Usage of Panchanga Elements in Horoscope Analysis

The Panchang plays a pivotal role in delineating a horoscope. It is generally perceived that the elements of the Panchanga viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Yoga and Karana are used only for the purpose of a muhurta which is to say selecting an auspicious period of time but it's scope in actuality is much beyond that and can also be useful when deciphering the planetary play of events in a horoscope. Let's look at a few clues which the Panchanga provides us while analyzing a horoscope.

Vara : Solar Day Transiting at Birth
It is said that Knowledge of Vara brings Life. A Vara begins from the beginning of sunrise and lasts till the end of the next day of Sunrise. In essence a Vara or Weekday lasts for an approximate period of 24 hours. The Vara is said to denote 'Arogya' which can be deemed to know about the health, vitality and characteristics of a person.

The day in which a person takes birth can tell in brief about the well being of a person. For eg. if a person were born on a Wednesday, then the ruler of the day happens to be Mercury. Through the placement of Mercury we can know somewhat about the health of the native. The strongest houses in a horoscope are usually the kendra houses with 10th being the strongest followed by the 7th, 4th and 1st. Hence the weekday planet placed in a strong kendra could indicate that vitality is strong unless badly afflicted. 

Apart from this, each of the Vara has an obstructer that happens to be the 6th from the weekday lord. For this purpose we also take into account Rahu and Ketu that are factored in after Saturday ruled by Saturn. The 6th planet from the weekday is known to cause Stambana or freeze and ideally this planet should be weaker than the Vara planet when ascertaining the well being of a native. Let us take a look below at the 6th planetary ruler from each weekday.

Sunday - Ruler Sun, Obstructer Venus
Monday - Ruler Moon, Obstructer Saturn
Tuesday - Ruler Mars, Obstructer Rahu
Wednesday - Ruler Mercury, Obstructer Ketu
Thursday - Ruler Jupiter, Obstructer Sun
Friday - Ruler Venus, Obstructer Moon
Saturday - Ruler Saturn, Obstructer Mars

For instance if someone were born on Thursday, then planetary ruler is Jupiter. The obstructer happens to be Sun because we need to count 6 from Thursday which happens to be Thursday->Friday->Saturday->Rahu->Ketu->Sunday. As observed we need to factor Rahu and Ketu after Saturday and before Sunday is counted next again. Hence a person can be born on any of the 7 days from Sunday to Saturday ruled by the 7 planets from Sun to Saturn but the obstructor can be any of the 9 planets including Rahu & Ketu also. Rahu is the obstructer for Tuesday (Mars) and Ketu is the obstructer for Wednesday (Mercury). Ideally the opposing Vara planet need to be weaker than the weekday lord for sound body and health.

Other clues to study about the Vara in the chart is it's combination with the Paksha or period of the Lunar Tithi cycle. The combination of Vara and Paksha results in the controllership of a planet and based on where it's placed in the chart, it is believed to have a longingness to that house in which it's placed in the chart. It is supposed to be a pretty powerful technique and just by this placement, it is known to interpret the lifepath of a native. Let's look at the planets in question based on the 14 different combinations:

Sunday Shukla Paksha - Jupiter
Monday Shukla Paksha - Venus
Tuesday Shukla Paksha - Jupiter
Wednesday Shukla Paksha - Venus
Thursday Shukla Paksha - Mars
Friday Shukla Paksha - Mercury
Saturday Shukla Paksha - Saturn
Sunday Krishna Paksha - Mercury
Monday Krishna Paksha - Saturn
Tuesday Krishna Paksha - Mercury
Wednesday Krishna Paksha - Mars
Thursday Krishna Paksha - Venus
Friday Krishna Paksha - Jupiter
Saturday Krishna Paksha - Saturn

As an illustration, let's say a native was born on a Friday in Shukla Paksha. In such a case, the planetary ruler happens to be Mercury. We need to see the placement of Mercury in the horoscope and it can give a lot of insights based on the house it is placed, the nature of sign, the houses it rules etc. For eg. if this Mercury sits in the 8th and happens to be Lagna Lord it can be inferred that the native is fond of research and his mind will always revolve around searching for the unknown.

Nakshatra : The constellation of Moon transiting at Birth
It is said that Knowledge of Nakshatra removes sins. A Nakshatra rules a space of 13° 20' minutes of the 360° zodiac and hence there are 27 Nakshatras in total. Out of all the Panchanga elements prevailing, it is the Nakshatra which is looked at in vogue. Detailed information pertaining to the Nakshatras have been dealt with separately. The Nakshatra is said to connote 'Arivu' meaning knowledge, skill, intelligence etc.

In general parlance the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th Nakshatras are supposed to be favorable from a Tara Bal (star strength) point of view. The birth Nakshatra is said to infuse plenty of tensions and the 3rd, 5th, 7th all denote inauspicious time periods. However from a birds eye view seeing where the lord of the Moon Nakshatra is placed in a chart can help estimating in which areas the native will look towards knowledge and information. For eg, lets say someone's Moon Nakshatra is placed in Chitra. We know lord of Chitra is Mars and if this Mars is placed in the 7th house, it can indicate most of the focus in learning, knowledge and collation of information will be towards 7th house signification matters.

