Designated Padas - Special spots to be aware of in a Horoscope

A broad spectrum of a horoscope consists of 12 houses represented by 12 different zodiac signs. However when it comes to dividing a zodiac signs into parts, the Navamsa or the D9 variation adds an extra colour when looked at from the purview of vedic astrology. Each of the Zodiac signs thus are bifurcated into 9 equal parts measuring a zone of 3 degrees 20 minutes making up 108 parts (12*9) in totality.

When it comes to analyzing these Padas, there are certain of them which tend to be auspicious and a few inauspicious. There are different characterizations under which these padas can be slotted into which are pretty important to look at in a horoscope. Some of them also overlap with each other but it's good to note and understand these specific padas as they can be quite useful in the analysis of a horoscope. Many a time we don't tend to reflect on these as they are much in number and quite difficult to keep a tab at. But certainly they can give a divergent flavour when looked at from the lens of a horoscope.

The different padas to be aware of in a horoscope which ultimately yields it's result in the D9 or Navamsa chart are as below:

- Vargottama Amsa Pada

- Pushkara Amsa Pada

- Gandanta Amsa Pada

- Tyajya Amsa Pada

- Duritha Amsa Pada 

- Mrityu Amsa Pada

Let's briefly look at all of the above and understand the specific spots in a horoscope where they occur:

Vargottama Amsa Pada:
Vargottama is used to describe a position where a planet attains the same placement in the main D1 Rasi chart as well as the subsequently derived D9 Navamsa chart. Vargottama is applicable in all the Divisional charts but is particularly looked at with importance in the Navamsa division. As they are placed in the same sign in both D1 and D9, it is said to indicate a harmonious alignment and is a position of strength known to amplify the results. It is said to have a major influence in an individual's horoscope. Though it tends to seemingly connote a position of strength, it needs to be looked at from a broader perspective and with a touch of caution. For instance the Ascendant Lord in Vargottama can indicate vigour and energy for the individual but however the 6th Lord say placed in Vargottama can influence 6th house negative matters which may not always be a good thing. Brihar Parashara Shastra mentions Vargottama as a significant tool in computing strength of a planet.

Vargottama happens in each zodiac sign in a particular part out of the 9 parts. In a movable zodiac sign the 1st part becomes a Vargottama whereas in a Fixed zodiac sign every 5th part becomes a Vargottama and in a Dual zodiac sign, the 9th part ends up being in Vargottama. Hence there are a total of 12 Vargottama Pada's out of a total possible 108 Padas making up the Rasi chart.

Pushkara Amsa Pada:
Pushkara are supposed to be those areas within a zodiac which are said to enhance the qualities of a planet. It denotes nourishment and when any entity is placed in a Pushkara pada, it is said to indicate a sweet spot. Pushkara in Sanksrit means blue lotus and these Pushkara Amsa's fall in special designated degrees that tend to bring growth, luck and auspiciousness. Though some of the major classics have no reference of Pushkara Amsa, Vidhya Madhaveeyam and Jathaka Parijatha do have a passing mention of these.

Pushkara Pada takes place in 2 specific parts in each zodiac sign leading to a total of 24 Pushkara Pada's in total. In a fire sign viz Aries, Leo and Sagittarius it happens to be the 7th and 9th part. For Earth signs viz Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn it is the 3rd and 5th part. For Air signs it is the 6th and 8th part whereas for Water signs it is the 1st and 3rd part. In essence 24 out of 108 total padas happen to be Pushkara Amsa Padas.

Note: Since the topic of Pushkara Amsa was mentioned, it would also make sense to note about the topic of Pushkara Bhaga which are said to be one specific degree in each zodiac sign that are said to be extremely auspicious. Jathaka Parijatha denotes the following degrees to be Pushkara Bhaga for the zodiac signs from Aries to Pisces viz 21°, 14°, 18°, 8°, 19°, 9°, 24°, 11°, 23°, 14°, 19°, 9°. In the book Navamsa Astrology however Pushkara Bhaga degrees are a little different and is believed to be obtained from Poorva Kalamrita and as per this 21° of a fire sign, 14° in an Earth sign, 24° in a Air sign and 7° in a Water sign are said to be Pushkara Bhaga 

Gandanta Amsa Pada:
Gandanta are the junction points which take place in the transition between water to fire signs. Gandanta can be said to be a point of danger and if a planet is placed in the Gandanta zone, it is said to be inauspicious causing negative things to befall upon the path of an individual. Gand means 'knot' and Anta means 'end' which can loosely be translated to as knot being tied that is difficult to unshackle. This is said to be connected at a soul level and hence very deep. It is ideal if no planet is placed in the Gandanta zone and especially that of the Moon as it signifies the mind which makes it difficult to overcome.

Gandanta Pada takes place only in the fire and water signs with the first of the fire signs and the last of the water signs initiating the Gandanta zone. Hence there are only 6 parts out of a total 108 parts which fall in Gandanta. Also in general it is said that only the last two ghatis and the first two ghatis of the Nakshatra falling in water and fire signs respectively to be extremely intricate and sensitive points which when converted in degree terms denote the following span viz:
29° 23' 20'' of Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio to 0° 26' 40'' of Aries, Leo, Sagittarius  

Tyajya Amsa Pada:
There are selective Nakshatra Padas in each of the 12 zodiac signs where planets are said to lose their potency and become ineffective when seated within that designated spot of 3°20'. These are also termed as Poojya Pada that translates to zero point and said to denote a cursed or poisoned space. Hence if any of the planets falls in this area, it can attract negative vibrations and misfortune.

Tyajya or Poojya Pada takes place in one particular pada in each of the 12 zodiac signs. Hence there are a total of 12 Tyajya Padas out of 108. In 4 of the zodiacs viz Aries, Taurus, Virgo and Sagittarius. Tyajya Pada falls in the very 1st pada whereas in 4 of the zodiacs viz Gemini, Leo, Libra and Aquarius, Tyajya Pada falls in the middle 5th pada and in the remaining zodiacs viz Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces, Tyajya Pada falls in the last 9th pada.

