Expert: Ashutosh Agnihotri - 1/31/2008

Question
hi, i've been looking at vedic astrology for awhile, and i get depressed, because it seems there isn't much good on it...
according to my chart,
i have Rahu in first house (libra ascendant/swati nakshatra)
i have moon, ketu, pluto in my seventh house (relationship problems?)
i have sun, mercury, venus in 10th
i have mars and saturn in 8th (apparently means short lifespan)
and jupiter in 11th...
and i found that my yoga is ganda, which is one of the worst you could get... is there no upside to this?

Answer
Dear Jin,

Vedic astrology at its most exoteric level has a simplistic view of life as it tends to dichotomize everything into absolute good or bad experiences. But when you go deeper into its esoteric depths, the authentic vedic scholar does not subscribe to good or evil as he understands that everything is evolving towards perfection, and that there is no punishing or rewarding god but the harvests of our own earlier seedings. So if you are already depressed and studying astrology is worsening matters for you, then I urge that you stop here and re-prioritize your life with more productive plans for your betterment. Maybe astrology is not yet for you. Either that, or you need a better teacher.

I cannot and shall not make a 'full analysis' based on the skimpy information you provide here, but I will highlight what is sufficiently relevant.

To have Rahu in your first house only tells me that you are a nodal axis birth. Such births have more of karmic effects to resolve before they continue with a lighter inventory for a subsequent journey. This is not good or bad. It only shows that many of your events in this life will be  repetitious of a previous one,a nd you will have a lot of deja vous in this life. Many of your life events will be re-visits because you didn't learn enough from them in other various formates such that you need to go through them again until you get the best of the underlying essential  lessons.

Having Moon on the axis even amplifies what has just been said above.  But having Pluto there is a big clue that your vital catalyst will come in the form of partnering. The 'solo' style will not be your path for success in this round. Looks like your bet will come out of your best performance in a 'partnering' lifestyle. Whether that is at a personal or corporate level, it doesn't matter. But 'partners' or being art of a 'team culture' where you need to be part of a collective, will bring out the best of you. So don't evade this mode. You will find not only your bet challenges coming from this format, but even your excellence and recognition will come from here. And when you 'succeed' in this mode, evidenced by what others have to say, then truly, you would have succeeded at soul level.

Your sun, venus and mercury in the 10th can mean many things if I know your FULL horoscope. So since I don't, I will not venture into their specific significance for you.

Saturn in the 8th is a wonderful significator for long life. However, Mars with Saturn renders it doubtful and probably even contradictory. But rather than shorten your life span, it is more likely indicative of the manner of your death, and the moment of death. This is something I shall not venture into without doing your whole horoscope.

Ganda yoga is the worst? I beg to differ. It is important for you to know that there are neutralisers for both yogas as well as doshas. All yogas and doshas must be assessed against the full backdrop of the whole horoscope and even the gochara and dasa progressions during which times they are to offer their results in your life.

Taking a single planet or configuration to measure your total life experience pertaining to a certain issue is bad astrology. For every issue, the whole horoscope must be viewed from various different angles before a good synthesis can be concluded.

Yours is a specific question about your personal needs. It is not a technical or philosophic question on astrology or astrologer. In this forum, I help to clarify such questions relating to how one should want to get the best out of astrology and astrologer. I offer clarification on how the astrologer can offer a better service to the client with a better approach to his issue-handling, and educate friends like you on what the astrologer would need to go through to do that.

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I hope this helps in some way.