A

Night at the Grammy Awards

The Astrology of
Sudden Fame

By Marc Boney M.A,

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Table of Contents
Copyright: 2
Meditation Teacher to the Stars 4
The Rhythm and Blues Singer 5
Raja Yogas 5
The Astrology of Fame 7
Variations on a Theme 11
The Dashamsha for Career Achievement 13
Rock Around the Cosmic Clock 17
Chandra Lagna 19
Surya Lagna 20
The Importance of the Pratyantar Dasha
21
Lord in Timing Events
That Astrological Enigma--The 8th House 23
The Rise of Other Pop Music Stars 24
Kim Carnes 24
Whitney Houston 29
Aretha Franklin 33
Sheena Easton 35
An Evening with the Star(s) 39
Technical Summary 42
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About the Author 44

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 Dedicated to Shri K.N. Rao

Who ignited in me the light of Jyotisha

“Jyotisha is the art of seeing light, of guiding, of
counseling based on the truth called the horoscope.
Jyotisha is the pathway to God through the mazes of
intuitions and the brilliance of an organized science,
like any other science. Jyotisha is the fusion of the
divine with the mundane, the metaphysical with the
scientific methodology, a divine chorus of the music of
the heavens and the dance of the stars. It is that divine
ballet, Jyotisha, which is at once both a divinity and
science that we are presenting.”

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Meditation Teacher to the Stars

When he called for an appointment and gave me his
birth data, I didn’t recognize it at first. But later when I
ran the chart, the planetary patterns looked very
familiar. And no wonder, they were nearly identical to
those of a woman I had almost married! “This should
be interesting,” I can remember thinking.

As it turned out, there were some striking parallels

between Brent’s life and that of my former paramour.
It was not surprising then when we hit it off
immediately, and subsequently became fast friends.
Little did I realize at the time what a boon that would be
for my astrological case file.

As it turned out, Brent is a close associate of Dr.

Deepak Chopra, the best-selling author on mind/body
medicine who is currently being hailed in the popular
press as something of a New Age guru. This high
profile has attracted many “stars” from all walks of life,
seeking relief from the stresses and strains of life. His
organization, including the beautiful new Chopra
Center for Well-Being, offers wonderful programs
drawing on the many therapeutic techniques of Yoga
and Ayurveda.

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As one of the main teacher’s at the Center, Brent has
taught meditation to a number of celebrities, many of
whom he now counts among his personal friends.
Eventually, the conversation seems to get around to
Jyotisha, and I end up getting a call with a request to
run a chart.

The Rhythm and Blues Singer

One such call came in recently. The acclaimed rhythm

and blues artist, Bonnie Raitt was in town for some
rejuvenation at the Center. “Would I be willing to do a
reading?” It seems this musician has been a successful
recording artist throughout her career, but experienced a
sudden, rather meteoric rise to great fame in middle
age, winning four Grammys in one year. Since then,
enormous success and many more awards have
followed.

Needless to say, I was intrigued. Like any self-

respecting astro-scientist, I began to speculate about this
precipitous rise in career fortunes. Did this artist move
from one major planetary period to another at this
time? And was that planet part of a strong raja yoga, or
fame-bringing combination. You can bet your lucky
stars on it.

Raja Yogas

One of the features that differentiate Jyotisha from

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Western astrology is the use of various planetary
combinations, known as yogas. The classical literature
of Vedic astrology contains a vast number of these
along with their associated meaning. They are like
formulas, and range from the very simple with just two
variables, to the very complex involving many variables
and conditions that must be present for the meaning to
be operative in the person’s life.
An example of these are combinations called raja-
yogas (literally, “royal unions”) that “elevate” a person,
and can bring promotion, position, success, and in some
instances, great fame, during their periods and sub-
periods. In the essentially feudal society in which the
classical literature on Jyotisha came into being, these
combinations showed the karmic potential for literally
becoming a “king” or “queen.” In the modern context,
they raise a person to a position of power and status in
their chosen line of endeavor. Elvis Presley is still
referred to as “The King” in the pop music world.

The vast ocean that is Jyotisha identifies many such

raja-yogas, but the simplest variety is:

Any combination of the lords of the trine houses--1, 5,

9-- and the lords of the angle houses--1, 4, 7, 10.

