What is Astrology?

Some people define astrology as the science of stars. Others say that it is the art by which the future of man can be known. It may also be defined as "the philosophy of discovering and analyzing past impulses and future actions of both individuals and nations" in the light of planetary configurations. Astrology explains life's reactions to planetary vibrations. In Sanskrit, it is called Hora Sastra or Jyotisha or the Science of Time. All these definitions do not convey a correct idea of the subject. It is much more than a science. It is a science of the sciences, the key to all knowledge. It is the knowledge that links man to nature and establishes that order regins supreme in life and that chance and accident have no place. Astrology can be defined as the science of correlation of astronomical facts with terrestrial events. The celestial bodies are conspicuous by the presence of supreme order in their revolutions. While this is the case could chaos exist on the earth and its phenomena? Astrology gave the answer that by juxtaposition of celestial order with terrestrial phenomena, the possibility of making prognostications could not be doubted. When an apparent effect is the resultant of a cause, then astrology becomes a symbol of measurement. The effect of a cause is expressed in terms of what we may call planetary influences.

Astrology is primarily concerned with the application of cosmic laws to terrestrial phenomena in general and man in particular. Hence pure objective science cannot lay down the law for astrology which deals with a different sphere of experience. Much less can it deny its very subject-matter or its relevance for human life or place in human culture which is concerned in the last resort with the art of life, utilizing every facet of experience derived from objective nature and its effect on human life.

Source: B. V. Raman

Results of Ascending Signs

Each sign of the zodiac when ascending imprints its own definite characteristics, mental, physical and personal. These have of course to be blended with those of planets rising or aspecting. The following delineations are for signs alone without any planet in the first house. If any planet be there, it will modify these testimonies. The Sun adds nobleness to the figure and increases health of the constitution. The Moon indicates better proportion and greater delicacy of figure. Mars gives a fair ruddiness to the person, healthy constitution, sturdy figure, a tempera¬ment principally of heat and dryness. Mercury makes the stature proportionately well shaped, bodily temperament chiefly hot and yellowish complexion. Jupiter gives a fair complexion, large eyes and dignified stature. Venus produces qualities of a nature more applicable to femininity, beauty, softness and greater delicacy of form. Saturn, black and curled hair, tall figure, inactive and narrow chest.

The mental disposition should always be judged by reference to the Moon and his disposition. The dispositions given below are of a general nature. In actual practice, however, they will be seen to vary from the normal in some respects, owing to the strength of the ruling sign, its ruler, planets aspecting the ascendant, etc. The liability to diseases and accidents is judged from the planets rising or setting, and those configured with the Moon. When the Sun, the Moon and the ascendant are afflicted by more than one of the malefics, liability to accidents and a violent or sudden death is indicated. Should Rahu and Ketu be in angles with the Sun and the Moon, the angles being Aries, Taurus, Scorpio and Capricorn, the body will be afflicted with distortions, lameness, or even paralysis.


Mesha (Aries) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Independent thinking, courageous and sensitive.

Physical Tendencies: Middle stature, ruddy complexion, sharp sight, long face and neck, head broad at the temples and narrow at chin, brown or light and curly, mark or scar on the head or temples, teeth well-set and round eyes.

General Tendencies: Those born in Mesha are lovers of scientific thought. They are enterprising and ambitious. They have the ability to plan. They dislike being guided by others; are intense when interested, vehement when excited. They are rather stubborn, but often frank. Quick tempered, they resent imposition and are liable to go to extremes. Their constitution will be hot. They love beauty, art and elegance. They have practical ideas. If Aries is afflicted they suffer from diseases pertaining to the head. Mental affliction and derangement are also likely if Saturn and the Moon are in Aries.


Vrishabha (Taurus) Rising

Mental Tendencies: bstinate, proud and ambitious , easily accessible to adulation but affectionate and loving, sometimes unreasonable, prejudiced and stubborn.

Physical Tendencies: The stature of the person born in this sign will be short and often tending towards corpulence, lips thick and complexion swarthy, square build of the body. Face beautiful, eyes and ears large, full forehead, hands plump and broad.

General Tendencies:If they are not listened to attentively, people born in this sign will act like a bull. They are self-reliant; they have their own principles and ways and a piercing intellect. They have a great deal of endurance, latent power and energy. They always put their ideas into practice. Their physical powers and mental endurance are indeed noteworthy. They are fond of pleasure, they love beauty and music. They possess a magnetic personality. They think they are born for exercising authority. They generally suffer from nervous complaints after the fiftieth year. With regard to children much happiness is not indicated.


Mithuna (Gemini) Rising

Mental Tendencies: They will have a wavering mind. Fond of writing and reading they are ingenious and quick witted, vivacious and inconsistent, nervous and restless.

