The Vedic Signs by Hank Friedman
Since mankind’s earliest days on Earth, the movement of the Sun across the heavens has garnered our rapt attention. We can measure the Sun’s path from two different vantage points: in reference to our own position on the Earth, or in reference to the backdrop of the stars. For many purposes, such as hunting, planting, harvesting, and other seasonal events, observing the Sun’s passage relative to one’s physical location has been of vital importance. The movement of the Sun (and the planets) across the eld of stars has been valued, on the other hand, for selecting propitious times for both mundane proceedings and spiritual rituals, for navigation, and for predicting astronomical events. Astrologers also use both methods of reckoning. Western astrologers use the seasonal or tropical zodiac, where the signs are based upon the annual movement of the Sun in relationship to the Earth. The tropical sign of Aries begins at the point in the sky where the Sun crosses the equator going north
on the rst day of Spring (for the Northern HemiHemi sphere), around March 21. Vedic astrologers, however, use the stellar or sidereal zodiac, where the sidereal sign of Aries is determined by the placement of the stars in the zodiacal constellations of the night sky. For the 21st century, the Sun enters sidereal Aries around April 15. The tropical zodiac reects how the changes of the seasons, weather, and light and dark affect us, whereas the sidereal zodiac reveals our place among the stars, our place in the Universe. Since the signs in both zodiacs have the same names and many of the same characteristics, this can confuse astrologers, leading some to believe that one zodiac must be right and the other wrong. But in fact, those who use the tropical zodiac do so in ways that differ from those who employ the sidereal zodiac. It is vitally important to emphasize here that, in the hands of a talented practitioner, all methods of astrology using either zodiac can offer accurate and profound delineations.
The example charts throughout this article use signs in the sidereal zodiac, not the tropical zodiac. Author’s Note: Note: The
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The Vedic Signs But how did both kinds of signs end up with the same names? The most likely explanation is that, during the early years of Western astrology, the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were virtually aligned (at most, only a few degrees apart), so there was little need to distinguish between them. In fact, many Western astrologers today don’t realize that the signs they use (in the tropical zodiac) no longer occupy the same space as the constellations they were originally named after. For example, if you look up at the night s ky when the Moon is in the early-to-middle degrees of Virgo in a Western chart, visually it will be traversing the constellation of Leo. Astronomers sometimes try to use this fact to deride modern astrology, not realizing that a zodiac based upon the seasons is just as valid as one based upon constellational positions. As implied above, the two zodiacs have diverged from each other. Because the Earth is not a perfect sphere but is wider at the equator, it wobbles in its orbit; as a result, the seasons and the position of the Sun relative to the Earth shift in relationship to the constellations. In fact, the tropical sign of Aries coincides with the constellation of Aries for only a small fraction of the 26,000year precessional cycle. Within Vedic astrology (also called Jyotish), the difference between the zodiacs is called the ayanamsha, which means “falling back portion.” Vedic astrologers reckon the beginning of the sidereal zodiac based upon specic star positions; the most commonly used ayanamsha (called the Lahiri or Chitrapaksha ayanamsha) is based upon the position of the star Spica as marker of the beginning of the sidereal sign of Libra. Using the Lahiri ayanamsha, the two zodiacs coincided in 285 C.E. The difference between the zodiacs grows by only about one degree every 72 years. Today, the difference between them is approximately 24 degrees. Therefore, a planet at 25° Cancer in a Western chart is at about 1° Cancer sidereally, and any planet earlier than 24 degrees of any
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Astrologers must come to terms with planets being in one sign tropically and in another sign sidereally. tropical sign will move back to the previous sidereal sign. This divergence continues to increase, so astrologers must come to terms with planets being in one sign tropically and in another sign sidereally. Nevertheless, each zodiac has exceptional value within the astrological system in which it is used. The purpose of this article is to show how Vedic astrologers use the sidereal signs. ( Note: Vedic astrology also makes extensive use of the sidereal zodiac in its system of lunar mansions, the nakshatras. See Linda Johnsen’s ne series of articles on the nakshatras in recent issues of The Mountain Astrologer.) One clear illustration of these contrasting approaches lies in the fact that