Duritha Amsa Pada:
The Nakshatras are said to be divided into 3 groups - Creation, Maintenance and Destruction. The First Nakshatra beginning from Ashwini is Srishti (Creation), 2nd Bharani is Sthiti (Maintenance) and 3rd Krithika is Samhar (Destruction). The sequence is said to repeat from the 4th Nakshatra onwards until the last 27th Nakshatra. The Samhara Nakshatras which are those that occur in multiples of 3 are said to initiate Durithamsa. Any planet placed in Durithamsa is known to be inauspicious and capable of causing trouble, and despair.

Duritha Pada takes place only in the Nakshatras whose star lord happens to be Sun, Rahu and Mercury. These fall in the Earth, Air and Water signs only and Durithamsa is devoid of Fire signs. Though there are 4 padas in each of these Nakshatras, it is only the 3rd and 4th pada that attract the sensitivity of Durithamsa Pada and they happen to all fall specifically only in the zodiac sign of Aquarius and Pisces in the D9 Navamsa chart. Hence there are a total of 18 Duritha Amsa Padas out of 108 Padas (2 in each of the 3 earth, air and water signs).

Mrityu Amsa Pada:
There is also a mention of Mrityu point where it's said that when planets are placed in these spots they can suck the signification and cause a killing effect. There is no much information available of this in any specific text. However these are also being documented for reference purpose.

Summary of Designated Padas:
Listed below is a tabular representation of the specified zones in which Vargottama Amsa, Pushkara Amsa, Gandanta Amsa, Tyajya Amsa, Duritha Amsa and Mrityu Amsa takes place.

Overall Analysis:
From a broad overview we can state Vargottama and Pushkara to be more favorable as compared to Gandanta, Tyajya, Duritha and Mrityu which all indicates malicious effects. There are only 3 particular padas out of 108 which happen to be both Vargottama & Pushkara that happen to be Rohini 2nd Pada in Taurus sign, Punarvasu 4th pada in Cancer sign and Uttara Ashada 1st pada in Sagittarius sign. Likewise there are only 3 particular parts out of 108 which fall in the ambit of being Gandanta, Tyajya and Durithamsa all at the same time and these are Ashlesha 4th pada in Cancer sign, Jyeshta 4th pada in Scorpio sign and Revathi 4th pada in Pisces sign. Out of this Revathi 4th pada alone happens to be a Vargottama pada also and ascertains strength. Ashwini 1st pada which happens to be the next pada after Revathi 4th pada also happens to be Vargottama pada and also a Gandanta and Tyajya Pada but however does not fall into the category of Durithamsa pada. None of the Pushkara Pada happen to be Gandanta or Tyajya Padas however 6 of these 24 Pushkara padas unfortunately end up becoming Durithamsa Padas viz the 4th padas of the Samhara Nakshatras of  Krithika, Aarudra, Uttara Phalguni, Swathi, Uttara Ashada and Satabisha. 2 of the Pushkara Pada also fall into the category of Mrityu Pada namely Krithika 4th pada and Uttara Bhadrapada 2nd pada. Poorva Phalguni 1st pada gathers strength on being Vargottama but however loses its sheen because it's a Tyajya pada and same is the case for Satabisha 3rd pada which gains strength due to Vargottama but is exposed to the cursed Tyajya Pada as well as the harmful Duritamsa Pada.

Ascertaining Influence in Planetary Conjunctions!

While delineating a horoscope, one of the hardest spots to crack happens to be planetary conjunctions. It becomes tighter when the going gets tougher with planets being closely aligned with one another and it's quite an onerous task to see who influences whom more and which planet has a far reaching impact when they are all congregated nearby each other. When it's a single planet sitting in a sign, results are always easier to decipher whereas when 2 of them combine it gets murkier and in situations where you have 3 or more planets close by the intricacies really start sizing up.

There is also a notion of conjunctions to be taking place only when planets are placed within the same zodiac sign. This is not entirely true as planets are ever revolving and we cannot really attribute it to the zodiac sign or house concept which is fixed in nature. For instance if Planet A is at 2° and Planet B is at 26° in the same sign say Capricorn, we tend to brand it as a conjunction whereas let's say there is a Planet C placed in the previous sign of Sagittarius at 29° we don't really always take Planet A & C to be conjunct despite them being just 3 degrees apart. To explain this with a simple illustration, we can consider a horoscope to be equivalent of a large building consisting of 12 storeys or compartments. These compartments are fixed in nature like the zodiac signs in the sky whereas these compartments will consist of a number of objects which get moved from one part of the building to another part. These objects correspond to the Planets which are always movable in nature from one place to another. Hence we cannot really categorize conjunctions only when planets fall in the same sign and in essence the distance between the planets matter a lot irrespective of the zodiac sign in which they are placed.

Now coming to the real deal, so how do we then evaluate planetary conjunctions? One factor to always keep in the back of the mind is the planetary table of friendship to know which of the planets maintain a friendly, inimical or neutral relationship with their respective counterparts. Secondly the difference in the degrees also matter a lot. Like in the above example of 2 planets sitting in the same sign but being well over 20 degrees from each other certainly doesn't suggest a conjunction since they happen to be too far and don't necessarily warrant an influence over one another. Additionally also it would be prudent to see the direction in which the planets are moving whether in forward mode or undergoing a retrogression movement. Let's now look at some key characteristics at play to understand planetary influence in conjunctions.