Tithi : Every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the Moon moves away from the Sun
It is said that Knowledge of Tithi brings prosperity. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12° away from the Sun. Hence there are a total of 30 Tithis (360°/12) with 15 forming the brighter half and the remaining 15 drawing up the darker half. The Tithi talks about 'Selvam' which can be expanded to mean wealth, prosperity, enjoyments, pleasures etc.

'Tithi Shoonya' is one concept which is used quite a bit in ascertaining the houses of 'Karma' which has been dispensed in a separate post. It is also said that the 4th, 8th and 14th Tithi from one's Janma Tithi isn't auspicious. Eg. for one born in Sashti Tithi, the Tithis Navami, Trayodashi, Chaturthi is not supposed to be favorable since they rule the 4th, 8th and 14th from Sashti. However the 5th from Birth Tithi is said to be an auspicious Tithi.

Apart from that, the number of houses that the Moon has moved away from the Sun can indicate the areas in which a native derives pleasures or happiness. For eg an individual born in Shukla Paksha Chaturthi Tithi which is the 4th tithi (36 to 48 degrees) of brighter half would show that the Moon has moved 2 houses away from Sun. This means the focus will mostly be on matters relating to family, wealth, speech, accumulation of resources etc. Also it's good to map the Tithi point as an ausicious area in the zodiac and see where it falls from natal Ascendant. Every rasi of 30 degrees will house 2.5 Tithis (12*2.5=30) beginning from Shukla Paksha Pratamai in Aries. As per this all the Shukla Paksha Tithis will get mapped to Rasis from Aries to Virgo and the Krishna Paksha Tithis will be mapped to Rasis from Libra to Pisces. As an example we can say that Shukla Paksha Ashtami Tithi which is the 8th tithi formed between 84 to 96 degrees will be mapped to Gemini & Cancer with the first 6 degrees from 84 to 90 being in Gemini and next 6 degrees from 90 to 96 falling in Cancer.

The Tithi ruling planet also indicates the benevolence of wealth. The rulership lords are bit different as given by the Kerala Prashna Text 'Krishneeyam' as seen below:

Pratipada - Mars
Dwitiya - Venus
Tritiya - Mercury
Chaturthi - Moon
Panchami - Sun
Sasthi - Jupiter
Saptami - Saturn
Ashtami - Rahu
Navami - Mars
Dasami - Venus
Ekadashi - Mercury
Dwadashi - Moon
Triyodashi - Sun
Chaturdashi - Jupiter
Pournami - Saturn 
Ammavasya - Rahu

Based on where the Tithi Lord planet is placed in the chart can also give a good impetus with respect to matters pertaining to prosperity. For someone born in Dasami and Venus being placed in 4th can be inferred that the native derives lot of pleasures from 4th house significations.

Yoga : Sum total of Sun + Moon amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes each
It is said that Knowledge of Yoga removes immunity from diseases. Yogas also like Nakshatras comprise of a space of 1320' in the sky but is obtained by adding the degree of the Sun and the Moon. Yoga is about 'Niraivu' that tells about completeness, contentment, abundance etc.

The Yoga point in the horoscope happens to be the addition of Suns and Moons degrees. If they exceed 360°, then 360° needs to be reduced from the sum total. For instance if Sun degree is 282 and Moons is 83, adding the two results in 365 degrees from which 360 degrees needs to be subtracted with the end result being 5 that falls in Ashwini Nakshatra 2nd Pada. Now Ashwini Nakshatra happens to be the Yoga point in the horoscope. The 8th Nakshatra from where the yoga point falls happens to be the Yogi Nakshatra and the lord of the Nakshatra is said to be Yogi planet. Similarly the 22nd Nakshatra from where the yoga point falls happens to be the Avayogi Nakshatra and the lord of the said Nakshatra is said to be Avayogi planet. In the above case Pushya and Saturn tend to be the Yogi Nakshatra and Yogi planet whereas Shravana happens to be the Avayogi Nakshatra and Avayogi planet. It can be construed from this that all Saturn Nakshatras are in general said to be favorable and all the Moon stars are said to be unfavorable. It is also ideal if Yogi Nakshatra is in strong Tara Bal from the Janma Nakshatra.

Yogi planet is said to be the prosperity giving planet and Avayogi planet is said to be the prosperity harming planet. Considering all factors, it is preferable if Avayogi falls into a weak house and Yogi is placed in a strong house. There is also a concept of Uba Yogi and Uba Avayogi which is said to boost up the prosperity and hamper the same respectively and this happens to be the 4th planet from the Vimshottari Dasa sequence in forward or reverse motion depending on whether the birth is in Shukla Paksha or Krishna Paksha. Taking same eg. above of Saturn as Yogi planet for a Shukla Paksha birth, the 4th from Saturn based on Vimshottari forward sequence is Venus (Saturn->Mercury->Ketu->Venus) which is the Uba Yogi planet. Likewise the 4th from Moon which is the Avayogi planet in above example happens to be Jupiter (Moon->Mars->Rahu->Jupiter) which is the Uba Avayogi planet. For a Krishna Paksha birth, the Uba Yogi would be Mars (Saturn->Jupiter->Rahu->Mars) and likewise Uba Avayogi will be Ketu (Moon->Sun->Venus->Ketu) as the sequence is considered in reverse order. There is also a saying that the houses from where the Yogi Nakshatra is placed till the position where the Avayogi Nakshatra falls happen to be the bright houses in a horoscope whereas the position from Avayogi Nakshatra placement to the Yogi Nakshatra placement denote the dark houses in a horoscope. Using the 9 planets, the Yogi Triads are said to be good and the Avayogi triads are bad. With same eg. the sequence goes as Saturn->Mercury->Ketu->Venus->Sun->Moon->Mars->Rahu->Jupiter. To explain someone born in Vishkumba Yoga where Saturn is Yogi, the 1-4-7 planetary triad is preferable which is Saturn, Venus and Mars whereas the triads from Moon which is Avayogi viz Moon, Jupiter, Ketu are 3-6-9 aren't auspicious. The remaining Triad of 2-5-8 are neutral. 

