The Libra Ascendant -excerpt

Excerpt from In Search of Destiny: Biography, History & Culture As Told Through Vedic Astrology © 2012

Introduction

Libra is an active or Chara sign, the third Chara sign – after Aries and Cancer – and the only one to occur in the air element. As an air sign it is associated with the Vaishyas, the merchant or trading class. Tula is the Sanskrit word for Libra; it signifies balance and is often symbolized by the balancing scales.  Libra expresses Kama – the desire nature, especially the desire to be in relationship and to create a more harmonious environment.  At times the intensity of this desire can manifest in a very unbalanced way: Ascendant lord Venus is itself the planet of desire. Thus we observe closely the condition of Venus in the chart and as always, the natal Moon – ruling over the mind. In the process of seeking harmony and balance the Libra person may well create just the opposite. As Indian astrologer K.N. Rao is fond of saying: Libra and 7t h  house matters are either “marital” or “martial.”

Libra  is the  second  sign  to  be  ruled  by  Venus,  called  Shukra  in  Sanskrit,  and  signifying “brilliant light,” “heat,” and the reproductive fluid. But now we move into the more moveable and active  aspects  of  Venus,  as  opposed  to  Venus  in  fixed  earth  (Taurus).   In  the  more  urban  air sign, a sign of human interaction, we deal now with Venus in terms of the qualities of refinement and  its  more  mental  aspects  in  constructing  harmonious  relationships  through  marriage,  and arranging  a  more  harmonious  environment  through  aesthetics.  As  ruler  of  Libra,  Venus  rules over everything that is refined or sensual. This includes the fine arts, ornaments, luxury, vehicles, and physical beauty; also, the humanitarian qualities of love, sympathy and compassion. Venus rules over sex, sexual relations, and the seminal fluids. In the realm of Libra, we are now dealing with  civilized  behavior  in  one-on-one  relations,  so we are  concerned  with  what  rules apply to support such civilized behavior. Saturn, the planet of rules and structures is in its exaltation in the  sign  of  Libra  –  as  Saturn  sets  the  boundaries  for  how  civilized  relationships should  go.  It also rules over Time.

Venus is the karaka (significator) of marriage. While Venus rules over Taurus and Libra, it is exalted in Pisces – where it expresses the highest level of love. In Vedic spiritual terms this is devotion, or bhakti. When you are completely devoted to a person, you give without reservation. True devotion is selfless love: what can I give you that you need, without thought of how this benefits me? In Libra, relationship is more contractual, considering what is needed by each person. It is more human, and less godly. Nevertheless, bearing in mind human frailties and capabilities, Libra is the arena where human beings strive to work out their one-on-one relationships, notably in marriage and committed relationships. Though Vedic classic texts refer to the more traditional marriage between a man and a woman, in modern times Libra and the 7th  house need not be confined to that concept.

Since  all  air  signs  care  about  business  and  profits, being  the  Vaishya  (merchant  class), Libra cares about business relationships. The Libra-Aries house axis, as well as the classical houses 1 and 7 will always express what we hope to achieve not only with marriage or romantic partners, but also with our clients and business partners. If there are several planets in Libra or in the 7th house – in the birth chart or Navamsha chart – we will probably deal with a lot of partners or clients. The details of this will be described by the nature of the planets. For instance, the separative planets may create unions that quickly separate. Separative planets are the more tamasic planets: Saturn, Mars, Rahu, and Ketu. We have seen how Venus in association with Rahu and Ketu creates turbulence and unpredictability in relationships. Unlike Mercury or Moon, Venus is not as porous or as  easily  colored  by  the planets  near  it,  but  Venus  is  influenced to  some extent  by  planets  in contact with it – as with Rahu and Ketu above – or planets aspecting it. Venus is also affected by which sign it is in and in which house – from the Ascendant and secondarily from the Moon, both in the birth chart and the Navamsha chart. Further, how Venus operates is strongly related to the condition of its sign lord and its nakshatra lord. If in her own sign (swakshetra) of Taurus or Libra, Venus is very comfortable and confident. Whether friend or foe to Venus, much depends on whether the sign ruler is doing well in the chart and whether it is well situated by house, sign, and nakshatra. The nakshatra lord as Jiva (life force) will also be critical and generally performs better if it is a planetary friend to that Ascendant.

