Assessing activity in Gandanta zones.
From Dhruva/Galactic Center at mid-Mula we derive nakshatras and identify gandanta points in the tropical geocentric chart,
then select planets, resonant parans and other placements in the three Gandanta zones to evaluate psychospiritual focus.
3-13 February 2017
In this work with Gandanta zones we'll derive the Nakshatra circle after Ernst Wilhelm (2006) using Galactic Center at mid-Mula (a = 19°19'35"), then apply it to the tropical geocentric chart with Porphyry houses, mean and true Nodes. This combination finds the Gandanta zones entirely in fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The nakshatras are of primary importance in this assessment, their themes, characteristics, associated deities, and their rulership (Mercury and Ketu). Signs are not relevant (Vic DiCara expresses this view quite clearly). Indeed, with respect to interpretation of our cognitive map, houses are more informative than the basic background described by signs. I'm aware that, prima facie, this shifts the basic premise of Gandanta as a water-to-fire transition, a dissolution and recreation, but there's much to be gained from a Nakshatra progression. Our objective does not involve assessment of mundane calamity, privation, suffering, death and potential preventative remedies; nor are we looking to identify specific characteristics of self per se, so much as identify points of resonance in development. Ascendant and planets may be active in Gandanta zones at birth, as well as activated during periods of transit. Only the septener planets are generally considered, but we'll also work with the trans-Saturnians, dwarf planets, asteroids, selected parans, Lots, and other points too, because all of these go to what we're trying to do, viz., build our cognitive map to developmental purpose in gestalt, in personality plurality. Fixed stars present at these point in all of our charts, but they are interpretively significant with respect to psychospiritual focus only to the degree that and channel(s) through which they resonate, if at all. We're working through what resonates in our gestalt, in context of experienced immanence. Gandanta (Sanskrit gandanta, from gand- 'knot', and anta- 'end') is a Joytish term for "a spiritual or karmic knot" presenting in the sidereal chart in zones of junction delimited as (1) the last 3°20' of a water sign and first 3°20' of a fire sign, so Pisces/Aries, Cancer/Leo, Scorpio/Sagittarius, and (2) the corresponding Nakshatras, fourth and first padas of Revati/Azvini, Azlesa/Magha, Jyeztha/Mula respectively. Barbara Pijan shows them thus:
The final 3:20 degrees of:
Greatest intensity is at the center of the zone, which is referred to as deep Gandanta, within 1°.
—Lessons On Vedic Astrology, Vol II. PVR Narasimha Rao, 2007.
- final two ghatika [1 ghati = 24'] = final 48 minutes = final pada of Azlesa * end of Karkata [Cancer]
- final two ghatika = final 48 minutes = final pada of Jyeztha* end of Vrischika [Scorpio]
- final two ghatika = final 48 minutes = final pada of Revati * end of Meena [Pisces]
- first two ghatika = first 48 minutes = first pada of Azvini * beginning of Mesha [Aries]
- first two ghatika = first 48 minutes = first pada of Magha * beginning of Simha [Leo]
- first two ghatika = first 48 minutes = first pada of Mula * beginning of Dhanusha [Sagittarius]
Ketu is planetary ruler of Magha, Mula, and Azvini. There are also three types of Gandanta:
- Nakshatra, which we'll deal work here;
- Lagna, concerning the ascendant; and
- Tithi, regarding the Moon and lunar day.
| Planetary Rulers of the Nakshatras | ||||||||
| Sun | Moon | Mercury | Venus | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Rahu | Ketu |
|
Krittika Uttaraphalguni Uttarazadha |
Rohini Hasta Shravana |
Revati Azlesa Jyeztha |
Bharani Purvaphalguni Purvazadha |
Mrigasira Chitra Dhaniztha |
Punarvasu Visaka Purvabhadrapada |
Pushya Anuradha Uttarabhadrapada |
Arudra Swati Satabhisa |
Azvini Magha Mula |
|
Revati — ETHER Sattva/Sattva/Sattva Pushan Moksha Jupiter ← Pisces Navamsa, Pada 4th |
Azvini — EARTH Rajas/Rajas/Rajas The Azvini Kumars Dharma 1st Pada, Aries Navamsa → Mars |
|||||||
|
Azlesa — WATER Rajas/Sattva/Sattva Nāga Dharma Jupiter ← Pisces Navamsa, Pada 4th |
Magha — WATER Tamas/Rajas/Rajas The Pitris Artha 1st Pada, Aries Navamsa → Mars |
|||||||
|
Jyeztha — AIR Tamas/Sattva/Sattva Indra Artha Jupiter ← Pisces Navamsa, Pada 4th |
Mula — AIR Sattva/Rajas/Rajas Nirrti Karma 1st Pada, Aries Navamsa → Mars | |||||||
Mercury & Ketu
Mercury is scout planet and nearly partile Bennu at middle of the soli-lunar stellium in the radix; it is also trine Mars and Saturn by extension, novile Uranus and Venus, etc. Mercury is BK in this instance, but with other ayanamsas, also presents as AK or AmK.