Karana : Every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the Moon moves away from the Sun
It is said that Knowledge of Karanas leads to success. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12 degrees away from the Sun and half of a Tithi is a Karana which is 6 degrees. Hence there are 60 Karanas in total (360°/6) which are however further categorized into 11 as 7 of the karanas are movable and repeat 8 times in a cycle making up 56 and there are remaining 4 fixed karanas totaling to 60. Karana is all about 'Muyarchi' that highlights on areas like trying, efforts, perseverance etc.

The Karana ruling planet is the karya siddhi which denotes tasks being completed. Hence the Karana ruling planet has a major role to play as it is the one drawing upon one's karma and hence it's best if it is unafflicted in the chart. The Karana ruling planets are as stated below:

Bava - Mars
Balava - Rahu
Kaulava - Saturn
Taitula - Venus
Garaja - Moon
Vanija - Sun
Vishti - Ketu
Shakuni - Saturn
Chatushpada - Jupiter
Nagava - Rahu
Kimstugna - Mercury

The first seven of the karanas are movable and keep repeating whereas the last 4 are fixed in nature. Based on where the Karana Lord is placed in horoscope, matters relating to one's efforts, professional acumen can be dwelled upon. The Karana point will be similar to the Tithi point as Karana is essentially deduced from the Tithi. It is also said that the 3rd, 8th and 11th Karana from one's Janma Karana isn't auspicious.

Summary of Panchang in Horoscope:
Summarizing below key points to be kept in view while doing Panchanga Analysis in a horoscope

Vara:
- Know the planetary ruling planet of Vara (for eg. Vara ruler of Tuesday is Mars)
- Map the Vara point in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Mars is placed in the horoscope)
- Be cognizant that the 6th planet from the Vara Lord is an obstructer (In this case Rahu is obstructer for those born on Tuesday)
- Understand the life path of native from Vara Paksha (for eg. born on Monday Krishna Paksha, Saturn is the planet governing the life path of the native)

Nakshatra:
- Know the planetary ruling planet of Nakshatra (for eg. Swati ruler is Rahu)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Rahu is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Nakshatra point in the zodiac (This is the positional degree of the Moon in the horoscope)
- Be cognizant that the 3rd, 5th, 7th from Birth Nakshatra are inauspicious as per Tara Balan

Tithi:
- Know the ruling planet of Tithi (for eg. Ekadashi ruler is Mercury)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Mercury is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Tithi point in the zodiac (for eg. Shukla Paksha Ekadashi will fall in Leo and Krishna Paksha Ekadashi will fall in Aquarius)
- Also find out how many houses the Moon has moved away from the Sun in the horoscope
- Be cognizant that the 4th, 8th, 14th Tithi from Birth Tithi are inauspicious

Yoga:
- Know the ruling planet of Yogi and Avayogi (for eg. Vishkumba yoga born Yogi Saturn Avayogi Moon) 
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Saturn and Moon is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Yoga point in the zodiac (for eg. Vishkumba Yoga will fall in Ashwini Nakshatra in Aries Rasi)
Be cognizant that the 6th planet from Yogi planet is inauspicious (6th planet from Yogi Saturn is Moon)

Karana:
- Know the ruling planet of Karana (for eg. Garaja ruler is Moon)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Moon is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Karana point in the zodiac (this will be same point as that of Tithi since Karana is derived)
- Be cognizant that the 3rd, 8th, 11th Karana from Birth Karana are inauspicious

Difference of Opinions in Astrology!

One problem which Astrology as a science suffers is the lack of uniformity. Apart from that, another area of concern is the difference of opinions creeping up which causes a difference in the way a particular horoscope is viewed. These variations are especially prominent between the Northern and Southern parts of India especially. Let's look at a few areas in which various view points exist.

- Birth Star of Planets:
There is a branch of Astrology called DNA Astrology which places a lot of emphasis on the birth star of planets and this information is effectively obtained from a text called "Vichitra Jothidam". But there are also old Bengali texts mentioning about the constellations in which the 9 planets took birth and there appears to be some difference as seen below:

As per Vichitra Jothidam (followed in South):
Sun - Hastha
Moon - Mrigaseera
Mars - Uthara Ashada
Mercury - Dhanishta
Jupiter - Pushya
Venus - Magha
Saturn - Revathi
Rahu - Bharani
Ketu - Ashlesha

As per old Bengali Texts:
Sun - Vishakha & Anuradha
Moon - Krithika & Rohini
Mars - Poorva Ashada & Uthara Ashada
Mercury - Shravana & Dhanishta
Jupiter - Poorva Phalguni & Uthara Phalguni
Venus - Magha
Saturn - Revathi
Rahu - Bharani
Ketu - Ashlesha