Strength of Planets:
This is absolutely essential to consider for evaluating planetary influence. The strongest to weakest planets of the Navagrahas are given as under:
Ketu -> Rahu -> Sun -> Moon -> Venus -> Jupiter -> Mercury -> Mars -> Saturn

This is backed by a verse from 'Hora Sara' that states "The strength of Mars is double of Saturn's. Mercury is four times stronger than Mars. Jupiter is eight times stronger than Mercury. Venus has eight times more strength than that of Jupiter. The Moon is sixteen times stronger than Venus, the Sun twice of the Moon and Rahu's strength is twice of the Sun's and hence Rahu is the strongest of the planets". This is also corroborated in Uttara Kalamrita which assigns points to the planets for Indu Lagna Calculation as such; Sun - 30, Moon - 16, Venus - 12, Jupiter - 10, Mercury - 8, Mars - 6 and Saturn - 1. The Indu Lagna calculations doesn't include Rahu & Ketu whereas in the verse above it's clearly stated that Rahu is more powerful than Sun. It clearly makes sense because as per mythology and also astronomy, it's mentioned that Rahu & Ketu are capable of swallowing both the Sun & Moon and it's only due to the phenomenon of the Nodes that eclipses even get formed. Between Rahu and Ketu however they are one and the same with the head portion denoting Rahu and body portion depicting Ketu. In astrological parlance however Ketu is said to be the strongest of them because it is said to be associated with a 5 faced snake and hence more powerful than Rahu but however this information as to which of the nodes is stronger isn't really relevant as they are always 180° apart and the major essence to take away is that the Nodes happen to be the strongest among the Navagrahas. Also to be kept in mind is that this is only planetary strength and there is no mention of degrees which have an important bearing with respect to planetary influence.

Asthanga and Samagama - Solar and Lunar Combustion:
When planets are within a particular distance of the Sun, they are said to lose their power and said to be in a combust or Ashtanga state. The planets are said to be obscured by the Sun and their rays don't fully land on the earth. It has been clearly defined also in texts about the degrees in which they are said to be combust. Solar Combustion takes place only when the planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are involved. Since Moon is always closer to the Earth, combustion doesn't apply and likewise Nodes are only shadow points and do not possess rays of any kind. Listed below are the degrees in which planets gets combust when they are close to Sun:
Mars 17°
Mercury 14°, 12° when retrograde
Jupiter 11°
Venus 10°, 8° when retrograde
Saturn 15°

Similar to Ashtanga, when the planets get closer to the Moon it is said to cause a phenomenon called 'Samagama' or Lunar Combustion. Since the Moon is always closer to earth, when any planet comes close to the Moon, it automatically means these planets in essence are also very close to the Earth. There is however no defined degrees of Lunar Combustion when planets get close to the Moon but however it re-iterates the theory that Moon is stronger than all the other planets when in a state of conjunction. Similar to Ashtanga, Samagama does not include Sun, Rahu & Ketu.

Planetary War or Graha Yuddha:
When 5 planets barring the luminaries and nodes viz Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn come within 1º distance from each other it is said to cause 'Planetary War' or 'Graha Yudha'. This concept doesn't utilizes the Sun, Moon, Rahu & Ketu and this only occurs when the 5 planets get extremely close ie within a degree distance of each other. Here again, it is stated that Venus never loses in a planetary war when associated with the other 4 planets again harping on the strength order of planets that Venus happens to be the strongest planet after the Nodes and the Luminaries. The victor in Planetary War sans Venus who always wins is decided based on the Latitude of the planets with the planet having more Northern Latitude said to come out on top and be the winner.

Yoga Formation within 12°:
This is a very important principle. It is stated in Uttara Kalamritam that when any 2 planets cause a yoga whether good or bad, it should be seen only when they are within 12° from each other. 12° can also be interpreted as One Tithi and this number is extremely pivotal in ascertaining results. It has also been stated that for effects to fructify, it is quite essential that planet slower in motion is ahead of the planet which is faster in motion. The slowest to fastest motion of the planets are as below:
Saturn -> Rahu/Ketu -> Jupiter -> Mars -> Sun -> Venus -> Mercury -> Moon

Thus we can witness during conjunction of planets which are within 12°, the faster planet should be behind and the slower planet should be ahead for it to be effective. This is also termed as an 'lthasala Yoga' and said to be benefic in general when a faster planet with less longitude is behind a slower planet with higher longitude. On the other hand there is also something called 'Easarapha Yoga' which in general is said to be inauspicious when a faster planet with greater longitude is ahead of a slower planet with lesser longitude.

Through this concept, it can be clearly understood that Mercury + Sun conjunction known as Buddha Aditya Yoga where Mercury the faster motion planet being in lesser degree than Sun the slower motion planet is more effective as compared to the other way round where Mercury is higher in degree than Sun. One exception to this rule however is when ascertaining Sun and Moon. If the Moon being the faster planet is behind the Sun within 12 degrees, it happens to be cudgeled by the Sun which is known as Ammavasya Tithi and also said to be a natural malefic as it's in Krishna Paksha or waning state. On the other hand when it is ahead of Sun but within 12 degrees, it is said to form Pratipada Tithi and attains waxing status of Shukla Paksha which also indicates natural benefic state of Moon. Though in both cases Moon happens to be in a dark state because of being close to the Sun, the latter is more auspicious as it enjoys the status of a natural benefic. One more point worth pondering is whether the planets are approaching each other or going away. For instance in a Venus + Jupiter conjunction where both are in forward motion with Venus the faster planet approaching Jupiter the slower planet could cause an auspicious yoga but just twisting the ratio and let's say Jupiter happens to be retrograde in which case both planets face each other to form a collision, it could indicate a far greater impact, be it good or bad.

Nadi Planetary Rule:
This is a specific Nadi rule with respect to Planetary influence when 2 or more planets are conjunct. It is said that the planet lower in degree is the one who is going to be influenced by the planet ahead in degree. This is based on a simple reasoning that the planets are always moving and the planet which is behind in degree is the one who will touch the forward planet and gather most of the significations of the higher degree planet and not the other way around. However if the planet ahead in degree happens to be in a retrograde state then both planets tend to influence each other a lot. A good way of understanding is through an example and let's say Venus in normal motion is behind Rahu which always travels backwards. In this case the influence is potent as both are coming towards each other. However reversing the equation and let's say Rahu is behind in degree than Venus, here the influence is relatively marginal as Rahu travels in a different direction as compared to Venus which goes in another direction with their paths not crossing one another.

