni	13.20 Leo-26.40 Leo	Venus	TRT	K
12. Uttara Phalguni	26.40 Leo-10 Virgo	Sun	TRS	M
13. Hasta	10 Virgo-23.20 Virgo	Moon	TTR	M
14. Chitra	23.20 Virgo-6.40 Libra	Mars	TTT	K
15. Swati	6.40-20 Libra	Rahu	TTS	A
16. Vishakha	20 Libra-3.20 Scorpio	Jupiter	TSR	D
17. Anuradha	3.20 -16.40 Scorpio	Saturn	TST	D
18. Jyeshta	16.40-30 Scorpio	Mercury	TSS	A
19. Mula	0-13.20 Sagittarius	Ketu	SRR	K
20. Purvashadha	13.20- 26.40 Sagittarius	Venus	SRT	M
21. Uttarashadha	26.40 Sag.-10 Capricorn	Sun	SRS	M
22. Shravana	10-23.20 Capricorn	Moon	STR	A
23. Dhanistha	23.20 Cap.-6.40 Aquarius	Mars	STT	D
24. Shatabhishak	6.40-20 Aquarius	Rahu	STS	D
25. Purva Bhadrapada	20 Aquarius-3.20 Pisces	Jupiter	SSR	A
26. Uttara Bhadrapada	3.20-16.40 Pisces	Saturn	SST	K
27. Ravati	16.40-30 Pisces	Mercury	SSS	M

Each Nakshatra has a certain planet as its lord. Indeed, it is the lord of the Nakshatra in which the Moon at birth is placed which decides which is the first dasa of the life of the person. Therefore, these Nakshatralords are important.
It is interesting to see if we can find some connection between the lordships and the gunas.
And indeed the connection is there. It turns out that Ketu, the Moon and Jupiter are the lords of Nakshatras, which have Rajas
at a tertiairy level.Venus, Mars and Saturn are the lords of the Nakshatras, which have Tamas at a tertiary level. Finally, the Sun, Rahu and Mercury are the lords of the Nakshatras, which have Sattva at a tertiary level.
Before we draw conclusions from this let us look at the secondary level.
Ketu, Venus and the Sun are the lords of Nakshatras which have Rajas at the secondary level (this is the first group of nine Nakshatras).
The Moon, Mars and Rahu are the lords of Nakshatras which have Tamas at the secondary level (this is the second group of nine Nakshatras).
Finally, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are the lords of Nakshatras, which have Sattva at the secondary level (the third group of nine Nakshatras) .
This is interesting because it gives us information about the gunas of the planets. If we mention the secondary level first and the tertiary level, second we can make the following summary.
Ketu is Rajas- Rajas
Venus is Rajas-Tamas
Sun is Rajas-Sattva
Moon is Tamas-Rajas
Mars is Tamas-Tamas
Rahu is Tamas-Sattva
Jupiter is Sattva-Rajas
Saturn is Sattva-Tamas
Mercury is Sattva-Sattva
Now we can draw some interesting conclusions about the character of the planets.
I will give some examples of this.
Venus is a planet that has to do with love and lust. To get what we want we move into action (Rajas). The result of this action is that we are going deeper into material life (Tamas).
The Sun is a fiery planet (Rajas), however it represents the soul in the chart and has therefore Sattva characteristics.
Jupiter too is a fiery planet (Rajas), but again has Sattva characteristics because is the planet of the Guru and inner wisdom.
Saturn is a spiritual planet, because it is the planet of Sannyas (renouncing the world). Nevertheless, as we all know Saturn represents matter and therefore also Tamas.
Rahu has the same energies as Saturn only in a different order. It brings us deep into material life (Tamas). However, it only is doing this so we are able to outlive everything that this earth has to offer and then liberate ourselves (Sattva).
It may come as a surprise to some people that Mercury turns out to be the most spiritual planet.However, one thing that distinguishes us from animals, is our capacity to think and evaluate ourselves. Mercury as an airy planet can liberate us from this earth.
It is not a planet of materiality (Tamas) and neither does it like hard work and action (Rajas). It thinks about Tamas and Rajas instead of going into it.
It is not my intention to give all the answers, but merely to give the reader a system and to represent a way of thinking, which the reader can easily apply himself. After these examples, it will probably not be too hard to meditate about the character of Ketu, Mars and the Moon.
CONCLUSION
In this paragraph I have mentioned the connection of the gunas to the Nakshatras. Out of this have emerged conclusions about the connection of the gunas to the planets. I am well aware that there are other systems, which give information about the gunas and the planets. However, this system has a thorough theoretical foundation, which cannot be said of every system. The basis of most systems is mainly what the author of a certain book ‘feels’ must be the connection of the gunas to the planets.
3. THE NAKSHATRAS AND THE FOUR AIMS OF LIFE
Life has four aims:

1. Dharma: doing what you are supposed to do. Fulfilling your soul in daily activities
2. Artha: generating income and wealth so you can provide shelter and food for your body.
3. Kama: going after your desires.
4. Moksha: liberating your soul.

Every Nakshatra represents an energy in which one aim is stressed. Therefore, by looking at which planets are in which Nakshatras we can find out which aims of life are stressed in the life of a person.
At first sight there seems to be a connection between these aims and the elements. It is easy to see a connection between fire and Dharma, earth and Artha, air and Kama and moskha and water. However there is another division of Nakshatras in tattvas (elements). This is a different division then the division in aims of life.
The way the Nakshatras are divided among the aims of life is interesting. At first, the order of the aims is the same as the order of the signs which represents the connected elements in the zodiac.
We all know that the first sign in the zodiac is Aries (fire), then Taurus (earth), Gemini (air) and Cancer (water).
Now the first Nakshatra Ashwini is a Dharma Nakshatra, the second Nakshatra Bharani is a Artha Nakshatra, the third Krittika is a Kama Nakshatra and the fourth Rohini is a Moksha Nakshatra.
Then however something different happens. The fifth Nakshatra Mrigashirsha is also a Moksha Nakshatra and from then, the order is going backwards. So the sixth Nakshatra Ardra is a Kama Nakshatra, the seventh Punarvasu is an Artha Nakshatra and the eighth Pushya a
Dharma Nakshatra.
Now we have returned at the ‘first aim’ Dharma again. The ninth Nakshatra Ashlesha is still a Dharma Nakshatra. From then, we go onwards: the tenth Nakshatra Magha is Artha, the eleventh Purva Phalguni is Kama, the twelfth Uttara Phalguni is Moksha.
From then, the same thing happens as with Rohini. Again the next Nakshatra Hasta is a Moksha Nakshatra and from then, we go backwards: Chitra is Kama, Swati is Artha and Vishakha is Dharma.
As can be expected there follows another Dharma Nakshatra which is Anuradha, then we have an Artha Nakshatra Jyeshta, a Kama Nakshatra Mula and a Moksha Nakshatra Purvashadha.
At this point, something happens which may surprise us. At first what happens is very much what we would have expected. There comes another Moksha Nakshatra, which is Utturashadha, but then we  seem to skip the Kama Nakshatra and go right to an Artha Nakshatra which is Shravana and then we come to a Dharma Nakshatra which is Dhanista.
Of course, it is interesting to know why we skip the Kama Nakshatra. The answer seems to be that in the past there used to be a system of 28 Nakshatras. The 28st Nakshatra is Abhijit. This Nakshatra  is located between Purvashadha and Shravana. It is the only Nakshatra of which
the main star Vega is located far away from the ecliptic. That is also why it is hard to locate it on the ecliptic and probably one reason why it is skipped.
However, some fifteen thousand years ago Vega used to be the polestar. In the past, this Nakshatra could be very important. The fact that the deity which belongs to this Nakshatra is Brahma, the creator, seems to underline this. Today, this Nakshatra is sometimes used for religious purposes,but is not a standard part of the system.
However, let us go back to the order of Nakshatras. We have arrived at Dhanistha, which is a Dharma Nakshatra. Now we will find as expected another Dharma Nakshatra, which is Shatabhishak. Then comes an Artha Nakshatra Purva Bhadrapada, a Kama Nakshatra Uttara Bhadrapada and we end with a Moksha Nakshatra Revati.
It is interesting that we start the sequence of Nakshatras with the Nakshatra Ashwini which is a Dharma Nakshatra (that has to do with finding our purpose in life) and end with a Moksha Nakshatra which is about spiritual liberation.
In the diagram of the Nakshatras, which you can see above (in the paragraph about the gunas),
you will also find a column which gives information of which purpose of life belongs to which
Nakshatra. D = Dharma, A = Artha, K=Kama and M = Moksha.
There is something, which strikes me if I look at the table of the Nakshatras. The first Nakshatra Ashwini is Rajas-Rajas-Rajas and is a Dharma Nakshatra.
The Nakshatra Chitra is Tamas-Tamas-Tamas and is a Kama Nakshatra. The last Nakshatra Revati is Sattva-Sattva-Sattva and is a Moksha Nakshatra.
Therefore, there seems to be a connection between Rajas and Dharma, Tamas and Kama and Sattva and Moksha. This connection is logical if you look at the characteristics of the gunas and the purposes of life.
4. OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NAKSHATRAS
The symbolism of the Nakshatras is rich indeed. In addition to a planet, deity, symbol, aim of life and guna each Nakshatra also corresponds with a certain animal, animal type, caste, sex, temperament, dosha, tattva (element) and even winddirection.
Deities, planets and symbols are mentioned in my booklet the Hindu lunar zodiac, aims of life and gunas in the above paragraphs. I will now give a quick overview of the sexes, temperaments and animals. When interpreting Nakshatras I sometimes make use of these.
There is no real orderly system like with aims of life and gunas when dividing the Nakshatras among the sexes, temperaments and animals.