When Venus resides in the sign of a planetary friend it can do well, though there are exceptions: Venus  is  debilitated  in  the  sign  of  Virgo,  ruled  by  its  friend  Mercury.  Venus  is  exalted  in  the opposite sign Pisces, ruled by 6th lord Jupiter. To Venus, Jupiter is technically neutral, but to Jupiter, Venus is planetary enemy. Though both belong to the priestly class, there is unease between Venus and Jupiter for many reasons, one of which is described by the stories in the Puranas, in which Jupiter is advisor to the devas while Venus advises the opposite camp, the asuras. Though also in different planetary camps, Venus and Jupiter in mutual contact can bring great munificence. Even so, their enemy status to each other (notably Venus to Jupiter) is testimony to the likely possibility of excess, especially in their joint Dasha-Bhukti periods, whether Venus-Jupiter or Jupiter-Venus.1

The danger of excess is also present when Venus is in its own nakshatra. In Nadi Jyotisha, Venus is not considered to  bring good results when located in its own nakshatra. Venus belongs to  the active and passionate Rajasic guna, and since it rules three nakshatras occurring in the three fiery signs, the already rajasic condition of Venus is exacerbated.2 It brings too much attachment to action and passion, especially if Venus is the Ascendant lord placed in the Ascendant or a Kendra, as in the chart of Adolf Hitler. And for a national leader there are larger implications, as the 7th house becomes foreign relations and/or disputes; also, the battlefield. (Hitler’s Venus resides in the 7th house, along  with  three other planets.  He  saw Germany as “the world’s  battlefield” where the future of the globe would be decided.)

When the Ascendant lord of any chart is in the 6 th   house (or 6 th   lord is in the Ascendant), there is an Arishta Yoga, problematic for the physical health, more so if the Sun, Mars, and/or Ascendant  are  afflicted.  Venus  exalted  in  Pisces  is  the 6th  house  position  for  Libra  Ascendant, but is still not protected from health problems. As the karaka for love matters, Venus in the 6th house (even if exalted) is the least beneficial house placement, even if finances are protected, especially inheritance or income from a partner. For Libra Ascendant, this is due to the Viparita Raja yoga, with one Dusthana house lord in another Dusthana house – 8 th  lord in the 6th house. Since V irgo is the classic 6 th   s ign of the zodiac, to some extent Venus in the 6th house will tend to act like a debilitated Venus – an irony for the Libra Ascendant chart. And while sacrifice in and of itself is not bad for Venus, it brings some level of competition, conflict or sacrifice that has not been chosen voluntarily. The partner may be unavailable, ill, absent, or has other partner(s) he or she prefers.

The exaltation degree of Venus is at 27:00 Pisces in Revati nakshatra. If natal Venus is in Revati nakshatra there is often a major focus on service to those in need and/or to animals, as Revati’s deity  Pushan  is  the  Nourisher  and  Protector  of  animals  (including  cattle)  and  financial  wealth. Pushan is also caretaker of souls in transition from the land of the living to the land of the dead. Thus Venus in Revati may lead to a deep interest in helping the dying. Generally, exalted planets bring  exaggerated  life  situations,  and  with  Pisces  there  may  be  more  possibilities  for  Moksha (spiritual liberation), depending on various other factors.

Both Taurus and Libra Ascendants have the advantage that classic malefic planets Saturn and Rahu are good friends to Ascendant lord Venus and in the same planetary group. Saturn also has excellent status as Yogakaraka planet: it is both angular and trinal lord, owning Houses 4 and 5 from  Libra  Ascendant.  Nadi  yogakarakas,  or  best  planets  for  Libra  Ascendant  in  Nadi  Jyotisha are: Saturn, Rahu, Mercury and Moon, in that order. Since Venus rules the 8th house as well as the 1st  house, it does not achieve Nadi yogakaraka status.

