Gifts of the 8th House:

Transformation and Change

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Printer Friendly Version | Japanese Version | Email Author

This article appeared in The CVA Journal - Spring/Summer 2009

www.councilvedicastrology.org
(Revised for publication from Aug 2005 online version)

The 8th house has earned the dubious reputation as the ugliest house in the Jyotish
neighborhood. It’s the one capable of wrecking the most damage, even death, and it’s hard
to get more morbid than that. It can be summed up as the house of change - sudden,
dramatic and intense change. As a society we love the kind of drama that the 8th house
provides, as long as it’s happening to somebody else! Just consider our obsession with
sensational news, reality TV shows, and thriller movies, like The Dark Night, which recently
broke all records at the box office. It’s just when change affects us personally that we fear
and resist it. Nobody wants to lose anything they value: health, wealth, job, loved ones, etc.
So when we do, it’s understandable to blame it on the 8th house, its lord, or its karaka,
Saturn. But do we really need another scapegoat for our woes? I mean, in addition to the
boss who fired us, or the husband who left us? This article explores different perspectives
about the 8th house, and the gifts that can be discovered alongside its typical wreckage. It
also discusses careers and events of the 8th house that are not merely ruinous.

Change and The 8th House

In Vedic astrology undesirable change is associated with influences of the malefic planets
Saturn, Mars, Rahu, and Ketu (secondarily the Sun) and the dusthana houses, the 6th, 8th,
and 12th (secondarily the 3rd). Of the dusthanas the 8th house is maligned as the most
malefic because it’s the 12th house (loss) from the 9th house (fortune), which makes it the
house of misfortunes - change, death (the ultimate change), obstacles, disappointments,
upheavals, scandals, reversals, chronic illness, among other typically undesirable outcomes.
The classic text, Laghu Parashari says, “The Lord of the 8th house by virtue of being the
12th from the 9th does not produce good results.(Ch 1 shloka 9)” For instance, M.S. Mehta
quotes K.N. Rao in his book, Analyzing Horoscopes Through Modern Technique, as saying,
"In the ending of any marriage the role of the 8th house or planet in the 8th is well known."
The malefic influences in our chart generally deliver to us our negative, undesirable karma
during the times of their dashas and transits. They fall into the category of tamas or decay in
terms of the three gunas: rajas (creation/Brahma), sattva (maintenance/Vishnu), and tamas
(destruction/Shiva). Their role is to do the astrological dirty work by passing on the negative
effects of our past actions. Therefore, during 8th house influenced time periods, such as the
dasha of 8th lord or planet placed in the 8th house, a variety of difficulties are likely to occur:
pursuits resulting in disappointment, losses of things you value, etc. You don’t need to be
creating negative karma at the time. Bad things can happen to nice people, due to their past,
unseen karma.

Even though it’s valid, from an astrological standpoint, to define the effects of the 8th house
as malefic, it's our attitude about change that's important. Our happiness is internally based,
not externally. “People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them,” writes
Greek philosopher Epictetus in the 1st century B.C. Astrology reveals the likely outcome of
our external situation but not our internal reaction to it. That is our choice, moment to
moment. We either choose to be 'victims of our fate' or we rise above it. We either look for
the 'silver lining', the 'blessing in disguise', the 'opportunity for growth,' or we continue to feel
like our situation really, totally and justifiably 'sucks.'

Blessings in Disguise

If we don't look beyond our surface frustrations to the depths of our life lessons we're
missing the greatest gift of the 8th house - spiritual transformation. The 8th house is not only
a dusthana house, but a house of moksha or liberation along with the 4th and 12th houses.
Isn't it interesting that the most malefic house is also a house of liberation? The 8th house
takes us to our edge where transformation and rebirth are just on the other side of despair
and death. It’s a house of transition from one state to the next. Its role is not just to create
upheaval that leaves us in a sobbing heap on the floor, but to liberate us. The destructive
principle of tamas paves the way for new creation (rajas), just as compost provides fertile
soil for new seeds to grow.

Just like compost takes time to transform from waste, the blessing that the 8th house
invariably gives, may take time to be revealed. A rebirth is guaranteed following any kind of
death, but there may be a gestation period. The Dalai Lama says, “Sometimes not getting
what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” We all know of people who’ve lost their dream
only to find that something better was around the corner, if not immediately, then eventually.
A Course in Miracles says, “All things work together for good. There are no exceptions
except in the ego’s judgment.” Often letting go of our judgments and learning to trust the
process are the most important lessons of the 8th house.

Slaying Demons

The change of an external situation, like transitioning from a job or marriage, are obvious
kinds of transformation but what about spiritual, inner transformation? The 8th house, like its
karaka Saturn, often represent the hardest life lessons in the chart, yet also the most
rewarding. It’s the house of intense transformation because it corresponds to the 8th sign of
Scorpio, the most intense sign. The last moksha house, the 12th house, represents the
ultimate dissolution of the ego, but the 8th house is often where the battle between the ego
and the soul takes place. Mars, the planet of war, rules Scorpio. It’s where we face our
demons and slay them. Our demons are our compulsions, obsessions, phobias, and fears,
with death being the ultimate fear. This is our psychological baggage, which is why the 8th
house is a house of psychology. The moksha houses correspond to the water signs, and the
water element represents our past psychological conditioning, and the unconscious mind.
We slay our demons by facing them and making them conscious. The great psychologist
Carl Jung said, “Whatever is not conscious will be experienced as fate.” Just like history
tends to repeats itself, we’re doomed to repeat our personal history until we learn from our
mistakes. Therefore, it's valuable to take the time for reflection during the transitional periods
of the 8th house, so we can learn from our past. "Where the wound is, is also where the gift
is," says Sobonfu Somé, author of The Spirit of Intimacy. When we take the time to dive for
those pearls we are able to transform our lives the most. We may choose to make a resolve
(vrata), like committing to a mantra practice for a specific length of time, that significantly
changes our karma from that point forward.

Crisis Counseling and the 8th House

A crisis is the most potent time for transformation, because it’s during a transition that new
seeds are sown. Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” However,
making a major shift, especially inner, is not easy. After all, we’re creatures of habit, and
usually defend against changing them. Harville Hendrix, the author of the best selling book,
Getting the Love You Want, talked about his experience of counseling couples for over 25
years in a TV interview. He said, “When it gets really bad that’s when it’s about to change.
And most people leave when it’s really bad, so they never get to the change. I think that’s
such a tragedy.”

We frequently play the role of crisis counselors as astrologers, because clients often come
for a reading while in a transition. This makes it a unique opportunity to facilitate positive
change.

This is the chart of a woman who tried for more than two years to heal her marriage but was
unsuccessful.
Natal Chart

She came for a reading during her three year Rahu-Venus dasha. Notice how Venus is
placed in the 8th house, and retrograde. It’s also in a tight conjunction with the 8th house
karaka, Saturn, which is debilitated in Aries. In the year since starting her Venus sub dasha
she had separated from her husband, moved to another state, and had her second child.
Needless to say, it had been a tumultuous time as a single mom.

However, it had always been an unstable relationship with her husband. They had met and
married while she was in her Rahu-Mercury dasha, with Mercury being closely aspected by
Mars, the 8th lord from the lagna and the Moon. Mercury is also in the 8th house in the
Navamsha chart, conjunct debilitated Saturn and Venus in Aries.

Navamsha Chart

They had separated in her Rahu-Ketu dasha, but she was still determined to work things out.
However, by the time Venus began it was clear he wasn’t willing. This made it necessary for
her to make a major shift even though she was pregnant with their second child.

In typical 8th house fashion, her sub dasha of Venus has been extremely difficult, yet has
also led to very positive transformation. The reason she wanted a reading was to understand
the karmic reasons why she married her husband, as well as to get clarity about how to
avoid this situation in the future. She had been spending much time studying the psychology
of relationships since Venus began. Venus is not only in the 8th house of psychology, but it’s
the 9th lord and conjunct the 5th lord Saturn. This reveals that her Venus dasha was not only
been a time of intense change due to its position in the 8th house, but also of acquiring
knowledge and wisdom due to the influence of the trinal lords.
It’s important to assess the strength of the planets causing the malefic influences of the 8th
house. In her case, Saturn and Venus are natural friends, and are both vargottama. In
addition, Saturn’s debility is cancelled by its association with Venus, its exaltation lord.
These factors soften the malefic influence during her Venus sub dasha.

Here’s the chart of a woman who came for a reading shortly after starting her 1½ year Moon-
Saturn dasha.

Natal chart

Notice how Saturn is the 8th lord from various lagnas in the chart: the ascendant, Moon, Sun
and the dasha lord, also the Moon. Major areas of her life were in flux: job, home, and
relationship. She was about to quit her job, and could either move to a foreign country she’d
never been to with her boyfriend, or face being alone. What made it even more challenging
was that she’d normally use her intellect to solve problems, but since starting her Moon
dasha she’d been very emotional and withdrawn. Notice how Saturn is aspected by the 7th
lord, Jupiter, and also aspects and rules the 7th house from the Moon. This combination of
being in a Moon dasha and the sub dasha of the 8th lord, revealed that this was not just
about the potential move with her boyfriend, but about past unresolved relationship issues
that were preventing her from moving forward with clarity.

Astrologers, Dur Yogas and the 8th House

Since a major role of astrologers is to assist clients through transitions, it’s not surprising that
the profession itself attracts people with 8th house connections in their own charts. Usually
the 8th house or 8th lord will be connected with either the 10th house (career), the 1st house
(self, identity), the Moon (mind, emotions), or the Sun (personality).

The following chart is of astrologer Marc Boney.

Natal chart of professional Vedic astrologer

Notice how Marc’s 10th lord, Mercury, is in the 8th house, and conjunct the 8th lord, Mars.
His other profession is as a management consultant, where he assists high powered
executives through transitions in the work place. This is shown by the 10th lord conjunct the
exalted Sun in Aries. Both of Marc’s professions, astrology and management consulting, can
be explained by the 10th lord’s placement in the 8th house, since they both assist client’s
through transitions.

However, this interpretation can be confusing because his 10th lord is involved in a Dur
Yoga, which is defined by the 10th lord being placed in a dusthana house. “Dur” means
difficult and a Dur Yoga is characterized as giving difficulty to one’s career. Is this always the
case? No. The 8th house represents breaks and separations, as well as breaks from
convention. An innocuous effect of a Dur Yoga involving the 8th house is having a
profession with a work schedule with built in breaks. For instance, consultants who take time
off once they’ve completed a contract, or a session with a client. They work independently
and create their own hours, instead of having a conventional forty hour a week job.
Astrologers fit into this category and often have Dur Yogas involving the 8th house, as in
Marc’s case.

Here’s the chart of a professional psychic, with a successful practice for over 30 years.
Notice that he has a Dur Yoga formed by a Parivartana Yoga (exchange of signs) between
the 8th and 10th lords, the Sun and Venus.
Natal chart of professional psychic

It’s during 8th house influenced dashas that people often get interested in astrology and
metaphysical subjects. The 8th house is a house of depth, seeing beyond the obvious to the
causal level, to the hidden meaning. This is why astrology, psychology, metaphysics as well
as research are all associated with the 8th house. It is the most mysterious and the least
tangible house.

When I first went to India in 1992 I studied with R. Santhanam, the translator of many classic
Jyotish texts. After reviewing my chart he said, "I see you began studying astrology during
the sub dasha of your 8th lord. This also happened to me. I took up astrology in the dasha of
my 8th lord." Since beginning the sub dasha of my 8th lord, my life had changed radically.
My mother died suddenly, I was in a career transition, and I began studying astrology
intensively to find answers. After getting my first reading I became hooked, and began taking
as many classes as I could. Within a year I was in India studying with R. Santhanam.
 R. Santhanam and Vaughn Paul, Dec 1992

Research and the 8th House

The 8th house is a house depth, seeing beyond the obvious to the hidden meaning at the
causal level. This is why astrology, psychology, and metaphysics are all associated with the
8th house. However, any profession that explores hidden knowledge, like research, could
have combinations involving the 8th house.

Here’s the chart of a woman who has a conventional job doing research on public policy for
a state legislature.

Natal chart of researcher in state legislature

Notice how she has the 8th lord Moon placed in the 10th house. As the 8th lord, the Moon
represents sleuthing into unexplored regions, while being placed in the sign of Virgo makes
her work very practical, analytical and detailed. The Moon is also aspected by Mars, the 12th
lord, and Jupiter the 4th lord from the sign of Pisces. Any moksha house or water sign
contributes to the field of research since they represent hidden, deep, and secret pursuits.

Here’s another example of a researcher, but in the field of physics.

Natal chart of researcher in physics

Notice how the ascendant lord, the Sun, is placed in the 8th house with Ketu. In addition, the
Sun is a karaka of the 10th house, and it’s conjunction with the 12th house karaka, Ketu, in
the 12th sign of Pisces further contribute to his skill in probing to profound depths of insight.

Other People's Money and the 8th House

A more tangible gift of the 8th house is receiving money from inheritances, grants, insurance
policies, or simply snatching it from your wife’s purse! The 8th house is the 2nd house
(gains) from the 7th house (relationships) and represents other people's money in general,
especially one's spouse.

The following chart is of a client who received a huge inheritance in her Venus-Moon dasha.
Natal Chart

Her father had passed away and left her with a fortune that changed her life completely. She
had been working as a therapist and suddenly didn't have to work another day in her life.

Notice in her chart that Venus, a natural benefic and a temporal benefic for Libra rising, is in
the 8th house in its own sign of Taurus. Venus is also in the 11th house (gains) from the
Moon and in the 2nd house from the Sun. From many angles, Venus certainly represents
the possibility of receiving a large sum of money in her Venus dasha. The 8th house, as
previously mentioned, is the house of death and is also the 12th house (loss) from the 9th
house (father). The inheritance came while Jupiter was transiting through her 2nd house of
wealth and aspecting both her mahadasha planet, Venus, and her sub dasha planet, the
Moon.

This was, of course, a mixed blessing since she had the experience of grief and a new found
financial freedom simultaneously. This demonstrates how our lives are complicated and why
we can't just evaluate a dasha period in simplistic terms like 'good' or 'bad'.

Here’s another example chart of a man who worked with other people’s money for over 35
years as a tax accountant.
Natal chart of tax accountant

Notice how his 10th lord, Moon, combines with the 8th lord Venus, and Jupiter. The other
important combination is his raja yoga in the 8th house between the 9th lord Mercury and
the 4th lord Saturn. This powerful yoga was activated during his consecutive Saturn and
Mercury dashas, which spanned the most successful years of his practice.

Ultimate Lessons of the 8th House

The 8th house represents many things, but it can’t be underestimated for its ability to create
change during its dasha. When we're going though intense change it can be helpful to think
of the wheel of samsara or illusion as being an actual wheel. The closer we get to the center
or hub the less spinning actually takes place. This is why meditation and spiritual practices
are so important because they pull us back into the peaceful center of our beings so we can
stop spinning out with our minds. The way out is in.

In Marianne Williamson's book, The Gift of Change, she says, "The most important thing to
remember during times of great change is to fix our eyes anew on the things that don't
change. Eternal things become our compass during times of rapid transition, binding us
emotionally to a steady and firm course." The 8th house is where we face our extreme
vulnerabilities and where we realize our invulnerable Self.

In Paramahansa Yogananda's classic book, The Autobiography of a Yogi, he writes about

his meeting with Anandamayi Ma in his chapter entitled, 'The Joy-Permeated Mother.' He
asks her, "Please tell me something of your life." She replied, "Father, there is little to tell.
My consciousness has never associated itself with this temporary body. Before I came on
this earth, Father, I was the same. I grew into womanhood, but still I was the same. When
the family in which I had been born made arrangements to have this body married, I was the
same. And Father, in front of you now, I am the same. Even afterwards, though the dance of
creation changes around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same."

Anandamayi Ma

This is one of my favorite quotes and something valuable to remember when we're going
through major transitions in our lives, or counseling someone else who is.

Conclusion

It’s easy to jump to negative conclusions when analyzing malefic influences in a chart,
especially involving the 8th house. However, it’s helpful to remember that no planetary
combination in the chart is all malefic or benefic, and therefore can’t be summed up as
simply good or bad. It’s always a mixed blessing, just like the material world is a mixture of
the three gunas. As astrologers we can be of the most service when we help clients find the
gifts amidst whatever challenges they’re facing, especially the gifts of the most malefic
house, the 8th house.
 Important Clues From the Previous Dasha

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Printer Friendly Version | Japanese Version | Email Author

Post a Message on the Discussion Board

This article appeared in Express Star Teller - July 2007

www.starteller.com
A professional psychic friend of mine once told me, "The future foreshadows itself. If
you want to know the future, look at the present and the past." In dasha
analysis this concept is often neglected. We usually try to understand the
upcoming dasha in isolation, without seeing it as a link in a developmental
sequence, where one dasha builds upon the previous one. If you consider
how we naturally develop this makes good sense. Our formative years of
childhood, for instance, set the trend for our adult life. Likewise, the current
dasha needs to be seen as a continuation from the previous dasha.

The following chart of the spiritual leader, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, is a rather
dramatic example of how wrong we can be in our interpretation if we don't
consider the previous dasha. She's currently in the mahadasha of Rahu,
which began on September 20, 2000. Rahu is in the 5th house, aspected by
Jupiter, the 7th and 10th lord. This forms a raja yoga, or royal combination,
between Rahu and Jupiter, because Rahu is in a trinal house aspected by an
angular lord, which has been discussed in the article, Rahu and Ketu Giving
Raja Yoga. You may be inclined to conclude that this is a good period for her
career or marriage if you just look at Rahu in isolation. Jupiter rules the 7th
house of marriage and 10th house of career. Or it may be logical to think that
this is a creative period where she would be doing a lot of teaching. Rahu is
in the 5th house of creativity, disposited by Venus the karaka of creativity,
and Jupiter is a teacher by nature.
 Elizabeth
Clare Prophet's Natal Chart

However, to get to her 18-year Rahu dasha she had to pass through her 7-
year Mars dasha. Her Mars dasha tells the real story of her Rahu dasha.
Notice how Mars is involved in an arishta yoga, or combination of misfortune,
because Mars is a malefic planet aspecting the ascendant, and the ascendant
lord Mercury. Mars also aspects the Sun, the significator of health, and is in a
mutual aspect with Saturn, the 8th lord. In addition, Mars rules the 6th house
of illness and conflict from both the ascendant and the Moon.

This was an extremely difficult 7-year period for her. She was involved in a
number of lawsuits, the organization she led went through a major overhaul
with many members leaving, and perhaps more significantly she developed
Alzheimer's Disease. She was formally diagnosed in 1999, but had shown
signs since the beginning of her Mars dasha in 1993. By the time her Rahu
dasha began in September 2000 she had stepped down from her position as
the leader of her organization. She was already at an advanced stage of
Alzheimer's where she could hardly speak or recognize her own family
members.

Without looking at how debilitating her Mars dasha was you may not have
been able to understand her Rahu dasha. The main clue for what she's
currently experiencing, if we were to look only at the Rahu dasha, comes from
the fact that Rahu is in the 12th house from the Moon, representing isolation
and seclusion. She's now living with around the clock care in a nursing home.
Needless to say this is not a career-oriented or a marriage-oriented period,
nor a period of creativity or teaching. She has done all that in previous
dashas. Her organization at one time had many thousands of members
worldwide, she published more than 75 books, and had four marriages and
five children. The Mars dasha represented the beginning of the end.
 Astro-Profile:
Dr. Masaru Emoto -
The Hidden Messages of Water Signs

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Printer Friendly Version | Email Author

This article appeared in The Mountain Astrologer - Feb/Mar 2006

www.mountainastrologer.com
Dr. Masaru Emoto

Vedic astrology has become popular in the West as an impressive predictive

system, but that’s where its usefulness ends — at least as far as many people
are concerned. The signs, for instance, are rarely mentioned in Vedic chart
analysis; that territory is left to Western astrology. Recently, however, I came
across a chart that strikingly demonstrates the relevancy of the signs in the
Vedic system, better than any chart I’ve seen.

You may know of the Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, whose
groundbreaking research with water has earned him worldwide recognition.
In his New York Times best-selling book, The Hidden Messages of Water,1 Dr.
Emoto presents his stunning photographs of water crystals, which
demonstrate how our thoughts, and even symbols of our thoughts, actually
affect the molecular structure of water. By taking high-speed photographs of
water frozen below –13o F, he discovered that the water crystals that formed
vary in shape according to the specific thoughts, music, written words or
even pictures that the water is exposed to. Beautiful, symmetrical water
crystals develop when the water was exposed to positive vibrations, while the
opposite was the case when exposed to negative vibrations. In February
2005, I met Dr. Emoto during one of his lecture tours in Hawaii and got up the
nerve to ask him for his birth data. I had to — I couldn’t miss the opportunity
to see his chart. “Sure, I love astrology,” Dr. Emoto said, as he wrote out his
birth information. I felt like a kid with a new toy. I couldn’t wait to go home,
punch in the data, and start playing.

Water crystal photograph before and after healing prayer

What would the chart of someone devoted to researching water look like? When his chart
coalesced on the screen, everything you might expect was there. To begin with,
most of his planets are in the water signs Cancer and Pisces. Most of his planets
are also in the 4th and 8th houses (see chart below). These are considered ‘water
houses’ since they correspond to the water signs, Cancer and Scorpio respectively.
Also, there is a tight trine between Jupiter and the Moon, two watery planets, and
both are located in water signs! Furthermore, Neptune, another watery planet, is
sitting close to his Midheaven. (However, the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and
Pluto are not recognized in classical Vedic astrology) And if this weren’t enough,
Dr. Emoto has also been passing through a planetary period (dasha) of the Moon
since about the time his first book on water was published. The Moon represents —
you guessed it — the water element. My computer screen was fogging up from all
the moisture!

The truly mysterious characteristic of his chart, however, is the density of planets in
the 8th house. Five planets are crowded there, including Pluto and Rahu (the North
Lunar Node). At first glance, this might confuse even a seasoned astrologer, since
the 8th house is known as the house of death, losses, obstacles, upheavals,
chronic illness, and so on. You wouldn’t typically expect this in the chart of
someone with widespread fame and profound influence, since the 8th house often
represents challenges to career. In Vedic astrology, the 8th house is the most
malefic of the three malefic houses (the 6th, 8th, and 12th), also known as the
dusthana or trik houses. If I surprise you with the archaic word “malefic,” suffice it
to say that the 8th house is generally not pretty. However, a deeper understanding
of the 8th house, as we shall see, clearly explains Dr. Emoto’s transformational
research with water, as it does his fascination with Hado, or the life force, and his
spiritual mission to heal the Earth through “love and gratitude.”

Natal Chart Analysis

Natal Chart of Dr. Masaru Emoto

Sagittarius Rising

Dr. Emoto’s Ascendant is at 5°27’ Sagittarius in his Vedic chart. Conveniently,

his Ascendant remains in Sagittarius in his Western chart as well. This sign
certainly describes his adventurous spirit and willingness to explore
unknown territory through his research. Before Dr. Emoto’s pioneering work,
no one had even ventured to photograph a water crystal even though our
bodies and the Earth itself are comprised of approximately 70% water. He
writes, “One day I casually opened a book to words that jumped off the page:
‘No two snow crystals are exactly the same.’ The next moment I thought, ‘If I
freeze water and look at the crystals, each one will look totally unique.’ And
that moment marked my first step on an adventure into a new and unexplored
world.”2 He had just embarked on the proverbial “endless journey,” the ideal
situation for any Sagittarian.

