EYE ON ASTROLOGY: NEW LIGHT ON ZODIACAL SIGNS PARTÂ 2:Â VIRGO-PISCES
The 2nd half of the zodiac has more karmic challenges than  shakti although Libra and Pisces, the natural benefics of course offer brighter spots.  Our goal is to help you develop a deeper and richer vocabulary to quickly describe and translate the meaning of signs, in whatever part of the zodiac they appear in anywhere in the chart  rather than to get caught using astrological cliches.  .
Below is a quick table of key words and purposes and shakti or power or challenges that can help you translate zodiacal signs wherever they appear in your chart.
VIRGO: Whenever a planet appears in Virgo in any sign of the zodiac it means where we need to be better, improve or be pure.   Being the natural 6th house of the zodiac, it means that we need discipline around regular work, health and diet to prevent illness and we also need to develop skills to work with people so that we do not develop enmity with co-workers at work.  The challenge is Saturn and wanting too much perfection in the world and being too hard oneself and one’s weaknesses. There can be too much self-deprecation and continual beating oneself up on the dark side or a continual focus on always wanting to do it better which can also become a  good quality.  I have Virgo rising in the D-9 chart and am amazed that so many of these qualities are the core of my soul’s journey.  Key words to remember are purity and improvement.
LIBRA:  Wherever Libra falls in your chart in any rising or varga chart, it brings blessings of prosperity and Laksmi, the grace to end conflicts. Venus has trouble with Mars and Mars creates in wanting to fight and express its ego in the world and leave its mark on the world and gain status..  The shakti of Venus is that if it can end conflict, it can bring prosperity, growth and fulfill desires and help distribute resource. Still the dark side is intense psychological brooding, particularly in Chitra or Swati nakshatras where there is never happiness.  Artistic creativity has to replace sexual energy for balance to prevail here.
SCORPIO:  If we see Scorpio in any part of a chart, it is connected to the 8th sign of the zodiac and deep past life karma which can bring deep suffering to one’s life. Planets placed in Scorpio may experience deep cruelty from the darker side of Mars and may seem rather fallen.  Scorpio is co-owned by Ketu, the mystical headless wonder that takes us toward enlightenment and the key in Scorpio is finding spirituality and transformation to transform that dark energy.  Ketu may want to take everything from us to point us toward moksha so it sometimes can create poverty and loss and completely opposite the material abundance that Taurus brings. Scorpio anywhere in the chart even when blessed by Jupiter or Mars in its own sign can still cause deep problems that are hard to remedy.  Still I think Jupiter and the grace of the Guru can bring the most support to Scorpios and provide the grounding need to balance out the dominance of the space element that Scorpios have.
SAGITTARIUS: The 9th natural sign of the zodiac brings lessons around belief, dogma and blind faith. The shakti of Sagittarius is that planets placed here show dogmas and  rules but will bring luck if we follow our dharma and will bestow deep wisdom if we can follow our path and purpose.   The curse of Sagittarius is that it will create war and conflict in order to uphold its belief and fundamentalist values and the US being Sagittarius rising is a difficult example of this. Sagittarius has problems with Vishnu and Mercury so it has difficult with communications in relationship.
CAPRICORN:Â Wherever Capricorn appears as a rising sign in a Varga chart or in other places of the sign, there is no joy but hard work which creates deep suffering. Â If you have Capricorn rising in the D-10 chart or if you are Aries rising where Capricorn rules the 10th, this may seem even stronger. The 10th natural sign of the zodiac owned by Saturn are challenged with joy and experience deep toil, lack of hope and faith, receive little support except through their own efforts and experience great pain and suffering. Â There is little awareness and sometimes planets placed here have no choice but to toil and work hard in order to move out of their pain or to cover it up. Â The weakness for Capricorn is Jupiter as it needs to learn integrity and ethics in business practice or suffer like Capricorn rising Bernie Madoff did with his investment ponzi schemes.
AQUARIUS:  Aquarius is the 2nd most difficult sign to have anywhere prominent in ones chart  as it ruled by Saturn and suffering  and Rahu which is  seat of desire.  Rahu gives and then takes it away to that we are reminded that we are here to find the Divine. Aquarius is on the opposite side of the zodiac from Leo, the giver of light and it tends to take away the material and it creates great pain and suffering from the losses that arise here. Aquarius is bitter enemies with the moon and mother so issues around maternal care, nurturing and food become prominent.  Whatever rising sign in any Varga chart has planets in Aquarius creates suffering and loss in this area.  Devotion to Shiva and to meditation and offerings to Shiva and dispel the suffering of Aquarian Karma.
PISCES: Â Pisces is the natural 12th sign of the zodiac connected to Moksha and enlightenment and its shakti is that it brings the blessings of Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom that brings Knowledge of the Self. Â Â Planets placed here anywhere in any of the charts show great talents and knowledge. But being the natural 12th house, it requires dedication to service and sacrifice to bring out its power. Â Pisces rising has difficult with the Sun, the natural 6th house from Pisces so father issues and issues with authority and bosses become a natural problem.
All blessing to my jyotish Gurus and particularly Sanjay Rath and Komilla Sutton  for their depth of understanding for these subtle principles and their continued love and guidance.
NOTE: Â For my friends versed in Jaimini astrology, I am starting to see that understanding the shakti and challenges of the signs applies to other lagnas like the Arudha lagna, the Karkamsha Rashi and Navamsha, the sign that the Atmakaraka is placed in and for those of you who follow Rashi Dashas, it can provide deep insight into those periods that we go through. Â If we are going through a Taurus period it may provide material abundance and if we are going through a Scorpio it may bring intense transformational energies.
************************************************************************************
EARLY REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER CLASSES
If you like the depth of this knowledge, consider my classes. My goal is do intermediate teaching and bring out more depth of  basic things that we know or that we thought that we knew and help people translate them into richer knowledge of the Self for personal discovery or to guide others.  Much of this material is from my new course on the Schools of Karma current going on.
We are running and early bird special through Tuesday for our 8 session class, July 17th-Sept 10th class on Multiple Levels of Existence for 175.00. I will raise the price to 199.00 on June 1st
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR NEW JULY CLASS STARING JULY 16TH:
MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS of EXISTENCE : PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, REPUTATION: INTEGRATING ALL DIMENSIONS OF OUR LIFE. Â
Read my article on this course published in the Astrological  e-magazine in March 2017  edited by B. Niranjan Babu.
Here is a copy of the article on my blog:Â https://www.appliedvedicastrology.com/multiple-levels-existence-birth-chart/
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION 175.00 for 8 weeks; after May 30th 199.00.
I will be speaking at the Sedona Vedic Astrology Conference Nov. 30-Dec. 3rd. Early bird registration is by May 30th. Register at www.sedonavedicastrology.com.Â
I will also be speaking in Chicago at UAC 2018 in late May on whether you can be successful in investing based on your chart karma. More details to follow.
