BEYOND ASPECTS: THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF UNDERSTANDING HIDDEN SUPPORT AND INTERFERENCE IN CHARTS–ARGALA

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF ARGALA: FINDING EASY WAYS TO UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET HIDDEN SUPPORT AND INTERFERENCES  IN CHARTS

by Barry Rosen

Argala is a very important concept in Vedic astrology discussed by Maharisi Parashara in Chapter 33 of the BPHS and in more detail by Jaimini and has a very important influence on peoples charts and planetary cycles which is often overlooked. It is simpler than it first appears and one has to get over all the difficult Sanskrit terms quickly and get the basic concepts down and then it is easy.

Argala means bolt or interference but I like to translate it as hidden support .  It is  a deep and somewhat hidden karmic influence in a chart and is easily overlooked because it involves planetary combinations or house axises  that we do not look at.   For those of you know all the key yogas involving house the Sun and the Moon, like the importance of planets 2^nd and 4^th and 7^th from the Sun and the Moon, you will start seeing the importance of Argala.

So the key pairings of Argala involve relationship pairings  between the 2 and 12^th houses, the 11^th   and 3^rd  houses and the 4^th and 10^th houses on a major level.  You want more benefic pairings in the 2^nd and, 4^th and 11^th house and not being negated by more planets ( particularly malefics) in the 12^th, 3^rd and 10^th houses.

On a minor level, it can involve the 7^th and the 1st^th houses, the 5^th and the 9^th houses and the 8th and the 6^th houses.  Argala shows the interactions of every house and planet with every other house and so often it is too complex to a matrix to consider but it can be simplified.

The abstract nature of this material has been difficult to comprehend and I have tried to look at the combinations of the house from a psychological point of view to understand them in a concrete way.  That is my purpose below in Part 1  but if you are not familiar with Argala, then you have to at least understand the basics in the Argala Appendix in Part 2. (If you are not familiar with the rules of Argala, then start with Part 2)

The important and exciting and complex ramification of Argala is that it can be applied to any house and is important in discerning the true nature of a Rashi Dasha.

PART 1: MAJOR AXISES and THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT

 

2^{nd  (}SUPPORT)  /12^th   (BLOCKING)  :  Wealth and Gains vs.  Expenditures and Sacrifice

 

The 2^nd house from anything is Dhana and provides wealth and accumulation  for that house or period.  To give you a quick example, one of the more important combination in a chart is what planets are 2^nd from any other planet or house vs what planets are 12^th from any planet or house or karaka.   The 2^nd house is the house of gains that sustains that wealth of that house with money and food and family support.  The 12^th house is connected to service, sacrifice and expenditure and what we give away.   From the natal chart if you have benefics in the 2^nd like Mercury, Jupiter or Venus and no planets in the 12^th then you have the ability to accumulate and save money and not be hampered by abundant expenditures. If you have a lot of malefics in the 12^th house like Saturn or Rahu or Mars and no planets in the 2^nd house, then expenditures and service obligations and sacrifice in marriage may overwhelm the wealth house and pull you into debt.   For example, a person with an  exalted Saturn in the 12^th creates an overemphasis on expenditures but also may have devoted half of his  working life at times to service work (seva) and charity  (exalted Saturn)  at the cost of not building up wealth with Rahu in the  2^nd house.   While a malefic planet in the 2^nd house from any planet is positive for gains, it may also mean that those gains come from unethical  or scrupulous means.

 

Every house in the chart can be examined in this way so if your 4^th house of property and home has benefics in the 2^nd from it and no blocking planets in the 12^th from the 4^th (the 3^rd) then there are gains from real estate.  But if you malefics 12^th from your 4^th house and no positive planets 2^nd from your 4^th house, you may take losses or have heavy expenditures in real estate.

 

This principle should be applied to the dasha lord or Rashi dasha also. So if are running a Pisces period which is connected to your 5^th house and you have Jupiter in the 2^nd from  Pisces and no blocking planet in the 12^th, then the period may be very powerful. If you are running a Saturn period and you have Jupiter or Venus 2^nd from the period lord and no planets blocking in the 12^th from Saturn, then the period may turn out better than expected,

 

This principle can also be applied to any karaka.   So if you have a positive planet 2^nd from your Sun like Jupiter and no blocking planet in the 12^th from the 2^nd then you may experience gains from your father or a mentor or boss.

