Rainfall prediction – Part 5 (Planetary combinations)

The previous parts can be read here:-

Part 1:- Rainfall prediction – Part 1 (Pre-rainy season observation & GarbOttam)

Part 2:- Rainfall prediction – Part 2 (Solar ingress)

Part 3:- Rainfall prediction – Part 3 (Immediate rainfall)

Part 4:- Rainfall prediction – Part 4 (Venus- Mercury transits)

In this article, we will know the planetary combinations that signify rainfall or lack of it. The planetary combinations are common for all places. For a place to experience rainfall, the meteorological factors as explained in Part-1 of this series must have been present 195 days before the day of rainfall. These conditions and planetary combinations must be read together to assess the arrival of rainfall in a particular place. 

In the system of observation of planets, Mercury and Venus occupy prime place. We discussed about it in the last part of this series. Of these two, if Mercury is in front of Venus, there will be winds and the rain clouds would be scattered and dissipated. If Venus is in the front it signifies plentiful rainfall. 

Good news for the current year is Venus is leading in the front till the year end. However at the time of expected arrival of the Monsoon in the last week of May, Mercury will be too close to Venus and even leading in the front of Venus. But by 20^th of June, Venus overtakes it. It must be seen how the period between 28^th of May and 20^th of June works out for rainfall. If serious research and recording of the rainfall with reference to the movement of planets is done, at least for 9 years at a stretch, we will be able to develop reliable models for rainfall prediction. 

Nine types of Clouds.

There is a cyclical 9-year period in rainfall prospects. The rainfall pattern is divided into 9 types of clouds for 9 years. This pattern is said to repeat continuously every 9 years. If someone can have access to rainfall records for 9 years to 45 years in the past and test it with the planetary movements, it would give a very reliable basis for near accurate prediction of rainfall. The 9 year clouds are as follows:

1.      Tamo megha  (தமோ மேகம்) – brings plentiful rains.

2.      Vaayu megha  (வாயு மேகம்) –less rains. Famine conditions prevail.

3.      VaaruNa megha (வாருண மேகம்) – widespread and very heavy rains.

4.      Neela megha  (நீல மேகம்) – mixed trend. Rains heavily at one place but fails in another place.

5.      KaaLa megha  (காள மேகம்) –Rains accompanied with storms.

6.      DroNa megha  (துரோண மேகம்) – Torrential rains causing floods.

7.      Pushkala megha  (புஷ்கல மேகம்) – Heavy rains.

8.      Sangavartha megha (சங்க வர்த்த மேகம்)- Less rains – more winds.

9.      Avarttha megha  (ஆவர்த்த மேகம்)- scanty rainfall enough to wet the ground. 

The type of cloud for a given year can be seen mentioned in the Almanac. Last year it was Avarttha Megha which signifies scanty rainfall. (The year reckoning starts from Chiththrai / Aries). This year (2013 Chitthrai onwards), it is Tamo Megha. This is supposed to bring plentiful rainfall. One important feature of this Tamo Megha is that it is supposed to originate in South east! This direction indicates Bay Depressions which benefit Tamilnadu!

During this time (of South east originating cyclonic storms) , that is, in the 3 month period of October, November and December, Mercury- Venus proximity is not there. However there are no interfering planets between them from October 10^th onwards. This must be beneficial for Tamo Megha coming from South east. 

Even in the period of proximity of Mercury and Venus, Saturn comes in between in the 2^nd half of September. From September 18^th to October 10^th, the proximity of Venus and Mercury is marred by Saturn in between. This period also must be watched on how it affects rainfall. 

The above mentioned 9 types of clouds must be analysed for a minimum of one round (of 9 years) or a reasonable time scale of 5 rounds of 45 years along with planetary combinations to arrive at a reliable model for rainfall prediction. 

Let us now see the planetary combinations for Ativrishti and AnAvrishti.

Ativrishti (अतिवृष्टि)Yogas (plentiful rainfall)

·         At the time of Solar ingress into Gemini, if Venus is in the 2^nd (in front of the sun) or 12^th (behind the sun) in such a combination when Moon transits watery navamsa (cancer, Scorpio and Pisces), there will be copious rains on those days.

·         Sun, Moon, Mars, Saturn and Rahu are in watery signs and Venus and Mercury conjoin in a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius).