Sagittarius is the sign of the visionary teacher. Anyone who has read one of
Dr. Emoto’s books knows that it’s easy to come away inspired and uplifted,
which is indicative of a Sagittarian job well done. He writes, “What you really
know is possible in your heart is possible. We make it possible by our will.
What we imagine in our minds becomes our world. That’s just one of the
many things that I have learned from water.”3 Since Sagittarius is the mutable
fire sign, Sagittarians are good at exercising their creativity and will, and they
like to encourage others to do so, too. They help us to adapt and mold
ourselves into better individuals. Of all the signs, Sagittarius is the least likely
to become stuck. Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, is a planet of expansive
possibilities; it stretches us out of our ordinary mind-sets. Jupiter’s gift is to
teach, inspire, and uplift. He is actually called guru in Sanskrit, the ancient
language of India. Another of Jupiter’s names is jnana karaka, or significator
of wisdom. With a Sagittarius Ascendant, and therefore ruled by Jupiter, Dr.
Emoto certainly wears the hat of a visionary spiritual teacher as well as that
of a scientist.

Six Planets in Water Signs

A striking feature of Dr. Emoto’s chart is that he has six planets in water
signs: the Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, the Sun, Rahu (the North Node of the
Moon), and Pluto. This certainly explains his affinity with the water element —
and I don’t just mean that he likes baths or jumping in the ocean. Dr. Emoto
began researching water in 1989, ten years before his first book on water was
even published.4 Think about it. For him to be able to sustain this kind of
interest over an extended period of time, you would expect to see strong
influences in water signs in his chart. The two luminaries, the Sun and Moon,
are the primary personality indicators, along with the Ascendant. The fact that
the Sun, Moon, and the Ascendant lord, Jupiter, are all in water signs (and
water houses, as we shall see) explains Dr. Emoto’s enduring interest in
water research. Mercury, who represents our intellectual interests, is also
located in a water sign. In Dr. Emoto’s case, Mercury also represents career,
since it is the ruler of his 10th house.

The water signs are the subtlest and most intangible signs, opposite the
physical and tangible earth signs in the zodiac. The water element takes us
into the mysterious hidden realms of the imagination, intuition, feelings, and
the unconscious. Just having the Sun and Moon in water signs would be
enough to suggest someone with deep sensitivity, intuition, empathy, and
receptivity. Adding Jupiter, Mercury, Rahu, and Pluto (as in Dr. Emoto’s case)
means that these become exceptional character traits. Of these six planets,
five are in the cardinal water sign of Cancer, which suggests Dr. Emoto’s
ability to assert his sensitive Cancerian traits confidently in the world.

Dr. Emoto blessing water

Of all the water signs, Pisces is the most sensitive and intuitive. Dr. Emoto’s Pisces
Moon helps him to take his research in surprising directions. He writes,
“When your heart is open to possibilities, you start to notice small things that
can lead to enormous discoveries.”5 He reveals that his intuition carried him
through the early stages of his research: “There was nothing to assure us
that our efforts would eventually pay off. Oddly enough, I never doubted that
they would. I knew with certainty that my hypothesis was correct and that the
experiments would go well — I just knew it.”6 I have since learned, from
someone who worked with Dr. Emoto, that he relies on intuitive guidance
much of the time, especially when making decisions regarding his work. His
Pisces Moon, receiving a trine from Jupiter in Cancer, reflects this ability to
trust his intuition.

Six Planets in Water Houses

These six planets are not only in water signs, they are also in water houses.
This is because they fall in either the 4th, 8th, or 12th houses, corresponding
to the water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. If you thought Dr. Emoto’s
watery qualities were already exceptional, they just got doubled — and then
some. Every quality that can be ascribed to the water signs also applies to
the water houses: subtle, intangible, hidden, mysterious, imaginative,
intuitive, etc. This makes sense, because (as I pointed out earlier) the water
houses are opposite the earth houses. I live in Hawaii, and each time I go
snorkeling I’m amazed by another world that lies beneath the ocean — a
world not seen from the surface. Likewise, the water houses are houses of
depth, seeing beyond the obvious to a subtler level of profound insight. In
Vedic astrology, these are also called moksha houses, or houses of
liberation. They are the most mystical houses, and they relate to the
transformation of consciousness. With six planets in moksha houses, this is
definitely Dr. Emoto’s realm.

Special Emphasis in the 8th House

Of these six planets in moksha or water houses, five line up in Dr. Emoto’s
8th house. We’ve already mentioned that the 8th house is considered the
house of death, losses, obstacles, upheavals, chronic illness, and so on.
Although this is true, these indications have little relevance to this analysis of
Dr. Emoto’s chart. Therefore, let’s look beyond the ordinary. Within the water
house trinity, the 8th house represents the greatest depth of insight,
corresponding to Scorpio, the most profound sign. It is the house of research
because it is willing to explore the furthest beneath the surface, to seek out
root causes. It’s bored with anything less. This is why the 8th house is
associated with occult knowledge, metaphysics, and psychology. It also
relates to the secrets of nature, some of which Dr. Emoto’s research reveals.

The basic drive of the moksha, or water houses, is transformation; without

this, there is no hope for liberation. The farther below the surface the water
houses take you, the deeper the transformation. The job of the 8th house is to
take you the deepest. It is where we face our most profound fears and
psychological issues like the fear of death or separation, and issues of power
and control. It is preparation for the final stages of ego dissolution
represented by the 12th house. The 8th is known as the house of change:
intense, sudden, and dramatic change. But it doesn’t just create upheaval and
leave us in a sobbing heap on the floor. Its purpose is to effect a deep shift of
consciousness. The 8th house, therefore, relates to transformational healing
of body and mind, such as vibrational medicine, that works on a subtle yet
profound level. This is the level where Dr. Emoto operates.

Dr. Emoto leading experiment to cleanse Lake Biwa, Japan

Here’s another point: The 8th house is not only the house of death (mrityu bhava), it is
also the house of life (ayu bhava). As long as there is life force, there is no
death, which explains why the 8th house is known as the house of longevity.
It is the house of subtle energy — chi, prana, and the life force. Quantum
physics demonstrates that the highest concentration of energy lies at the
subtlest level. Likewise, the most shakti, or energy, is associated with the
subtlest house, the 8th house.

Dr. Emoto’s water research, in typical 8th-house fashion, was fueled by his
fascination with Hado (rhymes with “shadow”), an old Japanese word
synonymous with chi, or life force. Dr. Emoto says, “Hado signifies the world
of subtle energy related to consciousness.”7 His main interest in
photographing water was to make the intangible tangible, or as he says, “to
try to put Hado energy into a visible form by using water crystals as material
and canvas.”8 If one could demonstrate that our thoughts actually affect the
molecular structure of water, the implications would be vast. It would mean
that we can literally transform ourselves and our world. This is exactly what
Dr. Emoto’s work has proven.

Multiple Raja Yogas in the 8th House

If we seek an astrological explanation for Dr. Emoto’s success, we will find it

in a very special union of planets in the 8th house. Jupiter, the Sun, and
Mercury, (the rulers of the 1st, 4th, 9th, 7th and 10th houses, respectively)
form several examples of what is called a raja yoga, or royal combination of
planets. A raja yoga is formed when the ruler of a trinal house (1, 5, or 9)
combines with the ruler of an angular house (1, 4, 7, or 10). Vedic astrology
has hundreds of such yogas, or planetary combinations; each bestows
different effects. Raja yogas increase the success and status of the individual
by enhancing the positive indications of any house in which they’re located.
In Dr. Emoto’s case, this indicates an exceptional ability to succeed in 8th-
house areas like research, psychology, occult studies, transformational
healing, and vibrational medicine. It’s interesting that Dr. Emoto received his
doctorate in alternative healing. His raja yogas in the 8th house would also
indicate, on a personal level, that he has a strong life force, good longevity,
and a profound sensitivity to subtle energy.
Dasha Analysis
The Phenomenal Success of His Moon Dasha

If the raja yogas in the 8th house indicate Dr. Emoto’s overall success, then
what accounts for the extraordinary heights of success he’s reached in just
the past few years? Before the year 2000, he was virtually unknown,
especially outside of Japan. Now, he’s an international phenomenon. How
can this be explained astrologically?

In Vedic astrology, the timing of events is indicated through the analysis of

the dashas (planetary periods).9 The natal chart shows what is likely to
happen in one’s life; the dashas reveal when. A dasha represents a segment
of time that is ruled by a specific planet, like a chapter in the book of one’s
life. Each major chapter or mahadasha (great dasha) ranges from 6 to 20
years in duration. These are then broken down into sub-dashas (bhuktis) and
sub-sub-dashas, which allow us to progressively define narrow ranges of
time. Although transits and other methods also play a role in the timing of
events, the dashas, as a unique predictive system, have contributed the most
to the popularity of Vedic astrology in the West.

Dr. Emoto began his ten-year mahadasha of the Moon in March 2000, nine
months after he published his first book on water research, Messages from
Water. During this period, he has achieved phenomenal fame, wealth, and
success. Think of the dasha planet as being turned on like a light switch. The
planet’s general characteristics and what it represents in the chart become
highly activated during this time. For instance, the Moon generally represents
water, the mother, and the mind (manas) — our thoughts, feelings, and
perceptions. The Moon is a sensitive, care-giving planet, and Moon dashas
are often periods of service to others. These general qualities are represented
in Dr. Emoto’s Moon dasha period. His work involves water, is service-
oriented, and focuses on healing the mind.

The next step is to look at the Moon’s position in his chart and the aspects
and yogas that it is involved in. The Moon is placed in the sensitive, intuitive,
and spiritual sign of Pisces, in the 4th house of the mind and emotions. The
Moon is the lord of the 8th house, receiving a tight trine by Jupiter, the planet
of wisdom, from the 8th house. This brings in a strong influence from the 8th
house during his Moon dasha, indicating a focus on research, psychology,
spiritual transformation, and subtle vibrational healing. Jupiter’s influence
also gives him abundant opportunities to travel and teach.

Jupiter and the Moon’s aspect is a phenomenal connection between these

two benefic, watery planets. Not only are they in a tight trine within one
degree, but Jupiter is also located in the Moon’s sign, while the Moon is
located in Jupiter’s sign. This is called a mutual reception, or parivartana
yoga in Vedic astrology. It creates a much closer connection, like a wedding,
between the two planets. This is an extremely spiritual, positive, and
expansive combination.
 Water crystal photograph "Love and Gratitude"
But it gets even better. Jupiter is also in Cancer, the sign of its exaltation, which heightens
Jupiter’s benefic qualities. Also, we can’t forget that Jupiter is in multiple raja yogas with
Mercury and the Sun. Jupiter is a spiritual teacher or missionary, interested in the welfare of
humanity. Dr. Emoto has been on a mission to share his message of love and gratitude
during his Moon dasha. In a recent interview he was asked which water crystal photograph
had the most profound effect on him. His answer was, “A water crystal after showing the
word: "Love and Gratitude." I found this to be the most beautiful and it touched my heart
immeasurably.”10 He writes, “Indeed, there is nothing more important than love and gratitude
in this world. Just by expressing love and gratitude, the water around us and in our bodies
changes so beautifully.”11 Dr. Emoto’s message is of transformational healing, both personal
and planetary, which naturally comes about as we express love and gratitude toward
everyone and everything, including ourselves.

An important technique in Vedic astrology is to analyze the chart from various alternate
Ascendants. By placing the Ascendant where the Moon, Sun, or mahadasha planet is
located gives a more complete picture of the likely effects of a dasha period. In Dr. Emoto’s
chart, when you look at his connection between Jupiter and the Moon from each of these
alternate Ascendants, you’ll see that they form raja yogas in every case (but not from the
original Ascendant). For instance, when you make the Moon in Pisces the Ascendant,
Jupiter becomes the ruler of the 1st and 10th houses and is placed in the 5th house. The
special connection between the Moon and Jupiter (discussed above) then becomes a
combination of the rulers of the 1st, 5th and 10th houses, which forms a raja yoga. This
indicates that Dr. Emoto’s dramatic rise in success and status is strongly reinforced during
his Moon dasha. Seeing these repeated patterns helps us to build solid conclusions
regarding the results of a dasha period.

With this understanding of the Moon and Jupiter’s extraordinary connection in Dr. Emoto’s
chart, is it any wonder that he was instantly catapulted into fame and fortune during the
Jupiter bhukti of his Moon dasha? This 16-month period saw the release of the movie, What
the Bleep Do We Know? which highlighted his water research. Shortly thereafter, his book,
The Hidden Messages of Water, hit the New York Times best-seller list. When I met Dr.
Emoto, he had already passed from his Jupiter sub-dasha and was then in his sub-dasha of
Saturn. He was on a world speaking tour; he mentioned that his health was suffering but that
he felt guided intuitively to do the world tour anyway. Saturn is placed in his 6th house of
illness, indicating the potential for health challenges during his Saturn sub-dasha.

Dr. Emoto’s Moon mahadasha represents a time when he is able to reap the benefits of the
research and writing that he accomplished in his Sun mahadasha. During that six-year
mahadasha period, from 1994 to 2000, he wrote many books on Hado and conducted his
ongoing experiments with water. In his chart, the Sun is within 5 degrees of Mercury, the
planet of writing. As I mentioned, the Sun joins Mercury and Jupiter to form several raja
yogas in the 8th house of research, transformation, and subtle energy.

Dr. Emoto will remain in his Moon mahadasha until March 2010. January 2006 – June 2007
marks his sub-dasha of Mercury, which indicates an increasingly career-oriented time of
writing, publishing, and public speaking.

Dr. Emoto and Vaughn Paul - Feb 2006, Maui, Hawaii

Conclusion
By now, it should be abundantly obvious, from an astrological standpoint, why Dr.
Emoto is engaged in water research of a transformational nature. He has
many influences in water signs and water houses by watery planets,
especially Jupiter and the Moon. We astrologers love to find repeating
patterns like this. The more the merrier, since each one adds to a clearer
interpretation.

Vedic astrology is a powerful predictive system that typically has little to say
about the signs in chart interpretation. It emphasizes the houses, which is
quite the opposite of Western astrology. As James Coleman points out,
“[Western] astrology is heavily weighted toward signs and only makes a
cursory nod toward houses.”12 These imbalances are certainly optional — not
eternal verities. The influences of the houses and the signs must certainly
apply in both Vedic and Western systems, if there’s any validity to them,
which there certainly is. I see them as untapped resources available to
anyone who, like Dr. Emoto, cares to look beneath the surface, in typical 8th-
house fashion.

Chart Data and Source

Dr. Masaru Emoto, July 22, 1943; 4:50 p.m. JST; Yokohama, Japan (35°N26';
139°E39'); A: Author quotes Dr. Emoto as giving him the time of 4:45 p.m.
after a lecture in Maui, Hawaii. Dr. Emoto asked author to contact his older
sister to confirm. She later quoted the time of 4:50 p.m.

References and Notes

1. Masaru Emoto, The Hidden Messages of Water, Beyond Words Publishing,
2004.
2. Ibid., p. xx.
3. Ibid., p. xxii.
4. Masaru Emoto, Messages from Water, Hado Kyoikusha Co., Ltd. (Japan),
1999.
5. Emoto, Hidden Messages, p. xx.
6. Ibid., p. xxi.
7. Emoto, Messages from Water, p. 7.
8. Ibid., p. 115.
9. For further information about the dashas, see Linda Johnsen's article,
"What's Your Dasha?" in The Mountain Astrologer, Oct./Nov. 2005.
10. “How Water reflects our Energy & Vibrational Frequency: The EDGE
Interview with Dr. Masaru Emoto,” by Insiah Vawda Beckman, April 2004,
http://www.edgenews.com/issues/2004/04/toc.html
11. Emoto, Messages from Water, p. 95.
12. James Coleman, “Introducing House Astrology,” in TMA, June/July 2005,
p. 63.
 Astro-Profile:
Venus Williams's Big Comeback

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Printer Friendly Version | Japanese Version |Email Author

"Excellent. Well done." - K.N. Rao

Venus Williams - Tennis Star

Birth Data
Birth Name: Venus Ebone Starr Williams
Birth Date: June 17, 1980
Birth Time: 2:12 PM PDT (+7:00)
Birth Place: Lynwood, California USA
Latitude: 33 N 55; Longitude: 118 W 12
Lahiri Ayanamsha: -23:34:53

Planetary Positions
Asc 19° 57' Virgo
Sun 3° 12' Gemini
Moon 4° 05' Leo
Merc 27° 22' Gemini
Venus 29° 09'R Taurus
Mars 24° 21' Leo
Jup 10° 31' Leo
Sat 27° 12' Leo
Rahu 27° 59' Cancer
Ketu 27° 59' Capricorn

Over the last two years Venus Williams had become a disappointment. The former #1
women's tennis player in the world was on her way out, or so everyone thought. She hadn't
won any major championships, her ranking had tumbled to #16, and she was plagued with
numerous injuries. Fashion and interior design became her thing, not tennis.

That story recently changed. In May she won her first tournament in a year in Turkey, and
then remarkably she went on to win the year's biggest tournament at Wimbledon on July
2nd! This was her 3rd Wimbledon singles championship, but this year she was hardly
anyone's bet to win, being seeded a low #14. The year before she had lost in the 2nd round.
This year, however, Venus was arguably the brightest planet in the sky again, practically
overnight.

How can this dramatic comeback be explained astrologically? In order to understand what's
happening now we have to first understand her natal horoscope. The dashas and transits,
the main tools for prediction in Vedic astrology, activate the promises inherent in the natal
horoscope. Let's first take a look at what the stars and planets say from the moment of birth.
Natal Chart Analysis

Bhadra Mahapurusha Yoga in the 10th house

Venus Williams has Virgo rising with the ruler of Virgo, Mercury, in the 10th house in it's own
sign in Gemini. This gives her a career orientation and a powerful career at that. How
powerful? This is a Bhadra Mahapurusha Yoga ('yoga' here means planetary combination)
because Mercury is on an angle in it's own or exalted sign. 'Maha' means great and
'purusha' means human being. This is a planetary combination that gives her exemplary
qualities of Mercury.

The classical texts praise this yoga with descriptions like, "The person is physically strong
and healthy, with long arms, commanding stature, a gait with the majesty of an elephant,
face like a lion, broad chest and shoulders, and proportionate limbs. The voice is sweet and
impressive. The person is virtuous and learned, of a stable mind and very intelligent.
Independent in all undertakings, judicious, extremely wealthy, blessed with comforts etc."
This certainly describes her quite well.

This yoga happens to fall in the 10th house elevating her career, status and bringing fame.
And if this wasn't enough Mercury is also Vargottama, meaning it stays in Gemini in the
Navamsha chart (9th divisional chart), which further strengthens Mercury. Gemini is an agile,
versatile and quick sign, which describe her athletic ability.

Mercury is also conjunct with the Sun, a royal planet, but not too closely so it does not
combust (burn up) Mercury. The Sun gains directional strength or 'Dik Bala' in the 10th
house, which further enhances the status, recognition, leadership, domination and career
success.

The Sun is also the 12th lord in the 10th house, which can indicate a number of things -
success in foreign countries, or a career that changes frequently, or goes in spurts. For
Venus it looks like a combination of these. It can also indicate working for oneself because of
the need for a flexible, independent work schedule. She's recently started her own interior
design company.

Malavya Mahapurusha Yoga in the 10th house from the Moon

Overall she will become successful quite easily at whatever she does because of the
strength of Mercury in her chart, which again is the 1st and 10th lord in the 10th house.

Her success is reinforced by Venus being in it's own sign of Taurus in the 9th house, which
is also the 10th house from the Moon, an important alternate ascendant. This creates
another Mahapurusha Yoga, Malavya Mahapurusha Yoga, from the Moon, which further
enhances her potential for career success. This is significant because she has been in a
Venus mahadasha or planetary period for most of her life, from age 5-25. She has been
quite accustomed to being successful from an early age and became a professional tennis
player at age 14. Venus in it's own sign in the 9th house gives her a strong sense of her
dharma or life purpose, in her Venus mahadasha. The 9th house is a house of 'dharma'
along with the 1st and 5th houses.

Venus is also her 'Atmakaraka' or indicator of her soul since Venus is the planet with the
highest degrees in any sign. For so many reasons is it any wonder that she's so interested in
fashion and design and that her name is Venus?!

Vipareeta Raja Yoga

You'll notice that she has 4 planets in the 12th house. At first glance you may be surprised to
see this in the chart of a world class celebrity. The 12th house is a house of loss,
expenditure, isolation, and planets placed there are generally considered weak. However,
this is actually a special Raja Yoga or 'Royal' Yoga called Vipareeta Raja Yoga formed when
the ruler of a dusthana house, the 6, 8, or 12th house, is placed in another dusthana house.
The classical texts praise this yoga as well by saying, "This confers learning, longevity, fame
and prosperity. The person will have illustrious friends, be successful in all ventures, a
conqueror of foes, and a great celebrity." Again you could say that this describes Venus to a
"T."

Raja Yoga, Chandra-Mangala Yoga and Gajakesari Yoga

This Vipareeta Raja Yoga is enhanced significantly because the Moon is one of the four
planets in the 12th house. When you make the Moon the ascendant, several Raja Yogas are
formed, by the combining of the lords of the 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th houses. Raja Yogas give
career rise and overall success.

This also forms a Chandra-Mangala Yoga because Mars and the Moon mutually aspect one
another, being conjunct in the 12th house. This contributes to her ability to earn money
easily and accumulate wealth even though it is in the 12th house of losses.

Lastly, this also forms a Gajakesari Yoga because Jupiter is in an angular position from the
Moon, being conjunct in the 12th house. 'Gaja' means elephant and 'kesari' means lion - the
two kings of the forest. This yoga gives strength and leadership.

Jupiter, Mars and the Moon are also natural and temporal friends with the Sun, the ruler of
Leo in the 10th house, so these yogas increase in strength by virtue of being placed in the
sign of Leo.

Leo, the Royal Sign of Leadership

Another important point is that Leo is a sign of royalty, authority and leadership and is the
best sign for competitors according to K.N. Rao. Often times you'll see athletes with strong
planets in Leo. Venus's 4 planets placed here give her a tough competitive edge and ability
to dominate. Interestingly, if you look at Venus's 3rd house of younger siblings (the sign of
Scorpio) you'll see that the 4 planets in Leo are in the 10th house from the 3rd house. This
shows that her younger sibling, Serena, also has a powerful career and is a tough
competitor. Both Venus and her sister Serena have their Moon's placed in Leo in their natal
charts.

The Drekkana Chart (3rd Divisional Chart)

Incidentally, I believe that Venus must be born at least 14 seconds after 2:12 pm because
this would change her Drekkana chart (3rd divisional chart) ascendant from Capricorn to
Taurus. This is the divisional chart that describes siblings. From Taurus rising Cancer is the
3rd house, which becomes the ascendant of Serena, her next younger sibling. From Cancer,
Mars is in the 10th house in its own sign of Aries forming a Ruchaka Mahapurusha Yoga.
Mars is also conjunct Saturn and aspected by Jupiter which is placed in its own fire sign of
Sagittarius. These strong influences in fire signs describe Serena's fierce competitive drive
very well. In one interview Venus said, "I want to become as tough a fighter as Serena."
Below are the two Drekkana charts with before 2:12:13 pm on the left and after 2:12:13 pm
on the right:

Drekkana Charts
Venus and Serena on the cover of Time Magazine - Sep. 3, 2001

Dasha and Transit Analysis

By this natal chart analysis you'll see that it is because of the strength of these planetary
positions that she has the confidence and inherent ability to dominate and be successful. In
a recent interview she said, "I knew it was my destiny to be in the winner's circle. There were
times along the way when I didn't make it there. But I felt my destiny was definitely to win big
titles, win lots of titles." If this is the case then what happened over the last two years? Why
the slump? What planetary indications represent this? First let's step back and see the big
picture of her dasha scheme and then focus in on the last two years.

