When
learning Vedic astrology, as with any discipline, it's important
to apply the principles you learn with many practical examples.
This article presents a very useful and reliable chart interpretation
method, involving the transits of Jupiter and Saturn, which you
can immediately apply to any chart you're studying. By so doing,
you will see its efficacy first hand.
Following
the Transits of Jupiter and Saturn
Since Jupiter and Saturn are the slowest moving planets in Vedic
astrology, their transits will tend to have the most significance
for predictive purposes. Jupiter transits through a sign approximately
once per year, while Saturn takes approximately 2 ½ years.
We
generally think of Jupiter’s transits as positive and beneficial,
causing expansion, growth, new opportunities and increasing the
significations of any house that it transits or aspects. Likewise,
we generally think of Saturn’s transits as negative and detrimental,
causing limitation, obstacles, challenges and the denial of the
significations of any house that it transits or aspects. However,
while Saturn’s transit can give negative outcomes under certain
circumstances, this is certainly not always the case.
My
jyotish guru, K.N. Rao, says in his book, Ups and Downs in Career,
“When anything significant is happening to any man, Jupiter
and Saturn in transit play a pivotal role.” How can this be
true, if Saturn’s transits are not also, somehow, beneficial?
Jupiter can be said to give the inspiration behind an endeavor,
while Saturn gives it its structure and form. Without Saturn’s
influence nothing of lasting value could ever be actualized. Jupiter
gives new, expansive ideas but not necessarily the ability to manifest
them. Therefore, we need both for an idea to come into full manifestation.
The
best way that I've found to illustrate this principle is to think
of a tree. Saturn is the roots and trunk of the tree, while Jupiter
is it's leaves and branches. Jupiter aspires to the heavens with
new growth while Saturn establishes a firm foundation. Both are
obviously dependent on one another for any significant and sustained
growth to happen.
The
Double Transit Phenomenon
With this understanding, it becomes possible to see that when Jupiter
and Saturn both aspect a sign by transit it becomes a significant
event. That sign becomes strongly activated by both the expansive
influence of Jupiter and the actualizing influence of Saturn. The
otherwise potentially limiting and challenging qualities of Saturn’s
transit become wise and more beneficial under Jupiter’s influence.
While the potentially unrealistic and ungrounded qualities of Jupiter’s
transit become more practical and focused under Saturn’s influence.
Together they can indicate achievement, breakthroughs, and progress
regarding the areas of life that are signified by the house(s) that
they’re both aspecting by transit.
It’s
very helpful to get into the habit of looking for which house(s)
Saturn and Jupiter are both aspecting by transits at any given time.
Oddly, many astrologers overlook this simple method and can miss
valuable insights into where the individual needs to focus his or
her energy during that time period.
It
must be noted that while this can sound reliable and promising,
in Vedic astrology the yogas (combinations of planets) and dashas
(predictive systems) need to be considered. If we rely only on transits
to produce results, even the double transit, we may be disappointed.
If the progress and achievements that the double transit indicates
don't have the support of the yogas and dashas they will not come
to full fruition. It may, however, indicate an area of focus in
a person's life. For this reason, it's helpful to follow the double
transits even without knowledge of the yogas and dashas.
The
Special Aspects of Jupiter and Saturn
How do we know where Jupiter and Saturn are aspecting by their transits?
The aspects are very different in Vedic astrology than Western astrology.
Every planet aspects both the house it’s located in and the
7th house from itself – 1st and 7th aspects. In addition,
there are special aspects for Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Jupiter
also aspects the 5th and 9th; Saturn also aspects the 3rd and 10th;
and Mars also aspects the 4th and the 8th houses. So both Jupiter
and Saturn will aspect a total of 4 houses including the one they’re
placed in. The overlapping house(s) represents the double transit.
Examples
of the Double Transit
In the following example we see the double transit in the sign of
Pisces, which occurred between July 24th, 2002 and July 30th, 2003.
Saturn was transiting Gemini and aspecting Leo, Sagittarius, and
Pisces. Jupiter was transiting Cancer and aspecting Scorpio, Capricorn
and Pisces. Therefore, the only sign that received the aspect of
both planets was Pisces. (However,
between January 9th and April 8th, 2003 Saturn went retrograde back
into Taurus, thereby shifting the double transit to the signs of
Cancer and Scorpio.)
