During Week 7, we looked at the degrees within a Rasi house. We also learnt that Rasi is a fixed place that has qualities and Grahas are celestials in motion that carry energies. Grahas occupy Rasis.
This week, let us see how Grahas are energised(or otherwise weakened) within Rasi degrees. We evaluate the energy of a Graha in relation to the Rasi House by way of it’s dignity.
The following are the ways to evaluate Mangala Graha’s dignity in decreasing order.
8.01: Exaltation: The Sanskrit word for this is ‘Uccha’. It roughly translates to ‘high’ or above. Here it can be translated to ‘exaltation’. When a Graha is ‘uccha’ or in it’s highest dignity, then it has all the capabilities to express it’s highest capabilities from it’s existing position. It is EXALTED. A Graha can be exalted at a specific degree only.
Mangala is exalted at 28 degrees Capricorn.
What does this mean? It means that:
In the Rasi of Capricorn/Makara, at 28 degrees, Mangala is at it’s highest functioning capability. Graha’s nature at this degree is suited to the qualities of the Rasi.
28 degrees Capricorn means that it is at it’s Bala Avastha due to Capricorn being an even sign.
Here Mars has infant energy. A baby is weak and dependent on a caretaker. But the baby will grow to be strong and capable of many things. The baby has potential. And that’s how Mars feels exalted here in Saturn owned Capricorn.
Mars is able to draw energy from 28th degree of Capricorn that makes him the best that he can be..a capable soldier.
A soldier’s purpose is defined by duty and discipline. And who better to give celestial marching orders to an budding army commander who is in Bala Avastha than Saturn, the Karma Karaka.
Saturn demands that we do our duty and work towards our karma. That we have discipline and Saturn is also very strict. And that is why Mars is exalted under him. Before an army commander can be formed, he has to be trained under someone capable and needs a good mentor. Saturn and Capricorn gives Mars the environment to become the future Army Commander.
Assignment 1: Apply everything we have learnt so far. Gunas, Tattvas…and imagine how and why Mangala feels exalted here. Keep refining as you go along.
Example I gave for Surya. Now do the same for Mars. > Surya is exalted in Aries. Surya is exalted in 10 degrees Aries. Surya is exalted in Ashwini nakshatra 3rd pada. The Purusharatha of Ashwini 3rd pada is Kama. Aries is ruled by Mars which is a Fire tattva. Surya controls Fire and is in a Rasi that is predominantly fire. The grahas involved are Mars at Rasi level, Ketu at nakshatra level and Budha at navamsa level(3rd pada Ashwini goes to Gemini in D9).
What more can you add to the above? Use everything we have learnt in the past 7 weeks. Do not apply anything we havent covered it or from what you already know from other sources. Just the 7 weeks details should form a picture. What does your picture look like..?
8.02: Moolatrikona: Moolatrikona can be split into Moola + Trikona. This is a range of degrees within a Rasi from where the Graha draws it’s power or charge. If Rasi houses are constellations, it means that there is a span of this constellation or a cluster of stars within a range from the 360 degrees ecliptic that the Graha DRAWS it’s energies from to add to it’s dignity.
Mangala’s Moolatrikona is in Aries/Mesha Rasi from 0-12 degrees.
What does this mean?
It means that in the Rasi D1 Chart, when Mars is anywhere between 0 and 12 degrees in Aries, it is charging itself with the qualities of Aries Rasi.
In Moolatrikona, Graha derives it’s strength from it’s inherent nature. Here, the Graha is able to shine bright and the charge between Moolatrikona Rasi zone and Graha is live. It is a charging port.
Compare this to the highest dignity a planet can experience, it’s EXALTATION point. The difference is that at exaltation, the Graha has been given all the tools/energies to transform itself to get closer to it’s highest self. It is like being given an extra advantage or a special power to chase a long cherished goal.
What it means here is that the exalted station of Mars at 28 degrees Capricorn in Bala Avastha(training at young age is the norm for anyone who has mastered any skill) results in Aries being in his strongest Moolatrikona zone in Aries 0-12 degrees.
8.03: Own Rasi: Every Graha has a Rasi that it has lordship over and sometimes, a Graha has lordship over two Rasi houses. With the exception of Moon, all other Grahas have their Moolatrikona in the Rasi that they rule.
Mars rules Aries Rasi. Moolatrikona is extra special charging zone from 12-30 degrees in Aries constellation. In his own Rasi, Aries which is an odd Rasi, Mars experiences Moolatrikona charge for the first two AVASTHAS of Bala and Kumara upto 12 degrees into Aries.
These two avasthas(infant and teenager)are where the army commander is in his prime training phase. But even after that, during Yuva(youth), Vridda(middle age), an army commander is still an army commander.
All the training of the youthful Mars becomes fruitful in his prime years. This is why Mars is headstrong and makes decisions in a hurry. Because he is so blessed in his Bala and Kumari Avasthas when he is a toddler and teenager. But here also he is conditioned by the Uccha and Moolatrikona aspects and influences.
In his own house, Mars becomes powerful but he also becomes headstrong. If you send a child to military school, the child even when young and middle aged will still carry that discipline and training with him. It might make him rigid and odd amongst civilian populations, but he still has presence and ability and confidence and sure about who he is..and will likely be difficult to change. Hence the famous headstrong Mangal personality.
And what happens in the last Mrtya avastha of Aries. Well..even if an army commander is retired, he is still an army commander! It doesn’t matter if he is older and frail. Mars is still Mars. A retired army commander still retains some of his dignity. And that’s why entire Aries Rasi is a charging port to Mars in Aries in every degree.
