Exaltation Debilitation and Horas
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Vedic Astrology Club Members Ask:
How Do We Know Where Planets Are Exalted Or Debilitated?
Some Background • The ancient sutras (teachings) written by the sages about Vedic astrology often assume the listener/reader knows the traditional order of the planets: • Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu • When the sutras list only 7 of something, they are referring to the visible planets only (not Rahu or Ketu). Graha Sutras • There are many Graha Sutras giving information about the planets (Grahas), sometimes in a terse form. • The “rule” of the Sutra (aphorism) sometimes needs to be pondered a bit in order to understand it. • In the ancient days, Vedic Astrology was taught through oral transmission, and there would be contemplation about the Sutras. Exaltation / Debilitation • Each of the Zodiac Signs (Rasis) is a kind of environment. • Different planets are more or less comfortable in different signs. • The sign where a planet is the most comfortable and strong is the sign where it is exalted. • The sign where a planet is the least comfortable and weak is the sign where it is debilitated. Graha Sutra (in italics) • Aries, Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo, Cancer, Pisces and Libra are reckoned the exaltation Rasis of the Sun and others in their regular order. • This Graha Sutra is telling us where the 7 visible planets are the most strong or exalted, using the traditional order of the planets: • Sun is exalted in Aries, Moon is exalted in Taurus, Mars is exalted in Capricorn, Mercury is exalted in Virgo, Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, Venus is exalted in Pisces and Saturn is exalted in Libra. Graha Sutra (in italics) • The degrees: ten, three, twenty-eight, fifteen, five, twenty-seven and twenty. • This Graha Sutra is telling us where the exact degree each planet has the deepest point of exaltation with its exalted sign. • Sun is most exalted at 10 degrees Aries, Moon at 3 degrees Taurus, Mars at 28 degrees Capricorn, Mercury at 15 degrees Virgo, Jupiter at 5 degrees Cancer, Venus at 27 degrees Pisces and Saturn at 20 degrees Libra. Expression: “Seventh Rasi” • If you count a sign itself as 1 and then count 7 signs in a clockwise direction around the South Indian chart, you are in a sign which is “opposite” the sign you started in (or the 7th Rasi). • For example, the Seventh Rasi from Aries = Libra. • For example, the Seventh Rasi from Capricorn = Cancer.
Graha Sutra (in italics) • The seventh Rasi from exaltation is known as debilitation, with the same degrees. • This very short Graha Sutra is telling us both the signs of debilitation and the exact degree each visible planet has as the deepest point of debilitation within its debilitation sign. • Sun is most debilitated at 10 degrees Libra, Moon at 3 degrees Scorpio, Mars at 28 degrees Cancer, Mercury at 15 degrees Pisces, Jupiter at 5 degrees Capricorn, Venus at 27 degrees Virgo and Saturn at 20 degrees Aries. Summary Graha Sutras • Aries, Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo, Cancer, Pisces and Libra are reckoned the exaltation Rasis of the Sun and others in their regular order. • The degrees: ten, three, twenty-eight, fifteen, five, twenty-seven and twenty. • The seventh Rasi from exaltation is known as debilitation, with the same degrees.
• ~ with thanks to Ernst Wilhelm for use of his translation of Graha Sutras Summary Table Planetary Exaltation / Debilitation
. Planet Strong or Deepest Weak or Deepest Exalted in Exaltation Debilitated in Debilitation Sun Aries 10 Aries Libra 10 Libra Moon Taurus 3 Taurus Scorpio 3 Scorpio Mars Capricorn 28 Capricorn Cancer 28 Cancer Mercury Virgo 15 Virgo Pisces 15 Pisces Jupiter Cancer 5 Cancer Capricorn 5 Capricorn Venus Pisces 27 Pisces Virgo 27 Virgo Saturn Libra 20 Libra Aries 20 Aries Horas
Vedic Astrology Club Members Ask:
How Do We Know the Order of the Planets Ruling the Hours (Horas)?
Review About Days of Week • Each visible planet rules a day of the week.
Planet Day of Week Sun Sunday Moon Monday Mars Tuesday Mercury Wednesday Jupiter Thursday Venus Friday Saturn Saturday Review About Days of Week • Each visible planet rules the sunrise hour of the day of the week it rules.
Planet Rules at Sunrise Hour On
Sun Sunday Moon Monday Mars Tuesday Mercury Wednesday Jupiter Thursday Venus Friday Saturn Saturday Average Length of Time Planets Take To Move Through a Rasi (Sign) From Slowest to Fastest
Planet Average Time (can vary) Saturn 2 ½ years Jupiter 1 year Mars 6 weeks Sun 1 month Venus 3 weeks Mercury 2 weeks Moon A couple days Planet That Rules the Horas • After the sunrise hour, the next planet that rules the next hour is the one that is the next quickest to move through a Zodiac sign. • For example, at sunrise hour on Sunday, Sun rules the hour. • The next hour on Sunday is ruled by Venus. • The hour after that is ruled by Mercury, and so on.
Further Examples
• For example on Monday, at the sunrise hour, the Moon rules the hour. • The next hour after that is ruled by Saturn. (when you get to the “bottom” of the list, it “loops” back to the “top” of the list). • The next hour after that is ruled by Jupiter, and so on.
Some Math Stuff • Note: The Horas are not always viewed as a 60 minute hour. • Some calculations for the horas are based on the amount of time between sunrise and sunset for that day and doing some allocation based on that. • The simple way to keep track is via Planetary Watch on AstroVed or using the Hora Watch mobile application which does the math for us and says which planet is ruling which hora on a particular day.
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