Additionally Brahmanda Purana and Vayu Purana has it's own take on the birth stars of planets and the list as per it tallies mostly with Bengali texts with the exception of Venus. However just one birth star is been listed here like Vichitra Jothidam unlike olden bengali texts which provides information that some of the planets were born out of 2 constellations.
Birth stars as per Brahmanda Purana / Vayu Purana:
Sun - Vishakha
Moon - Krithika
Mars - Poorva Ashada
Mercury - Dhanishta
Jupiter - Poorva Phalguni
Venus - Pushya
Saturn - Revathi
Rahu - Bharani (Rohini as per Vayu Purana)
Ketu - Ashlesha (Rohini as per Vayu Purana)

From viewing the above results, these seems to be a consistency maintained only with respect to Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. There is a mismatch especially with respect to Sun, Moon and Jupiter. For Mars, Venus and Mercury again the results don't blend perfectly when seen from all parameters.

- Special Navatara Chakra Scheme:
The Navatara Chakra or the Moon's asterisms play an important role in analysing which constellation plays a favorable role in the life of a native. Though there is no confusion of the Navatara as the name connotes 9 constellations but the total number is considered as 27 in some cases and also 28 in other cases. In South India for instance it's always only 27 stars whereas in pockets of Northern India, the factoring of Abhijit is made making the total as 28 stars. The difference creates an issue in the end result for eg the star which ends up coming as Vainasika pertains to destruction. Now let's say for a native who is born in Punarvasu Nakshatra, the 22nd Nakshatra from it namely Ashwini happens to be the star of destruction as per the 27 tara scheme. However when adopting the special 28 tara method, the Vainasika star changes to Bharani as the 23rd Nakshatra is considered in this case. This results in an altercation in analysis.

- Maraka Lords:
Maragathipathi or Maraka refers to the house lord that can cause a killing effect to the native. In general parlance and as advocated by most texts, the 2nd and 7th lord always end up being the Maraka Lords. However there is another opinion practiced in South which advocates the Maraka Lords based on the nature of the sign depending on whether it is movable, fixed or dual. The lordships associated as Maraka as per this means is as mentioned below:
Movable Sign - 2nd & 7th are Maraka Lords
Fixed Sign - 3rd & 8th are Maraka Lords
Dual Sign - 7th & 11th are Maraka Lords

- Panchanga Lords:
Here again there exists a difference of opinion. With respect to 3 of the elements viz Vara, Nakshatra & Yoga there isn't much headroom though of course there is always a question mark with respect to whether the Nakshatras need to always be as per the Vimshottari Dasa scheme or not. However on Tithi and Karana there is a difference. For eg. in South and backed up by the Kerala Text ''Krishneeyam'',  Sasthi Tithi is ruled by planet Jupiter whereas in the Northern frontier Venus is considered as ruler of Sasthi. Most Tithis undergo a change in the ruler ship lord and similar is the case with Karana. For instance Kaulava Karana is said to be ruled by Saturn in Southern folklore whereas in the Northern regions, it is said to be ruled by Mars.

- Arudha Padas:
Arudha Pada or Bhaveshat Bhavam is largely a Jaimini concept where we calculate the efficacy of a house based on the distance it has moved from it's ownership sign. For instance Arudha Lagna or AL for a Gemini Lagna whose sign owner is Mercury if placed in 8th sign in Capricorn will end up being Leo as we need to move 8 signs from Capricorn to reflect the Arudha Pada. There are some exceptions to this rule which states that Arudha cannot be the same sign as house lord or 7th from it in which case we need to add a further 10 signs to arrive at the result. This exception based rule is mainly followed in certain sections but however these exceptions are also discarded in some traditions with just the resultant Arudha sign taken into account irrespective of it being the same or 7th from it.

- Chara Karaka Basis:
This again is largely a Jaimini concept where significators are listed based on the degrees traversed in a sign by a planet. There is however an unending debate whether 7 planets from Sun to Saturn or an additional 8th planet Rahu also should be included in the framework. The opinions are so widespread on this that most of the times there is a possibility of ending up having the wrong Amatyakaraka or Darakaraka as the case maybe.

- Aspects and Ownership of Rahu/Ketu:
This can safely be assumed that as never going to be solved. There is always a lingering question mark when it comes to these two chaya Grahas and the opinions are always at a juggernaut. Though there is a general view point that Rahu & Ketu both don't possess any aspect, there is a mixed say with respect to the aspects considered in North and South India. In the North, Rahu & Ketu are believed to possess 5,7,9 aspect akin to Jupiter whereas almost everywhere in the South, if indeed aspects are considered only 3,7,11 are taken into account. With regard to ownership, there is a general view that Rahu owns Aquarius and Ketu co-lords Scorpio but this theory does not find much footing in the South where it is largely considered as not owning any houses of it's own in the zodiac.

- Numerology of Planets
Though this is not something explicitly related to Vedic Astrology, there is a linkage of numbers with each planet ruling a specific number from 1 to 9. Here again there is a difference with respect to some of the numbers based on which planet rules them. There is a Nakshatra specialization text called 'Kumaraswamiyam' which mentions the numbers ruled by each of the planets which is different from the norm and adopts the Vimshottari Dasa order beginning from Sun.