Deeptamsa or Planetary Orbs of Influence:
This works on the theory of the span of degrees in which one planet has an orbital influence over the other. There is list of degrees given for each of the planets and they influence to this extent irrespective of whether a planet is behind or ahead of it. The planetary orbs are as follows:
Sun - 7°30'
Moon - 6°
Mars - 4°
Mercury - 3°30’
Jupiter - 4°30'
Venus - 3°30’
Saturn - 4°30'
Rahu - 6°
Ketu - 6°

This is semi arc degree of influence. For eg. if let's say Sun is placed in 16° in a sign. Since Sun's Deeptamsa range is 7°30', we would have to both add and subtract from the degree in which Sun is placed. Hence Sun's influence will be on any planet which is between 8°30' to 23°30' which in essence is +/- 7°30' from degree of the Sun.

Hence, these are the different theories at play when ascertaining Planetary conjunctions. It looks like there is much more than what meets the eyes with so many staggering combinations coming into the fray. But looking at things from a logical perspective will help in establishing the impact and influence which Planets instill on one another.

Summary:
- For conjunctions to take place Planets should be within 12° of each other irrespective of sign
- If conjunction test is met, then strength of planets should be ascertained from the order of Ketu -> Rahu -> Sun -> Moon -> Venus -> Jupiter -> Mercury -> Mars -> Saturn with nodes being strongest and Saturn being the weakest
- Always ascertain the degree of distance between the planets in conjunction and also check the relationship among planets in conjunction whether they are Friend/Enemy/Neutral
- In general planets in lower degree have a higher influence on planets ahead of it. This is however subject to planetary average motion speed and also factoring in effects of Retrograde planets
- Check the orbital influence which a planet has on another. Sometimes both could be influencing each other whereas in some cases one will have influence on the other and not the other way around which again will give clues as to which planet is the primary driver and which plays second fiddle

Synastry Matching - Compatibility of Zodiac Signs

The age old question of which Zodiac sign is compatible with which Zodiac sign has always raised eyebrows and is always a topic that arouses a lot of interest. Though there is no one stop solution to this, we can do it by exercising some caution to the wind and adopting a restrained approach by looking at a few definitive factors. It's of course a different matter when other planetary positions come into the fray. However for synastry matching, it's best to consider each others Ascendant as it determines the physical characteristics and also a slight consideration of Moon is perhaps pertinent as it is to do with the mind and denotes the mental framework.

The three best ways to analyse synastry would be by looking at the following factors:
Based on Nature - Movable or Cardinal, Fixed or Static, Dual or Mutable
Based on Element - Fire, Earth, Air, Water
Based on Planetary Relationship - Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Sun, Jupiter, Saturn

Blending the three I believe one will be able to establish some sort of perception and arrive at a conclusion whether at all the two signs in question bond in any way or not. Let's categorize these 12 zodiac signs based on the 3 factors mentioned.
Aries - Movable / Fire / Mars
Taurus - Fixed / Earth / Venus
Gemini - Dual / Air / Mercury
Cancer - Movable / Water / Moon
Leo - Fixed / Fire / Sun
Virgo - Dual / Earth / Mercury
Libra - Movable / Air / Venus
Scorpio - Fixed / Water / Mars
Sagittarius - Dual / Fire / Jupiter
Capricorn - Movable / Earth / Saturn
Aquarius - Fixed / Air / Saturn
Pisces - Dual / Water / Jupiter

It is also a good ploy to look at some key words associated with these 3 factors:
Based on Nature:
Movable - Promoting Change, Enterprising, Outgoing, Restless, Taking Control, Over Active
Fixed - Resistance to Change, Focus, Practical, Firm, Persistence, Stubborn,
Dual -  Constant Change, Flexible, Adaptable, Fluctuating, Indecisive, Inconsistent, Balance

Based on Element:
Fire - Action oriented, Outgoing, Impatient, Forceful, Enthusiastic, Impatient, Careless
Earth - Responsibility, Hard working, Organized, Practical, Stable, Reserved, Critical, Steady
Air - Socially Active, Communicative, Tolerant, Nervous, Superficial, Aloof, Eccentric
Water - Feelings, Imagination, Sensitive, Artistic, Intuitive, Psychic, Moody, Secretive, Unrealistic

Based on Planet:
Mars - Action, Energy, Strength, Spirit, Movement
Venus - Passion, Pleasures, Relationship, Taste, Artistic
Mercury - Intelligence, Creative, Calculative, Analytical, Logic
Moon - Emotions, Nurturing, Mind, Moody, Imagination, Psychology
Sun - Courage, Ordering, Leadership, Soul, Ego, Status, Authoritative
Jupiter - Wisdom, Teaching, Traditional, Philosophical, Expansion, Benevolent
Saturn - Hard working, Persevering, Conservative, Patience, Justice, Discipline

The synastry matching come under 7 pairings and when extended turns up to a total of 78 possibilities. The different pairing axis are as follows: 1/1, 2/12, 3/11, 4/10, 5/9, 6/8 and 7/7. Each of these axis has 12 combinations each except for the 7/7 matching where there are only 6 possibilities. Let's look at all the different combinations making up the sum total of 78

1/1 Axis:
1) Aries - Aries
2) Taurus - Taurus
3) Gemini - Gemini
4) Cancer - Cancer
5) Leo - Leo
6) Virgo - Virgo
7) Libra - Libra
8) Scorpio - Scorpio
9) Sagittarius - Sagittarius
10) Capricorn - Capricorn
11) Aquarius - Aquarius
12) Pisces - Pisces

