General information about the Sun.  Classical description.

 In the material world, the Sun is an embodiment of Divine radiance – Brahman. In Islamism God is considered a high light. Cabbala also says that we can perceive The Creator only a High light. Many people who experienced clinical death say that they got into unusually beautiful light, which seemed consisted of Love.

In the natal chart the Sun shows the level of person`s soul, to what extent one is able to shine, literally and figuratively. What is aura? It is the light of our soul passed through our conscience.  As, the cleaner and higher our conscience is, the lighter our aura is. They say that the heads of the saints are surrounded by a golden nimbus that can be seen even with the naked eye. According to our aura`s color you can determine how mentally and consequently physically healthy we are.  In Ayurveda, it is considered that these two things are interrelated. The darker aura is, the more illnesses and problems we have in our fate.  Then why does our aura darken?  Where does this astral dirt come from? From our offences, dismay, dirty thoughts, wishing bad to others, lies, fear etc.

The thought as well as actions is material. No actions made by us disappear anywhere; they are connected with us every second. We think we have done something bad and it was left in the past forever. No. Everything stays in our mind.  It can be compared with a big glass box, where there are all our past thoughts, impressions and actions, as in this life, so in previous ones. We look at the world through it, and the degree of its transparence depends on cleanness of our motivations. If they are not clean, then the whole world seems to be dirty and then we can`t feel happy. However, the goal of all people is to become happy and the task of Ayurveda is to help us in it. Nevertheless, the energy of happiness emanates from the Sun and if we want to receive access to this source of happiness, we must live the way that our thoughts and actions intensify favorable influence of The Sun on us. It becomes possible when we begin building our relations with this world correctly.

Jyotish (translated as “light” from Sanskrit; used to name the Vedic Astrology in India) is also called Lunar astrology, as it considers the position of a sign in Moon and Nakshatra to be the most important factors in a person’s horoscope. It is by the position of the Moon that the past karma is defined and stunningly precise prognoses for the future are made. Should you ask anybody in India, “What is your sign?” in reply you would be given the name of the sign that the Moon was in at the moment of that person’s birth. In the West the reply would be as to the position of the Sun. The western astrologists nowadays are taking the role of the Moon on a person’s map more seriously; and this is quite understandable, for the Moon stays in each sign for two days, whereas the Sun one month long.

General information on the Moon. Classical Description.

The primary name of the Moon in Sanskrit is Chandra. It is the master of rhythm who reigns over such great natural cycles as tide and ebb. As we have already mentioned, the Sun stands for the male Divine spark, and the Moon for the female. Together they symbolize the great initial duplicity: male and female energy, activity and passivity, day and night, mind and feelings. The Sun governs the fire, and the Moon – the water. If the Sun is the Ego, the Moon is the Mind. Nevertheless, the Sanskrit term ‘manas’ translated as ‘mind’ in reality has a much wider meaning. Manas includes emotions as well, it should be regarded as mental and emotional sphere as a whole, as an aggregate of ability to sense and consciousness that reflects upon the objects.  Often “Manas” is used to determine all mental activities, including not only thought, attention and reason, but also contemplative meditations, reveries and fantasies.

General information about Mars.  Classical description.

Mars’ nature is of men, fiery, warlike and dry one. Mars was called at all times “God of war” because it determines our ability to resolute and power actions; it provides us with aggression, courage, force.

It is largely similar in its qualities with the Sun. It gives us self-reliance, strength of will and energy for achievement of goals. In contrast to the self-luminous, self-sufficient Sun, Mars needs some fuel. It is very important that the fuel for its fire would be a desire for finding the God’s love, the aspiration to help people and protect weak ones but not  wishes to satisfy one’s feelings in many directions, to obtain something at the expense of people around and similar. Unfortunately, especially in the modern ages, Mars due to its aggressiveness causes conflicts, rivalry, wars, cruelty, generates a desire to achieve one’s aim at any price.

The Sun and the Moon present Yin and Yang in terms of paternity and maternity but Mars and Venus symbolize Yin and Yang in terms of sexual partners.

