By Marguerite dar Boggia
The study of Hindu astrology in combination with Western astrology can be most helpful. While Hindu astrology is more event-oriented, the goals of the soul and past karma are more evident. It has its basis in the spiritual teachings of the ancient Vedas.
Recently I was asked by an astrologer to look at the chart of her grandchild who was having personality problems. He whispers to his parents! This little boy was born on Nov. 10, 1991 at 2:13 AM PST, 34N11; 118W35. I drew up a chart using the tropical zodiac and also a Vedic chart. I like to look at the strengths of the planets in a Vedic chart.
The strength (bala) of his Sun is not strong. It is considered weak in the Vedic chart. According to the research of Marcello Borges, in recent past lives this boy was not an authority-figure type or a leader. A weak Sun for a child that is precocious can mean that he was probably more interested in the soul and its expression. In past lives he could have practiced self-discipline. His spiritual aspirations could have been very strong. Eventually the ego must be dominated by the will of the soul.
Jupiter in the 12th suggests that he could have devoted many lives to religious/spiritual pursuits. In the Vedic chart Jupiter aspects all of the water houses (4, 8, 12) that lead to spiritual liberation from this planet. This is the eventual goal of his soul. Jupiter trine the Moon bequeaths a tranquility to his disposition. It evokes a capacity for sensitivity, love and harmony. In the morning he likes to remain in bed for a half hour, just to think. This suggests a previous life devoted to meditation.
In the tropical chart he has Mars, Sun, Pluto closely conjunct in Scorpio in the 2nd house! Wow! What a combination! Mars and Pluto are strong in their own signs. Immediately one might assume this kid is a type that is controlling and powerful. This is what his soul wants for him in this incarnation. That is why he is born with these planetary placements. He must develop courage, willpower, authority and control. In his next incarnation the bala (strength) of his Sun should be high if he can overcome his extreme shyness.
Of all the signs in the zodiac, the Tibetan Master, who wrote most of the Alice A. Bailey books, said that the sign of Scorpio is the most difficult. Scorpio, a water sign is co-ruled by Mars, a fiery planet. Water and fire are both emotional. Water can hold in anger and resentment, which can manifest at a later time in a violent explosion depleting and disturbing the emotional (astral) body. The Tibetan Master in Esoteric Astrology also indicated that the Sun Sign represents the present incarnation. The qualities of his Sun sign must be developed. We are on a potter's wheel. With each incarnation, certain qualities and traits must be developed and/or transmuted until perfection is reached.
His Venus at 1:13 Libra conjunct his tropical ascendant at 24:44 Virgo is quite strong. It endows him with gentleness, refinement, social graces, consideration for others and modesty. According to Edgar Cayce, a strong planet such as this Venus, indicates that in previous lives, the native has developed the characteristics of Venus: appreciation of art, beauty, refinement, surface polish, tact, diplomacy, etc. A planet that is weak would indicate a lack of development of the loving traits of that planet. It could indicate self-indulgence, prostitution or indolence. In the Vedic chart Venus is not in Libra but it is in Virgo where it is considered weak. However, the bala (strength) of Venus is the highest of all his planets! This appears to be a paradox. No doubt he is here to develop a love that can transmute anger-resentment and turn the other cheek. Although this child is very precocious, he does not willingly demonstrate affection to his grandparents. He stopped attending his karate class because he did not want to hurt anyone. He prefers to play with girls. Hmm, I wonder, could this kid already be exhibiting the Scorpio proclivities at this tender age?
I might add that Bill Clinton also has the same placement of Venus in his chart.
It is in the 1st house where it is strong and favorable. He is good-looking, charming, diplomatic, plays a musical instrument and is a lover of beauty (especially beautiful women). Venus in Virgo is considered weak in the Vedic chart. While he was re-elected under the Venus planetary sub-period, because of its debilitation, it allowed karma in the form of Monicagate to catch up to him.