Yogakarakas  are  planets  that  can  deliver  some  good  results  to  any  Ascendant,  especially  in their Dasha or sub-Dasha (Bhukti) period. For Libra Ascendant, Moon is an odd friend to Venus here, as the only other outright female graha, or planet and one that is in direct competition with it. In fact, though the Moon has no planetary enemies, both Sun and Moon are traditionally planetary enemies  from  the  perspective  of  Venus  in  the  Parashari  system.  However,  Moon  as Nadi yogakaraka  to  Libra  Ascendant  is  also  an  exception  to  the  rules  of  Kendradhipatya  dosha, in which Kendra lords become neutral.

Venus  is  both  the planet of charm and the planet of politics,  as we  see  in  the  charts of politicians. Vedic mythology presents Venus as Shukra, the inventor of political science and author of the Shukra-niti, the best known code of behavior and politics in all of Vedic literature. Venus has special powers of foresight as well as the capacity to restore life to those who have died. Venus is also the brightest object in the sky, after the Sun and the Moon, and as such joins the Sun and Moon as the three planets ruling over eyesight and vision. There are mythological reasons for this as well: Venus was blinded in one eye by Vishnu as a reprimand for overreaching his powers as a seer and in another story, Venus (Shukra) is blinded in one eye by Vishnu for creating obstacles toward the giving of charity. In both these myths in the Puranas, Venus was a man.

When Venus and Mars are intertwined in the chart and are also dominant through angularity or rulership of the Ascendant, it can indicate sexual energy that is either wasted or sublimated by the search for triumphant worldly power. There is an exaggerated need to fight and win battles, whether military, athletic, political, or social, including sexual conquests. By studying Venus and Mars in Vedic mythology we can understand this more deeply. The key manifestation of Venus in the form of a feminine deity is Lakshmi. She is associated with victorious kings, and attracted only to the bravest leaders who also win wars. She has both royal and spiritual authority. When Venus and Mars interact strongly there may be a willingness to sacrifice everything for a combination of  power  that  brings  both  pleasure  and  greater  control  over  life’s  circumstances.  Venus  is  the giver of material abundance, as is Jupiter; but the difference from Jupiter is that Venus is also the deity ruling over many kinds of wealth: beauty, pleasure, fertility, the arts, full harvests, wealth of courage, of conveyances (cars or elephants), progeny, victory, knowledge, and monetary wealth.

The purpose of Mars, especially in the mythology of Skanda, is to have immense strength and be victorious in battle above all. Towards this end he remains forever young, vital, and unscathed by life’s competitions. Most admired when he contains his sexual potency, he is associated with chastity,  his only  wife being  the  Army of  the  gods. In  the Puranic  literature, Skanda  was  born from the “spilling” of Shiva’s seed that gets spread by the gods of Fire and Wind. He destroys the external enemies or the internal vices of his devotees. No woman was involved in Skanda’s birth. Meanwhile, Lakshmi was born out of the ocean, emerging out of the purity of the lotus, unsullied by the mud in which the lotus grows. She is the Great Mother who fulfills desires, the water of fulfillment and the flowering of Divine grace and love.

With these qualities of both Lakshmi and Skanda, the close interaction of their planetary counterparts Venus and Mars in the astrological chart can bring an enormous quest for power. It may appear at times like the search for meaning within marriage or partnership, but more likely sexual energy will be either wasted or sublimated by the search for victory and worldly power. This dominates all other life themes, and the most important decisions are made in order to achieve it.  If  Venus  and Mars are aligned  with more purely  ascetic Moksha influences, then  themes of Moksha (spiritual liberation) will dominate the life. The whole chart would have to be considered. But Venus is the planet of desire, and the true spiritual master is free of desire, with no fear or anger over whether desires are met.

