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Yogas: Planetary Combinations Producing Results

The Four Different Life Paths​

In Vedic astrology, there are different groups of Yogas, some considered more important than others. These Yogas are related to four types of environments or astrological houses:

  • Yogas related to Dharma (opposite to Kama)
  • Yogas related to Artha (opposite to Moksha)

According to the writings of Parashara, one of the most respected authors in India, the Yogas related to Dharma are the most important. However, what is written in these texts does not only represent an order of magnitude: there is a balance in these Yogas, as well as subtleties and calculations that nuance the results manifested on Earth.

Earth in Astrology: The Ascendant​

In astrology, Earth is represented by the Ascendant, which results from the Earth's rotation, changing the Ascendant every 2 hours. Thus, in 24 hours, there are 12 Ascendants, corresponding to the 12 signs of the zodiac. This is why the day is divided into 12 hours.

  • The Sign in the east, where the Sun rises, is the Ascendant, the first house called Lagna in Vedic astrology.
  • The Sign in the west, where the Sun sets, corresponds to the 7th house.
  • The Zenith (middle of the sky) and its opposite at Midnight (Nadir) also play an essential astrological role.

Angular Houses: The Beginning of the Path​

The 1st house is related to Dharma. It represents the physical body, the life path of an individual and their progression towards the 7th house, which symbolizes confrontation with others (and sometimes death).

The houses that mark the beginning of a cycle are considered the most important, because the beginning is always the reference, the unit of measurement that allows comparison and differentiation. There are four starting points, each corresponding to a distinct path:

  • Dharma → Aries (1st house)
  • Moksha → Cancer (4th house)
  • Kama → Libra (7th house)
  • Artha → Capricorn (10th house)

These houses are interdependent. For example, a person who has ease in Capricorn (10th house - Artha) may encounter difficulties with Cancer (4th house - Moksha), which means they could succeed materially but feel unstable on an emotional or spiritual level.

Angular Houses: The Beginning of Movement​

The angular houses are the pillars of the birth chart, the foundations on which the entire existence rests. They are the engines of change, forcing the individual to evolve, adapt, and act. They bring movement to life, as they represent the four great dynamics that define the human experience.

  • The 1st house (Dharma): This is identity, the starting point. It defines who we are, our spontaneous way of acting and the confidence we have in our ability to live fully as conscious adults. A strong Ascendant gives a marked presence, while a fragile Ascendant can push one to constantly seek validation and direction.

  • The 4th house (Moksha): More than just a home, this house is the feeling of happiness and inner stability. It defines the connection to comfort, tranquility, emotional well-being. A solid 4th house gives a peaceful home, a place where one feels at home, while a disturbed 4th house can make it difficult to access inner peace, even with external success.

  • The 7th house (Kama): This is the house of social interaction and influence. It represents how one seduces, how one confronts others, and how one manages relationships. A strong 7th house creates a charismatic person, turned towards others, while a weak 7th house can make relationships unstable or superficial.

  • The 10th house (Artha): This is the house of work, Karma and leadership. It represents the action of a leader on a business or a country, the way a person takes their place in society and the impact they leave behind. A dominant 10th house gives a strong will to succeed, while a weakened 10th house can give a person who struggles to assert themselves in their professional field.

A Force That Leaves No One Indifferent​

These initiating houses never function in isolation: they confront or balance each other. For example, a person who has a strong 10th house (Artha - Capricorn) can shine in their career, but if their 4th house (Moksha - Cancer) is weak, they might never feel truly at home, always seeking rest and inner peace.

The angular houses are the pillars of the birth chart, a bit like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse in some legends, bringing action, change, confrontation and transformation. They are not static, they provoke, dominate and impose their rhythm, shaping the trajectory of all existence.

Excess of Planets in Angular Houses​

  • Too many planets in the 1st house (Dharma) → Can make the person too self-centered, with a strong individuality but sometimes a lack of perspective on others. They can also be hyperactive, unable to slow down or adapt to situations.

  • Too many planets in the 4th house (Moksha) → An excessive attachment to the past, family or home, which can lead to unstable moods, incoherent emotional changes and involuntary hypocrisy. The person may also struggle to find their place at home.

  • Too many planets in the 7th house (Kama) → A dependence on relationships, where the person does not know how to exist alone, constantly seeking validation and interaction, which can lead to repeated confrontations or unstable relationships.