The Moon in the Vedic chart is considered as the most important planet because it represents happiness, contentment, tolerance, understanding, and the general well-being of an individual. It is important for it to be well aspected. In this child's chart while the Moon receives a benefic aspect from Jupiter, it does have mixed aspects.
The strength of his Moon (bala) is very high. This confirms his mental brilliance from past lives, his discriminating faculty and his emotional nature. In the tropical chart the Moon is at 2 Capricorn forming a stellium with Uranus, the No. Node and Neptune in the 4th house. This strong emphasis on Capricorn brings out his self-consciousness and shyness. In esoteric astrology the Moon represents the past. Its conjunction to Uranus, No. Node and Neptune suggests that he strove to develop intuition (Uranus) and spiritual attunement (Neptune) in his past life. He probably developed the Capricornian puritan virtues: responsibility, perseverance, devotion to his work and a certain amount of discipline of the passions and appetites. As he begins to take control of his life, (especially when he will be working successfully) his shyness may diminish and he will be more self-disciplined.
The combination of a Virgo Ascendant and a stellium in Capricorn in the tropical chart tend to make one shy and self-conscious. These are the signs of the real workaholic. These people are reliable, conscientious, and responsible regarding their work. Scorpio throws in the reserve and fixity. He can be extremely stubborn. We can immediately see that this child could develop a problem in his personality. The signs, Virgo, Scorpio and Capricorn, are the perfect combination for an obsessive-compulsive behavior in an individual! He can be a perfectionist and drive others crazy. If he sees you watching him as he talks to his parents, he will turn away and try to pull his parents away from your sight. His school teachers think he is wonderful. He has voluntarily helped the teacher with a mentally handicapped child.
Sun conjunct Mars, a malefic, in the Vedic chart, ruins self-confidence. Saturn's (Vedic) aspect on Sun-Mars increases self-doubt, fear, shyness, a sense of weakness and insecurity. Saturn's aspect on Mars can even inflict paranoia or various phobias. Mars being combust also diminishes courage and aggressiveness. When he wants something, he will ask in a whisper, usually through hand signs. In the Vedic chart Mars and Saturn mutually aspect each other. I find that with this aspect, the soul places exceptionally great challenges on the native. The lower animal nature is very strong and must be transmuted on the pyre of love gained through suffering. His worst nature can manifest under this aspect: anger,
vindictiveness, stubbornness, resentment and an unforgiving nature. There can be sorrow and dejection. Personally I would rather learn vicariously from the hard lessons of others and not through my own suffering. At a certain point in one's development a great conflict takes place between the personality and the soul. Both want control of the body. Being aware of the goals of the soul is one half of the battle. With his Moon conjunct Uranus, he may have enough intuition to make the right choices.
Mercury debilitated in Sagittarius in the 3rd house in the tropical chart receives a square aspect from Jupiter in Virgo. These are mental signs relating to a mental house. It probably indicates a past overemphasis of the reasoning mind blocking out the intuition of the Higher Mind. Pluto and Mars the rulers of the 3rd house of mind are in a power struggle. Both want to influence the Sun or personality. The emphasis on Scorpio brings out his reserve, secrecy, stubbornness and strong determination once his mind is made up.
In the Vedic chart, Mars combust the Sun can express as a blind spot in one area of life. In distant past lives violence might have been expressed and later there were many lives wherein atonement was required in monastic lives. With these so-called malefics, Sun and Mars, in the Vedic 2nd house, there can be an impediment connected to speech. (In Vedic astrology, the Sun is considered as a malefic). When speaking to his parents, he will whisper but he refuses to talk to other adults. With other children he will shout and play in the normal mode. In spiritual retreats there is no shouting or loud conversation. In fact silence is considered to be "golden". I suspect he has had many incarnations as a monk or an ascetic.
