LEARN ASTROLOGY - LESSON 61 A

"LONGEVITY"

All results of planetary configurations are to be borne by the native.  If the native is blessed with longevity only then the results of various combinations will fructify. The question of determining longevity requires great expertise.  A number of systems are found in the classical works in this regard but none of them is perfect.  Actual death cases do not respond correctly to any of the methods.  Many astrologers apply fixed combinations revolving around the weakness of the Moon and its position in malefic houses, the ascendant sandwiched between the natural malefic planets, etc. for alpayu (short life span) mentioned in the classical works and thus predict death in childhood.  This causes great mental agony to the parents.  Many a time the predictions on longevity fail.  Similarly, persons who have been predicted a full life span die in middle age.  Although, the task is very difficult, we have to develop some system which should be close to accuracy.

The aspect of longevity is studied through the prime determinant(s) of longevity and the significator of longevity, Saturn. If the ascendant contains a mooltrikona sign, then the lord of the ascendant acts as prime determinant of longevity.  In cases where the ascendant does not contain a mooltrikona sign, the prime determinants of longevity are the ascendant and the lord of the eighth house containing a mooltrikona sign.  If both the ascendant and the eighth houses do not contain a mooltrikona sign, the prime determinants of longevity are the ascendant and the lord of the twelfth house containing a mooltrikona sign.  If the ascendant, the eighth and the twelfth houses do not contain a mooltrikona sign, the prime determinants of longevity are the ascendant and the significator of longevity, Saturn. If a mooltrikona sign   rises in the ascendant of the ashthamsa (D-VIII), then its lord becomes an additional determinant of longevity. While strong lords of the eighth and/or twelfth houses contribute to longevity, their weakness and affliction to these planets threaten the longevity if the prime determinant is weak.

 If the prime and additional determinant(s) of longevity and Saturn are strong and the functional benefic planets closely influence the prime determinants of longevity, the native gets a full life span. The strong prime determinant of professional matters contributes to longevity. The full life span is around 100 years. Let us add a couple of examples here:

Example Chart 8

Male born on 5th August, 1920, 0600 Hrs. 79E24 28N20, India.

The prime determinant of longevity, the Moon, is strong.  The Sun is strong and well placed in close conjunction with the most effective point of the house ascendant. The significator of longevity is afflicted but well placed and its dispositor is strong. The person is enjoying a good life span. He is currently in the 96th year. The afflicted Saturn and Mars and other weak planets brought some health concerns. The sub period of Mars which is suffering from multiple afflictions, may threaten the longevity.

Example Chart 9

Male born 28th May, 1922, 0830 Hrs. 74E17 31N15, India.

The prime determinant of longevity is the first house and Saturn. Saturn is strongly placed in the birth chart.  There are three other strong planets, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. The Sun is badly placed and is under a close affliction of Rahu.  The Moon and Mars are weak to some extent but their mutual exact aspect help to some extent. The native is in his 94th year and quite active. He is currently in the sub period of Jupiter which is to be followed by the sub periods of Saturn and Mercury in the main period of the strong Venus. This shows that he may touch or cross 100 years. The affliction of the Sun gave him some concerns on his hearing power for which he is using a hearing-aid.

 If the prime determinants of longevity are fairly strong and functional benefic planets closely influence the prime determinants of longevity, the native gets a good life span of around 85 years.  If the prime determinants of longevity are weak but well placed and the functional benefic planets closely influence the prime determinants of longevity, the native gets a middle life span of around 75 years. If the prime determinants of longevity are weak and afflicted, the native gets a middle life span of around 65 years. The triple transit influences and operating main period/sub-periods in the birth chart give us further clues about the longevity around the estimated life span. Say, if the expected life span is around 75 years and the person is in a sub period of a functional benefic period and there is no triple transit affliction, then the person may cross that life span by a few more years.

The other strong planets like the Sun, Moon and Jupiter and the benefic influence on the first, eighth or twelfth houses increase the longevity. The severe afflictions to weak planets or the most effective point of the houses threaten the longevity and cause sudden mishaps during their sub periods or prolonged stationary impact on these severely afflicted planets. The readers may refer to charts 12 to 17 as examples of threatened longevity in our book, "The Impact of Rahu and Ketu". The operating main period/sub-periods of severely afflicted badly placed weak planets indicate sudden threat to life. The severe afflictions to the most effective point of the eighth and twelfth houses threaten longevity.  The preventive astral remedies and patience, in our view and experience, helps in surviving the threatening incidents.

In cases where the prime determinants along with the Sun and Moon are weak and severely afflicted, and the sub period of a severely afflicted planet is in operation, the longevity of a child can be threatened in infancy.   