Western astrology textbooks usually have delineations of all of the planets in each of the signs, but Vedic classical texts do not. The early references give interpretations only for the rising signs and occasionally for the Moon signs. The later texts that offer planet-in-sign meanings do so by categorizing the planet in the sign of another planet, not in a sign itself — for example, Mars in a sign of Venus, instead of Mars in Taurus or Mars in Libra. Most Vedic classics interpret the rulers of houses (by house, strength, aspects, etc.) in great depth, but house rulers are rarely delineated in most Western astrology textbooks. The entire Vedic system of approach, in other words, is oriented toward planets and using signs as indicating planetary rulerships, as opposed to focusing on the qualities of the signs themselves. This is not to say that the signs lack meaning in Vedic astrology. As you can see from the section below, the signs have rich and detailed signications. But these are secondary to their planetary owners. For example, if a planet is in its sign of exaltation, a Western astrologer
Table 1: Unique Meanings of the Rising Signs in Vedic Astrology Aries . . . . . . round eyes, weak knees, poor appetite, concealing facts, sexy Taurus . . . . . heavy thighs, sacricing, happy in the middle to end of life, enjoys young women Gemini. . . . . fond of dance and music, likes being indoors, sexually indulgent, a mind reader Cancer . . . . . henpecked, many friends, walks fast, few sons, owns many houses, wealthy Leo . . . . . . . large chin, reddish eyes, obeys his mother, wanders in hills, angry at tries Virgo . . . . . . drooping arms and shoulders, few children, takes advantage of others’ wealth Libra . . . . . . spiritual devotee, intent on being rst, brave, has two names, merciless in arguments Scorpio . . . . lotus marks on feet, sick early in life, separated from parents, honored by rulers Sagittarius . . short, always engaged in work, destroys his enemies, won over by kindness Capricorn . . . weak legs, vitality, lazy, has affairs with older women, wanderer, lucky, shameless Aquarius. . . . greedy, clever at causing hurt to others, fond of perfumes, uctuating nances Pisces . . . . . drinks a lot of water, scholar, sharp vision, fond of his wife, grateful, very lucky
sees it as strong. A Vedic astrologer, however, immediately looks at the strength of the planet that rules the exaltation sign, and if that planet is weak, then the exaltation would carry little weight. Similarly, if a planet is in the sign opposite its exalted sign (which Western astrology calls “fall”; and Vedic astrology, “debilitation” or neecha), then again the Vedic astrologer looks at the planet’s dispositor; if the ruler of the debilitation sign is strong, then the debilitation is not only ameliorated but can in fact indicate remarkable abilities. This way of thinking about the profound effect of dispositors upon planets is a central and valuable approach in Vedic astrology. The Vedic Rashis The Vedic term for astrological sign is rashi, which means a “heap of stars.” Whereas modern Western astrology is
Western astrologers consider planets to be weak in the opposite sign to the one ruled, but Vedic astrologers do not. very theme-based — most of the qualities of Taurus, for example, clearly correlate with each other — Vedic astrology is more nonlinear; there is no attempt to merge the various meanings of each sign into coherent themes. The fundamental fact is that Vedic astrologers conceive of and use signs differently than Western astrologers do, and the differing sections of space actually have divergent meanings. We see
this in the classical Vedic interpretations of the signs. In Mantreswara’s 16thcentury classical work, Phala Deepika (trans. S. S. Sareen, Sagar Publications, 1992), the sign of Aries is associated with fear of water — a quality not typically ascribed to tropical Aries in Western astrology. (See Table 1, opposite, for all of the rising signs.) The three modes — cardinal, xed, and mutable — are associated with the same signs as they are in Western astrology; however, they have their own names and meanings in Vedic astrology. Cardinal signs are called moveable and indicate travel and restlessness; fxed signs keep the same name but indicate little likelihood of travel; mutable signs are called dual and indicate alternating between the rst two styles. Table 2 (below) shows that rashis, or Vedic signs, are classied in many
Table 2: Vedic Classications of the Signs Rashi
Ruler
Abode
Dosha
Quality
Direction
How Rises
Mars
mineral lands
Pitta
Moveable
East
Back
Barren
Venus
farms
Vata
Fixed
South
Back
Semi-fertile
Gemini
Mercury
pleasure haunts
mixed
Dual
West
Head
Barren
Cancer
Moon
lakes and ponds
Kapha
Moveable
North
Back
Fertile
Leo
Sun
caves and forests
Pitta
Fixed
East
Head
Barren
Virgo
Mercury
boudoir
Vata
Dual
South
Head
Barren
Libra
Venus
the bazaar
mixed
Moveable
West
Head
Semi-fertile
Scorpio
Mars
inty regions
Kapha
Fixed
North
Head
Fertile
Sagittarius
Jupiter
barracks
Pitta
Dual
East
Back
Semi-fertile
Capricorn
Saturn
rivers
Vata
Moveable
South
Back
Semi-fertile
Aquarius
Saturn
water-pot
Mixed
Fixed
West
Head
Semi-fertile
Pisces
Jupiter
the sea
Kapha
Dual
North
Both
Fertile
Aries Taurus
Fertility
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The Vedic Signs unique ways, which expand upon the meaning of each sign. As you can see from Table 2, the rulership of each sign corresponds with the sign rulerships used in Western astrology until the 20th century. The symmetry of paired rulers is a beautiful thing to observe (see Figure: The Symmetry of Sign Rulerships, right). Vedic astrologers were very careful not to disturb this rulership scheme, even after they introduced additional points into the chart. The abodes listed in Table 2 are a few of the many physical locations associated with each sign. These locations were used for a variety of purposes, including nding lost objects and choosing where to build a house. The three doshas come from the eld of Ayurveda; they are used to assist astrologers in the diagnosis and cure of disease and in making nutritional recommendations.