  • Too many planets in the 10th house (Artha) → An obsession with work, status and recognition, to the point of forgetting other spheres of life. This can give a person who is rigid, cold or excessively competitive, seeking to dominate their professional environment.

Such imbalance, whether it is an excess or lack of planets in these houses, influences the dynamics of life and requires the individual to find alternative solutions to manage these aspects.

The Impact of the Number of Planets in Angular Houses​

For example, someone who has no planets in the angular houses may experience difficulty initiating major actions in their life. This happens especially when no planet is found in these houses, making the individual more passive, hesitant, or waiting for external circumstances to act.

However, there is a significant difference depending on the number of planets present in the angular houses:

  • 0 planets in angular houses → The person may lack initiative and have difficulty starting things, positioning themselves in society, or asserting themselves in their relationships. They may feel an impression of floating or lack of control over the major events of their life.

  • 1 to 2 planets in angular houses → There is a capacity for initiative in certain specific areas, but the energy is not always well distributed, creating moments of intense dynamism followed by periods of inertia.

  • 3 to 4 planets in angular houses → The person has a strong capacity for action and tends to take their destiny into their own hands. These individuals are often engines of change, influencing their surroundings and making quick and significant decisions.

  • 5 or more planets in angular houses → Here, the effect can become excessive. The individual is constantly in action, sometimes to the point of forcing events or mentally and physically exhausting themselves. They can be hyperactive, obsessive and have difficulty finding a balance between ambition, personal life and rest.

Thus, the number of planets in the angular houses directly influences the capacity for initiative and the way a person takes their place in the world.

Yogas and Angular Houses​

A Yoga manifests when a planet is located in an angular house.

Vedic astrology allows us to assess whether this manifestation is beneficial or not depending on the chosen life path, which is determined by the Ascendant. Thus, each Ascendant will have specific Yogas, and we observe similarities between the biographies of people sharing the same Ascendant.

A Cancer Ascendant will have its Dharma related to Moksha, because the 1st house is a Water Sign (Cancer), its 5th house as well (Scorpio), and its 9th house too (Pisces). This creates a path where experiences are often marked by introspection, emotional attachment and a deep connection to roots and traditions.

A Gemini Ascendant will have its Dharma related to Kama, because its trikona houses are Air Signs (Libra in the 5th house and Aquarius in the 9th house), favoring a lifestyle focused on communication, social interactions and adaptability to cultural and intellectual environments.

This comes from the fact that signs and houses are representations of the Ascendant:

  • Houses represent the concrete (events, actions)
  • Signs illustrate the psychology and the energy that the person expresses through their body

Trikona Houses and Dharma​

The trikona houses (fire-type houses) are directly related to Dharma:

  • 1st house (Ascendant)
  • 5th house
  • 9th house

The Ascendant is considered both as a Trikona and an Angle, which means it is the beginning of a beginning. In contrast, the 4th house (Moksha) is the first environment of the individual after their birth, related to the mother and the family home.

  • The 1st house corresponds to the physical body and self-confidence.
  • The 9th house is associated with the meaning of life, institutions such as universities, government, culture and one's country.

For example, Saturn in the Ascendant can hinder Dharma, bringing obstacles and difficulties. Conversely, Jupiter in the Ascendant facilitates the manifestation of Dharma by strengthening confidence and belief in one's own life path.

The Importance of the 5th House: Charisma​

The 5th house is not an Angle like the Ascendant, but it is often considered just as important, sometimes even more so. In the same way that a person perceived as physically "fragile" or "inadequate", with a weak Ascendant, can succeed and attract others through their charisma, the 5th house plays an essential role in this personal radiance.

It is often said that "appearance is not everything". In astrology, we could say that "the Ascendant is not everything".

  • The 5th house represents the aura, what the person thinks, expresses and creates through their consciousness.
  • It illustrates creativity, intelligence and the ability to captivate others.

A problem in the 5th house is often more difficult to manage than a simple physical appearance issue, because it directly affects self-image, inner confidence and the expression of talents.

The 5th House and the Concept of "Shame" (Lajjitadi)​

There is an entire system in Vedic astrology related to the 5th house, called Lajjitadi, which literally means "shame" in certain contexts.

  • When an afflicted planet is located in the 5th house, it can lead to a feeling of embarrassment, psychological blockage or lack of recognition.
  • For example, Saturn in the 5th house can make self-expression laborious, with difficulty showing emotions or feeling legitimate in one's creations.
  • Mars in the 5th house, if poorly aspected, can lead to a tendency to act impulsively in relationships or difficulty managing creative energy.

