The Motions of the Planets and the Retrograde Effect

When seen from the perspective of an astrological horoscope, the Geo Centric theme acts as the key reference point. It is based on the assumption of keeping the apparent reference of Earth as the center point with all the planets revolving around it. Thus it is important to know the effect of how different planets affect while transitioning around the zodiac signs based upon keeping Earth as the base. However in reality as per the onus of the solar system it's always the planets circulating around the sun in the order of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. 

As Earth is taken as the base, we generally consider Mercury and Venus as inner planets whereas Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are considered as outer planets to the Earth's orbit. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which are much further away are not considered within the parlance of Vedic Astrology but in essence they also need to be seen as outer planets. The Sun and the Moon which is revolving around the Earth are considered as the luminaries emitting source of light and have a significant role to play in the charter of a horoscope. They signify the soul and the mind respectively and play a crucial role in the decoding of a horoscope. In fact the Ascendant sign (the sign rising in the Eastern Horizon when an individual takes birth / event takes place), the Sun sign and the Moon sign are considered as the Big 3 in a horoscope and are extremely essential in deriving a number of areas to study within a horoscope. Their use both as individual points as well as a reference point based on which other planetary configurations are studied can exhibit wide avenues of analysis within the purview of a horoscope.

Daily Motion of Planets
Let's go about ascertaining the average motion of planets viewed in from the Earth's geo centric perspective. Though they all revolve around the Sun, we consider the center of the Earth as the base point and determine the movement travelled by the various planets when circulating around the Sun in the solar system. Please do note this is more or less the average daily speed whereas actual speeds can vary on a given day, depending on when a planet turns stationary and moves between direct and retrograde motion. Also listing down the highest and lowest daily speeds for those available cases. 

Sun
Average Speed : 00°59'08"
Highest Speed :  01°03'00"
Lowest Speed :  00°57'10"

Moon
Average Speed : 13°10'35"
Highest Speed : 16°30'00"
Lowest Speed :  11°45'36"

Mars
Average Speed :  00°31'27"
Highest Speed :   00°52'00"
Lowest Speed : −00°26'12"

Mercury
Average Speed :  01°23'00"
Highest Speed :   02°25'00"
Lowest Speed : −01°30'00"

Jupiter
Average Speed :  00°04'59"
Highest Speed :  00°15'40"
Lowest Speed : −00°08'50"

Venus
Average Speed :  01°12'00"
Highest Speed :  01°22'00"
Lowest Speed : −00°41'12"

Saturn
Average Speed :  00°02'01"
Highest Speed :  08°48'00"
Lowest Speed : −00°05'30"

Though planets further than Saturn are considered within the purview of Vedic Astrology, documenting below the speeds of the planets much further from the Earth such as Uranus, Neptune and Pluto for the purpose of reference

Uranus
Average Speed :  00°00'42"
Highest Speed :  00°04'00"
Lowest Speed : −00°02'40"

Neptune
Average Speed :  00°00'24"
Highest Speed :  00°02'25"
Lowest Speed : −00°01'45"

Pluto
Average Speed :  00°00'15"
Highest Speed :  00°02'30"
Lowest Speed : −00°01'48"

When it comes to the nodes Rahu and Ketu, they normally transit in a reverse direction as seen from the Earth's parlance and their average daily motion is documented below:

Rahu
Average Speed :  −00°03'00"

Ketu
Average Speed :  −00°03'00"

For the purpose of a horoscope, the Ascendant plays a massively important role and this is deduced based on Earth's own rotation around it's axis which approximately takes about 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds to cover the full span of 360°. Hence on an average day of 24 hours we can say that the Earth rotates 360° plus about an additional degree for the remaining about 4 minutes after completing one full rotation

Earth (For Ascendant)
Average Speed : 361°00'00"

Speed Order of Planets
Thus, when looked at the speed order, we can easily decipher that the Ascendant is the fastest being able to cover the entire paradigm of 360° covering all the zodiac signs in a day. This is followed by the Moon which covers on an average an entire Nakshatra span of 13°20'00". It covers the entire 27 Nakshatras spread across the 12 zodiac signs in just a little over 27 days. These are followed by the monthly planets viz Mercury, Venus and Sun all of which transit a zodiac sign in about a month's time. Then it is followed by the bi-monthly planet Mars which roughly transits a sign around once every two odd months. After this comes Jupiter which approximately transits in a zodiac sign for a period of a year. Then comes the nodes Rahu & Ketu which stay in a sign for roughly a year and a half and finally rounding up is Saturn which transits in a zodiac sign for a period of 2 and half years. One of the pertinent reasons why the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are eliminated from the ambit of Vedic Astrology could be the fact that they take a very long time to complete a full round of the zodiac with these planets approximately taking about 84 years, 148 years and 236 years to complete one full cycle. That could be a potential reason as to why the impact may not be of much significance when seen from an individual horoscope as their transit time is exceedingly large.

Retrograde Motion
While studying the motion of planets, it is extremely prudent to also take into account the phenomena of the retrograde effect. Retrograde may mean moving backwards but in essence the planets don't really head backwards while revolving around the Sun in the solar system. But since we are looking at the movement of planets from the Earth's perspective, certain planets appear to be going backwards causing this phenomena. It in fact needs to be titled to as apparent retrograde motion since it's factored from the Earth's angle. The most widely used example of understanding this phenomena is by considering 2 parallel trains. For those placed in the faster train, it gives an illusory appearance of the slower train moving backwards and going in the opposite direction but in essence that's not the case and it is only moving slowly. This happens when the planets revolve around the Sun and undergo velocity changes at different paths in it's movement.

