Rahu/Ketu and Illusions!

There are way too many illusions with regard to Rahu/Ketu and respected authorities tend to disagree with regard to Rahu Ketu aspects, own house, Mool Trikona (office of responsibility) and exaltation/debilitation sign. Attached below is a compendium of the different view points which exist with the respect to Rahu and Ketu.

Rahu/Ketu Aspects:
A) No aspect (Shadow planet and hence said not to have aspect)
B) 5,7,9 (Most commonly held view)
C) 5,7,9,12 (Some believe it has 12th also)
D) 3,7,11 (Tamil scriptures especially)
E) 3,7,10 (Similar to Saturn's aspect)
Note : There are also some beliefs that Rahu alone aspects and Ketu does not aspect. Also since Rahu and Ketu are generally believed to be one and the same and always 180 degrees apart, 7th aspect is not considered.

Rahu/Ketu Own House:
A) Rahu Aquarius, Ketu Scorpio (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Virgo, Ketu Pisces (Supported by few texts)
C) Rahu Aquarius, Ketu Aries (Based on Saturn and Mars Mooltrikona placement)
D) Rahu Capricorn, Ketu Cancer (Apparently in few Tamil texts)
E) Rahu and Ketu both don't own any houses (Believed to be just nodal points and hence considered not to have any ownership)

Rahu/Ketu Mool Trikona Sign:
A) Rahu Virgo Ketu Pisces (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Gemini Ketu Sagittarius (Supported by a Parashara Hora version)
C) Rahu Aquarius Ketu Aries (Shanivat Rahu Kujavat Ketu hence follows similar to Saturn & Mars)
D) Rahu and Ketu both don't a Mool Trikona sign (This is based on the inference that they don't rule any of the signs in the zodiac)

Rahu/Ketu Exaltation and Debilitation:
A) Rahu Exalted in Taurus and Debilitated in Scorpio, Ketu Exalted in Scorpio and Debilitated in Taurus (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Exalted in Gemini and Debilitated in Sagittarius, Ketu Exalted in Sagittarius and Debilitated in Gemini (Another popular view supported especially in Jaimini)
C) Rahu Exalted in Virgo and Debilitated in Pisces, Ketu Exalted in Pisces and Debilitated in Virgo (Not very popular but believed as another view)
D) Rahu Exalted in Scorpio and Debilitated in Taurus, Ketu Exalted in Taurus and Debilitated in Scorpio (Not popular but this view is based on the headless theory as they are believed to exert full influence on the opposite house from which they are placed)
E) Rahu and Ketu both are Exalted in Scorpio (opposite of Moon exaltation sign Taurus) and both are Debilitated in Taurus (Moon exaltation sign)
F) Rahu and Ketu both don't have exaltation and debilitation signs. Result depends on their despositors.

Ascertaining Gulika and Mandi in Horoscope

Before getting into the computation of these 2 Saturnian Upagrahas Gulika and Mandi, it is good to know a few basics. There are 7 weekdays beginning from Sunday and ending with Saturday. Each of these weekdays are further divided into 2 halves viz Day time (Sunrise) and Night time (Sunset). The day time and night time portion get further sub divided into 8 equal parts and each of these 8 parts are ruled by 7 planets and the remaining part is governed by Rahu.

The order of day time starts from the ruling planet of the particular weekday. For eg if it's a Sunday first part is always given to Sun since it lords Sunday and the second part is Moon, third is Mars, fourth Mercury, fifth Jupiter, sixth Venus, seventh Saturn and 8th portion will be blank and given to Rahu. For night time, the first part happens to be ruled by the 5th planet from the lord of the weekday. Taking same Sunday as eg, night time starts from the 5th planet of the lord of the weekday which in this case is Jupiter followed by Venus, then Saturn, blank (Rahu) followed by Sun, Moon, Mars and Mercury respectively.

Computation of Gulika and Mandi in a Horoscope Chart:

1) Ascertain whether a person was born during day time (sun rise to sun set) or during night time (sun set to next day sun rise)

2) If day time born, note the sun rise and sun set time of the day and if born in night time, note the sun set time and next day sun rise time.

3) Next check the week day in which the native was born which could be any day between Sunday to Saturday.

