LEARN ASTROLOGY - LESSON 46

HOW TO ANALYZE THE MAIN PERIOD (DASA) OF KETU

The origin of astrological knowledge can be traced back to the times of the creation of humanity. This knowledge was developed and used to answer uncertainties, the future and the way human beings could come out of difficult situations in life. This ancient knowledge was also used by wise people to not only chart the course of the lives of individuals and nations but to harness the potentials of individuals and nations under the patronage of the kings and royal people of the time. It is a pity that the ancient scientific knowledge has been brushed aside by the so-called modern scientists as a mere superstition.  We often come across people, who having seen frequent changes in their lives, encounter misfortunes and rarely find stability. The authors have taken up a project for studying and analyzing the common astrological factors in this regard. After conducting an empirical study of horoscopes having such a history, the authors came to the conclusion that mostly children born in the ending parts of the constellations of Mercury, Venus and Ketu fall under this category. The main reason is that in all such cases the children have to undergo several main periods of a number of planets having different temperaments e.g. Mercury-Ketu-Venus-Sun-Moon-Mars-Rahu etc. The only long spell of a main period is that of Venus and only in cases where Venus is strongly placed in the chart, does the child get a basis for stability in life. Apart from the operation of the main period, the factors responsible for giving a good start in life for accomplishments are a strong lord of the ascendant or an unafflicted ascendant, the Sun, Moon and the lords of the fourth and ninth houses. On the other hand if Venus is also weak along with the weak ninth house, the whole life of the native remains troublesome.

The best charts are those where functional malefic planets including Rahu and Ketu do not form exact/close conjunctions or aspects with functional benefic planets and the most effective points of the houses.

The main period of Ketu plays a vital role in creating trouble, which gives a start to a series of troubles because of the fast changing sub-periods. 'Saravarth Chintamani' attributes the following results to the main period of Ketu:

“The native loses his wife and son; suffers on account of misunderstanding with the king; suffers loss of education, relatives, wealth and friends; dangers from disease, fire and friends; fall from a conveyance; dangers from poison, weapons and going to distant places. The native likes to pick up quarrels and finds trouble with the physical health. When Ketu occupies and influences an angular house, actions do not give results, one loses ruling powers, son and wife and encounters other dangers.

During its main period Ketu gives dangers, fevers, loose motions, loss of semen, boils and cholera, if it occupies the ascendant.”

He attributed good results to Ketu only when it is under the aspect of benefic planets. This is possible when the functional benefic planet aspecting Ketu is strong and the aspect of range is between two to five degrees. However, if the planet is weak then Ketu will afflict the functional benefic planet.

Saint Tulsidas wrote in Ramcharitamanas that the main period of Ketu is always troublesome. In fact while writing in the context of the conduct of evil people, he stated that the birth of evil people is always for harming the lives of others as is the rise of the planet Ketu meaning therefore that the main period of Ketu is always troublesome. In our experience, we have noticed that whenever Ketu is under a benefic influence, it gives spiritual advancement and not material advancement. Having examined the results of the Ketu main period in childhood, we can safely infer that the Ketu main period in childhood mostly produces malefic results as it hampers material advancement through stressing or severely damaging the sources for material advancement of the child (for example, a source would be his/her parents). The best way to propitiate Ketu in its main period is to feed street dogs, if possible. In the absence of the feasibility to feed street dogs, one can recite the mantra 'Om Sri Ganeshaye Namah'. The recitation of this mantra can be done in the morning after bath and before breakfast. A minimum of 101 recitations daily during the sub-period of Ketu might be helpful in reducing the evils to some extent. The propitiation of Ketu becomes necessary in view of the fact that Ketu severely damages the significations of the houses occupied or aspected by it if Ketu is close to the most effective point of the house. Ketu can also severely damage the significations of the planet that it is closely conjunct with. 

If the Sun and the most effective point of the ninth house are closely afflicted by Ketu, the native loses his father early in life or it causes severe troubles for the father which in turn affects the comfortable growth of the native.

If the Moon and the most effective point of the fourth house are weak and are under the close affliction of Ketu, the native is likely to be denied the care of parents, especially that of the mother. Multiple weaknesses of the planets, along with at the same time being closely afflicted by the functional malefic planets, is the worst affliction.