Having said this, it is very important to understand that

the qualitative results of these combinations will vary
considerably based on the following factors:

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 1. The natural quality and significations of

the planets involved

2. The over-all strength and condition of

these planets based on their placement by

house, sign, and nakshatra.
3. The specific meaning of trine and angles

houses they rule an other planets that

influence the the raja yoga-giving planets.
4. The re-occurrence of the raja-yoga

combination in relevant divisional charts.

5. The dasha of these planets occurring at the

appropriate time in a person’s life. For

example, a combination that would be good
for rock stardom occurring at age 80 goes for
naught!

With these considerations in mind, I now propose to

examine the chart of our award-winning musician. On
the night the artist won four Grammys, the Vimshottari
dasha sequence was Saturn/Saturn/Sun.

The Astrology of Fame

Now see the birth chart.

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To even a beginning student of Jyotisha, the potential
for great success and fame in the Saturn major period
should be obvious. For an Aries ascendant, Saturn
rules the most powerful angle—the 10th house of career
—as well as the 11th house of honors, awards,
recognition, and gains. Here it is very well placed in a
trikona house, the 5th house of creativity.

This placement of the lord of an angle in a trine house is

itself a raja-yoga combination. More importantly, it is
also conjunct Mars, who rules the 1st house and
represents the personality, just as the 10th lord

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represents the career life.

This combination of the 1st lord and the 10th lord is a

powerful raja-yoga, made even more powerful by
falling in the trikona 5 house. Also see that in this
th

chart the 5th house is Leo—the sign of royalty—which

in the modern context more often means celebrity. A
picture of stardom begins to emerge.

Yet one might ask, “Where’s the music in any of this?”

Though the 5th house has been connected with
creativity since ancient times, Saturn and Mars are not
planets normally associated with music and other art
forms. This is where greater subtlety in interpretation
comes into play. Planets give their results based partly
on the lord of the sign and nakshatra in which they are
placed.

Note that Mars and Saturn, the planets forming this

raja-yoga, fall in a sign ruled by the Sun, who thereby
becomes their dispositor. As such, the Sun controls the
expression of these two planets. See now that the Sun
goes into the artistic, Venus-ruled sign of Libra.
Furthermore, they both also fall in the nakshatra,
Poorva Phalguni, ruled by Venus, the planet of music
and artistry.

The lord of the 10th in the 5th house of creativity,

disposited by a planet in an artistic rashi, and placed in
a nakshatra of Venus shows the musical/artistic career

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orientation.

And while we are following this trail of associations, it

is worthwhile to note that the aritist’s Venus is very
well placed in the 9th house and is disposited by
Jupiter, who goes into the 10th house of career.
Parenthetically, the 9th house rules father, and Venus
there reflects that fact that the artist’s father, John Raitt
was also a musical performer of some renown, a leading
man of Broadway in his day.

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Variations on a Theme

My jyotish-guru, K.N. Rao emphasizes repeatedly the
importance of the navamsha and other divisional charts
for substantiating potentials inherent in the birth chart.
He has even suggested that in instances where the
navamsha contradicts the birth chart, judgment should
be based more on this divisional chart, providing, of
course, that the birth time is accurate. My own
experience has validated this point of view.

A raja-yoga combination in a birth chart will only give

its full potential in the dashas of the planets involved if
these planets remain strong in the navamsha, and even
more so, if they continue to participate in raja-yoga
combinations.

Now see the navamsha of our award-winning musician,

Bonnie Raitt

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Saturn is again in the favorable 5th house of creativity,
and again rules an angle—the 7th house. Since the
navamsha lagna is Cancer, Mars has a special role to
play, ruling both a trine (the 5th house) and an angle
(the 10th house) by itself. As such, it is referred to as a
raja-yogakaraka for this ascendant, meaning it can by
itself give raja-yoga. More importantly, it remains
strongly connected to Saturn in another powerful raja-
yoga combination involving the 5th house of creativity
and the 10th house of career.

The connection between Saturn and Mars in the

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navamsha exists in two ways.

1. Saturn is in the sign ruled by Mars

(connection through dispositorship)

2. They are in mutual aspect

In the birth chart Saturn rules the 10th house of career

and is conjunct Mars in the 5th house. Here we see
Mars ruling both the 10th house and the 5th house, in
mutual aspect with and as the dispositor of Saturn in the
5th house. The navamsha shows the same raja-yoga
combination involving the same planets and houses,
only as a variation on a theme.