Nakshatras contained in Libra are: Chitra (starting from 23:20 Virgo, in the previous sign) 0 – 6:40 Libra (ruled by  Mars), Swati 6:40 – 20:00  Libra (ruled by Rahu), Vishakha 20:00 – 30:00  Libra (ruled by Jupiter). The Libra Ascendant, or any planet situated in one of these three nakshatras is colored by being: 1) in Libra, ruled by Venus; 2) in one of these three nakshatras, ruled by Mars, Rahu, or Jupiter, respectively; and 3) by aspects to the Ascendant and Ascendant lord Venus.

Again, the best planets for Libra Ascendant (and also Nadi yogakarakas) are: Saturn, Rahu, Mercury, and Moon, in that order. Saturn is exalted in Libra, maximum exaltation at 20:00 Libra. Sun is debilitated in Libra, maximum debilitation at 10:00 Libra.

1  See Chapter 4, Taurus Ascendant, Charts #7 (Theodore Prostokoff) and #8 (Martha Graham).

2  See  Glossary  and  Chapter  2  on  Gunas.  Mercury  and  Jupiter  are  classical  benefics  assigned  to  Sattvic  gunas.  (Thus Mercury’s  Sattvic guna also lessens  Venus’s  sting  when  debilitated  in  Virgo.)  As  such,  Mercury  and  Jupiter  are  generally less  troublesome   and  operate  more  smoothly  and peacefully  unless  they  are  afflicted  by  difficult  configurations.  This is  also  generally  true  of  zodiacal  signs  ruled  by  classical  benefics,  both  in  the birth chart or the  Navamsha chart. But Venus in its own nakshatras departs from this rule, as does any planet or combination of planets that are more afflicted.

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Chart examples:

1)   Adolf Hitler, Austrian-born German military and political leader, 1933-45

2)   Mahatma Gandhi, Indian lawyer and political leader

3)   Ammachi (full name: Mata Amritanandamayi), Indian saint, spiritual leader

4)   Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American famous family, U.S. First Lady 1961-63

Author’s notes, Oct. 2015:

The Libra Ascendant chapter, from In Search of Destiny, 2012, (pp. 389-495) includes in-depth coverage of the four Example Charts given above, followed by two pages with questions on the Libra Ascendant charts, reviewing all charts. Continuing the Libra theme, and with transiting Sun and Mercury currently in Libra – we note a number of recurring issues.  First of all, since Libra and its ruler Venus are intertwined with the polar opposite sign Aries and its ruler Mars, especially highlighted are themes of war and peace, efforts at diplomacy to resolve wars, disputes, and major issues of income and gender inequalities. Tr. Venus and Mars were together in Cancer Aug. 13 to Sept. 16, 2015, in Leo Oct. 1 to Nov. 3, 2015, and together again in Virgo Nov. 3-29, 2015. They reunite briefly in Libra Dec. 23-24, 2015 before tr. Mars spends some six months in Scorpio, Feb. 20 – June 17; July 12 – Sept. 17, 2016.   The next major contact between Venus and Mars is one-way, when tr. Mars in Scorpio aspects tr. Venus in Aquarius: March 7-31, 2016. We have discussed the exaggerated need to fight and win battles with Venus-Mars mutual aspects or contacts.  Thus, we could expect more of that during these periods.

Remember too that Tula is the Sanskrit word for Libra, signifying balance. Its symbol is the balancing scales. So when we look at global inequalities, we see those caused by civil unrest, wars, climate change and the dominant and mostly unregulated practices of the financial and banking industries. They represent the majority of the super rich, including the newly super rich, who – at 0.1% of the U.S. population own as much of the national wealth as do the bottom 90% of the U.S. population. The same story is repeated globally, but is particularly striking in the U.S., where from Jan. 2010 onward they can legally buy elections.  As of late 2009, Wall Street and the big financial institutions had already spent $5 billion over ten years, i.e. $500 million per year, to influence legislation to go in their favor in U.S. Congress. In the televised debate Oct. 13, 2015, Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders put it this way: “Congress doesn’t regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates Congress!”