When considering Vedic Astrology, the Sun and Moon only move in the forward direction and do ever come into the picture of getting retrograde. The Rahu and Ketu almost always go in the reverse direction and hence they more or less always tend to be retrograde. Rahu and Ketu are mathematical pointers that arise when the orbit of the Moon cuts the ecliptic. True nodes tend to wobble around a bit causing some tilt in the opposite direction whereas Mean nodes always only tend to be retrograde as it's averaged out and calculated at a constant speed. For all practical purposes, we can safely consider Rahu & Ketu to be in retrograde motion most of the time. When it comes to the other 5 planets mainly in Vedic Astrology, we can split them as inner planets to Earth comprising of Mercury & Venus and the outer planets to the earth consisting of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets tend to go retrograde at different times based on their varying velocity while orbiting in the solar system. This is the reason you would associate a negative sign when marking the slowest speed of these planets.

Types of Motions
As per the Geo - centric model, these 5 planets undergo 8 types of movement which are as below:

Direct Motion:

1) Manda - Direct and quickening or constant daily motion but somewhat slow moving

2) Mandatara - Direct and slowing or constant daily motion but very slow moving

3) Shiigra or Chara - Direct and slowing or constant daily motion but fast moving

4) Shiigratara or Atichara - Direct and quickening or constant daily motion but very fast moving

5) Kutila or Vikala - Planet is in a stationary motion which equates to defective/deficient motion

6) Sama - Direct and even comprising of smooth constant motion

Retrograde Motion:

7) Vakra - Moving backward quickly relative to its attainable daily daily speed

8) Anuvakra - Moving backward slowly relative to its attainable daily daily speed

The sequence of planets getting retrograde happen based on the following order:

- Kutila or Vikala - Planets are stationery

- Manda - Planets slow down but are in direct and quickening motion

- Sama - Planets are direct and in even motion

- Shiigratara or Atichara - Planets are in direct and quickening motion, or constant but fast

- Sama - Planets are in direct and even motion

- Shiigra or Chara - Planets are in direct and slowing motion, or constant but fast

- Mandatara - Plantets are direct and slowing, or constant but slow

- Kutila or Vikala - Planets are stationery

- Anu Vakra - Planets are retrograde but slow

- Vakra - Planets are retrograde but fast

- Anu Vakra - Planets are retrograde but slow

- Kutila - Planets become stationery again

Retrograde in Horoscope 

Planets as we have seen become retrograde due to the relative speed undergoing a change during their motion in orbiting the Sun as seen from the lens of the Earth. Thus, planets in retrograde are generally said to be closer to the Earth and further off from the Sun. This holds especially true for the outer planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and we tend to manually ascertain if a planet is retrograde just by seeing how many houses it's moved away from the Sun. When it comes to Venus & Mercury, they always tail gate with the Sun and this doesn't really hold true of it being farther off from the Sun and closer to Earth. Mercury and Venus becomes retrograde when it appears to move backward as seen from the planet Earth. Generally when Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are placed in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th houses from the Sun they tend to get retrograde with Mars being retrograde when placed approximately 140° from the Sun, Jupiter about 115° from the Sun and Saturn about 110° from the Sun.

Listed below are the approximate days in which the planets become retrograde:

Mercury - It takes approximately 88 days to orbit around the Sun. Goes into retrograde motion about 3 to 4 times in a year and lasts roughly for around 24 days (3-4 weeks)

Venus - It takes approximately 225 days to orbit around the Sun. Goes into retrograde motion once in about 18 months and lasts roughly for around 50 days (7 weeks)

Mars - It takes approximately 687 days to orbit around the Sun. Goes into retrograde motion once in about 26 months and lasts roughly for around 74 days (2.5 months)

Jupiter - It takes approximately 4333 days to orbit around the Sun. Goes into retrograde motion once in about 9 months and lasts roughly for around 122 days (4 months)

Saturn - It takes approximately 10756 days to orbit around the Sun. Goes into retrograde motion once in about a year and lasts roughly for around 140 days (4.5 to 5 months)

Vedic Astrology Perspective of Retrograde Planets

As per Vedic Astrology, planets in Retrograde mention are said to get Chesta Bala as per the six fold Shad Bala calculation in ascertaining strength of planets. Thus if the planets are in retrograde motion, they are said to be strong and powerful. When it comes to results, Retrograde can be loosely translated as crooked (Vakri) and these planets can tend to give results much against their usual nature. It can work two ways and thus expected beneficial attainment can turn into negative attainment and vice versa. Working with Retrograde planets can be a little bit tricky as it's not really easy to judge their results but however it needs to be remembered always that planets in retrograde motion are much stronger than when they are in direct motion.

Blank Chart Predictions from a Horoscope

Blank chart predictions are a method of horoscope analysis which largely works on energy exhibited or influence imbibed through the blending or combination of signs, houses and planets. The interesting thing to note is that for this kind of analysis, we do not take into account at all as to where the planets are placed in the horoscope. That's why it is coined as "Blank" meaning null or empty, hence placement of planets don't have a say. 