·         When Sun, Mercury and Venus occupy the same sign and same Navamsa, there will be heavy rains. If this sign or Navamsa happen to be watery, there will be very heavy rains.

·         Mercury and Venus close to each other.  

·         Mercury and Venus in the same sign and same Navamsa and in combustion.

·         In the above formation if Venus is behind Mars.

·         Sun in earthy sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) and Moon, Mercury and Venus in watery signs or Watery Navamsa and at that time a rainbow appears in the western sky.

·         When Moon occupies watery sign or watery Navamsa and Mars and Saturn are in earthy signs or earthy Navamsa, and at that time  a rainbow is seen in the east.

·         Mercury and Venus close to each other in the western sky (evening) or to the west of Sun or in a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio) or in watery signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces)

·         Setting of Mercury and rising of Venus.

·          Mercury under retrogression and Venus coming to direct motion after retrogression.

·         With this closeness, sun also joins them before or after in the same sign and in the same navamsa.

·         If the navamsa in the above combination (or for Mercury and Venus alone) falls in watery signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces).

·          In the above combination (Mercury and Venus close to each other with sun in the front or behind) these two planets (or one) are in combustion. When Mercury is within 14 degrees on either side of the Sun, it is said to be combust. It is 10 degrees for combustion of Venus.

·         In the above combination (of the three) Venus in front of Sun.  That is, in the order from east to west - Mercury, Venus and Sun.

·          Mercury -Jupiter closeness or Venus – Jupiter closeness with no planets in between.

·          In the rainy season, Mars coming in between Sun and Venus in Leo, Virgo and Libra.

·         Mars in Leo with Venus behind it.

·         Mars behind the sun.

·         All planets behind the sun.

·         All planets in front of the sun (note that sun coming in between planets spoil cloud (rainfall) formation. When the above two happen in rainy season, heavy floods occur, when they happen in winter, heavy snowfall occurs.)

·          Sun, Mars and Saturn must be transiting alternate signs. When moon is transiting at 150 or 180 or 270 degrees from them there will be heavy rains for 2 days before and after those degrees.

·         Every new moon and Full moon must be observed. If it rains on a new moon day and the next day, there will be no rains in the dark half.

·           If it rains when the moon is within 8 to 15 degrees from the sun after conjunction (New Moon) or opposition (Full moon), then it will rain for a month till moon reaches the same position again. (In other words if it rains starting form the last 15 ghatis of Pratipat / Pradhamai / first thithi until the first 15 ghatis of Dwitheeya / 2^nd thithi, there will be rains for the 2 pakshas or the full lunar month.) If there is scarce rain within these degrees, same weather condition will be experienced for a month. If it does not rain during this period, there is no rain for the rest of the month.

·         On any day of the rainy season, if the sun rises with a halo around it and the midday experiences intense heat, there will be rains later on that day.

Anavrishti (अनावृष्टि ) yogas:- (Combinations that show lack of rainfall)

·         Mutual opposition of planets (180 degrees apart) spoils rains.  In other words when the planets are exactly at equal distance from each other, they result in reduced rainfall.

·         Mutual opposition of Mars and Jupiter.

·         Mutual opposition of Venus and Jupiter.

·         Mutual opposition of Sun and Jupiter.

·         Mutual opposition of sun and any other planet.

·           Presence of Mars in Leo during the rainy season reduces rain-cloud formation.

·          Mars in front of any planet including the Sun scorches the earth (in astrological terminology we call it as Mars winning a planetary war.)

·         Since Mercury and Venus are the sensitive planets helping in rainfall, outer planets namely Jupiter or Mars or Saturn moving in front of them in rainy season causes famine like situations.

·         When Jupiter moves in front of Venus, famine-like conditions prevail.

·         When Saturn is in front of Venus, there will be less rainfall.

·         When Mars is in front of Venus, hot conditions will prevail.

·         When Mercury is in front of Venus, windy conditions will prevail.

·         Transit of Mars in Rohini, Arudra, Aslesha, Magha, Swati, Uttara phalguni, Uttrashada, Uttara bhadrapada and Jyeshta

The Anavrishti yogas show that there is no mutual opposition between planets during the rainy season this year. This is good for plentiful rainfall. However the combination of Saturn and Rahu in Libra pose a hindrance to the march of Venus in September – October. 

Apart from these there are other combinations of planetary transit in specific stars that help or mar rainfall. We will discuss them in the next part. 

(To be continued)