With Venus in the 1st house he is handsome and could display a high order of artistic ability or he might have achieved it in past lives. Venus is the ruler of the 2nd house in the 1st house. He will earn his wealth through his own efforts. His dharma or life purpose is strongly connected to money, speech, education, knowledge, confidence and family life.
With Mercury, the ascendant ruler in the 3rd house, he aspires to a greater development of the intellect, as a more perfect vehicle for the soul. Under the Vedic analysis, he can benefit from his younger brother, an interest in classical music and in the fine arts. He has a strong desire to succeed in all of his endeavors. The 3rd house in Vedic astrology is ruled by Mars. This means his soul incarnated to develop the positive Martian qualities: courage, self-confidence, initiative, daring and to transmute anger and self-will.
How does one help a seven-year old child. Some might advise gaining self-confidence through excellence in some hobby such as the arts, the new-age technologies, science, astrology or even astronomy. He has the capacity to study and to apply himself to whatever interests him.
The Tibetan Master indicated that the soul overshadows the infant and child until approximately the average age of seven, when it begins to gain control. In very precocious children, the soul takes control at an earlier age, depending on the point of development of the entity. At an early age this child revealed extreme shyness in his behavior. Even at the age of two, he refused to have his picture taken. He was also a bit psychic. He would see things that frightened him when his parents could not see them.
According to Alice A. Bailey in Esoteric Astrology, the esoteric ruler of his ascendant, Virgo, is the Moon in Capricorn in the 4th house. The goal of his soul in this incarnation is to develop self-discipline and to be responsible for his family. Meditation might come easily to him, but this time, he is to know the joy of holding his baby in his arms. Venus trines Saturn in the 5th. Saturn rules the 5th and 6th houses. As a parent he will refine the emotions of love and devotion. He could also be mentally creative.
Hindu astrology is more event-oriented. Fame, fortune, longevity, happiness, success, karma, the soul's purpose are more easily understood from this discipline. Many Western astrologers consider Hindu astrology as too negative. Of course, before one can analyze a chart, one must determine the point of development of the individual. How refined are his subtle bodies? We have more than one body. In fact, we have or will have seven bodies. We are only concerned with the refinement of the three lower bodies: the etheric, the emotional (astral) and the mental bodies. The dense physical body is a reflection of the etheric body. This is the ghost that one sees in the graveyards. These three bodies, plus the Vital Life Force, form the personality, the lower self. In the esoteric studies the number three represents the soul. The number four represents the personality. The four represents the square, the aspect of conflict. The personality resists the soul which results in experiencing conflict and challenges in its life. So long as the personality dominates the soul, we can expect to experience sorrow and pain. It is through crises and overcoming life’s challenges that the personality evolves.
Transiting Saturn and the malefic planets have no (or very little) effect on highly evolved individuals whose subtle vehicles are refined. Through spiritual disciplines, meditation, the practice of harmlessness and transmutation of negative emotions, such as hatred, jealousy, worry, anger, self-pity, depression, etc. we begin to make progress towards the purification of our thoughts. This works hand in hand with the stimulation of centers in our subtle bodies.
We are mostly working out karma from past lives when we experience a disease or are injured in an accident. By our present thoughts and actions we are creating our future vehicles. Karma (good or bad) is imposed on our future vehicles, which resonate to the transiting planets and to the progressed planetary aspects.
The purpose of our life is to further the development of the qualities, characteristics and coloring of our spiritual Seed. As a self-conscious entity we can consciously work to cooperate with the Inner Self to hasten the blossoming of the divine Living Fire, which is at the heart of each atom, whether that atom be mineral, human, solar or galactic.
***
Marguerite dar Boggia is presently Membership Chairman and Board Member of ISAR (The International Society for Astrological Research). She was past Publisher of Kosmos and Secretary of ISAR for over 18 years. As a co-founder of UAC she was Secretary and Board Member. On the UAC'86 Committee she served as Registrar. She can be reached at maitreya33@csiway.com.
Comentários