There is something more about astrology and astral body...
“Nadi nakshatra thik hoto saphal haye sab karma, nahito biphal hoto haye sab dharma.”— Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya
It was a strange coincidence when I came across this note from Lahiri Mahasaya in his diary, in the book Purana Purusha. It was the same morning I was thinking about astrology while walking my dog, and a potential conceptual model started falling into place.
I think this thought should resonate even if you believe in Astrology or not. So, I offer.
We would all agree that planets do exist, and they carry an invisible force called gravity that acts on other celestial bodies. They also carry specific energies. If we talk about the Moon and the Sun, for example - the Moon exerts cool energy and the Sun is hot. In the same way, all major planets have some specific sort of energy that they carry because of the mass and material mix they prominently carry.
So, the two things that we are considering here are:
Gravity pull
Material energy
Now, would you agree that at any given point in this Universe, let alone Earth, all planets and celestial bodies would be acting these two invisible forces on that point? And based on their relative position from that point, some bodies might be exerting more impact than others, but nevertheless, every celestial body would be putting in some force.
Now think about what Jyotisha or Astrology does.At a given point and place in time - your birth date and place - when a new independent life energy is born, that point is under the influence of all these invisible planetary influences.
I will take it a step further.
I think that the natal birth-time energy is locked in the person/soul that breathes its first breath. That is your natal chart, or Lagna chart.
Now, based on that time's planetary positions, all 9 planets would be in some sign and some nakshatra. 360 degrees of space is divided into these 12 signs and further into 27 nakshatras.
Now, if we go to the basics of these signs, they have different categories like fixed, movable, and dual; or elemental qualities like earth, air, water, and fire; etc. And these categories define the nature and environment of that sign — like how much flexibility they have, etc.
Think of it as viscosity and adaptability.
Some signs, like Aries (fire and movable/cardinal), would give more room for someone to play and initiate things, while others, like Taurus (earth and fixed), would be more grounded, and changing things within it would be like trying to move while immersed deep under the earth/soil.
You get the idea.
Movable and air might give the most flexibility for change, whereas Earth and Fixed would be harder.
Why is this important?
Because at the time of birth, when you are encoded with the planetary energies, they get architected into your subtle body/energy system based on which signs those planets occupy at that time.
Now comes the interesting part.
If we are so encoded with these configurations, can we change anything or do anything about it?And I think the answer is still within the planetary configuration and their natal signs.
Now, our great rishis had a solution for this too.
They said the natal chart shows the promise, but how it will manifest can be seen from some additional charts, which are called divisional charts.And a very important one among the divisional charts is D9, or Navamsha. This is usually considered, in a very raw and mostly inaccurate way, as the after-marriage chart. Well, I believe this chart shows how the native will mature over time.
So, what did the rishis do?
They recalculated the planetary positions based on certain rules and algorithms, where essentially each sign is further divided into 9 parts, and then based on:a. position/degrees of the planetb. sign element (fire, earth, air, water)the placement of the planet is recalculated.
This gives a new placement of the planets.
This is beautiful, because I think what they did with this was calculate which planet's energy configuration in the body can change over time (based on the sign it occupied in the natal chart) and by how much.
Note: Why divide the Lagna chart by the number 9?It is said to be closely aligned with Nakshatras. There are 27 nakshatras with 4 stages/padas each, making it a 27 × 4 = 108 padas (notice another connection with the sacred number 108?!), giving 9 padas (108 / 12 signs) for each zodiac sign.
So, based on the element of the sign and nakshatras, D9 or Navamsha gives us a potential blueprint of how the native will evolve over time.
And it is important to note: over time — not after marriage or after 35 years.
These are taken as symbolic markers because even Saturn (about a 30-year cycle), the slowest-moving planet, completes a full zodiac cycle in around that time. And so, taking about 30/35 years means that all the planets would have passed through each zodiac sign at least once, allowing the native or person to evolve or work through that planet's significations in each area of his/her life.
Closing back the thought loop:
When a person takes their first breath, an energetic configuration is locked into the energetic or subtle body.
Based on the planetary and sign positions at that time, some energetic codes can be changed over time, while others could be more difficult.
The moving planets and their configuration at any given point in time, called transit/gochar, are always sending signals to the energetic body.
Based on their intensity and position, and the energetic body's configuration and malleability, the impact happens in the person.
And here we think that we have free will. :)
Final thought on Lahiri Mahasaya's note
If a person is born under the right planetary conditions, where the person's energetic body configuration has not come pre-hardened too much, then the soul might have the flexibility to correct and align some parts of its journey. Else, even right action can't do much.
Side note: I think the soul's birth configuration, which allows for continuous feedback and kind of auto-alignment, might be more susceptible to spiritual growth.
But more on that later.
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