Journal of Astrology Newsletter January - February 2013

Does the Kaliyuga 10th house lead to moral U-turns? Does it churn out robots?

Modern life is making us robotic. Is a weak 10th house of karmas and free will to be blamed? In the wake of mounting job loss tensions, we pick for debate the turmoil in karmic ethics and careers.

Consumerism is making us dance to its tune. It is addicting us to the customized and the trendy. This transition has driven us off balance from a holistic life. Materialism has taken over. The dharma of Mahabharata and Ramayana, deep rooted in our national psyche is getting eroded. Trendy acquisitions, their early discard to match with fresh arrivals, cause several unmanageable debts, make modern life more robotic.

Clearly, the mushrooming coaching schools found at every nook are also responsible for diluting holistic thoughts. They groom us to fit like robots in the field of our choice. Skills to convince, lie and cheat are developed for marketers. Strategies to make the self-compatible to the corrupt system, in business schools. Schools for terrorism are a reality. With focus on money spinning, a human has become portable and programmable. When the wheel of dasha in its down from an up makes the going tough, a cry of the soul may take us to the Kejriwals and Anna Hazares. It seems the lessons from the financial crisis of 2008 were not enough for us to start searching our souls. Still the most in-demand jobs are for those who can manipulate people.

All those who have a weak 10th house with no connection of trinal (1,5,9) houses and benefics with it and the dasha of 3, 6, 11, have been found vulnerable to the surrounding influences. During this time, they are more susceptible to being manipulated and often go wayward. The deeper the dependence on the outside, the weaker is the power to resist the loss of individuality. Borrowing beyond means has not only aborted the growth of many talented and bright minds but of nations as well. This happens when the influence of the 3rd 6th, 8th, 11th or the 12 house gets heavy.

Can Horoscopes see vicious circles?
To sell their products marketers need to fund their victims. A loan, for a creditworthy youth is a phone call away with no questions asked. It is a way to let his impulse spending get out of control. But access to loans lasts as long as your credibility. This is a lesson we tend to learn late, after we have spent beyond our means and swiped the plastic. On a default, the loan sharks takeover. They are what the village money lender used to be, grabbing the land and property of their victims.

It is not that loans always land us in a problem. They have helped many make a fortune. Whether the loan will lift us or sink us in a debt trap can be clearly seen in a horoscope. A combination of 3, 6, 8,11 and 12 in their dashas have been found opening debt traps while 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 and their dashas have been found to give a boost and opportunities to build empires from loans.

Has this trend upset a holistic life?
Surely it has. With a doctored mindset, we run like horses with blinkers in  life's race on a path chosen by others. Astrology holds the key to balance:

Padaprapti (Rise) and Padachuti (Fall)
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra coins the 7th house as the house of padaprapti and the 5th as the house of padachuti. The 7th is the 10th from 10th and the 5th is the 8th from the 10th.

The kendras quadrants (1,4,7 &10) and trikonas trines (1,5,9) are good houses. Any association of the dharma trikonas (1, 5, 9) with 2, 4, 7, 10 gives rise to a rajayoga (power and position) with a balanced life. A connection of the 2nd and 11th houses with trikonas promise wealth acquisition in a balanced way. The other houses 3, 6, 11, the three trishadhaya and 6,8, 12 , the dusthanas, give a tendency that disbalances life. The 6, 8 12 houses give vipreet rajyoga  - a rajyoga that imbalances life and starts a reversal process. The 4, 8, 12 are neutral houses. Depending on association and aspect, the result can be determined. 

The 10th house is the house of public image. It is a house in the public domain. It is the house of your karmas. It is the house where your activities are scanned by the society. The 7th house represents society.As per the principles of Bhavat Bhavam it also governs all that the 10th house does. Additionally, it is the house of the spouse who comes from the society and becomes a major influence in your own house. the 7th house is the house of pada-prapti (attainment of position). Therefore very important for career and money matters.