4) See the portion ruled by Saturn which will be one among 8 equal parts (Saturn never rules 8th part)

Sunday - Day Time 7th part, Night Time 3rd part

Monday - Day Time 6th part, Night Time 2nd part

Tuesday - Day Time 5th part, Night Time 1st part

Wednesday - Day Time 4th part, Night Time 7th part 

Thursday - Day Time 3rd part, Night Time 6th part

Friday - Day Time 2nd part, Night Time 5th part

Saturday - Day Time 1st part, Night Time 4th part

5) Figure out the time frame period ruled by Saturn which will be an average approx 90 minute time period.

6) Mark the start time, middle time and end time of this time slot ruled by Saturn.

7) Cast the horoscope for all these 3 time slots and note where the Ascendant (Lagna) falls.

8) Gulika rises at the beginning of Saturn's portion and Mandi at the middle of Saturn's portion.

P.S : There are different opinions with regard to Gulika and Mandi. Some opine that they both are one and the same. Another belief is that they happen to be 2 different son's of Shani Devata (Planet Saturn). Also, opinions are divided on when Gulika and Mandi rise and there are varied views supporting beginning, middle and end point of Saturn's ruling time period.

Illustration 1 : Day time birth

Native born on Sep 13th 2018 in Chennai, India at 9.30 AM. Find position of Gulika and Mandi

1) Person born time : Day time

2) Since day time born : Sun rise time 6:01 AM and Sun set time 6:08 PM

3) Check weekday : Thursday

4) Part ruled by Saturn : 3rd part

5) Figure time period ruled by Saturn : 9:10 AM to 10:41 AM

6) Mark start time, middle time and end time : Start time 9:10 AM, Middle time 9:56 AM, End time 10:41 AM

7) Check Ascendant for all three times : Start time - Libra 12 degrees, Middle time - Libra 23 degrees, End time - Scorpio 3 degrees

8) Establish Gulika and Mandi position : Gulika in Libra 12 degrees and Mandi in Libra 23 degrees

Computation Notes:

Time between sun rise to sun set = 12 hours and 7 mins = 727 Mins

Divide 727 into 8 parts = 90.875 mins rounded to 91 mins per part

Time of Saturn is 3rd part and computed as below;

First part = 6:08 AM + 91 MINS = 7:39 AM

Second part = 7:39 AM + 91 MINS = 9:10 AM

Third part = 9:10 AM + 91 MINS = 10:41 AM

Alternatively since we know 3rd part is end of 2nd part to end of 3rd part, start point is 6:08 AM + 182 mins (91 mins * 2 parts) = 9:10 AM and end point is 6:08 AM + 273 mins (91 mins * 3 parts) = 10:41 AM.

Start time = 9:10 AM

End time = 10:41 AM

Middle time = Start time 9:10 AM + 46 mins (Part of 91 mins divided by 2 = 45.5 rounded to 46) = 9:56 AM or End time 10:41 AM - 45 mins = 9:56 AM

Illustration 2 : Night time birth

Native born on Sep 11th 2018 in Bangalore, India at 8.45 PM. Find position of Gulika and Mandi

1) Person born time : Night time

2) Since night time born : Sun set time 6:20 PM and next day Sun rise time 6:12 AM

3) Check weekday : Tuesday

4) Part ruled by Saturn : 1st part

5) Figure time period ruled by Saturn : 6:20 PM to 7:49 PM

6) Mark start time, middle time and end time : Start time 6:20 PM, Middle time 7:05 PM, End time 7:49 PM

7) Check Ascendant for all three times : Start time - Aquarius 24 degrees, Middle time - Pisces 8 degrees, End time - Pisces 21 degrees

8) Establish Gulika and Mandi position : Gulika in Aquarius 24 degrees and Mandi in Pisces 8 degrees

Computation Notes:

Time between sun set to sun rise = 11 hours and 52 mins = 712 Mins

Divide 712 into 8 parts = 89 mins per part

Time of Saturn is 1st part and computed as below

First part = 6:20 PM + 89 MINS = 7:49 PM

Start time = 6:20 PM

End time = 7:49 PM

Middle time = Start time 6:20 PM + 45 mins (Part of 89 mins divided by 2 = 44.5 rounded to 45) = 7:05 PM or End time 7:49 PM - 44 mins = 7:05 PM

Note: It should be noted from this that at no point exact time of birth is taken for computation of Gulika and Mandi. In essence, any person born on a particular day and place at whatever time but within the day time portion or night time portion will end up having Gulika and Mandi in the same position in the horoscope chart.

