7 This is essentially a tutorial for reading a chart in the style of Parashara using the transits for Cancer Lagna in 2017 as an example. In writing this, I have tried to consider the many students of astrology who contact me, but many people with even a mundane interest in astrology may be interested in the content.

Four more major transits this year:

Saturn will go back to Scorpio around June 20.

Rahu and Ketu will go into Cancer and Capricorn respectively on August 18.

Jupiter will more into Libra on the inauspicious day of September 11.

Saturn will go back to Sagittarius around October 26

 2017 transits for Cancer Lagna (rising or moon sign)

Dharma 1^st house: who we are; “ecce homo.” 5^th house: what we create; “it’s alive.”9^th house: what we believe: “by divine right.”

The first house is the self, the personality, the body, the head; it is who we are. Rahu will be moving into Cancer in August otherwise no other planet has direct influence over the first house, though of course each planet is measured from its position from 1^st house. Rahu in first house can bring health problems, and if moon is in cancer it may bring some anxiety to the mind. Rahu influences individuality, and a sense of self-importance. Much of the transit effect depends on the position of Rahu in ones personal chart as well as the chart as a whole, but Rahu in first house makes one want to be recognized for who they are….. “SEE ME,” this Rahu says. I’ll discuss Ketu’s position when we talk about the Kama (desire) houses. From this first house Rahu looks at the 5^th and 9^th houses bringing some intensity to your productivity and well as some development of a personal belief system that does not necessary fit with the established religions. This Rahu can also make mistakes in his attempts to maximize production and gain some recognition for creativity/productivity.

Fifth house: The children of the 5^th house are much more than just those who spill forth from the loins of our wives and lovers. Those children which are born of our mind also fit into the 5^th house; all the creations we try to maintain are our children. This blog is my child: I feed it, care for it, and give it love; someday it might grow up to have a kind of life of it’s own, but unless I raise it well, it will never survive without me. Investments also come from the fifth house: responsible long-term investments by Saturn, more aggressive short term by Mars, and wild speculation by Rahu. Saturn of course will be affecting the fifth house throughout his transit Scorpio. When Rahu goes into Cancer, he will also be looking at the 5^th house (I mentioned some of these effects in my talk about 1st house). Of course the combination of these two malefic influences on an enemy sign (August to October) may bring some difficulties in 5^th house matters.

Saturn will have a couple of months alone in this 5^th house of Scorpio in the summer which can be beneficial in a very unexciting way, but when Rahu and Ketu make their move to Cancer and Capricorn in August, Rahu will be giving Saturn in the 5^th a hard aspect is likely to bring some mistakes in August – October. This is the kind of situation where we create something without intention; or perhaps our creation has unintended consequences. When Saturn moves to the 6^th house in October he will move your sense of responsibility into taking care of your health and resolving other obstacles and disputes. With Saturn’s limiting influence removed from the 5^th house, Rahu will be free to increase our sense of risk and adventure. Rahu’s aspect on the 5^th house also makes this a good time to try some foreign spiritual practice or undertake some intensive studies. Hard responsibility!

Spring can be a potent time for spiritual practice for Cancer natives, but with Jupiter looking at the ninth house from the 3^rd and Venus going into exaltation in the 9^th from January 27 – May 31. These are the two Gurus of the Gods and Demons respectively; both Brahmins, both with knowledge of the world from their respective perspectives. But when Venus moves on, Jupiter will remain blessing our higher knowledge and sense of faith alone until mid-August when Rahu moves to affect the Dharma trine for Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces natives. Rahu bring intensity into the lives of watery people. His effect will be mostly felt on the body and the personality of Cancer natives who could contract some contagious disease, flu, or seasonal ailment. Accidents and injuries can also be brought about by Rahu’s intensity. People with Rahu in the 1^st house often feel strong and independent and pride themselves on their strong individuality.

Ninth house: Our luck, our faith, and our beliefs become our religion. Everyone has one whether it’s personal or institutional or some combination of the two. All the things we pick up over the course of our lives that “make sense” about how humans should live fit into the indications of the 9^th house. (The 5^th house is also said to be a luck house, but the 5^th has more to do with how we put our beliefs in action. If the 9^th house the spirituality that we believe in, the 5^th house is the spiritual practice that we actually follow. This is also the house of higher knowledge, the guruji, and the father.