Number ruled by Planets (Common System):
1 - Sun
2 - Moon
3 - Jupiter
4 - Rahu
5 - Mercury
6 - Venus
7 - Ketu
8 - Saturn
9 - Mars

Numbers ruled by Planets (As per Kumaraswamiyam following Vimshottari Dasa Sequence):
1 - Sun
2 - Moon
3 - Mars
4 - Rahu
5 - Jupiter
6 - Saturn
7 - Mercury
8 - Ketu
9 - Venus

As you can see above, only numbers 1,2,4 align properly in both systems and there is quite a marked difference when it comes to the other numbers ruled by the planets. Mercury for instance lords #5 as per the common system but is controller of #7 when adopting the other. Likewise Venus undergoes a change moving from 6 to 9 and so do few other planets as well.

Conclusion:
These are some of the major differences of opinions that exist in the framework of a horoscope analysis. With such varied views prevalent, there can always be a question of debate arising and also toppling up the analysis with diverse variations brought into the fray. Further research coupled with intuition is perhaps the only means to bridge the gap to a certain measurable extent.

Problems Aplenty with respect to Uniformity in Astrology!

Astrology is a divine science. However one major drawback that it suffers is a lack of common standard and there is no uniformity when it comes to a number of factors. Listed below are some perennial problems or ever prevailing confusions with regard to astrology which don't perhaps look like getting resolved in the near future.

1) Lack of correct Ayanamsa:
Ayanamsa is defined as the angular distance between vedic first point and vernal equinox. The sidereal ecliptic of a celestial body is less than the tropical ecliptic longitude. But there was a point in time when the sidereal zodiac and tropical zodiac coincided which is taken as the starting point. Different years are taken in contention viz Lahiri (285 AD), Krishnamurthy (291 AD), Raman (397 AD), Yuktheshwar (499 AD), Vakya Siddhantha (522 AD) etc. The different Ayanamsa used results in different degrees of placements of planets causing trouble in reading horoscopes. For eg say Mercury is in 29 degrees 30 mins as per Lahiri Ayanamsa in Aries, but applying Raman Ayanamsa Mercury will end up being at 0 degrees 56 mins in Taurus.
Different Ayanamsas:
- Lahiri Chitra Paksha Ayanamsa
- Krishnamurthy Ayanamsa
- BV Raman Ayanamsa
- Yuktheshwar Ayanamsa
- Pushya Paksha Ayanamsa
- Fagan Ayanamsa
- Others (totally about 50 odd present)

2) No consensus on accurate birth time:
Sometimes natives don't have a birth time at all but even those who have it there are multiple reasons as to why it may not be correct. There are still views going on about whether birth time should be recorded as time of first breath, time of first cry, time of touching the earth, cutting of umbilical cord, time of break of placenta etc. Incorrect birth time can cause predictions to go awry.
Different Time of Births:
- Time of first breath
- Time of first cry
- Time of touching earth
- Time of cutting umbilical cord
- Time of break of placenta
- Others - time of forehead appearing, body part visible etc

3) Dasa Year Computation:
The Vimshottari Dasa system calculated based on Moon's longitude is a specific feature available in Vedic Astrology and most of the timing of events of life are matched with the running Dasa and sub periods. But there isn't a standard solution as to whether a Dasa year should be a solar year (365 point days) or a Savana Year (360 days) or based on a Lunar year (354 point days).
Different Dasa Years Used (Without decimals):
- Solar Year 365 days
- Savana Year 360 days
- Lunar Year 354 days

4) House Counting System:
Houses are of prominent importance when deciphering a chart. Which house planets are placed can give a very good insight about your course of life. But here too there are diverse views whether ascendant should start from where rasi starts which is whole sign, whether ascendant degree should be mid of first house or ascendant degree should indicate start of first house. Whole sign ascendant illustration: Ascendant Aries 29 degrees, Venus 2 degrees in Taurus and Mercury 27 degree in Aries. Venus will be counted as second house and Mercury as 1st house. Ascendant is middle of first house Illustration: Ascendant Aries 27 degrees, Venus 4 degrees Taurus and Mercury 10 degrees Aries. Here Venus will be counted as first house and Mercury as twelfth house. First house spans from 12 degree Aries to 12 degree Taurus and 27 degrees is mid point. Ascendant is start of first house Illustration: Ascendant Taurus 6 degrees, Venus 3 degrees Taurus and Mercury 1 degree Taurus. Both Venus and Mercury will be counted as 12th house. First house will roughly span from 6 degrees Taurus to 6 degrees Gemini.
Different House Systems:
- Whole sign Ascendant
- Ascendant should be middle of first house
- Ascendant should be start of first house

5) Aspects and Significator Usage:
There are some lingering confusions as to how much of aspect is really valid. Certain planets are said to have full and partial aspects. Also whether they influence a whole sign or just an extent of the house is also a point to ponder. And coming to the mysterious planets Rahu and Ketu, there are still doubts plaguing as to whether they aspect or not and even if they do tend to aspect, opinions are divided on which kind of aspects they possess. The significator or the karaka's role is also perceived differently as per various branches of astrology. For eg Mars is husband for females in one system whereas its Jupiter in another system. In some cases it is both Venus or both Jupiter.

Hence, with these kind of lurking issues prevalent in astrology it's safe to say predictions can never be cent percent accurate. There will always be a sense of vulnerability and the astrologer needs to consider a number of these factors before giving predictions. Being in the age of Kali Yuga, I doubt there will be a sure shot solution to any of the points and there are always going to be multiple views with or without logical reasoning as to which is correct. Perhaps these limitations are one reason as to why the field of occult is the way it actually is - extremely mysterious and always providing a scope for research and unraveling hidden treasures :).