The Dashamsha for Career Achievement

Another distinguishing feature between Western

Astrology and Jyotisha is the use of the 16 vargas, or
divisional charts. These lend a refinement, a subtlety,
one might even say an elegance, to horoscopic analysis
that oftentimes takes my breath away. For getting a
finer “read” on career achievement, the Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra tells us we must look to the
one-tenth division, or the dashamsha.

Coming back to the example of our recording artist, the

relevant question becomes what happens to the two
raja-yoga forming planets, Saturn and Mars, in this
division? Have a look.

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Mars is again a stand-alone indicator of raja yoga,
ruling the 10 house of career, and Saturn is in the 10
th th

house. The connection between the two is now through

dispositorship. Saturn is in the sign of Mars, Aries.

This is additional substantial corroboration for great

career success in the Saturn major period.

But this dashamsha warrants much closer scrutiny,

since the event in question—the winning of four
Grammys in one night--is a career achievement.
Moreover, it is career achievement as a recording artist

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in the pop music world. Based on the limited amount I
know about this person, they have been immersed in
music their whole life. They grew up in a musical
family, and have been a musical performer ever since.
If Jyotisha is an accurate model of this person’s life
experience, their birth chart, the navamsha, and in
particular, their dashamsha must reflect that reality. It
is worthwhile then, to look at this dashamsha in detail,
with a special focus on Saturn since it is the relevant
dasha lord.

However, before doing so, I would like to re-visit for a

moment some parameters outlined in a previous article
entitled Portrait of an Artist in the Making. These
answer the question, “What is it in the astrological
make-up of an individual that produces an artist?” Or,
approaching the question in a different way, “If we
looked at the birth charts of all the famous artists, living
and past, what would be some common
denominators?”

Though it is beyond the scope of this article to answer

these questions definitively, the following is a
simplified outline. People gravitate towards the arts as
a result of the dominant influence in their charts of:

1. Venus and its signs, Libra and Taurus

2. The other natural benefics, Moon,

Mercury, Jupiter, and their signs. Of these,

the so-called feminine signs (Cancer, Virgo,

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 and Pisces) are the most significant.
3. The Sun and Leo as significators of “show

business,” “performance,” and “star power.”

4. The connection of these to the 10th and

6th houses of career/employment, and the 3rd

house of artistic performance.
5. The 5 house of creativity.

th

If we apply these parameters to the dashamsha of our

example chart, we can see to what degree this person
was born to rock’n roll.

Note first that all planets are in the signs of natural

benefics with the exception of Saturn. This is very
striking.

Venus, the significator of artistry in general, and music

in particular, is beautifully placed in its exaltation sign,
Pisces, and falls in the best trine, the 9th house of good
fortune.

Mars, the 10th lord and raja yogakaraka planet for

Cancer lagna, aspects this exalted Venus, and is
disposited by Jupiter who goes into the Venus-ruled,
artistic rashi, Libra. There it forms a powerful Gaja-
Kesari Yoga with the lagna lord Moon, which aspects
onto the 10th house of career.

Our dasha lord, Saturn, goes into the 10 house and

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participates in the Moon-Jupiter combination that is

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raja yoga, as well as the Jupiter-Venus exchange that
also forms a raja-yoga. Is it any wonder that the Saturn
dasha has brought notable artistic success and musical
fame?

The aspect of Mars onto Venus, who through

association also carries the influence of Ketu and Rahu,
shows the type of music the artist performs. This is not
a classical musician, which would be reflected more by
the influence of Jupiter on the musical planet, Venus.
Here Venus comes under the influence of Mars
(instinctual rhythm, and driving beat).

Having seen now the promise of significant musical

achievement during the Saturn major period, let’s return
now to a night at the Grammys.

Rock Around the Cosmic Clock

Those new to Jyotisha must come to appreciate that
whereas the birth chart and its divisions show what may
happen, it is the different dasha systems that show
when something happens.

When you see a person’s life undergo a major change,

when it’s apparent that they have moved into a whole
new phase of their existence, chances are good that their
birth chart reflects a change from one major (or minor)
planetary period to another.

