THE NATURAL INSTINCT of man to know the unknown is the mother of all sciences, including astrology. The Vedic seers realized that by meditation, contemplation, and research one could know the mysteries of matter and mind.
It only requires true understanding of the laws of nature, because from the gross material reality to the subtlest frequencies, all is a part of one single continuum of vibrations. Everything is interrelated and interdependent.
The man and the universe surrounding him are all the products of the same law through which creation is begun, preserved, and destroyed. Keen observation, right attitude, imagination guided by right knowledge, and systematic thinking can solve all mysteries.
Truth is truth at all levels; matter and mind are not separate, they are two sides of the same coin. Ignorance creates mystery, bad body chemistry creates negative thoughts and wrong attitude. Right food, austerity, and penance can connect man with the divine, which is pure knowledge.
Vedic seers like Narada, Bhrigu, Garg, Shaunik, Parashar, and Shuk through their austerity and penance developed this divine insight and wrote scriptures on astrology.
Astrology studies man as a microcosm and considers him to be an indivisible part of the macrocosm; it is based on the assumption that the human body and psyche are influenced by celestial bodies, the stars and planets of our solar system.
Through the help of horoscope (the natal chart) an astrologer can understand the psychophysical nature of any individual.
He can assess his latent potential, role in life, health, wealth, friends and foes, ups and downs, life span, diseases, kinds of obstacles or problems one can have, the relationship of the individual with his or her father and mother, brothers and sisters, superiors and subordinates, wife or husband and partners, and so forth. Planets, too, have friends and foes. They are exalted in one sign and debilitated or exiled in another.
Their placement in the twelve houses of the natal chart plays an important role. To make this statement clearer, I present the following chart.
Astrologers and gem therapists use gems to compensate for the loss of energy caused by the weak planets (i.e., debilitated, exiled, badly-aspected), to provide missing chemicals and reestablish electrochemical balance, or to provide more strength to the exalted favorable planets.
Gems can enhance the benevolent effect of the malignant planets. This quality of gems has made them the favorites of astrologers, priests, tantriks, and gem therapists. In the Jatak Parijat there is a verse that assigns the nine gems to the nine planets
Relation Among Planets
Planet |
Friend |
Enemy |
Exalted |
Sun |
Moon, Mars, Jupiter |
Saturn, Rahu, Ketu |
Aries |
Moon |
Sun, Mars, Jupiter |
Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, Mercury, Venus |
Taurus |
Mars |
Sun, Moon, Jupiter |
Saturn, Mercury, Venus |
Capricorn |
Mercury |
Saturn, Rahu,, Ketu |
Sun, Mars |
Virgo |
Jupiter |
Moon, Mars |
None |
Cancer |
Venus |
Saturn, Mars, Moon |
Mercury |
Pisces |
Saturn |
Merucry, Rahu, Ketu |
Moon, Mars |
Libra |
Rahu |
Saturn, Ketu, Mercury |
Sun, Moon |
Taurus |
Ketu |
Saturn, Rahu, Mercury |
Sun, Moon |
Scorpio |
Relationship among planets, signs, and Gemstone
Debliated |
Exiled |
Sign |
Colour |
Weekday |
Gemstone |
Libra |
Aquarius |
Cancer |
Red |
Sunday |
Ruby |
Scorpio |
Capricorn |
Aries, Scorpio |
White |
Monday |
Pearl |
Cancer |
Libra, Taurus |
Gemini, Virgo |
Red |
Tuesday |
Coral |
Pisces |
Sagittarius, Pisces |
Gemini, Virgo |
Green |
Wednesday |
Emerald |
Capricorn |
Gemini, Virgo |
Sagittarius, Pisces |
Yellow |
Thursday |
Yellow Sapphire |
Virgo |
Aries, Scorpio |
Libra, Taurus |
White |
Friday |
Diamond |
Aries |
Leo, Cancer |
Aquarius, Capricorn |
Blue |
Saturday |
Blue Sapphire |
Scorpio |
– |
– |
Purple |
Amethyst |
|
Taurus |
– |
– |
Black |
Catsye |
Houses: Generally, planets sitting in houses 1, 4, 7, 9, and 10 are considered to be strong. Planets residing in 6, 8, and 12 are weakened in their powers. In evaluation of the strength of a planet it should also be taken into account that Sun, Moon, Mars, and Venus are stronger in the first halves of signs, while Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, Rahu, and Ketu are stronger in the higher half of a zodiac sign.
Aspects: First, all planets see seven houses; i.e., any planet sitting in the opposite sign is seen.
Second, conjunction means sitting in the same sign Saturn also sees third and tenth houses;
Mars, fourth and eighth;
Jupiter, fifth and ninth.
Planets under aspects of friends will be strengthened; planets seen by an enemy are weakened.