Venus Mahadasha - Getting Established As a Leader

20 years: April 1985 to April 2005

Venus is a temporal benefic for Virgo rising because it rules the trinal 9th house. It is also in
the 9th house in it's own sign of Taurus as mentioned. The 9th lord and/or the 9th house
gives progress, growth, learning, travel, and fortune. From the Moon, Venus is in the 10th
house giving Malavya Mahapurusha Yoga as previously discussed. Venus is also aspected
closely by Saturn the 5th lord forming a Dana Yoga between the 2nd, 5th and 9th lords who
are all wealth giving planets (the 5th and 9th houses are houses of Lakshmi, the Goddess of
wealth). This gives her focus, discipline, perseverance, and helps her get established as a
leader. Saturn aspecting Venus also reveals the tension with her father, her tennis coach,
because Saturn is also the 6th lord representing conflict with the 9th lord, representing the
father.

Venus/Sat and Venus/Mer Sub Dashas - Achievements

6 yrs: Feb 1998 to Feb 2004

These have been her two most successful sub periods yet, resulting in wealth, fame and
success. Why? Saturn and Mercury are both involved in beneficial yogas, as discussed, that
will become activated in their sub dashas within the Venus mahadasha. They are both
natural friends of Venus when you consider the two families of planetary friendships: Venus,
Saturn, Mercury as opposed to Jupiter, Mars, Sun and the Moon. Both Saturn and Mercury's
ruler or dispositor is placed in the 10th house of career success. Saturn in Leo is ruled, or
disposited by the Sun who is placed in the 10th house. Mercury is its own dispositor, since
it's in its own sign of Gemini in the 10th house along with the Sun.

Looking at the mahadasha lord as an alternate ascendant is an important method taught by

my teacher, K.N. Rao. In this case, when you make Venus in Taurus an alternate ascendant,
then Venus becomes the 1st lord in the 1st house, with both Mercury and Saturn ruling the
5th and 9th trinal houses respectively. This makes them both temporal benefics from Venus
in Taurus and indicates that these sub dashas will be very beneficial.

Saturn's aspect onto Venus from Leo then becomes the 9th and 10th lord aspect to the 1st
lord. This forms a spectacular Raja Yoga between Venus and Saturn. Her Venus/Saturn
dasha from Feb 1998 - April 2001 was her best period ever. In 2000 she had a 32 match
winning streak and won both the singles and doubles (with her sister Serena) at Wimbledon,
the US Open, and the Olympics! Venus summed up her 2000 triumphs well by saying, "I
guess I've graduated to a different level where I can be like some of the greats."

Transit of Saturn in Gemini - Injuries

34 months: July 2002 to May 2005

This transit of Saturn through Gemini conjunct the Sun and later Mercury represented facing
her own limitations (Saturn) regarding her body which is represented by the Sun, significator
of the 1st house and the ruler of the 1st house, Mercury. Injuries plagued her - her wrist,
stomach and shoulder. Saturn from Gemini also aspects, with it's special 3rd aspect
(sextile), to Leo and her 4 planets - Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. This aspect especially
to Mars, the 8th lord, and Saturn, her 6th lord, represented accidents and injuries in addition
to the challenges presented by Saturn's transit through Gemini over the Sun and Mercury.
She went against the advice of her father and played with injuries and later regretted it
because it only served to prolong her recovery.

The sign of Gemini, her 10th house, receives 42 sarvashtakavarga points in the
ashtakavarga system, which is phenomenally high. Below 20 points is considered weak,
above 30 strong, and above 40 very strong. This generally strengthens her 10th house and
indicates that transits will be very beneficial through her career house. Saturn's transit in
Gemini contributes 6 of the 42 points, which is a very high number (8 is the highest possible
which is very rare) and represents that overall this was not as detrimental a transit over the
Sun and Mercury as it could have been. This is a clue that this time period during Saturn's
transit in Gemini did not represent the end of her tennis career as many speculated.
Venus/Mer/Sat and Venus/Ketu Sub Dasha - Worst Slump
September 13, 2003 to April 25 2005

These were the hardest sub dashas of all. The day after she started Venus/Mercury/Saturn
her half-sister, who was her 3rd oldest sister, was shot and killed. The 7th house, the sign of
Pisces, represents the 3rd oldest sister because the 11th is the next oldest, the 9th the 2nd
oldest, and the 7th the 3rd oldest. From the 7th house Venus, the dasha lord rules the 8th
house, the house of death. Mercury the sub dasha lord rules the 7th house, which is a
maraka (killer) house. Saturn the sub sub dasha lord rules the 12th house, the house of loss
and is conjunct Mars, the planet of violence in the 6th house of accidents.
Venus/Mercury/Saturn could not be a good dasha for her 3rd oldest sister.

This began a cycle for Venus of grief and disillusionment. Saturn represents grief and its
transit in Gemini was approaching her Mercury in her 10th house causing her to evaluate
and question herself (1st lord) and her career (10th lord). A few months later she began her
14-month sub dasha of Ketu, which began in February 2004. The press during this time
speculated that she had lost her motivation, confidence and desire to win. She seriously
contemplated retirement. These are typical traits of a Ketu dasha. We become disillusioned
with the status quo and begin looking outside of our normal experience. She became
attracted to other life directions like interior decorating and fashion while her injuries required
her to convalesce.
Sun Mahadasha Sun Sub Dasha- The Big Comeback
April 25 2005 to Aug 13 2005

The first sign of a significant astrological event that could indicate a comeback was simply
the ending of the Venus/Ketu sub dasha at the end of April, 2005. Ketu is a reflective,
contemplative planet. It is the moksha karaka or significator of spritual liberation and is not
interested in worldy fame and success. Usually people's level of motivation and drive is at an
all time low. Ketu dashas often lead people into simplifying their lives, convalescence,
retreat, isolation, exploring in unusual directions etc. It is often a time of inner work or inner
preparation for a creative phase that follows Ketu dashas. This is because Venus dashas
(creativity) always follow Ketu dashas (unless it's a Venus/Ketu sub dasha which is followed
by Sun mahadasha).

The second indication of a comeback is that the 6-year Sun Dasha came next. The Sun, as
we have seen in our natal interpretation, is conjunct the 10th lord Mercury in the 10th house
where it gets directional strength. Because of this the focus shifts again to career success.
The Sun benefits by association with such a strong Mercury as explained earlier. There are
modifications to this because the Sun rules the 12th house but let's save that discussion for
later.

The third indication is that on May 27th Saturn left the sign of Gemini by transit. The
influence of Saturn in the 10th house tightly conjunct Mercury her 1st and 10th lord and
aspecting Mars and Saturn in the 12th house was heavy and burdensome especially in a
reflective Ketu sub dasha. She felt the pressure to recover her health to 100% so she could
return to her old form. This became a huge weight that was lifted at the end of May. In an
interview after winning Wimbledon she said, "I have to thank God for letting me be healthy."
The fourth indication is that on June 5th Jupiter went direct by transit in her ascendant after
being retrograde for 4 1/2 months. Jupiter was now approaching her ascendant degree,
which is one indication for improved health, happiness, and overall success. Jupiter also
receives an extremely high 7 ashtakavarga points in Virgo, which further enhances the
positive qualities of this transit.

The 5th indication is that the double transit of Jupiter and Saturn (click here to read my
article on the subject) was now in her ascendant and 5th house, two dharma houses that
fuel her to progress and move forward in her life purpose, because Jupiter and Saturn were
both aspecting these houses by transit. This improves her health and self-confidence (1st
house) and creative, dynamic self-expression (5th house).

Having the dashas and major transits lining up to indicate a comeback allows us to now look
more deeply at the other transits, particularly of the mahadasha lord, the Sun, or to the Sun
by other planets. This is a subtler consideration that shouldn't be emphasized early in one's
analysis because it doesn't carry the weight as do the dashas and major transits.

Here's the 6th indication. Isn't it amazing that on the day of her Wimbledon final with Lindsey
Davenport that the Sun was transiting in Gemini, her 10th house?! As mentioned earlier, her
10th house of Gemini gets an incredible 42 sarvashtakavarga points, the most of any of her
houses. This strengthens transits through this house tremendously. The Sun contributes a
very high 6 binnashtakavarga points making the Sun's transit between June 15th and July
16th in Gemini very powerful and helpful for her to win a major Grand Slam event. It's
interesting to note that the Wimbledon tournament is always scheduled while the Sun is in
Gemini, which is one reason she's had such a history of success there. She won it in 2000,
2001 and was runner up to her sister in 2002, 2003. 2004 was her Ketu sub dasha with a
difficult transit of Saturn as we’ve discussed. And now she's won again in 2005.

"You never know what life is going to throw at you, and each and every day I just expect the
Sun to come up, that's all, these days," she said.

I understand Venus! Spoken well by someone with the Sun overhead at birth in the 10th
house! Now your Sun dasha is also up for the next 6 years!
Will the Big Comeback Really Last?

Is Venus really back as the brightest star in the firmament? Or was this just the luck of a few
good transits? No, the Sun dasha is significant. She will be more in the media. The Sun is
with Mercury in the 3rd sign of Gemini. Did you know that her and Serena have started their
own reality TV show and will have cameras following them off the court? They've also written
their own book entitled 'Venus and Serena: Serving From the Hip: 10 Rules for Living,
Loving, and Winning.' These are all Gemini and Mercurial activities. She will be more and
more in the visible limelight again.

What about being on the top of the tennis ranks again? What concerns me is that the Sun is
the 12th lord and debilitated in the Navamsha chart. She is also in the beginning of a Sadhe
Saati period (Saturn within 45 degrees° of the Moon). These are the modifications of the Sun
dasha time period that I mentioned earlier. Sun as the 12th lord indicates that in her Sun
dasha there would be a break in her career, and her public image would change. I don't see
her completing her Sun dasha as a tennis pro.

I think this is a short lived comeback actually. In her Sun Mars dasha after February 2006
she could revisit some old injuries. Why? Because the Sun is the 12th lord and debilitated in
the Navamsa, as mentioned, which could generally indicate challenges with health in her 6
year Sun dasha. In addition, Mars is the planet of injury and accidents and is the 8th lord
conjunct with the 6th lord Saturn. Looking at it from the dasha lord, the Sun, as the
ascendant, Mars is the 6th and 11th lord, which are both houses of injury (the 11th house is
the 6th house from the 6th house), and is conjunct Saturn the 8th lord.

Saturn's transit at this time will also be aspecting her ascendant degree more closely from
Cancer by transit which could indicate challenges with injuries. Saturn's transit is also in the
12th house from her Moon, which could represent being held up and frustrated. I don't think
it's a major setback however, because Mars is involved in exceptional yogas in the sign of
Leo, which is a strong sign for Mars as discussed earlier.

If I were to make a prediction I'd say she will retire from tennis in her Sun Saturn dasha after
March 2008. Saturn will be transiting through Leo, her 12th house of loss, where it receives
a very weak 0 ashtakavarga points and will be aspecting her natal Moon, Jupiter, Mars and
Saturn. She will be experiencing both her Saturn return and her Sadhe Saati period as
previously mentioned.

The Dashamsha Chart (10th Divisional Chart)

This can also be seen in her Dashamsha chart (10th divisional chart), which is the divisional
chart pertaining to one's career. In this chart, her current dasha lord, the Sun, happens to
also be her 10th lord of career for Scorpio rising. This is in addition to the Sun being the
significator of the 10th house (career) as well as the 1st house (body) in any chart. The Sun
is placed in the benefic 9th house aspected by Jupiter, which indicates progress in her
career in her Sun dasha. However, the Sun is also aspected by two malefics, Mars and
Saturn. Mar's aspect, as the 1st and 6th lord in its own sign in the 6th house, could help her
defeat her competitors in her Mars sub dasha. However, as the 6th lord it can also represent
injuries. It's not extreme because Mars is strong on its own sign and creates a Raja Yoga
with the Sun, being a combination of the 1st and 10th lord. Saturn's aspect is more
challenging because it is a natural enemy of the Sun and is a temporal malefic for Scorpio
ascendant, in addition to being a natural malefic in any chart. This again confirms that her
Saturn sub dasha after March 2008 could represent a break or change in her career.
Dashamsha Chart

I think she knows that tennis is rather short lived which is one reason why she's already
exploring other businesses and career choices. In a recent interview she said, "Tennis is
what I do, it's all-consuming. But at the same time I have to realize this is just one part of my
life, this is only one stage of my life, and I'll move on from this one day."

In any case, Venus' future is bright and she will gradually become more spiritually and
metaphysically oriented which is indicated by 4 planets, especially the Moon (mind) and
Jupiter (spirituality), placed in the 12 house of spiritual depth. She is now in the dasha of her
12th lord, the Sun, and will enter a Moon mahadasha in April 2011.

Her Mother, Oracene Price, said during an interview on the Oprah Winfrey show, "Venus is
very deep. She's always been that way. I remember when she was a baby—she would go
off into space, and then she'd come back. I'd say, 'What in the world is this little girl thinking
about?'

Wherever Venus' orbit has taken her, it has led her to dizzying heights of success and fame
in a span of a few short years. But isn't this just what we should expect from the brightest
planet in the sky?
 Interview with K.N. Rao:
Conversations with one of the
Eminent Vedic Astrologers of our Time

reprinted with permission from K.N. Rao & interviewer Maalok

originally published May 30, 2005 by sulekha.com
Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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Sri K.N. Rao

Sri K.N. Rao, is widely considered to be one of the foremost Vedic astrologers in the world
today. He is the architect of a great astrological renaissance, and founder of the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan school of astrology in New Delhi, India, the largest astrology school in the
world with over 800 students and 25 teachers. He is also the editor of the quarterly
magazine, Journal of Astrology, and author of more than twenty five books on Vedic
astrology. Sri K.N. Rao's academic and research-based approach combines both classical
and innovative methods like his PAC-DARES and Composite Approach, which are used by
students worldwide. Over the past forty years his record of accurate predictions has earned
him wide spread recognition.

Question: Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. From your biography we
know that your father Sri K. Rama Rao was an illustrious journalist and a freedom fighter.
Your mother, Smt. K. Sarasvani Devi initiated you into astrology at the age of 12. Could you
please give us some feel of your experience of being brought up in such an atmosphere?
Could you share any notable anecdotes from your childhood or formative years?

K.N. Rao (KNR): To help answer this question, let me recount to you an incident from my
life. At the age of 23, when I was interviewed for the All-India Services, the first question put
to me was - “What has been your reaction as a south Indian brought up in northern India?
[1]” I replied - “I recently read a novel of a Polish pianist who was brought up in Russia. In
Poland he was called a Russian and in Russia a Pole!”

Humor aside, I was very fortunate to be away from the extreme “Brahminical” orthodoxy of
south Indian society of those days. If I were a Brahmin living in South India, I might have
found it very difficult to mix freely with people from different communities. On the other hand,
living in Lucknow, I had the unique enriching opportunity of bringing home my Muslim friends
for dinner.[2]

Furthermore, my father, with his Brahmo Samaj[3] background, never allowed any male
member ever to take any dowry in marriage. For four generations no male in our family has
taken any dowry. My father was a very courageous and patriotic person. He was jailed while
working for India's freedom movement, leaving the eight of us - his wife and children –
without a breadwinner in the family. How we survived those days is still a miracle! Since we
survived, I experientially know, without any doubt, that there is a great God, with his scheme
for all of us puny mortals. We cry and cringe - but for what? I am a very firm believer in
karma and its results. I am more convinced in it because of my experiences with astrology,
with my astrology Guru, late Yogi Bhaskaranandji, and my mantra Guru, Swami
Paramanand Saraswati.

Question: Given your father's association with India's freedom movement, did you have an
opportunity to meet some of the leading political figures of that time? If so, how was that
experience?

KNR: I traveled quite a lot with my father, who was moving from one place to another due to
his job. I was the personal volunteer of Mahatma Gandhi during my vacations in Wardha. I
saw, from closest quarters, the future famous men of India. Fellow volunteers and I, who had
come from different parts of India, got disenchanted with almost all of them, except Mahatma
Gandhi and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan.[4]

In working for these famous leaders of India, we young volunteers had to be extra cautious.
Many of these leaders were short tempered and it was not unusual for them to slap us! In
this matter, Jawaharlal Nehru was the harshest, and due to this, all of us disliked him
thoroughly. Fortunately, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was different from most other leaders. He
always came to our defense and even said something pleasant and sweet to help offset the
unpleasant work/living environment.

We all knew him as a genuinely guileless man and revered him second only to Mahatma
Gandhi. As regards Gandhiji – he had his own way of noticing things and giving instructions.
For example, among all the young volunteers, two of us were recognized to be the brightest.
Both of us meticulously remembered all the work instructions given to us, and carried these
out diligently, and in a timely fashion. The result of this was that the two of us were always
overburdened with work. Once Gandhiji looked at one of the leaders and said, “Will you not
give opportunity to the other boys to be efficient also?” It was his diplomatic way of making
sure that the workload was shared equitably and ensuring that all of us had an opportunity to
improve ourselves.

But the favorite person I worked for during this period was Acharya Bhansali who was a
professor of mathematics at the Bombay University. He jumped into the freedom movement
and remained a Brahmachari throughout his life, serving in Sevagram Ashram until his
death. Even after India's freedom from the British, power politics never attracted him. I
distinctly recall one encounter with him. He called the entire group of boy volunteers and
gave us some neem leaves[5] to eat. Most of the boys in our group ate a leaf or two and
slowly slipped away. I stood there and ate all the leaves he had given me. After that incident
I became his favorite! To eat neem leaves and become someone's favorite is quite a
hilarious memory for me. Prof. Bhansali was also adept at catching snakes with his bare
hands. Even if the snake bit him, somehow, the poison never affected him – something that
still remains a mystery to me.

We also came in touch with other famous leaders– such as Dr. Zakir Hussain, Prof.
Aryanagam[6], Sri J.C.Kumarappa[7], and Acharya Vinoba Bhave[8].
While these experiences with these leaders were enriching and educational, even at that
point, I knew inside of me that the real seat of greatness lay elsewhere. As I struggled to find
the truth, I got my answers from the sacred Hindu scriptures – the Bhagavad Gita and the
Upanishads, and later, more directly, from spiritual masters. I have written about these
spiritual masters in my book, Yogis, Destiny and the Wheel of Time.

Question: Did the journalistic background of your father have any impact on your thinking
and training?

KNR: My father, as a journalist, subscribed to eighteen newspapers every day. I used to be

his assistant and my job was to organize, by subject, the newspaper clippings into different
envelopes. Looking back, I feel that this experience taught me a mental discipline and the
ability to catalog material on a particular subject in an index-like fashion for any future
reference.

My father also had a rich collection of books, particularly biographies written by Englishmen.
He asked me to read these along with the New Testament for their beautiful English style
and writing.[9]

From that age, until the age of almost forty, I was a voracious reader of books. This changed
when I met the great Urdu poet, Firaq Gorakhpuri, during my work tenure in the city of
Allahabad in North India. He advised me to read less, and think and analyze more.

Question: Can you provide some details on the initiation by your mother into astrology?
Also, can you please share some more details about your mother and her astrological
abilities?

KNR: At the age of eleven I had a terrible attack of typhoid, which was considered a deadly
killer in those days. Convalescing and weak when I lay on my bed, my mother put a painting
of Goddess Saraswati in front of me and initiated me into numerology, palmistry, graphology
and astrology.

I grew up seeing my mother make remarkable predictions to people when they came to her.
In one case, a young boy had run away from his family. Everyone thought that since the boy
wanted to become a film actor, he had, in all likelihood, run away to the city of Bombay[10].
Looking at the boy's horoscope, my mother predicted that the boy would be found in a place
of pilgrimage in northern India. Later, the boy was seen and brought home from Haridwar.
Having been a witness to many such accurate predictions, I was convinced, beyond doubt,
of the greatness of astrology as a predictive science.

Many may say that astrologers' predictions are often “wishy-washy” and imprecise with only
anecdotal accuracy – so how can a skeptic be assured beyond doubt on the validity of
astrology? My answer would be that each one of us has to come to one's own conclusion.
While I cannot convince anybody on the validity of the science of Jyotish, my own conviction
remains firm. I also know that when my predictions fail that it is due to my own faults and
limitations, and does not, in any way, take away the greatness of the science of Jyotish itself.

Question: Overall as a child and young adult, did you have some inkling that you had some
specific purpose in life? Have you been an ambitious person?

KNR: I had always found astrology immensely fascinating and spiritually enlightening, but
had never ventured out in the open. Most people knew me as a high-ranking officer in the
government of India and only a very few close friends knew that I practiced astrology.
Coming to your question - No, I never felt that I had any specific purpose or mission in my
life until a great Mahatma, late Moorkhanandji (whose actual name was Sri Vidyaranya) told
me in 1980 that astrology was getting “eclipsed” but luckily had not totally vanished from our
world. He said that the world would witness a revival of Jyotish through my instrumentality.

Now, twenty-four years later, I am realizing the truth of that great prophecy. Through the
teamwork of many of us, and the blessings of my gurus and teachers, we have now
produced thirty-six books offering insightful research in the field of Indian Astrology. We have
also been running the largest school of astrology in the world at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan,
New Delhi, where nine hundred students attend our weekend courses on a regular basis. All
this happened not because of my individuality or ambition. I was simply a conduit to the
divine plan as blessed by Moorkhanandji.

Yogi Moorkhanandji and Sri K.N. Rao in 1981

Question: Moorkhanandji's prediction was quite remarkable! Did he make any other
predictions about you?

KNR: Yes, in fact, Moorkhanandji did make another prophecy in 1980. He said that I would
have to fight a big battle in my life for furthering the cause of astrology. As it turned out, in
the year 2000, the Human Resources Ministry and the University Grants Commission in
India introduced astrology as a subject in the universities. The scientist and left-wing
communities in India vigorously challenged this proposed introduction of astrology into the
curriculum. There were legal cases filled in various court systems in India. Of these, the legal
cases in Andhra Pradesh and Madras got most attention. Both of these cases were however
subsequently dismissed at the state level. But the Andhra Pradesh case made its way to the
Supreme Court of India in the year 2001 where it was admitted for a hearing.

I intervened[11] in this case as a “Petitioner-In-Person”, which is permissible under the

Indian law. At that time, I was in the midst of a severe health crisis and could barely walk
using a walker-support. Given my health condition, I asked the astrologers' community in
India to help but unfortunately did not get any aid whatsoever. Anyway, despite being pitted
against one of the most famous lawyers of India – Mr. Shanti Bhushan - I was quite
successful in countering all the arguments he presented. Hearing my arguments, the
Additional Solicitor General, Mr. Rawal, told me that I was very effective and thought that we
would win the case. On May 5th 2004, the judgement came out and we did indeed win the
case. That is what Moorkhanandji foresaw in the year 1980!

Question: Going back to your education – where did you do your high school,
undergraduate and graduate studies? What was your field of specialization? How was your
academic performance? What about extra-curricular activities – did you have any talents in
sports, writing, speaking, acting/drama?
KNR: My father had a job that moved our family from one place to another. Due to this my
education, too, was in different places, giving me a wide exposure to the diversity of India.
My education started in Delhi, continued in Lucknow, and then to Nagpur where I did my
matriculation. This was when I found myself in geographical proximity to Mahatma Gandhi.
In Vijaywada I did my intermediate. Finally, my academic life completed a full circle, bringing
me back to Lucknow, where I did my B.A. and M.A. in English.