It should however be remembered that planets play the most crucial role in any horoscope and based on it's static placement in the natal chart or it's transitory movement forms the fulcrum of identifying the fate of any horoscope. So it may beg the question as to how can any horoscope be viewed without even knowing where planets are placed in the horoscope? This is the catch in blank chart analysis.

This system gives a great insight on initial horoscope analysis by blending various energies and can give an overview of some of the basic and inherent qualities for those born in different ascendants. It is useful especially for disseminating the natural traits. A majority part of the analysis is identified by basing it on the 'Kalapurusha' chart which indicates the wheel of time along with knowing the state of planet where exaltation or debilitation happens and also fusing a little bit of the signification elements in to the mix.

However, it should always be kept in mind that placement of planets can completely alter the said understanding and hence one shouldn't be too cheeky in trying to interpret everything from just a blank chart. As a first frontier in chart analysis, blank chart predictions can give a heads up on the zone of life where an individual is more focused on or at least wanting to be. It can also be a great learning tool for budding astrologers as a nascent step towards having a basic idea of a particular native. For this system, the fundamentals is of utmost importance and hence key performance indicators pertaining to signs, houses and planets should be readily available at the clasp of one's fingers.

Let us look at important significations pertaining to each of the houses:
1st House - All about the self - Characteristic, Constitution, Appearance, Personality, Stature, Physique, Complexion, Great Grandfather, Body Parts - Brain, Head. In general denotes all things associated with self as first house denotes the individual himself. The primary signifier for the first house is Sun as it largely deals with one's health and soul.

2nd House - Wealth, Speech, Family, Food & Drink, Primary Values or Basic Education, Resources to support, accumulation of possessions, precious articles like jewelry, treasure, gold, silver etc., mother's elder siblings, Body Parts - overall face in general, right eye, mouth, tongue, teeth etc. In general denotes all the essential things and assets which an individual possesses. The primary signifier for the second house is Jupiter as it's the planet for money, wealth and finances.

3rd House - Courage, Virility, efforts, communication, younger siblings, neighbors, generic friends, thoughts, natural abilities, initiatives, mental inclination, negative mindset, struggles, short distance travels/road journeys, change in place, multiplicity, Father in law, Body Parts - Shoulders, Arms, Hands, throat, right ear etc. In general denotes all the immediate things that an individual develops in the phase of growing up and the risks undertaken. The primary signifier for the third house is Mars as it's the planet for courage, siblings and risk taking.

4th House - Comforts, Happiness, Degree Education, Mother, Land/House/Home (Immovable Property), Vehicles/Conveyances (Movable Property), Home Land, Private Life, Peace of Mind, Center, Settling Down, Emotions, Feelings, Nurturing, Stability, close/intimate friend, Basic requirements like water, milk, clothes, Body Parts -  Heart, Chest, Breasts etc. In general denotes all things that gives a sense of comfort, happiness and security to an individual. The primary signifier for the fourth house is Moon as it is to do with motherly love, nourishment, feelings etc.

5th House - Intelligence, Skills, Learning, Creativity, Memory, Children, Paternal Grandfather, Fruits of Karma from previous birth (Poorva Punya), Extra curricular activities, Romance, Love, Passion, Sports, Speculation, Mantra, Body Parts - Belly, Stomach, Pancreas etc. In general denotes the deeds brought forward from previous birth and extending one's legacy through progeny along with application of all sorts of creative pursuits, learning endeavors and all things related to the mind. The primary signifier for the fifth house is Jupiter as it mainly deals with children and possessing wisdom/knowledge.

6th House - Diseases, Enemies, Injury, Debts/Loans, Disputes, Obstacles, Day to Day Activities/Routine, Pending Karma, Disagreements, Fitness, Service, Fights/Conflicts, Threats, competitiveness, victory, obsessive compulsion disorder, service, pets, mental worries, Relatives, Mothers younger siblings, Body Parts - Waist, Lower Abdomen, Intestine, Back etc. In general denotes all things that are seen as bad and which causes trouble and pains to the native along with the will to fight out for survival. The primary signifier for 6th house is Mars as it deals with enemies, injuries, wounds etc.

7th House - Marriage, Relationship, Spouse, Other People, Opposite things, Conjugal Pleasure, Association, Trade/Business/Partnership, Contracts/Negotiations/Dealings, Agreements, Entertainment and related fields like movies/music/drama/fine arts, foreign travel, Body Parts - Sex Organs, Phallus, Genitals, Semen etc. In general denotes all kinds of stuff or people that an individual associates with towards forging an alliance. The primary signifier for 7th house is Venus as it deals with all kinds of relationships.

8th House - Longevity, Hidden things/occult/secrets/mystery, Misfortunes,  Problems/Difficulty/Embarrassment, Transformation, chronic ailments, Insurance/Tax/Provident Funds, Income from other sources, Inheritance, Spouses family/In Laws, Marital Bond (Mangalya Sthana), Gifts, Research, Going deep/underground/search, Sex, Body Parts - Rectum, Anus etc. In general denotes all kinds of trials and tribulations that an individual goes through the vagaries of life in the quest for existence. In effect it's about the things in relation to life and death. The primary signifier for 8th house is Saturn as it deals with longevity and all kinds of difficulties associated.