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Vishnu
Pitta has a ery quality indicating temper, heat, and assertion; Vata has a windy quality indicating sensitivity, ner vousness, and susceptibility to cold; and Kapha has a watery quality indicating heaviness, lethargy, and slowness. The signs’ directions are used for Prashna (Vedic horary astrology) and Vastu (the Vedic counterpart of Feng Shui); the fertility attribute addresses the likelihood of having children. The manner in which a sign rises — head rst, feet rst, or both — has been used to
assess whether a child’s intrauterine and birth conditions will be easy or difcult. One additional classication of the signs is central to the Vedic concept of the aims of life. There are four basic aims of life: Dharma, which indicates integrity and the search for life purpose and corresponds to the re signs and houses (1, 5, and 9); Artha, which indicates livelihood and security needs and corresponds to the earth signs and houses (2, 6, and 10); Kama, which indicates involvement in relationships and the pursuit of pleasure and corresponds to the air signs and houses (3, 7, and 11); and nally Mok sha, which indicates the goal of enlightenment and the lessons in letting go and corresponds to the water signs and houses (4, 8, and 12). Paul Newman is an excellent example of a person with strong dharma, because he has planets in their own re signs in re houses. Renowned for his integrity, Newman has Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 1st house and Mars in Aries in the 5th house. On a more shadowy side, Charles Manson’s charisma gave him tremendous inuence over others;
he has Mercury and Venus (lords of air houses 3 and 7, respectively), as well as the Sun and Jupiter, all in Venus’s sign of Libra in the 7th house (charts not shown). Manson manipulated and seduced his followers with drugs and sex, powerfully playing upon their pursuit of pleasure. Planetary Strength and Stability Both Western and Vedic astrologers see planets as strong in their own signs and signs of exaltation and weak in their sign of debilitation. Western astrologers also consider planets to be weak in the opposite sign(s) to the one(s) ruled, but Vedic astrologers do not. Besides using exaltation and debilitation as indicators of planetary strength and weakness, Vedic astrologers group planets as friends, neutrals, and enemies to each other. When a planet is in the sign of a friend, it is strong (but not as strong as in its own sign or exaltation). When a planet is in the sign of an enemy, it is weak (but not as weak as in debilitation). When a planet is in the sign of a neutral planet, its strength is mediocre or average. (See Table 3, above.) To use Table 3, it is important to understand that the signs of exaltation, ownership, and debilitation supersede the considerations in the table. For instance, even though the Moon is a friend to Mars, Mars is debilitated in Cancer. Similarly, even though Jupiter is a neutral planet for Venus, Venus is exalted in Pisces. Knowing the strength of each planet is of major importance. It allows Vedic astrologers to determine the most inuential planet in any conguration (the strongest planet has the greatest effect, although very weak planets can have potent disruptive effects). Jyotishis (Vedic astrologers) also need to assess whether any of the positive combinations in the chart (the positive yogas) are of real consequence. The rule of thumb is that for a yoga to signicantly lift up the quality of a person’s life, at least one planet in the combination should be strong. In Tom Hanks’s chart, for example (not shown), Venus in its own sign of Taurus in the 10th house is a major indicator of his fame and success. In fact, Hanks has three planets in their
Table 3: Planetary Friendships Friends
Neutrals
Sun
Moon, Mars, Jupiter
Mercury
Moon
Sun, Mercury
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Mercury
Sun, Venus
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Venus
Mercury, Saturn
Mars, Jupiter
Mars
Sun, Moon, Jupiter
Venus, Saturn
Jupiter
Sun, Moon, Mars
Saturn
Mercury, Venus
Saturn
Mercury, Venus
Jupiter
Sun, Moon, Mars
Planet
own signs (the Moon in Cancer, Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Taurus) and two others exchanging signs in his chart (Mars in Aquarius and Saturn in Scorpio), which gives them strength. (Yogas are discussed at greater length in the next section of this article.) Another way that signs are used by Vedic astrologers is to assess the stability of planets. When a planet is in its sign of exaltation or debilitation, that planet becomes unstable and exaggerated in inuence; therefore, the themes of the houses it occupies, rules, and aspects,
Enemies Venus, Saturn (none) Moon Sun, Moon Mercury
as well as those of the planets it aspects, become destabilized. (Other causes of instability are retrogradation, combustion, the New and Full Moon, and planetary wars, where planets are within a degree of each other.) A good example of planetary instability is the chart of Adolf Hitler (not shown). In his 7th house, he had the exalted Sun in A ries and a planetary war between Venus and Mars; he himself, his primary relationships, and his closest advisors were very unstable, and he and his generals exaggerated their own importance.