I was a good student throughout – never failing but at the same time rarely being at the top
of the class. I did win essay-writing competitions and was successful in securing a few
scholarships. I was also selected to participate in debating forums at an All-India level. That
reminds me – in school days I almost always won the top-prize in the Hindi poetry recitation
competition. The famous Hindi poet Jaya Shankar Prasad, whose work I used to recite, was
unquestionably my hot favorite.

I was very good at languages – Hindi, English and Sanskrit. Even in those days when
grading was extremely stringent, and despite doing very poorly in science and mathematics,
I used to get an aggregate score of around 75%. These high grades were primarily due to
my excellence in the language subjects. Urdu was a required third language for us at middle
level of schooling. The Maulvi Saheb, who taught us Urdu, was more interested in getting
married for a fourth time than in teaching us! Consequently, Urdu became a hellish
experience for my fellow students and me. Since Urdu and Hindu were aggregated together,
I was lucky that my near “zero” grade in Urdu got compensated by my securing a high score
of 80% in Hindi. I would be remiss if I did not bring up one more interesting point. All through
my life, I suffered badly because of my bad handwriting. Perhaps hard to believe, but true
nevertheless – in the nationwide competitive examination, twenty marks were deducted from
my aggregate just for my bad handwriting!

I never had any histrionic talent. Once during my service career I acted in a Sanskrit play as
the famous character Ashwathama of Mahabharata. A drama critic, who must have been
clearly irritated by my performance, wrote in his review that one had to learn from K.N. Rao
how not to act!

In sports, I somehow never got myself to focus enough. Even so, I played football, hockey,
cricket, badminton, tennis, billiards, snooker and bridge. From my student days, I served as
a sports reporter for newspapers, both in English and Hindi. Twice I won brilliancy prizes in
Chess when, in different tournaments, I defeated India's fourth and fifth ranked players. In
bridge, my teammates and I won the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi State Championships. But I
lost all my interest in games (including bridge) when I had a paranormal experience in 1961.
I had a forewarning about my father's death two days before he actually died. I clearly
remember having the premonition on 7th March 1961, and subsequently my father died two
days later on March 9th. This served as a turning point in my life and I decided that life was
meant only for searching higher spiritual aims, and should not be wasted in frivolous
activities.

Question: How about your spiritual instruction and initiation – can you please provide some
details on that? Have you interacted with any other mystics or spiritual gurus?

KNR: I got initiated into my spiritual path in April 1962. In1966 I wanted to leave my service
and become a Sanyasi. But my Guruji advised me otherwise. He said that I still had
unfulfilled karmas (or actions) to be exhausted. He suggested that I fulfill my duties and by
doing so I would better my spiritual life as well. He warned that Sanyasa could become an
escape, in fact ruining my spiritual life instead of bettering it. I also interacted with a fakir who
had supernatural powers. In 1963 he told me that I would have to move to Delhi and also
would travel abroad several times, which as we now know, all came true.
In summary, I have benefited immensely from the instructions of my Guruji – in particular the
one where he advised me not to become a renunciate. Even though I saw some genuine
saints or Mahatmas, my lifetime experience has been that the world is overflowing with fake
spiritual leaders who pretend to be Sanyasis. Having seen this rampant fraudulence first
hand, I am saddened to say that, nowadays, Ashrams are hotbeds of intrigues and
corruption which remains hidden from the public eye due to the glamour of the Guru who
heads the organization. One consequence is that after the death of the founding Gurus, the
disciples are involved in legal proceedings in courts of law for successor rights etc. In short
there is no silver bullet that brings spiritual wisdom - my own spiritual learning has come
from my own personal experiences and through the grace of my Guruji. It takes time, faith,
perseverance and lots of grace.

Question: Can you provide us some overview of your professional career? Were there any
problems or crisis that you faced in the course of your career? Were you practicing astrology
while you worked at your regular job?

KNR: I started my career as a lecturer of English in a college at Lucknow. Subsequently, I

was selected for the Indian Audit and Accounts Services through a competitive exam and
interview. In this job I rose in rank and retired at the high level of Director General. Twice
during my service career I was also sent on deputation to the division of Commercial Taxes
in Patna, Bihar and the Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi. As destiny would have it, in these
roles as the Chief Accountant, I was able to create surplus budgets four times – a feat that
had never been achieved before. This became a famous case study leading me to lecture
on financial controls of a civic body for the next six years at the Indian Institute of Public
Administration.

Despite these successes, I was not a distinguished bureaucrat. The life of a bureaucrat
never suited my personality – I have strong, independent views on so many subjects that,
more often than not, conflicted with the “straitjacket” approach of “going-with-the-grain”
expected of me. While a bureaucrat, I did however make many notable/successful
astrological predictions to famous politicians of India, and also failed miserably sometimes!
During my service career I was better known as a journalist, a public speaker (both in Hindi
and English), a top-class bridge player, and of course, as an astrologer who provided free
consultation to a wide array of people – from the lower-middle class to top politicians of
India.

However, these astrological predictions got me into trouble on some occasions. For
example, in December of 1988, in an interview I gave to a magazine, I stated that in the
following year (1989) the central government of India (federal government) would undergo a
big change. This statement got me into a really sticky situation with the ruling party. Luckily, I
wriggled out of this mess by saying I was merely espousing untested academic research and
that I had no political motivation whatsoever for making this statement. As events showed
later, in 1989 the Congress government of Rajiv Gandhi lost the general elections and the
central government did indeed change, proving my prediction accurate.

Question: What about your personal life? Have you ever been married or come close to
getting married? If not, were you not pressured by your parents to get married?

KNR: I have never been married. In 1960 I did come close to getting married but it never
materialized. Given my prestigious high-ranking position in the government, a stable
job/salary, and the fact that I came from an Andhra Niyogi Brahmin[12] family, marriage
proposals used to come in plenty especially from prosperous families. Among these were
marriage proposals from the families of two former presidents of India, Sri S.Radhakrishnan
and Sri V.V.Giri.
However, I was quite clear that I did not want to get married. I told my father that since I was
very sure of not getting married, it was pointless for me to go to “see” prospective brides. My
argument was that if I were forced to go to see the prospective brides, I would reject them
anyway (as I was not interested in marrying) causing a feeling of hurt to the girls. Thankfully,
my father understood the validity of my argument and did not pressurize me any further for
getting married. As for my mother, she did say that as a mother she wanted me to get
married but as an astrologer she saw it would be disastrous.

When I started my spiritual life, I decided that marriage would be a big burden. I felt that I
would be deceiving the girl I would marry, since I knew in my heart that I would not be able
to devote attention to the demands of a conventional married life. So I felt quite certain of my
decision.

That reminds me of a strange incident. In 1993, when I visited USA for the first time in my
life, a sixty-year old American woman (I may add that she was good looking and well-to-do)
approached me to marry her. Amused, I explained to her that at this age we should be
concentrating on a spiritual life rather than get distracted by marriage and worldly matters!

Question: Did you feel lonely or lacked companionship at some times in your life? Saying
this in another way, did you delve deeper into writing and astrology partly because you found
these activities to be your companions?

KNR: I never felt lonely and in fact relished the time to myself – exploring and writing about
interests that captured me from within. All through my life, I have lived simply without too
much attraction for material things. For thirty years I ate only once a day, eating three
chappatis at night. However, I did indulge in one vice; I drank lots of tea. All this continued
until, due to diabetes, I was forced to change my old habits and I switched to a two-light-
meals routine. Fundamentally, however, my attitude and living hasn't changed much at all. I
have always enjoyed and relished the joy of living life simply and by myself.

K.N. Rao teaching at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Question: Coming back to your spiritual guru – Swami Paramananda Saraswati – Can you
please tell more details on who he was and what he taught you? What is the spiritual path
you practice?

KNR: He was a Vaishnava guru and initiated me into Krishna mantra. On receiving the
Shakti Paath (transmission of spiritual energy) and within six months of my initiation, I was
blessed with numerous extraordinary experiences. For example, I got many clairvoyant
dreams from April to September of 1962.
One such dream in April of 1962 showed me of a Chinese attack on the northeastern state
of Assam where I was then posted. As we all now know, subsequently a war broke out
between India and China on 20th October 1962. My guru started his spiritual journey initially
on the path of Tantra[13] under the tutelage of an extraordinary Tantric guru. As you may
know, Tantriks outnumber Vaishanavas in the states of Bengal and Assam. But during the
course of his sadhana when he was in a very advanced state, he had to switch over to
Vaishnavism. How this happened is an interesting story by itself. A famous Vaishnava saint,
Prabhu Bejoy Krishna Goswami[14] was initiated in Gaya by a Nanak panthi[15] guru,
Swami Brahmananda. This initiation took place by an astral vision of Swami Brahmananda
to Prabhu Goswami. Similarly, Prabhu Bejoy Goswami appeared astrally to my Guruji,
Swami Parmananda, and asked him to spread Krishna Bhakti (or devotion). Thereafter, my
Guruji became a Vaishanava and always kept a photograph of Guru Nanak in his place of
worship. Also, in our sadhana or practice, Sri Guru Nanak and Guru Grantha Saheb,
Sikhism's sacred religious text, have a very high place of respect and veneration.

Our spiritual tradition also traces our lineage to the Vaishnava tradition of Madhvacharya[16]
of Karnataka. However, at the core, we strictly follow the Bhakti Marg (path of devotion) as
taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – the famous Bengali saint whose love and surrender to
Lord Krishna is still considered as one of the most exemplary cases of liberation through the
path of devotion.

My Guruji had very extraordinary supernormal powers and I was a first-hand witness to
many of his prophecies. He was known to say things that often startled all of us. Let me give
you an example. Once, while coming down from the sacred Kamakhya[17] hill, he saw
Sanjay Gandhi lead his Youth Congress Brigade. Guruji suddenly remarked - “This fellow
does not have raja-lakshana (the signs of kingship) at all”. This statement came true, when
five years after this prediction Sanjay Gandhi died in an unfortunate plane crash, without
ever becoming even a minister in the government of India.

Question: Your mother and Yogi Bhaskarandji were your astrological Gurus. Can you give
us a glimpse into your interaction with them and the learning you derived? Also, can you
share some details of their lives?

KNR: Their method of teaching astrology was the classical ancient Hindu method. As they
analyzed a horoscope, I was never allowed to keep the horoscope in front of me. I had to
see it once and have a clear visual memory of it. Further when the analysis proceeded, I was
trained to dynamically visualize the various planets, their aspects, positions etc. In fact as
the training progressed, the verbal analysis would unfold itself as a visual dance-drama
inside of me. Further I was required to do many of the intricate calculations mentally. I can
unequivocally say that this method of training, more than any skill per se, has helped me
immensely in practicing astrology. Based on this method of instruction, I later wrote the
book, “Learn Hindu Astrology Easily”, in which I evolved a mnemonic memory tablet
PACDARES. This is an eight-step analysis scheme that I recommend for every astrologer to
follow before they get into the arena of making predictions.

My mother, perhaps because of her feminine instincts, was simply superb in predicting about
marriage and children. In these areas of marriage and progeny, even until today, I have not
seen anyone make such remarkably accurate predictions as she did. Despite her success in
working with these areas, she discouraged me from getting too involved in these two
domains of astrology. She felt that if I got caught in the sphere of marriage and children,
people would not leave me alone and I would have no time whatsoever to do original
research in other areas of astrology. I found this advice very valuable. However, using her
old papers and working notes on these topics, I did write the book “Planets and
Children”[18]. In this book I provide unique techniques for analysis and prediction that are
tested with thousands of horoscopes from all over the world.

My mother developed some supernormal powers in the last twelve years of her life from
1972 to 1984. Let me give you some examples. In 1972 my youngest brother and his wife
were expecting a child. They were living in Baroda, a town in the western state of Gujarat. At
that time, I was with my mother and my (late) eldest sister in Patna, Bihar. Due to an age-old
Hindu household custom, my sister wanted to go to Baroda to be with the pregnant wife of
our brother. Unfortunately her vacation from work was granted 2-3 days late. As soon as her
vacation was sanctioned she showed up home with a railway ticket for her journey to
Baroda. Seeing my sister's imminent travel plans, my mother announced that it was already
too late. As we looked quizzically at her, she explained that a girl child had already been
born. Being physically present with my mother all the time, I can personally testify that we
had no communication with my brother via phone or telegram. Astonished at her statement, I
asked her how she made this statement. She did not answer my question in the presence of
my sister. But later when I was alone, she told me that she had a vision of her mother (my
maternal grandmother) informing her that she was re-born as a daughter to my brother. My
mother further predicted that this newborn girl would make a successful career with the
government of India. Two days later, we got formal intimation that a daughter was indeed
born to my brother and his wife. That daughter, who was later named as Vineeta, is now an
engineer in the Indian Railways.

Let me narrate another episode of my mother's paranormal powers. I, along with two of my
friends, had gone to Vrindavan for our usual weekend visit to see the famous saint,
Nagaridas Baba. We were late in returning from our trip. Given the late hour of our return, I
thought that my mother would be already asleep. I expected the door to be opened by my
youngest brother Subhas. But reaching home I found both my brother and mother standing
outside the house waiting for me with obvious anxiety. On inquiring, Subhas told that mother
had woken up suddenly and told him that my friends and I had met with an accident on the
way. Her statement was absolutely correct! The three of us were indeed involved in a car
accident but fortunately no one was hurt.

My mother had also told me ten days before her death that she would go into samadhi or
deep trance (which doctors called coma) and leave her body soon thereafter. She also said
that she would die in the presence of my brother and that I would not be with her at the
moment of her death. As it turned out, when she did go into the state of coma, my brother
took her to a nursing home in an ambulance and I was following them in a car. By the time I
reached, she was already pronounced dead and in the presence of her youngest son, as
she had predicted.

My jyotish guru, Yogi Bhaskarananda, who had a B.A. in English from Bombay University,
had spent forty years in the Himalayas. A dedicated Brahmachari who devoted his life for
service of others, Bhaskaranandaji developed supernormal powers towards the end of his
life and did not need any horoscope to foretell people's future. In my opinion his discussion
on the philosophy of Karma and Rebirth was par excellence in its intricacies, lucidity and
rigor. The learning I derived from him on this topic inspired me to write the book, “Karma and
Rebirth in Hindu Astrology.”

Question: Just for the record I want to get a small but perhaps important clarification. The
term Vedic Astrology is often used to refer to Jyotish. This term is more in usage now than
ever before as far as I can recall. Are we correct in calling Indian Astrology as Vedic
Astrology – in other words is Jyotish quoted in the Vedas directly?
KNR: That is a good question. Technically, Jyotish should not be called Vedic Astrology. For
Yagnas[19] and Karmakanda[20] the Vedas are the authentic source. For the householders
it is the Smritis[21]. But both the Vedas and Smritis are in the Puranas[22]. Just as the entire
Creation has emerged from Him, so too the entire literature of the world is an offshoot of the
Puranas. There is no iota of doubt about it. In the Vedas, there is no methodology provided
to determine Tithi[23], Vaar[24], Nakshatra[25], or planetary Sanchara (transits). Even the
methodology for determining timing of Parvas (festivals), or Eclipses is not mentioned in the
Vedas. What is not in the Vedas is in the Smritis. And whatever is not found in these two is
to be known from the Puranas.

Through someone's fertile imagination it was decided to call Hindu astrology as Vedic
astrology. I too fell into this trap and I never verified or clarified this with a competent Vedic
scholar. But now I stand corrected. It is either Indian astrology or Hindu astrology. Vedic
astrology does not exist at all. Having said that, the term “Vedic” is a great marketing tool
especially in the new age movement. So whether it is true or not, I suspect Vedic astrology
will continue to be the preferred name for Indian Astrology especially in the west. (Note - I
asked K.N. Rao if I should stop using the term "Vedic astrology." He said, "It is all right in
USA. Do as you have been doing." - - Vaughn Paul Manley 7/5/05)

Question: Having practiced astrology for so many years and now teaching this subject
successfully, in your opinion, how much of mathematical skills does one require to
learn/practice astrology? In this context, what has been the impact of computers on the
practice of astrology?

KNR: Fundamentally, the calculations required to do most of the basic astrological

predictions are of simple arithmetic nature. Most people in India are very good at simple
arithmetic regardless of their level of education. This is generally enough to learn some of
the basic calculations for casting a horoscope etc. In fact most students of astrology here in
India can do these calculations mentally. A little bit of knowledge of basic astronomy is also
helpful in practicing astrology, and more so if one wants to pursue advanced research in the
subject.

At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan[26], we insist that every student should have hands-on
experience of doing astrological calculations. I am a strong believer in the fact that
manual/mental calculations help you better visualize and develop instincts for practicing
astrology. I am generally wary of depending exclusively on Jyotish software programs in the
market. A faulty component for an intricate calculation in a software program can have
disastrous consequences on the correctness and quality of the prediction. These faults in the
software are a common occurrence even to this date. The bottom line is that the
responsibility for the prediction lies squarely on the shoulders of the astrologer and I feel
every astrologer should take that duty very seriously. Further, a total dependency on
computers is never advisable. Unfortunately, astrology software programs have helped
mushroom a new breed of “half-baked” astrologers.

Despite my reservations regarding use of astrology software programs, the availability of

computers is very helpful and a great time-saver for a serious astrologer. If I have access to
a Jyotish program that I have verified as dependable, I use it right away. If not, I do some
manual calculations to check its accuracy repeatedly and on an ongoing basis. Mostly the
basic horoscopes generated by these software programs are accurate, but the
supplementary features, such as less-used Dasha[27] systems or Ashtakavargas etc., are
often faulty or simply wrong. So we should keep these limitations always at the back of our
mind when using Jyotish software programs. That is one of the reasons, as I said earlier,
complete dependence on computers is very dangerous!
Question: Could you please give us some brief idea on how you go about making
predictions from a horoscope? Also, there are two contrary viewpoints that you have
presented in this interview – on the one hand you have said that Jyotish is a science, and on
the other you have cited numerous examples of astrologers who made predictions intuitively
without using a scientific/analytical approach. Could you also please provide some clarity on
this conundrum?

KNR: A horoscope analysis can be split into two types – (a) intra-horoscope, (b) inter-
horoscope.

The first one involves looking at various dimensions within a particular horoscope such as
Rasi, divisional charts, Ashtavarga etc. to synthesize a holistic view of the individual. Here
we have to contend with opposing and supporting factors that need to be considered
simultaneously. This requires experience and practice, obtained by looking at lots of
horoscopes. Most importantly it needs constant learning from your own mistakes.

Inter-horoscopes become necessary when for example a pregnant woman or parents of a

newly born child come to you (as is very common in India), asking about the health,
abnormalities or future of the child. In such a case looking at the horoscope of the father,
mother and child simultaneously makes the picture much clearer. This type of analysis, as
you would understand, requires a lot of work and takes time/patience.

Well-prepared data is the womb from which prediction is born. One has to balance analysis
with synthesis. Some charts are simpler than others; the difficulty comes when multi-
dimensional analysis has to be followed by synthesis. The synthesis leads to inference from
which emerges a conclusion. Science of astrology is, in many ways, similar to medical
diagnosis where blood tests, urine test, x-rays, cardiograms etc. are all used to arrive at a
proper diagnosis. In this part of astrology where multi-dimensional analysis is involved, deep
familiarity and experience with vast array of predictive techniques is the key to success.

As an astrologer advances, almost magically, more of intuition starts coming into play. Let
me give you some examples. In 1973, a mother came to me to ask about her missing son. I
looked at her face and something within told me that her son was coming home. I still made
calculations and found that her son was safe and on his way back home, which is what
happened. In another case, someone asked about his missing son. Before I even calculated,
I got a strong intuition from within that the boy was killed. I made calculations and found
some details that, later, turned out to be useful for police investigations. Through
calculations, I also found that the dead body of the boy was in a water body and the killer
was wearing red clothes. Later police investigations caught the criminal in red clothes and
the dead body was recovered from under a stone in the Ganges River.

Therefore, sometimes the prediction comes in a flash of intuition. A formal analysis-synthesis

exercise is done later only to confirm the intuitive prediction. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras[28] tell
us that there exists a Jyotishmati Nadi (or a predictive intuitive channel) within us, which
when activated one can see past, present and future. Here one needs no horoscope or
knowledge of astrology. I know of a person – Sivananda Murthy in Hyderabad. He did a lot
of astrology in his youth. At present, he can tell you something about your future without a
horoscope. Among the persons known to me, he is the only one alive with a fully activated
Nadi (or channel) of this type.

Even if the Nadi is not fully active, in the case of every honest astrologer, he experiences
this channel of intuition in some spells inspired by divinity. These experiences border on the
mystical and lead the astrologer into the higher realms of existence – to find out our real
purpose in being here. Such experiences take an astrologer towards God making him stop
practicing astrology and devoting his life to spiritual activities only.
Question: Can intuitive wisdom help further the field of astrology?

KNR: Yes, that is exactly how most good research is done in any field. Research ideas are
born in the stillness of intuition. Once the intuitive idea is born, you have to work extremely
diligently with technical competence to show its validity and then present it in a systematic
fashion for others to understand. This requires discipline, hard work and perseverance. My
research in Jaimini Astrology, a field that remained dormant for almost 3000 years, is an
example of that.

Question: You have mentioned that astrology is very useful in facilitating our spiritual
journey. Could you please elaborate on this more clearly? Can you please provide some
examples of how astrology has helped people in their spiritual progress?

KNR: An astrologer (and their clients) can be categorized via the four-tier system described
in the Bhagavad Gita – (a) Arta, one in agony, has a disturbed mind and such an astrologer
cannot predict properly; (b) Artharthi - greedy and he will dupe his clients and make money;
this is generally what you see quite commonly among astrologers everywhere; (c) Jignasu -
who has a scientific curiosity and wants to know more deeply on how planets affect the
universe and its life. This is what took me into astro-meteorology and occasional predictions
about earthquakes – an area that still continues to be enigma for me; (d) Gyani - At one
stage the astrologer feels that he has been wasting his time predicting for others. When
there is a God controlling everything why not devote time only to realize HIM. If
circumstances help him, he gives up astrology (or at least reduces it substantially) and
contemplates on the higher Self alone.

Let me now come back to your question on astrological advice for spiritual improvement. In
my experience, mostly people from the west who are into the New Age Movement or those
initiated by Indian, Sufi or Buddhist gurus, seek astrological advice on their spiritual life.
Indians typically don't do that – they go to their spiritual gurus for spiritual guidance and
come to the astrologer for guidance in their worldly matters. So the sample of people
seeking astrological advice on spiritual matters is definitely biased towards westerners.

Generally speaking, most people we come across in today's world, almost always, have their
share of worldly distractions. These distractions can be discerned very clearly from their
horoscope charts. This is known as Yoga Vighna or Antaraya[29] or you can also call it
Maya[30]. We have to give advice based on these factors. But in the case of a person who is
a full time devotee – with no job or worldly worries – you have to merely tell them not to
worry when good periods are seen and caution when the Dasha (time) is not favorable.

In the context of spirituality, the type of advice given depends on the question asked and the
horoscope of the individual. Let me illustrate this via some examples of how I was able to
help people in their spiritual path using astrology (in all these cases the advice was given
after looking at the astrological charts of the people):

Twenty years back, a German woman asked me about her meditation. I told her that there
was a disturbance caused by some matter related to property/land, which was affecting her.
As it turned out, she did indeed have a lot of trouble with her neighbor who was objecting to
her building a temple somewhere in Germany. This bothered her repeatedly while she tried
to meditate. I asked her to solve this land problem first and then concentrate on her
meditative practice;

A man from Australia asked me and I told him about his sexual torments and how to
manage them so as to not have an effect on his meditation;
Another man asked me on how to get deeper into meditation. Looking at his horoscope, I
could see that he had the inherent ability to sit long in Asanas (or Yogic postures). I told him
that he should practice Yogic Asanas and it would accelerate his spiritual progress. He
followed up on my advice and it did indeed helped him;

In one case, I had to tell a man that he was faking and being untruthful which was a gross
violation of the basic tenets of being a sadhaka or spiritual seeker. His question about
spiritual life was simply fanciful and not sincere;Based on some extraordinary indicators I
saw in a girl's chart, I told her that she would progress rapidly in her spiritual life. It was one
of the most joyful experiences for me to see her fulfill the spiritual promise that was vividly
“inscribed” in her horoscope;

Question: Do you believe in Free Will for us “puny mortals” (as you describe all of us in an
earlier part of the interview)? To what degree is everything pre-destined and what, if at all, is
our own choice/free-will?