The 4th house is sukh (happiness) house. It is the house that gives unhappiness as well. It would be mistake to see only happiness from it as it fundamentally falls in 4, 8, 12 neutral trikona. Any connection of the dharma (1,5,9) houses with these houses or their lords promise a good balanced life. A connection of the 12th house with any or all of 1,5,9 would mean happiness abroad. Their connection with 4th would mean achievement of a position as the 4th is the house of Simhasana. The connection of good houses with the 8th is more likely to give a change for the better.

The 3, 6, 11 houses are trishadhaya (malefic) houses. They have a tendency to imbalance and harm. The 3rd house is the house of self-effort. Gains from effort and co-borns can be seen from this house. Being 8th from the 8th it is house from where death is also seen. It is the house that can give chronic diseases and scandals like the 8th house. It is a house of action as it is an upachaya bhava that gives rapid rise. It is a house connected to arms, shoulders and movement. It is seen for co-workers, brothers and sisters.

Duality of the 4th and 5th houses
The 4th house is the house of simhasana (throne) and happiness (sukh). But should also be seen to gauge the unhappiness and depression due to dethroning and setbacks. The sensitivity and vulnerability should also be seen from this house. The 5th house is a house seen for loss of position but it is the house of dignity and position (pada) as well. In our research on 15 Prime Ministers published in June-August 1997 issue of Journal of Astrology, we have elaborated why they became prime ministers when their 4th and 5th house got activated.

The Fundamentals are changing
Health is preferred to wealth is an old age. Today wealth buys health and happiness too is brought from wealth. Thoughts in your mind are of small consequence but what you do matters! Your deeds build your image and destroy it too. Opinions about you that people carry are formed from the deeds they know. It is the image alone that matters in kaliyuga. The stock market zooms and crashes on goodwill and   reputations. Some people, inspite of base acts and unacceptable deeds, get away without their image getting tarnished, but some get a bad name and are humiliated even when they deserve much better.

Why?
Astrologically, the karmas of earlier births along with the karmas of the present make or distort the image that people at large see. The house from where an assessment can be made about the public image of a person and the periods of ups and downs in it, is from the 10th house of a horoscope. The 10th house of karmas indicates how you handle the internal promptings of the senses and the challenges that come head on. It is this house that indicates your capacity to be discreet. It is the house of your image in the public domain.

Through the scrutiny of the 10th house, one can be advised on periods needing caution to prevent image destruction. During a bad phase, on astrological advice, one can review one's activities more often. Astrology can guide one as to when one can afford to be care free. A word uttered could become destructive or elevative. A deed can get attached to you and remain with you even after death. Often, one is reminded of a past life karma in a subtle way, with no tangible evidence. Words spoken or an action executed conscientiously could become hard karmas, difficult to wipe out. God is a perfect account keeper.

Classics on the 10th house

Phaldeepika: The subjects designated to the 10th house are business or trade, rank or position, honor, occupation, profession , sky or zenith, conduct, quality, inclination, gait, command and Meshurana (to give orders)

Brihat Parasher Hora Shastra: Royalty (authority), place, profession (livelihood), honor, father, living in foreign lands and debts.

Mundane: King, royalty, nobility, rulers, prime minister, head of state, party in power, presidents and governors, top authority in the state, nations, prestige, status, reputation, parliament, politics and politicians, national celebrities, national aims and gains, disgrace and death of ruler, foreign trade, exports exploitation, revaluation and lawlessness.

The 10th house is right above your head
It is in the most exposed area. It is also known as the zenith. Here the Sun is most visible and powerful. Astrologically, the 10th house becomes the area of life’s focus so does the 10th from the dasha nath under the Parashari system and the 10th from the rashi dasha that periodically changes. When the atmakaraka (AK) is found in the 10th from rashi dasha that period has the focus on health and depending on other configurations, health could become a cause for concern. The rashi, the planets and the karakas (significator) of the 10th house are important.

The 10th house is a house seen for father’s wealth and your profession
In accordance with the methodology practiced by us in the Institute of Astrology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for delineating horoscopes, the father’s wealth is seen from the 2nd house from the 9th house which happens to be 10th from lagna (the house of profession of the person whose horoscope is being delineated). Go back to the pastoral times when limited professions were available. The person inherited the wealth of his father, seen from the 2nd from 9th. This wasperhaps the times when our classics were written and printed from memorized sutras. Logically also it had to be the 10th house from where the generated wealth of the joint family for an individual’s career and its growth and the individual’s public image acquired from different sources including the generated wealth of the family should be seen.