9th House - Blessings, Fortune, Luck, Prosperity, Father, Divinity, Destiny, Auspiciousness, Dharma or Righteousness, Teacher/Guru/Preceptor/Mentor, Religion/Holiness/Worship, Temples/Pilgrimages/Penance, Long Distance Travels, Higher Education in the form of PhD, Doctorate etc., Body Parts - Thighs, Limbs etc. In general denotes the good deeds that come associated with one's welfare or destiny. The primary signifier for 9th house is Jupiter as it deals with auspiciousness, luck & fortune.

10th House - Profession/Career, Karma (result of a persons actions), Livelihood (Jeevana), Fame, Honour, Achievements, Position/Status/Reputation, Duties, Authority, Leadership, Power, Respect, Dignity, Public Image, Highest Point/Sky/Zenith, Mother in Law, Body Parts - Knees, Flesh etc. In general denotes the necessary actions performed by an individual to keep going towards leading life. The primary signifier for 10th house is Mercury as it deals with honours, achievements and being successful in career due to the earthy element associated with Mercury.

11th House - Gains/Profit, Desires, Benefits, Wishes, Aspirations, Ambitions, Elder Siblings, Fathers younger siblings, Social interactions, Network/Group/Circle, friends from society/community, Body Parts - Legs in general, Shank, left ear etc. In general denotes all the things that lead an individual towards gains and success in undertakings. The primary signifier for eleventh house is Jupiter as it deals with one's gains and desires.

12th House - Expenses, Losses, Sleep, Bed Pleasure, Imagination, Liberation, Redemption, Foreign Place/Far Away, Fear, Grief, Decline, Unpleasantness, Charity/Philanthropy, Spirituality, Punishment, Misery, Inferiority, Hospitalization, Medicines, Waste, Exit/End, Imprisonment/Jails/Asylum, Sorrow, Solitude, Intuition, Illusion, Isolation, Maternal Grandfather, Paternal Grandmother, Body Parts - Feet, Left eye etc. In general denotes all things that are expended by an individual before attaining salvation. The primary signifier for twelfth house is Saturn as it deals with losses and expenditure. 

The listed significations happen to be some of the fundamental classifications for each house. One must also keep in mind the linking of houses to extend the significations. For instance we know 2nd house denotes wealth and 9th is about Father. Thus 10th house which is 2nd from 9th will denote the wealth of the father. Likewise spouses profession can be ordained from the 4th house being the 10th house of profession from the 7th house of spouse. While doing predictions, an astrologer must be able to link various factors in order to generate relatable extended significations from each house.

With regard to the significations, each and every planet except the nodes is given the main portfolio of one of the houses with the outer planets from earth given more than one each whereas the inner planets are given one each. Jupiter has 4 main significations being the root signifier of 2nd, 5th, 9th and 11th. Mars and Saturn hold key portfolio for the general bad houses with Mars being given 3rd, 6th and Saturn being provided 8th and 12th. The four kendras are all given to Sun (1st), Moon (4th), Venus (7th) and Mercury (10th). However it should be remembered that a house has multiple significations and hence there can be secondary karakas as well for eg. the profession and karma area of 10th the signifier will be Saturn whereas when seeing the status, position, leadership etc we have to be see from purview of Sun. Likewise the luxuries associated with 4th house, Venus will take charge whereas things related to land and property, Mars will have a say. These also need to be factored in but as a first step the primary root karaka provided by Sage Parashara would be helpful in catching the crucial areas in the relevant houses.

We will now look at some keywords ingrained within each zodiac sign

Aries - Impulsive, Impatient, Independent, Passionate, New Beginnings, Active, Energetic, Straight Forward, Frequent, Selfish, Hasty, Leading from the Front, Restless. Places - Mountain Region, Hilly Places

Taurus - Resourceful, Stable, Secure, Seeking Comfort, Stubborn, Patient, Determination, Slow, Inclined to Luxuries, Grounded. Places - Grasslands, Banks, Treasury

Gemini - Communication, Charismatic, Writing, Speaking, Scattered, Variety, Quick Thinking, Multi Tasking, Witty/Humorous, Youthful, Light Hearted, Fun seeking, Changes, Options, Curiosity, Copulation. Places - Social Interactions, educational institutes, University, Library

Cancer - Unstable, Feelings, Emotions, Sensitive, Nurturing, Moody, Motherly, Over Thinking, Indecisive, Floating, Up & Down. Places - Watery in nature like rivers, lakes, ponds

Leo - Pride, Ego, Dominating, Authority, Entertaining, Generous, Creativity, Fun loving, Bold, Chivalrous, Warm, Attention Seeking, Extravagant. Places - Forests, Jungles, Difficult to reach places

Virgo - Analytical, Critical, Perfectionism, Attention to Detail, Intelligence, Nervousness, Nit Picking, Helping, Practical, Service Oriented, Problems, Fault Finding. Places - Garden, Orchards, Hospitals

Libra - Balance, Harmony, Choice, Diplomacy, Aesthetic, Charming, Relationship, Middle Ground, Justice, Peace Making, Upright, Style, Grace. Places - Market Places, Trading, Financial Transactions

Scorpio - Mysterious, Transformation, Jealousy, Obsession, Manipulation, Probing, Intense, Secretive, Depth, Chaos. Places - Deep and underground, caves, holes, wells, hidden areas