SEXES

Male nakshatras are: Ashwini, Bharani, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Uttara Phalguni, Swati, Jyeshta, Mula, Purvashadha, Uttarashadha, Shravana and Purva Bhadrapada.
Female Nakshatras are: Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashirsha, Ardra, Punarvasu, Purva Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Vishakha, Anuradha, Dhanistha, Shatabhishak, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati.
Male Nakshatras are more active than female Nakshatras. It is notable that sometimes male Nakshatras are governed by female deities and the other way around.

TEMPERAMENTS

Deva (godly) nakshatras are Ashwini, Mrigashirsha, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Revati.
Human nakshatras are Bharani, Rohini, Ardra, Shravana and all the Purva and Uttara Nakshatras.
Rakshasa (demon) nakshatras are Krittika, Ashlesha, Magha, Chitra, Vishakha, Jyestha, Mula, Dhanistha, Shatabhishak.
People who have many planets in demon Nakshatras maybe more harsh then those who have planets in the deva Nakshatras which are mostly soft.
However we have to keep in mind that devas are not necessarily good and demons are not necessarily bad. In fact they both have their role in creation to play and are equally important.
If there were no demons, it would be impossible to deal with our karmic problems. In that case, we would probably be playing harp all-day and enjoying the sunshine. Not much spiritual growth  would result out of that.

ANIMALS

There is a connection between certain animal species and the Nakshatras. This is something that can be interesting to know about. You can look in which Nakshatra you have your ascendant, Moon or Sun and look at the corresponding animals. You may choose one (or more) of these as your ‘totem animal’.
You can meditate on this animal. When you see it, you can look at its characteristics. You can read books about the way it lives. When you see a program about this animal do not miss it because by watching the program you will learn more about yourself. Personally, I think it is funny and revealing to learn about yourself just by watching a certain animal.
Here comes the list. First I mention an animal and after that the Nakshatras which according to Indian tradition correspond with this animal.
As with most connections at first the reason why a certain animal belongs to a certain Nakshatra may not be clear. However, the reason is always there. Rather than writing a long essay about  what might be the reasons I would ask you to think about this yourself. There are several
books in which you will find descriptions of the Nakshatras like my booklet the Hindu lunar zodiac.
With these descriptions at your proposal, it may not be too difficult to find out the rational for these connections. If you feel it is difficult, just meditate on it. If things get tough, you can see it as a Zen koan.