KNR: Actually, my honest answer to this question is that God alone can answer this
question fully and satisfactorily. When I see my prediction coming out correct, I clearly see
the role of pre-determination. For example, in 1995, while teaching a course in the U.S., I
predicted that Clinton would win a second term, but would get involved in land and sex
scandals. That prediction came out to be true. However, I also predicted that Clinton would
not be able to complete his second term – that prediction did not come true. This is how
sometimes pre-determination and free-will interplay with each other to determine the final
outcome.

We all enjoy some amount of free will within the orbit of predetermination; not outside it. If
free-will was non-existent, the great sage Parashara whose magnum opus on astrology,
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, we depend on, would not have prescribed remedial
measures like doing Vishnu Sahasranamam or doing charities etc. You have seen my own
example. I could not walk in the years 2000-2001 without a support walker. No doctor could
diagnose my disease and therefore no treatment was possible. I did Vishnu Sahasranamam
regularly and with God's grace, I can now walk without the walker (even though I still use a
walking stick for safety).

There are three words in Hindi – Mitana, Ghatana and Uthana that provide a comprehensive
picture of the fate of Karma itself. In very rare cases you will find Mitana or complete
eradication of Karmas – generally speaking destiny does not spare us. Ghatana or reduction
in intensity is what most of us hope and work for. This category covers most of us. Uthana or
transcending is again rare. To give an analogy of this - there is blazing heat outside but one
is sitting in an air-conditioned room unaffected by what is happening outside. This happens
only to true seekers of God. He alone is a true Gyani who knows that Karmas need to be
“worked-out”. As the Gita says “Gahano Karmana Gatih[31]” or as the great saint Surdas[32]
says “Udho Karman Gi Gati Nyari Re” - Karma is itself mysterious.

Astrology is linked to the theory of karma and the cycle of rebirths. Therefore an astrologer
does see the role of predestination and also of free will. However, as the astrologer goes
deeper, he sees a greater role of predetermination and less of free will. But what can an
astrologer do? If he tells the truth bluntly, he disappoints his clients. If he does not, he bluffs
them!

Question: Besides your astrology Guru and your mother, are there any astrologers from the
recent era (living or dead) who have impressed and influenced you? If so, how?
KNR: In my experience, (Late) Hardeo Sharma Trivedi, who was the editor of the Vishwa
Vijay Panchanga[33] in Hindi was one of the best astrologers in the field of mundane Jyotish.
He came from the Varahamihira[34] tradition of astrology known for its strength in the area
of predictive mundane astrology. He was technically very sound, morally impeccable, and
had an impressive prediction success rate of 80% in a career spanning 66 years (from 1933
to 1989). He did not know English so he was not well versed in international affairs. Despite
this limitation, he made simply remarkable predictions on international matters. Using the
concept of eclipses, Trivedi-ji predicted the impending catastrophe of the Second World War
in a Hindi pamphlet in the year 1933 many years before the World War broke out. In 1963,
based on the Hindu New Year horoscope, he predicted a “terrible tragedy to the head of
state of USA” (which turned out to be the fatal attack on JFK). He also predicted the U.S.
stock market crash of 1987 and also the severe communal tension of 1992 in India. You can
gauge the consistency of his predictions from the fact that he made these predictions in
February-March (before the beginning of the Hindu New Year in April) of every year when
the Panchanga was released. Despite his obvious brilliant track-record he never attained
international fame because (a) he wrote in Hindi, limiting the audience that read his work,
and (b) he lived in Solan, Himachal Pradesh away from the power center of Delhi. I
respected him so much that I used to visit him at least twice a year.

The second person who impressed me greatly was (Late) Dr. B.V.Raman. As you know, Dr.
Raman popularized Hindu Astrology to an English-speaking audience, like no one else did in
twentieth century. It was he who created a platform on which good astrologers could
communicate, discuss, share their findings and collaborate. He had his spells of brilliant
predictions particularly from 1938 to 1960. His service to the field of Indian astrology has
been truly remarkable and precious.

Then there was Vemuri Ram Murthy Shastri in a village in Andhra Pradesh whom I never
met personally. I read his predictions along with accompanying calculations and logic,
brought to me by some friends. He was a true genius and I was his uninitiated disciple, much
like Eklavya[35]. Even though I never met him, I have paid my tributes to him in my book
“Predicting through Jaimini's Chara Dasha.”

There may be a few others but, unfortunately, most of the so-called “famous” astrologers are
people who have made one or two good predictions and then get catapulted to fame via
inflated or unverifiable claims through their friends in the press. I don't care for all the hype
and media attention. I personally value commitment, consistency, and the test of time. Very
very few astrologers pass per this criterion in today's day and age.

Question: That brings us to the question of the quality of today's astrologers. What is your
opinion of the new and upcoming astrologers?

KNR: The new young breed of rising astrologers is in a hurry to pluck stars and collect
dollars. I had hoped that their work would help us address the deficiencies in many areas of
predictive astrology. But, unfortunately, I found most of them greedy and boastful in the
infancy of their careers and becoming gurus before even doing any original research of
provable value. They are often in the habit of floating some wild theories without any
empirical support. For example, one such astrologer claimed that he could trace the past life
of a person from their horoscope. Another person claimed to predict the exact date of an
event very successfully every single time. In my view these are nothing but fanciful
exaggerations to fool the public that is clamoring for miraculous stuff.

The New Age movement in USA has created a demand for such astrology gurus and
opened opportunities for earning quick money. In these days of websites and email, it is
easy to self-promote. I know I am not being polite but this is the truth in majority of cases.
Maybe a few of them have done some good research. But unless an astrologer has
maintained a good record (sixty to eighty percent) of sound, clear, unambiguous and
accurate predictions over a period of fifteen years, he cannot be categorized as good. But in
these days of advertising and marketing, who cares for such a rigorous evaluation criterion?

Question: That is a pretty negative “report card” on the upcoming astrologers! Like
everybody, they too have to make money and survive. Can you blame them for trying to
make a living?

KNR: What you are saying is true. What you are suggesting is that there are reasons for the
reality to be as it is. However, I am merely observing the situation as it exists. To understand
this better, let me give you a categorization of people who are involved in astrology –

(1) You will be surprised to see that many astrologers were in some petty job and through
astrology, they found a way to get some recognition among colleagues and their bosses.
Some may have taken astrology as a profession because they had trouble at work and were
dismissed or forced to resign from their jobs. Then these people aggressively promote
themselves as astrology-gurus capitalizing on the opportunity offered by the New Age
movement.

(2) There are many bright and intelligent, professional people who have been attracted to
astrology. These people have very good educational career and have the intellect to pick up
astrology rapidly. But how long can they continue practicing astrology when they have the
twin burdens of a full-time job and families? In today's modern professions of medicine,
engineering, chartered accountancy, law etc. equal attention to both profession and
astrology is very difficult if not impossible. In their competitive professions these people have
to keep updating their knowledge and skills for the sake of bettering their careers. I have
seen scores of such people who started well but tapered off achieving nothing due to the
demands of their professional and personal lives.

(3) In the case of bureaucrats (like myself) who hold secure (but dull and routine) jobs, both
the job and astrology can flourish without one affecting the other. I fall into this category.

Therefore, the intention with which people get into and practice astrology is very important.
Further, in learning any Vidya or knowledge, it is the attitude that matters. My observation is
that after learning for some months or years, these young upcoming astrologers become
argumentative, arrogant and conceited. As I said before, they would be well advised to
concentrate on their predictions for a period of at least fifteen years to see their real grasp of
knowledge.

I have always felt that the best way to conduct astrology is via established research centers
with regular/well-paying jobs for trained astrologers. If that happens there will be sound and
dependable astrologers who have the environment to get engrossed in uncovering the
deeper secrets of life. Another hope is that family traditions of astrology can be revived so
that the young and bright in the family can preserve the oral/written traditions of ages without
having to worry about earning wages.

But remember one axiom of life – “Nature will never reveal its full secrets”. At any stage of
the human race there will be some good astrologers and very very few excellent astrologers.
Only one or two Tapasvi astrologer among them would reach levels of greatness.
Fundamentally, true astrology begins only when one feels reasonably secure both inside and
outside. Then only is one able to imbibe an attitude of service – which is the crucial key to
unlocking the treasure of any Vidya such as astrology.
Question: Your practice involves Parashara's[36] system of astrology and also the
Jaimini[37] system. Could you tell us a bit about these systems and the research work you
have done?

KNR: There can be four or more routes to reach a place in a city. So it is with the field of
astrology. The Parashari system is the most popular, the best understood, and most widely
practiced system. When I write books or discuss case studies, I invariably first explain a
prediction or a technique through the Parashari system because of its wider acceptance and
understanding. Parashara uses Nakshatra Dashas[38] for timing events and among them
the Vimshottari Dasha[39] is regarded as the king of these Dasha systems.

The Jaimini system is totally different; even the method of timing of events is different. In this
system there are Rashi[40] and Navamsha[41] Dashas. According to Late Dr. Raman, in the
Jaimini system, the Chara Dasha is the emperor of Rashi Dasha systems. In Parashara's
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, three Dashas have been discussed elaborately –
Vimshottari, Chara and Kalachakra[42] Dasha. This also is indicative of the importance of
the Chara Dasha for predictive astrology.

Then there is the Mandook Dasha in the Jaimini system – commentators of this system
explained it only theoretically without giving any illustrative example. I saw in some examples
of Vemuri Ramamurthy Shastri (he is discussed earlier in the interview) that he used
Mandook Dasha differently. Empirical results showed that his understanding was correct. I
first tested this method on my own horoscope where it worked well. Thereafter, on testing
this method on many more horoscopes I became quite convinced of the validity of this
Dasha system that even inspired me to write a book on this subject.

I did a fair amount of original research on Kalachakra Dasha after getting some hints from a
Pandit of Rewari (a town in the North Indian state of Haryana). Using this Dasha system, I
predicted the death of Rajiv Gandhi in my published research in August 1990. As it turned
out, Rajiv Gandhi was subsequently killed on 21st May 1991. However, this Dasha system is
very sensitive to birth time and unless the moon position is absolutely accurate (to within
seconds), the prediction of life event timings become very erratic. Therefore, given that birth
times are rarely so accurate, I felt that it was waste of time to work on it any further.

I also did a lot of work on the conditional Dashas of Parashara and other Dasha systems of
Jaimini. I taught some of this work to my students who have written excellent books that are
now available in the market. For instance, Yogini Dasha system has a short cycle of 36
years. As longevity of humans is increasing, this Dasha system needs to be now used in 2 or
even 3 cycles of 72 and 108 years respectively. All this requires a new level of
understanding that was not necessary in times when people did not live that long. In one of
my advanced Astrology classes, I discussed the possibilities of new research areas and
methods of investigation. Taking up some of these ideas, Mr. V.P.Goel (who is now a faculty
member at the Institute of Astrology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan) wrote an excellent book that
gives very promising predictive results.

Many of the new faculty members at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan have done pioneering work
in furthering the field of Indian Astrology – e.g., Mr Manoj Pathak on Dwisaptati Sama
Dasha, Mr. Naval Singh on Chatursheeti Sama Dasha, Mr. V.P.Goel on Shodashottari
Dasha, and Mrs. Akhila Kumar on Jaimini's Sthira Dasha. It is most gratifying for me to see
my former students enhancing the understanding of Indian Astrology through their diligent
and insightful research.
K.N. Rao teaching an advanced research class
at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Scoffing at my enthusiasm for new research, some people argue against spending
effort/time in developing newer or lesser-known systems. But one of my biggest realizations
in the field of astrology has been that a Jyotishi (astrologer) has to learn to look at many
different viewpoints (through the eyes of different systems) and then use them concurrently
to reach a conclusion. This “Composite System of Astrological Predictions” is one of the
fundamental cornerstones of Indian Astrology. The great Parashara Rishi taught us so many
Dashas, Divisional Charts, and a myriad of techniques not merely for decorative display but
for actually using them!

Question: There are other parallel systems of Indian Astrology – such as the Nadi Jyotish.
This particular Nadi system, as you know, takes a thumbprint and identifies a leaf, written
centuries ago, that tells about your life to an amazing level of detail. If the correct leaf is
identified, the past is so amazingly accurate including your name, date of birth, place of
residence, job, family (including name of family members) etc. These Nadi Astrologers also
use the leaf to tell about your future. However, many people question the accuracy of these
future predictions. What is your opinion on this system of astrology?

KNR: What is called Nadi system in south India is known as the Bhrigu system in north
India. For both these systems, we don't know much about the underlying methods at all.

Most of these readings are done from the books or palm leaves or palmyra leaves. As far as
I know, the people doing these readings do not know astrology themselves. They have
leaves in their possession and they read out from these after finding the correct leaf that
pertains to you. These leaves are generally known to reveal some past facts that are
substantially correct. But the future predictions tend to be spurious and far less reliable.
People who tested this system have gone to the extent of saying that revealing the names of
parents, wife, husband etc. is the result of Bhoota siddhi[43] and that nothing is really written
on those leaves. It is my experience that a few Nadi readers sometimes do come out with
startling readings which I have verified myself and I am truly amazed by their accuracy. But
more often than not they flounder and come out with preposterous predictions too! It has
convinced me that Nadi readings, sometimes quite remarkable, are mostly undependable
especially for future predictions.

Let me however give you an anecdote of an amazing prediction through Nadi reading that I
have myself verified. A reading was given to a person (whom I know very well) when he had
three children. The prediction said that he would have two more children and that the last
one would be a male who would become a doctor. This doctor would marry a woman who
would also be a doctor by profession. Then this (doctor) son would be arrested and sent to
jail after a terrible quarrel with his wife. The reading further said that all this would happen
because this (doctor) son was a medical man in his previous life and was aborting the
children of pregnant women. In one case, a girl wanted to be born but she was killed in the
womb of the mother. She laid a curse on him and promised to be born as his wife in his
present life and take revenge. As events unfolded, all the events predicted happened exactly
per the reading. Please remember the reading was given in 1950, the doctor son was born in
1958 and he was arrested in the year 2000. All this is most fantastic and I know every detail
of this and I have verified it completely.

We “regular” astrologers can never give such amazing predictions. However, such cases of
phenomenal predictions based on Nadi are few and there is a lot more fraud in the name of
Nadi readings. I therefore prefer to use the more tested and systematic approach of
Parashara and Jaimini methods.

Question: What is your opinion of Western astrology especially vis-à-vis the Indian
astrological system that you practice? Is a cross-pollination of ideas between the two
systems possible?

KNR: Let me begin by saying that I haven't delved into Western Astrology much at all. My
knowledge therefore is very limited. Furthermore, I have been very satisfied at the immensity
and depth of the Indian Astrological system that has kept me away from exploring other
astrological systems. Therefore, it would be really unfair for me to pass any sort of
judgement on Western Astrology. Having said that, I did find Western system of astrology
limited by a lack of Dasha systems, absence of divisional charts and Yogas.

Using extra-Saturnine planets like Pluto, Uranus and Neptune makes the astrological canvas
too crowded without any great research on the effects of these newly discovered planets. If
someone could establish and show their predictive uses (not mere post-mortem studies) it
will be helpful. It is said that in mundane astrology these planets have great use. As far as I
know, there are very few, if any, examples of confirmed predictions of notable events using
these planets.

In one's limited lifetime it is difficult to dabble in too many systems of astrology. It causes
clutter, confusion and makes your judgement clouded. So I prefer to stick to the system I am
familiar with and leave it to others to use the system they prefer. In my biased opinion, the
Indian Astrological system is deep, comprehensive and capable of “delivering the goods” to
whomsoever who chooses to dive into it. That is the only truth I can attest to without any
hesitation.

Question: What is the viewpoint you favor on the following issues – (a) Is there a particular
Ayanamsha[44] that is the correct one? (b) Do Rahu and Ketu[45] have own sign,
exaltation/debilitation signs, strengths, aspects etc.? (c) Do astrological principles apply in
full for a planned C-section birth?

KNR: (a) Yes I have delved on the topic of Ayanamsha in great detail and I have also shown
in my books why Lahiri Ayanamsha (actually it should be called Chitrapaksha Ayanamsha)
alone is the accurate one. To ascertain this fact, one has to look carefully at Vargas or
divisional charts. Based on a scientific investigation, I have rejected all other Ayanamshas.
Unfortunately, my work on Ayanamsha annoyed late Dr. B.V.Raman, who used his own
Ayanamsha. Therefore, this controversy even affected my excellent friendship with
Dr.Raman.

As an historical note, readers should know that Chitrapaksha ayanamsha got its official seal
from the Calendar Reforms Committee in 1956. It also got an official endorsement from the
best astronomers of India and also from the notable scientist Meghnad Saha.

(b) This is an old controversy. I do not use the exaltation/debilitation signs for Rahu/Ketu at
all. On the other hand the condition of Rahu and Ketu and their dispositors[46] gives us good
results. My favorite case is that of John F. Kennedy, the ex-president of USA, who achieved
all his political eminence and glories in the Mahadasha of Rahu in Dhanu (where it is
supposed to be debilitated). In the next Dasha of Jupiter, he was killed.

(c) Yes most definitely – 100%. I have given one instance in my book, “Karma and Rebirth in
Hindu Astrology”, the case of a doctor who wanted me to give a birth time for the C-section
delivery for his wife. I provided the time and made several predictions about the child before
its birth. Twenty years later these predictions were shown to come true. Upcoming
astrologers should do more research on this area by giving a time for C-Section, make
predictions, watch the life of the child for fifteen or twenty years, and see whether the
predicted events match up with reality or not.

Let me give you another anecdote. More than sixteen years ago I provided a birth time to the
wife (who is like my niece) of an army officer. She and her husband wanted me to give a
birth time so that the child would be a male scientist. I gave the time per their wishes. But
nature had the last say in this matter. She went into labor a little earlier than the chosen
date. After the birth of a son, they asked me for prediction and I told them jocularly that the
boy would study commerce and classical music. They came to me from Calcutta in 2003
with the grown-up boy. The boy is now doing graduate studies in commerce and has finished
the fifth year in Hindustani classical music.

Question: Being a well-known and highly reputed astrologer, does it not put an added
burden on you for being scrutinized and repeatedly tested on the accuracy of your
predictions? Does protecting your image and stature sometimes stand in the way of you
practicing astrology in a free and unfettered fashion?

KNR: One of the reasons why an astrologer often feels burdened is because of lack of
practical understanding of astrology among the clients. That is a real problem. For example,
there is no acceptance or understanding of (1) variability brought out by inherent
uncontrollable uncertainties such as inaccurate birth times or (2) acceptable error limits.
Everybody wants perfect answers every single time. That is never going to happen no matter
how good the astrologer is! Does the world abandon the science of aeronautics and space
exploration if the space shuttle crashes due to errors by the world's best scientists at NASA?
The answer is no – they learn from their mistakes and improve. But astrology is thought to
be something “out of the world” which is simply not true. Everybody is subject to laws of
nature including the astrologer, and each of us works under the gamut of Maya. Why then
forget the Will of God? As the great Tulsidas has said, “Haani-Laabh, Jeevan-Maran, Yash-
Apyash, Vidhi Haath” (Profit and loss, life and death, fame and infamy are in His hands).

My experience is that, often times, it is the unnoticed and unquoted individual predictions
which are truly inspired. They give great internal satisfaction to an astrologer. Sometimes
such predictions get great publicity through informal channels and grapevine. After hearing
about these predictions people come to the astrologer with great expectations. These
expectations (or for that matter any expectations) create a preconditioned mind to “hear” a
very highly favorable or certain type of predictions that would alter the course of people's
lives. For instance, I predicted in one case that the boy would become an engineer, go to a
foreign country, marry a foreigner but would remain afflicted with an incurable ailment.
Fifteen years later when events took place exactly as I had predicted other people came
running to me to hear a similar prediction. If you do not give them a similar prediction they
feel disappointed and sore. Why should I put a strain on myself and try to live up to their
expectations? From my personal experience I have learnt that being true and honest to
myself is the only way to live one's life harmoniously. This brings you peace and a palpable
proximity to God. Isn't that the true purpose of why Jyotish was revealed to us in the first
place?
Question: On a final note, would you like to give any advice to aspiring astrologers?

KNR: My advice to aspiring astrologers is to do their astrology quietly. They should not seek
publicity or promote themselves, and let their good predictions earn them a good name. It is
how so many, including me, started. It is only in 1983, after more than forty years of
practicing astrology, that I was dragged into the limelight, much against my wishes. And if an
astrologer can practice as a service without charging any money - it is the best. Or leave it to
the client to donate what they wish. Never demand or put a price on your service. I know I
am old-fashioned in this matter - but for a good reason. (Note - I asked K.N. Rao about
charging money in the West for astrology services. He said, "It is all right in USA. Do as you
have been doing." - Vaughn Paul Manley 7/5/05).

Astrology is a revelatory science and it is revealed, not by aggression but by faith and
surrender to the divine. Always remember the four “Mahavakyas”[47] of astrology – Have
Faith; Be Diligent and Practice Patience; Humbly learn from your mistakes, and Live a Life of
Service. Then the divine lotus of astrology will open within you.