Sagittarius - Optimistic, Happy go Lucky, Belief System, Teaching, Adventure, Over the Top, Abundance, Opportunistic, Exploring, Expansion, Growth. Places - Temples, Religious shrines, Cliffs, High Rise Buildings

Capricorn - Structure, Order, Discipline, Ambitious, Power Hungry, Seeking Success, Seriousness, Strict Regimen, Goal Oriented. Places - Swampy places, land abounded by water, small islands

Aquarius - Progressive, Unconventional, Unique/Different, Freedom Loving, Friendship, Rebellious, Networks/Groups, Aloofness, Erratic, Detachment, Humanitarian, Hopes & Wishes, Revolutionary. Places - Burial & Cremation grounds, deep philosophical areas, Hermitage

Pisces - Compassionate, Sympathetic, Sacrificial, Spirituality, Day Dreaming, Healing, Changing Colors, Fantasy, Glamour, Idealism, Escapism, Disillusionment, Imagination. Places - Oceans, Spiritual Places, Meditation, Self Help Centers

The zodiac signs are further classified into different elements as seen below:
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - Fire
Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - Earth
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - Air
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - Water
Based on the elements, there are some inherent traits that are common and can be useful for prediction

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

Likewise the zodiac signs are also classified into mobility as seen below:
Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn - Movable
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius - Fixed
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces - Dual
Based on the mobility, the signs express some natural traits that can be useful for prediction

Movable - Promoting Change, Enterprising, Outgoing, Restless, Taking Control, Over Active, On the Move, Long Distance
Fixed - Resistance to Change, Focus, Practical, Firm, Persistence, Stubborn, Stabilize, Unrelenting, Nearby Distance
Dual -  Constant Change, Flexible, Adaptable, Fluctuating, Indecisive, Inconsistent, Balanced, Choosy, Middle Ground Distance

Combining Element and Mobility, we can see some important objects represented by each of the zodiac signs to understand the varied nature.

Aries - Movable Fire. Eg. Forest fires, Wild fire as they spread virulently having the essence of fire
Taurus - Fixed Earth. Eg. Plants, Trees etc. as they are earthy elements rooted to the ground
Gemini - Dual Air. Eg. Vacuum, Portable Hand Fans, Hair Dryer etc. as they generate air and can be moved around from one place to another
Cancer - Movable Water. Eg Rivers, Stream etc. as they keep flowing unceasingly
Leo - Fixed Fire. Eg. Furnace, Chimneys as they are fixed to a place and generate fire
Virgo - Dual Earth. Eg. Vases, Pots etc. as they are earthy but can be moved around within one place to another
Libra - Movable Air. Eg. Cyclones, Rapid Winds like Tornado which move very swiftly in a large scale environment
Scorpio - Fixed Water. Eg. Lakes, Ponds as they are watery and rooted to a particular area
Sagittarius - Dual Fire. Eg. Candles, Torches as they generate heat and can be moved around from place to place
Capricorn - Movable Earth. Eg. Farms, Orchards as they represent a large area for growing crops, plants for rearing
Aquarius - Fixed Air. Eg. Ceiling Fans, Air Conditioner as they are fixed to a place and generate air
Pisces - Dual Water. Eg. Oceans, Seas as they are watery with the water rising within the magnitude

It is also crucial to know the lord ruling each zodiac sign and the house in which they get exalted and debilitated:

Aries - Ruler Mars - Exalted in 10th House (Capricorn), Debilitated in 4th House (Cancer)
Taurus - Ruler Venus - Exalted in 11th House (Pisces), Debilitated in 5th House (Virgo)
Gemini - Ruler Mercury - Exalted in 4th House (Virgo), Debilitated in 10th House (Pisces)
Cancer - Ruler Moon - Exalted in 11th House (Taurus), Debilitated in 5th House (Scorpio)
Leo - Ruler Sun - Exalted in 9th House (Aries), Debilitated in 3rd House (Libra)
Virgo - Ruler Mercury - Exalted in 1st House (Virgo), Debilitated in 7th House (Pisces)
Libra - Ruler Venus - Exalted in 6th House (Pisces), Debilitated in 12th House (Virgo)
Scorpio - Ruler Mars - Exalted in 3rd House (Capricorn), Debilitated in 9th House (Cancer)
Sagittarius - Ruler Jupiter - Exalted in 8th House (Cancer), Debilitated in 2nd House (Capricorn)
Capricorn - Ruler Saturn - Exalted in 10th House (Libra), Debilitated in 4th House (Aries)
Aquarius - Ruler Saturn - Exalted in 9th House (Libra), Debilitated in 3th House (Aries)
Pisces - Ruler Jupiter - Exalted in 5th House (Cancer), Debilitated in 11th House (Capricorn) 

The Zodiac signs have numerous classifications such as being categorized into odd/even, positive/negative, day/night, rising from head/back, ascension as short/medium/long, quality as sattwik/rajasic/tamasic, aim being Dharma/Artha/Kama/Moksha, type being quadruped/human/watery/insect etc., along with various divisions. Knowing these may also come in handy when knowing more innate features of zodiac signs. However the fundamental classification of rasis ruled by the respective planets and knowing their element and mobility can be extremely useful in making subtle predictions. Rahu and Ketu have not been considered as they do not own signs exclusively of their own and they are more known to give results based on the house or sign in which they are placed. Since blank charts do not consist of planets placement, these have not been considered.