Pondy Calling Chennai - Bread & Chocolate

Pondicherry's charm comes to Chennai in the form of it's illustrious venture Bread & Chocolate. Pondy is known for it's bakeries and known to dish up a variety of stuff especially on the sweetened side and it makes sense too since it does happen to be a French colony. Hence the presence of vintage French style cuisine is pretty evident.

The pizza's, breads, croissants, creme brulees, macaroons, crepes and a whole lot of chocolate and various other sweet tinglings find much footing in the shores of Pondy. Hence the presence of Bread & Chocolate, a premium Pondy outlet putting up it's venture in Chennai is sure to seethe in some bit of excitement.

The outlet here is located in Senotaph Road, Teynampet in a two storied building. You feel the whiff of fresh bread and smell of cream as you set foot inside it's territory. The ground floor is for takeaway and has an array of delightful stockings layered up for you to choose. The portion upstairs consists of the dine-in restaurant.

The menu is a simple one pager compartmentalized into 5 categories comprising of toasts, bowls, plates, hot pressed sandwiches and drinks. The initial three form part of the breakfast and is available all through the day whereas the latter two options are available only from lunch onwards. This apart, the stacked up assembly gives you plenty of options on croissants, cakes, babkas, quiche, focaccia etc.

I have been here once for dine-in and tried their super famous best seller 'Summertime Tartine'. This was one dish which I had been drooling about ever since I had a glance at the picture and I must say it was worth the wait. I've normally consumed burgers of the messy kind but this one is a toast loaded to the brim and it only gets more yummyliciously flowy once you give a poke at it. It is a toast packed to the punch with fresh ricotta, marinated onions, roasted tomatoes, poached eggs and basil pesto. The scramble of ricotta spread across the toast with the effervescence of a glorious pesto and a ballooned up egg which smatters the yolk once you give a tilt at it makes the experience quite exhilarating. This has been a long pending item to consume and glad to finally have had a shot at it. There are quite a lot more options on toasts which I guess would be reserved for a next time.

Other than this, I tried more of their snack based items. A little disappointed to have still not got a crack at their lemon meringue croissant which I've been badly wanting to try. The palak panneer quiche was big in size and I really liked the spinach cream breached oozingly across the flaky bread. The pizza focaccia was decent albeit not something to glorify upon. I personally felt a little extra zest was missing on it. The chocolate cake was quite nice thought not too memorable.

Overall, it has been a fairly interesting experience trying out selected items from the fray. I am looking forward to try some of their sandwiches and also drinks perhaps on a later visit. This can be considered a great place for breakfast especially and if you're looking for that fresh dough bread experience that is famous in Pondy, you do get a selective dose of it right here in very own Chennai and that's something which is certainly a bright spot. The place is out and about buzzing in full steam and with more of these fresh stuff coming to Chennai, it's sure to set the registers ringing.

Cafe De Bangkok - Inviting Travel Vibes

Bangkok is a known to be a foodie's paradise apart from being a frequently hunted travel destination. It is known for it's mélange of cuisines ranging from Pan Asian and spreading across to continental, Pizza's and a host of bakery products.

Cafe De Bangkok is a new venture bringing the best of the world of Thai to the shore lands of Chennai. The place is located on a main road and the ambiance depicts a swirl of Thailand drawings with a diaspora of cute flower bouquets for infusing the vibration. Palettes of white and blue mostly adorn the surrounding.

The menu boasts of a mix of varied cuisines. I began proceedings with a broccoli soup encapsulated with shrivels of cheese which seemed to be a pretty good way to start on a cold evening. For the starters we tried the loaded fries which was basically potato fries topped up with salsa and cream. The fries were crunchy and the texture was just about right and it went well with the mix up. We also tried a bao in the form of cottage cheese & sundried tomato. This was one of my favorite dishes with the buns being juicy soft and stuffed inset were spicy rectangular chunks of paneer and dried tomatoes with the combination working very well. Another cottage cheese starter was attacked this time in the form of a skewer. This was of the Cajun variant and the pieces were fresh and somewhat in line with the traditional Indianized version of paneer tikka just that it was served in a different format. We also had a shot at the Thai spring rolls which went jocularly well with a lively tangy dip.

On the main course front, we went with the double cheese margarita pizza. I wouldn't say this was top notch. It was decent enough but somehow not melt in the mouth stuff that I expected it to be. The khow suey however was well dished up having a lovely aroma inherent to it. All the condiments added on made it quite an item to remember. This apart, a pink sauce penne pasta was also attempted. This one was creamy with the right stuffing and seemed well cooked and also tasted yummy.

They do not have too many options on the dessert front as of now. They had a chocolate danish and a blue berry cheese tart which seemed strictly average at best. I believe this is an area they are still working up to stack more options in the fray.

Overall it was a pretty pleasant experience. The waiters were friendly and the items were brought in at regular time intervals. The pricing seems par for the course. The ambiance and vibe works quite well especially if you're the kind who is looking forward to a pleasing experience. This cafe can definitely be tried for it's diverse epicurean cuisine.

Hitherto Unusual Transit Methods in Horoscope Evaluation - Murthy Nirnaya and Shani Vahana

Whenever a yearly transiting planet such as Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu or Ketu is transiting from one sign to another, there is usually plenty of curiosity associated as to how it will play up for each Moon or Ascendant sign. While transits are not the be all and end all in evaluating a horoscope, it somehow inkles a dose of expectation that some turnaround is bound to take place. 

