Introduction
The planets in the solar system impart significant
impact on human lives. De facto a type of divination based on
the theory that the positions and movements of celestial bodies
(stars, planets, sun, and moon) at the time of birth profoundly
influence a person’s life is the science of planets or Astrology
in its traditional form.
Why are the initial conditions more important
than all subsequent conditions for one’s personality and traits?
Why is the moment of birth chosen as the significant moment rather
than the moment of conception ? Why aren’t other initial conditions
such as one’s mother’s health, the delivery place conditions,
forceps, bright lights, dim room, back seat of a car, etc., more
important than whether Mars is ascending, descending, culminating,
or fulminating?
No one would claim that in order to grasp the
effect of the moon on the tides or potatoes one must understand
initial conditions of the Singularity before the Big Bang, or
the positions of the stars and planets at the time the potato
was harvested. If you want to know what tomorrow’s low tide will
be you do not need to know where the moon was when the first
ocean or river was formed, or whether the ocean came first and
then the moon, or vice-versa. Initial conditions are less important
than present conditions to understanding current effects on rivers
and vegetables. If this is true for the tides and plants, why
wouldn’t it be true for people?
Even professional astrologers, can’t pick out
a correct horoscope reading at better than a chance rate. Yet,
astrology continues to maintain its popularity, despite the fact
that there is scarcely a shred of scientific evidence in its
favor.
The position of the planets and the sun and
moon in the twelve houses at the moment of birth is decisive.
They are divided into day-stars (Saturn, Jupiter, and also the
sun) and night-stars (the moon, Mars, and Venus); Mercury belongs
both to day and night. Mercury belongs both to day and night.
The planets are farther divided by their genders.
While, the sun, Jupiter, and Mars are masculine; the moon and
Venus are considered feminine, Mercury belonging again to both
classes.
Jupiter (
fortuna major) and Venus
(
fortuna minor) are good planets; Saturn (
infortuna
major) and Mars (
infortuna minor) are malignant
planets. The sun, moon, and Mercury have a mixed character.
Each of the planets known to antiquity, including
sun and moon, ruled a day of the week; hence the names still
used to designate the various days. Judicial astrology also took
into consideration the position of the sun in the zodiac at the
moment of birth; the signs of the zodiac also had a special astrological
significance in respect to the weal and woe of the newborn, particularly
his health. In medical astrology every sign of the zodiac ruled
some special part of the body, for example: Aries, the Ram, the
head: its diseases; Libra, the Balance, the intestines. Judicial
astrology postulates the acceptance of the earth as the centre
of the solar system. Natural astrology predicts the weather from
the positions of the planets, especially the moon. Many of its
theories are not to be rejected a priori, since the question
of the moon’s meteorological influence still awaits a solution,
which must depend upon the progress of human knowledge as to
ether waves and cognate matters.
Explanation
The solar System consists of the Sun and other planets, which revolve around it. In total there are nine planets, which are generally considered for astronomical purposes. Now, scientists claim to locate the tenth planet, which is yet to be named. Sun is actually a star and has light of its own. All other planets get its light from the Sun. The planets forming part of the Solar System are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Some planets have their natural satellites, which revolves around it. In our case Moon is our satellite and it is the closest heavenly body from earth. Therefore, its influence on human beings is quite significant. Vedic astrology considers moon as the governor of mind and thus the inner being itself ‘Chadrama Manaso Jaatah’. This consideration gave rise to the practice of naming a child with corresponding Rashi or Moon sign.
The word planet is derived from the Greek word planetes, which technically means
wanderer. However, the Hindu concept of Planet is Sam Bhavate Sam Graha, which
means, “that which influences is called Graha”. The effect of planets on human life is now under consideration even by open-minded physical scientist community. It is a well-established fact that various cyclones or floods and high tides are generally seen to occur on a full moon. It has been further clarified as a result of modern researches on the subject that Earthquakes is generally seen to occur at the time of eclipse. The reason being that at the time of eclipse Sun, Moon and the earth is in the same plane. Therefore, the combined gravitational pull is the maximum at that point of time. Originally derived from the Greek, a “planeta” means a “wanderer”.
However, the Hindu concept of Planet in
Sanskrit is Sam Bhavate Sam Grah, which signifies “that what influences is called Grah(planets)”.
Sidereal astrology defines a planet as any celestial body with an attraction.
Understanding
As per “Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra” (Chapter
2 verse 3-4) there are many incarnations of the unborn Lord Janardhan
or Vishnu. He has incarnated as the Navgrahas or planets to bestow
on the living beings the results of their Karmas or action. He assumed
the auspicious form of Grahas to destroy the strength of the demons
and to sustain the strength of the Devas (the divine being) and to
establish Dharma (religion or faith).
Rama is the incarnation of the Sun, Krishna of
the Moon, Narasimha of the Mars, Buddha that of Mercury, Vamana that
of Jupiter, Parashurama that of Venus, Koorma that of Saturn. Varaha
that of Rahu and Meena that of Ketu. The other incarnations are also
from the planets and the stars. The beings with more of Parmatmamsa
are called heavenly beings or divine beings.
Vedic astrology excludes planets like Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto and include two Chhaya Graha (Shadowy Planets) namely Rahu
and Ketu. These Chhaya Grahas Rahu and Ketu however give the same
effect. The reason why these planets have been excluded was probably
because these planets stay in one Rashi (Sign) for a very long time.
Sometimes, for decades and further these planets are very far away
from earth. Therefore, their influences can hardly be considered.
Further, in the absence of classical backing it won’t be wise to
consider them. In astrology we consider both sun and Moon as planets
and all our observations are based on Geo – Centric Observations
considering the earth as the center of the universe.