Footnotes
1 Mr. Rao's family is originally from South India but lived, for the most part, in Northern India
2 At that time this would have been, almost certainly, looked down upon in a traditional
Brahmin household in south India
3 A Renaissance religious movement that, among other things, did not believe in the caste
system. Many believe that this movement was one of the foundation stones of modern
thinking in India
4 A Pashtun or Pathan, he was a participant in the freedom struggle against the British. He
was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and came to be known as the “Frontier Gandhi”
5 Notorious for its bitter taste but considered a great medicinal herb
6 A world famous expert and scholar in the field of rural industries
7 Noted for his contributions in the field of Gandhian economics
8 A scholar-saint regarded by many as the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi
9 In those times, it was very unusual, if not heretical, for a Brahmin kid to be asked by his
father to study texts of other religions
10 India's film industry is located here. Also known nowadays as “Bollywood”
11 Mr. Rao had prior experience of appearing before the Supreme Court in the famous
“Mandal” Case. The Mandal Commission's aim was to come up with criteria for determining
social and educational backwardness that became very controversial. Mr. Rao also wrote a
book on this entitled “Mandal Report X-Rayed”
12 Considered an elite family in South India partly because of their accomplishments.
Historically members from this family held high-level positions in the courts of the kings from
the days of the famous Golconda empire in south India
13 A spiritual path that aims to activate one's internal spiritual energy or Kundalini from the
base of the spine to the top of the head via the 7 psychic centers
14 He is mentioned with reverence in the literature on Ramakrishna Paramhamsa (the
famous saint and devotee of the mother goddess who lived in the state of Bengal)
15 A guru from the lineage of Guru Nanak (the first Guru of the Sikh religion)
16 A saint who lived in the 13th century and propounded the Dualistic school of worship
17 An extremely sacred hill in the state of Assam. It is revered as one of the most potent and
powerful spiritual centers for the procreative goddess, Kamakhya
18 This book was translated into the Russian language in 2003
19 A Hindu ritual sacrificial external worship often accompanied by a fire ceremony
20 Dealing with work and actions
21 These are Hindu mythological texts like the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata
22 These contain mythological and allegorical stories of Gods and Goddesses. Scholars and
mystics believe that these texts impart philosophy and knowledge at multiple levels
depending on the stage of development of the reader/student
23 Phases or days of a lunar month
24 Weekday
25 27 constellations which form an important pillar-stone of Jyotish
26 As mentioned earlier in the interview, one of the biggest astrology schools is housed at
this institution. Mr. Rao is the founder and prime-mover of this astrology school
27 Planetary periods. There are 32 such systems expounded in the classical text Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra
28 A classic axiomatic text written in Sanskrit on the complete path of Yoga
29 Obstructive energies that take you away from finding your spiritual center
30 Maya is a Hindu term that is used to represent one's illusory perception to life. It is also
the dynamic force or power that manifests physical and relative reality
31 It is impossible for one to know or analyze one's karmas (actions) and their impact
32 A blind saint known for his supreme devotion to Lord Krishna. He is very well known,
especially in Northern India, for his devotional hymns and songs that are still sung commonly
in festivals and religious gatherings
33 Panchanga is a Hindu/Indian calendar/almanac that provides a plethora of information on
astrological factors, auspicious/inauspicious times etc. In other words it is a comprehensive
planning information resource for Hindus
34 Indian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, author of the Pañca-siddhantika
(“Five Treatises”), a compendium of Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and Indian astronomy
35 From the epic Mahabharata, where a young boy becomes an unrivaled archer by drawing
inspiration from the statue of the great Guru, Dronacharya. Eklavya learnt archery by
practicing in front of the Guru's statue without ever getting any initiation or direct instruction
from the Guru
36 A system or tradition enunciated by the Rishi or seer, Parashara, mainly through his
famous astrological treatise Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. This work is one of the main
foundations for Jyotish
37 Another seer who developed additional tools and techniques to complement the Jyotish
knowledge base developed through Parashara
38 Timing system that distributes the time (not equally) to 9 Nakshatras within the 120
degree zodiac space
39 Has a cycle time of 120 years. This 120 year period is sub-divided into 9 unequal parts
which are ruled by each of the nine planets
40 These are the 12 constellations – Aries etc.
41 Parashara developed 16 sub-charts of the main Rashi chart. Navamsha is the ninth
division chart and one of the most important sub-charts to be studied in conjunction with the
Rashi chart
42 Means the wheel of time. It is a timing system that, like Chara Dasha, is also a Rashi-
based system for timing of events
43 Possessing control of a ghost/spirit and using this spirit to get the requisite information
44 The distance between the starting points of the sidereal and tropical zodiacs at any given
time
45 The two nodal planets. Also called as “Chaya Grahas” or shadowy planets
46 The lord of the Rashi in which these planets are placed
47 Great Sentences or axioms
By

On October 21, 2008, I received an email from a Phillipines lady

stating:

"Dear Sir, this site www

search
Sometime in 2006, you said 2008 would be a fantastic year for me -
I would find my life-long partner, and the work I would choose to do
would flourish. I am happy to report that both have become true.
Rather than join another multinational, I set up the Asian office of a
marketing consultancy. We are getting good clinets and
assignments. I remain optimistic for the rest of the year and next. I
have also re-connected with a former boss. I have known Fergus for
15 years, and have so many things in common. Our friendship,
dreams and shared values have become the strong basis of our
relationship such that we chose to marry civilly as of October 4. We
are having a wedding party with family and friends in Bali on
December 14. Thank you!"

This lady belongs to a ruling family of the Phillipines and was the
boss of my younger daughter in Bangkok. In September 2006 she
asked me about her second marriage. I told her that her second
marriage would be towards the end of 2008 and with an office
colleague.

Natal Chart and Navamsha

First we confirm the promise of the natal chart.

Natal Chart

In the birth chart, the 7th house is occupied by 8th lord Jupiter and
aspected by Mars. The 7th lord Saturn is in the 6th house on the
Rahu/Ketu axis.

Navamsha Chart

In the navamsha the 8th lord, Jupiter again, has come to the 7th
house this time on the Rahu/Ketu axis. A break in marriage is
confirmed. Her first marriaged ended in Jupiter sub period.
The second marriage is also seen as the 7th lord Saturn aspects the
7th house. Saturn is in the 10th house in the navamsha.

At the time of the consultation the period running was Venus-Jupiter.

Jupiter gave break in marriage. The next sub period is of Saturn.
Saturn is 7th lord in both the natal chart and the navamsha. This
Saturn period is capable of giving marriage. The pratyantar dasha of
Ketu started on Aug 24, 2008. Ketu is placed in the 7th house in the
navamsha.

Saturn is in the 10th house with the 10th lord Venus in the
navamsha. The running dasha of Venus-Saturn are connected in the
10th house and the partner will be related professionally.

Jaimini Chara Dasha

In Jaimini's chara dasha, the period was Aquarius/Aquarius.
Darakaraka (planet with lowest degrees) Mars is in the 7th house
from Aquarius in the natal chart.

In the navamsha, Mars is in Aries and gives Jaimini aspect to

Aquarius. The Aquarius chara dasha was from November 24 2007
to November 24, 2008.

The Rise of Teenage Sensation Justin Bieber

November 30, 2010

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Over the last two years the Canadian born teenage pop singer, Justin Bieber,
has become a global heart throb sensation, especially with teenage girls. How?
Basically with a lot of talent, charisma, good looks and uploading videos on
YouTube. The video below has nearly 200 million views, which ranks in
YouTube's all time top 10.

In 2008, when his videos were discovered by chance by promoter Scooter

Braun, he was only 13 years old, which was too young to compete on
American Idol. When he turned 16 in March this year, he then qualified but he'd
bypassed the need to. He'd already become rich and famous on YouTube,
combined with the success of the sales of his debut hit singles, albums, and
concert apprearances, etc. He did appear on American Idol this year, but to
perform, not as a contestent.

Assuming that his 12:56 am birth time is correct, then he has Scorpio
ascendant in both Vedic and Western astrology. Since it comes from an
unverified web source it could certainly be wrong. But let's just assume it's
correct and analyze his chart.

Justin Bieber's Natal Chart

First of all, notice that his lagna lord, Mars, combines with all the angular house
lords, Saturn, Venus, and the Sun in the angular 4th house. Angular houses
are places of power and strength, and because Mars as the lagna lord, is a
trinal lord (and angular lord) it produces three raja yogas in this conjunction.
However, this is only the beginning because 5th lord, Jupiter, also aspects this
combination forming four more raja yogas. This is impressive, not only because
there's a high quantity of raja yogas, but because the lagna lord is involved in
four of them. In addition, they're strongly placed in an angular house. Of these
planets, Saturn is the strongest by sign position, being in its mulatrikona sign of
Aquarius, forming a shasha mahapurusha yoga. Notice that Rahu is in the
lagna as well, aspected by this powerful Saturn. This forms another raja yoga
due to Rahu being placed in a trinal house, aspected by an angular lord. See
the article, Rahu and Ketu Giving Raja Yoga, that discusses this principle.

This last point is important because Bieber is in his Rahu dasha, which started
March 20, 1997. Rahu can give tremendous material success and widespread
fame, during its dasha when it's well placed. Here's it's in a raja yoga in the
lagna. Notice in his dashamsha chart (D10) that it's also in his lagna, repeating
a pattern of forming raja yogas by being aspected by 5th and 9th lords, Jupiter
and Mars. Understanding how to read the dashamsha chart is important for
determining career success. Please see Marc Boney's astro-profile article, The
Dashamsha Chart: The 10th Part of Glory, to read more.

More details to come about Justin Bieber's chart...

Justin Bieber's Dashamsha Chart (D10)

Bieber had a perfect debut at the American Music Awards (AMA) a couple
weeks ago, winning all four awards he was nominated for: entertainer of the
year, breakthrough artist of the year, favorite pop/rock male and favorite
pop/rock album for "My World 2.0." His newest song Pray released on Friday
November 12. Watch his performance here:
 5th House Dilemma: Children or Education?
August 11, 2010

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By Deepak Bisaria, from the Journal of Astrology - Oct-Dec 2009

A Dilemma Delineated

Often, on finding a strong 5th house, one faces the dilemma of

whether to predict good education or happiness deriving from
children or both. We felt a need to hunt for a methodology that could
give pointed indications in these areas and immediate clarity from a
horoscope. This drove us to the topic for a group research with my
students at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

The conventional view goes that simply on the basis of the prime
parameters - the strength of the 5th and the 9th house, their lords
and Jupiter, one should not rush to conclusions to declare all good
or all bad for either children or education. The thoughts that come on
initial pondering can get you to the right prediction with so many
techniques and dashas now available from discoveries through
research. But what is it that differentiates a good education and
suffering on account of children from a bad education but bliss from
children, we need to establish statistically and scientifically, so that it
leads to a methodology that is pinpointed.

The parameters which could best answer this question needed to be

explored and tested and hence this research project came into
being. As per Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the 5th house governs
amulets, scared spells, learning, knowledge, sons, royalty (or
authority), fall of position, etc. For our research, the 5th house
interpretations with respect to children and education were broadly
classified as:

1) Good education and good children

2) Good education and no happiness from children

3) Good children but poor or average education

4) Poor education and unhappiness from children

Objective:

To empirically test the hypotheses that the listed parameters in a

horoscope impact on children and education and to recommend the
weightage that should be given to each parameter; with special
emphasis on the role of the Saptamsha (D7-children) and the
Chaturvimshamsha (D24-education).

Parameters:

1) The 5th house and the 5th lord from the lagna, Moon, and Jupiter
as the primary source of influence.

2) Condition of Jupiter as the significator both for children and

knowledge, in the natal chart and the divisional charts.

3) The condition of the planet that is putrakaraka (5th karaka) and

the fifth house from it, both for children and education.

4) Analysis of the saptamsha for children and the chaturvimshamsha

for education.

5) Analysis of the 9th house and the 9th lord both from the lagna
and the Moon.

6) Analysis of the 7th house and the 7th lord both from the lagna
and the Moon.

7) At least two dashas between the ages of 15 and 25 for education

and between 25 and 35 for children: vimshottari and chara dashas.

8) Role of transit.

9) Role of Gulika.

10 Role of Mercury in education.

Apart form these parameters, we are analyzing related variable and

supplementary factors like the role of the Moon in education,
applicability of conditional dashas, role of Beej Sphuta and Kshetra
Sphuta, etc. These factors are being analyzed by researchers to
develop a full fledged thesis at the individual level, in addition to the
group project.

Overview:

Our biological instincts combine with societal beliefs on the

continuity of human existence. The urge to procreate is at once a
human weakness and a profound human strength. Even an atheist
might pray when he is unable to parent a child.

A child promises bliss before his arrival into the parent's fold and
becomes the most precious possession soon after he is born. Man
confronts balarishta (childhood illness and even death) to save and
protect the child. In the modern context, the balarishta threat could
come from disease, infection or abnormalities affecting the child.
Earlier, when medical science was not as advanced, seven out of
ten children tended not to survive, and therefore balarishta remained
critical to astrological analysis of children.
Today, as a child grows, the concerns continue even though with
modern medicine they may be less directed to the survival of the
child. Education of the child has today become a critical concern of
parents and astrological counseling is increasingly sought for
relatively minor matters like the specialization streams to be opted
for in schools and colleges.

Parents are also concerned about the behavior of children and their
attitude towards elders. The aspirations of a parent for the child tend
to be limitless. The problem of hyperactive children with small
attention spans becoming indecisive due to peer pressure in
choosing specialized streams, are increasingly common, often
compelling parents to seek psychiatric help. Some even have to face
the gravest misery of all: loss of a child. Clearly, any parent can
accept immense suffering to self but the pain multiplies if it is the
child who suffers.

Guidance on education is fast becoming crucial not only for children

but for all those struggling for growth in career. There are mid career
courses and training's which are fast getting more and more popular.
So both Children and Education draw immediate attention.

Methodology:

Keeping in mind our target of getting at a short and crisp

dependable method to predict and differentiate, we decided to work
on only verified and authenticated horoscopes. Each horoscope
presented in the class was first subjected to birth time rectification by
application of various methods:

i) Applying navamsha dasha as also chara dasha and vimshottari

dasha for verification of events.

ii) Applying the rule given in the book, The correct value of
Ayanamsha by Swami Sadasiva Giri. As per the author the
pratyantar dasha lord at the time of birth is linked to the lagna or the
lagna lord.

iii) Applying tested snapshot method to find the number of siblings,

eldest or youngest, and number of children.

It was only after the conviction that the horoscope was accurate that
we proceeded. The strength of each parameter under test is being
calibrated to determine its contribution in determining the fate of
education and children. Event based cases involving childlessness,
balarishta, behavioral problems, mishap and death are being taken
up. Ten verified horoscopes with listed events like level of education,
dashas during marriage, children and important events related to
education, marriage and children with birth time rectification were
discussed and analyzed in the class by the guide to demonstrate the
method of recording the data under different parameter headings.
Each researcher collected 4 to 6 horoscopes presented them and
the data was recorded as demonstrated.

A minimum of 200 sample horoscopes were proposed. The total

data would be tabulated and conclusions drawn. The goals, targets,
and proposed presentation is put on the site www.trintrin.com. This
has been organized by Shri Dinesh Jain, a member of our research
team. Display of horoscopes with D1, D9, D7, and D24 charts on the
a laptop screen has been arranged in the class room to save time. It
is suggested along with digital records the researchers should paste
the horoscopes discussed in a register with events, findings and
observations for better concentration and analysis. Translation in
Hindi has been done brilliantly by Ms. Kavita Raj, another member of
our research team.

Existing Research and Classics Bank

Combinations related to the 5th house, children and education are

being stored in the website which is being accessed by all
researchers. Presently the website www.trintrin.com carries some
yogas and we keep adding material.

Time Frame

5 months. Mid July 2009 to Mid December 2009.

Publication

It is planned to present the findings in the Journal of Astrology Jan-

March 2010 issue. This would be followed by a book on this
comprehensive research.

A Few Case Studies

Case Study 1:
This is a horoscope of a person intimately known to me. He is
youngest of four co-borns and has done an M.A. in English
literature. Keeping in with adherence to the strict guideline for
picking only correct horoscopes, the first step followed by us is the
birth time check which in this case was done by considering the
static promise and relating the dashas with the events. For any
research to give tangible results it is necessary to work only on
authenticated horoscopes. We did exactly that. Each horoscope has
has been included in the 200 sample horoscopes are of persons
intimately know to at least one among the 37 researchers engaged
in this group research project.

This horoscope was categorized as having above average education

and unhappiness from children. How do we differentiate good
education from suffering from children is what this research is about.

Natal Chart

The Birth Chart:

Jupiter in the rasi of Mercury is good for education but not for
children. This is one of the findings of this research and can be seen
in this horoscope. Mercury is an intellectual planet but a eunuch
(castrated male) and so its rashis also have such elements.

Jupiter is the 5th lord in this chart, and is the significator of children
as well as the significator of knowledge. The 2nd house where
Jupiter has gone is described as the house of death (maraka) by all
classics. The 12th lord Moon is in the 5th house, which does not
augur well for 5th house matters. This includes both children and
education, but does indicate pursuit of history and literature of a
foreign country.

The 9th house has Ketu and the 9th lord Mars is aspected by the 6th
and 7th lord Saturn, which is not a good indication for children.
Saturn as the 6th and 7th lord in the 4th house in mutual aspect with
Mars is certainly quite bad for 4th house matters, including
happiness and mental peace.

The 5th lord from Jupiter is Saturn, which cannot give positive
results in matters of children as it is in mutual aspect with Mars, a
malefic as well.

From the Moon, the 5th house has Ketu and the 5th lord, Mars, has
gone to the 6th house. It is also in mutual aspect with Saturn, which
is the 2nd and 3rd lord from the Moon in the 12th house.

The chara putrakaraka, Sun, is conjunct with gnatikaraka, Venus, in

the 8th house. The sthira putrakaraka and the 5th lord Jupiter is also
involved due to the mutual aspect.

Navamsha Chart (D9)

In the navamsha, Jupiter is debilitated and conjunct with Saturn. In

the Saptamsha, Venus, the gnatikarka and the 9th lord is on the
Rahu-Ketu axis and Jupiter is aspected by Saturn from the 8th
house.

Saptamsha Chart (D7)

His son died most unexpectedly and tragically in May 1996 in the
dasha of Rahu-Venus-Rahu and Pisces-Libra-Aquarius under chara
dasha. Tragedy struck the family in May 1996. It left this person
shattered. Rahu is in the 2nd house from Jupiter in the birth chart
and Venus is the 2nd lord (both marakas from Jupiter). Hence, the
lords of mahadasha, antardasha, and pratyantar dasha were all
marakas. Jupiter is the 5th lord and significator of children and is
debilitated in the navamsha. In the 2nd house from Jupiter, Rahu is
there in the saptamsha. Pisces is the rasi that has the putrakaraka
Sun and the gnatikaraka Venus. Libra is the 8th rasi from the
putrakaraka and Aquarius is the 12th rasi. His son could not recover
from the administration of anesthesia for a minor surgery.

Case Study 2:
This case would be categorized as excellent education but no
happiness from children. The person with an enviable education and
other good attributes has been denied the bliss of marriage and
children so far. The horoscope clearly recites its destiny and can put
to rest the apprehensions of all critics about the applicability of
astrological parameters based on which we are running the largest
school of astrology in the world.

Natal Chart

Birth chart:
In this case also Jupiter, the significator of knowledge and children is
in the intellectual house of Virgo, which has been giving good results
so far as education is concerned but not for children. It aspects its
own 5th house, which makes it strong. Inspite of having a medical
degree (M.B.B.S.) and a government job, this person has MBA and
LLB from reputed institutions. He has also done the two year course
of astrology from our institute.

For such results we have the mahapurusha in the lagna (ruchaka

yoga), Mercury and Sun (buddhaditya yoga) in the 9th with aspect
by the 9th lord on them and a strong 5th house. On the other hand,
there is an afflicted 4th house and 7th house. Rahu is in the 4th
house and Saturn, the 4th lord, is debilitated in the 6th house.

Case Study 3: Dr Rajendra Prasad:

The first president of India. He is categorized has having both
excellence in education and happiness from children. One could not
have asked for more in education and career. This is crystal clear in
the horoscope.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Natal Chart

Birth chart:
For analyzing the psyche and the ideology from a horoscope,
primarily the three trines, 1, 5, 9 houses, should be analyze with
their lords. The trines compliment each other and the intermingling
of their influences make the psyche. The thoughts and ideas are
generated from the 5th house, but they are subject to scrutiny of the
9th house. The 9th house is the conscience keeper and the action is
taken by the 1st house. A thought can be turned down by the
conscience and even if passed by it, the type of action and the force
of it is dependent on the 1st house. This is the working of the psyche
through houses 5, 9, 1. Besides the psyche triangle of 1, 5, 9
houses, Jupiter, the karaka of virtues, righteousness, religion,
spirituality should be assessed. It needs to be examined along with
the 9th house and the 9th lord to see the level of respect that the
person has to the norms of society, its traditions and conventions
(parampara). The Moon should be seen for determining the state of
mind and Mercury for the intellect.

Jupiter: The Pivot of the Horoscope

Jupiter is the lagna lord placed in the rasi of a friend, the royal Sun.
Jupiter in Leo and Aquarius is considered as good as in its sign of
exaltation, Cancer. From its position in the 9th house it aspects the
lagna and the 5th house, radiating its influence on all three trines. It
also aspects the 5th lord, Mars.

Jupiter is the strongest planet of this horoscope with Ishta Phal

40:60 and Kashta 17:80 and has rendered the lagna lord strongest
with a strength of 9.7 rupas. It's exalted in the navamsha and
occupies its mulatrikona rasi (Sagittarius) in many divisional charts.

In the birth chart, Jupiter is the lord of the lagna and the 4th house.
The 4th house represents 'raja simhasan' (throne). In the navamsha,
Jupiter as the lord of the 4th and 7th houses goes to the 11th house
of gains and in its sign of exaltation. Because the 7th house is the
10th from the 10th house, it is also seen for career, and is called the
house of padaprapti (position giver).

Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Navamshal Chart (D9)

The division of the houses in the navamsha chart should not make
the astrologer take major deviation from his line of thinking from the
birth chart, as a difference of just a few minutes often changes the
navamsha lagna. It is difficult to find an old horoscope with an
accurately recorded time of birth. Nevertheless, we have a very
strong Jupiter dominated horoscope and therefore the person
should have all the positive features of Jupiter. A Jupiterian indeed.

Mercury-Mars Conjunction:
The combination of the 5th and 10th lords in the lagna forms an
excellent raja yoga promising high elevation. This combination is
aspected by the strong lagna lord, Jupiter, from the 9th house. The
skills, dexterity and speed of Mercury combined with the energy and
power of Mars has to make the person successful, enterprising and
famous. The impact of Mars on the psyche in conferring a religious
and upright disposition was positive as it worked like fire to purify the
character by virtue of its lordship of the 5th house of dharma and the
12th house of moksha. Mercury, on the other hand, as the lord of
the 7th (kama) and lord of 10th (artha) was responsible for bringing
him to the world of comfort by making him the President of India.
Mars, as the 5th and Mercury as the significator of vidya or
education was responsible for his exceptional academic record.
Mars as the 5th lord under the influence of Jupiter in the rasi of the
Sun were responsible for his being blessed by two male children.

The Rural Childhood (December 1884 to March 1894):

In his autobiography, Rajen Babu gives a lucid account of the
traditions and rituals followed in his village. Recitation of Bhagavad
Gita and Ramayana, Ramlila, Melas, games and social
engagements were perhaps looked forward to with a sense of gaiety
by the villagers. Life began at sunrise and ended at sunset without
even an apple of consumerism to disturb. At the age of 5-6 he
started to learn alphabets in Persian from the Maulvi Saheb of his
village. The teaching started ceremoniously with the customary
chanting of 'Bismillah,' and followed by distribution of sweets in the
traditional style and a token payment to the Maulvi Saheb.
He was brought to Chapra from his village Zeeradai and admitted
directly to class VIII in the dasha of Rahu/Jupiter in April 1894. He
stood first in the annual examination in 1895 and was given a double
promotion. Six years later Rajen Babu topped in the matriculation
exam. It was a big achievement by all standards for a boy from
Chapra to emerge first in the matriculation exam, conducted by a
University under whose jurisdiction were Calcutta, Orissa, Bihar,
Assam and Burma. This was the first time that a boy from Bihar had
topped. The vimshottari dasha was Rahu-ketu-Venus. Rahu in
upachaya 10th house in the intellectual sign of Virgo combined with
Venus which in the 11th house of gains and achievements, in its
mulatrikona rasi had to give such results. Then again two years later
he topped again in the FA exam. It was again a remarkable
achievement. Besides the scholarships that he was getting, many
more were awarded to him. He diverted himself to freedom struggle
in college but eventually was awarded a Doctorate in law. A 68 page
astro sketch of Dr. Rajendra Prasad has been published in Finer
Techniques of Astrological Predictions, Vol. 1, edited by Sri K.N.
Rao.
By

Out, out the brief candle, was the astrological verdict, I said to
myself, when I saw the horoscope sometime in the last week of
March 2010 of late Shri M.S. Mehta. Born in 1932, the bell was
tolling, that bell which beckons us all sometime or the other to
shuffle off the mortal coil.

Life’s journey has to end someday, some people’s sooner and of

others’, later. But, we know as astrologers when people come to
consult us, that an average Indian living in urban areas accumulates
enough tensions causing, apart from some physical ailments which
the pollution of our cities give us without any warning, a number of
diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, heart ailment, kidney or liver
trouble, etc.