Animal	Corresponding Nakshatras
Horse:	Ashwini (the horsewoman), Shatabhishak
Elephant:	Bharani (the bearer), Revati
Goat:	Krittika, Pushya
Serpent:	Rohini, Mrigashirsha
Dog:	Ardra, Mula
Cat:	Punarvasu, Ashlesha
Rat:	Magha, Purva Phalguni
Cow:	Utter Phalguni, Uttara Bhadrapada
Buffalo:	Hasta, Swati
Tiger:	Chitra, Vishakha
Deer:	Anuradha, Jyeshta
Monkey:	Purvashadha, Shravana
Mongoose:	Utturashadha
Lion	Dhanistha, Purva Bhadrapada

Effects Of Different Ascendants (Lagna)

Effects Of Different Ascendants (Lagna)

1. If the Ascendant falls in Aries, the native will have round eyes. His knees will be weak and he will have aggressive temperament but he will be afraid of water. He will be active and will always be moving about. His limbs will be bruised. He will eat sparigly and will be passionate. He will speak falsehoods.

2. The person born with Taurus as the Ascendant, will have plumply thighs and a big face. He will be engaged in agricultural ventures. He will be happy in the middle and last portions of his life. He will be fond of enjoying young women. He will be of sacrificing and forgiving nature will be capable of endowing hardships and will possess cattle. He will have marks or moles on the back, face and sides.

3. When the Ascedant is Gemini, the native will have balck eyes and curly hair. He will enjoy association with women and will have thick neck and many friends. He will be intelligent and mind reader. His nose will be elevated and he will be fond of music and dancing. He will like to remain indoors.

4. Person with Cancer as the Ascendant will be henpacked. He will have a thick neck and will be fond of making friendships. He will possess many houses and will be wealthy. His waist will be thick but he will be short statured. He will be intelligent and fond of watery sports like swimming etc. He will walk fast and will have few sons. He will be crooked.

5. A person who’s Ascendant is Leo will have reddish eyes, large chin and broad face. He will be arrogant, Powerful valiant, firm minded and obedient to his mother. He will be fond of roaming about in forests and hills. He will get angry on trifles.

6. The person born with Virgo as the Ascendant, will be truthful and will speak kindly. His eyes will be full of bashfulness and will be immediately liked by others. He will be well versed in Shastras and will take advantage of other people's houses and wealth. His arms and shoulders will be drooped and will possess few sons.

7. If the Ascendant be Libra, the person born will rever gods, and Brahmins but he will be active and will possess a lean and thin body. He will be tall in stature, deft in trading, patient and intent on being first. He will often have two names. He will have few children and he will be fond of wandering. He will be brave, merciless and impartial In his arguments.

8. The person with Scorpio Ascendant at birth, will have rounded thighs and knees. His chest will be broad and eyes expansive. He will suffer from diseases from an early age. He will beseperated from his parents and preceptor. He will indulge In cruel actions and will be honoured by the king. His feet will bear marks of lotus.

9. The person with Sagittarius Ascendant at birth — His face and neck will be long and his nose and ears will be big. He will always keep himself engaged in some work or the other. He will be eloquent in speech and self sacrificing. He will have a short stature. He will be courageous and will overcome his enemies. He will be wealthy and favorite of the king. He can be won over by persuation and kindness.

10. When Capricorn is the Ascendant at birth, his lower limbs will be weak. He will have vitality. He will accept other people's advice but will be lazy by nature. He will indulge in affairs with old women of the forbidden category. He will be a religious hypocrite. He will be fond of wandering. He will be fortunate but shameless. He will suffer from wind-diseases.

11. The person at whose birth Aquarius is the Ascendant, will commit sinful actions secretly. He will have little wealth, will be greedy and eager to usurp or utilise other people's money. He will endure long marches on road and will be clever in causing hurt to others. He will have a body like a water pot. He will be fond of perfumes and flowers. His financial position will be of a fluctuating nature.

12. The Pisces ascendant native will have a beautiful and symmetrical body. His eyes will be very attractive. He will be learned, grateful, satisfied with his wife and fortune. He will have financial gains from selling produce of the seas. He will overcome his enemies.

Sand and Stone

Sand and Stone

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE

THE 4 WIVES

here was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.
He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.
Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.
One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.
The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.
Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"
Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives
a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament

The Old Fisherman

The Old Fisherman---by Mary Bartels Bray

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I
was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face -- lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a
brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for
a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness' would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.