“Happiness with Vehicles”
The Shodamsa reveals our overall composure, happiness and emotional equilibrium. This varga is the divisional chart to analyze for emotional and psychological problems in addition to any mental illness yogas in the Birth Chart. It is rather odd that an entire varga is devoted to happiness with vehicles at a time when vehicles were used sparsely. The moksha houses are designed to free us from worldly suffering. Moving across territory can be painful, puts stress on the body and is tiring. Vehicles such as wagons, bicycles, skateboards, boats, horses, camels and cars make the journey more comfortable than walking.
In an esoteric sense, the main vehicle is our own body that conveys us from one place to another and from one experience to another. Our body is the vehicle we use to propel us down the path of Earthly life. The Ascendant rules the body but it is also our life’s path. The Descendant or seventh cusp rules the death of the body and the end of the path. Having the body as a vehicle for the consciousness is the main meaning of the Shodamsa. How happy we are with our physical vehicle as it travels down the path of life is the main esoteric consideration of this varga.
The person may experience the road of life as bumpy or smooth. They may feel every little jar that life throws at them and stress about minor annoyances. An afflicted Shodamsa can show someone who suffers from OCD. If the person has a laid-back attitude in general to the unavoidable stresses in life and do not allow these to disrupt their emotional equilibrium then they possess a well-disposed Shodamsa. If the person constantly complains about situations, people or has anxiety about fully engaging in life because of all the adversities that may happen, then the Shodamsa will most likely show affliction.
The reason this varga is so important is because it is the inner varga that correlates to our spiritual development through emotional anchoring. This emotional anchoring is an attitude, a feeling of comfort as we go through life. This feeling arises because the person has a natural trust that everything will work out not because of outer circumstances but because they know they can handle whatever life throws at them.
Sometimes we encounter people who become stressed very easily. They may present themselves as spiritual but they are not anchored in spiritual truth or buffered against the natural hardships of life on Earth. What makes the journey of life stressful is it is always changing. This varga shows show a person adapts to the every-changing terrain of life.
How to Calculate
Each Sign is divided into sixteen parts of 1 degree 52 minutes and 30 seconds each. Planets that occupy the moveable Signs are counted from Aries. Planets in fixed Signs are counted from Leo and planets in Dual Signs are counted from Sagittarius.
Important Planets and Bhavas
The key planet to examine is Venus because Venus rules vehicles, therapy, comfort, healing, and rejuvenation through food and drink. Venus is the nurse and the poet and can find meaning where there is none.
When we experience challenges, Venus gives us the feeling of being fulfilled so we already have a natural feeling of fulfillment and the adversities do not bother us so much. The fulfillment arises from our emotional happiness and satisfaction and we have a firm foundation in spiritual truth.
The element of water is ruled by Venus. Water rejuvenates and heals us when we feel drained. When we are emotionally wounded, it is the water element through its expression in happy and peaceful emotions that soothes us. When Venus is well disposed in the Shodamsa, a person naturally heals after disappointments or tragedies. The bumps along the road of life do not bother them as much.
According to Jaimini, Venus denotes poetry and prophecy. Poetry allows us to see meaning in mundane, everyday things or to see deeply into reality and reveal esoteric secrets of the phenomenal world.
The key house cusp is the fourth cusp. The seventh cusp is secondary in importance. The seventh is important because it is the fourth from the fourth but also because it represents the partner and other people in general. If we are embraced by our partner or the public and believe in the goodness of others and/or trust our partner, this goes a long way in buffering us against the adversities of life.
In addition to the fourth and seventh house cusps, analyze the fourth and seventh Signs from Venus.
It is also helpful to examine Mars. Mars and Venus work together. A harmed Mars can cause anxiety and panic because the fire element is out of control.
If there are afflictions to the factors mentioned above, to improve it is important to get stronger emotionally and spiritually, to grow stronger spiritual roots.
Presiding Deities
The Shodamsa is the first varga of the inner life and is ruled by some heavy-hitting deities. Aja (Brahma), Vishnu, Hara (Shiva) and Surya are the deities in that order in odd Signs repeated four times. The reverse order for even Signs.
Aja
Aja is the unborn, creative principle, existing in ideas. Ideas that we hold about ourselves and the world are how we go about navigating life. Navigating is a word that is related to a particular vehicle, the ship. Planets ruled by Aja are attitudes that are not expressed in the phenomenal world but held by the person, like a special secret. Sometimes ideas are held because they are considered sacred by the person, and these are reflected in planets that are well-disposed. Planets that are harmed are held in secret because the person is ashamed of them or fears retribution by society. This shame and fear cause the native to be sensitive when the energies of that planet are activated.
Vishnu
Vishnu is the maintainer of the phenomenal world. He sustains all of creation. Planets and house cusps that are harmed and ruled by Vishnu are not maintained properly and end up causing anxiety and stress. In fact, the person does not manage the planetary energies properly either by neglect or over-management. If the planet or house cusp is Rasi-aspected by Rahu, then the person does not have enough experience with that planet or house cusp to manage its significations well, thus making mistakes in those areas. These mistakes cause a lot of anxiety and stress. If the planet or house cusp is harmed by Saturn, the person has many problems and set-backs while trying to manage that planetary energy emotionally. Saturn can also cause an inner separation from those things Saturn influences and when encountered, the person has bad luck with those things.
Hara
As Hara, Shiva is the god that destroys evil. Hara is a Sanskrit word that means “removing”, “taking away”, “destroyer”.
Hara represents the purifying power of destruction and paves the way for new creation and redemption on both the universal and personal levels. Hara destroys ignorance, illusion and evil, all imperfections that must be removed for yogis to continue their inner transformation and spiritual growth along the path to enlightenment.
Planets and house cusps ruled by Hara destroy that which causes anxiety and stress if they are well-disposed. Planets and house cusps that are harmed and ruled by Hara destroy that which gives peace and contentment, usually by overly scrutinizing the planet’s energies. By overly focusing on the planet and attempting to make its expression perfect, the native becomes agitated and stressed.
Surya
Surya represents the Sun and the expressed creative principle. Planets here indicate new phenomena that brings happiness and contentment. The Sun always indicates something new and something that expresses our unique individuality. Planets ruled by Surya will be happy and comforted by new things or original actions and ideas. Anything connected with the Sun is also something that is consistent and lasts a long time. Consistency and steadfastness will bring an abundant peacefulness with the particular planetary energies. If the planet is afflicted and ruled by Surya, the person may be timid and inconsistent with the indications of that planet and new things of that planet will cause stress and irritation.
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