Foundations
Planets
The nine grahas of Jyotish and the outer planets of Western astrology — their stories, natures, dignities and how they work in a chart.
In Jyotish the grahas — literally "the ones who seize" — are the actors of the chart: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, with the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu. Western astrology reads the same seven visible planets and adds Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron.
Each page here tells a planet's story, its nature and dignities, what it signifies in each tradition, and how its period (daśā) tends to unfold.
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Surya (the Sun) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
The Sun in Vedic and Western astrology: Surya's story, the real star, its dignities, nakshatras, six-year dasha, and how it shapes a life.
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Chandra (the Moon) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
The Moon in Vedic and Western astrology: Chandra's story, the real Moon, its dignities, nakshatras, ten-year dasha, and the emotional life it describes.
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Mangal (Mars) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
Mars in Vedic and Western astrology: Mangal's birth story, the red planet, its dignities, nakshatras, seven-year dasha, Mangal dosha and courage.
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Budh (Mercury) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
Mercury in Vedic and Western astrology: Budha's birth, the swift planet, its dignities, nakshatras, 17-year dasha, retrogrades and the thinking mind.
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Guru (Jupiter) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
Jupiter in Vedic and Western astrology: Brihaspati, teacher of the gods, the giant planet, its dignities, nakshatras, 16-year dasha and the gift of growth.
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Shukra (Venus) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Dignity and Dasha
Venus in Vedic and Western astrology: Shukracharya's story, the bright planet, its dignities, nakshatras, 20-year dasha, love, beauty and value.
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Shani (Saturn) in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Sade Sati and Dasha
Saturn in Vedic and Western astrology: Shani's story, the ringed planet, dignities, nakshatras, 19-year dasha, Sade Sati and the Saturn return.
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Rahu in Astrology: The North Node's Myth, Meaning and Dasha
Rahu in Vedic astrology and the North Node in Western astrology: what Rahu is, its myth, disputed dignities, nakshatras, 18-year dasha and ambition.
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Ketu in Astrology: The South Node's Myth, Meaning and Dasha
Ketu, the Moon's south node: the headless body of the myth, its disputed dignities, nakshatras, seven-year dasha, and its link with detachment and insight.
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Uranus in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Discovery and Cycles
Uranus in astrology: sudden change, freedom and originality. What Uranus means by placement, its cycles, rulership of Aquarius and the Vedic view.
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Neptune in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Discovery and Cycles
Neptune in astrology: dreams, compassion and dissolving boundaries. What Neptune means by placement, rulership of Pisces, and how Vedic astrology uses it.
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Pluto in Astrology: Meaning, Myth, Discovery and Cycles
Pluto in astrology: transformation, power and depth. What Pluto means by placement, the Pluto cycle, rulership of Scorpio and the Vedic view.
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Chiron in Astrology: The Wounded Healer's Myth, Meaning and Return
Chiron in astrology: the wise centaur's story, the 1977 discovery, the wounded healer, Chiron by house and sign, and the Chiron return at about 50.
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The real planets, and what the tradition saw in them
Real NASA images of the nine grahas, the physical facts checked against NASA fact sheets, and the parallels with what Jyotish says each graha means.