Jupiter's rounds of movement from one sign to another invokes hope that something auspicious will take place especially when it ends up going 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th from Moon sign granting it the 'Guru Bala' title. Saturn's transits are usually perceived with a sense of fear especially when it tends to be Sade Sati which is 12th, 1st and 2nd from Moon sign and also Ashtama Shani which is 8th from Moon is usually dreaded. Rahu/Ketu's movement is looked at as stumbling blocks but in general it is preferred when it is transiting in to the Upachaya houses viz 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th.

However apart from the well established means of witnessing transits, there are also other methods which are a tad different from usual. On that basis would like to highlight emphasis on the scope of Murthy Nirnaya transit as well as Shani Vahana transit. These two are not necessarily based on the sign the yearly planet is moving from the Lagna / Moon but in essence based on a particular energy which works more like a Prasna indicating what to look forward to from the perspective of these transits.

Murthy Nirnaya Transit:
This is a transit which works according to your natal Janma Rasi (Moon sign). This is common for all transits but the catch as per this method is it works based on where transiting Moon is stationed exactly at the time during the transit of the yearly planet. The computation works from Natal Moon to Transiting Moon with the anchor being the yearly transit planet and accordingly results are derived.

For the sake of easy understanding, let us take an illustration. Lets say Jupiter is transiting to Sagittarius on a particular date and time. During the time of Jupiter's transit we need to check where Moon is placed and let us say Moon is placed in Libra when Jupiter moved into Sagittarius. Now we need to compare the house Libra is placed from natal Moon position. If Natal Moon is in Aries, then we can say it is 7 signs since Aries to Libra equated to 7 signs. Now based on the signs moved, there is a bracketing of auspiciousness into 4 compartments as seen below:

1,6,11 - Very Good - Swarna (Gold)
2,5,9 - Good - Rajata (Silver)
3,7,10 - Average - Tamara (Copper)
4,8,12 - Bad - Lohita (Iron)

Based on the above example, for an Aries Moon born person, since 7 is Tamara (Copper), this transit would said to be average. The interesting feature is there is no relevance to the sign in which the main planet transit is happening which would be Jupiter and Sagittarius as seen from above case. Only the natal Moon and the placement of Moon at the time of the big ticket transit is considered which makes this method pretty unique. However the liability with this method happens to be on account of different Ayanamsa and Panchanga followed. As per one scheme of Panchanga, the planet Jupiter (say) may be transiting on a particular date whereas in another view it might be on a different date and we know Moon is ever revolving moving signs every 2 and quarter days. This can cast some issues with regard to the auspiciousness of the transit which can be an issue when using Murthi Nirnaya Transit.

Shani Vahana Transit:
This is a methodology of ascertaining transits exclusively for Saturn when it moves to a new sign or Nakshatra. Saturn is assigned a vehicle based on it's transit and accordingly results are ascertained. As per this method we need to know the Nakshatra in operation when Shani Dev changes signs in addition to our birth Moon Nakshatra. 

For instance lets say Saturn is transiting to Capricorn into the Nakshatra of Uttara Ashada. Also lets say natal Moon Nakshatra of a person is Poorva Phalguni. In this case we need to add 21 (number sequence of Uttara Ashada) and 11 (number sequence of Poorva Phalguni). The number sequence is the Nakshatras counted from Ashwini which is taken as #1 to Revathi which is #27. The total of 21 and 11 adds to 32. Now 32 needs to be divided by 9 which yields a reminder of 5. The reminder will decide the vehicle. In case it's perfectly divisible with no reminder then No.9 from the list needs to be taken. Listed below is the Numbers, Vehicles in the form of Animals and the Auspiciousness.

#1 - Donkey - Not favorable
#2 - Horse - Very favorable
#3 - Elephant - Not favorable
#4 - Buffalo - Mixed
#5 - Lion - Favorable
#6 - Jackal - Very Unfavorable
#7 - Crow - Not favorable
#8 - Peacock - Very favorable
#9 - Swan -  Very favorable

In general Swan vehicle is said to be most auspicious and Jackal vehicle is said to be most inopportune. Peacock is also said to be really favorable and Horse is considered highly auspicious. On the flip side, Crow is said to infuse plenty of tensions whereas Elephant is mentioned to give results against expectations and Donkey is indicative of lack of auspiciousness. A lion is considered good especially acting as a trigger in defeating enemies whereas Buffalo's results are said to be mixed and dependent on the work put in. Based on the above example, #5 happens to be Lion vehicle which is favorable. In this method, we can even view based on the Nakshatra within the sign Saturn is transiting and not just the zodiac sign. To explain, for a particular Natal Moon Nakshatra say Punarvasu, Saturn transiting into Uttara Ashada in Makara isn't good since 7+21 = 28 which means reminder 1 translating to Donkey that is unfavorable. However when Saturn moves into Shravana it would be better since 7+22 = 29 amounting to reminder 2 reflecting Horse which indicates very favorable. Hence this comes handy when ascertaining transits especially when Saturn transits each Nakshatra of the zodiac to understand how Saturn will pan out for each natal Moon Nakshatra.

SPB - A Legend Unparalleled!