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When I first heard about this sudden catapulting to
musical fame, this was my surmise, and it turned out to
be correct. Within months after moving into the Saturn
major period, this recording artist released a song that
became an off-the-charts hit. Approximately a year
later, a night at the Grammys ended with four awards.
How is this to be understood astrologically?

An intriguing aspect of this case is that this musical

artist didn’t make it big until comparatively late in her
career, which may serve as inspiration to the many
struggling musicians out there! Though the rise to fame
came sudden and precipitously, success in general was
definitely not “overnight.” Prior to the Saturn period,
there was the sixteen-year period of Jupiter. It too had
to bring some measure of career success. Why?

1. In the birth chart, Jupiter is lord of the

favorable 9th house and is placed in the 10th

house of career.

2. Though in its sign of debilitation in the

rashi, it is vargottama and in an angle in the

navamsha.

3. In the dashamsha, Jupiter participates in a

strong Gaji-Kesari yoga aspecting into the

10th house and is in a raja yoga-producing
exchange with an exalted Venus.

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But see that both in the birth chart and the navamsha
Jupiter is in the sign of its debility, Capricorn. This
brings some weakness, and therefore this Jupiter cannot
give exceptionally good results. My impression is that
during this period they could “make it,” but fell short of
“making it big.”

However, then came the Saturn period and the career

skyrocketed because of Saturn’s lordship of the 10th
house of career, and it’s participation in a significant
raja-yoga. Additionally, we saw how this planetary
combination has the necessary staying power in the
relevant divisional charts as well.

Chandra Lagna

In the classical approach to chart analysis, and in the

analysis of the Vimshottari dasha lord, the view from
Chandra Lagna—the sign placement of the natal Moon
—must also invariably be seen. In this chart the Moon
is in its exaltation sign, Taurus, adding to the artistic
inclinations. But the main point to see is that for Taurus
lagna, Saturn, the dasha lord, is the raja yogakaraka
planet. Due to its combined lordship of 9th and the
10th house it can create raja yoga by itself. From this
angle it goes into the 4th house with Mars who becomes
another kendra lord, and together they aspect into the
10th house Aquarius, Saturn’s own sign. From the
viewpoint of Chandra Lagna, Saturn is every bit as

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qualified to bring great career success and fame.

Surya Lagna

In classics like Varahamihira’s Brihat Jataka, the use of
Surya Lagna, the sign containing the Sun is also
recommended for a complete view. Why? The Vedic
conception of life and man recognizes three primary
planes of existence, known in metaphysics as the
physical realm, the astral realm, and the causal realm.
The physical level of an individual is represented in the
birth chart by the ascendant (birth lagna); the
mental/emotional level by the Moon (Chandra lagna);
and the spirit level by the Sun (Surya lagna). A
complete view of the total person would need to take
into account all three.

Now the fascinating thing about this example is that

from the sign placement of the Sun in Libra, Saturn is
also a raja yoga karaka planet! By virtue of its
lordship of the 4th and 5th house, Saturn again has the
power to give superb results, particularly since from
this lagna it falls into the 11th house of gains,
recognition, and awards—like Grammys.

Now look at the dashamsha. See that the Sun and

Moon have exchanged position from their placement in
the birth chart. Which means that from Chandra and
Surya lagna in this chart of career achievement, Saturn
is again a raja-yoga karaka.

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From the total view recommended by the classics, this
Saturn is supremely qualified to bring fame. However,
this still does not explain the 4 Grammys in the period
of Saturn/Saturn/Sun.

The Importance of the Pratyantar Dasha Lord in

Timing Events

It is the sub-sub-period lord that precipitates an event,

in the context of the general and specific themes
established by the dasha and antardasha lords.

The pratyantar dasha lord for Grammy night was the

Sun. Earlier I raised the question of why this
combination of Saturn/Saturn/Sun would be so potent.
The answer lies in the connection of the Sun to Saturn
and the raja-yoga combination in all three charts, and
the house position of the Sun in the divisional charts.
Have a peek again.

1. In the birth chart, the Sun is the dispositor

of the Saturn-Mars raja-yoga combination. It

joins with Mercury, the 3rd lord of
performance, in the artistic sign of Libra.
Though the Sun is in the sign of its debility,
there is some cancellation since the exaltation
lord Mars is in a kendra from the Moon.