In contrast with Ketu is the situation where a native completes the major period of Rahu by the age of 12 to 14 years of age and has a strongly placed functional benefic Jupiter; he/she enjoys the fruits of life in due time and gets settled well. If the other planets are also suitably placed then this situation gives an extraordinary lift to the native.

Let us now examine some birth charts of people born in the ending parts of the main periods of Ketu, Mercury and Venus.

Chart 1

Birth: Male born March 5, 1947, at 3:13 AM 77E04 28N37 Time Zone 5.30 hours.

The sign Sagittarius rises in the ascendant and the Moon, Rahu and Ketu become functional malefic planets. The native was born with a remaining balance of the main period of Mercury of approximately twelve years. The longitude of the Moon falls in the nakshatra of  Mercury, which gives the operating main period of Mercury at the time of the birth. Mercury primarily rules the tenth house and is weak due to combustion, old age, a weak dispositor and Rahu afflicts its moolatrikona sign house. The early part of life for the native was full of health problems, which hampered his education.

The following period of Ketu saw the death of the mother of the native. The Moon is placed in its own moolatrikona sign in the eighth house, but Ketu afflicts the house of its placement. Ketu afflicts the fourth house by way of a close aspect from the twelfth house. The lord of the ascendant is posited in the twelfth house. During the main period of Ketu, the native had frequent fevers, sluggish liver problems, bronchitis and unsound health. This resulted in setbacks with his studies. The close affliction of the most malefic planet, the Moon, on the most effective point of the second house also caused obstructions in his education and denied the native happiness of a male child.

In the Sapthamsa chart, the sign Aries rises in the ascendant.  Its lord, Mars, is badly placed. Jupiter and the Sun (both general significators for male progeny) in the Sapthamsa chart are under the aspect of Rahu. The aspects in divisional charts are treated as effective. The lord of the fifth house of the Rasi D-I chart, Mars, is also weak. The weakness of Mars and Jupiter and the close affliction to the most effective point of the second house in the birth chart could not bless the native with male progeny. Rather, he had four female children, two of whom expired shortly after birth; one was a still birth and one a premature dead delivery.

Chart 2

Birth: August 11, 1971, Time Zone 05.45 hours.

The sign Cancer rises in the ascendant. Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are the functional malefic planets. The operating main period at birth was that of Mercury. Mercury, well-placed in the second house, is not suffering from combustion or affliction from the functional malefic planets. Mercury is weak due to the weakness of its dispositor and to a close affliction on its mooltrikona sign house. Therefore, the balance of the remaining Mercury period did not prove to be significantly unfavorable for the native as the sub period of Mercury had already passed at birth.

The Rahu-Ketu axis is close to the most effective points of the houses occupied and afflicts the houses occupied and aspected. Ketu also closely afflicts the Sun and combust Venus by way of close conjunction. Venus rules the fourth house, the house of parents. The most effective point of the ninth house  is also closely afflicted by Ketu. During the main period of Ketu and sub-period of the Sun, the native lost his father at a very young age.  The death of the father caused numerous miseries for the mother of the native. In this case apart from Ketu's affliction to the Sun and Venus, Ketu closely afflicts the Moon placed in the ninth house.

Ketu's close conjunction with the most effective point of the ascendant and its exact aspect to its lord, the Moon, has caused serious health problems to the native and troublesome conditions in life. 

Chart 3

Male born August 14, 1949, 5:18 PM, 76E40 31N18 Time Zone 5.30 hours.

The sign Sagittarius rises in the ascendant. The Moon, Rahu and Ketu become functional malefic planets. The operating main period at birth was that of Ketu. The native has had acute health problems throughout his life. He has been a diabetic from a very young age. He has suffered from loss of comforts in life. His father lost his status in life after his birth. His education was just average. He could not get a good job although his father had been a senior military officer.

The lord of the ascendant, Jupiter, is debilitated and is in the state of infancy. Ketu is closely conjunct with the most effective point of the tenth house and afflicts the tenth house and the houses aspected; including the house Jupiter resides in. The period following that of Ketu was Venus, which is weak due to its being in extreme old age along with its dispositor, the Sun, being weak. The Sun’s weakness is due to bad placement, a close aspect/affliction by Rahu and its dispositor, the Moon is also weak. The most malefic planet, the Moon, is in infancy and becomes weak.