Making Blank Chart Predictions
Lets now see how we can make some handy predictions for different signs using blank charts. Knowing essentials such as characteristic features of various signs, important representations of the different houses, the signifier and ruling lord of all the houses along with the exaltation and debilitation of each planet in the houses and signs are very important when it comes to making such blank chart predictions.

We shall see some random predictions that can be made using this method. For an Aries Ascendant, we can that they are more happy in work environment than home environment as the Ascendant Lord exalts in 10th house and debilitates in 4th house. At the same time since 10th lord debilitates in sign of Aries, we can also infer that they may face some problems relating to profession. Taking the case of Virgo Lagna, we can say these natives are naturally intelligent as Virgo is the only sign where Lagna Lord gets exalted in Lagna itself. However they may be rather poor in relationship matters as the Lagna Lord debilitates in 7th house. We can infer that Gemini & Sagittarius natives can have an extra liking towards 4th house matters like mother, education, vehicles etc as in these cases both Ascendant Lord and 4th Lord are ruled by one and the same planet Mercury for Gemini and Jupiter for Sagittarius. For a Gemini Lagna, the intensity is even more because the lord also gets exalted in the 4th house. Taking the case of a Pisces Ascendant, the Lagna Lord Jupiter gets exalted in the 5th house. Jupiter also happens to be the natural signifier of the 5th house. So it can be predicted that these natives can be really fond of children. For a Libra Lagna person, 7th house is Aries and we know that 7th house is all about relationships and Aries sign denotes energy and activeness. So we can say a Libra Ascendant native is very active when it comes to forging relationships. Similarly we know Taurus shows resources and 8th house talks about in laws, thus we can say Libra Ascendants can get plenty of resources from their in laws by blending sign and house energy. A Cancer Ascendant native has his 3rd sign as Virgo. 3rd represents writing/communication and Virgo can mean critical, analytical, perfection. Hence we can say a Cancer Ascendant native aims for perfectionism when it comes to writing skills. For a Scorpio Ascendant, Capricorn comes as 3rd House and Capricorn has all to do with structure, order, discipline. Hence we can infer that the younger sibling of a Scorpio native is very orderly and meticulous in approach. Likewise for a Capricorn native, Scorpio is the 11th house and natural 8th house. So these natives may have a group or network of friends who could be actively engaged in occult sciences. A Leo native, the ascendant lord gets debilitated in 3rd house and exalted in 9th house. So these natives may benefit from 9th house matters like father, fortune, luck etc. We can even go one step and say that the father of these natives may be very active as it's coming in Aries sign. On the other hand these natives may not gain from 3rd house matters since its debilitated. Hence we can say not much help from younger siblings who may be very diplomatic in nature because of Libra sign which may not bode well for Leo Ascendants. For Aquarius Ascendants, Pisces is their 2nd house of money. Hence we can say that these natives earn money from significations of Pisces which could be in the form of spirituality, healing etc. Pisces also means oceans and crossing the waters, hence finance flow can come through foreign lands.

Illustration of using Blank Chart Prediction
We will now do an illustration of Blank Chart prediction of one particular Ascendant say Virgo by breaking into diverse segments and analyze results purely based on the blending of different dimensions of the sign and house energies

- Natural Sign Traits
Virgo is a dual sign of earth nature. There are certain inherent characteristics of Virgo sign and from that we can infer that these natives will be analytical by nature viewing things in detail and wanting to attain perfection. They can be too self critical at times and get nervous very soon as the indecisiveness of dual sign creeps in. As the sign is ruled by Mercury, we can also say they may be of curious kind and mildly of a thinner disposition as Virgo rules the hips or waistline area which is underneath the belly and shows a reduction in body fluff around that side. 

- Kala Purusha House Order
As per the Kala Purusha Order, Virgo happens to be the natural 6th house of the zodiac. We know 6th house represents fights, issues and hence we can expect Virgo natives to be naturally of an argumentative nature. They may be very competitive by spirit and always wanting to be victorious in every endeavor. They may disagree on a lot of things and it's very hard to convince these natives as they look at most things in a minute manner.

- Other Lordship Impact
For a Virgo Ascendant native, Mercury is the ruler of both the 1st and 10th house. As we know 1st is all about the self and 10th is to do with one's profession and livelihood. Since the same planet rules the 1st and the 10th, these natives will take their work very seriously and always looking for ways to meet their needs. Since the ruler is Mercury, few natural significations of the planet will also come into the picture like for instance these individuals being logical and calculative when it comes to professional matters. Likewise Jupiter rules both the 4th and 7th houses. 4th is about mother and 7th spouse. Hence a Virgo native may treat matters of mother and spouse equally with no discrimination and since Jupiter is the owner of both these houses, he may be very respectful and duty bound when it comes to such matters.

- Exaltation and Debilitation
Virgo is ruled by the sign of Mercury which exalts in Virgo itself in the first house and debilitates in the 7th house ruled by Pisces. Virgo is the only zodiac sign where the Ascendant ruler gets exalted in it's very own sign. Hence one can easily infer that such natives will be extremely intelligent due to this proposition. However since Lagna Lord debilitates in the opposite 7th house, they may be pretty weak when dealing with other people be it with their spouse or relating to any business negotiations.