2/12 Axis:
13) Aries - Pisces
14) Taurus - Aries
15) Gemini - Taurus
16) Cancer - Gemini
17) Leo - Cancer
18) Virgo - Leo
19) Libra - Virgo
20) Scorpio - Libra
21) Sagittarius - Scorpio
22) Capricorn - Sagittarius
23) Aquarius - Capricorn
24) Pisces - Aquarius

3/11 Axis:
25) Aries - Gemini
26) Taurus - Cancer
27) Gemini - Leo
28) Cancer - Virgo
29) Leo - Libra
30) Virgo - Scorpio
31) Libra - Sagittarius
32) Scorpio - Capricorn
33) Sagittarius - Aquarius
34) Capricorn - Pisces
35) Aquarius - Aries
36) Pisces - Taurus

4/10 Axis:
37) Aries - Cancer
38) Taurus - Leo
39) Gemini - Virgo
40) Cancer - Libra
41) Leo - Scorpio
42) Virgo - Sagittarius
43) Libra - Capricorn
44) Scorpio - Aquarius
45) Sagittarius - Pisces
46) Capricorn - Aries
47) Aquarius - Taurus
48) Pisces - Gemini

5/9 Axis:
49) Aries - Leo
50) Taurus - Virgo
51) Gemini - Libra
52) Cancer - Scorpio
53) Leo - Sagittarius
54) Virgo - Capricorn
55) Libra - Aquarius
56) Scorpio - Pisces
57) Sagittarius - Aries
58) Capricorn - Taurus
59) Aquarius - Gemini
60) Pisces - Cancer

6/8 Axis:
61) Aries - Virgo
62) Taurus - Libra
63) Gemini - Scorpio
64) Cancer - Sagittarius
65) Leo - Capricorn
66) Virgo - Aquarius
67) Libra - Pisces
68) Scorpio - Aries
69) Sagittarius - Taurus
70) Capricorn - Gemini
71) Aquarius - Cancer
72) Pisces - Leo

7/7 Axis:
73) Aries - Libra
74) Taurus - Scorpio
75) Gemini - Sagittarius
76) Cancer - Capricorn
77) Leo - Aquarius
78) Virgo - Pisces

With respect to Nature, the similar nature signs get along with each other as they possess a similar characteristic. In general Movable may not get along with Fixed signs as their characteristics are different but both Movable and Fixed signs maintain some sort of association with Dual nature signs as it is known to be a judicious mix of the two and maintains the balance. Fixed with Dual can be a little better than Movable with Dual especially as the negative tendencies of the two can multiply when pecked together. Coming to elements, apart from their own elements, it's a general rule of thumb that Fire signs and Air signs always go well and same is the case with Earth and Water signs. Fire in general isn't compatible with Water signs and when compared with Earth signs they are of contrary nature causing heads to turn. Earth and Air signs usually tend to lack an understanding and when it comes to Air and Water signs it is seemingly better when aligned but disagreements can flare up due to the logical side of Air going in a different tangent with respect to the emotional thinking of water signs. When addressing planetary relationships, we can group the 7 planets into two categories viz Deva Guru Jupiter led group comprising of Jupiter, Mars, Sun & Moon and the Asura Guru group headed by Venus which includes Venus, Mercury and Saturn. The Deva Guru planets are generally good with each other and the same holds true for the signs ruled by the Asura Guru planets. Zodiac signs owned by Deva Guru ruled planets hold an inimical relationship with those ruled by Asura Guru planets and vice versa.

Hence while doing a synastry compatibility check, it is paramount to keep all these factors into account. Blanket statements passed such as 1/1, 5/9, 7/7 axis all being samples of great matches may not always be the case. For instance both Aries personalities under 1/1 group could lead to excess fire and overload of movable energy while on the other hand perhaps two Taurus personalities may hold better as Earth signs are generally more stolid and can hold up even though it can be too one-dimensional. Sometimes even a 6/8 combination such as Virgo & Aquarius may end up being a decent choice as the planetary rulers are friends and also a fixed with dual sign placement can strike a better balance if the Earth and Air bonding can maintain a cordiality. Within these 6/8 axis itself some are better than the others for eg Scorpio & Aries match can be more fruitful than say a Leo - Capricorn match.

Though, there are numerous classifications associated with zodiac signs, I singularly feel that the nature, element and planetary relationships hold the key in establishing the finer side and dissecting the zodiac signs at an intricate level to understand the level of compatibility which the zodiac signs possess.

The Most Awaited Eclipse Phenomena in Sagittarius/Gemini

Eclipses aren't an everyday phenomenon and neither is it a rare occurrence. A solar and lunar eclipse are likely to take place almost every 6 months. A solar eclipse is defined when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and likewise a Lunar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. Viewing from a horoscopic angle, there are 4 essential components required for an eclipse to take place which are the Sun, Moon, Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node). For all practical purposes, the Earth isn't considered as that's the place we all are in and considered more as a reference point. One more factor to note is that a Solar Eclipse takes place only on Amma Vasya which is when Moon comes very close to join with the Sun and a Lunar Eclipse takes place only on Poornima which is when the Moon is straight opposite the sun at 180 degrees. These motions are also coined as the waxing and waning phases of the Moon.

Now coming back to the question as to why this Eclipse happens to be far more anticipated than the regular set of eclipses which occur on an annual basis. The only reason attributed could be because of the stellium or joining journey of a bushel of planets happening in the zone of the zodiac sign Sagittarius. This is said to intensify energies and Sagittarius being a fiery sign in general, there could be some sense of discomfort and extensive aggression. There are always two zodiac signs coming into the forefront during an eclipse and apart from Sagittarius, the other zodiac happens to be the natural 3rd sign of communication Gemini which is said to possess an airy characteristic. Hence this projection happens in the territory of Gemini & Sagittarius and those having prominent placement in their natal chart in these two zodiac signs come under the firing line. Also just for the record, this upcoming solar eclipse would be the last in this decade (2010-19) and the impending lunar eclipse will be the first in the next decade (2020-29).