Also, for Mandi computation, the classics opine a method based on Ghatika's (1 Ghatika=24 minutes) elapsed from sun rise/sun set time to arrive at the Mandi time for which the corresponding Lagna degree should be ascertained. This method will tally almost exactly to what has been computed above. The order given is as above:

Sunday - 26 Ghatikas after sun rise, 10 Ghatikas after sun set

Monday - 22 Ghatikas after sun rise, 6 Ghatikas after sun set

Tuesday - 18 Ghatikas after sun rise, 2 Ghatikas after sun set

Wednesday - 14 Ghatikas after sun rise, 26 Ghatikas after sun set

Thursday - 10 Ghatikas after sun rise, 22 Ghatikas after sun set

Friday - 6 Ghatikas after sun rise, 18 Ghatikas after sun set

Saturday - 2 Ghatikas after sun rise, 14 Ghatikas after sun set

Explaining this method with the same illustrations as listed earlier, for Illustration 1 we find that for day birth Thursday, Mandi is 10 Ghatikas after Sun rise. 10 Ghatikas = 240 minutes (10 Ghatika*24 minutes per Ghatika). Sun rise time is 6:01 AM. Adding 240 minutes to it, we get 10:01 AM which will fall in around 23-24 degrees of Libra similar to what we have witnessed above. In Illustration 2, for night birth Tuesday, Mandi happens to be 2 Ghatikas after Sun set. 2 Ghatikas = 48 minutes (2 Ghatika*24 minutes per Ghatika). Sun set time is 6:20 PM. Adding 48 minutes to it, we get 7:08 PM which will fall around 8 degrees in Pisces as seen above as well.

This working is only for Mandi and does not hold good for Gulika unless of course they both are reckoned as one and the same. Whether we employ the method 1 or method 2, the most sensitive point happens to be at the mid point of time frame ruled by Saturn or the respective end Ghatika time marked after Sun rise or Sun set as the case maybe. 

Inauspicious Time Period Computation!

Many of us would have been alerted about un-favourable time periods during a day and not to perform any auspicious activities during these time periods. The time frames commonly highlighted happen to be the Yama Ghanta, Gulika Kaala and Rahu Kaala. All these stem from the panchang and attributed to specific planets assigned.

The Panchang element that needs to be seen is the 'Vara'. The Vara is basically the solar day transiting which starts at sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise commences. There are 7 Vara's obtained from the 7 week days and each of them are represented by a particular planet as seen below:
Sunday - Sun
Monday - Moon
Tuesday - Mars
Wednesday - Mercury
Thursday - Jupiter
Friday - Venus
Saturday - Saturn

Now, every day of week comprises of two parts viz sun rise (day time) and sun set (night time). It is generally presumed that most important activities take place only during the day and hence only sun rise viz day time portion is considered for computing inauspicious time period.

Hence let us take the sun rise portion of the day which runs from when the sun rises till the time it begins to set. This portion is divided into 8 equal parts and it is believed that one of the parts is headless. Remember there are 7 weekdays and 8 parts, hence 7 of these parts will be assigned to a particular planet with the 8th given to Rahu.

The order starts from the ruling planet of the particular Vara (weekday). For eg if it's a Sunday first part is always given to Sun since it lords Sunday and the second part is Moon, third is Mars, fourth Mercury, fifth Jupiter, sixth Venus, seventh Saturn and 8th portion will be blank and given to Rahu. In case it's a Thursday it starts from Jupiter, second part will be Venus, third will be Saturn and 4th will be Rahu. 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th will be Sun, Moon, Mars and Mercury respectively.

One disclaimer I would like to mention here is that it is generally presumed in most panchangs and calendars that sun rise always starts at 6 AM and the sun set begins at 6 PM. Hence the day time comprises of 12 hours divided into 8 parts with each part occupying a space of 1 hour and 30 minutes (1.5 hours). But in reality in many places sun rise can be much later or earlier causing the calculations to go for a toss.

However for convenience sake, the respective times of Yama Ghanta, Gulika Kaala and Rahu Kaal is explained with reference to the sun rise day time comprising of 12 hours in the range of 6 AM to 6 PM.

Yama Ghanta:
This is represented by planet Jupiter. For every day of the week, check the part that is owned by Jupiter and this will be the time frame occupied by Yama Ghanta. For eg on Wednesday Jupiter rules the 2nd part from 7.30 AM to 9 AM and that is the Yama Ghanta time and likewise on Friday it'll be 4.30 PM to 6 PM which is the time represented by Jupiter. For easy reference, all of the Yama Ghanta time parts owned by Jupiter is coloured in Yellow in order to quickly spot it. Also some food for thought, if you closely check Jupiter rules all parts in different days except for the 6th part from 1.30 PM to 3 PM.