- Karaka Theory
Each house has a primary root karaka and for the 10th house the main signifier happens to be Mercury especially relating to matters such as to do with gaining honours and achievements. The Karaka of 10th Mercury gets exalted in 1st house but gets debilitated in 7th house. We know the 1st house is the self and 7th is about dealing with others. This clearly highlights that such natives are better off doing their own service than indulging in business activities since the karaka gets uncomfortable when it is dealing with different people. The primary signifier of 3rd house is Mars mainly to do with courage, valor etc and we see that it gets exalted in the 5th house of Capricorn. So these natives may be pretty creative when exhibiting their skills but however may not be gaining much due to the karaka being debilitated in the floating up and down 11th house of Cancer.

- Progression Based Approach
In general, we have 12 houses in a horoscope and every year of life is said to dictate one sign each. Hence in the 1st year Virgo will be activated with 2nd being Libra, 3rd Scorpio and so on till 12th being Leo. The order repeats again with Virgo activating the 13th year and so on and so forth. We know Gemini represents changes and happens to be the 10th sign for a Virgo native. Thus in ages of 22, 34, 46 etc. we can deduce that these natives would have had a change in their work place. For instance 4th house will be activated during year 4,16,28,40,52,64,76,88,100 etc. During the above mentioned ages, a lot of 4th house significations will take place such as completion of education, buying vehicles, acquiring property etc. However this rule should be seen with a pinch of salt as a lot depends on the sign placement of Sagittarius and it's lord Jupiter also for things to get activated.

- Blending of Signs and Houses
This is fundamentally the most important rule and forms the crux of the prediction analogy behind analyzing blank or blind charts. Each house is to be studied based on where it falls in the natural zodiac and accordingly the sign energy needs to be blended with the house in question. The first house of Virgo happens to be the 6th house of the natural zodiac and we know the 6th pertains to difficulty. So these natives will naturally be difficult to please and have questions for every matter. The 2nd house falls in Libra which is the natural 7th sign. As Libra represents choice, these natives could also be pretty choosy when it comes to their food habits. Thus we can infer that these natives will be pretty balanced when dealing with money and family matters. Since the 3rd house falls in the natural 8th house, it can be inferred that these natives will be quite secretive with regard to their communication or efforts put in. As the 4th house is natural 9th house of exploring, these individuals will like to research about things like vehicles, properties in much depth. The mother of such natives can be quite religious as it happens to be sign of Sagittarius denoting belief system. The 5th house happens to be the natural 10th house of Capricorn and hence with regard to matters of children, it can be said that they would be strict and bring them up with discipline. Coming to 6th house which happens to be natural 11th house, it can be said that these natives can gain from court cases or any disputes prevailing. From another angle, since the 6th house rules diseases and falls in the sign of Aquarius that represents legs especially the shanks, it could be said that these natives may be having issues relating to that part of the legs. The 7th house happens to be the natural 12th house of loss and hence these natives may feel the pinch when dealing with other people. Incidentally the other rules already pointed to a weakness when dealing with 7th house matters and this only exacerbates the issue all the more. The 8th house happens to be Aries which is the 1st sign of the zodiac and connotes new beginnings. With regard to hidden and secretive issues, they may want to try newer approaches and put lots of efforts to know such things. The 9th house happens to be the 2nd sign of Taurus denoting support and resources. It can be inferred that the father of the native can be a very resourceful person or even the native's teachers being virtuous. The 10th house is about work and happens to be the natural 3rd sign of Gemini. It is pretty easy to state that the work environment will be quite communicative. Multiple professions can also be indicated from Gemini's duality trait. From the 11th house that happens to be the 4th house of natural zodiac, it can be said that these natives could be emotionally connected to their social network. Some sort of gains can also arise through 4th house matters like mother, properties etc. Since Leo happens to be the 12th house and the natural 5th house, it can be said that these natives will incur expenditure to maintain status quo and for the sake of their children or any other creative pursuits.

- Extended Significations
Through the blending of signs and houses, we were able to predict various facets pertaining to an individuals life. By extending this theory we can also briefly predict about matters relating to the natives family members. For instance, father is represented by the 9th house and for a Virgo native, 9th house falls in the sign of Taurus through which we were able to infer that the father could be a resourceful person. Now if we want to know about the wealth capacity of the father, we would have to look at the 2nd sign from the 9th house of Virgo which happens to be Gemini. Now we know Gemini represents variety and multiple sources and hence it can be said that the dad of the native may be earning wealth through various avenues. Likewise other areas can also be decoded by linking houses for instance to know about spouses profession we need to see the 10th from the 7th sign of Pisces which would be the sign of Sagittarius for a Virgo Ascendant.

- Sign and House Energy for Other Ascendants
We should also keep in mind that Virgo would be ruling a particular house for the other ascendants and taking care of specific portfolios based on the house it is associated. Using the energy of Virgo, we would be able to work out relatable predictions based on the house of Virgo. For instance a Libra Ascendant native will have Virgo ruling the 12th house of expenditure and we know Virgo happens to be the natural 6th house of the zodiac. Hence we can say that Libra Ascendant natives may be incurring lots of spends with regard to paying their debts, dealing with enemies, diseases etc. A Capricorn Ascendant will have Virgo as it's 9th sign that connotes one's teachers. Since it falls in sign of Virgo which is all about paying attention to detail, we can say that the Gurus/Father/Mentor of Capricorn Ascendant natives will be very meticulous and well planned.