Mars is a planet of explorations too, but usually it implies technological scientific progress, because Mars manages weapons, instruments of labor and machines. But modern culture`s main aim is  achievement of material prosperity with the help of technological progress, which results in desire to solve all the issues  by force and to create more and more powerful weapons.  Our civilization becomes tougher, warlike, whereas the people have less love.

If a man is seriously engaged in spiritual practice, Mars gives him an ability to be disciplined, ascetic, the talent of a researcher, practicality, and good leadership qualities.

Mercury represents speech, communication and commerce, manages education, writing, calculation, purposeful thinking.  As the fastest of the planets, it gives an ability to assimilate knowledge quickly and a swift adaptability to different people and situations, an ease of self-expression.

Mercury is intellectual and nervous energy in its active forms. Therefore, by the status of Mercury in the natal chart it is possible to consider intellectual abilities of a man, his ability to set goals and the state of his nervous system.  Mercury is responsible for the respiratory and nervous system, speech, education and intellect.
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system with a fast reaction, changing character, quickness and restlessness.

Main name of Mercury is Buddha. This Sanskrit word means intelligence and is related to the concept of “Buddhi” – the ability to make correct judgments, which allows to distinguish reality from visionary (when this ability is fully awakened, a man becomes “enlightened” – Buddha).

Philosophical understanding of Jupiter

The Sanskrit name for Jupiter is Guru (spiritual teacher) or Brihaspati – the guru of Gods.
According to the location of this planet in the natal chart, we can estimate a person’s character, strength of his principles, his level of morality and religion which he is committed to, and what his ideology is and how he adheres to it.
Jupiter is the planet of creativity, energy expansion. It is main index of children (putra-Karak), as well as their quantity, their health and our relationship with them.
Jupiter is very important for women because it shows not only children but also her husband – the main components of women’s happiness.

However, since in our time, especially in the western society, women tend to marry without the blessing of their parents and without the consecration rites, based on the passion, the indicator of the husband becomes Mars.

Jupiter is the planet of luck, compassion, optimism and prosperity. It represents a measure of money and prosperity. Moreover, Jupiter is an indicator of good karma and unexpected gifts of fate.
In terms of medicine Jupiter is associated with the immune system, on which our health depends very much.
At a higher level Jupiter is associated with piety, formal, hierarchical, and it shows the power of man’s faith.

Philosophical concept of Venus

Venus is a Goddess of love and beauty. If Jupiter is the guru of Gods and saints then Venus is the mentor of demons. As it is possible to subordinate and then manage the demonic powers only by charm and sexual attraction. In the history of all civilizations you will find many examples when the rulers of this world easily fell under the influence of a beautiful woman.
In a natal chart of a man Venus signifies a wife or a beloved woman. Venus is our ability to appreciate beauty, to be harmonious, it shows how much a person can love and create beauty around him.

Venus is a characteristic of art, in the first place – music, singing, dancing, painting, poetry.
In a good location Venus gives a person beauty and good heart, excellent sense of humor and sense of taste.
It can also give extrasensory and hypnotic aptitudes, visualization ability.
If Venus in a chart is weakened or a person does not live in harmony then he is not able to distinguish love from affection and can become a slave of his feelings, suffer from an obsessive desire to surround himself with luxurious things, become a fan of the lower forms of culture: hard rock, loud, screaming music, to make a cult of sex and violence.

Modern mass media is almost completely under the influence of lower Venus energies which adversely affects whole society and especially teenagers.
Tantra belongs to Venus. Lowest, sexual tantra reflects the lowest level of Venus energy and the highest tantra shows the level of loving service to God, unconditional love for everyone and everything that corresponds to the highest energy level of this planet.
The Sanskrit name of Venus is Shukra, which means “a glittering light”, “warm” as well as “seed” that implies the beginning of a new life.

Philosophical conception of Saturn

Saturn is the main planet, which brings into people’s life sufferings and misery. The effect is of a karmic nature and means that a person cannot change almost anything in that sphere of one’s life where Saturn influences in the astrological chart. 