The family of grandfather-father and son worked together in those days. This practice can still be found in traditional business families. Some astrologers, particularly in north India, consider the 10th house from the Lagna or Moon as the house to be seen for the father, since it is the 7th from the 4th, the house for mother; but the majority takes the 9th house for father, more so, in south India. In ancient times the father played a vital role in shaping the dharma represented by the 9th house and also karma (occupation) represented by the 10th house, therefore a weak 9th and 10th house meant, logically a weak support from the father or his early death. In the present times an afflicted 9th house or the karaka (significator) Sun could mean many things like unorthodoxy, non-conformity to societal norms, immorality but also death or arishta (suffering) to father or incompatibility with him.

The Liberal Zone

Why so many karakas for the 10th house
Why do some take five karakas (significator) for the 10th house. Have the type of professions increased? The classics, written thousands of years ago also lend support to the four karaka theory for the 10th house: - Saturn, Sun, Mercury and Mars. The 5th Jupiter has also been suggested by some.

Sun and the King
Sun in astrology signifies royalty. In earlier times those serving the Kings therefore had a Sun dominated occupation as their earnings were dependent on the whims and fancies of the royalty. The small royalty heads (Maharajas and Zamindars) logically also had a Sun dominated profession since they were the rulers. Every man has his kingdom which he likes to rule. The smallest kingdom would comprise a weak wife and two small kids and bigger ones - business empires with no limits. Corporate heads and CEO's should have a Sun-Mercury combo since Mercury governs commerce.

Does Sun push a career
The Sun represents father also so the business connected to father would also come under Sun. Sun is the planet that gives an identity to a person. People are known from their occupation. Sun acquires digbala (directional strength) in the 10th house. It is therefore a planet which is to be reckoned in assessment of profession in a horoscope. Sun plays a dominant role as it is the atmakaraka and the significator of the 1st house. It rules Leo the powerful Rashi that is the 5th sign of the natural zodiac. Therefore, Sun's role becomes dominant in influencing a career where it establishes a PAC (Posited ,Aspect, Conjunct) relationship with the 10th house, 10th lord or any of planets connected with these. People holding prestigious positions in the government have been found with Leo Lagna or Leo rashi in their 10th house.

Saturn- Servant- Service
Saturn is an important significator for profession and career in today’s context as the majority serve. Whether one serves under another servant of the Government or as Corporate Executives or in small and large business establishment. With urbanization the service class constitutes ninety nine percent of the middle and higher middle class. This is class which has interest in astrology and consult astrologers. In today’s context Saturn is more important as a karaka (significator) than any other planet when it comes to a service career.

Mercury: Trade and business
Mercury deals with communication also. Mercury is Vidya karaka, therefore teaching would come under it. One should give more importance to Mercury where professions are connected to business, finance, and teaching or information technology.

Mars governs armed forces, therefore a career in police and armed forces would be influenced by Mars.

Jupiter: The role of Jupiter comes in Judiciary, Vedas and Religion.

Identify and see the 10th from the karaka for clarity
The 10th from Saturn reveals a lot so would the 10th from Mercury for business and 10th from Sun for Sun related professions. This would apply to Jupiter and Mars as well.

How  should  we  define  the  term  Karamjeevi  of Varahmihira
We as human beings are brought to this world so that we can be given a chance to change our sanchit karma account. We have to be occupied. The planetary influence prompts us to act in accordance to the tendencies and samskaras we have come with and acquired during our impressionable years. What type of challenges are we likely to face and what temptations we need to resist can be seen from the 10th from lagna, Moon, Sun or Saturn, or Mercury or Mars or Jupiter. The interpretation of the 10th house is the most crucial and complex area in today’s context. It is the 10th houses matters that should be of concern to all and not the 11th house of gains for which most consult astrologers.