2. In the navamsha, it is exalted in the 10th

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 house of career. The connection to the Mars-
Saturn raja-yoga combination is again
through the principle of dispositorship. Both
Saturn and the Sun fall in Mars-ruled signs.
They share a common dispositor, and in this
case it is the very planet that creates raja-
yoga with Saturn. But now see that Mars and
the Sun are in each other’s sign! This is
known as a parivarthana yoga, or exchange,
and is one of the strongest ways that two
planets can be connected.

3. In the dashamsha, the Sun goes into the

11th house of awards, and is disposited by an

exalted Venus in the 9 house of good
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fortune.

This Sun—by virtue of its subtle connections to the
fame-giving raja-yoga, and its own position in the
relevant divisional charts—is thereby uniquely
empowered to precipitate the inherent potentials of the
career-skyrocketing Saturn period. The result was four
of the highest accolades the industry had to offer in one
evening, and many more thereafter.

One more observation may be relevant. The

relationship of the period and sub-period lord Saturn to
the sub-sub-period lord Sun in both the birth chart and
the dashamsha is 3/11. That is, using the position of
the dasha lord Saturn as a lagna, the Sun is in the third

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house and in Venus-ruled, artistic signs. Recall now
that one of the parameters given earlier was the
association of the 3rd house to artistic performance.

That Astrological Enigma--The 8th House

The one feature of this experience left to consider is the

relatively sudden and precipitous rise to fame brought
about by the advent of the Saturn period. This is can be
seen in the connection of the 8th house to the Saturn-
Mars raja-yoga combination.

The 8th house—itself the house of “mystery”—often

gives mysterious, difficult to gage results as well. This
much is certain, it shows sudden “breaks,” “reversals of
fortune,” and “discontinuity.” The researches of my
jyotish-guru have shown that whenever there is a
sudden, precipitous rise (or fall!) in a person’s
circumstances and fortunes, the 8th house or the 8th
lord comes into play.

And so it does in our example. Note that the dasha lord

Saturn:

is conjunct the 8th lord in the birth chart

is the 8th lord in the navamsha
is also the 8th lord in the dashamsha

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The Rise of Other Pop Music Stars

Using the principles outlined in the case study given
above, let’s look now at other pop female vocalists and
when they came to prominence. Remember that we are
looking for the activation of a good quality raja yoga in
the dasha sequence, as well as confirmation of this in
the navamsha and dashamsha. Additionally, we are
looking for the roll of Venus and the Venus-ruled signs,
Libra and Taurus, in giving success as a musical artist.
Parenthetically, all the birth data used comes from birth
certificates.

Kim Carnes

Singer Kim Carnes is another pop music star whose

greatest success occurred more towards middle age.
She is known for her raspy voice, and in beginning in
May of 1981, her smash hit, “Bette Davis Eyes,” topped
the charts for nine weeks consecutively. She was
running Venus-Moon.

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A quick glance at her Venus reveals why this
mahadasha proved so extraordinary in terms of success
and fame as a musical artist. Her Venus is both the 3 rd

lord of performance and the 10 lord of career. It is

th

well placed in its own sign Taurus in the 10 house,

th

giving Malavya Yoga, one of the five combinations

indicating a “great personality” or significant person. It
is a particularly strong Malavya Yoga since it re-occurs
from the Moon sign, Scorpio. The benefic, Jupiter, also
aspects this Venus from the 2 house, Virgo.
nd

But this planet of music is also with Mars, the 9 lord

th

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and yogakaraka planet for Leo lagna. This combination
of the 10 lord Venus and the 9 lord, Mars, falling in
th th

the 10 house is identified by the classics of Jyotisha as

th

one of the highest quality raja yogas.

According to the principles given in the Laghu

Parashari for interpreting the fructification of yogas,
this Venus would give its full fruits in the sub-periods
of the planets most closely associated with it. This
would be during the sub-period of Mars with whom
Venus is conjunct and the sub-period of the Moon with
whom Venus is in mutual aspect. And it was exactly
so. In May of 1981 she was running Venus-Moon,
which was followed by Venus-Mars. It was during
these two sub-periods that her star was at its zenith.

Both her navamsha and dashamsha confirm great fame

in Venus-Moon.

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If the recorded time from her birth certificate is accurate
enough to give a correct navamsha lagna, her Venus
and Moon do not give an obvious raja yoga
combination.