For Cancer natives, the 9^th house will have Jupiter aspecting his own Pisces 9^th house until September 11, 2017. Rahu will also make an aspect here after the nodes move in mid-August and this will continue until the end of the year. Jupiter’s aspect here will promote good luck and a broad-minded personal philosophy. It’s a good aspects of student of the more advanced institutions as well as for spiritual practitioners. Such and aspect can also bless the father or the guru with advisory capabilities. This spring when Venus makes her transit thru this house will be a very potent time of spiritual practice and achieving a higher understanding of the world regardless of your spiritual out look.

Kama: 3^rd house; sexual effort 7^th house: the other; 11^th house: our hopes

Third house: the effort we make to fulfill our desire, cousins, contemporaries, peers; what we do with our hands; social contacts & network.

Jupiter in the 3^rd can bring noble efforts; he can enrich your siblings and network, partnerships and profits. He is also looking at his own 9^th house, which should be good for spiritual practice, high knowledge, fathers and gurus. In the spring when Venus is exalted in his transit thru Pisces should be an especially potent time for the spiritual lives of Cancer natives. Saturn is looking at Jupiter from the 6^th house, which can make you responsible for your health, but also give responsibility to your 3^rd house efforts. Jupiter in the 3^rd can also bring a lot of short travel and your neighborhood could undergo some kind of improvement.

Jupiter will continue to give his blessing to these matters from the third house until September. Jupiter generally blesses us by broadening our view (our perspective) of things. He’s also famous for his indulgence and will bring an honest effort to achieving whatever goals are assigned. Jupiter is also a multiplier so you may try several avenues to achieve the same goal. Saturn will be looking at Jupiter until June 20 when he goes back into Scorpio where he stays until October 26. Saturn drishti (aspect) on Jupiter in the third can give you a more determined and perhaps even habitual effort.

Seventh house: the kinds of partnerships we make and the way we maintain agreements; wife; business partners, contractual agreements, relationship with the other; our mirror. Essentially, this is how we view and treat others, or rather, “the other” since the typical dualist perspective of life merely separates oneself from all others allowing for the great narratives of man vs nature; man vs man; man vs himself. In any case, they’re all self-defeating battles in the end.

Jupiter’s aspect on the 7^th house suggests that you may see at least some of what is noble and pure in others. Jupiter’s aspect can bring many different agreements with different people. Saturn, the ruler of the 7^th house for Cancer natives, however, is in the 6^th house (12^th from 7^th) which could bring disputes, broken contracts, or perhaps some service, duty or suffering related to the end of a contract. Since Saturn makes us take responsibility for the annoyances of 6^th house, their effects are actually greatly mitigated, unlike, say, Ketu in 6^th who often leaves us completely unconcerned with 6^th house matters; which can often bring bigger difficulties later. (Saturn will be in this 6^th house until June 20 & will return to the 6^th again on October 26^th.) Saturn in Sagittarius is in the 11^th house from Aquarius which is in the 8^th house suggesting some possibility of unexpected gain (some would say that this Saturn also forms an auspicious vipreet raj yoga.

When Saturn returns to Scorpio for the middle part of the year he can influence romantic agreements, however, Saturn’s risks are generally carefully measured and his aspect on the 7^th house can bring responsibility for children as well as for agreements.

In regards to relationships, this Jupiter is giving a beneficial look at the 7^th house of partnerships as well as the 9^th house of luck, and from your 3^rd, he looks at your partners 3^rd (3^rd from 7^th) suggesting a good time for a combined effort. Relationships are generally ruled by Venus or Mars, though for a woman, Jupiter can represent the husband.

For Cancer lagna, Saturn rules the 7^th house of relationships and therefore becomes the karaka (signifier) of relationships that are bound by some mutual agreement. Saturn’s transit in Sagittarius, I’m sorry to say, is not likely to be good for agreements or the partners of Cancer natives since he goes into to 6^th house where agreements are broken or become like obstacles. Saturn can make us take responsibility for broken contract/agreements, or he can permanently delay breaking contracts. Saturn and Ketu are also hemming your 7^th house; which can put a lot of pressure on your spouse or your agreements. This Ketu can also put a cramp on your partner’s savings, and Rahu in 2^nd suggest that you may be happy to be in charge of savings and liquid investments.