Physical Tendencies: They are tall and straight in stature and active in motion. Face well developed, there is a depression near the chin, a thin face, sanguine complexion, unusual height if malefics are there, the eyes are clear and the nose snub. They are weak but active.

General Tendencies: They are very active and tend to become experts in mechanical sciences. They may suffer sudden nervous breakdowns. They must be cautious in moving with the opposite sex. Their mind will be often conscious of their own depravity. They are very clever and possess inherent conversational and literary ability. They are liable to fraud and deception. If evil planets are in Gemini, trickery and deceit will characterise their nature. They are best in occupations where there is much activity.


Kataka (Cancer) Rising

Mental Tendencies: People born in this sign will be extremely sensitive, inquisitive, nervous and restless, interested in music and dexterous.

Physical Tendencies: They have a middle sized body, face full, slightly snub nose, fair complexion, long arms, long face and wide chest.

General Tendencies: They are very intelligent, bright and extremely frugal and equally industrious. Their frugality often takes the form of miserliness. The mind is intuitive, perceptive. They like pleasure. They are deeply attached to their family and children. They often meet with disappointment in love affairs. They are very talkative, self-reliant, honest and unbending. They will have a reputation for love of justice and fair-play. Their emotions are strong. They have psychic tendencies, are receptive to new ideas and adapt themselves to environ¬ment. They are desirous of possessions and cautious. They can best take up occupations of a fluctuating nature.


Simha (Leo) Rising

Mental Tendencies: People born in Leo are ambitious as well as avaricious, warm hearted, and have a liking for art, literature and music. They are cheerful and unimpul-sive.

Physical Tendencies: Persons born in this sign will be magnetic in appearance with broad shoulders, bilious constitution, of average height, oval faced, thoughtful countenance and the upper part of the body is generally better formed.

General Tendencies: They can adapt themselves to any condition in life. They have faith. In affection they are sincere. They stick to orthodox principles in religion but are perfectly tolerant. Generally good tempered, they are sensitive. They are lovers of music, literature and possess a certain amount of philosophical knowledge. They are voracious readers. In life they do not succeed as much as they would like to and often throughout they struggle very much. Their ambitions remain unfulfilled to a great extent. They lack a natural policy and hence get into many difficulties. They are forgiving and do not hold a grudge long. They are likely to suffer from nervous troubles and are generally misunderstood by their superiors and bosses.


Kanya (Virgo) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Those born in Virgo are impul¬sive, emotional and fond of learning. They love music and fine arts. They lack self-confidence. Methodical and ingenious, they have active minds.

Physical Tendencies: Persons born in this sign will be middle-sized. Their chest will be prominent and when afflicted, weak also. They have a straight nose, cheeks massive and the forehead, good.

General Tendencies: They exhibit their intelligence when quite young. They are discriminating and emotional and get easily carried away by impulse. They are cautious regarding their own interests, prudent, economical, diplo¬matic and shrewd. As authors they make progress in physical and chemical sciences. They acquire much power and influence over others. They are liable to suffer from nervous breakdowns and paralyses when the sign is afflicted.They are of a speculative nature.


Thula (Libra) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Persons born in Libra are idealistic, quick-witted, vindictive, forceful and positive.

Physical Tendencies: They generally possess fair complexion, a middle-sized stature, phlegmatic constitution, handsome appearance, broad face, fine eyes, broad chest and regular features. Their appearance will be generally youthful.

General Tendencies: People born in this sign are generally of a sensual disposition. They are keen observers of human nature. They have keen foresight and reason out things from the standpoint of their own views. They love justice, peace, order and are agreeable persons. They are ambitious. They are more idealists than realists or practical men and often contemplate on schemes that are like building castles in the air. They are not sensitive to what others say of them. As political leaders and religious reformers they exert tremendous influence over the masses and sometimes their zeal and enthusiasm can go to such a pitch that they can force their views upon unwilling minds. They are not easily amenable to reason. They are great lovers of music. Truth and honesty have a special appeal for them.


Vrischika (Scorpio) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Sarcastic and impulsive, a female born in this sign will be masculine in nature. Interested in occult forms of study they possess a subtle mind, hard to influence.

Physical Tendencies: Persons born in this sign are handsome in appearance. The bones are well developed. They have broad eyes, tall figure, curly hair and broad forehead. The personality is forceful with prominent brows and receptive faculties.