Jupiter is lord of the Navamsa chart ascendant and is debilitated in the Navamsa chart, as well. The main periods of Ketu afflicting various houses in this birth chart and weak Venus gave the problems mentioned above. Venus could not help the native for acquiring a good education in its period due to its weakness in the birth chart.

Chart 4

Birth: Male born September 18, 1951, 9:16 AM 77E13 28N39.

The sign Libra rises in the ascendant. The planets Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn become favorable planets. Rahu, Ketu and Mercury become functional malefic planets.

The native of this chart had the operating period of Ketu at the time of birth as the longitude of the Moon falls in the nakshatra of the Ketu. Venus, who is the lord of the ascendant and the next main period lord, occupies the eleventh house. Venus becomes weak as it is closely afflicted by the functional malefic planet, Mercury, and it is placed in an afflicted house. Mercury in turn is also closely conjunct with Ketu.

All the functional benefic planets are weak. Sun and Saturn are badly placed. The Sun is in infancy, too. Saturn is combust. Jupiter is badly placed. Mars is in old age, debilitated and its dispositor, the Moon, is in infancy. The Moon’s dispositor, Mars, is weak which in turn causes weakness for the Moon. In the Navamsa chart, Venus is in the sixth house and in the Shashthamsa chart it is in the twelfth house. In the Shashthamsa chart the planets, Sun and Jupiter occupy their signs of debilitation. In view of these combinations, the weak position of the significator of vitality in the Shashthamsa (D-VI) chart and the operation of the main periods of Ketu, Venus and the Sun in life consecutively, the native's health base had been quite weak. Whenever the lord of the Rasi ascendant is weak and afflicted, the person becomes vulnerable to health concerns and may suffer from chronic diseases. Rahu and Ketu's close conjunction or aspect with weak planet(s) makes one vulnerable to a cancerous disease. The native suffered from a prolonged illness before his death at the age of 35 years.

The weakness of the lord of the tenth house did not allow him to settle in his work and the sub-period of Mars in the main period of the lord of the tenth house took him to a foreign land where he could not earn anything because of continued ill health.

Chart 5

Birth: Female born December 26, 1971, 00:35 hours.

The sign Virgo rises in the ascendant. Saturn, Mars, Sun, Rahu and Ketu are the functional malefic planets. The native lost her father at the age of 13 years in the main period of Mercury ruling since birth. Mercury is the lord of the ascendant. In this case Jupiter becomes weak due to old age and affliction to its mooltrikona sign house. The Sun, the lord of the twelfth house, closely afflicts the most effective point of the fourth house, ruling parents. The Sun becomes weak due to placement in an afflicted house. Rahu closely afflicts Venus and the most effective point of the ninth house. The Rahu-Ketu axis is close to the most effective points of the houses occupied and afflicts the houses occupied and aspected.

During the sub-period of Saturn placed in the ninth house, the native lost her father. The following main period of Ketu proved full of struggles. The onset of the period of Venus, being lord of the second house which has an affliction from Rahu, created hurdles in her marital affairs.

Chart 6

Birth: Male born November 11, 1980, 1930.

The sign Taurus rises in the ascendant. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Rahu and Ketu are the functional malefic planets. The lord of the twelfth house, Mars, closely afflicts the most effective points of the seventh, tenth, first and second houses. The operating main period at the time of birth was of Ketu. The lord of the sixth house, Venus, is in its sign of debilitation and is under the exact affliction of Venus. Venus had its main period after the main period of Ketu. The lord of the fourth house, the Sun which is a significator for father, is also debilitated and occupying the sixth house. Mercury ruling the fifth house is placed in the sixth house and is weak.  

Mercury is suffering from the influence of the Rahu-Ketu axis in the Navamsa chart. During the main period of Ketu, the mother of the boy had deep mental anguish as the Moon is posited in the eighth house. The father, who had an affair with another woman, tortured the native and his mother. Finally the mother of the native secured a divorce in the sub-period of the debilitated Sun and in the main period of debilitated and afflicted Venus.