 

You can see how complex it can get for a whole chart and for all the rotations happening and there are software programs like Sri Jyoti Star that can quickly chart it all out and highlight important areas that you may not easily see.

 

If there are multiple benefics 2^nd from a house or period or karaka, it can provide huge support if there is no blocking influence.   While a huge number of malefics 12^th from any house or karaka may provide huge blocking influences.

 

The combinations are often complex as you may have 2 benefics,  2^nd from something but 1 malefic 12^th from something so the benefic influence is more powerful or vice versa.    Hence Venus and Jupiter  in the 2^nd  may be great for money and family and balance out 1 pesky malefic like Saturn in the 12^th which may require hard work and sacrifice to make family life and finances work.

 

If benefic planets are involved like Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and the Moon   than it is called Shubargala and the Moon then the area is uplifted. If malefic planets are involved like Saturn and Rahu and the Sun than gains may come from cruel or unscrupulous means or gains after long suffering or service and sacrifice.

 

THE 11^TH  (SUPPORT) /3^RD (BLOCKING) AXIS : Profits vs. courage and force needed to get one’s gains.

Having planets in the 11^th house is always positive. Benefics will create gains and income in a positive way  and fulfillment of desires from good work.  Malefics will create gains from illicit or harsh activities.

The 3^rd house is about courage or force (parakrama) which allows us to get our house’s goals or needs met and having the intelligence to to carry that out.  Our siblings may be involved in support as they force us to compete in order to make us stronger and overcome our obstacles.  Thus malefics do well in the 3^rd house for argala  because they increase courage and that creates growth to become better and more successful. As one of my teachers, Robert Koch has pointed out,  one has to think of the third as ‘efforts’, while the 11th as ‘gains which come of their own accord.’ If planets in the 11th are circumvented by more planets in the 3rd, then the person has to work hard and exert considerable effort to gain ground. If it is the reverse, with more planets in the 11th than the 3rd, then gains come easily and with little effort as they result from his past good actions.

Again the 11/3^rd axis can apply to planet 3^rd and 11^th from any house or from any dasha lord period or rashi dasha house.

There is also an odd case for malefics in the 3^rd house which would reverse the role of negative Argala (viparita argala) for blocking  the 11^th.    The impact is that malefics in the 3^rd house create aggression, assertiveness and action to achieve success.   Hence Mars  and Sun and Saturn  in the 3^rd house will not block success or gains but enhance growth and fighting spirit.

 

THE 4^TH (SUPPORT) /10^TH (BLOCKING) AXIS : HOME VS. WORK.

 The 4^th house is connected to happiness and gains from vehicles and property and the ability to delegate work.  Jupiter, Moon or Venus in the 4^th from any house or planet will create happiness and mental balance while a malefic like Rahu in the 4^th will create happiness from material gains like the accumulation or property but may happen through underhanded real estate transactions. .

The 10^th house is Virodha or interfering with the 4^th house of happiness  as work takes us away from home. More planets in the 10^th may create success at work but at a sacrifice to being happy at home. If the 10^th house is more powerful than the 4^th, then you may have to work harder and not have the support and the ability to delegate from your employees.

 

SECONDARY ARGALA:

 

7^TH HOUSE (SUPPORT )  VS. 1^ST HOUSE (BLOCKING) :  SELF VS. PARTNER

 

So let look at the 1^st and 7^th axis.     More positive planets in the 7^th house like Jupiter may create more wealth and happiness from spouse  or multiple spouses or partners ( we have to modern here).   Whereas more planets in the rising signs means a disinterested or unavailable  attitude toward spouses. More malefics in the 1^st like Mars and Saturn and Rahu  or Ketu so often create marital problems due to more self-importance or dominance or maybe even low self-esteem from Ketu or Rahu.  Hence the 1^st house with malefics will block the 7^th house of marriage.    Still more benefics in the 1^st and no malefics in the 7^th may uplift the marriage as Jupiter or Venus in the 1^st and no malefics in the 7^th may still be positive.