Gulika Kaala:
This is represented by planet Saturn. For every day of the week, check the part that is owned by Saturn and this will be the time frame occupied by Gulika. For eg on Thursday Saturn rules the 3rd part from 9 AM to 10.30 AM and that is the Gulika time and likewise on Saturday it'll be 6 AM to 7.30 AM which is the time represented by Saturn. For easy reference, all of the Gulika time parts owned by Saturn is coloured in Blue for quick navigation. Also like Jupiter, Saturn rules all parts except for the 8th part spanning from 4.30 PM to 6 PM.

P.S : For horoscope purposes, even sunset time will be taken and this also has a say in determining as to where Gulika will be placed in the vedic rasi chart.

Rahu Kaala:
This is represented by planet Rahu but the computation differs. Here time slots are put forth for each day of the week and Rahu Kaala is obtained based on the same. It must be remembered however that the first part of the day can never be Rahu Kaala. Also in addition to Rahu, other planets such as Sun, Moon and Mars also have a say in determining the Rahu kaal portion. They are marked in Red in the table to quickly catch attention. Listed below are the time parts assigned for Rahu Kaala in each of the days.
Day 1 Sunday - 8th part - Rahu
Day 2 Monday - 2nd part - Mars
Day 3 Tuesday - 7th part - Sun
Day 4 Wednesday - 5th part - Rahu
Day 5 Thursday - 6th part - Moon
Day 6 Friday - 4th part - Sun
Day 7 Saturday 3rd part - Sun

Colour Code:
YAMA GHANTA - YELLOW - JUPITER
GULIKA KAALA - BLUE - SATURN
RAHU KAALA - RED - RAHU, SUN, MOON, MARS

Note: You might be wondering as to why other planets also come into the equation when deducing Rahu Kaala. This is because Rahu Kaala is propounded based on the theory of ultraviolet rays falling on earth during specific time intervals on each day of every weekday which is considered to be highly inauspicious. This also ends up scrambling the usual week day order and hence you find other planets also coming in the fray when figuring out the Rahu Kaala time period. This can however be avoided if the Kaala order is followed which is practised especially in Kerala. Here planets are assigned numbers and they follow the same order with the first part beginning from the weekday lord. The order given is as below:
Sun - 1
Mars - 2
Jupiter - 3
Mercury - 4
Venus - 5
Saturn - 6
Moon - 7
Rahu - 8

Adopting this order based on the running weekday, you'll always end up with Rahu falling in the 8th part if it's a Sunday, 2nd if Monday, 7th if Tuesday, 5th if Wednesday, 6th if Thursday, 4th if Friday and 3rd if it's Saturday. However I wouldn't advise to follow this order as this methodology can get jumbled and would not work when finding out Yama Ghanta and Gulika Kaala. However it would make sense to just remember the number coding 8275643 as each of the digits signify the parts during which Rahu Kaala takes place from Sunday to Saturday.

Do you know your Panchanga Planet Lord?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zodiac Sun Signs Misrepresented!

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

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

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

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

Natural Traits of Gemini Ascendant!

Gemini is the 3rd sign of the zodiac and occupies the distance from 60 degrees to 90 degrees in the zodiac comprising of 360 degrees.

Type: Dual
Element: Air
Nakshatras: Mrigaseera 0 to 6.40 (3&4), Arudra 6.40 to 20 (1-4) and Punarvasu 20 to 30 (1-3)

General Characteristics:
Geminis are the most confused, indecisive and eccentric natives you can ever find. Mind is never steady and always wandering across all directions. They lack concentration big time and always in deep thought. Plenty of things keep running in their mind and they always like to do something or other. The mind works very fast and they have great memory power as well as intuitive abilities. They are good at thinking out of the box and at the same time are prone to being misunderstood a lot.

It's best to leave a Gemini native all by himself and not pigeonhole them as seldom do they follow the conventional notion of doing things. They are just not cut out for following a set procedure and can't adopt to a particular routine. They can be utterly dis organised and haywire. They perform best when they are given lots of freedom.

Gemini being the natural communicative sign, they are good conversationalists. Speed is a highlight for them and they mostly tend to talk very fast. They are naturally nervous and the mind can by itself cause depravity. But having said this, they also tend to be supremely talented in various arts/skill forms. One more thing about them, they are best at taking jokes onto themselves.

