The Blessings and Challenges of a Planet in its own Sign
by Hank Friedman
[Note: This article uses the Vedic approach and the Sidereal Zodiac.]
As said so powerfully in The Wizard of Oz, "There is no place like home". A planet in its own sign has an advantage that not even an exalted planet has, it cannot be influenced by another planet owning the house it resides in.
It is its own landlord, and therefore is able to relax, free of any dispositor's influence. (Conversely, an exalted planet is greatly influenced by the placement of its dispositor, and if that dispositor is poorly placed, then the exalted planet can become quite powerless.)
Because planets in their own signs are masters of their own domain, they get to express themselves fully, and have considerably more strength, resources, and stability.
In Vedic astrology, the Pancha Maha Purusha Yogas emphasize this: if a planet is in its own sign (or exalted) in an angle (or a trine in Hart deFouw's variant), it becomes a super-planet, capable of great results.
Bhadra Yoga: If Mercury is in its own sign in an angle, the person is said to be intelligent, eloquent, and well-educated.
Malavya Yoga: If Venus, then graceful, creative, happy, and passionate.
Ruchaka Yoga: If Mars, healthy, adventurous, and victorious.
Hamsa Yoga: If Jupiter, wealthy, a seeker, and very likeable.
Sasa Yoga: If Saturn, a leader, effective, and discerning.
And additionally, even if a planet is in a Dusthana house (houses 6, 8, or 12 -- the houses of great challenge) in its own sign, it can perform very well, eliciting the positive themes of its house.
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So What Can Go Wrong?
If a planet is so well-placed -- by being in its own sign - then what are the "gotchas"?
First of all, practiced Jyotishis always also look at a planet's placement in the Navamsha chart to see if its strength in the natal chart is confirmed. If a planet is in its own sign in the birth chart but fallen in the Navamsha, then much of its promise will not bear fruit.
Additionally, if the planet is a malefic, being in its own sign might help the house it occupies, but its very strength can create issues for all of the houses that it aspects.
But the most important issue is since a planet in its own sign also rules the house it occupies, if a malefic is with or aspects the planet, it also influences its house, and therefore the malefic's impact is doubled.
In other words, the house occupied by a planet in its own sign is doubly vulnerable to negative impacts (and doubly blessed by positive ones).
In fact, one of the most important considerations in evaluating the effectiveness of a Pancha Maha Purusha Yoga is whether the yoga is influenced by malefics, and if so, it is greatly diminished in potency.
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Examples:
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, has Mars in Aries in the 8th house
He received several medals for his incredible courage and endurance under fire during World War II. I can think of no better indicator of his valor than his strong Mars in the house of crises. (His Mars is also in its own sign -- of Scorpio -- in the Navamsha too.)
But unfortunately, Saturn aspects both his Mars and its house, indicating physical injuries, his need for many surgeries, his sexual proclivities, and his premature death.
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Hillary Clinton, first lady, first woman Senator, secretary of state, and currently running for president, has Venus in its own sign both in the birth chart and the Navamsha.
Her Venus participates in several important yogas, making it an clear indicator of her phenomenal success in the public arena (the 5th house, where it is placed, is one of the houses of a governmental career). Since Mercury is also strong (because of being retrograde and in its own sign in the Navamsha), the two create very powerful yogas.
Venus as the lord of the 5th in the 5th is an indicator of her intelligence, and made her a favorite of her teachers, and an excellent performer.
However, once again, Venus and its yogas are partially blemished by the aspect of Mars. Since Mars is so much weaker (it's fallen) than Venus, however, it doesn't have as much impact, but still has manifested in the Whitewater loss and scandal (Mars is in the second house), and in the public perception of Hillary being too ambitious, assertive, and dominant.
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Nevertheless, a planet in its own sign is where it belongs, and almost always brings blessings to the themes of the house it occupies.
Harrison Ford has two planets in their own signs: Mercury and Venus.
And both have given rise to a truly phenomenal life and career.
Note: In addition to the Malavya yoga due to Venus in the 9th house in its own sign, the strong (vargottama) Saturn as the 5th lord forms a spiritual Raja Yoga with Venus too.
And while the Moon is very close to the Sun, it is also vargottama and therefore supports (as a strong benefic) the Bhadra yoga formed by Mercury, and since the Moon is the 11th lord, it also creates a Dhana (prosperity) yoga with Mercury. Finally, Jupiter as 4th lord and Mercury as 1st lord form another Raja Yoga.
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