Mars co owns Scorpio with Ketu. This means that he gains dignity in Scorpio too. The dignity is at par with Own Rasi dignity and given the same points as though Mars was in Aries 12-30 degrees. 30 points.
Mangala’s Own Rasi is 12-30 degrees of Mesha/Aries Rasi and all of Vrishchika/Scorpio Rasi.
A puranic aside: The Devas and the Asuras are like the two sides of us. Devas are our godly side and Asuras are the demons inside us. What is a demon but someone who isn’t a god?
The Deva army is led by Ketu under the command of Mars. Jupiter is the advisor. Sun and Moon are the royal rulers or luminaries. They are also our soul and mind.
The Asura army is led by Rahu and advised by Venus. Saturn and Mercury are A-Suras. Or the non-immortal part of us.
So Mars and Ketu jointly lead the Deva Army. That is why they have co ownership of Scorpio or the natural 8th house of transformations. They both attain Own Rasi dignity in Scorpio. They also rule Tuesday together.
Assignment 2: Same as Assignment 1 above, but only…do it for Moolatrikona/Own Rasi table using all that you have learnt in the past 7 weeks. Apply gunas, tattvas, triplicities, quadraplicities, avasthas etc.
8.04: Friendships: There are five kinds of relationships a Graha can have with the owner of the Rasi house he is occupying:
Great Friend
Friend
Neutral
Enemy
Great Enemy
On a sliding scale, a great friend is more auspicous than a great enemy who is outright inauspicious.
What does this mean? Example: It means that if you are ill and need a donor kidney, a great friend will donate his own organs. A friend will work tirelessly to help you survive your crisis. A neutral person would not do anything, but won’t harm you. An enemy would not support your efforts and stop others from helping you. A great enemy would actually harm you and suffocate you with a pillow on your death bed.
I think the above is self explanatory and it should be easy to apply to relationships between Grahas and Rasi Lords.
Assignment 3: There is a very straight forward formula to find Graha/Rasi friendships/enemities. The assignment for you is to see if you can detect the pattern. I will reveal the method at the end of the week here or on ClubHouse. But I would like everyone to try if you can find the pattern.
For Mangala :
Sun, Jupiter and Moon are Friends.
Saturn and Venus is Neutral.
Mercury is Enemy.
Dignity of Mars increases if it is in a Rasi ruled by friends and decreases if it’s in a Rasi ruled by enemies.
8.05: Debilitation: The Sanskrit word for this is ‘Neecha’. It roughly translates to ‘low’ or beneath. Here it can be translated to ‘debilitation’. When a Graha is ‘neech’ or in it’s lowest dignity, then it has lost all of it’s capabilities and is too weak. It is DEBILITATED. A Graha can be debilitated at a specific degree only.
Mangala is debilitated at 28 degrees Cancer.
Debilitation will always occur 180 degrees from the the point of exaltation. It will be in the 7th Rasi House from the Rasi House of exaltation.
What does this mean? It means that:
In the Rasi of Cancer/Karkataka, at 28 degrees, Mangal is at it’s lowest functioning capability. Graha’s nature at this degree totally trashed due to the qualities of the Rasi.
28 degrees Cancer means that it is at it’s Mrtya Avastha due to Cancer being an odd sign. Mangal behaves like an old person who is weak and has no strength. All fiery Martian qualities are dampened by the watery environment of Cancer. The Graha is has lost it’s dignity and is in debilitation. Mars is utterly unable to be his best possible version.
Assignment 4: Same as Assignment 1. Apply everything we have learnt so far. Gunas, Tattvas…and imagine how and why Mars feels debilitated here. Keep refining as you go along.
8.06: Summary: There are 9 forces whose interactions determine the dignity of a Graha occupying a Rasi House. They are : exaltation, moolatrikona, own sign, 5 kinds of relationships between graha and lord of occupied rasi, debilitation.
MANGALA is:
exalted at 28 degree Capricorn.
moolatrikona at 0-12 degrees Aries
own rasi influence 12-30 degrees Leo
own rasi influence is also in Scorpio
friends with sun, jupiter, moon
neutral with saturn and venus
enemies with mercury
debilitated at 28 degrees Cancer.
exaltation, moolatrikona, own rasi, great friendships and friendships bring auspicious scores to the graha. neutral influence is zero. enemies and great enemies influence and debilitation bring inauspicous scores to the graha.
8.07: Dignities Score Card: Total dignity is calculated by adding all the positive auspicious scores and all the negative inauspicous scores. We can determine dignity of every single Graha in the Rasi chart. The point system is given below for D1 chart only. For other divisional charts, halve the overall score before determining dignity.
The scores for D1 Rasi chart are as follows:
Exaltation: 60 points
Moolatrikona: 45 points
Own Rasi: 30 points.
Great Friend’s Rasi: 22 points
Friend’s Rasi: 15 points
Neutral Rasi: 0 points
Great Enemy’s Rasi: -58 points
Enemy’s Rasi: -56 points
Debilitation: -60 points
8.08: I am skipping the explanations for the mathematical values that are assigned to determining dignity. I will bring it up when we discuss Assignment 3 when we are done with basics and when I give the formula for determining friendships/enemies. We will also speak about Rahu/Ketu separately as they deserve sessions dedicated just for them.
If you cant create formulas or figure out the numerical patterns, memorise. MEMORISE. It will come to you as you practice on charts which you must be doing everyday. Practice assignments on 3-5 charts everyday.
If you have attended my Nakshatra Bootcamp, apply relevant details during assignments. Otherwise, dont bring in other material you have learnt elsewhere. It will disturb the order and flow of my lesson plan.
Next: Budha: Degrees and Dignities.