Whatever house Pisces represents for each rising sign will determine
how the double transit will affect the chart. For instance, for
Gemini Ascendant Pisces is the 10th house. The double transit will,
therefore, indicate potential expansion and actualization of career
achievements.
The double transit in Pisces
What you’ll see in the following illustrations is how the
sign(s) that gets the double transit will shift, generally from
year to year. In fact, there are only two positions of Jupiter and
Saturn that will not have the double transit phenomenon –
when Jupiter is in the 8th or 12th house from Saturn. This means
that 10 out of the 12 possible positions, or more than 80% of the
time, there will be the double transit phenomenon happening in at
least one sign, possibly two.
In the next example the double transit shifts from Pisces into Leo
and Sagittarius, which occurred between July 30th 2003 and August
28th 2004. I saw a client with Gemini rising on July 17th, 2003
and he was talking about how his focus was beginning to shift away
from his career and into his 5-year relationship that had serious
issues that needed to be resolved. He also expressed an interest
in learning web design, which relates to the 3rd house of communication
and the media. With Gemini rising, the double transit was shifting
out of his 10th house of career (Pisces), and into his 7th house
of relationship (Sagittarius) and 3rd house of communications (Leo).
The
dashas also indicated this shift for him as he was moving into a
Ketu period and Ketu was placed in his 7th house of relationship.
Ketu as a natural malefic represents possible separation during
its dasha especially if it has an influence on the 7th house, 7th
lord or Venus. Ketu also represents introversion, detachment and
is less career focused by nature.
I
had another client on August 12, 2003 with Cancer rising who had
traveled to Thailand while the double transit was in his 9th house
of long distance travel in Pisces. He was talking about his financial
and health concerns since returning from the trip. The double transit
had just shifted from his 9th house to his 6th house of health and
disease as well as the 2nd house of money. He also was in the process
of changing employment (6th house), and finding new ways to earn
money (2nd house).
The
double transit in Leo and Sagittarius
In
the last example the double transit shifts into Virgo and Capricorn
with the transits of Jupiter into Virgo and Saturn into Cancer.
This occurs between September 6th, 2004 and September 27th, 2005.
(However, on January 14th, 2005 Saturn retrogrades back into Gemini
for 4 ½ months until May 27th during which time the double
transit will be in Pisces.)
The double transit in Virgo and Capricorn
Applying
the Double Transit
Besides considering the dashas and yogas as previously mentioned,
it's also important to see the relative strengths of Jupiter and
Saturn in your natal chart. This can be done by seeing their sign
and house placement, their house rulership, as well as the planets
that aspect them. This will modify the relative strength of their
transits.
Also,
look to see which house(s), if any, are also doubly aspected by
Jupiter and Saturn in the natal chart. This house will gain prominence
throughout their life. Also, when the double transit aspects to
this house expect intensified results. Lastly, if you know the ashtakavarga
point system examine how many points Jupiter and Saturn’s
points are both in the natal chart and in their transiting sign.
If they are higher than 5 points then their results will be more
beneficial. If they are less than 2 points then their results will
be less beneficial. All these factors will modify the relative strength
of the double transit.
The
following is a brief list of house indications so that you can begin
to examine the double transit shifts in the charts you examine.
You will find that major events often occur at the time of the double
transit. For instance, childbirth, marriage, inheritance, career
expansion, will occur when the double transit is in the 5th, 7th,
8th, 10th house etc. If this is not the case then it can often be
traced to the fact that the yogas and dashas do not support the
event.
1st
house – Body, one’s identity, self-confidence,
overall success.
2nd house – Earned income, acquisitions,
food/diet, speech.
3rd house – Communication, advertising, hobbies,
writing, siblings, short journeys, short-term goals.
4th house – Home/residence, real estate,
mother, vehicles, general happiness.
5th house – Creativity, children, romance/dating,
investments, education.
6th house – Health, disease, acute illness,
daily work, litigation, debts.
7th house – Relationship, marriage, partnerships
– business or romantic, foreign places.
8th house – Other’s money – loans,
inheritance; litigation, chronic illness, sexuality, transformation,
occult knowledge.
9th house – Long distance travel, spiritual
teaching and teachers, good fortune, father.
10th house – Career, employer, work/action,
outer achievements.
11th house – Monetary gains, side incomes,
major long-term goals, groups, friends.
12th house – Distant places, introspection,
debts and expenditures, isolation.
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