However, note that they do exchange signs, creating the

strongest connection between them, and that their
mutual relationship is 4-10. If we use the Moon in the
navamsha as a lagna, this exchange becomes a
powerful 1-10 raja yoga.

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Venus does clearly give raja yoga in her dashamsha
since it is the 1 lord in mutual aspect with the
st

yogakaraka planet Saturn, who is well placed in its own

sign Capricorn. The Venus-Moon connection
continues, since Venus is in the Moon’s sign, Cancer.
Note also that Venus is in the 3 house of performance.
rd

According to the concept of raja yoga, her Venus

period had to give her great fame as an artist, and in the
sub-periods of the Moon and Mars.

As a final note, mention was made earlier of her

distinctive raspy voice. The 2 house and the 2 lord
nd nd

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are said to indicate the voice in Jyotisha. Note that her
2 lord Mercury receives the aspect of the two worst
nd

malefics Mars and Saturn. Recall now the chart given

earlier in the first example and see that her second
house contains a fairly bright, exalted Moon.
Influences on the 2 house, 2 lord will show the voice
nd nd

quality.

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is another pop diva who achieved

fame in her Venus period.

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In her chart, Venus can give raja yoga without
combining with any planet because it simultaneously
rules both an angle and trine house. For her Aquarius
lagna, Venus rules the 4 and 9 . However, the mutual
th th

aspect of Venus with Saturn, the lagna lord, makes this

planet even more capable of bringing enormous success
and fame. Predictably, the height of this fame came in
the Venus-Saturn-Venus period in November of 1992
with the release of the movie and sound track “The
Body Guard.” The single from this sound track became
the biggest selling of all time.

Since she has a vargottama navamsha lagna (meaning

it is the same as in the birth chart), Venus is again a
yogakaraka planet, and the mutual aspect with Rahu
shows her first coming to fame in the Venus-Rahu
period. Her debut album during this time was also the
biggest selling ever. Saturn continues to show raja
yoga here as well, being the lagna lord involved in an
exchange with the 7 lord Sun.
th

30
31
The Venus-Rahu connection continues in the
dashamsha, showing the importance of this sub-period,
as does the Venus-Saturn connection, with Saturn
falling in Taurus, the sign of Venus.

Her Venus gives raja yoga and the repeated connection

with Rahu and Saturn in the birth chart, or relevant
divisional charts, shows the importance of these sub-
periods for giving the full fruit of yoga.

The 2 lord Jupiter well placed in its own house with

nd

the Moon forming Gaja Kesari Yoga shows her “big

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voice.”

Aretha Franklin

The chart of Aretha Franklin, Motown’s “Queen of

Soul,” provides another good example of a pop female
vocalist rising to stardom under the influence of a
yogakaraka planet with a Venusian flavoring. See her
chart given below.

In the late Sixties Aretha, a church gospel signer, signed

33
a recording contract with Alantic records and shot to
fame. It was her Saturn-Jupiter period. Both the birth
chart and the navmasha show it so clearly.

Saturn is the yogakaraka planet for her Venus-ruled

Libra lagna. It is conjunct with the 3 lord of
rd

performance, Jupiter, in the Venus-ruled sign, Taurus.

Not only that, but Saturn is involved in an exchange
with Venus, who aspects the 10 house of career from
th

its placement in the 4 house.

th

Could the significance of the Saturn-Jupiter period for

giving high-quality raja yoga and hence, great fame, be

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more obvious? Saturn is the 10 lord of the navamsha,
th

strong in its own sign/house. Jupiter is the 9 lord in the

th

4 house, exalted. The learning point here is that when

th

two planets in the birth chart show a particular promise

as Saturn-Jupiter does here, the promise is a real one if
the grahas involved have strength. One of the main
uses of the navamsha in Jyotisha is to see that
underlying strength.

Saturn shows raja yoga clearly in the dashamsha as

well, where it is again the yogakaraka planet, ruling
both the 9 and 10 house, strongly placed its own sign
th th

Capricorn.

Notice also that in her birth chart, the 2 lord Mars

nd

aspects its own 2 house, making this house pertaining

nd

to the voice “prosper.”

Sheena Easton

British singer, Sheena Easton, catapulted to great fame
during her Sun period, and once again, it is a high
quality raja yoga formed by this planet that tells the
story.