Solar Eclipse (26th Dec 2019):
Sun will be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and Moon will also be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and hence they are conjunct with each other. Ketu is also posited in Sagittarius along with the Sun & Moon with Rahu being 180 degrees apart in Gemini (7 signs away) giving rise to a perfect Solar Eclipse.

Lunar Eclipse (10th Jan 2020):
Sun will be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and Moon would have moved to Gemini (Mithuna) which is 180 degrees apart. Ketu is posited in Sagittarius with the Sun and Rahu is right now in Gemini along with the moon giving rise to a perfect Lunar Eclipse.

Just to get the drift, concentrate only on Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu. The Solar eclipse takes place in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini (Sun, Moon & Ketu in Sagittarius and Rahu in Gemini) whereas the Lunar eclipse will also take place in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini (Sun & Ketu in Sagittarius and Moon & Rahu in Gemini)

Astronomical Perspective:
The ecliptic is the path where the earth revolves around the Sun. The Moon has it's own orbital path around the earth which is slightly tilted and not in the same plane. The intersection points of the Moon's orbital path when crossing the ecliptic gives rise to the Nodes which in essence equates to the earth's orbit around the Sun called Rahu (North Node) and Moon's orbit around the Earth called Ketu (South Node).

The moon completes one full orbit of 360° around the earth in approx 27.3 days. In this process it also transits across the zodiac which is an imaginary band that follows the ecliptic around the earth. There are 12 signs of 30° and hence Moon takes approx 2 1/4 days (27.3 days/12 signs) transiting against the backdrop of a zodiac sign.

When the Moon transits the zone of Sagittarius ♐ (Dhanus Rasi) on 26th Dec 2019, it's orbital path entails it to move towards the intersecting point of Ketu which cuts across the ecliptic. The Moon also comes in close alignment with the Sun which is already perched here. The Moon bordering on the Nodal axis and in close proximity to the Sun blocks the sun light from falling on to the earth resulting in a Solar eclipse.

After about a fortnight, when the Moon sectors across the backdrop of Gemini ♊ (Mithuna Rasi) on 10th Jan 2020, it's orbital path entails it to move towards the intersecting point of Rahu which cuts across the other side of ecliptic. The Moon has now gone very far away from the Sun being oppositely aligned and passes behind the earth. Since the earth is now between the Sun and the Moon, it wouldn't be possible for the light of the sun to reach the Moon as the Earth obstructs it and this results in a Lunar eclipse.

Hence a solar eclipse can only take place on Amma Vasya when the Sun & Moon are in close conjunction and when Moon revolves near by the intersecting nodal point Ketu (in this case) enabling the Moon to cast a shadow on earth. Likewise a Lunar eclipse can only occur on Poornima when Sun & Moon are at the furthest from each other and Moon revolves towards the side of the other intersecting nodal point Rahu (in this case). Here since the moon is behind the earth, the earth instead casts a shadow on Moon.

Highlights and Pointers:
As highlighted, it's only these 4 attributes viz Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu which are responsible for casting an eclipse but the interesting point to observe is that apart from these 4 planets, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will also be holding hands in the domain of Sagittarius. Mercury is said to be characterizing Earthy element with Jupiter denoting Ether Tattva and Saturn is naturally said to be Airy by nature. The only two missing links Mars the fiery male and Venus the watery female are placed on either side in Scorpio and Capricorn respectively when the Solar Eclipse operates. During the time of Lunar eclipse however Venus will shift over to Aquarius with Mars staying put in it's battle field of Scorpio. Coming to those impacted, the one's having the following placements in their natal charts need to tread this eclipse phase with caution.

- Sun, Moon, Rahu, Ketu falling in the signs of Sagittarius or Gemini
These 4 components in effect are the reason eclipses even get formed and hence when someone at birth has these planets at birth in the two signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, the impact can said to trigger tribulations. Also Sun is said to denote the soul and the Moon depicts the mind with Rahu/Ketu both associated with past life karmas. Thus the one's having any of these 4 planets in their natal chart  in these signs need to treat this eclipse with care. Listing below the deities and incarnations with respect to these 4 planets whose worship can be some resolute at this point of time.
Sun - Lord Agni (Ram Incarnation)
Moon - Lord Varuna (Krishna Incarnation)
Rahu - Goddess Durga (Varaha Incarnation)
Ketu - Lord Ganesha (Matsya Incarnation)

- Ascendant being in the sign of Sagittarius or Gemini
The Ascendant is the zodiac which is rising in the eastern direction at the time of birth. If the Ascendant or Lagna falls in these two signs, it can bring some knee jerk reactions. The Ascendant is the basis or reference point of a horoscope and said to denote the physical characteristics of a person. The rising sign is considered to be the first house in a horoscope and the inter-relation of all planets are tied to it and hence it assumes paramount importance.
Dhanus/Sagittarius - Lord Dattatreya (Any form of Guru worship such as Dakshinamurthy) (Jyotirlinga - Kasi Viswanath)
Mithuna/Gemini - Lord Shriman Narayana (Any form of Vishnu worship such as Venkatesa Perumal) (Jyotirlinga - Nageshwara)

- Mercury, Jupiter or Saturn in the signs of Sagittarius or Gemini
This is just an additional consideration to be taken note of. It may not have as much of a say as the placement of Sun,Moon,Rahu,Ketu but these planets when moving along in transit in addendum to the eclipse effect crossing over their natal placements can cause a bit of an upside energy exchange. Mercury denotes the intelligence side, Jupiter portrays wisdom and Saturn on the discipline and hardships encountered by an individual. Worship to Lord Vishnu (Buddha Incarnation), Brahma (Vamana Incarnation) and Bairava (Koorma Incarnation) may be useful at this juncture.

