Volume 25, 21 June 2014
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Exaltation of Jupiter and Breaking up the Gang
Note to the reader: As there is always a great interest in gocara or transits, I do include some of the major transits in these newsletters. This should not be construed as emphasizing the importance of transits in isolation. All transits operate in the context of the individual’s own chart and too much reliance on analysis solely of transits results in erroneous prognostications.
When the dawn comes, the darkness dispels. This truism is almost literally true when examined in the light of current transits. It could be more perfect but we will take it!
In the wee hours of June 19th, Jupiter will transit into its exaltation rashi of Cancer. Over the last couple of newsletters we talked about the planetary states or avasthas of exaltation (uccha) and own rashi (swastha). An exalted Jupiter is extolled in the texts as a highly auspicious period. Of course this kind of overarching statement must always be examined in the context of a particular chart.
The imperfection of this transit is that for the first several months (up to November 3rd), Jupiter will be subject to the one-sided aspect of an exalted Saturn which will take some bloom off the rose. The tables will turn, however, when Saturn itself completes its transit of Libra and moves to Scorpio.
The malefic alliance of Saturn and Rahu is over on July 12th when Rahu moves out of Libra into Virgo. But wait! Are we out of the frying pan and into the fire? Waiting for Rahu in Virgo is Mars and now they will be on the same degree. The dance of malefic associations continues with a change in partners. Mars moves into Libra on July 14th joining Saturn creating a different kind of challenge as they have their own brand of inimical interaction. Rahu will be on its own in Virgo. The good news is that this will not be one of the famous long transits of Mars. On September 4th, Mars will move on into its own rashi of Scorpio and the malefics will be separated.
Again, it is a little too early to breath a sigh of relief as a pattern still exists that we can think of as a necklace of malefics. With Saturn in the middle in Libra, Rahu will be on one side in Virgo and Mars on the other side in Scorpio. This may not bode well for the bhavas in a particular chart that bear the constellations of Libra and Aries since they will be the most affected by this pattern.
But the breaking up is inexorably underway. On October 18th, Mars moves out of Scorpio into Sagittarius and the necklace pattern is disrupted. And finally, on November 3rd, Saturn ends its long transit of Libra, its exaltation rashi, in which it is exceptionally powerful. It moves into Scorpio where it will be receiving the one-sided aspect of that exalted Jupiter giving much needed containment and relief.
Celebrating the Exaltation of Jupiter - Chart Examples
Let’s take a look at three different instances of an exalted Jupiter in a birth chart.
1) Galileo - Jupiter in the lagna
Galileo has an incredibly powerful triple strength (exaltation, dig bala and retrogression) Jupiter sitting right in his ascendant. This Jupiter participates in many major yogas including a true Viparita Raja yoga. Obviously it is a remarkable chart giving the native a great ability to navigate through life courtesy of the strength of the ascendant and the Kahala yoga that bolsters the lagna lord.
However, this chart is a perfect example of why wide angle vision is necessary to delineate a chart. As beautiful and powerful as Jupiter is, we cannot ignore that it is also the lord of the 6th bhava sitting with the 8th lord Saturn right in the lagna with no other aspects or associations. That is a pattern that will play out with 6th and 8th bhava themes crowding into his life including enemies, trials, manipulation and plots.
For his vision and commitment to the true understanding of the dynamics of the cosmos, he was perilously close to being condemned to die in prison by the Inquisition. Fortunately for the millennium to come (and courtesy of the Viparita Raja yoga), he was placed instead under house arrest which allowed him to continue his writings and attain posthumous fame.
2) Johnny Cash - Jupiter exalted as the lord of the lagna
Yes, the man in black has a doubly strong Jupiter (exalted and retrograde) as the lord of his lagna aspecting back to its own first house. However, note also that a powerful Saturn is on both the lagna and the lagna lord.
Cash’s chart is a study in contrasts. There is light and shadow everywhere from the huge yogas to the incredibly difficult placement of the Moon and key bhava lords. Even the beautiful exalted Venus making a Malavya Yoga has the shadow side of being both the 8th and 3rd lord in lagna caught in the Rahu Ketu axis.
It is a testament to the power of the lagna lord and the yogas it forms that he was able to overcome huge obstacles and be one of the major forces in the music of his generation.
3) Ann Dunham (Obama’s mother) - Jupiter exalted as the lord of the 5th
Ann Dunham shows the important pattern of Saturn strong in the 7th bhava where it influences all the primary relationships - mother, father, partner and one’s own self. Here, it also winds up influencing children as it aspects lord of the 5th and karaka Jupiter promising separations, estrangement and/or other difficulties.
But what a Jupiter! Exalted, vargottama and retrograde, this Jupiter makes the beautiful Raja yoga of the 5th and 9th lords in sambandha. Here, that sambandha takes place in the 9th making it simultaneously a Gauri Yoga echoing the Gauri Yoga in Obama’s own chart. The interlocking destinies of mother and son are absolutely stunning. The greatness of her son even as she is separated from him and even as he experiences huge obstacles in his life is clearly shown in both charts.
The Media Corner - Vaidika Sukta Manjari
For those who love to chant and understand deeply what you are chanting, this is a beautiful contribution to your library.
Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati is a formidable scholar and dynamic teacher. He has focused this work on three well known Vedic suktams - Durga Suktam, Medha Suktam and Shri Suktam.
After a beautiful introduction examining the of the role and meaning of and devata, he presents the original sanskrit, transliteration, translation and extensive commentary for each of these three suktams. He also includes three other suktams that will also be a wonderful addition to your practice.
One source for obtaining this volume is the online bookstore of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
The next media corner will present suggested listening resources for proper pronunciation of these suktams.