Questions about the course? Send mail to Roeland de Looff, the author or the course material roeland@dirah.org
The charts of Gandhi and Kennedy that are mentioned in this text are shown at the end of the text.
A unique characteristic of Indian astrology are the yoga’s. Yoga’s are planetary positions that lead to a certain result. We have already discussed one yoga, that of raja yoga.
This was mentioned in diagram 8. This is a simple yoga. It was a matter of one planet and the houses over which it was lord. There are literally thousands of these kinds of yogas. In India, an astrologer must know them of by heart. Then it is said that the first thing an astrologer needs, is a good memory. During this course, we shall discuss a number of yogas. Studying a horoscope for the presence of yogas presents an astrologer with new dimensions in horoscope interpretation. When you analyse a horoscope for the presence of yogas, as discussed below, you will quickly obtain insight into the principle components of a horoscope.
Pancha mahapurusha yogas are yogas that are easy to find in a horoscope. To begin our analysis for this group of yogas, we note the position of the ascendant and the Moon.
The Moon is an exceptionally important planet in Indian astrology, and for this reason, we can use the sign the Moon is in as an alternative ascendant. So if we look for yoga’s we can look for them from the ascendant but we can also take the Moon as a starting point in our search for yoga’s.
For instance, if we say that a certain planet must be placed in a kendra house to be considered as a planet making a yoga, the kendra house is calculated from either the ascendant or from the sign the Moon is in.
Example: We have a Moon placed in the fifth house. Kendra houses calculated from the ascendant are the first, fourth, seventh and tenth houses. Kendra houses calculated from the Moon in this example, are the fifth (first house calculated from the Moon), eighth (fourth house calculated from the Moon), eleventh (seventh house calculated from the Moon) and the second (tenth house calculated from the Moon) houses.
And now to the yogas and their consequences:
9.3 SCISSORS YOGAS (KARTARI YOGAS)
This group of yogas is caused by planets being placed around a certain house and/or planet. The most generally occurring scissors yoga is when two benefics or malifics enclose a planet or a house.
Scissors yogas can also be called kartari yogas. Kartari means scissors.
Example: Let us assume that Venus is in Taurus, Saturn (a malefic) in Aries and Mars (a malefic) in Gemini. Two malefics enclose Venus. Therefore, Venus will not be able to function optimally. In Western horary astrology, we know the term enclosed, which is used when a planet in enclosed by two malefics. In Indian astrology, the term enclosed is used for containment in a negative sense, and also for containment with positive consequences.
Example: If Venus is in Taurus, Jupiter (a benefic) in Aries, and the Moon (a benefic) in Gemini, then Venus will function exceptionally well. This is shubha kartari yoga.
A house can also be enclosed, although there is no planet in that house.
Example: Mars is in the fourth house, the fifth house is empty and Saturn is in the sixth house. This can have awkward consequences for the children, because two malefics enclose the fifth house. In this case, the fifth house encounters a papa kartari yoga.
However, when Venus is in the fourth house and Jupiter in the sixth house, everything pertaining to the fifth house will be beneficially influenced. In this situation, the fifth house is strengthened by the occurrence of a shubka kartari yoga.
The planets can form these scissors yogas, but not Rahu and Ketu.
This type of scissors yoga is common. When the first house is enclosed, it is of particular importance. This is because the first house is so important. One could say that the first house is the horoscope in miniature.
In Gandhi's horoscope we can see that the first house is enclosed by the Sun (malefic in the twelfth house) and Saturn (malefic in the second house). This is a papa kartari yoga, which caused a certain number of problems in his life.
SCISSORS YOGAS OF THE MOON
There are a number of scissors yogas that apply specifically to the Moon or the Sun.
Gandhi had Kemadruma yoga in his horoscope, because there are no planets in either the twelfth or the second house calculated from the Moon. However, the Moon is in the tenth house (a kendra house). This greatly neutralises the Kemadruma yoga.
SCISSORS YOGAS OF THE SUN
Now we shall discuss the scissors yogas of the Sun. Planets in the second or the twelfth house calculated from the Sun, will strengthen the Sun (naturally in their own manner, according to their character).
Kennedy had both a benefic and a malefic in the twelfth house calculated from the Sun. He was intelligent (the influence of Mercury), but the fact that he was murdered had something to do with the powerful malefic Mars (in a moolatrikona house) in the eighth house, which is the twelfth house calculated from the Sun. This very same Mars also gave him his sex appeal.
The eighth house represents death as well as sexual charisma. A powerful Mars in that house can lead to a violent death (Mars as powerful malefic) as well as a lot of sexual charisma. The Voshi yoga increases the above effects.
When a person has both a Veshi and Voshi yoga, he actually has Ubhayachari yoga.
It would be logical to expect a yoga when there are no planets in the second or the twelfth house calculated from the Sun. This is not the case. The Sun is in itself, a powerful planet, and it can function very well alone, without the support of other planets. A benefic in the vicinity is always appreciated, but it is not necessary.
Several of the aforementioned yoga’s will appear in everyone's horoscope. Because they appear so often, they are yoga’s, that can only lead to sizeable results, when they are related to other indications.
9.4 VARIOUS YOGAS
I have already explained that there are literally thousands of yogas. The following list is of particularly important yoga’s. One must realise that this is only a very small selection. For those who wish to learn more on this subject, I refer to the list of books for further reading. The book 'yogas in Astrology' by K. S. Charak contains especially good descriptions of yoga’s. The book written by Hart deFouw also gives a lot of attention to this subject.