Ketu gives tangible expression to the most contentious fulcrum-point in life which is Earth-human's perception of permanence.
Professor Ketu's teaching narrative denies the existence of permanence for unique forms; indeed Ketu denies the existence of permanent existence. From Ketu's perspective,
forms cohere and in-cohere in real time."Now you see it; now you don't."
Ketu's pulverization of coherent form is a liberating experience spiritually [...] The substance, idea, person, relationship, entity, or social role that is surrendered during the Ketu period is by definition spiritually unnecessary.
It has outlived its usefulness and it has lost its vitality. Maintaining this enervated phenomenon (whatever it is) is costing too much energy within the life system. Thus it is scheduled for release at the appointed time.
House positions of Rahu/Ketu are much more significant than their signs, though effects are shown by sign rulers and co-tenants in the house. idem.
Here we have Rahu-9/Ketu-3.
Varaha Mihira writes that the tattva
(mahābhūta) is what's important with respect in Gandanta, not the planetary lordship of the Nakshatras. I find to the contrary, for
purposes of cognitive mapping, that appreciation of these rulers certainly contributes to assessing the process of transition so indicated.Gandanta is a form of Sandhi. Sandhi means a connecting place. It can also be translated as a junction. In Vedic astrology sandhi is the connecting place, or junction, between two zodiac signs. When a planet is about to leave a sign it begins to feel the energy of the next one. The energy is changing at the cusps and therefore a planet which is placed close to a junction between two signs is weakened. [...] Planets that transit Gandanta go through transformation.We can think of these three zones as a developmental progression of manifestation (Revati/Azvini), investment (Azlesa/Magha), and release (Jyeztha/Mula), though that framing is rather simplistic. The idea at base is that a transition is taking place, a dissolution and recreation, in each zone. Bear in mind that "Mula points the way through the psychic pipeline to our galactic sun" (Pijan), and we read this Jyeztha/Mula zone as a strongly aspected point of focus in the radix. Chiron R is deep, within 1° of center; and fixed star Maasym (λHer) — Apex of the Sun's Way — is a scant 22" from partile, for example. SolarArc (SA) Neptune (our AIR singleton in trop geo) is deep, nearly partile from Jyeztha. Transiting Saturn is separating, but will return to the zone in Mula, reaching partile with Rasalhague (α Oph). Also, note the placement of Sabik (η Oph ― Northern Pole of Uranus) and the Vertex, nearly partile, in Jyeztha. Not shown below ― transiting Amun is partile → tomorrow, 13 February ≡ ground zero in the Jyeztha/Mula zone. We find only Vesta at the edge of Revati, though SA Persephone is close to center in Revati, and transiting Uranus is proxmal thereto in Azvini. These do not seem core factors at the moment — not at heart. In Azlesa/Magha, however, we find Pluto in early Azlesa, then fixed stars Naos (ζ Pup) ["temple", "shrine"] and Merak
(β UMa) ["curiosity, desire to know"], with SA Amun nearing partile. Pluto is FIRE singleton in the trop helio chart, with Vesta and Chiron also in FIRE. N.B. More resonant significators than Merak, and bracketing Pluto, the planet of highest degree in sid geo, are
Dubhe (α Um) @ 14°
30' and Megrez (δ Um) @
0°
22',but these two are not within the Azlesa/Magha Gandanta.
23° Connections: Transit pattern with slow-movers in radix workthrough.
Upper right in the chart below is a transit pattern illustrating a work-through at points partile or proximal to 23°. A YOD focus goes to Mercury/Bennu-11, with Lot of Identity-4 at apex. Transiting Saturn-6/5 is square Mars-3, which is trine Mercury/Bennu-11, to which tSaturn-6/5 and tJupiter-4 are inconjunct. Not shown here is tChiron-9 opposition Mars-3, strongly active at the moment, again at 23°. The work-through, once again, is Mercury/Bennu-11 at the core of the stellium. Transiting Uranus-10 opposes transiting Jupiter-4, but both go to Mercury/Bennu-11.