When tr. Sun passes through Libra (Oct. 17 to Nov. 15, 2015), with a New Moon at 24:56 Libra on Nov. 11, 2015, we note that Venus is in a Parivartana yoga (mutual exchange) with the Sun from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2, 2015.  This Parivartana yoga also creates a Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga for the Sun, correcting the debilitated status of the Sun in Libra as long as transiting Venus remains in Leo.  This is a beneficial exchange, notably for the debilitated Sun in Libra.  The Sun signifies leaders and leadership, among other things. But the current status of Venus is complicated and intensified by its close contact with both Mars and Jupiter the entire time it passes through Leo, with several Graha Yuddhas (Planetary Wars) with both Mars and Jupiter. Venus transits through Leo from Oct. 1 through Nov. 3, 2015.  However, even in Virgo, where it is debilitated, Venus continues its pairing with Mars, this time joining up with both Mars and Rahu in Virgo from Nov. 3 to Nov. 29, 2015.

A birth chart with Venus and Mars mutual contacts can manifest as a major quest for power as a dominant life theme, depending on other factors which may soften the effect. Venus together with Jupiter can create excess and/or abundance, again depending on other planetary configurations in the chart.  But when Venus, Mars, and Jupiter transit close together in the same sign, we see the expansion of that power quest.  And when Venus enters Virgo, it only intensifies further due to the Venus contact with Mars and Rahu (the eclipse axis), destabilizing it and making it a much less peaceful energy.  The Parivartana yoga between Mercury in Libra and Venus in Virgo (Nov. 3 to Nov. 17, 2015) modifies the combination slightly, at the same time creating another Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga, mostly because Mercury and Venus speak more sweetly and softly, appearing at least verbally to arrive with an olive branch. But in the current planetary configurations for Oct.-Nov. 2015 this is just covering over the strong desire nature that is so intrinsically Venusian. Thus, we should watch the transits of Venus throughout the period when tr. Sun is in Libra (Oct. 17 to Nov. 15, 2015), as well as when tr. Sun is in Scorpio (Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 2015), as Scorpio is owned by Mars, and tr. Mars will conjoin tr. Venus and Rahu in Virgo Nov. 3-29, 2015.   This combination could indicate some deeper malaise due to war, power shifts, and inequalities between people, both within or beyond nations or races.  Political campaigns can also shift gears during this time window.  With his Virgo Ascendant and Venus-Mars in Pisces in the 7th house, Republican candidate Jeb Bush may find Nov. 2015 very challenging and perhaps decisive for his presidential bid.

To mention just a few of these larger issues, in mid-October 2015 statistics became available showing that for the first time China has surpassed the U.S. in its number of billionaires. The top four are China, U.S., India and Russia, India just recently having superseded Russia as number #3 in its total of billionaires.  China currently produces five new billionaires per week, with 596 of them as of Oct. 15, 2015, compared to only 536 in the U.S.  Meanwhile, income inequality has widened in many countries, the U.S. now ranking 4th out of 141 countries with the widest degree of income inequality, lagging only behind Russia, Ukraine and Lebanon, according to economist Robert Reich. With the increasingly unregulated financial industry accounting for the biggest gains in wealth, and more and more global wealth for millionaires and billionaires, more and more citizens fall into poverty, infrastructures remain unrepaired, and higher education remains beyond reach for many.