Eleventh house: the kind of gain we make, our hopes and the people we associate with are represented in the 11^th house. This will be a very dynamic house in 2017 as the aspecting planets will be changing frequently. Jupiter is currently alone in aspecting the 11^th house until June when Saturn’s move to the 5^th house will then give him an aspect on the 11^th house as well. Saturn and Jupiter will give a combined aspect to this house throughout the summer and then in August, Ketu will add his aspecting influence. In September, Jupiter will move tot he 4^th house leaving Saturn and Ketu to aspect this house until Saturn moves his look away from here in October.

The period from early September until late October could prove to be a very difficult time for gain and profit. Starting in August, Ketu will be dispersing agreements trade and negotiation. Once Jupiter takes his beneficial influence away from the 11^th house, there is likely to be a loss of profits and a loss of hope. Ketu’s influence often comes in the form of a single sharp (or explosive) event that affects all of society as well as the individuals who are a part of it. Depending on ones natal chart even the most dire looking transits can be especially positive. Saturn and Ketu could allow one to profit from technical matters, foreigners, service, and the like.

Prior to September, Jupiter will be looking at the 11^th house; which can be good for gain, but also expensive and pleasant of our sense of hope.

Artha: 2^nd house: the face we show to the world; 6^th house: obstacles; 10^th house: our reputation

Second house: Rahu will be in Leo of the second house until mid-August. This can be a difficult placement for Rahu since he will like to appear as someone with great savings and many valuables regardless of the reality. The difficulty in this placement can be summed up with the words a local drug addict recently spoke to me: “it doesn’t matter what the truth is, nobody cares about truth, what people care about is appearance; appearance is everything.” This is the sort of materialistic philosophy followed by Rahu in the second. Saturn will also be looking at this 2^nd house from mid-June to mid-September. The period from mid-June to mid-August will have both of these planets affecting the second house which is likely to cause some tension by introducing a conservative bent to Rahu’s excess. This mid-summer period could bring health problems to some member of the ancestral family (or childhood family), but it could also affect the face of teeth of the native. This will be a very good period for harsh speech, and food and eating habits are likely to be less than healthy (Rahu in the 2^nd house of a natal chart is often indicative of meat eating or having an ancestry that earned from the death of animals). Once Rahu moves on to Cancer in August, Saturn’s dristi will be alone in influencing the second house. This will be a much better time for gathering savings and consolidating liquid assets, but with Saturn there will have to be some sacrifices made to complete the collection. Of course much depends on the natal position of the Sun and the other planets.

Sixth house: Saturn is going in and out the 6^th house this year. In June he will move back to the 5^th house until the end of October and then back into the 6^th to complete his 2.5 year transit of the sign. Saturn in the 6^th house makes us take responsibility for our health. From this position he can drag out acute health problems or disputes; he can force us into a service role; and generally make us take our obligations seriously. This is the position of someone who follows their duty.

Saturn rules the 7^th and 8^th houses. 7^th owner going into the 6^th house is rarely good as it will encourage disputes with spouse. This Saturn often does not go in for divorce of break up, but rather takes responsibility for the dispute and tries to fix things regardless of how long it takes. Saturn is not averse to the problem sets of the 6^th.

Rahu’s aspect on this house until mid-August (both Saturn and Rahu will give effects here until mid to late June. The 6^th house represents those things which challenge us and Rahu certainly loves a challenge. Rahu is also not averse to breaking a few rules in order to win. Success thru this period will depend on the natal placements of the planets as well as the dasha operating throughout this period.

Of course, for Cancer natives, Jupiter has some major say in 6^th house matters. Jupiter will be in the 3^rd house until early September and then he will move into the 4^th house. The 3^rd house is 10^th from 6^th suggesting that some reputational matters will be tied in with the 6^th house matters. The 3^rd house is the house of effort so it’s likely that noble (Jupiterian) efforts will be made for 6^th house matters (to resolve disputes and health matters. It’s also possible that Jupiter will bring the 6^th house disputes into the 3^rd house to cause disputes with (or health problems to) younger siblings or social networks (neighbors can also be represented by 3^rd house). When Jupiter moves into the 4^th house, he can bring these duties, obstacles and challenges to the parents or home of the Cancer native. It must be pointed out that Jupiter is also the 9^th house owner for Cancer lagna which suggest that there will always be a c certain amount of luck or higher knowledge tied in with Jupiterian significations.

