BASICS OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY

LESSON 1- J
INFLUENCE OF PLANETS ON HOUSES
Each planet positioned in the birth chart influences other houses in the chart in a particular way. All the planets including Rahu and Ketu influence the opposition houses and also planets positioned in the opposition house i.e. in 7th house (180 and 210 degrees). Jupiter besides influencing 7th house, also influences 5th (120-150 degrees) and 9th houses (240-270 degrees) and planets positioned in those houses. Mars besides influencing 7th house also influences 4th (90-120 degrees) and 8th houses (210-240 degrees). Saturn besides influencing 7th house also influences 3rd (60-90 degrees) and 10th houses (270-300 degrees). The above degrees or houses are to be calculated from where the planet is positioned. An example: If Mars is positioned in Taurus, it influences Leo (4th house), Scorpio (7th house) and Sagittarius (8th house) and the planets positioned in those houses.
The above influence of planets is called “graha drishti” in Sanskrit.
The influence of planets on other houses is vaguely discussed in some texts. But in practice in a large number of horoscopes, the influence of planets positioned in 5th and 9th houses, which are called trines, can be visualized to a considerable extent, particularly during their main and sub periods. Also sometimes, the planets positioned in adjacent houses also influence each other. If two or three planets are positioned in a row in different houses, then also some chain connection among these planets can be visualized in the horoscopes.
A similar influence of planets positioned in squares (also called angular houses) i.e. 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses is also widely in practice.
The features mentioned in the above two paragraphs are not treated as graha drishti. The planetary influences on each other, placed in trines cannot be treated as yoga. The planetary combinations occur in angular houses are known as yogas and discussed separately in Yogas in the coming articles.