- Amma Vasya or Poornima being the birth Tithi
These Tithis are like the bed rocks based on which eclipse formation takes place. During birth it may or may not have been a case of an eclipse but a tithi return in conjunction with an explosive eclipse taking place, it is perhaps best to invoke divine blessings at this point of time.
Amma Vasya - Lord Pitris (Ruled by Rahu, good to worship deity Sadashiva)
Poornima - Lord Chandra (Ruled by Saturn, good to worship deity Varuna)

- Chatushpada, Nagava, Vishti, Bava being the birth Karana
A Karana is basically half of a tithi and hence these will be the karanas operating as part of the solar eclipse and lunar eclipse respectively. Chatushpada and Naga form the 1st and 2nd karana of Amma Vasya Tithi with Vishti and Bava being the 1st and 2nd Karana of Poornima Tithi. Devotion to the Karana deities may be a dutiful consideration.
Chatushpada - Kala Bairavar (Symbolised by Dog)
Naga - Nagarajar, Sarpam (Symbolised by Snake)
Vishti - Karthikeya, Subramania Swamy (Symbolised by Cock)
Bava - Lakshmi Narasimhar (Symbolised by Lion)

- Nakshatras being Mrigashira, Arudra, Punarvasu, Moola, Poorva Ashada, Uthara Ashada
These are the Nakshatras that form part of the signs Gemini and Sagittarius and virtually any planet being placed in these constellations comes into the ambit of eclipse. It seems to be more profound for Moola and Arudra/Punarvasu as sensitive points since Moon will be transiting these constellations during the time of the eclipse but all of these stars come into the fray for being part of the zodiac signs of Sagittarius and Gemini. It may not be a bad idea to offer prayers to the Nakshatra deities as well.
Mrigashira - Deity: Soma, Related: Chandra, God: Chandra Sudeshwarar
Arudra - Deity: Rudra, Related:Shiva, God: Nataraja Shiva Peruman
Punarvasu - Deity: Aditi, Related: Devas, God: Shri Rama
Moola - Deity: Nirriti, Related: Asura, God: Anjaneya
Poorva Ashada - Deity: Apah, Related: Varuna, God: Jambukeshwarar
Uthara Ashada - Deity: Vishwadeva, Related: Ganesh, God: Vinayaka Peruman

- Other Miscellaneous Factors
3 limbs of the Panchang have been covered namely the Nakshatras, Tithi and Karanas. The remaining are Vara (solar day transiting from sunrise to next day sunrise) and the Yoga (sum of degrees of Sun and Moon). It is good to note that the solar eclipse occurs on a Thursday which is a day ruled by Jupiter and the Lunar eclipse operates on a Friday lorded by Venus. With respect to Yoga, Vriddhi Yoga lorded by Mercury will happen during the Solar Eclipse and Vyatipata Yoga lorded by Rahu will be running during the Lunar Eclipse. Hence those born on these days and yogas can also take a mild consideration of the effects of the eclipse.

Conclusion:
These are in essence about the interplay of eclipses. Eclipses are said to trigger momentary motions of uneasiness due to the movement of planets. It is always good to know about them for general understanding as well as information purpose. Thankfully it isn't a long standing effect and the best way to tackle is by invoking the divine and regulated fasting. By the time one blinks an eyelid, the eclipses would have already disappeared with life restored back to normalcy.

Nalam Vaazha - Mellow & Mellifluous!

There are compositions which happen to be mellifluously mellow that caress and comfort the soul. Nalam Vaazha definitely goes into that bracket. The way it slithers through you with unbridled with sweetness in abundance.

The underlying tone of this majestic melody is the fact that it touches virtually every single note and those slides which canoodle the chromatics is something worth rejoicing. It touches a chord and hits you straight in the heart.

This is generally viewed as a birthday song dedicated to celebrate an event. I choose this to usher in the sun's entry into Aries (Chithirai) signifying the beginning of a new year as per the Hindu calendar.

It was an indeed quite an exercise to play few titbits from this vintage musical construction of the 90's. Wishing the sun a very auspicious solar return as it ingresses onto Mesha rasi which in essence auspices the entry point of the zodiac.

Do you know your Panchanga Planet Lord?

All you have to know in order to know the planets ruling your Panchanga viz the 5 limbs of time are the following;

i) The Day of your birth
ii) The Nakshatra (star) of your moon at birth
iii) The degrees of Sun and Moon during birth

P.S : The zodiac spans 360 degrees and is divided into 12 equal signs of 30 degrees each. It starts at Aries (Mesha) and ends at Pisces (Meena). For eg if you're Sun is at 12 degrees in Cancer, you need to take the degrees as 102 since Cancer is the 4th sign and there have been 3 signs of 30 degrees which is 90 plus 12 degrees in Cancer. Similarly, say your Moon is in Libra at 15 degrees, you need to consider it as 195 degrees since Libra is the 7th sign and 6 signs have passed making a total of 30*6=180 plus 15 degrees in Libra.

I have made a ready reckoner which will enable you to find which of the planets are ruling your 5 panchanga elements viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Karana and Yoga. Some softwares do provide the data but nothing like knowing it on your own which can be pretty useful.

1) Vara:
This is the solar day transiting during your birth which in essence is the day you were born.
Total Varas : 7
Total Duration : Sun rise start time till next day sun rise start time
Total Planets : 7 (Rahu and Ketu are excluded)
Connection : Sun
Information : Please note that the vedic weekday starts from sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise starts. For instance if one were born at 2:15 AM on the English Day of Tuesday and the sun rise started at 6:35AM on Monday and next day sun rise was at 6:40 AM on Tuesday, Vara day will be Monday ruled by Moon and not Tuesday ruled by Mars.

Illustration: Native born at 4.20 PM on a Thursday. The Day Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and hence your Vara Lord happens to be Jupiter.

