EYE ON ASTROLOGY:Â FOCUS ON DEBILITATED PLANETS
When the astrologers uses the word “debilitated”, their clients often cringe. Its one of the words we need to take out of our vocabulary. It really means that we have to work 3 times as hard to get results out of that planet and that we have to go to remedial classes to learn the rules of the planet.  It does not mean that we are doomed to the dungeon. Karmically a debilitated planet means we may not have learned the deep archetypal lessons of that planet so a debilitated Venus in Virgo means we need extra work to do on relationships or a debilitated Sun means we have extra work to do on confidence.
Komilla Sutton talking on the subject says:
It is also an area of life that has been overused or abused in a previous life, now it has to be nurtured and strengthened. The planet lack effectiveness to give results as you may have consumed all they had in the previous lifetimes. It should not be totally unfavorable if you recognize the weakness and start putting back the energy.
The houses that the weak planets are placed in may color negatively or positively the issues and each planet really needs it own guide of placements in 12 houses.  When the debilitated planet is the ascendant lord, it may impact health negatively. There are some combinations that are particularly difficult. For example, Sun does the worst in the 12th house where it is has no ability to shine and is not seen so a debilitated Sun in Libra in the 12th may cause extreme difficult with self-esteem, recognition and status. A debilitated Sun in the 10th for Capricorn rising may have some status at work but may be imbalanced with power trips and control issues if afflicted by other maleficts but if unafflicted or supported by Jupiter, may be able to humbly work with people together in teams and feel recognized by their contributions. This gives you some idea of the 144 combinations that debilitated planets can create.
Sometimes debilitated planets get more caught up in their material existence and lose sight of their more subtle essence. Again Komilla Sutton beautifully elaborates: “This is such a tough choice for debilitated planets to embrace what they don’t fully understand or enjoy the world that is around them. They tend to get lost in the worldliness, enjoying the gross matter, trying to find answers in the living world and forget to be in touch with this highly subtle energy that they cannot describe, understand or know.”
Below is a guide to when the debilitated planet is connected to the rising sign:
Our goal is to think outside the box and not get caught up in worthless words like exalted and debilitation but to be able to understand what they mean specifically.
In Part 1, I am covering Mars, Jupiter, Venus and the Moon and in Part 2 I will cover Mercury, Saturn and the Sun. In Part 3, I will cover Rahu and Ketu.  I have put together a guide to why planets are debilitated in different signs and for time sake, I will split up its analysis into three articles since many do not have time for long articles.   A series on exalted planets will come out also.
MARS DEBILITATED IN THE SIGN OF CANCER:
Mars is debilitated in Cancer as the warrior has great discomfort with emotions which leads them to cover it up with intellectual activity or glory in action.  This can lead to inaction and lack of courage like a declawed cat. Either complacency or aggression is a negative outcome. Mars does not do well in its natural 4th house so for Aries rising, he gets lost being stuck at home (4th house) and needs to be at work and in action in the 10th house getting recognition and status. One has to understand what Mars debilitation means. It is not necessarily as bad as one things but that Mars is out of its nature in that it goes for comfort and ease rather than being able to fight and confront. If you have Mars in Cancer, you need to challenge yourself with difficult tasks, seek adventure and getting out of your comfort zone.
For Scorpio rising, Mars is debilitated in the 9th house where anger at Guru or father can create deep intensity or there just may never be enough energy to act on the spiritual part despite the desire.
MOON DEBILITATED IN SCORPIO:
Scorpio is too watery as it represents swamps and water is stagnant and does flow. Emotions need to flow to get processed – there is nothing worse than getting stuck in a negative emotion. Yet Moon in Scorpio can do this and make one quite obsessive at times. Scorpio is a fixed sign and the mind can become too static and stuck in their ways and unable to flow with alternative thinking and other’s opinions and often they are blind to their fundamental and stuck views of the world.
Scorpio rising has trouble with a debilitated moon because the moon owns the 9th house of father and Guru, and Moon in Scorpio has trouble accessing the power of the Guru and implementing spiritual teachings. They may stay entangled in a world of upheavals as long as they get gripped by obsessive power plays and fantasies. The intensity of Moon in the 1st house creates a continue emotional quagmire of emotional upsets. Moon in Scorpio can be a bit volcanic and too much deep self-deprecation and emotional process can leave Scorpio rising raw too much of the time and unable to deal with the emotional world and their natural water element.  Moon gets stuck in the 8th house where emotional flow is stagnant so Aries rising with Moon in Scorpio have the most difficulty.
VENUS IN VIRGO:
Poor discrimination about relationships or being hyper-critical (Virgo) in relationship destroys the ability to flow. Poor self-esteem leads to picking bad mates. Expanded and compassionate and artistic qualities are lost in low self-esteem and fault finding. For Taurus rising, Venus in Virgo, Venus owns the 6th and is in the 5th. For them, too much sexual energy in romance and lack of relationship skills can lead to health problems, over-eating or sensual indulgences. Problems with fault-finding with children or co-works can spoil this planet. 6th house is house of celibacy and connection for Venus to 5th house of romance for Taurus is challenging if they attract a partner who is not as sexual.
For Libra: Venus owns the 8th and is in the 12th. There is a tendency to fall into excessive sensual delight at the expense of proper discrimination for meditation or spirituality and and that often leads to complicated or casual spiritual connections.
JUPITER DEBILITATED IN CAPRICORN:
Jupiter is constrained by conservatism and commercial enterprise it it goes against its love of wisdom and knowledge and teaching being stuck in business. It is Marana Karaka Sthana in the 3rd house where the play of kama and the senses takes it off its dharmic nature for knowledge and Moksha. For Sagittarius rising, Jupiter debilitated in the 2nd house, harms wealth and self-esteem when ultra-conservative values replace Dharma into fanaticism.  Jupiter in Capricorn can be too tamaic and this can lead to frugality and practicality rather than pursuing wisdom and deep spiritual unfoldment.
For Pisces, Capricorn the place of debilitation is connected to the 11th. That means pushing too hard for money can lead to a burn-out and health problems and is against the flow of Pisces. Debilitated Jupiter becomes too optimistic and naive and this can lead too over-optimistic leading to disappointment.
As always, I stand on the shoulders of great teachers. Special thanks to Sam Geppi and his book The Ascendant for some of the insights from this article and to Bill Levacy for his deep psychological insights and to Sanjay Rath and Komilla Sutton for their deep understanding.  Look for Part 2 soon but this is an exhaustive subject and really requires an article for each rising sign.
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