Few losses are hard to take and when it happens to be that of an individual who you're not personally associated with, it can only be by the impact created through a medium that predilects an everlasting effect on to you. The medium is music and the man Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam. The impact created is inconceivable and hard to jot down in mere words.

This person traveled throughout my journey of life uninitiated and in an unknowing manner. His presence accompanied us through his golden voice which soothingly and euphonically became a ritual in our everyday lives. If music had the power to heal, he was the designated voice to glow the torch and show us a ray of hope. It is with profound sadness that this thoroughbred icon isn't with us anymore to see the light of the day.

It is unacceptable that the one solely responsible to uplift our moods, stir our emotions and who provided unhindered happiness is not amongst us. He had no reason to leave us. The world he has gone to maybe a far better place than what it is currently but I'm very sorry to say that God really disappointed by snatching him away to his celestial abode. 

Listening to the reverberating opening hum of Mandram Vandhu leaves a spiral of waves shattering the heart to smithereens. Almost every single gem of a song that I've ever listened to was associated with his meritorious baritone. This is not just a loss to the music world but to humanity at large. His extreme accomplishments aside, he had a heart and personality that was impossible not to admire. There are people that are loved and hated but the word 'hate' just gets obliterated when it comes to SPB. There isn't a single negative streak in his DNA and not a mere soul could ever dislike him.

As SPB famously quips, "I know what I don't know", he knew how to sustain and work around his strengths not toying with areas beyond his capability. This not only characterizes his humble attitude but also a life lesson imparted to budding youngsters of being more open to accepting their inherent limitations thereby learning and paving the way for future growth. 

SPB will truly go down as a pantheon in his field and his incredible feats are unparalleled beyond reach by any stretch of the imagination. To consistently be on top of your game for over 5 decades and counting never giving the slightest hopes of ever slowing down shows what 'achievement' is all about.

We are all indebted to you forever Sir and thanks for all the boundless memories that have literally kept our lives up and running. This bond will only continue to prosper thanks to your rich legacy of diamond mines of music that you've kept as a treasure for all of us to cherish, thrive and rejoice. Love you SPB, may your legend be celebrated and continue to live and inspire generations forever till the eternity of time.

A Quadrant of Theme Music Classics!

This was an impromptu shot at attempting a few well known pieces of re-recordings. I still don't know how this straddling happened from one end of the spectrum to another to play these classsics but it happened just like that. The 4 tracks played include:

1) Punnagai Mannan theme music
2) Godfather theme music
3) Mouna Ragam theme music
4) Jurassic Park theme music

I am usually a fan of theme music as they have such an uplifting appeal especially when the output leaves you with an everlasting effect that reverberates far beyond the movie. Some of the pieces produced locally at home in Kodambakkam easily stands testimony to some of the all time great pieces produced in Hollywood though many a time these kind of mind blowing pieces appear in totally obscure movies unable to comprehend the mastery of the mesmerism in the music. 

These are just some small minor phrases from 4 mega path breaking pieces of music. I don't know which among these sounds better but I hope the end result is justified to a reasonable extent.

Thendral Vandhu - Poetry in Motion!

If you have to describe a composition that depicts imagery at it's very best, it's pretty hard to fathom beyond this one. All sorts of emotions get entangled and it meanders along in such an enigmatic manner that highlights poetry in motion. 

Even from the composer's rich oeuvre spanning across plethora of genres, it's really hard to pigeonhole this number into one particular category. The orchestral prepositions, the variations in the arrangement, layer by layer construction of the melody et al all leave you dazzled with monotones of intensity and eerieness. 

I attempted a little portion of this gargantuan composition beginning from the Charanam portion "எவரும் சொல்லாமலே பூக்களும் வாசம் வீசுது" and lurked on back to the Pallavi of தென்றல் வந்து தீண்டும் போது. I thoroughly enjoyed attempting those snippety nippy gamakas that add such a varied colour to the composition. 

There is no question of doing justice to the original. At best this is just a humble attempt at a particular segment of this mind blowing composition. Being technologically in adept, couldn't really do much to control the burring sound of the mike. Anyhow it's just the joy of being enmeshed by the beauty of the composition at the end of the day 😃.

Malargale - Blooming Musical Flowers!

I always have a sugary soft corner especially with regard to ARR's early day compositions. Growing up, it was almost a ritual to get absorbed in his music in some way or other. He had taken the city of Madras by storm with his sound coming across as not only new age but also endearingly refreshing.

The melody content was sweet and he was always certain of hitting the right chords thereby finding a way into many a youth's heart. The 90s style of music from the junction box of ARR especially the melodic numbers had a honey coated tenderness to it that usually got one flayed and caught up sucking the nectar. 'Malargale Malargale' is a vintage melody that has always been attractive and establishes itself as a charming composition. The charanam portion especially with the subtle gamakas, zigzag phrases and jumpy notes transgressing across octaves adds such a vibrant touch. The lyrics indicate the flowers telling a dream and the music supports it by painting a swirling canvas encapsulated with varied emotional hues.

Just attempted a little portion of the number beginning with my favorite Charanam portion and clawing back thereby to the Pallavi and also mildly straddling along to this hard hitting western bit that gives another contrasting complexion. Today marks 28 years of the entry of the man who captured the generation of the 90s with his swayful music making his debut with Roja which hit silver screens on this very day on the 15th of August 1992. May the music continue to meritoriously mesmerize.