Those with the Ascendant or many planets in Libra can be strongly affected in Oct. and Nov.2015. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has natal Sun, Venus and Mercury Retrograde in the Libra Ascendant.   She was even more prominently in the news in late Oct. 2015, overcoming several major hurdles to her presidential campaign, but with still over a year to go and many potential pitfalls along the way to gaining the Democratic Party’s nomination as presidential candidate. Astrologically this is pinpointed by the Mars transits through Gemini or Scorpio.  Applicable now is tr. Mars in Scorpio in 2016, from Feb. 20 to June 17, 2016; and July 12 – Sept. 17, 2016.  (Please see my article on Hillary Clinton and the U.S. Presidential Election 2016. It appeared in the May 2015 issue of Astrologic magazine.) During this period Mars in Scorpio is ranked zero bindus in Clinton’s birth chart, creating problems for her and potentially weakening her power base and her campaign. Since Venus is her Ascendant lord, this could be especially noticeable when tr. Mars in Scorpio aspects tr. Venus and natal Moon in Aquarius March 7-31, 2016.  At that time she will be in Sun- Mars Dasha, with natal Sun in Libra in the Ascendant and natal Mars in Cancer in the 10th house.

Hillary Clinton’s chief Democratic Party contender is Bernie Sanders, who with his natal Sun and Rahu in Leo is also impacted by this tr. Venus-Mars interplay. As of the last week of October 2015 he is  beginning to  attack  Clinton more  directly  as  the  “establishment candidate,” while  specifying various differences in both their major policies and their history on some of these policies.  Using my rectified Ascendant of 16:44 Gemini (Sept. 8, 1941, 1:05 am EWT, Brooklyn, King’s county, NY, USA), Sun and Rahu are in Sanders’ 3rd  house.   He is in the favorable Rahu-Venus period (Vimshottari Dasha)  from March 16, 2015 through March 16, 2018, covering the entire presidential campaign period up to the election and beyond.

Hillary Clinton (Oct. 26, 1947, 7:56 am CST (EH rectified), Chicago, IL, USA),  is currently in Sun- Moon period (Vimshottari Dasha) up to Jan. 2, 2016, followed by Sun-Mars (Jan. 2 to May 9, 2016), and Sun-Rahu  (May 9, 2016 to April 2, 2017).  Her natal Sun in Libra is in a 6-8 relationship with natal Rahu in Taurus.  In the Navamsha chart her natal Sun in Sagittarius is in the 7th house and Rahu is in the Navamsha 8th  house with exalted Mars in Capricorn.  This is not an ideal combination for presidential victory.   Add to this the Nadi yoga (exchange of nakshatra lords) between Sun and Rahu.  That is, Sun is in Swati nakshatra, ruled by Rahu; and Rahu is in Krittika nakshatra, ruled by the Sun.   A Nadi yoga adds power and importance to the two planets, but it is also pivotal to consider whether they are planetary friends (they are not), and whether they are in harmonious house relationship (they are not, with 6-8 or 2-12).  It implies some unorthodox approach and some major fight on her hands, as Rahu is Saturn-like, and Saturn and the Sun are planetary enemies. (Coincidentally, Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump both have natal Sun conjunct Rahu. For Trump, the Sun is his Ascendant lord and the combination is in his 10th house.) If the economy worsens into 2016, which is likely, Clinton will have to prove that her policies as the establishment candidate overwhelmingly supported by Wall Street will be more effective than those proposed by Bernie Sanders, at least in the initial contest for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.

Sanders and Clinton currently differ a lot on how they would fix Wall Street.  Among other things, Sanders would reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, which was repealed by President Bill Clinton in Nov. 1999, paving the way for the big 2008 meltdown. The Glass-Steagall Act (the U.S. Banking Act of 1933) separated commercial banks from investment banks. It was intended to protect consumers from fraudulent lending practices and speculation by the banks. There was pressure to repeal it starting from President Reagan’s era, 1981-1989. Meanwhile, the current Republican presidential candidates   continue to court Wall Street, protect lower taxes for corporations and the wealthy, keep wages and workers’ unions weak, and minimize the realities of income inequality, along with the realities of climate change and its connection to fossil fuels. The Republicans have tried for years to dismantle major social safety nets established by Democratic administrations: Social Security (1935) and Medicare (1965).  The current leading Republican candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, have not veered from these current Republican policies, which have gained momentum since the early 1970s.