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Her Sun at 13 degrees of Aries is just 3 degrees past its
highest point of exaltation, and as the lagna lord in the
9 house, it gives a superior raja yoga. In the early
th

80’s she had an amazing musical career, refusing to be

categorized, and set chart records by having Top Five
hits in the pop, adult contemporary, R&B, dance, and
country charts. It was the period of Sun-Venus.

Like Kim Carnes, her Venus is both the 3 lord of

rd

performance and the 10 lord of career, well placed in

th

the 10 house Taurus. This also gives Malavya Yoga.

th

But then see the connection of these two planets in the

36
navamsha and dashamsha to understand the great
significance of the Sun-Venus period.

The Sun becomes the 10 lord and combines with

th

Venus in the 9 house, again forming raja yoga.

th

37
Now see her dashamsha. The Sun and Venus combine
again in the 5 house, and as the 5 lord with the 7 lord,
th th th

they again form a raja yoga-giving combination. Here

is the Sun is also strong in its own sign.

According to the principles of Jyotisha, Sun-Venus had

to bring her great fame. And like with Aretha Franklin,
we see how her 2 lord Mercury, though in its
nd

debilitation sign, Pisces, aspects onto its own 2 house

nd

of the voice.

38
An Evening with the Star(s)

Bonny Raitt, the recording artist whose chart we looked

at first turned out to be a lively, delightful personality
with a ready wit. Underlying this comedic persona, I
sensed a penetrating intelligence that asked me some
very sharp questions, and immediately grasped the
philosophical implications of it all. It turned out to be
very enjoyable evening.

Unfortunately, I had no familiarity with the recordings

that won the awards since I never listen to the radio.
Hearing of this, she graciously offered to send me some
tapes in appreciation for my consultation. I looked
forward to these since, having seen the event in the stars
I would be able to spend a real Night at the Grammy
Awards

39
All Praise to the Rishis and Their Divine Science of
Jyotisha

Jai Guru Dev

40

Marc Boney
1997

41
Technical Summary

1. The promise of great career success and

resulting fame is indicated in a birth chart by

high-quality raja-yoga combinations. This is
particularly so when they continue to hold
true from Chandra and Surya lagnas and are
present in the navamsha and the dashamsha
as well.

2. The condition and strength of the raja

yoga-forming planets must also be seen in

gauging the magnitude of the results.

3. This static promise gets dynamically

fulfilled during the dashas and antardashas of

planets comprising the raja-yoga, whereas the
pratyantar dasha or sub-sub-period times
events.

4. Artistic success is indicated by the

connection of the raja-yoga to the artistic

planet, Venus, as well as the Venus-ruled
signs and nakshatras. The natural benefics
and their signs, particularly the feminine
signs, incline towards artistry as well.

5. The 11 house rules honors, recognitions,

th

and awards, whereas the 8 house relates to

th

sudden, oftentimes unexpected reversals in

42
fortune, whether good or bad.

43


About the Author

Marc Boney M.A. is an internationally renowned

astrological teacher, writer and consultant. He has been
involved since 1974 with the integration of the ancient
wisdom of astrology with the counseling arts. He
received his training in Jyotisha primarily from K.N.
Rao, one of the world’s foremost Vedic astrologers. His
focus is on using the Vedic system to help guide people
in their lives, as well as training others.

Marc has been a featured speaker at international

conferences, is a faculty member of the American
College of Vedic Astrology, and was the main presenter
on Jyotisha at the Chopra Center for Well-Being from
2000 to 2002. He is the author of 50 articles on this
topic, and two soon-to-be published books.

The Institute of Astrology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, of

New Delhi, India honored Marc with a Distinguished

44
Service Award for his contributions to the advancement
of Vedic Astrology in the West.

Marc recently founded the Pacific Institute of Vedic

Science, which will be offering quality educational
programs in Yoga, Ayurveda, and Jyotisha in the San
Diego area where he lives.

Prior to his current full-time involvement with these

Vedic sciences, Marc held positions in the corporate
world as a Director of Human Resources, Outplacement
Consultant, and Leadership Consultant.

Marc holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and a BA

in English Literature from Northwestern University in
Chicago, Illinois.

He is a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation since

1971 and later trained as a teacher and taught TM in the
late 70’s.

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