The weak and afflicted/afflicting functional malefic planets placed in the eighth or twelfth houses also take over the role of a death inflicting planet in cases where the prime determinants of longevity are weak.

The functional malefic planets severely afflicting the weak ascendant or eighth or twelfth houses become death inflicting planets.  The lords of the eighth and twelfth houses, if weak and afflicted, can cause death in their periods or sub-periods.  The transit of slow moving or stationary functional malefic planets during death inflicting planetary periods or sub-periods in exact conjunction with the ascendant, ascendant lord or the eighth house may result in the end of life.  The periods or sub-periods of the lords of malefic houses cause death when such a lord severely afflicts a weak determinant of longevity.

A close aspect of a functional benefic planet to a weak planet/house reduces the weakness to some extent.  The weak planets, other than the prime and supplementary determinants for longevity, cause ill-health in commensuration to their weakness/affliction.

After carefully examining the longevity determinants and assessing the life span (a native is likely to enjoy), we may arrive at the planetary periods/sub-period with the help of the transit chart which may result in the most unwanted but true fact of life i.e. death.  However, an overriding caution is that the assessed life span should be only kept in view by the astrologer for his own consideration.  The longevity in the case of extreme illness can be known through a horary chart if the birth chart is not available.

The following planetary periods can cause death:-

(i)   The sub-periods of the afflicting functional malefic planets in the main period of weak determinants of longevity.

(ii)  The sub-periods of weak and afflicted determinants of longevity in the main periods of the functional malefic planets.

(iii) The sub-periods or periods of weak and afflicted planets placed in the eighth and twelfth houses.

We will cite a few cases in light of the foregoing:

CHART 64: Male born 11th September, 1937, 0750 Hrs. 70E00 31N50, India.

The ascendant lord being the prime determinant of longevity is weak due to combustion, being in infancy and placement in an afflicted house. It retains some power as it is in its mooltrikona sign. The lord of the eighth house Mars is strong without any close affliction to it or by it to any other natal position. The functional malefic and the significator of longevity, Saturn, is well placed but weak as it is placed in an afflicted house and is closely aspecting and afflicting the most effective point of the ascendant.  The Sun, the significator of vitality, is the lord of the twelfth house and strongly occupies the twelfth house.  The Moon is weak as it occupies its sign of debilitation.  The strong Jupiter occupies the angular house.  Rahu closely afflicts weak Venus.  There are both positive and negative factors.  The significator for vitality in its own sign, strong Mars and strong Jupiter in the angular house provide strength to the otherwise weak prime determinant.  The life span can be assessed as medium.  During the main period of Venus and sub-period of debilitated Rahu, which is closely afflicting Venus, the native breathed his last at the age of 50 years in a road accident. Rahu was transiting in the eighth house.  In D-VIII (D-8) the main period lord, Venus, is debilitated and badly placed, and the sub-period lord aspects the ascendant.

CHART 65: Male born 18th September, 1951, 0915 Hrs. 77E13, 28N39.

The lord of the ascendant, weak Venus, becoming prime determinant of longevity occupies the afflicted eleventh house. It suffers from the close affliction of Mercury, who is closely conjunct with Ketu. The sign Cancer rises in the ascendant of the ashthamsa and the Moon becomes an additional prime determinant of longevity. The Moon, though occupying an angular house, is weak as its dispositor is debilitated. Jupiter is placed in the sixth house and becomes weak.  The Sun, being the dispositor of weak Venus and the closely conjunct functional malefic planets, Mercury and Ketu, occupies the twelfth house in infancy and becomes weak.  Saturn, the significator of longevity, is weak due to combustion and placement in the twelfth house.  After a prolonged illness, the native breathed his last at the age of 35 years during the sub-period of Jupiter in the main period of the Moon.  The ascendant lord of the rasi chart is in the eighth house of D-VIII (D-8).  The native breathed his last in the main period of the ascendant lord of D-VIII and sub-period of Jupiter occupying the sixth house in both the rasi and D-VIII.

CHART 66: Male born 14th December, 1949, 1030 Hrs.  82E08, 26N46, India.

The Sun becoming the prime determinant of longevity is weak as it is in old age.  The significator of longevity is weak due to bad placement and a weak dispositor.  Mars is weak as it is in the state of infancy and its dispositor, Mercury, is posited in the twelfth house in the state of combustion.  The functional malefic planet Jupiter is weak due to debilitation and it closely afflicts the weak Moon.

Mercury is placed in the twelfth house and its dispositor is debilitated.  All factors governing the longevity are weak.  The native breathed his last at the age of 39 years during the main period of the debilitated functional malefic Jupiter and sub-period of Mercury.  In D-VIII, weak Jupiter and Saturn are placed in the eighth house and weak Mercury also occupies the twelfth house.