The dasha of Venus, the second lord for the purpose of this case
and the antardasha of Jupiter, the seventh lord and the pratyantara
dasha of Venus again - was the message these dashas conveyed,
clear? (Venus and Jupiter are both maraka lords for Virgo lagna). I
examined this event from other angles also.

M.S. Mehta's Natal Chart

Mehtaji did not meet me for a month nearly after the third week of
March 2010, never talked on phone and only conveyed the message
that in the absence of a servant at home, he could not leave his
ailing wife alone in the house and come even to Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan to teach. Then came the message that he was ill, later that
he was suffering from pneumonia and was in an intensive care unit. I
lost hopes and told Col Gour who was with me on the stage on 11
April during our semi-annual astrology school convocation, that it
was a very difficult period for Mehtaji.

On 25 April, a Sunday when I was teaching a class in the Bharatiya

Vidya Bhavan, Shri R.C. Dadhwal and Shri Deepak Bisariaji
conveyed the tragic message that Mehtaji was no more. We all left
our classes and held a condolence. There ended an eighteen year
old chapter of a sweet association with a gentleman teacher, Shri
M.S.Mehta, who was my astrology student in 1992 and later, my
colleague in the Institute of Astrology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New
Delhi.

His astrological career reads like a rare fiction. He started learning

astrology after his retirement from the Indian Foreign Service in
which he held some important posts as ambassador in different
countries, including the US. He had the retentivity of a young man of
twenty though he had crossed sixty years when he joined our
classes. In the final results of our examination he stood third and
even got bronze medal. His old contemporaries in the same age
group did not do well in the examination and most of them forgot
astrology soon after passing examination. But Mehtaji had the zest
of a young man to do research in astrology. He read the series of my
articles “Planets take them across the seas’ and another in a
souvenir, in which I revealed my research on foreign travels.

He expressed his desire to write a book on the subject since he had

a large collection of the horoscopes of people who went abroad for
various purposes, diplomatic assignments like members of I.F.S, for
settling down, for medical treatment, for studies etc. He wrote what
till day is the only and most brilliant book on this subject
Travel Abroad.
announcement in the world of astrologers that a new and brilliant
researcher had arrived.

Then he went on writing more books like

Application, Analyzing Horoscope Through Modern Techniques
(English & Hindi)

His Spirituality
Always impressive and heartening was his sense of gratitude
towards those who taught him life’s beautiful lessons and also
astrology, a surest sign of a spiritually sensitive and developed
person, a samskara he was born with. Flickering in his eyes always
but rarely expressed vociferously was his hatred for those who
exhibited ingratitude towards their teachers or guru like persons or
elders.

Then there was that distinctly expressed opinion about the national
scene of corruption and falsehoods which could not be ignored in
spite of the sickening political vaporings of politicians. The unfolding
national disasters like Naxalism, terrorism, unemployment seemed
to remain focused in his mind. That took him astrologically into his
keener interest in mundane astrology on which he wrote what till
days is the best book on the subject,
Mundane Astrology
Because of his background of international politics and events,
because of his service in foreign countries and academically, being
a keen and good student of history, he looked into mundane events
with historical insight always.

He wrote many more books with his unquenchable thirst for more
and more astrological exploration, knowledge and clear exposition of
tested techniques, rejecting the opinions of shloka touting and sutra
chopping astrologers failing to prove anything through research and
advance predictions, that dwindling crowd of dementedly pedantic
pretender scholars. Such robust mental attitude is rarely visible in a
seventy years old man. He belonged to that rare breed of
intellectuals.

He had his own strong convictions like saying that after the partition
of the country, we had sleepwalked into the commission of same
blunders which led to the partition of the country and that all over the
world multiculturalism was dead as it bred only racism and terrorism.
He hated pseudo secularism as he always thought that we had a
divisive culture of separateness which was lethal for the country.

He had his own strong convictions like saying that after the partition
of the country, we had sleepwalked into the commission of same
blunders which led to the partition of the country and that all over the
world multiculturalism was dead as it bred only racism and terrorism.
He hated pseudo secularism as he always thought that we had a
divisive culture of separateness which was lethal for the country.

The years he spent in west Asia during his service career gave him
some understanding of those countries and often he said that
Saddam Hussein had done a lot of good to Iraq inspite of his anti-
Shia, anti-Kurd policies. In his own way, he did say, nearly fifteen
years ago, that in future there will be the fear of clash between oil
rich countries, the religiously fundamentalist west Asia and the west.
He was anticipating in a way what the world later came to know as
the famous theory of clash of civilizations of Samuel Huntington.

Some years ago, his political analysis led him into an obsessive
conclusion that Israel and USA will have to attack Iran which has not
happened yet. Weaponization of space in which race USA is far
ahead of other countries, makes an attack on Iran a distinct
possibility now is what some analysts have already said. The space
bomber is now a reality.

I will miss Mehtaji’s insightful analysis of international situation with

which he illumined many evenings of mine.

In the last five or six years of his life he got immersed more and
more in the Vishnu Sahasranam, Narayana Kavacham, the
Bhagavad Gita, Gayatri mantra and taking pilgrimages. He was
exploring peace within himself, having developed deep detachment,
true vairagya. He helped five poor students with his money without
telling anyone, as his charities were true in spirit and never
exhibitionistic. He never talked ill of anyone - rarest of spiritual
qualities, and had a boisterous, guileless and ringing laughter.

I will miss all that and remember him as a true and honest friend,
spiritual, intellectual, balanced and always truthful.
By

By now most people are sick of all the media coverage the Tiger
Woods sex scandal has received over the last couple months, since
his infamous car crash on November 27th. With the shocking news
of his multiple extra-marital affairs surfacing over the subsequent
weeks, his 'clean cut' image took a meteoric dive to a depth that is
rarely seen with a public figure. It was certainly one of the biggest
news stories of 2009, if not the decade. It's no wonder he's not been
seen publicly since.

According to the
10:50 pm giving him Virgo ascendant. It is said to come from "birth
certificate in hand," which gives it the highest rating of AA in
Rodden's birth time rating system. However, this gives his ascendant
less than 1 degrees, which brings to question whether he could
actually be Leo ascendant. We talked about this in an earlier article
by Marc Boney titled,
recent scandalous events took place during his Sun-Venus dasha
making it very clear that he indeed has Virgo ascendant. First see
his chart:

Tiger Woods's Natal Chart

With Virgo ascendant the dasha lord Sun is in the 4th house,
aspected by the 8th lord Mars. The 8th house is a house of secrecy,
sexuality, and scandals. We talked about this in the last article,
Clinton and Shodashottari Dasha
lust and becomes doubly so when it rules the 8th house. Notice that
the Sun also goes to the 8th house in the navamsha chart conjunct
Mars and Venus. Whenever Mars and Venus combine it intensifies
sexual passion. The Sun dasha alone brings in this element of
sexual lust. The Sun dasha began in June 2004, which is as far back
as the earliest claims of infidelity by Tiger's mistresses go.

Tiger Woods's Navamsha Chart

When his Venus sub dasha began in June 2009, it put him in both a
mahadasha and antardasha of a planet aspected by the 8th lord
Mars. However, Venus is not only aspected by Mars, they exchange
signs forming a parivartana yoga, which intensifies their connection
and the quality of sexual passion they represent. Venus's placement
in the 8th sign of Scorpio, a notorious house of secrecy
corresponding to the 8th house, and conjunct a debilitated Moon
further increases the qualities of Scorpio and secret love affairs. The
claims that Tiger is a sex addict certainly makes sense when you
add all this up, and consider that Venus combines with the Sun, and
Mars in the 8th house in the navamsha. It's in Sun-Venus that the
sex scandal surfaced. This is all abundantly clear with Virgo
ascendant and the 8th lord, Mars, aspecting both the Sun and
Venus, and combining with them both in the navamsha.

The transit of Saturn into Virgo in early September also confirms

Tiger's Virgo lagna. Here's the chart of the transits on November 27,
2009.

Transits on November 27, 2009

When Saturn transits over the lagna it can be a time of personal

reflection, evaluation, and re-organization. Saturn makes us look at
the hardest lessons that we've been avoiding and learn to take
responsibility for our actions. I like to call Saturn the 'great denial
buster.' With Saturn transiting his lagna it aspects his 7th house, and
7th lord, Jupiter. It also aspects the karaka of the 7th house, Venus,
his sub dasha lord. It's clear that it's time for him to look at his
marriage and his extra-marital activity. This is also a huge personal
change because it's his lagna, his self and identity. His image is
going through a major revision. Incidentally, during this time the
double transit of Jupiter and Saturn
emphasizing his need to focus on himself.

Lastly, to further confirm the Virgo lagna, it was during the Sun-
Venus-Rahu dasha, that he had his minor car accident. Notice how
Rahu was transiting his 4th house of vehicles at the time. His Rahu
sub dasha lasted until December 16, 2009, and it was in early
December that his wife, Elin Nordegren, reportedly moved out of
their home. This upheaval to their domestic life is also indicated by
the Rahu pratyantar dasha and Rahu's transit through the 4th house.

Watch Sean Hannity discuss the mounting evidence of Tiger's sex

addiction with SE Cupp and Kimberly Guilfoyle on his talk show
December 11, 2009:
By

The
Westerner for many more decades. It has given to the West what it
did not have, a vision, an understanding and a way which is what we
call sadhana through Kriya Yoga. It is very impressive to see the
influence of the S.R.F. in the USA even now, though, it has split into
many rival organizations. Some of the followers have heart-winning
sincerity. Yogananda’s mission has spread, got stabilized, well-
organized and, as happens in the USA, has strong monetary
support. Some of the best Americans I have met belong to the SRF
which is the abbreviation of Self-Realization Fellowship. I had with
me the horoscope of Yogananda.

I re-read the
important dates in the life of Yogananda.

Verification of the Horoscope

The horoscope of Yogananda has not been disputed by anyone, all

astrologers who have discussed it, have done so from Simha (Leo)
lagna. The time of birth has been mentioned by some people while
others have not referred to it at all but have only said that it was a
correct horoscope (some sources gives 20:38pm as his birth time).
The one I got in Calcutta during my posting there, in my service
career, with degrees has been given earlier.

The birth details thus seem to be: 5 January, 1893 at 08.14 PM,
Gorakpur. It should have been local meantime is what can be
guessed. Anyway, the best is to verify some broad events on the
basis of the birth horoscope and the interconnected divisional
horoscopes.

Natal Chart of Paramahansa Yogananda

Mother (1868-1904)

In India of those times, becoming a mother of many children,

spending life as a dutiful housewife and doing poojas and charities
were an integral part of a Hindu woman’s life which it is even now,
except when one has a working wife. The domestic life was
peaceful. Once in a while there was some normal husband wife
quarrel, the most serious one being when she fed the poor spending
a huge amount which could upset family budget. She threatened to
leave the house if the husband (Yogananda’s father) made it a
prestige issue. Just then the maternal uncle of Yogananda arrived
and the matter was settled peacefully.

Such quarrels between parents, are common sight for Indian

children. There is nothing serious about them. In one such and
similar family situation, I once found the father of six or seven
children getting annoyed when he could not find a shaving blade at
home. He shouted at his wife and children and said that he would
move out of the house and take sannyas (renunciate vows). Working
in the kitchen, the wife replied,
anyone asks you for the reason, do not say that it was because of a
shaving blade.”
ended there.

Similar scenes may have taken place because Yogananda was

highly charitable. In the birth horoscope there is Venus in the 4th
house both from the lagna and the Moon, while the 4th house of the
dwadashamsha is excellent. But then, the 4th lord of the birth
horoscope, Mars is in the 8th house, aspected by Saturn and with
Jupiter, in this case, also the 8th lord. The year of the death of the
mother of Yogananda given in the photo given in the book is 1904
when the dasha running was perhaps, Venus-Moon or Venus-Mars,
one in the 4th house and the other the 4th lord from the lagna and
the Moon. In the dwadashamsha (D12), Venus is the 2nd lord from
the lagna and the Moon, while Venus and Mars are in the 12th
house. Mars is also the 3rd lord of the longevity of parents and the
8th lord of mourning. Rahu was in Kanya (Virgo) in transit in the
lagna, and Saturn in Makar (Capricorn) was aspecting the 7th house
of dwadashamasha. Rahu/Ketu axis was on the 4th lord of the birth
horoscope while Saturn was aspecting the 4th lord, Mars in Meena
(Pisces).

Father (1853-1942)

His father, a high ranking officer in Bengal Nagpur Railways, was

posted to Gorakhpur when Yogananda was born, the 4th child,
among eight brothers and sisters. In dwadashamsha the 9th lord is
in the 12 house. Bhagbati Charan Ghosh, the father of Yogananda,
spent sometime with Guru, Lahiri Mahashaya in his Varanasi
ashram. It was typical Bengali habit till recently to say that a life
without a Guru was a wasted life. In earlier centuries, it was not easy
for a householder to get spiritually initiated, as great yogis and
swamis did not visit cities. Ardent spiritual seekers had to go to far
off places, to even the Himalayas in search of a guru, as Yogananda
himself did many times, unsuccessfully.

In the case of Bhagbati Charan, there was a divine manifestation

when his Guru appeared before him. Cases of such cosmic
manifestations are mentioned in Hindu scriptures, in the lives of
Shankaracharya, Ramanuja and so many great spiritual figures of
India. It may have been in the last century that gurus started to visit
cities to initiate householders who thirsted for spiritual life but could
not have gone wandering in search of gurus, leaving their families. It
seems to have happened more in Bengal which is why Bengal has
so many books on saints and gurus of the last 150 years, now also
compiled in a 12 volume collection called,
sadhaks or saints of India), which is read widely with keen
appreciation.

The high position Bhagbati Charan held, the excellent houses he

lived in and a life of dignity is well shown by Jupiter and Mercury in
the dwadasamsha of Yogananda. He died in 1942, in the sub-period
of Rahu in the major period of Rahu in the 9th house of father in the
birth horoscope and, in the lagna in dwadashamsha. In the
beginning of 1942, Saturn was in Mesha (Aries) with Mars, the 9th
house from the birth lagna of Yogananda while Rahu was in Simha
(Leo), in the 9th house from the Sun (father) in Dhanu (Sagittarius)
in the birth horoscope. From the lagna, Rahu in Simha (Leo) was on
the 9th lord while Saturn, later moved into Vrischika (Scorpio), the
9th house of the dwadashamsha.

Note From these two events about the death of parents, the
horoscope I have seems to be correct to me because both the dasha
and transits seen in four ways, establishes the validity of the
horoscope of Yogananda.

Graduation: B.A.1915

Yogananda became a graduate, studying philosophy and literature

in 1915 in Venus-Mercury. Venus the 10th lord gave him success in
the sub period of Mercury in the 5th house of education. From
Vrischika (in chara dasha he was in
undergraduate years) aspects of Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Mercury and
Sun shows the struggles in his education and also success. In Chara
Dasha it was Vrischika (Scorpio), with Mars in the 5th house with
Jupiter (Jaimini aspects are also from Sun, Mercury, Saturn, as
mentioned in last sentence, on the 5th house from
Vrischika/Scorpio).

Trip to America (August-October, 1920)

The decision about the trip to the USA, where he had a mission to
fulfill, must have been made in Sun-Rahu and actual travel
undertaken in the antardasha of Jupiter. Rahu in the 9th house in a
Chara Rashi is the surest indication of foreign trip. (See
Rahu in Horoscope
birth house in the 5th house of seminar or conference where
educational, instructive and illuminating speeches are delivered.
Rahu is in the 12th house both in the dashamsha (D10) and the
chaturthamsha (D4) (see M.S. Mehta’s book on
Abroad
in the 10th house of the dashamsha (D10). In Chara dasha it was
Makar (Capricorn) period with Saturn in the 9th house and Ketu in
the 10th house, showing a change and work connected with
foreigners.
Death (7 March, 1952)

In speaking about his death, let me refer to two books of mine and
two pieces of research. Let me first quote from
and the Wheel of Time
of the great saint, Moorkhanandji.
say astrologically. I made no predictions about Mahatmas but I have
noticed that they are inclined to leave their bodies in the antardasha
of the 9th or 12th lords. So, I hazarded a guess and said Mercury-
Rahu-Mercury.”

When Yogananda died it was Rahu, the 9th lord’s mahadasha,

Ketu’s antardasha, Moon, the 12th lord’s pratyantara dasha and the
sookshma dasha of Jupiter (the 5th lord of heart, in the 8th house
with Mars , receiving the aspect of Saturn. It must have been a
sudden death. I learn from some SRF people that he died while
reciting a poem. It is clear from a picture in the book, the
Autobiography of a Yogi, that B.R.Sen, Indian Ambassador to the
USA, was present as the guest of honor in Los Angeles, California.
By

Over the past several years Angelina Jolie has been using her
celebrity star power to raise awareness and funds for various
refugee causes around the world. Her humanitarian work begain in
2001 when she was filming Tomb Raiders in Cambodia, and in
August that year she was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
for the United Nations. Her latest efforts were in Thailand to help
Burmese children who have fled Burma and are living in refugee
camps near the Burmese border. Not only has she helped various
refugee groups in Africa, Pakistan, Thailand, Iraq etc. but she and
husband Brad Pitt adopted three of their own children from
Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. And if this wasn't enough
children, they decided to have three of their own children.

So what shows all this involvement and humanitarian concern for

children? In 2001, she was in her Venus-Moon dasha, and the Moon
is not only the caregiver and mother, but it's conjunct the 5th lord
Mars, and karaka of the 5th house, Jupiter. The Moon is also in the
compassionate sign of Pisces, and its association with Jupiter
enhances this quality of compassion and charity. In addition, this
takes place in the 9th house representing one's ideals and beliefs,
and Mars there means that she will fight to defend her beliefs and
these are centered around human rights issues of children.

Angelina Jolie's Natal Chart

Now see how the dasha sequence supports her involvement with
children and human rights efforts. Following the Moon sub dasha
was the Mars sub dasha, the 5th lord of children. This was followed
by Rahu sub dasha, which happens to be in the 5th house. Then
from November 2005 - July 2008 was her Venus-Jupiter dasha
which was the time that she gave birth to all three of her children,
and married Brad Pitt. Notice how Jupiter is in the 7th house in the
Navamsha chart and mutual aspects Venus, clearly showing the
potential for marriage in Venus-Jupiter. But it's more than that
because Jupiter's also the 5th lord in the Navamsha, and is conjunct
Venus in the lagna of the Saptamsha chart, the divisional chart for
children.
By

Typically the 12th house is the considered the house of residence in

a foreign country. The 1st house represents the place of our birth,
and the 12th house from any house represents the loss of the
indications of that house. Therefore, the 12th house is the loss of
one's birth place and therefore residence abroad. It can also simply
mean travel to foreign places and not necessarily settling down.

In addition, the 7th house is also sometimes listed in texts as a

house of foreign travel or residence abroad. For instance, the
Sarvarth Chintamani refers to the dashas of planets located in the
7th house as a time of travel or residence abroad. For instance, it
says:

"During the ruling period of Jupiter in the 7th house, the native gets
wife, wealth, son, happiness, goes abroad, is victorious in battle."

Likewise, it later says the same for a Rahu dasha:

"During the ruling period of Rahu located in the 7th house, the native
soon gets destruction of his wife, goes abroad, suffers losses in
agriculture etc."

Why is the 7th house a house of foreign residence? Usually it's just
considered the house of relationship. The reason is because the 7th
house is the farther house from the 1st house, being the opposite
house. The placement in the sky of the 1st house is on the Eastern
horizon, while the 7th house is on the Western horizon. Therefore,
the 7th house is the furthest from one's birth place or a foreign
location.

This all makes logical sense, but there may still be some lingering
doubt that the dasha of a planet in the 7th house could actually
result in residence abroad. Therefore, here's a chart of a woman
who was born in Hong Kong, and when she was 10 years old her
family decided to move to the USA. This was during her Mercury-
Rahu dasha.

Natal Chart
Notice that Rahu is placed in the 7th house, and Mercury is the 4th
lord, and in the 4th house from the Moon. The 4th house is of course
the house of home, indicating events related to home in her Mercury
dasha. Notice how Rahu is also placed in the lagna of the
chaturtamsha chart (D4) the divisional chart for home, indicating a
significant event related to home in a Rahu dasha. At the time of the
move, Rahu was transiting through her 12th house, Taurus.
Furthermore, Rahu is the planet of foreign connections. All these
factors show a repeated pattern indicating a major move to a foreign
country in her Mercury-Rahu dasha.
 Barack Obama's Natal Chart Analysis
August 29, 2008

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Now that Barack Obama was formally and enthusiastically

nominated as the democratic candidate yesterday in Denver, I
wanted to shed some light on his natal chart. But first let's discuss
the dispute going on about his birth time.

In the first half of 2008 most astrologers were using a speculated

birth time for Barack Obama of about 1:00 pm giving him a Libra
ascendant. Then in July, Obama's own website released his
certificate (click to view) with a birth time of 7:24 pm, giving him a 24
degrees Capricorn ascendant. In terms of birth time accuracy it
doesn't get any better than a written document, especially a birth
certificate. Of course, they can be created in photoshop, but my
opinion is that we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. In
Obama's case the state of hawaii itself has declared
certificate is authentic.

It's highly likely that this birth time of 7:24 pm is valid since it would
discredit his entire campaign to tamper with the document, and for
what purpose? However, the real test of an accurate birth time
should be that it describes a person accurately, not only in terms of
character traits, but key events. So let's have a look at his birth chart.

Barack Obama's Natal Chart

What stands out in many people's minds is Obama's talented oratory

skills. Notice how Mercury is powerful in a kendra, and also aspects
important personality indicators - ascendant, ascendant lord Saturn,
and the Sun. Its tight mutual aspect with Jupiter, the 3rd lord, further
heightens his intelligence, wit, communication skills. This mutual
aspect even improves in the navamsha where Mercury gets exalted
and Jupiter is in its own sign of Pisces. Mercury's strength is also
seen by the raja yoga it forms as the 9th lord in mutual aspect with
Saturn, the 1st lord. Additionally, Jupiter is the karaka of the 9th
house of law, while Mercury is 9th lord. This mutual aspect sure
makes sense for a lawyer, and teacher of law, especially because
they both aspect the ascendant, ascendant lord, and Sun.

Barack Obama's Navamsha Chart

The other very notable feature is his shasha mahapurusha yoga
formed by Saturn placed on an angle in its own sign. It's further
strengthened by being vargottama. This gives him strong leadership
abilities and exemplary Saturnian qualities like discipline and
responsibility.

So far so good. It all makes sense. But wait a minute. How about the
perplexing placement of a debilitated Jupiter? There are several
ways that Jupiter's debility is cancelled and forms a
raja yoga. First, it's conjunct its debilitation lord, Saturn. Second, this
forms a raja yoga as the "Great Parashara Exception,"
calls it, because Jupiter is the 12th lord debilitated, placed in the
ascendant and the ascendant lord is in its own sign. A third factor of
cancellation of debility is that Mars, the planet exalted in Capricorn,
is on an angle from the Moon.

When we first look at his Sun, we might wonder why someone with
the Sun as the 8th lord would represent a politician since the Sun is
the planet of politics. However, we have to remember that the Sun is
gaining from its association with the other planets, Mercury, Jupiter,
and Saturn forming the above mentioned yogas. When we look at
his chart from chandra lagna, we see that the Sun's condition
improves as the 4th lord conjunct the 5th lord Mercury, and opposite
the 9th and 10th lord Saturn. This forms multiple raja yogas from the
Moon.