For Bernie Sanders, Venus – his current Dasha lord – is the best planet for Gemini Ascendant as Nadi Yogakaraka.  Venus is debilitated in Virgo in the 4th  house, while contacting exalted Mercury also in Virgo opposite 10th  house Moon in Pisces and receiving an aspect from natal Jupiter in Taurus. This Venus is Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga, just as Hillary Clinton’s current Dasha lord is also Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga. Both Democratic candidates have started with some disadvantages (notably  Sanders)  and  have  become  elevated  in  status.  The  benefit  to  Sanders  is  that  Venus becomes stronger through multiple factors, including Digbala (directional strength, being in the best possible angle of the sky).  In the Navamsha chart, Sanders’ Venus is Vargottama in Virgo in the 7th house.    Fortunately  Navamsha  Venus  again  gains  Neecha  Bhanga  Raja  yoga  status,  elevating Sanders from a disadvantaged position; and also fortunately, the sub-lord Rahu is more compatible to Venus as a Saturn-like planet, while both Venus and Rahu are in angles of the Navamsha chart, Venus in the 7th house with Jupiter, and Rahu in the 10th house, giving all these planets more power to bear fruit in a worldly sphere.  Lastly, his Ascendant lord Mercury is in the Pisces Navamsha Ascendant, Digbala, Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga.  Sanders grew up in a family for whom money was a constant struggle.  He developed a deep understanding of the economic issues along with an ability to address them in the political arena.  He could well be the recipient of an election surge due to a public realization of the larger economic and political situation in the U.S., especially if there is a significant economic downturn in 2016, as I expect.

In late Oct. 2015 we have seen the start of some real battles between the leading presidential candidates, and it could get more heated during Nov. 3-29,  2015 as tr. Venus, Mars and Rahu travel together through Virgo, impacting tr. Sun in both Libra (Oct. 17 to Nov. 15, 2015), and Scorpio (Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 2015), as mentioned.  With Rahu involved, the usual balance of power can be upset.  For example, there are already two debate forums scheduled for Nov. 2015 that are “unsanctioned” by the Democratic Party establishment, one on Nov. 6, 2015 and one mid-November.  But the larger upset to the system would be if a non-corporate backed candidate rose to the top, also one not protecting corporations and the wealthiest class, as are Donald Trump and Ben Carson, no matter how much they are “outsider candidates.”  The only candidate of that description in either party is Bernie Sanders.

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Selected References:

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Copyright © 2012, 2015 by Edith Hathaway. All rights reserved.

Edith Hathaway is an international consultant in practice since 1980, author, teacher, and lecturer of Vedic astrology and among the few contemporary astrologers trained and certified in systems of both East and West.  She was a Founding member of the American Council of Vedic Astrology and since 1992 has served as a faculty and board member of both the American Council and American College of Vedic Astrology. She has received numerous certificates and awards from leading astrological organizations, including the Jyotish Brihaspati, the highest award given by the Council of Vedic Astrology (CVA). Her articles and lectures are available at her website www.edithhathaway.com, along with testimonials and reviews of her most recent book, In Search of Destiny: Biography, History & Culture As Told Through Vedic Astrology, 2012. It is available in both paperback and Kindle e‐book versions at Amazon USA, Amazon Europe and elsewhere. See her website store for her lectures on video or mp3s along with accompanying PDF files.

New at the web store – Sept. 2015! The re-release of Edith’s 2002 Audio course, The Vedic Chart: An Expert Guide Through the 12 Ascendants. The 12 audio cassettes are now available for purchase as mp3s, either as a collection or selectively, along with a Short version PDF (22 pp.) and a Full version PDF (84 pp.), both containing Addenda with updates on both birth data and biographical data.  The Full version PDF comes with the 12 mp3s and contains all 62 charts and birth data. This 18 ½ hour collection qualifies for at least 20 credits in most Vedic astrology accreditation programs in the United States and elsewhere.