I think this axis can create dependency/co-dependency problems. Malefics like  Ketu or Saturn in the 1^st may create co-dependency in relations where one spouse is subservient to the other.  Rahu or Mars or the Sun in the 1^st may create a dominating partner who may destroy the marriage due to his dominance.  Too many malefics in the 1^st is a blocking and interference to marriage.

 

THE 5^TH (SUPPORT)/ 9^TH (BLOCKING) AXIS:  CREATIVITY AND SELF-DETERMINATION VS. GOOD AND BAD ADVICE

The 9^th house represents protection and past karmic support from Gurus and elders and father while the 5^th house represents the intelligence and planning needed for the future.

The  9th house stands for fortune,  guru, and past live good karma, while 5th is the future that you are creating through your own discrimination. So one can say that the 5^th house is more empowering as it comes from your own efforts and sometimes is blocked and creating conflict from your Guru or father creating conflict.

More benefics in the 5^th house will allow you to override will allow you to plan effectively and create blessings while more malefics in the 5^th house will create bad planning and success through underhanded means.    In contrast, more benefics in the 9^th house will allow good advice from your father and Guru and wife (Venus), business partner (Mercury) and will block bad plans.

More  malefic planets in the 9^th house will lead to bad advice so avoid advice from Rahu characters (low integrity manipulators) if placed in the 9^th or father if Sun placed in the 9^th or low integrity mystics if Ketu placed in the 9^th house or from employees if Saturn placed in the 9^th house as they will block your own innate intelligence to move forward.

 

THE 8^TH (SUPPORT)/ 6^TH (BLOCKING) AXIS:  DIFFICULT KARMIC GAINS VS BLOCKS FROM ENEMIES OR EVERYDAY WORK.

8^th house karma creates suffering and new beginnings from transformation. It can create inheritance or money from partnership or insurance policies without working and it can create acute illness.  Out of the loss of a loved one, or accident, or death or sickness, we can sometimes have positive gains from an experience—but not without a price.  Benefics in the 8^th like Jupiter, Venus and Mercury (when unafflicted and with dignity) may create money or gains in partnership, from spouse or partners.  While 8^th house karma is difficult, it can often bring gains and support although most of us do now want the suffering that comes from 8^th house gains.

6^th house karma  is related to hard working, fighting,  bad habits and obstacles that shorten longevity.  Too many planets in the 6^th obstructing the 8^th may upset business and relationship. Too many debts or health problems from too many planets in the 6^th or too much impact on bad habits may upset and block the delicate transformations that want to be happening in the 8^th house.  So too many planets in the 6^th, even if they are malefics that will allow us to overcome our vices and enemies can upset the transformational qualities of the 8^th house.

 

SUMMARY: So this is a very complex topic that probably requires an 8 week course like everything in Jyotish but we have to pay attention to these houses  and the delicate karmic balances that are between these houses.

Planets places in the 2^nd, 11^th and 4^th and 5^th and 7^th houses and 8^th house without obstructions from their opposing houses bear fruits particularly if there are more benefics. Even malefics in these houses may create gains after more suffering, hard work or unethical means (Rahu).

If there are more planets blocking planets in the 12^th, 3^rd, 10^th, 9^th and 1^st and 6^th positions they can block otherwise good planets and cannot be ignored. Particularly malefic influences in these house cause more blocking  problems.

While at first this is a complex topic, you get into the habit of looking at it regularly, you see how helpful and important it is for determining and judging success. Again it can be use to judge any house, any karaka, or any Rashi Dasha period and is invaluable.

In accessing the fruition of any karma, one has to look at the hidden support and interference of Argala.

 

PART 2:  APPENDIX: THE BASICS OF ARGALA

 

BASICS OF ARGALA  AND VIRODAHA  OR HIDDEN PLANETARY SUPPORT OR INTERFERENCE  

 

Besides planetary aspects and Rashi aspects, a third kind of influence is called ARGALA which means bolt which implies a very strong and fixed influence on any house or karaka.  A planet having argala will have a huge influence on that house or karaka in terms of providing a hidden supportive influence to manifest those energies.  The word used for Argala is often intervention in its ability to provide support of nature for attaining good karma.

VIRODARGALA is the opposite and   is best translated as intervention or a blocking influence that may be hidden if you are not familiar with these rules.  Thus  even benefic planets in the 12^th, 10^th or 3^rd houses may block  their respective 12, 4^th and 11^th houses.   Malefics (except for the 3^rd) have a more disastrous impact when they are virgodargala.

