Vedic astrology is a part of astronomy. It begins where astronomy ends. The planets that revolve around the sun also create a serious impact on the lives of people on earth.

To understand the horoscope of an individual, the 9 planets of the zodiac form the most important criteria. But it mainly depends on where these planets are placed in relation to each other.

Some of the very basic issues in life that are defined by the planets are

• Happiness in the married life of an individual
• How many children would a couple have?
• What is the career that a person would pursue?

Alternatively, each of the planets also symbolizes some very important things in life.

Just as an example, the planet Venus in astrology is the symbol of love and when it is well placed, it generates love and happiness in a person’s life. In the same way, if the planet Venus is associated with malefic planets, or if it is placed in a house that is not lucrative, there are bound to be some challenges in love life.

Let’s review some of the most basic ways to calculate planetary force. These are by no means complete, but they would still give us a great insight into how a particular planet would affect us positively or negatively.

A host of other factors also come into play and these would include the aspect and conjunction of other planets, and also the particular Nakshatra the planet is in.

But the following would be the basic ways to access the force of a planet.

BENEFICIAL AND MALEFIC PLANETS

In a very general way, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are considered beneficial planets

While the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are considered to be malefic planets.

But each planet has its own qualities and being beneficial and evil has a lot to do with the planet’s placement in one’s horoscope.

FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE HOUSES

In Vedic astrology, houses are also divided into favorable and unfavorable.

Planets located in houses 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 are considered favorable.

Similarly, planets located in houses 6, 8, 12 are considered malefic.

The closeness of the planets, the general character of the planet, and the location of the planet in a particular House of your Birth Chart, together constitute its strength and weakness. Therefore, the planets alone are neither strong nor weak, and in fact, we cannot point out that one planet is the strongest among all. If a particular planet is placed in the right house, it can enhance your life and bring all the riches, fame, glory, and things that mean the most to you, making it a stronger planet for you. In the same way, it is “One for each”.

Now we will define some characteristic features of all the planets that are considered when studying Astrology. Planets have certain specific traits of their own, however, when conjuncting other planets, they can also be influenced by the other planets. The location of the planets is therefore of great importance.

Sun: The sun is the atma (soul) of all planets and also of humans. He is the King of all planets and thus possesses various positive traits such as being a father figure, having immense strength, self-respecting, fair and authoritative.

What the planet Sun overlooks is physical health and vitality. So how an individual projects themselves in the world really depends on the planet sun.

When the Sun is strong in one’s horoscope, the individual is very energetic and the Sun makes them a center of attraction.

But if the Sun is weak in an individual’s horoscope, the constitution might be weak and the person risks becoming self-centered.

Moon: The Moon is related to the mind. She acts as the mother of all and imparts love, peace of mind, positivity and emotions. Moon is money. It also represents water and vegetation. It is the closest to planet earth and that is why it affects us a lot.

The moon planet is the ruler of appearance and emotions. With the moon well placed, the individual is happy and the moon generates a higher degree of social and physical attractiveness.

This in turn brings success in life, since a happy person would integrate very well with others.

But this is in contrast to a moon that is not well placed and could cause anxiety or depression, or even difficulties.

Mercury: Mercury represents Intelligence. People with a strong Mercury placement in their birth chart are business-minded, have better powers of understanding, can think logically, are good at math, agile and alert. It also represents speech and other business related to it.

Mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system. It governs our intelligence and also influences our ability to communicate.

With Mercury well placed, an individual is possessed of great intelligence. Mercury also gives dexterity as Mercury also rules the hands.

Some of the characteristics of people who have the planet Mercury well placed include an aptitude for speaking, writing, and teaching.

However, if the planet Mercury is weak or afflicted, this would negatively affect an individual’s abilities in these areas. This could even translate into a tough talking style at times.

Venus: Venus represents the love relationship and business. She improves her sex life, her lifestyle and brings money and prosperity of all kinds.

Although Venus is the planet of love, it also represents women in general. Venus symbolizes the art of beauty and socializing, and the planet basically represents all the good things in life.

When Venus is strong in one’s horoscope, it bodes positively for one’s marriage, as the couple find fulfillment in their life and also develop an appreciation for the arts.

But if the planet Venus in one’s horoscope is weakened, it could cause some kind of disharmony in relationships. One may even face a difficulty relating to others.

March: Mars represents courage, bravery, technical and scientific strength and confidence. People with a strong Mars are great soldiers, police officers, engineers, doctors, and allied professions associated with it. He also represents land and real estate.