The nav-ratna (nine gems) are divided into two groups: (1) maha-ratna (maha = great, ratna = gem) = precious; and (2) up-ratna (up = sub,ratna = gem) = semiprecious.
In the first group of maha-ratna there are five gems: diamond, pearl, ruby, blue sapphire, and emerald.
In the second group of up-ratna there are four gems: hessonite,
yellow sapphire, cat’s-eye, and coral.
This division is based neither on the market value of the gems nor on their brilliance, lustre, or durability, but on their utility and their influence on the human psyche, body chemistry, and electromagnetic field.
There is no disagreement in the relationship of gems to planets. The list of gems with the planets with which they are assigned is consistent within the Sanskrit scriptures, but there are many popular views about their use by astrologers, gem therapists, and tantriks.
Most Indian astrologers, gem therapists, and tantriks agree on the use
of the gemstone related to the moon sign (rashi). (The moon sign means the placement of Moon in a particular sign of the Zodiac, e.g., Moon in Aries makes Aries the moon sign.) Because Moon governs psyche it holds a very important place in the life of an individual, and that is why
the use of the gemstone according to the rashi is very popular in India.
This way of selecting a gemstone,however, is too general. We have also to consider whether the Moon is rightly placed in the natal chart. If Moon is sitting in Aries in the sixth, eighth, or twelfth house, use of a coral ring, which is related to Mars, the ruler of Zodiac sign Aries, will not help. A tantrik, a gem therapist, and a good astrologer will suggest instead a pearl ring, which is the ring for that rashi.
Similarly, if Moon is sitting with Sun (which only happens when an individual is born on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the descending moon cycle),Moon even in Taurus—its sign of exaltation—becomes debilitated and needs support.
Pearls will be the only choice, and not the diamond, which is related to the Moon sign Ikurus, ruled by Venus. This shows that the general
law of selecting a gemstone with the rashi is not correct.
The other, less popular view is that the gemstone related to the ascendant should be used. Ascendant is known as lagna in Sanskrit and is always the first house in the natal chart.
This house is supposed to be very powerful and to rule the body. According to the advocates of this view the ascendant has the maximum influence on an individual’s life. It governs the atmosphere in which the newborn baby takes its first breath. It is the starting point. It is connected with the body chemistry of the individual, which designs the thought patterns, emotional behavior, and ideas.
The gem of the lagna is as important as the gem related to the rashi.
The only good point of this system is that the lagna (ascendant) is always placed in the first house, whereas rashi (Moon) can be placed in any of the twelve houses.
The problem with this system is that the lord of the lagna (ascendant) is not always placed in the first house. It could also be in any of the twelve houses. It could be exalted, debilitated, exiled, or weak. Thus we see that a general law in use of gems with rashi or lagna cannot always be
helpful, and a careful observation of the natal chart is necessary. If the lord of the ascendant is exalted, sitting in a friendly sign, is conjunct, or seen by friendly planets, the gemstone related to the ascendant will help and vice versa. Like gems, the planets are also divided into two groups:
(1) Benefic (shubh grah): Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus belong to this group, which is lunar in nature; and
(2) Malefic (kroor grah): Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu belong to this group, which is solar in nature.
If the ascendant belongs to the benefic group (shubh grah), the use of gemstones will enhance lunar qualities of benevolence, nobility, creativity, and gentleness.
If the ascendant belongs to the malefic group (kroor grah), the use of gems will enhance male qualities of arrogance, roughness, self-destruction, and coarseness. But if the lord of the ascendant is sitting in the first, fourth, seventh, or tenth house with friendly planets in a friendly sign, it will help the individual in achieving name, fame, wealth, good health, and cooperation from friends and subordinates.
There are exceptions: Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu, which belong to the malefic group of planets, when placed in the third, sixth, or eleventh house act like shubh grah, benefic planets, and become powerful. If they are in a friendly sign they become more beneficial.
The eighth and twelfth houses are not supposed to be good for benefic planets in any way. It might be good for malefic planets to sit there because they become weak in these houses. The exception is only for the malefic planets sitting in the eleventh house. Thus, the eleventh house is only good for the malefic planets. This clarifies our statement that it is not always beneficial to select gem- stones only because they are related to rashi (Moon sign) or lagna (ascendant).
To wear a gem is to add the energy of the planet related to the gem. If the planet is badly aspected it will only add to one’s problems.
Some astrologers and gem therapists believe that the use of a gem will please the planet creating trouble and make the troublemaker friendly and favorable.
This may sound true, but logically, increasing energy of an ill- aspected planet will only create problems; the negative energy will become more powerful. Tantriks suggest that donating the gem related to a malefic or ill-aspected planet is helpful. This view deserves consideration. Donating always helps.
If the donation is made to a deserving candidate who could benefit by its use, the planet will become favorable. The author has tried it in many cases and gained favorable results.