1. PRIMARY ARGALA: Argala or support is given by the houses 2nd, 4th and 11th is primary Argala. Planets  placed 2^nd , 4^th or 11^th  from any house, karaka or dasha period lord will have a positive influence.   Benefics are particularly good as Jupiter or Venus  2^nd from the lagna will provide good food, wealth and love and joy and love of family life.  Malefics 2^nd from the 1^st may hamper wealth as Saturn or Rahu  in the 2^nd will often hamper savings and create a difficult childhood and family life but still they may create gains through hard work and suffering and will bring gains.

 

1. SECONDARY ARGALA (Support) : Argala or support is given by planets places in the  5th and 8^th and 7th house  are considered secondary Argala and have a supportive influence.   Again malefics may cause struggle and hard work and suffering to achieve gains but they will come while benefics may the path more smooth.

 

For example, the 5^th house is connected to the intelligence and planning needed for future for support of students in college and children.  Benefics 5^th from the 1^st house will support blessings in plannings while malefics will negate good planning and the intelligence.  But this can be extrapolated.  The 6^th house is connected to daily work to be done so the 5^th from the 6^th with a benefic will show the strong ability to plan intelligently and effectively for work while a malefic, 6^th from the 5^th will show problems with one’s work related planning.

 

So to summarize:

There are two major  types:

1. Shubh Argala (Positive support by benefic planets )

A benefic planet or house in the 2nd, 4th and 11th houses from a planet or house or dasha period causes primary Argala support  on the latter.  Malefics 2^nd, 4^th and 11^th from a planet will give support through unethical or unscrupulous means, hard-work  and some suffering.

There are two types of support:

1. a) Argala by a benefic planet is called a śubhārgala (benefic support) and Argala by a malefic planet is called a pāpārgala (malefic intervention).
2. Papa argala (Negative support that may be positive)
3. Malefics forming papa argala in the right houses may bring positive results through hard work or suffering or unethical or unscrupulous means.
4. VIRODAHA ARGALA  (Negative interference or opposition)

Virodha means opposition. Here we shall see the strength or opposition on existing argala. More planets or stronger planets in the virodh argala causing houses cause blocking problems.  Malefics are particularly bad when they are blocking and there is no other positive or off-setting influence.

1. THE SPECIAL CASE OF KETU: Ketu will give Argala in a backwards manner.   So the counting is done from the reverse from Ketu who represents moksha and spiritual matters.  The psychological implication is that a spiritual seeker usually gives up his family and home life and wealth (2^nd, 4^th and 11^th houses) to seek enlightenment so the situation is reversed.  That means that there are spiritual gains from the 12^th, 10^th and 3^rd houses while the 2^nd house (family and money), 4^th house (vehicles, home)  and 11^th house (income and gains) will block spirituality on the path.
3. THE SPECIAL CASE OF MALEFICS IN THE 3^RD:

Normally the 3^rd house has a blocking influence on the 11^th but there is an exception here.  There is also an odd case for malefics in the 3^rd house which would reverse the role of negative Argala (viparita argala) for blocking  the 11^th.    The impact is that malefics in the 3^rd house create aggression, assertiveness and action to achieve success.   Hence Mars  and Sun and Saturn  in the 3^rd house will not block success or gains but enhance growth and fighting spirit.

4. THE CASE OF NO PLANETS IN HOUSE OR SIGN

So if we are looking at the house pairing where there are no planets placed, then we need to examine the Rashi dristi (aspects from house to house).   For example if we are looking at Leo rising and there are no planets in Cancer or Virgo but Cancer, the 12^th house, received more rashi aspects than Virgo, than the person will have more 12^th house blocks from sacrifice and expenditure and fewer gains and ability to save money or have happiness in family life.  This might be the case if Saturn were in Taurus ( a fixed sign) aspecting Cancer ( a moveable sign)   It could be that expenses from the home (natural signification of Cancer) will cause too much worry and negate the ability to save money or enjoy family.

Special thanks to Freedom Cole, Sanjay Rath, Marc Boney and Robert Koch and Steve Hubball for their guidance and past writings on this difficult topic. And special thanks to my spiritual Gurus for lifting me up on the path always.