They epitomise dual mindedness in many ways. Despite all the inherent limitations, I happen to be a proud Mithuna having both my ascendant and moon in Gemini  😂. Popular Gemini Ascendants happen to be Microsoft's Bill Gates and the legendary maverick scientist Albert Einstein.

Note : These are just natural characteristics about Gemini Ascendant. It should be remembered that it is more in line with the Lagna placement and not that of the moon. It could however be subject to change based on planetary placements.

Basic Concepts on Solar and Lunar Eclipse!

Here are a few basic concepts about Eclipse:

• When Sun and Moon are close to each other (same house), it's called Amma Vasya (New Moon).
• When Sun and Moon are 180 degrees apart (7th house from each other) , it's called Poornima (Full Moon).
• A solar eclipse occurs only on Amma Vasya and Lunar eclipse takes place only on Poornima and depends on the intersection of Rahu and Ketu.
• If either of Rahu/Ketu is associated with Sun/Moon an eclipse is created.

Lunar Eclipse (27th July 2018):
Sun is in Cancer (Kataga) and Moon has moved to Capricorn (Makara) which is 180 degrees apart. Rahu is posited in Cancer with the Sun and Ketu is right now in Capricorn along with the moon giving rise to a perfect Lunar Eclipse.

Solar Eclipse (11th Aug 2018):
Sun is in Cancer (Kataga) and Moon is also now in Cancer (Kataga) and they are conjunct with each other. Rahu is posited in Cancer along with the Sun & Moon and Ketu is 180 degrees apart in Capricorn giving rise to a perfect Solar Eclipse.

                                                                  Lunar Eclipse

                                                                 Solar Eclipse

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

Notes:

1) Rahu (Dragon Head) / Ketu (Dragon Tail) are always 180 degrees apart and transits a sign approx every 1 and half years. 

2) Sun transits a sign approx every one month (30 days)

3) Moon transits a sign approx every 2 and a quarter days (54 hours)

Hence, there is always the possibility of a Lunar & Solar eclipse taking place within a short time frame. Moon, who is posited along with Ketu in Capricorn and is directly opposite to Sun & Rahu in Cancer  forming a Lunar Eclipse on 27th July 2018 will quickly traverse to Cancer in roughly another 14-15 days (Approx 2.25 days * 6 signs from Capricorn to Cancer) to join Sun and Rahu and be opposite to Ketu in Capricorn giving way to form a Solar Eclipse on 11th August 2018.

The curious case of Tuesday and Mars!

Day: Tuesday
Planet lording Tuesday: Mars
Mars ruled stars: Mrigaseerisha, Chitra, Dhanishta
Exaltation Sign of Mars: Capricorn (Makara)

An interesting astrological as well as numerology significance about DMK head Kalaignar Karunanidhi is that it's quite ironic that he was born on 3rd June 1924 in Mrigaseerisha Nakshatra (star ruled by Mars) on a Tuesday (day ruled by Mars) and incidentally also died on 7th August 2018 on his Janma Nakshatra Mrigaseerisha star ruled by Mars and again on the day of Tuesday which is governed by Mars.

And to add, his Mars was exalted (ie in most powerful state) in Capricorn when he attained birth and it also happened to be exalted when he breathed his last. Life indeed comes a full circle and his is truly a case of பலமான செவ்வாய்!.

The Rise of Rahu!

Rahu is feared to be the most dangerous planet in a horoscope and it's Dasa is so dreaded that it instills and induces extreme fear among natives running it. It has destroyed many relationships and has literally crushed the confidence of people. But having said all this, Rahu can behave turbulently and can either make you reach the skies or literally pull you down to ground zero. When Rahu works well, the kind of success it can give is stratospheric and phenomenal. Usually Rahu is said to do well in the Upachaya (growth) houses especially 3rd, 6th and 11th.

I'm herewith listing the success stories of 3 of the greatest Indian batsman who achieved meteoric rise during their respective careers and the common Dasa which was running for them during the major period in which they achieved their cricketing laurels happened to be Rahu. All three of them happen to be world cup winners and have combined to score over 100 international centuries during their respective Rahu Dasa period.

The first name happens to be India's greatest test opener Sunil Gavaskar who was instrumental in winning test series abroad in England and West Indies and making India a force to reckon especially in the long form version of the game. He made his debut in Mar 1971 and retired in Mar 1987 and his entire career ran in tandem with Rahu Dasa (Dec 1970 to Dec 1988).

