PLANETS AND THEIR ASPECTS.

                                 ARUN ROY MUKHERJEE

According to Indian system of astrology there are nine planets. Those are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Those together are known as “Nava Graha”.  According to the Indian system Earth is not considered as one of the planets but Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu are considered as planets. Astrology was invented in Babylon and gradually spread into other regions and places in the middle-east. The people in those countries at that time believed that earth is at the center of the universe and all objects in the sky, like the stars, planets etc. revolve round the earth. In fact that is how it appears from the earth. So they believed what appeared to be happening before their eyes. In those days, existence of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto was not known to those people. Therefore, those three planets were not considered. The Babylonian and Middle-east people also had no knowledge about Rahu and Ketu. In their scheme of things, Rahu and Ketu were not considered as planets. The subject was thereafter further developed by the Greeks. When astrology came to India from the middle-east Rahu and Ketu were not there as planets. Those two were added and inducted by the Indian astrologers.  The Indian astrologers also had no knowledge of the existence of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and therefore those three planets remained excluded from the list and group of “Nava Graha” conglomerate. After the invasion of India by the Greek Emperor Alexander, the result of the studies on the subject by the Greeks also came to India and the Indian astrologers had the opportunity of exchanging ideas with the Greek astrologers and their systems. The people in India, who studied and developed the subject most probably, also believed that earth is at the center of the universe and had faith in the Ptolemaic Geo-centric theory and they also considered Sun and Moon as planets and not what those actually are.  Astrologers in India, who follow the Indian system, till date  follow the same system and theories developed in those ancient times and consider Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu as planets and as forming part of the “Nava Graha”s.

Now we shall examine the aspects of planets. In astrology it is considered that the different planets cast aspect on the zodiac signs lying around the sky and also on any of the “Nava Graha” or “Nava Graha”s which come within the sphere of that zodiac sign. The zodiac signs are commonly known as “Houses” in astrology. The planets, according to Indian system of astrology, do not cast aspect equally on all houses (Zodiac signs). In some houses the planets cast aspect fully, and three-quarter, half and a quarter aspects in some others. The details of all the aspects of the planets is quite lengthy. Only the full aspects of the planets are discussed here.  According to astrology (Indian) Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus cast full aspect on the 7^th house only, counted from the house it is in.  Therefore if those planets are, say, in Libra, they cast total aspect on Aries only. Mars cast full or total aspect on the 4^th, 7^th and 8^th houses from its position in a zodiac. Therefore if Mars is in Aries it casts full aspect on Cancer, Libra and Scorpio.  Jupiter cast total aspect on 5^th, 7^th and 9^th houses from its position. If Jupiter is in Cancer, it casts total aspect on Scorpio, Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn casts full aspect on 3^rd, 7^th and 10^th houses from its position in a zodiac. If Saturn is in Capricorn, it casts full aspect on Pisces, Cancer and Libra only. If we chart out the position of the nine planets in a diagram making 12 zodiac signs appearing like a clock each occupying 30 degrees starting from the 12 O’clock position as Aries and moving anti-clock wise with Taurus, Gemini etc. ending with Pisces, (as is done in a Horoscope) we also find that those planets cast aspect anti-clock wise from the place it is situated.  However, only Rahu casts aspects clock-wise. It casts full aspects only on 5^th, 7^th, 9^th and 12^th places from its position and unlike other planets it casts aspects clock-wise. Ketu does not cast any aspect at all.

A Birth chart is prepared for every person according to the date, time and place of birth. Predictions are made on the basis of position of the planets in the sky at that particular time as mentioned above and according to their aspects. As discussed above Sun, Moon, Rahu & Ketu are considered as planets. We all know that Sun is a star and not a planet. Moon is a satellite of earth and not a planet. Rahu & Ketu also are not planets. No branch of science regards those as planets. When the very basis of astrology is erroneous and is not compatible with the knowledge acquired through research and  experiment, the predictions made on that basis do not have any scientific or logical authenticity. The predictions can be defined as mere guesses only. The other point is about the aspects cast by the said planets in astrology. We know that all the planets are round in shape. The planets rotate on their axis while revolving round the sun. The question is how a round object which rotates on its axis and also revolve round another object can cast any aspect, if at all possible for an inanimate object, so selectively at some directions and at various degrees. In that case it has to be assumed that the planets have consciousness, a mind, and also the power and organ to cast an aspect. But we know that the planets are inanimate objects in the sky. The planets are not living beings and do not have a conscious mind to make a decision and act accordingly. Astrologers have not also forwarded any evidence in support of the assumption that the planets have a conscious mind and can take decisions to cast aspect selectively in different directions and that those planets actually do so.

We, therefore, find that the very system and process of prediction according to astrology does not have any reasonable, logical and scientific basis.   

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