Planets and Their Indications

Summary: Planetary indicators (Karakas) of a range of physiological, psychological, and sociological phenomena related to an individual. Including a discussion of how the placement of the planets in a birth-chart affects these indications.

Planets as Physiological, Psychological, and Sociological Indicators

In Vedic astrology planets are used as indicators (Karakas) of a range of physiological, psychological, and sociological phenomena that relate to the individual.

Vedic astrology sees the whole cosmos and all the people in it as part of an inter-connected whole. So, in this system, the planetary positions at birth just represent coded information about a person’s returning karmas. It is the job of the astrologer to decode this information and translate it into actual predictions.

A key component of chart interpretation is to know what each of the planets indicates. The following list gives us a basic understanding:

Sun (Surya)

Physiological Indications: Health, eyesight and general well-being

Psychological Indications: Power and influence, self confidence, status

Sociological Indications: Father

Other Indications: Self-realisation, government institutions

Moon (Chandra)

Physiological Indications: Fertility, heart, health in childhood

Psychological Indications: Mind, memory, emotions, happiness

Sociological Indications: Mother

Other Indications: Affluence, travel, water

 Mars (Mangala)

Physiological Indications: Energy, stamina, accidents

Psychological Indications: Drive, courage, ambition, anger

Sociological Indications: Siblings (some say younger siblings)

Other Indications: Military, police, enemies, property, technical things

 Mercury (Buddha)

Physiological Indications: Nervous system, speech

Psychological Indications: Logic, intelligence, education

Sociological Indications: Friends

Other Indications: Business, communication, dance, drama

Jupiter (Guru)

Physiological Indications: Body fat

Psychological Indications: Wisdom, compassion, optimism, spirituality

Sociological Indications: Children, relationship with Guru

Other Indications: Wealth, guru, philosophy, law, religion

 Venus (Shukra)

Physiological Indications: Reproductive system

Psychological Indications: Pleasures of the senses

Sociological Indications: Marriage partner

Other Indications: Luxury, singing, poetry, buying and selling

 Saturn (Shani)

Physiological Indications: Longevity, bones, joints

Psychological Indications: Patience, grief, adversity, humility, renunciation

Sociological Indications: Servants, elders, authority figures

Other Indications: Delays, restrictions, land, agriculture, wood, metal

 Rahu

Physiological Indications: Strange illnesses

Psychological Indications: Frustrations, phobias, inertia, compulsion

Sociological Indications: None (some say: paternal grandfather)

Other Indications: Worldly power and benefits, thefts

 Ketu

Physiological Indications: Strange illnesses

Psychological Indications: Psychic abilities, intuition, esoteric interests

Sociological Indications: None (some say: maternal grandfather)

Other Indications: Enlightenment, strange events, ghosts and spirits

Planetary Placement Affects The Above Indicators – For Better or Worse

If a planet is ‘well placed’ in a birth chart, then all the above indicated associations are likely to be very positive for the individual concerned.

If the planet is ‘poorly placed’, then all its associations are likely to provide some degree of difficulty, obstacles or challenges.

By ‘well placed’ we mean a planet in a favourable sign, such as its own or exalted sign, or in a good house (e.g. the 5th or 9th) or well aspected by a planet that has positive associations (a ‘benefic’) for that ascendant.

By ‘poorly placed’ we mean the planet is in an unfavourable sign (e.g. weakened or debilitated) or an unfavourable house (e.g. 6th, 8th, 12th), or aspected by a planet with negative associations (a ‘malefic’) for that particular ascendant.

So for example, if the sun in a person’s birth chart is exalted (i.e. in its sign of exaltation – Aries sidereal), or in the 9th house (even better if both exalted and in 9th!) we can expect that person to have excellent health and well-being (physiological indications): good self-esteem, power and influence (psychological indications): good relationships with his father (sociological indications): and be interested in self-realisation and personal evolution (other indicators).

If the sun was poorly placed in a birth-chart (e.g. in its sign of debilitation [Libra sidereal] or in the 6th, 8th, 12th houses, or aspected by a malefic influence) then we could expect possible health problems, lack of self-esteem, maybe problems with father, etc.

Of course, there are many other indicators and subtle layers of chart interpretation, but this principle is fundamental to assessing an individual’s chart. It is a cornerstone of the subject!

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