Volume 44, 21 March 2019

“ The expression of my life is just the expression of my well-assimilated value structure. What I do is but an expression of what is valuable to me. ”

The Nodal Shift and Other Impactful Gocara

When the slow moving grahas change their rashis, it is always interesting to examine the ramifications. Rahu and Ketu change every 18 months and they recently began transiting Sagittarius and Gemini. Ketu has joined Saturn who has been in Sagittarius since October 26th, 2017.

Natives with ascendants in Sagittarius and Gemini, especially if a natal MO is in Sagittarius, will likely feel some impact as might anyone with vulnerability in their charts involving these rashis. Of course the extent of the impact depends on the set-up of the natal chart and the dasha running. We never predict on the basis of one parameter (See my column entitled “The Peanut Butter Sandwich”, which appeared in the Aug Sept 2018 issue of The Mountain Astrologer under the publications tab on my website.)

There will be an upcoming confluence of three grahas in this axis previewed by the temporary entrance of Jupiter into Sagittarius as well . Why temporary? Because shortly after entering Sagittarius on March 29th, Jupiter will begin its retrograde cycle on April 10th and move back into Scorpio on April 23rd. The retrograde cycle of Jupiter will last until August 11th. Jupiter, however, won’t return to Sagittarius until November 5th, 2019.

Saturn will also go retrograde on April 30th so the two slowest moving tara grahas (real planets) will be retrograde at the same time and therefore both will be more visible than usual and more powerful. Saturn’s retrograde cycle ends September 18, 2019.

From November 5th until January 24th 2020, when Saturn moves into the rashi of Capricorn, all the slow moving planets will be in Sagittarius. In upcoming newsletters I will talk more about that.

The last quite impactful gocara is not one happening until late June but I think it important to mention it now as it is decidedly an inauspicious transit for muhurta, especially for weddings and other major life events (entering new house, starting a business etc.) The greatest impact is on marriage because it involves Venus. On June 28th, Venus moves into Gemini. Recalling the above transits, Venus in Gemini means it will be with Rahu and aspected by Saturn and Ketu. Not good for marriage and I wouldn’t use it for other events either. To put an exclamation point on it, Venus moves within 10° of the Sun on July 1st which makes it astronomically combust and therefore not good for any auspicious muhurtas.

At the end of July, it breaks free from SA and RA/KE but is even more combust and that combustion lasts a long time as SU and VE travel at a very similar speed. It’s not until mid September that it clears the Sun but as fate (or karma) has it, it is now in its debilitation rashi of Virgo. Finally on October 4th, one can start to look for a decent muhurta again - a long dry spell.

Obviously people have to get on with their lives and some remediation can be done for some muhurtas but it is best to wait for those wedding bells if at all possible.

“Liar, Liar! Pants on Fire!”

What is truth? These days it can be a bit hard to get a handle on truth. Between spin doctors, fake news and alternate facts, truth seems ever more elusive than usual. Can astrology point to a purveyor of untruths? That’s a slippery slope as well. However, there are some indicators as long as you understand that not everyone who has these indicators lies, and not every liar has them. This so because the ecosystem of a chart dictates the context of the visible combinations. Supporting vidyas like hand analysis can provide confluence.

Here are two examples that immediately come to mind:

Kellyanne coined the term “alternative facts” and is viewed by many as the “Queen of Spin.” In her chart we see two malefics on her 2nd house of speech - Mars and Saturn. Note as well that all the benefics are in trik houses, a combination known as an ashubha (unfortunate) yoga. This yoga includes her 9th lord of dharma.

Some may wonder about that strong Jupiter aspecting both of these combinations. In an Aquarius chart, Jupiter is not ruling a kendra or trikona and becomes much more materially oriented. It is also two times exaggerated (exalted and retrograde) which further enables her ability to mold and twist things to her point of view. Yes, it will bring material success but does not offset the affliction to her speech.

Also, when there are no grahas in kendras, often the native responds to whatever forces are at hand - in the words of Freddie Mercury “any way the wind blows”.

Mr. Limbaugh began broadcasting in 1967 while still in high school. He flunked out of college and began his professional career as a Top 40 music disc jockey. Life got complicated after job terminations but two marriages and several moves later he returned to radio after repeal of the Fairness Doctrine allowed radio stations to broadcast editorial commentary without presenting opposing views. From that time it was “game on” for Rush.

There is a flashing red light in his chart which is his 2nd bhava of speech . It contains JU and RA - the famous Guru Chandala Yoga which can result in impure speech (see newsletter Winter 2015). This combination has no benefic aspect and note also the lord of his 9th house of dharma has gone to the 12th with no benefic aspect. The two reliable benefics (Jupiter and Venus) are destabilized by malefics.

And now a counter example. They don’t call him “Honest Abe” for nothing.

Could there be a better second house? Probably not. Note an exalted Venus sitting with the lord of the 2nd Jupiter in its own rashi. But I just said Jupiter is not that good a graha for an Aquarius chart! This is why context is everything. Here Jupiter is the lord of the house in the house with no malefics at all and influenced only by the exalted lord of the highest house of dharma - the ninth house. This is a chart of someone celebrated as a major upholder of truth.

Could there be a better second house? Probably not. Note an exalted Venus sitting with the lord of the 2nd Jupiter in its own rashi. But I just said Jupiter is not that good a graha for an Aquarius chart! This is why context is everything. Here Jupiter is the lord of the house in the house with no malefics at all and influenced only by the exalted lord of the highest house of dharma - the ninth house. This is a chart of someone celebrated as a major upholder of truth.

Media Corner: “Value of Values” by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

In our complex world it is sometimes good to be reminded that universal values are espoused by all spiritual traditions. But are these values valuable to proponents of these traditions, be it an Eastern practice, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc.? On the back cover of the book is the opening quote of this newsletter and the end of the back cover insert is this clever play on the word value: “a value, universal or situational, is a value for me only when I see the value of the value as valuable to me.”

What is valuable to us these days? Might be worth looking through this thoughtful book on the universal values that distinguish us as human beings