 Saturn was considered the most important among nine planets not only in India but also in other ancient cultures. Saturn has a name of Arbiter of fate. He is in charge of life span and prosperity. He can easily take out and raise a person “from rags to riches” and vice versa.

 The Vedic astrology gives to the Saturn the most honourable place, as its power can change a person fate. In astrology, Saturn has been since old times a significator of death, diseases, poverty, separation, deformities, and various perversions. From a spiritual point of view, it embodies such qualities as discipline, austerity, severity, detachment, patience, and loneliness.

 If Jupiter symbolizes creativity and extension, then Saturn means compression and destruction. Jupiter is a God of joy and he is an optimist. Saturn is a God of grief and sadness, he is a pessimist. Jupiter is a kind teacher, Saturn is harsh one and sometimes cruel.

 Saturn governs illnesses, old age and death, all those harsh teachers of human life, before which all the things being in the time’s power kneel. At the same time, destruction is the eternal companion of creation, while decay and death are the necessary conditions for a new life and growth.  The more we have attachments and dependencies in this world the more we feel fear in front of the Saturn.

 Saturn gives sufferings which contribute to development and growth of our soul and many great men consciously choose life full of sufferings and limitations for rapid progress. Saturn can cause fast aging and decay as it is an indicator of aging. It is easily to notice that people leading hectic lifestyle tend to get older quite quickly. From the other hand, people who keep a correct routine of their everyday life, tend to the sensible self-restraint, get older at much older age, live longer and keep fit mentally and physically nearly to the last minutes.

 As being the most sluggish planet, Saturn slows down all the processes and hinders movement. The Saturn’s name for Sanskrit is “Shani” which means sluggish, slow. It often brings to the life of people delay and postponement.

 Saturn is able to draw one’s power both at intellectual and physical levels. It causes melancholy and depression, awakens self pity and inspires anxiety and various concerns. Where are all those rooted? Selfishness. As, being on the lower level, Saturn is a planet of selfishness, so, the more egotistical the behavior of a person, the more severely and unfavorable Saturn affects him. However, as dear readers have already guessed, its influence does not give much pleasure.

Philosophical understanding of Rahu and Ketu.

Along with the seven major planets the ancient Indian wise men have also paid close attention to two shadow planets, which are not quite planets in the usual sense, as they have no physical weight and are not seen in any telescope. But despite this, out of the nine planets that show karma, two are shadow planets (Vedic astrology doesn’t take into consideration some trance Saturn moons, asteroids and comets). And since we have been living in the era of those planets it is very important for us to know about them and live in harmony with them.

  
Astronomically these shadow planets represent a point in which the Moon’s orbit intersects the visible path of the Sun on the celestial sphere. At these points the solar and lunar eclipses can occur. Lunar knots correspond with the time at which the solar and lunar energies interact and enter into a conflict, or neutralize each other. They represent, so to speak, the opportunity “power cut” of solar or lunar energies. That’s why the lunar knots are an extremely sensitive point of the horoscope. Their influence can affect the entire effect of planetary forces.

 
Rahu – north or ascending knot – the point at which theMoon crosses the ecliptic in its movement from South to North.
Ketu – south, or descending knot – the point at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic moving from North to South. Thus, the energy of the northern knot is associated with ascending, extension, but this energy is predominantly negative.

South knot is associated with the descent, the compression of the same energy. In the Vedic system the Ketu effect is not as disadvantageous as the effect of Rahu.

 
According to the legend, Rahu and Ketu are two halves of the demon’s body, who had the drink of immortality and after was punished for that and cut into two parts. The Sun eclipses and the Moon eclipses always take place near one of the lunar knots. That is how these lunar knots are able to suppress, obscure the Sun and any other planet.
The effect of Rahu is similar to the effect of Saturn planet; Ketu’s effect is more like effect of Mars. The energy of the knots, however, is more subtle and elusive than the energy of those planets.