The planet Mars is the planet of athletes. It means action. And with the planet Mars, we could get to know how much initiative an individual really has to make changes in his life.

When Mars is strong, the individual possesses the ability to outlast their competitors. He is truly possessed with the ability to get up and go.

But when Mars is afflicted, the person may end up being the type of person who fights too much.

Jupiter: Jupiter is known as Guru – the teacher. People influenced by Jupiter are spiritually intelligent and knowledgeable. Jupiter supports love, relationships, and travel. He represents the wisdom and education of the person. One is also inclined to do good to mankind.

Jupiter is a great beneficiary and symbolizes wisdom, religion and expansion.

The planet Jupiter also tells us how much wealth a person would earn in his lifetime.

With a strong Jupiter in their natal chart, the person is likely to be a well-educated and well-to-do person.

Sometimes when Jupiter is afflicted, material prosperity does not come.

Saturn: Shani is a hermit and represents the time of old age, poverty and life. He is a critical planet, and the person with a strong Shani can do good in politics, business, and other similar fields that require his self-confidence. One with a strong Shani is hardworking, self-sufficient and successful in life.

Saturn is the planet of loss, but it nevertheless helps us understand our limitations. It helps us recognize the issues where we cannot bring about change.

Saturn is the ruler of discipline and hard work. It is about responsibility, longevity and loss that Saturn teaches us.

When one is blessed with a strong Saturn in their natal chart, the individual can be expected to be committed and devoted to rules and traditions.

However, an afflicted Saturn can make you undisciplined or even irresponsible.

Uranus: Uranus has all the traits of Mercury, however it is much more forceful or severe. We can call it as the improved version of Mercury. It denotes extreme knowledge and intelligence, or extreme (drastic) changes that one can experience. It also denotes modern technology, hypnotism, and black magic.

Uranus turns out to be a mysterious planet and signifies a phenomenon that is unpredictable or unusual. When Uranus is prominent in an individual’s natal chart, it pays deep regard to their originality and freedom.

With favorable Uranus, the intellect is sharp and the person is possessed by the desire to be unconventional.

Neptune: Neptune is the improved version of Venus. It denotes intuition, beauty and social life. He is also known for creating confusion in the house he is in.

Neptune, in many ways could be seen as the inverse of the planet Saturn, which is steadfast and impassive. The planet is an idealist, but could end up being an escapist at times.

If the planet Neptune is balanced, the individual is famous for their beauty or public image. However, a badly placed Neptune could bring the person closer to illusions in life. He or she may even develop problems with drugs or alcohol.

Pluto: Pluto works on a large scale. One can find great things happen to him (either good or bad). It is a recently discovered planet. It is related to the masses, social and spiritual life, and political events.

The planet Pluto is known to magnify the effect of any planet it touches. Although Pluto is associated with power, it does so totally or compulsively.

The planet Pluto is also known to operate below the surface.

When Pluto is well placed, greater power is exercised over others and greater wealth is enjoyed.

But a poorly aspected Pluto can cause misery.

Rahu: Rahu represents the ascending north node and affects the moon the most among the planets. He brings name and fame, sudden changes, foreign travel to name a few. He also helps in curing diseases.

Rahu is the astronomical point, where the orbital path of the Sun intersects with the upper orbital path of the Moon.

In general, the planet Rahu is considered to be malefic, however, when associated with beneficial planets, the planet Rahu brings success and also great wealth. It could even pave the way for fine arts or scientific discoveries.

But when Rahu is afflicted, it could also cause malefic effects. This largely depends on the planet with which he is best connected.

keto: Ketu represents the descending south node and affects the sun the most. He is worshiped for spirituality and also works in favor of changing events, accidents and breaking relationships.

Ketu, just opposite the planet Rahu, is the point where the Sun’s orbit intersects with the Moon’s lower orbital path.

Like the planet Rahu, Ketu is also considered to be malefic. But it could offer a very positive boost to an individual’s horoscope when combined with favorable planetary configurations.

The planet Ketu is possessed with capabilities to bring people into the mundane realms.

All the planets of the zodiac have their own meaning in astrology and can lead a person to rags or riches depending on their location, their conjunction, zodiac signs and nakshatras. However, the harmful effects of the planets can also be diminished to a certain extent by implementing certain remedies. One can appease the ruling deity and surrender and can achieve love, health, wealth, prosperity, abundance and all the things that mean a lot to you.