Conclusion
These are just a glimpse of how predictions can be made simply out of blank charts. By blending various energies of sign, house, planets majority of predictions can be performed through the inherent cosmos prevailing within this framework. If one is skilled and able to use the creative forte to the best of ability, numerous predictions can just flow unendingly and a plethora of results can be foretold simply through the ascendant alone. However as emphasized earlier, these may not always work and everything can change in a dramatic manner based on actual placement of planets in the chart. The blank chart predictions can give a high level insight especially when a planet is actually not placed in the house or sign being analyzed. If there are planets placed, results can get altered significantly and caution needs to be exercised. Thus predictions using this methodology needs to be thread carefully and used judiciously in order to obtain the best results possible.

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

Satan (Saturn) Personified!

There mostly tends to be one very important or dominant planet in each of our horoscopes. It has a redoubtable influence on you in a way that you cannot really escape from it's presence during the whole of your lifetime.

When I look back at the planet which has had the maximum impact on me, it's undoubtedly and most certainly Saturn. The reasons attributed are as below:

1. Saturn is Vargottam in my horoscope. (Occupies same sign of Scorpio in Rasi and Navamsa)
2. Saturn itself is posited in it's own ruler ship star Anuradha Nakshatra as per Vimshottari Dasa sequence.
3. Saturn happened to be the 'Hora' that I was born in. (Hora is an hourly order in a day ruled one after another by 7 planets)
4. My entire education happened only in Saturn Dasa. It surely was the fulcrum in ensuring that I end up clearing some tough professional courses. Yes I was pretty unlucky on the relationship front which is not really a Saturn thingy but in general it did mold and make me mentally tougher.
5. It is also most auspicious 9th Lord in Rasi chart and also placed in the 9th in Navamsa.
6. 4 of my planets sit in rasis owned by Saturn and Saturn himself also happens to aspect his own Rasi. (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter all sit in the Saturnian signs of Capricorn & Aquarius).
7. The 'Yoga' I was born is Vishkumba which again is controlled by Saturn. (The Yogi planet is said to denote prosperity as per the Panchang).
8. My Moon sub Lord is Saturn which also means my Vimshottari Dasa sequence begins at birth from the Antar Dasa of Saturn only.
9. The Shadbala of Saturn happens to be the maximum among all other planets (Shadbala is a six fold technique established to find the strength of all planets)
10. As per Ashtakavarga scores, the sign in which Saturn is sitting in my natal chart Scorpio gets the maximum points. (Ashtakavarga is a point based tool to estimate the score of each houses based on planetary relation between one another)

Thus Saturn plays an indomitable part in my life proceedings and I just can't imagine a life without it Hence it goes without saying that I'm well and truly Satan (Saturn) personified 😎.

Pantry D'or Bistro - A calming influence!

Pantry D'Or is one upscale cafe whose desserts can rightfully be categorized as superlative. They have a superfluity of variety on offer and are high on decadence and as luscious as you get. They have pastries in all colors, shapes and sizes and clearly walk the talk and call the shots in being one of the finest there is especially on the dessert front.

We were on a dinner invite to this place on a weekday evening. This cafe too as per the recent norm is constructed out of a quaint old home and is placed in a quiet little suburb off Cenotaph Road in the Sriram Nagar colony, Alwarpet. The interiors are minimalistic and the color palette is under played giving itself an old world feel. Nothing seems over the top on any count and feels like just the right set up for a modern day cafe. The cafe as such is large in size being placed in a 2 storey canvas and is polarized pretty well into different enclaves and there is ample space to hold large set of folks.

Desserts are obviously their forte but they also possess a pretty variegated continental spread. We started our course with the immensely refreshing strawberry sorbet to get our systems underway. Then followed the Broccoli soup which was well delivered with the suitable level of thickness and creaminess. We had starters in the form of Nachos with the tortilla chips being infused suffusedly with cheese and veggies and going off the cuff were the pani puri's which were a bit of a surprise in a patisserie of this kind. The puri's however were ballooned with a tinge of avacado which didn't really set the ball rolling.

For main course, we went with the veg pizza which was made on a base layered with cheese aplenty and there was further more cheese oozing over the base with a handful of veggies to boot. The abundant amount of cheese might feel a little over powering for some but I certainly enjoyed this slurpish triangular delight. The Aglio Olio penne pasta was fairly okay but felt a little too plain for the liking. Just felt that something was amiss on this one. The egg plant dish however was presented really well and was top notch on the taste front. The veg stroganoff had an interesting curry with plenty of cottage cheese, broccoli's and onions and was well curried and apt to eat along with the yellow rice and potato wedges for company. The shakes however turned out to be a bit of a disappointment with none of them being really impressive.

Of course the end was on a heartwarming note as we got to splurge on a handful of desserts with virtually each of them turning out to be marvelous. Apart from the cake based one's, we also got to have a crack at a waffle and pancake which were also pretty good.

Thumbs up on the service front as we were treated really well and the time taken in between each of the dishes were right on the mark. It isn't fair to comment on the pricing but must say you cannot expect such fine quality desserts at rates better than this.

Overall, it was a very engaging dinner and without a shadow of doubt Pantry D'or can be recommended as one of the finest outlets for rejoicing rich, sinful and creamy desserts. The fact that the place also happens to serve a diverse continental spread adds to the fore and is certainly a nice little cafe to head over for a laid back and relaxed meal.