Selecting right profession was always important but it has now become imperative in view of the competition generated by the changing economic scenario due to advent of new technologies and professional fields.

New technology has brought the world on a stage of recreation of new infrastructure and markets, which is generating wealth for the knowledge based industry across the world. The additional wealth is creating new opportunities for the leisure industry sector, luxury industry, computer industry, real estate industry, financial industry, automobile industry and research & development industry. These new opportunities are in fact the scope of the new economic order across the world. Those people, who are not working in the new infrastructure industry, have started feeling the financial crunch to keep pace with the life style changes.

Globalisation and the World Trade Order have reduced the powers of the political administrators. The governments consider the stock market index as one of the important indicator of its performance. The policies of the government are market friendly to induce new investments and bringing improvement in life styles of the masses.

To meet the challenges of the competition and the new economic order, it is important that one makes full use of one's talent and potential by strengthening one's weak and unfavourably influenced natal planets to augment one's memory power, analytical skills, creative power, imagination and leadership qualities besides the vision.

An appropriate astrological insight with a competent astrologer and measures for strengthening of weak natal planets can be the best gift from parents to their children.

The planetary influences in a birth chart (horoscope) are studied through the natal conjunctions, aspects and placements of planets read in conjunction with the current planetary influences (transit) with reference to the ascending sign. The ascending sign is worked out in the natal chart on the basis of the birth date, time and place. The conjunctions and aspects help us in identifying the auspicious and inauspicious planetary configurations. The placement of a planet in a particular house links the significations of the house ruled by it with the significations of its house of placement. A planet placed in a malefic house indicates suffering for the significations ruled by the said planet in the nativity.

The professional prospects of a person are ruled by the interplay of planets becoming primary, additional and secondary determinants of professional matters, their placement in a house/sign, their strength, the influence of other planets over them and the operating planetary periods. Predicting profession, a person is likely to take up and succeed, is quite a complex job and it is one of the most sought after fields in predictive Vedic Astrology.

Numerous professional areas, a highly competitive environment; be it in business, service, profession, politics, etc., and its magnitude are the various aspects which have charged the atmosphere making it quite difficult for the decision makers to identify one which would be most suitable from the point of view of success and also the potentialities of the seekers.

There are number of factors which help us in arriving at a decision on this vital issue, viz. the nature of sign falling in the ascendant, tenth house governing profession, second house ruling the status, the impact of the third house which rules enterprising nature, the eleventh house signifying income and the ascendant of dasamsa (the divisional chart for analysis of professional matters) of a person. All of the foregoing factors collectively govern the magnitude of the professional matters. The sign of a royal planet like the Sun, the Moon or affluent planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars, etc., indicate the level of affluence of the profession of a person and the income, therefrom. The lords of the second, third and ninth houses, if containing mooltrikona signs, also act as the Sun. The strength of the lords of these signs and the operating planetary periods hold the key to decipher the planetary influences. Similarly, understanding the nature of planets becoming significators for profession and the planets exerting close influence on the houses ruling professional matters is necessary.

The Primary Determinants

The lords of the tenth and the second houses, if containing mooltrikona signs, are considered as the primary determinants for analyzing the professional affairs. In case there is no mooltrikona sign in any of these houses, then the lord of the first house is considered the prime determinant. For various ascendants, the following planet(s) will become prime determinants for analyzing the professional affairs:

Ascendant & Prime Determinants

1. Aries -Mars

2. Taurus -Saturn

3. Gemini -The Moon

4. Cancer -Mars and the Sun

5. Leo -Mercury

6. Virgo -Venus

7. Libra -The Moon

8. Scorpio - The Sun and Jupiter

9. Sagittarius -Mercury

10. Capricorn -Venus and Saturn

11. Aquarius -Saturn

12. Pisces -Jupiter and Mars

The Additional Primary Determinant The lord of the ascendant of dasamsa containing a mooltrikona sign becomes an additional primary determinant for profession.

The Secondary Determinants

The planets closely influencing (i) the tenth and the second houses; (ii) the ascendant, if there is no mooltrikona sign in the tenth and the second houses, or closely influencing the primary determinants by way of close aspects/conjunctions act as secondary determinants for analyzing the professional affairs. We cannot consider the planet(s) that aspect the additional prime determinant as secondary determinant(s).

The close influence of the lord of the third house on the houses ruling professional matters or the third house, itself, indicates business ventures. The significations of planets fructify during their own main/sub-period as per their strength. The readers may please note the stress being laid on the strength of the planets. The weakness of the planets in a birth chart is the very reason of existence of this divine science. It is but natural that a person may approach an astrologer in the hour of difficulty and thereafter he may like to utilize the services of this divine science without being faced with the problems but to avoid the incidence of problems as also to augment his ventures for optimum benefits. The real job is to find out the true strength of those planets which are apparently strong in the rasi chart of a birth chart. The weak planets of the natal chart do not acquire any strength in any of the Vargas. The weak natal planets fail to bestow good results even if they are in strength in the divisional charts or having maximum benefic bindus in Ashtakvarga.

We also examine the strength of the primary and secondary determinants in dasamsa. If the concerned planets are in their sign of debilitation in dasamsa, they become weak for the professional matters even if they are otherwise strong in the natal chart. During the sub-periods of the planets occupying their signs of debilitation in dasamsa, the person meets with obstructions, delays and setbacks in professional matters or incurs business losses.

We all know that the full Moon with the entire starry host and even with all the mountains set on fire cannot fight the darkness of the night. Only the rise of the Sun can bring the night darkness to an end. Similarly, the planetary weaknesses and afflictions can only be reduced to a large extent or even removed with the help of the strengthening and propitiatory astrological remedial measures, respectively. For details on strengthening remedial measures, ascendant-wise recommended propitiatory remedies and initiation of remedial measures, the readers may refer to chapter 10 or the information on our websites or may refer to our books, (a) Predictive Techniques and the Application of Astrological Remedial Measures; and (b) Systems’ Approach for Interpreting Horoscopes.

The professional matters are one of the important and pivotal facets of life. The success of life in other fields such as relationships, social recognition, self actualization, mental peace, sense of achievement, etc., etc., is dependent upon the professional success of the person.

The delay in professional settlement and setbacks in profession cause serious setbacks to the mental and physical health of the person. The delays and setbacks are caused:

a) When the prime and secondary determinants are weak and or afflicted.

b) When the prime determinants are badly placed.

c) When the Sun or Sun-like planets are weak and severely afflicted.

d) When the most effective points of the houses governing professional matters are under the close influence of the functional malefic planets or the most malefic planet.