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The Vedic Signs The Network of Rulerships Perhaps the most important use of the signs in Jyotish is their role in house rulership. As mentioned earlier, the rulership systems in both Vedic and ancient Western astrology are identical. The employment of house rulers in chart delineation, however, is more developed in Vedic astrology than anywhere else. In Jyotish, combinations of two or more astrological factors (which are called yogas) create conditions that either raise or lower a person’s prospects beyond the ordinary. A yoga can be as simple as a planet strong by its sign placement in a specic house or house grouping. Or a yoga can require several different conditions to be met. Thousands upon thousands of yogas are dened in classical Vedic texts, and the majority of these yogas use sign rulerships in their specications. For example, in Harrison Ford’s chart, the ruler of the 1st house (Mercury) in the 10th house, in its own sign (Gemini), is one of the major indicators of his fame (see Chart 1, below). Please remember that in Vedic astrology, as in ancient Western astrology, each house was equivalent to one
Perhaps the most important use of the signs in Jyotish is their role in house rulership. sign, so the terms “sign” and “house” became interchangeable. This is called the Whole Sign house system, in the West, or a Rashi chart, in Jyotish. For example, if the Ascendant is in any degree of Taurus, the entire 1st house is occupied by the sign of Taurus. The intricacy and importance of the network of house rulerships in Jyotish should not be underestimated. To have the ruler of a supportive house (all the houses except 3, 6, 8, and 12) in a challenging house (especially 6, 8, or 12) indicates challenges for the themes of the positive house. For instance, Marilyn Monroe’s 5th-house lord, Mars, is in the 8th house, and she had many preg nancies, all of which were terminated by abortion. Her chart will be delineated in greater detail below. Similarly, to have two supportive house rulers together in the same house portends particularly well, not only for the themes of both houses ruled but even more so for the house occupied. In other words, the ruler of a house carries
Chart 1: Harrison Ford
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its themes into the house it occupies and aspects. In Harrison Ford’s chart (Chart 1), his 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, and 11th lords are all in the 10th house, as indicators of great 10th-house success; however, because the 12th lord is also there, he had many obstacles on the road to fame and fortune. Fortunately for him, the strongest planet is the 1st and 10th lord, Mercury. Although this discussion of house rulerships may seem daunting, it actually becomes quite easy to apply. If the ruler of a challenging house is strong (and in a house other than one it owns), then the themes of the house it occupies become signicantly obstructed. For example, if the 6th-house lord (indicating adversaries and illness) is strong, then one’s opponents or illnesses are likely to be signicant. One can even compare the strength of two house lords; e.g., if the 7th-house lord is stronger than the 1st-house lord, such people are likely to marry “above themselves.” In Princess Diana’s chart (not shown), her 7th-house lord (Venus in Taurus) is signicantly stronger than her 1st-house lord (Mars in Leo). Exploring the chart of a famous person can further clarify the Vedic way of using the signs in a chart. The chart of Marilyn Monroe, previously mentioned, illustrates several principles (see Chart 2, below).