The second name is perhaps India's most loved cricketer of all time Sachin Tendulkar. Though the early part of his career was in Mars Dasa, it was during Rahu Dasa when his game trail blazed to an all together different level and he started accumulating centuries by the dozen. The pinnacle moment of his storied career was when he helped India lift the World Cup after 28 years. 1998 was the year when he shot himself to an elevated plane and which incidentally criss-crossed with the time Raha Dasa started. He debuted in Nov 1989 and retired in Nov 2013 and his Rahu Dasa ran from Apr 1997 to Apr 2015.

The third name is India's current cricketing sensation Virat Kohli, He was always known to be an up and coming talented cricketer but the levels he has reached in the last few years is nothing short of histrionic. His run scoring ability especially in the limited overs form of the game is tectonic and looks set to shatter more ODI records. He made his debut in Aug 2008 and his Rahu Dasa started running from July 2009 and will go on up to Jul 2027 when he may have already hang his boots. In this half period of Rahu itself, he has managed to make over 50 international centuries in his distinguished career.

Thus Rahu ain't all that bad when placed well and when it does perform, it can propel you to extreme heights that are totally unfathomable. Jai Ho Rahu!

P.S : I'm sharing the rasi charts alone of all these 3 cricketers along with some basic info. Ayanamsa used is BV Raman as it reflects the timing of events better however the planetary placements and ascendant remains the same even by using Lahiri or any other ayanamsa. Timing may be slightly off by a couple of minutes or so but the ascendant doesn't change.

Sunil Gavaskar: (10th July 1949, Mumbai, 20:42 PM) Capricorn Ascendant, Uthara Shada (Uthiradam) moon and Rahu in 3rd house of Pisces
Sachin Tendulkar: (24th April 1973, Mumbai, 13:00 PM) Cancer Ascendant, Poorva Shada (Pooradam) moon and Rahu in 6th house of Sagittarius
Virat Kohli: (5th November 1988, New Delhi 10:28 AM)
Sagitarius Ascendant, Uthara Phalguni (Uthiram) moon and Rahu in 3rd house of Aquarius

Cafe Marina @ Welcome Hotel - Splendorous feast of a buffet!

Cafe Marina at Welcome Hotel, Alwarpet serves up an absolute splendorous feast of a buffet that is sure to tingle your excitement. They offer a plethora of options and they literally pamper you with the choicest of offerings. This is an exclusive Sunday brunch and worth every bit of it.

It's quite an experience as you're taken by the pool side where you get to use the swimming pool as part of the brunch deal along with crunching over some delightful delicacies in the form of a variety of chaats, skewed grillers and a swirl of drinks both mocktails and cocktails. It's like the perfect setting on a Sunday afternoon sipping your drink by the way side of the gushing waters along with munchies to go along and you really can't ask for more.

After the outside escapade, you are led into the cafe which is well spaced out and contains an eclectic mix of varied cuisines. You have your usual soup, starters, salads, main course and desserts laid out in an elaborate manner and you can still continue to have your drinks, chaats and grills too if you want.

I was quite full with the initial largesse but from whatever I tried as part of the brunch was worth relishing. They had a lilting chole & aloo curry to go with Indian bread. The main course gravies were mostly good and they also had a big pot of biryani to satisfy both the veg and non veg lovers. The salad and snack counters also had lots of interesting options such as a cheese platter, a concocted mix of mango & cheese which was riveting, a packed up slice of sub and so much more. There was a coastal angle too with appams being made in the live counter and to accompany stew & egg curry. There were also your usual pasta's and a few continental dishes also added to the fray.

The desserts were no less and had an elongated passage and most of which I consumed seemed to be delicious. The chocolate gateaux was a masterpiece, the pineapple tart had class written all over it. There were some Indian touches to it too in the form of besan ladoo & Gulab Jamun. Apart from this there were also different flavours of ice cream for that final thwack.

On the whole, it was an exhilarating experience. The service was wonderful and always willing to help. They were always at our beck and call and made every effort to ensure that we have a good time. The rates are a huge plus point. The entire spread which allows you to indulge in a lavish buffet along with enjoying your time at the waters with barbecue, appetisers and unlimited drinks sets you back by just a shade under 1600 bucks. It's totally worth the value.

If you're looking for a wondrous laid back Sunday brunch experience where you just want to spend some easy chilled out time relaxing as you please and gorging on a bonanza of delectable's, Cafe Marina should definitely be at the top of your list.