A Powerful Yoga: An Angular Planet in the 5th House​

Conversely, when a lord of an angular house (1, 4, 7 or 10) is positioned in the 5th house, it creates a very beneficial Yoga related to creativity and personal influence. This results in a strong ability to inspire others, intelligence applied to one's Dharma, and significant success in one's field.

  • Jupiter lord of the 1st in the 5th: Gives a naturally charismatic individual, who attracts others through wisdom and optimism.
  • Venus lord of the 10th in the 5th: Can create an artist or public figure with great magnetism.
  • Mercury lord of the 7th in the 5th: Favors exceptional relational intelligence, as well as the ability to convince and influence others. However, a connection between the 7th and 5th house (such as the lord of the 7th in the 5th or the lord of the 5th in the 7th) can indicate a tendency to experience multiple marriages or difficulty staying with the same partner, due to a constant need for intellectual and emotional stimulation.

Thus, a strong 5th house is often synonymous with success, magnetism and intelligence applied to the life path. This is why it is sometimes considered as influential, if not more so, than the Ascendant itself.

It is often associated with the 5th house with children, not only because it represents descendants, but also because people marked by this house adopt spontaneous, playful and creative behavior, similar to that of children. This great capacity for creation and expression can, however, generate conflicts, as these individuals can lack maturity and focus solely on the playful and intuitive aspect of life, without always taking into account the long-term consequences of their actions.

This is also why the association between the 5th and 7th house (such as the lord of the 5th in the 7th or the 7th in the 5th) can give very creative but often ephemeral relationships, marked by strong emotional and intellectual intensity, but difficult to stabilize over time.

Parivartana Yoga

Parivartana Yoga occurs when two planets exchange their signs, thus forming a strong connection between the houses they govern. This creates a recurring theme in a person's life, deeply influencing their experiences. The effects of these exchanges vary depending on the houses involved, with some combinations bringing challenges while others offer advantages.

Key Effects of Parivartana Yoga​

Reinforced House Themes​

  • The houses involved become major themes in the person's life, often present in a dominant way.

Repetition of Life Patterns​

  • Events related to these houses tend to repeat, sometimes in cycles, making Parivartana Yoga a useful tool for rectifying a birth chart.

Types of Parivartana Yoga Based on House Involvement​

1. Exchange with Houses 6, 8 or 12 – "Misery Yogas"​

These exchanges tend to complicate life, introducing struggles, obstacles and instability. However, some challenges can improve with time and effort.

Exchanges with the 6th House​

  • Represents struggles, effort, competition, health and work-related difficulties.
  • People with this exchange often have to work harder to succeed, especially in creativity (if exchanged with the 5th house).
  • Over time, skills and resilience improve, making this exchange less catastrophic than those involving the 8th or 12th house.
  • Often observed in people working in the health field.

Exchanges with the 8th House​

  • Introduces unpredictability, sudden changes and instability in the house with which it exchanges.
  • Can "destroy" the stability of the 7th house (if involved), making relationships or public interactions volatile.
  • If well-placed planets are involved, some positive transformations can occur, but challenges remain dominant.

Exchanges with the 12th House​

  • Brings losses, isolation, well-oriented expenses if the planets are strong or excessive expenses if they are weak, as well as spiritual detachment for the house with which it exchanges.
  • Often leads to difficulties in discerning what is happening, a secret life or a hidden personality, as well as solitude related to research, confinement or situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, which required social isolation.
  • Can concern people spending a lot of time alone, which can be risky: for example, an isolated mountaineer experiencing an accident or a researcher in a laboratory making a critical error without assistance to correct it.

2. Exchanges Between Beneficial Houses (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th)​

These exchanges tend to produce positive results, reinforcing success, stability and growth in the areas governed by the houses involved.

  • Example: An exchange between the 4th and 11th houses can create themes related to home, networking, social connections and work related to technology or media.

Final Reflections on Parivartana Yoga​

  • The impact depends on the planets involved: strong and well-placed planets improve results, while weak or afflicted planets intensify challenges.
  • Misery yogas are present in everyone's birth chart in one form or another, whether in the main chart or in the divisions (Vargas).
  • Understanding Parivartana Yoga can help rectify a birth chart, as these exchanges create obvious life patterns that can confirm a person's correct birth time.