How to read the horoscope
To be able to give predictions accurately one has to be familiar with the rules and also have faith in astrology, one’s Guru and God. The mere surrender to Divine and behef in religion and spiritual values will increase the predictive ability.
Judgement of a horoscope needs great skill. Years of teaching experience has shown us that beginners get frustrated quickly as the predictions do not follow mathematical rules as a result even after studying astrology for years they are still confused as to the significance of first lord in the third house or role of Sun in the fifth house etc.
The predictions have all the tendency to go wrong. The students get discouraged quickly and they start losing interest in this divine and spiritual subject. It is not only the students who get frustrated but the astrology also gets discredited in the process.
Keeping in view these difficulties we have devised a course of lessons aimed at making a person conversant with the art of reading horoscope in an easy and concise way in the shortest possible time.
Following important steps should be taken before starting delineating the horoscope.
Step 1. To study the horoscope you must have following three charts:
a. Birth Chart or Rasi Chart: This is also known as main horoscope or Janam Kundali.
b. Chart treating Moon as the Lagna: This is important, as according to Maharishi Parasara horoscope should be studied not only from the ascendant but also from Moon treating it as Lagna. This has been made clear in Shloka 11 chapter 14 ofBrihatParasara Hora Shastra. For example if we have to judge wealth, we should study second house from the birth chart as also second from Moon.’ If the result is positive from both Lagna and Moon; there is going to be plenty of wealth. If the second house from Lagna shows wealth but second from Moon does not give a good picture then wealth will be moderate and so on. In still getting greater accuracy we should treat Sun as Lagna also.
c. Navamsa and Relevant Varga Charts: Navamsa is an important divisional chart. No prediction should be made without consulting this. Its utility and other related matters have been discussed in a separate lesson on Vargas or divisional charts. General Rule: Planetfavourable in Rasi but weak in Navamsa, either debilitated or in enemy house or in evil houses minimize good effects of Rasi. If planets improve in Vargas they give good results in Rasi chart. Ifplanet is strong both in Rasi and Navamsa it isfullycapable ofgiving excellent results.
d. Chart of the Dasha Scheme: It is no use giving prediction unless you have the Dasha scheme before you. A horoscope may have all the Raj Yogas but if the proper Dasha does not come good Yogas rarely give fruit Another important principle is to treat Dasha lord as Lagna and evaluate other houses accordingly. For example second house from the Dasha lord will represent wealth, third brothers, fourth property and so on. This is important principle as given in Phala Deepika.
Step 2. General Assessment of the Horoscope – Signs Rising:
i. You must feel the horoscope and the horoscope should be ready to tell its own story. See how many planets are exalted or aspecting their own houses. These houses are strengthened and give the frill results of their signification. In this you should concentrate on the sign rising and the sign in which Moon is located. All Rasis have their own characteristics and have their story to tell. For example Virgo is an intellectual sign but not so strong to resist diseases. A person with Virgo rising will lie down in the bed on even slight indications of bad cold, whereas a person with Aries sign rising will be still active and moving around even when he is running temperature of 100 degrees. Maladies of ordinary nature do not bother him. He has tremendous stamina to resist these. A separate chapter has been devoted to signs rising and their results. This can be seen in the separate volume of this book. “Astrology – BasicFacts”. These should be memorized.
ii. Ascertain the placement of the planets, and in which types ofRasis they are placed If majority of planets are in movable or char Rasis, the person is fond oftravelling, his ideas change and in course of time he travels a lot. If majority of planets are in fixed or Sthir Rasis person is of conservative ideas and is of fixed habits. He normally stays at one place and is good at making factories and works at a regular and constant place. Majority of planets in dual or Dwishbhava Rasis give result in between. The person are sometimes here and sometimes there. They do not have fixed ideas which are liable to change. Again check placement of planets in different type of Rasis. If majority of planets are in fiery Rasis the person has great initiative, his ideas arc high and he aims to achieve great things in life. Majority of planets in earthy sign make one practical and industrious, in airy signs intelligent and fond ofreading and in watery signs emotional, receptive, intelligent and of unstable mind.
Step-3. Planets in Kendras or Trikonas:
- Check the position of planets. The best place for benefits is Kendras and Trikonas. Here the planets become very strong. And strong benefits are necessary to give you maximum comforts in life. Ifthe planets are in Kendras and are in their own signs they give rise to Mahapurush Yogas of prosperity.
- b. The malefics in Kendras unless they are exalted or in their own houses become strong to give trouble in life. For example malefics in the fourth house will destroy peace of mind, are not good for accumulating property as also are bad for mother. Similarly malefics in the 7th house will destroy married life.
- c. The best place for malefics are 3, 6 and 11 houses (not their lordship, which makes them evil). They are extremely good here. d. A horoscope in which benefics are in Kendras and malefics are in 3, 6 and 11 is considered to be a strong horoscope and generally person rises very high in life.
Step 4. Raj Yogas Present in the horoscope. After this, have a look at the placement of planets and the type of Yogas these are forming. The more Raj Yogas in the horoscope, the greater the prosperity and rise in life. Because of the importance of the subject a separate chapter has been devoted to Yogas. It has been our observation that the combination of Kendra and Trikona lords form the most powerful Raj Yoga. Without these Yogas it is not possible to achieve high status in life.
Step 5. Strong and Weak Planets Astrology is nothing else but deciphering the results of strong and weak planets. A strong Sun gives a high status in life, makes one a leader, gives fame, wealth and prosperity, whereas a weak Sun give all type of problems including loss ofreputation and wealth, struggle and strife. A strong Mars makes you fearless, takes you to the top of profession, and gives land and property, whereas weak Mars gives accidents, quarrels, various diseases, violent murders and massacres.
Signification of each and every planet should be clearly understood and committed to memory. We have dealt with this subject exhaustively in a separate chapter. Broadly speaking the signification of each planet is given below, but before that we must know when is the planet strong and when it is weak. Because these will give diametrically opposite results. The, exact strength of a planet can be known through working of Shad-Balas and use of Ashtak Vargas. However, where it is not available or where the time is short the following thumb rules should be applied for strong and weak planets respectively.