Another important feature is that his Moon, the 7th lord, is exalted in
Taurus, and aspected by Jupiter. This is a combination for
compassion and caring that has won him the trust of many
supporters. This forms a rare Gauri Yoga
text, Phala Deepika, and is due to the Moon being in its own or
exalted sign in a kendra or trikona (5, 9) and aspected by Jupiter. Its
effect is described as, "Will have a beautiful body and will be a friend
of the king. He will possess good qualities and will be blessed with
sons. He will belong to an illustrious family. His face will be like a
lotus. He will be praised for his successes (over enemies)."
certainly seems to be playing out in Obama's chart with all the
dramatic and widespread support and praise he's received
throughout his campaign. When we look at his dasha sequence we
see that he's been in a Jupiter-Moon dasha since 11/24/07 which will
continue until 3/25/09. This dasha activates his special Gauri Yoga
and could win him the election in November. More about this in
upcoming articles.
search this site www
 Education in a Foreign Country
June 28, 2008

edic Astrology Diary Archives

K.N. Rao, from the appendix in Planets and Travel Abroad

ur friend Chander Gupta gave up the horoscope of Anant Gupta whose parents
roscopes have been in our records for more than eight years now. The specific
estions were:

The chances existed for the boy to get into a University in the U.S.A. Would it
aterialize?

Being the only son, the parents were torn between two emotions, going abroad
uld create the void that separation creates, such emotional vacuity as becomes
bearable when the bond of love and affection is so deep, so real.

When the boy's admission was assured, there were objections from the U.S.A.
mbassy in India. Would this last minute hitch be overcome?

tal Chart

shamsha Chart

s dashas were Venus-Mercury from July 2, 1988-May 5, 1991.

e first question could be answered at once in the affirmative because:

The 5th lord (education) with the 12th lord (foreign country) in the 10th house
areer) with other planets showed the promise of education in a foreign country.

The dasha was of Venus and the antardasha is Mercury, the 12th lord.

e second question was easier to answer without astrology. The parents were so rich
d kept visiting foreign countries so often and there would be telephone contact,
ich would fill the emotional void. It was not like ancient times, when news about
ed ones after he departed never or rarely reached you. The romance of separation
a fiction in our age of fast communication.

e third question about the objection by the U.S. Embassy was easy to answer. The
oon, in transit (at the time of the question), was in the 3rd house of the boy showing
vel, being in Virgo, which is also the 12th house in the Dashamsha.

n December 31st, 1988 he left India when the Moon was again in Virgo in the 3rd
use of the birth lagna, and the 12th house of the dashamsha.
e following features are prominent in the Dashamsha:

the 5th lord is in the 12th house. The 7th, 9th, and 12th houses or their lords, must
ve some connection with the 10th lord for work outside the country and in this case,
h the 5th lord for education or alternatively the 9th house (which represents higher
ucation).

Mercury, the antardasha lord, is again the 12th lord promising a foreign trip.

w a question may arise as to why we have chosen the 5th lord for education.

e will give two reasons for choosing the 5th house and the 5th lord for education
ough some other relevant factors too will have to be taken into account.

The first reason is that Maharishi Parashara refers to

e knowledge of yantras and mantras) when he discusses the 5th house.

It is our experience that the north Indian astrological practice of treating the 5th
use for education is sound and has the authoritative backing of Parashara.

search this site www

edic Astrology Diary Archives

Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Vedic astrology Ketu is called the

eration. Being the polar opposite of it's worldy ambitious counter
rt, Rahu, Ketu's nature is that of a detached, simple renunciate.
tu is motivated toward quiet and solitude, not materialistic gains.
tu dashas, therefore, often result in breaks in employment, which
ay simply manifest as a time for an extended vacation, or a
bbatical. However, Ketu dashas can also be a time of unexpected
aterial losses, where circumstances force us to take time for
lection and introspection.

e lesson that Ketu teaches is to return to what is most important -

r internal peace of mind. The breaks in our life that Ketu dashas
ng, often result in the integration of a more balanced lifestyle,
ere unnecessary complications and attachments fall away.
wever, it can also be a confusing process to get there. Ketu
shas can bring disillusionment with the material world and a lack
motivation. At the same time, Ketu can increase our spiritual
nging, which can lead to addictions for someone without a spiritual
cipline. So, while Ketu is the moksha karaka and Ketu dashas can
present a big step toward spiritual liberation, it can also be a
nfusing time that requires introspection to sort it all out.

tal Chart

is chart is of a man who recently lost his job at the beginning of

Ketu sub dasha within his Sun dasha. He had worked as a
lege art professor for the last couple years and was suddenly
ed, for no apparent reason. Ketu is in the 11th house representing
ganizations and institutions, and unaspected by any planets.
cause Rahu and Ketu do not rule any houses the placement and
ndition of its ruler becomes even more important for
derstanding the effects of their dasha. Ketu is ruled by the Sun
o is the 11th lord in the 10th house with the 10th lord, the Moon.
e Sun's position is strongly placed in the 10th house, which
rtainly helped him secure his job as a professor during the Sun
sha. However, the Sun and Ketu are bitter enemies which
dicates the tension that Ketu's sub dasha represents.

ansits May 25 2007

the transit chart of the day he was fired, May 25, 2007, you'll
tice that he is in the middle of his sadi saati period, or Saturn's
nsit over the Moon. In fact, Saturn is exactly conjunct the Moon,
e 10th lord. This may appear to be the primary cause of his loss of
e job. However, it is a common mistake to make transits the
mary cause of events. In Vedic astrology they are secondary to
e dashas. If it had been a Saturn or Moon dasha then this would
extremely significant. I interpret Saturn's transit (and in fact the
uble transit of Jupiter and Saturn) as indicating the focus and
allenges in the area of career, but not the primary cause of the
s of his job. This is because it's the transit
e transits to
mary contributing influences by transit. He was in the Sun-Ketu-
n dasha, with the Sun transiting through the 8th house of sudden
ange, and Ketu transiting throught the 11th house. These are the
mary causes for the break in connection with the institution in my
inion. The Sun being the 11th lord, and Ketu in the 11th house
th natally and by transit, indicates that an institution is involved. In
dition, the Sun is the significator of organizations and institutions.

is sudden loss of his job began a period of introspection that he

pected would be a major theme of his summer. His Ketu sub
sha lasts through August 29th.

search this site www

By
(Written on November 26, 2006)

Human life has enough tragedies, enigmatic turns and twists which
come in most unexpected and unanticipated ways. When someone
goes to an astrologer he is already 'half dead' and wants to know if
some relief is promised. Instead, if he is frightened and asked to
spend a huge amount on shantis (remedial measures) of various
types, to prevent the ill effects of kala sarpa yoga (all planets
positioned between Rahu and Ketu) what is you opinion of the moral
character of the astrologer? Or if the astrologer is pretending to be a
religious man and prescribes worship find out how much money he
is making through astrology in devious ways. He is again less of a
JYOTISHACHARYA (teacher of Jyotish) and more of an
UPAYACHARYA (teacher of remedial measures).

Some years before my retirement, a rich Marwari woman, to whom I

had given a good prediction about her daughter in Calcutta, came to
meet me in Delhi where she had moved with her husband. She took
me one day to her house to meet a ninety six years old astrologer
and introduced me to him as an astrologer. This aroused the ire of
the very old man because he called astrologers “thugs” and asked
me why had I decided to become one! The lady explained to him
that I did astrology academically and gave consultations for free. The
old man quietened down. He had some very novel methods of
predicting and appeared outdated to me, not in tune with the
changed times in which we live. But the word “thug” rang in my ears
for many years and still a feeble echo of it is left in my memory.

The Thuggery of Astrologers

The thuggery of astrologers can be seen in the upayas or remedies

they prescribe - upayas for anything and everything, even for cancer
patients in the terminal stages, for AIDS patients, for most
unscrupulous men and for totally unscrupulous purposes involving
sex, money and crime. Reading of sage Varahamihira convinces us
that this tendency to become a thug among astrologers must have
existed earlier also.

One fellow who has made a fortune from kala sarpa yoga (I came to
know later) asked me why was I depriving some poor Brahmins of
their livelihood! These fellows who were frightening people and
making money through fraudulent means had no iota of Brahmanism
in them. (There is no basis for kala sarpa yoga in the classic texts).
They were no better than muggers of US streets or the goondas who
show knives and deprive you of your money in Indian streets or
buses. He kept quiet but he continues to make money from kala
sarpa yoga.

Astrologers are Backward Classes

Astrologers as a backward class should be seen against the

historical background of the British rule during which the Indian
literacy had dropped to less than ten percent for males and half
percent for females in 1901.

Brahmins who lost patronage forgot their traditional knowledge and

had no paramparas (traditional lineage) in any branch. Some
families had a smattering of astrology and karmakanda (ceremonial
acts) left. They were almost illiterates and no wonder even after
independence, in two backward classes reports of 1955 and 1980,
astrologers were classified as a backward class!! But vain Brahmins
gloriously regarded themselves as heaven's ordained class!! The old
controversy got revived---
karmas?

As the society grew prosperous men became more and more

immoral, with marriages breaking down, sexual morality becoming
an outdated concept for some rich and some prosperous upper and
even lower middle class men and women, even girls now. Then
there is job tension and there is the worry of a traditional Hindu
mother to seek a right husband for her daughter within her caste!
The tensions are enormous and people are in search for quick
solutions to their problems.

Here the astrologer, ever ready with a remedy, is in demand.

This astrologer must first create fright in the minds of his clients and
it is done most easily by pointing out kala sarpa yoga or even 'half'
kala sarpa yoga. Here he promises to perform a yagna at a cost of
some thousands of rupees for shantis.
Brahmins.
of income for Brahmins which is pitiable.
the beacon lights of dharma and spirituality if they themselves
reached higher stages of sadhana. But so many of them have
become kala sarpa yogis!
need kala sarpa yoga to survive!! They would keep kala sarpa yoga
alive somehow.

Here is an instance. A fraudulent astrologer runs his paid

advertisements on a religious TV channel and advertises himself
aggressively to earn fabulously through kala sarpa yoga. He gets
yagyas (fire ceremony) done at his house for those people with
horoscopes which have the fraudulent kala sarpa yoga. He gets
Brahmin priests and has it done at the cost of twenty five thousand
rupees per person. In a rich city like Delhi, the richest city of India,
he is never short of clientele.

One girl had come to Delhi from Jabalpur, shown her horoscope to
him and since he was getting kala sarpa yoga shanti done at his
house, he asked her also to pay for it as her horoscope too suffered
from this “defect”! She fell into the trap.

Natal chart of a girl with no kala sarpa yoga

Later, she came to me and narrated the story. I asked her to go to

other astrologers and ask them if her horoscope had this kala sarpa
yoga. She told me that she was assured that her horoscope had
none. But then she had already been a victim of a double fraud. Is
that what Brahmins are supposed to do for our society? Remember,
I am a Brahmin myself (by birth).

Ignore Kala Sarpa Yoga

If someone tells you that a particular horoscope suffers from kala

sarpa yoga, do not be carried away by it. It is for you to examine the
motives and knowledge of the astrologer pointing it out. In these
days of commercialism invading all fields and astrology in a very big
way do not fall into the traps of these astrologers. And the flood you
see on the internet to which most are getting addicted can be further
danger of spreading wrong astrology as has been happening for
more than a decade now.

What must be done is to examine the horoscope on its merits and

demerits which means the achievements shown on the positive side
and the obstacles coming because every horoscope has it.

Ariel Sharon's natal chart with 'kala sarpa yoga'

Those who still argue, and those frauds who would not budge an
inch on this subject because their earnings will drop, cannot answer
a question of mine when I show this horoscope among many (of
Ariel Sharon), and without disclosing his identity ask them to tell
about his life. These frauds reel off many gloomy predictions. (But
they can not explain how he attained such a high position, as the
former prime minister of Israel, even with the so-called kala sarpa
yoga in his chart.)

Letter from a Reader to K.N. Rao

From: R P <r2004@hotmail.com>
Subject: Kala Sarpa Yoga
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:33:59 IST

Dear respected Sir,

What a great piece of writing! You are indeed a social reformer for
the betterment of the society.

The sad thing is even in Sri Lanka 99.999% of the astrologers make
kala sarpa yoga a living for themselves. I wish I could get your
articles published in a local newspaper!
You have written on fraudulent astrologers and Brahmins. Let me tell
you sir, that even Lord Buddha once said,
become a Brahmin only by his action and not by his birth.
live long to make more and more people understand and love the
divine subject of Astrology, which you make look absolutely scientific
without destroying its spirituality. Blessings,
R. P.
 Swami Beyondananda Wit and Humor
January 20, 2007

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

Mercury is the notorious planet of wit and is invariably prominent in the chart of comedians.
The sage Parashara describes Mercury as possessing "the ability to make pun or to speak
words having double meaning, sense of humor." - Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ch. 3 v.
26. (translated by Girish Chand Sharma).

When Jupiter combines with Mercury it increases Mercury's intelligence, wittiness and ability
to see the humorous and brighter side to life. Jupiter is the planet of optimism, positive
outlook, and expansion.

The following is the chart of Swami Beyondananda (Steve Bhaerman) the popular 'new age'
comedian and master of pun. Notice how Jupiter and Mercury are conjunct to the exact
degree in the angular 7th house, in the air sign Libra. He epitomizes this quality of wit.
Jupiter as the 9th lord combining with Mercury, along with the 1st lord Mars, shows why he
facetiously calls himself a 'Swami' - he uses humor to not only to lighten people's moods, but
to raise consciousness. This pattern repeats from chandra lagna, or the Moon ascendant, as
Mercury again combines with the 9th lord, Mars, and the 1st and 10th lord Jupiter.

You may also notice that Mercury and Jupiter are technically engaged in a 'planetary war',
due to the fact that they are within one degree of one another. This is a controversial
principle in Jyotish (see Conflicting Views on Planetary War). The most common opinion is
that the planet with the lowest degrees wins the war, and that the loser is bereft of its
qualities. However, it's examples like this, and the charts others, like Joseph Campbell (see
Joseph Campbell and Universal Pisces), that reveal that the effects can be different than
this. Beyondananda's Jupiter is at lower degrees, while Campbell's Mercury is at lower
degrees. In my opinion, it doesn't make sense, that either Jupiter or Mercury's significations
are "annihilated" in either case. It is much more likely that they both are enhanced by the
conjunction.

I like what Marc Boney said in the article Serena Williams's Jaimini Raja Yogas, "I am of the
opinion that if you just research charts, you will be guided to see how the interpretive
principles given in the classics work, versus going on the basis of conflicting translations
and commentaries."

Swami Beyondananda's Natal Chart

Witty Quotes by Swami Beyondananda (Steve Bhaerman)

Be a fundamentalist, make sure fun always comes before the mental.

Have a good laughsitive twice a day and that will insure regularhilarity.
Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be cancelled.

As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between
our ears, causing a condition called truth decay. So be sure to use your truth brush and
mental floss twice a day.

If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's
where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there will surely be nomadness on the
planet.

When you're tempted to practice tantrum yoga, remember what we teach in the
Absurdiveness Training Class: "Don't get even, get odd."

If you're looking to find the key to the universe, I have some bad news and some good
news. The bad news is - there is no key to the Universe. The good news is - it was never
locked.
 Yogi Bhakarananda's Horoscope
November 28, 2006

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By K.N. Rao, from www.journalofastrology.com

Dr. B.V. Raman had given him (Yogi Bhakarananda - my Jyotish Guru) a span of life of 90
years according to his astrological calculation, perhaps because his atmakaraka, Moon, was
in the 9th house with Jupiter. But he himself had said, "I will take samadhi (a yogi's
conscious death) as soon as the mahadasha of Mercury begins."

"B.V. Raman's analysis is wrong," he said and proceeded to explain it astrologically thus:

1. The lagna and the 8th lord, Mars, is debilitated.

2. The 10th lord is not in kendra.
3. The 3rd lord, Mercury is in the 8th house and retrograde.
4. Mercury is a maraka for Mesha lagna (at an advanced age).
5. Mercury is the 7th lord (maraka lord) from the Moon, and is placed in the 12th from it.
6. After the dashas of Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter and Saturn, the dasha of Mercury will
be the 7th.

Natal Chart of Yogi Bhaskarananda

Navamsha Chart of Yogi Bhaskarananda

Vimshamsha
In the Vimshamsha (20th divisional chart), Mercury is the 12th lord, time for samadhi and
sadhe saati (Saturn's transit over the Moon) will be on.

Vimshamsha Chart of Yogi Bhaskarananda

He was a yogi and used to say, "Do bhajans (devotional singing). Bhajan is the medicine for
all ailments and suffering."

His hints about my horoscope:

1. He used to say, "Yours is Tula (Libra) lagna and Mesha (Aries) navamsha and mine is
Mesha lagna and Tula navamsha.'
2. My 9th lord (Jupiter) which represents the Guru is on your 5th lord (Saturn) both in Dhanu
(Sagittarius).
3. Your Moon is in the 11th from my Moon, which shows the possibilities of your fulfilling my
incomplete work.

Natal Chart of K.N. Rao

Navamsha Chart of K.N. Rao

Gajakesari Yoga
If human life is a half-told story of stifled sobs, the company of a Yogi is the perfume in it of a
flower. In this horoscope (of Yogi Bhaskarananda) that flower is the Gajakesari yoga in the
9th house. Both Jupiter and the Moon are in a blemishless condition here. There is no
aspect of any planet on it nor any conjunction. The 4th lord in the 9th is the ashram and
there is Jupiter here. But what is the ashram of a guru? A scholar has explained, "Aa-
Samantaat Shramah" - the place where all types of labour is to be done. Is there any place
fulfilling such condition?

Mars in the 4th

Sick of the politics of the ashram he had come back to Ahmedabad. His Guru had assured
him that he would appear after his samadhi (death). Such divine hope assumes the shape of
life's effulgence.

Perhaps this had happened in Jupiter-Mars (1966-67), which he wanted to erase from his
memory. But subtle hurts are unbearable, particularly if they come from a person whom you
venerate. Jupiter and Mars are 6/8 here.

In the crematorium like silence of his house, in Jupiter-Rahu (1967-69) he, as though,
wanted to live down that memory. Two currents flowed in his life side by side, to stop that
interminable flow of his sobs and the unbroken spells of meditation which was like the flow
of oil.

Saturnine detachment became strong as soon as the mahadasha of Saturn started. Deep
thinking in his cloistered life was very natural now because in the Vimshamsha both Saturn
and the Moon are in the 9th house. As his sadhana (spiritual practice) deepened he started
getting disinterested in astrology. When he did the discussion of any horoscope, he paid
attention to two aspects invariably. When and how will Life-Force flow and the spiritual side.
This is the essence of Jyotisha which is a truth-based preaching.

Blessings
Were someone to ask me if I have seen anyone's blessings give fruits a hundred percent I
will say, without a moment's hesitation, "Yes, my Jyotish guru's."

The aspect of Jupiter on his Ketu in the 5th house had given him such supernatural power
that he did not need astrology anymore.
Who came to him why and with concealed motive--he knew all that. I must have taken at
least one hundred astrologers to him. He blessed only a young girl that jyotisha will be a
divine eye for her, which came out correct. Others are the shopkeepers in a bazaar minting
money like street ruffians.

Last Darshan
In 1988, he once rang me up from Neetibag and said, "Will you not come to meet me? We
will not meet after this."

When I met him last, he was passing through the antardasha of Jupiter in the mahadasha of
Saturn. He had faraway looks, the past had disappeared from his life and it was only the
Luminescent Present that remained. His eyes were, as though, inebriated, it was that, it was
that God-intoxicated condition which Meerabai described:

Friends drink and dance,

I, without drinking, dance.
Quaffed have I God's Love,
 Incessant is inebriation now
Dyed I am, in God's splendor.

On 12 April 1991, while singing a bhajan in his Ahmedabad ashram, he fell into the immortal
slumber of ultimate Samadhi. (It was his Mer-Mer-Sat dasha).

What is Guru Chandala Yoga?

September 19, 2006

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By K.N. Rao from Tried Techniques of Predictions - ch. 5

What is Guru Chandala Yoga is worth exploring. First see some parameters I have evolved
after seeing Guru Chandala Yoga and watching behaviors of persons who have it in their
horoscopes.

Parameters
1. Guru (Jupiter) must be afflicted by Rahu.
2. Or, Jupiter conjoined with Ketu is aspected by a malefic.
3. The 9th house and Jupiter are afflicted.
4. If there is a connection between the 6th and 9th lords, one of them a malefic or
retrograde, and both of them forming some sort of relationship there is an element of Guru
Chandala Yoga.
5. The results of Guru Chandala Yoga should be manifest most in the mahadashas or the
antaradashas of Rahu and Jupiter. Though operative in the whole of life, its virulence seems
to be felt most in the dashas of Jupiter and Rahu, in their mahadashas and antardashas.
9th House and Afflicted Jupiter
Jupiter, representing idealism, if not retrograde and aspected by a malefic, or if weak or ill
placed, must diminish or even mar one's idealism. A good, well-placed and unafflicted
Jupiter is seen in the lives of those of those who stick to idealism even if their enemies
increase and, also their difficulties. Jupiter represents tradition which includes respect for all
gurus starting with mother, father, and mantra guru and shikshakas (teachers).

It will be seen that, in all cases, afflicted Jupiter and Rahu are the central points of Guru
Chandala Yoga. But afflicted 9th or 5th lords must be there to ruin the finer tradition of
families, societies and even nations. The 5th and 9th houses are the houses of spiritual
merit of this and the past life.
 The Use of Divisional Charts in Dasha Analysis
August 14, 2006

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.

When the birth time is accurate the divisional charts, or vargas, can be relied upon to give
deeper insights into the nature of a dasha period. This is a chart of a woman who began her
20 year mahadasha of Venus in 2002. Since that time she has become very interested in
healing work, particularly hands-on energy healing. Notice how Venus is the 8th lord, the
house of subtle life force, prana, and transformation, and conjunct Rahu a planet of subtle
energy.

This interest in healing is reinforeced in both the navamsha chart, the most important
divisional chart (9th division), and the dashamsha chart, related to career (10th division). In
the navamsha chart, Venus is again the 8th lord, conjunct the Sun, the significator of the
body, and 6th lord of healing, while also being aspected by the 10th lord of career, Jupiter.
This pattern repeats in the dashamsha chart with Venus, the 8th lord again, in the 6th house
with Jupiter, the 10th lord, who exchanges signs with the 6th lord Sun.

By consulting the divisional charts we are able to gain more confidence in our initial
interpretation of the natal chart. For this reason, it is always recommended that no
predictions should be made without consulting at least the Navamsha chart, and preferably
other divisional charts relevant to the queries at hand, as well. For instance, for career
questions, the dashamsha chart is consulted in addition to the Navamsha and Rasi charts,
as shown in this example.

Natal Chart

Navamsha Chart

Dashamsha Chart
 Swami Vivekananda and Detachment
August 11, 2006

Vedic Astrology Diary Archives

By K.N. Rao, from Dips into Divinity, Astrology, & History

The combination of Saturn and the Moon in the 10th house made Swami Vivekananda very
sensitive, and very sad sometimes. It is a combination for detachment (vairagya) also. It had
to come through an agonizing search because Saturn is with the 8th lord Moon, the planet
of emotions and is aspecting Rahu in the 12th house, which is the house of salvation. This
Rahu is aspected by Mars, the 5th lord of mantras. This concentration of three influences on
the 12th house makes Saturn, the planet of detachment, a significant factor in spiritual
development. So Rahu-Saturn period in the life of Naren (Vivekananda) is important
for his spiritual development, is what must be noted here.

Natal Chart of Swami Vivekananda