Tenth house: For cancer natives the 10^th house is ruled by Mars, a relatively fast moving planet that will continually transform ones reputation as the native seeks continual innovation. Rahu will be looking at the 10^th house until mid-August and then it will be left without strong influence from any of the slow moving planets until Jupiter moves to Libra in September which will give the Guru a direct aspect of the 10^th house.

Rahu deals with our urges that we cannot control, in regards to the 10^th house, he gives us the urge for public recognition. This can often lead to “acting out” or some other behavior that will get noticed. The combined influence of Mars and Rahu on this house can also give a reputation of dealing with computers and machines.

When Jupiter lends his look to this house we can expect a broadening of reputation, perhaps an advisory or training position. Since Jupiter is looking from the 4^th house of home and contentment, these expending emotions likely to be reflected in ones social position. Since this house is ruled by Mars, this can be an especially good time for executives maintaining several career portfolios.

Moksha: 4^th house: contentment; 8^th house: the unknown; 12^th house: expenditure

Fourth house: Ketu is sending his dispersing influence tot he 4^th house until the two brothers make their move in August. The 4^th house will be vacant for about a month and then Jupiter will bring a combination of luck and duty into the home.

Depending on the position of Venus in the natal chart as well as the current dasha period running, Ketu can disperse the home, quell the home fires, and bring difficulties to the mother. Ketu can also influence a little bit of emotional numbness, and perhaps limit our sense of security.

Of course, when Jupiter moves into this 4^th house in September, he will bring his natural expansiveness as well as his functional luck and duty. Higher knowledge and understanding will go into the home and influence the emotional being, but there will also be a stronger sense of duty for the home environment. A touch of caution needs to be exercises here since any influence of the 6^th lord tot he 4^th house can bring vehicle accidents as well as property disputes. Of course, once again, this is largely influenced by ones personal chart and dasha period.

Eighth house: The eighth house is mystery, occult, secret knowledge, death, and all that resides in the hidden depths of water. Cancer natives have Aquarius in the 8^th house marking them a secret mystics.

Ketu is in Aquarius until mid-August. This can bring a deep and mysterious intuitive understanding. Ketu in 8^th house can also be quite explosive in the 8^th house since both have a proclivity for the unexpected. Ketu’s dispersal energy can be quite explosive when combines with Mars or Saturn. (Saturn will be aspecting Ketu in 8^th thru May and mostly June). This could be quite a sensitive month and a half for Cancer natives as well as Cancer localities. Since Saturn is looking at his own Aquarius sign in this house, there is likely to be some protection (Saturn’s aspect on 8^th also increases longevity), but it may be safe advice to expect the unexpected. Although it’s out of the purview of this analysis, it can be noted that Mars is also aspecting Saturn in the 6^th house which will influence some toxicity.

Ketu will have a couple of months alone in the 8^th house from the end of June until the end of August. This can bring a loss of privacy, loss of sleep even, as well as other difficulties in the home. Ketu’s role is to leave what belongs in the past, in the past. He cuts us from the energies that don’t serve us anymore. He is like that Shiva who is cutting the head off time; the fleeting past that is continually rushing into the majestically expansive mouths of Lord Krishna.

Then, in August, Rahu and Ketu move houses and the 8^th house becomes more accessible to the reasoned to the mind. The ruler of 8^th, Saturn, will be in the 5^th house which is an excellent placement for research, and since he is additionally in Scorpio (the 8^th sign), some occult experiences are also possible. Some of you may experience this as Ketu revealing some latent talents in the mystery cults and then suddenly finding a strong desire to practice and experience the mysteries of life.

For most of September and October, Jupiter will aspect this house, and Saturn will add his aspect in October when he moves back into Sagittarius. This can bring some more pleasant, but equally unexpected, events. This could be as simple as some good advice from an unlikely source.

Twelfth house: This is the ultimate moksha house: loss, liberation, expenses, bed pleasures, and the sub-conscious mind. Ketu and Saturn will also be affecting this house by aspect in the early part of summer. Difficult sleep, being out of touch with the sub-conscious, and certainly a lack of pleasurable bed pleasures. This Saturn-Ketu aspects here can bring awful dreams and a dreadful imagination. All this sub-conscious information will ease off in August, and if there is any kind of major disruption causes by this combination, Jupiter’s aspect on the 12^th house (beginning in September) is likely to be beneficial.

Saturn and Ketu can sometimes give a very difficult restriction to expenses; or it can make for very wasteful expenses depending on their placement in your chart and the current dasha operating.