2) Nakshatra:
This reflects the transit of moon during your birth which is basically the constellation of stars that were rising when you were born.
Total Nakshatras : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Nakshatras)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Moon
Information : There are 27 stars divided into trines of 9 each which are represented by a particular planet. Eg Star No. 1, 10 and 19 are Ketu stars whereas 2,11 and 20 are Venus stars. Each star basically comprises of 13 degrees 20 minutes which is 360 degrees divided by 27 Nakshatras.

Illustration: Native is born on Hastha star, hence Nakshatra lord is Moon. Likewise if a native was born during the constellation of Revathi, then the Nakshatra Lord happens to be Mercury.

3) Tithi:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is considered as a Tithi.
Total Tithis : 30
Total Duration : 12 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 30 Tithis)
Total Planets : 8 (Rahu included but Ketu excluded)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 30 tithis (360 degrees divided by 12). The Tithis are split up into 2 parts of 15 each based on the brighter half (Sukla - Waxing) and darker half (Krishna - Waning) of the moon. The planet ruling the brighter half Sukla or darker half Krishna will remain the same for all except for Purnima which is ruled by Saturn and Amma Vasya lorded by Rahu.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Leo at 20 degrees and Moon is in Capricorn at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 140 (30*4 signs from Aries to Cancer + 20 degrees in Leo) and degrees of Moon is 282 (30*9 signs from Aries to Sagittarius + 12 degrees in Capricorn). The degrees of which Moon has passed Sun = 142 (282 less 140) which becomes Sukla Dwadashi Tithi ruled by Moon. In case there is a role reversal and Sun is at 282 degrees and Moon is at 140 degrees, then distance is 218 degrees (360 less 282 of Sun=78 plus 140 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Krishna Chaturthi Tithi also ruled by Moon. Always remember base point is Sun (slower planet) and we need to check how many degrees Moon (faster planet) has gone beyond Sun

4) Karana:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is referred to as a Karana. In essence, half of a Tithi constitutes a Karana.
Total Karanas : 60 comprising of 11 sub divisions
Total Duration : 6 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 60 Karanas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 60 karanas (360 divided by 6) but classified under 11 categories with 7 of the Karanas being movable and repeating itself 8 times (56 = 7*8) and the other 4 karanas being fixed (4).

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Virgo at 24 degrees and Moon in Scorpio at 21 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 174 (30*5 signs from Aries to Leo + 24 degrees in Virgo) and degrees of Moon is 231 (30*7 signs from Aries to Libra + 21 degrees in Scorpio). The degrees of Moon passing the Sun = 57 (231 less 174) which happens to be Balava Karana ruled by Rahu. In case let's say Sun is at 209 degrees and Moon at 194 degrees, then distance is 345 degrees (360 less 209 of Sun=151 plus 194 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Shakuni Karana ruled by Saturn. The computation is similar to Tithi and we need to know how many degrees moon has gone past the Sun.

5) Yoga:
This takes the combined sum of degrees of Sun + Moon and each total amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes comprises a Yoga.
Total Yogas : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Yogas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 27 yogas split into 3 parts of 9 each which are ruled by a particular planet. It is computed based on the total longitude of the Sun and Moon with reference point as 360. If the addition of Sun's degree and Moon's degree go beyond 360, then the extra portion above 360 needs to be considered. For eg. Sun + Moon combined degrees lets say comes to 418 degrees, then in this case the extra portion of 58 (418 less 360) will be the degree of Yoga.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Taurus at 27 degrees and Moon in Gemini at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degree zodiac is 57 (30*1 sign Aries + 27 degrees in Taurus) and degrees of Moon is 72 (30*2 signs from Aries to Taurus plus 12 degrees in Gemini). The total sum comes up to 129 (57+72). This will give rise to Ganda Yoga ruled by Saturn. Another eg, lets say Sun is 324 degrees and Moon is 358 degrees. Here adding the two yields 682 (324+358) which is more than 360. Hence the extra portion needs to be taken which is 322 (682 less 360) and that happens to be Brahma Yoga whose planetary lord is Mars.

Zodiac Sun Signs Misrepresented!

World over, people follow the sun sign dates blindly based on a template format which has been permeated since times immemorial. People even use this as a tool for starting communications and feverishly check newspapers and bulletins to see if the traits mentioned are matching their personality. Not only this, even memes are depicted and categorizations are made about people belonging to different sun signs such as which zodiacs reflect the best lover, depiction of signs getting drunk the most, weird quotient et al.

All this is fine if you are clear about the dates belonging to a particular sun sign. This is where the trouble lies as almost 80–90% of the time, the sun sign which you actually thought to be could be actually wrong. The real sun sign date is off by about 24 days from what you have been wondering all this while. Let me explain it with this diagrammatic date representation.

This may appear to be a simple thing but I feel most people get confused about these dates and hence I felt it's good to clarify in a lucid manner without going too much into the specifics. There is a lot of misinterpretation with regard to dates between Western and Vedic. It's different between tropical zodiac and sidereal zodiac and the western system follows the former but whereas the Vedic way of doing a horoscope chart adopts the latter. The difference between the two accounts to about 24 degrees. (22 to 24 based on ayanamsa) The tropical is always forward. For instance if you're 20 degrees Gemini Ascendant in sidereal chart, you're most likely to be 14 degrees Cancer (20 plus 24) in the Tropical chart.

For eg, if you were born on lets say May 8th, you would have all this while thought that you were a Taurus sun-sign, but as per Vedic you belong to the Aries zodiac. However if you were born on May 18th, you’ll still be a Taurus. There is an overlapping of almost a month between the tropical and sidereal date frame which is quite a reality check. There could be a slight difference on the cusp ie based on whether you were born on the 14th or 15th based on the timing of rising of the sun, but mostly the list works like a charm. If you know this simple funda, the confusion is less likely to occur.