Chart 2: . a h s m a n a y a i r i h a L e h t e s u s t r a h C
Marilyn Monroe
Let’s start with Saturn in Libra, because it is the strongest planet in her chart. It is the lord of houses 7 and 8, and it is located in the 4th house. As lord of the 7th, it represents her partners, who were indeed exalted in the eyes of the world (they included Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and many others). That same strong planet, Saturn, in the house of home and mother (the 4th) expressed itself as the 8th lord when Marilyn’s mentally ill mother tried to smother her; her mother was later committed to a mental institution. It is not generally desirable to have a strong 8th lord because its strength magnies 8th-house themes, which can include incest, rape, sexual scandals, emotional challenges, and addictions — and all of these played a major part in Marilyn’s life. This powerful Saturn also aspects the 1st house, so Marilyn experienced a profound sense of isolation wherever she went. (Vedic astrology emphasizes the special aspects cast by Saturn — e.g., Saturn aspects the
Jyotish offers a treasure trove of accurate and powerful natal and predictive techniques. house ten houses ahead of itself, counting inclusively.) Marilyn’s Sun, on the other hand, is in a weakened position in the sign of its enemy, Venus. The Sun as the 2nd lord reects Marilyn living in rundown apartments, with a “party line” (shared telephone), and having huge money battles with the studios, even though she was famous and a great moneymaker for them. Marilyn Monroe has a powerful “passion combination” in her chart. Venus as lord of the 4th house is opposite Saturn as lord of the 7th, and Saturn is very strong (exalted and retrograde). Saturn being both exalted and retrograde indicates instabilities created by its inuence. This combination
explains Marilyn’s widespread sexual activities and the impermanence of her primary relationships. Saturn’s destabilizing inuence upon her 4th house and her 4th lord, Venus, also accounts for her having lived in more than 45 different residences during her short life. Even though Jupiter and Mars do not have much strength (both are in neutral signs) and are placed together in the 8th house, their rulership of the 9th and 10th houses, respectively, creates one of the most profound yogas for success, which certainly manifested in her life. Her fame came from being a sex symbol — an 8th-house theme. Finally, Mercury in Taurus has both strength and weakness. ( Note: In Vedic astrology, if a planet is both strong and weak, both qualities are seen to manifest, instead of nullifying each other.) Mercury is in the sign of a friend, Venus, which gives it strength, and very close to the Sun (combust), which weakens it. Marilyn was known to those close to her as having an excellent mind (showing Mercury’s strength), but she was usually continued on page 87
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The Vedic Signs continued from page 79
misperceived by the general public as being ditsy. (Often, the gifts represented by planets in combustion are either difcult to express or unseen by others.) Notice that, throughout this delineation of Marilyn Monroe’s chart, the signs were used only to determine planetary strength and house rulerships. This is how Vedic chart analysis is typically done. Vedic astrologers use the sidereal signs effectively with methods that differ from those used by many modern Western astrologers. Jyotishis do not focus on the psychological makeup of the sign occupied by each planet, as many Western astrologers do; instead, they place their attention on what signs and houses the planets rule and how the planets are
strengthened or weakened by the signs they occupy. Employing the sidereal zodiac, Vedic astrologers assess temperament, success, life challenges, karma, and many other life themes in ways unknown to Western astrology. Jyotish offers a treasure trove of accurate and powerful natal and predictive techniques. Chart Data and Sources (in alphabetical order) Diana, Princess of Wales, July 1, 1961; 7:45 p.m. GDT; Sandringham, England (52°N50', 00°E30'); A: Charles Harvey quotes data from her mother.
Charles Manson, November 12, 1934; 4:40 p.m. EST; Cincinnati, OH, USA (39°N09', 84°W27'); AA: birth certicate, Contemporary American Horoscopes. Marilyn Monroe, June 1, 1926; 9:30 a.m. PST; Los Angeles, CA, USA (34°N03', 118°W15'); AA: birth certicate in hand from Bob Garner; photo of BC in The Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe. Paul Newman, January 26, 1925; 6:30 a.m. EST; Cleveland, OH, USA (41°N30', 81°W42'); AA: birth certicate in hand, Lois M. Rodden. © 2007 Hank Friedman – all rights reserved
Hank Friedman is renowned in the San Francisco Bay Area for his astrological and transforHarrison Ford, July 13, 1942; 11:41 a.m. mative work with individuals and couples. His CWT; Chicago, IL, USA (41°N51', 87°W39'); in-depth astrology readings synthesize Western AA: birth certicate in hand from Barbara Fri and Vedic approaches. Hank is now offering gillana. intensive workshops in Vedic astrology and is Tom Hanks, July 9, 1956; 11:17 a.m. PDT; writing a book on prediction. His Web site (www. Concord, CA, USA (37°N59', 122°W02'); AA: soulhealing.com) offers software reviews and birth certicate in hand, Lois M. Rodden. extensive tutorials in astrology, and he guides astrologers to the right astrology software for their Adolf Hitler, April 20, 1889; 6:30 p.m. LMT; Braunau, Austria (48°N15', 13°E02'); AA: Zenit needs. Contact Hank via e-mail: stars@soulheal ing.com; or call: (510) 525-3399. 11/1933 quotes birth record.
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