Example: With an Aries ascendant, the Moon is lord of the fourth house and the Sun is lord of the fifth house. Should the Sun and the Moon be in conjunction in a horoscope with an Aries ascendant, the two planets then form a raja yoga. In this case, the Moon is lord of a kendra house (the fourth) and the Sun is lord of a trikona house (the fifth).
Explanation: Benefics in the sixth and/or eighth house support the seventh house (refer to scissors yoga’s). A benefic in the seventh house will of course lead to a better functioning of that house. However, the seventh house is opposite the Ascendant. Because of this, it also has consequences for the functioning of the ascendant. When a planet is placed in the seventh house, it will aspect the first house. This is the reason that a strong seventh house also gives us a strong first house.
Inasmuch as the first house is the whole horoscope in short, a strong first house is of particular importance. It then follows that the consequence of adhi yoga is a strong first house, which will therefore lead to positive results.
Analogically an adhi yoga calculated from the Moon, will also allow the Moon to function much better. The Moon is the most important planet in Indian astrology. That the Moon should function well is therefore of great importance.
If a malefic is placed in this position, it may be favourable for the owner of the horoscope (explanation: malefics in upachaya houses are good and the tenth house is an upachaya house). However, it may mean, that he attains a high-ranking position at the cost of others. At the very least, he will not be very particular in choosing the avenues leading to social success.
Gandhi has in his horoscope, amala yoga calculated from the ascendant (Moon in the tenth house) and amala yoga calculated from the Moon (Jupiter in the tenth house from the Moon).
Explanation: The first house is the most important house in Indian astrology, and when the Sun and Mercury are placed in the seventh house, they aspect the ascendant. The intellect is a facet of the fifth house.
The intellectual combination of the Sun and Mercury is favourable for the intellect. When the Sun and Mercury are placed in the eleventh house, they aspect the fifth house. If Mercury is in combustion, the budhatiya yoga remains intact, but the person involved will find it difficult to convince the public of his good ideas. The budhatiya yoga will manifests, but it can only be publicly displayed with the greatest difficulty.
Explanation: When there is srik yoga, the natural benefics will be very influential in life, which of course, is very positive.
Both Gandhi and Kennedy have Gaja Kesari yoga in their horoscope. That of Gandhi is the stronger because in his horoscope, both the Moon and Jupiter are placed in kendra houses, whilst in the Kennedy horoscope the Moon in placed in a dushtana house.
This is more or less the opposite of the Gaja Kesari yoga. When the Moon is placed in a dushtana house calculated from Jupiter, we have a difficult relationship between these two planets.
For a woman: The ascendant, the Sun and the Moon are placed in even signs, and she is born during the night - very fortunate. Even signs are negative; feminine signs (the earth and water signs). The night is feminine.
When they are in a favourable position, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury can provide wisdom.
In Gandhi's horoscope, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury are placed in kendra houses. It is true that Jupiter and Mercury are placed in, for them, neutral signs, but as all the named planets are either in conjunction with each other, or aspect benefices, the Saraswati yoga here is extremely powerful.
No horoscope is without yogas. Favourable yogas are frequent. Still many people lead lives which shine in their mediocrity. Persons with favourable yogas are not always rich and famous.
The cause of this lies in just how a certain yoga is placed in the horoscope. If we want to form an opinion as to just how a yoga expresses itself, we shall have to examine the following.
Example: Let us assume that the Moon is placed in Scorpio in the third house and Jupiter is placed in Aquarius in the sixth house. We could say that there is a Gaja Kesari yoga. However the Moon is in her fall and Jupiter is in a dushtana house. Both planets are in trouble. The yoga can hardly be felt. Refer to my comments about the Gaja Kesari yoga (yoga number 27) of Gandhi and Kennedy.
When, in the previously example of a Gaja Kesari Yoga, Saturn (a malefic) aspects the Moon, and Mars (also a malefic) aspects Jupiter, then yoga will hardly be visible. Because of the aspects from unfavourable planets, both the Moon and Jupiter are under pressure. This is the reason the yoga is threatened with failure.
If the (positive) promises made by a planet are to be kept, it is of great importance that the ruler of the sign where that planet is placed has a favourable profile in the horoscope. The ruler is the owner of a house. A planet placed in a house, lives in and rents that house. If the owner of a house runs into problems, then the occupants of that house will be affected as well, if only for the reason that there is no budget for the upkeep of the house.
Example: When the Moon is in Scorpio and Jupiter in Taurus, it will not be very favourable if Mars (ruler of the house where the Moon is placed) is in fall in Cancer and Venus (ruler of the house where Jupiter is placed) is in fall in Virgo. Again the yoga will become almost invisible.
Before you forecast great fortunes and fame based on certain yoga‘s, study the above material.
9.6 EXERCISE
Study your horoscope for the occurrence of the above mentioned yoga’s. Please send in a list of these yoga’s and make a short interpretation of them.
Mahatma Gandhi 2-10-1869, 2.33 GMT, 21.40 N., 69.42 E.
6th Pisces |
7th
Aries |
8th Taurus |
9th Gemini |
5th Aquarius |
Rasi |
Chart |
10th
Cancer |
4th
Capricorn |
Mahatma |
Gandhi |
11th Leo |
3rd Sagittarius |
2nd
Scorpio |
Ascendant
4.34 |
12th
Virgo |
John F. Kennedy 29-5-1917 GMT: 20.13, 42.20 N.,71.07 W.
7th Pisces |
8th
Aries |
9th
Taurus |
10th
Gemini |
6th Aquarius |
Rasi |
Chart |
11th
Cancer |
5th
Capricorn |
John F. |
Kennedy |
12th
Leo |
4th
Sagittarius
|
3rd
Scorpio |
2nd
Libra |
1st
Virgo |