Tapasvi Yoga, Retrograde Planets, A4+A9 Together & AL in D24

AL in D-24

• The question came from a student who meets one classmate only in the class. Her reasoning: what she sees of him is how he manifests in learning, so it should be seen from his ārūḍha in D-24.
• The teacher agreed. D-24 shows education, learning and all intellectual pursuits. The Ārūḍha Lagna in D-24 shows how one manifests in that field — how one rises and establishes oneself there.
• Good planets influencing the AL of D-24 typically give a very knowledgeable person.
• Tāmasic planets can give a leaning towards tantra, and an image that is not purely sāttvic.
• From AL in D-24 you understand how the person is intellectually, what influences are on him and what knowledge he will have.
• Limit: this is one side of the person — how his learning goes. You cannot judge a person's character from D-24 alone.

A4 and A9 Together

• In the example chart's D-12 (Libra lagna), A4 and A9 fall in the same sign, Pisces.
  • A4: the 4th is Capricorn, its lord Saturn is in the 2nd from it, so the pada is the 2nd from Saturn — Pisces.
  • A9: the 9th is Gemini with its lord in it, so the pada goes to the 10th from it — Pisces.

What it means

• A4 and A9 together: the destinies of the parents are very closely linked. The results are the same for both.
• What the father goes through, the mother feels; what happens to her happens to him. This is not about health problems and the like — those need other parameters.
• Counter-argument raised in class: are parents' destinies not always together? Not always. The teacher had recently seen an Aquarius-lagna chart, where Venus is both the 4th and the 9th lord. He told the man: your mother was everything to you; your father was as if not there. The man agreed. The same planet ruled both parents, and the destinies were still far apart.

A4 is the AL of the mother, A9 the AL of the father

• A student noted that Pisces is the 2nd from the mother's lagna (Aquarius) and the 10th from the father's (Gemini). The teacher accepted that as one way of looking: how the ārūḍha sits from the parent's own lagna.
• Another student recalled that ārūḍhas matter only for the native's own chart. The teacher: that applies when going one more level out — you would not compute an ārūḍha of the 4th from Saturn for the mother's sister. A4 and A9 themselves do play their role.

Pisces, the 6th from the lagna

• Pisces is the 6th from the D-12 lagna Libra. How the parents manifest is in a 6th relation to the native. Not good. It can mean growth; it can also mean separation; some turbulence is there.
• Its lord Jupiter is in the 12th from the lagna. Not the best.
• Both ārūḍhas in Pisces: both parents come across as Piscean — humble, kind, knowledgeable. Pisces is the sign of the maharṣis.
• Both are givers: the father teaches, and people come to the uneducated mother for guidance.

Tapasvi Yoga

• Saturn, Venus and Ketu in combination give Tapasvi Yoga.
• In the example chart's D-12, taken from the mother's lagna Aquarius: Saturn and Ketu are in the lagna, and Venus is in Saturn's sign Capricorn.
• The parts, as the class worked them out:
  • Saturn — hard work.
  • Ketu — detachment.
  • Venus — passion. Tapasya needs passion; without it persistence does not develop.
• The story behind the name: Bhṛgu hung upside down from a tree and did his penance. Upside down is Ketu, the hard work is Saturn, the enthusiasm is Venus.
• Result: a hardworking, passionate person who works without caring what is happening around them, and withstands any weather and any situation.

"For me, it's slightly cold — okay, I will study tomorrow, or I will go to the temple tomorrow, or I will not do my japa today. But such people are not like that."

• Saturn with Ketu also gives vairāgya, a non-materialistic leaning. The native confirmed his mother is spiritual and of that temperament.
• A student raised Saturn and the Moon. The teacher: for vairāgya the Moon is typically afflicted. Nobody turns to tapasya from a comfortable life; people look for a lasting answer after they go through troubles.

Retrograde Planets

• Stated in the example chart's D-12, where Mercury — the 9th lord, taken as the father — is retrograde in its own sign Gemini with Mars.

"Retrograde planet is full of strength. It is as strong as an exalted planet. Cheṣṭā bala means to try. So such a planet is not going to give up."

• So be careful before saying a retrograde planet takes on the role of a planet joined to it. The rules for when one planet is influenced by another are still not clear. The teacher's own view: a retrograde planet stands on its own.
• From one of the Bhṛgu books: three or four sages are discussing a chart with Jupiter in the 5th. One says the kāraka in its own bhāva destroys it. The others say Saturn aspects, so there will be no child. Then Pārvatī comes and says they are all wrong — this person will definitely have a child, because Jupiter is retrograde.
• Cheṣṭā bala is unpredictable. A retrograde planet does not conform to the rule of the Sun and the Moon, who are always direct.
• Give retrograde planets respect, and do not club this exception together with the other rules. Take it step by step.