CHART 67: Male born 26th December, 1950, 0320 Hrs. 83E28, 21N53, India.

In this chart Rahu and Ketu are close to the most effective point of the houses of their location and afflict the houses occupied and aspected. They also make the planets Saturn, Mars, Sun, Jupiter and Venus weak through the close aspect affliction to their moolatrikona sign houses.

The most effective point of the ascendant is closely aspected and afflicted by Rahu, which makes, the ascendant lord, Venus, placed in the afflicted third house, weak. Venus is also closely conjunct with the most malefic planet Mercury. Weak Jupiter is badly placed and debilitated in the navamsa.  The most malefic planet, Mercury, is on the most effective point of the third house afflicting the third and ninth houses and making the planets placed in the third and ninth houses weak.  Mercury and Rahu closely afflict the Moon by way of aspects. The only planet in strength in this chart is Mars, which is exalted and well placed.

The significator of longevity, Saturn, is badly placed in the twelfth house in the rasi and D-VIII.  In D-VIII the Sun is debilitated and also badly placed. The mixed influences touch the prime and supplementary determinants.  Medium life span can be assessed for the native.  During the main period of Mercury, the lord of the twelfth house, and sub-period of Rahu, the native breathed his last at the age of 37 years.

CHART 68: Male born 23rd April, 1937, 2100 Hrs. 71E28, 30N12, India.

Venus becomes the prime determinant of longevity as there is no mooltrikona sign in the ascendant or in the eighth house.  Venus is weak due to infancy, combustion and bad placement in the sixth house.  The Sun and Mercury, being in old age, are also badly placed in the sixth house.  Jupiter is weak as it is in infancy and in its sign of debilitation. The significator of longevity, Saturn is strong.

The weakness of Venus, its bad placement and its close affliction to the most effective point of the sixth house signifying health, reduces the life span and made the native vulnerable to sudden fatal health concerns.  When this chart was presented to the author, this observation was made and the native was provided with a Kavach for the strengthening of his weak planets.  In the sub-period of Venus in the main period of Saturn, the native suddenly removed the Kavach from his person as he was having a feeling of un-comfortableness. He suffered a massive heart attack to which he succumbed five days later, at the age of 54.

CHART 69: Male born 23rd April, 1928, 1300 Hrs. 77E13, 28N39, India.

The lord of the ascendant, the Moon, occupies the eleventh house in its sign of exaltation but it turns weak due to close affliction. The most malefic planet, Saturn, closely aspects and afflicts the lord of the ascendant, Moon. Such an affliction reduces the longevity to middle life span.  Saturn, being the lord of the eighth house and the significator for longevity, is closely afflicted by the sixth lord. Mercury is the weakest planet and is closely afflicted by Jupiter. The sign Libra rises in the D-VIII whose lord Venus becomes additional determinant of longevity. Venus in Rasi becomes weak as it is placed in an afflicted house. The Sun is in its sign of exaltation, but it is weak due to weakness of its badly placed dispositor.  The ascendant is closely afflicted by the malefic aspect of Jupiter.   Whenever the lord of the ascendant has some strength, the weakness and affliction of some other planet can cause ill health concerning that planet but there is less danger to the longevity.  The native breathed his last on 6th November, 1992, after a paralytic attack during the sub-period of Venus in the main period of Mercury at the age of 64 years.

CHART 70: Male born 18th February, 1992, 2037 Hrs. 77E10, 28N37, India.

The lord of the ascendant is weak due to combustion, bad placement in an afflicted house and a close affliction from Ketu.  The functional malefic planet Sun is closely conjunct with the most effective point of the sixth house and makes the native vulnerable to serious health concerns. The Sun becomes weak as it is placed in an afflicted house.  The most malefic planet, Mars, closely afflicts the most effective points of the fifth, eleventh and twelfth houses. The sign Libra rises in the ascendant of ashthamsa and Venus becomes additional prime determinant of longevity. In the Rasi chart Venus is exactly conjunct with the eighth lord, Mars, and is highly afflicted.  The Moon is badly placed and is afflicted by close aspects of the Sun and Mars.  Jupiter is badly placed and is closely afflicted by Rahu.  Saturn, being the general significator of longevity, is additionally weak as the most effective point of the house of its placement is closely afflicted by the most malefic planet.  All the functional benefic planets are utterly weak and afflicted.  Within a few hours of the birth, the transit Moon came under the exact affliction of Rahu, which took the life of the child away.  We do not think any other system of measuring the strength of planets and life span can be so pin pointing.  At the time of death the child was running the sub-period of Saturn, the lord of the afflicted sixth house, in the main period of Ketu.