General Tendencies: They will have a generous dis¬position. They are exceedingly fickle-minded and love much excitement. Though inclined to sensual things in reality, they will not hesitate to philosophize upon the virtues of controlling sensual pleasures. They are good correspondents. They are often brutal, brusque and keenly fond of contest. They possess enterprise. They appreciate luxury but are frugal. They may become expert musicians if they learn that art. They can also become proficient in fine arts, dancing and the like. They uphold their own views. Their constitution will be hot and they are liable to suffer from piles. They are good conversationalists as well as writers and often rely too much on their own intelligence.


Dhanus (Sagittarius) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Those born in Sagittarius have an inclination for philosophy and occult studies. They can acquire great mastery in these subjects. Humane and somewhat impulsive, they are generally active and enterprising.

Physical Tendencies: Persons born in this sign are generally inclined towards corpulence. They possess almond eyes and their hair is brown. They are usually good looking.' Evenly set teeth, a happy smile, and full¬ness of the figure characterize the natives of Dhanu.

General Tendencies: They are of a phlegmatic temperament. They are too conventional and also busi¬ness-like. They are prompt and uphold conservative views. They are sympathetic and loving, and possess good foresight. At times they are restless and overanxious. They are too callous and enthusiastic. They hate all external show. They are God-fearing, honest, humble and free from hypocrisy. They exercise strict control over their food and drinks and in regard to their relations with the opposite sex. They are prone to be misunderstood unintentionally by others. In late years they must be careful about their lungs as they are liable to suffer from rheumatic pains and the like.


Makara (Capricorn) Rising

Mental Tendencies: They are stoical to the miseries of life. Possessed of sympathy, generosity and philanthropy, self-willed, strong in purpose, secretive and vindictive, Capricorn natives are cunning and determined.

Physical Tendencies: Persons born in this sign are tall, lean, reddish-brown in colour with prominent stiff hair on the eye-brows and the chest. The head is big and the face fairly broad. They have large teeth, a big mouth, prominent nose, and are inclined to stoop. The body is thin and fleshy.

General Tendencies: They have a knack to adapt themselves to circumstances. They have great aspirations in life and cannot economise funds. They like a lot of show. Noted for their perseverance. They become vindictive when Saturn is afflicted and may become some¬what bigoted. They are capable of much endeavour. In the home life they are perfectionists and often cannot get on well with husbands or wives. They should check this harmful tendency on their part. They are industrious. If Mars occupies any sign other than his own they lack confidence, become funky, nervous and weak-minded. They can be described as "chatter-boxes' and have little or no control over their tongues.


Kumbha (Aquarius) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Aquarius being a philosophical sign, people born in it become great teachers, writers, and lecturers, provided the sign is free from afflictions. Natives of Aquarius are reserved, they are peevish when provoked, generous hearted, highly sympathetic and are always bent upon helping others. They are intelligent, good memory and capable of dealing with facts.

Physical Tendencies: They are generally tall and lean with countenance, handsome, appearance attractive and disposition elegant. Their lips are fleshy, cheeks are broad and they have prominent temples and buttocks. If Saturn is in the 4th, the chest will be weak with a tendency towards stooping.

General Tendencies: They make friends of others very soon. They are peevish and when provoked, rise like a bulldog but their anger is easily subsided. They shine very well as authors and writers. Their conversation is always interesting. They are sometimes timid and funky. They feel shy to exhibit their talents before new audiences. They specialise in subjects like astrology and become great upholders of some such cause. Their literary greatness comes before the world when they are quite young. Unless the planetary positions are otherwise favourably situated, people born in this sign will suffer certain critical setbacks which will jeopardise their reputation. Owing to their humanitarian doctrines they are prone to be misunderstood. In family life, they will not have sufficient happiness. They will be much devoted to their husbands or wives. They are liable to suffer from colic troubles, chest pain and the like. They should always be kept happy in life by their husbands or wives. Otherwise their health will suffer.


Meena (Pisces) Rising

Mental Tendencies: Persons born in Pisces are stubborn, psychically receptive, highly religious, stoical, bigotted and God-fearing.

Physical Tendencies: They are fair, stout of middle-sized height, swarthy in complexion, eyes, and inclined towards corpulence.

General Tendencies: They are respecters of orthodox principles and can forego anything but orthodoxy. They are extremely superstitious. They are very reserved and are liable to draw premature conclusions on any matter. They are God-fearing and very rigid in the observance of religious customs and practices. They arc stubborn, rather timid, and ambitious to exercise authority over others. They rarely realise their ambitions. They are restless and fond of history, antiquarian talks and mythological masterpieces. They are frugal in spend¬ing money and though generally dependent upon others throughout their life, still bear a mark of independence. They are just in their dealings and fear to transgress the laws of truth. With all this they lack self-confidence.

Source: How to Judge a Horoscope by B.V. Raman