I felt excited by the news that summer has begun in the Northern hemisphere of Saturn.
This news gives some understanding about why certain basic principles of astrology have been designed as they are by our sages.
More importantly this news offers an explanation for the way the Jupiter based calendar, called as Brihaspathya-maana has been formed which in turn gives some clues on how the Venus based calendar could have been framed. The Venus based calendar known as Shukra-maana or Asura-maana is what the Mayans had followed. The end of a cycle in their calendar in the year 2012 can be analyzed from another perspective – from what we gather from our astrological texts, buttressed with a new understanding by the discovery of Saturn’s summer that began this year.
Let me explain this.
Saturn’s revolution around the sun takes approximately 30 years. This is the duration of a year in Saturn.
Saturn is tilted enough that the sunlight (or seasons) shifts constantly from south to north and from north to south.
In other words, Saturn is also experiencing seasons like the earth.
The duration of light in each hemisphere lasts for 15 years each.
On August 11th this year (2009), the sun was shining on the equator of Saturn.
From that time onwards the northern sojourn of the sunlight has begun.
North has a special place in our system (Hinduism and Hindu astrology). North actually means the plane above our path of revolution. The vast expanses above our plane of existence or above the Milkyway are known as North.
This can be easily understood by looking at the square shaped Horoscope chart we make.
The North always stands for Devayaana or the path of Gods or the path of transcendence to Higher realms.
The South stands for Pithruyaana, or rebirth or getting back into the cyclical sameness.
It is no wonder that Saturn also exhibits uniqueness in its Northern realms by some surging activity in for of hexagonal patterns.
What is of interest to us in astrology is that the Saturn’s summer is going to coincide with Exaltation of Saturn as per our astrological principles.
Just in contrast was in the 80s when Saturn’s north was gloomy and the south was shining. That coincided with the debility point of Saturn.
Going by the exact degree of Saturn’s location (27th degree Leo) on the day of sun crossing its equator (
Astrologically speaking, exaltation time of Saturn is the best time for the birth of seers and great and dharmic people.
In mundane astrology, debility time of Saturn comes with lot of bad news for mankind. Though Aries is the sign of debility, its transit in Taurus (which will be Winter Proper in north pole according to Cassini’s findings) comes with a lot of troubles.
To say the important ones, when Saturn transits Krittika, it must not be opposed by Jupiter in Vishaka. That will spell doom on mankind. There will be wars and bloodshed on earth.
Retrogression in Krittika (as seen from earth) – that is going back towards deep winter - is also a bad time for mankind. There will be famine and drought. There will be hostilities among people.
When Saturn cuts across Rohini in Taurus, that is again a time of wars and acrimony. In its last transit on these stars, we witnessed terrorism raising its ugly head. WTC and Indian Parliament were attacked when Saturn was in its deep winter in Taurus. In the earlier round when Saturn was transiting Taurus the world was shattered by the 2nd world war and atomic bombs.
In a much ancient past, King Dasharatha (father of Rama) appeased the Saturn with Shani sthuthi to save the people from famine conditions when Saturn was crossing Taurus through Rohini.
Thus we see a correlation between Saturn’s winter in its Northern hemisphere and bad happenings to mankind.
But this is not the news I am excited about. The knowledge of what it means by exaltation or debility of a planet, understood from this scientific revelation is what makes me feel excited that I have hit upon a breakthrough.
The 2 planets of interest in this context are Jupiter and Venus.
Jupiter is the preceptor for Devas or for those living in the northern hemisphere of the earth and Venus is for Asuras, those living in the southern hemisphere.
Vedic seers have devised 10 types of measurement of time or calendars of which the Suryamaana , Chandramaana and Brihaspatya maana (based on Jupiter’s revolution) are important for us. The Brihaspatya maana was in vogue for a long time in the past. Shukra maana is based on the revolution of Venus but not much is known about it as our ancients have disregarded it as not suitable for those in Northern hemisphere. Another reason is that it was followed by Asuras.
For long I could not rationalize the principles of Brihaptaya maana of Jupiter as given by our ancient sages.
But now after understanding how exaltation and debility signs go along with the summer and winter in the north of Saturn, I am able to get an explanation.
Let us begin with exaltation and debility of Jupiter.
Jupiter has just moved out is its debility now, which means that it is winter in the north of Jupiter now.
When Jupiter exalts it means peak summer in Jupiter’s north.
Now the next understanding is how the beginning of a cycle is allotted to the planets in astrology.
The basic principle is when the planet disappears behind the sun and reappears again.
In other words the cycle begins after the conjunction with the sun.
For moon, its new cycle begins after it conjoins the sun.
That is, after the New moon or amavasya, (when the moon joins the sun), the new cycle of revolution around the zodiac starts for the moon.
Similarly the new cycle of revolution around the zodiac starts for Jupiter after it conjoins the Sun in the star Dhanishta!
It is said in Brihat Samhita ( chapter 8 -27) “ When Jupiter reappears at the beginning of the constellation of Dhansihta in the month of Maagha, the first year of the cycle of 60 years of Jupiter known as Prabhava commences.”
Jupiter completes one revolution around the zodiac in 12 years. But that is not taken as a cycle. The Jupiter-maana had 12 yugas of 5 years each. When all the 12 yugas starting from Vishnu yuga gets over by 60 years, it is said that Jupiter has completed one cycle. The duration of the cycle is 60 years.
The commencement of a new cycle starts after Sun conjoins Jupiter in Dhansihta. Such a conjunction happens this year when Sun moves to Aquarius. When that happens it means Jupiter has just crossed its deep winter in its north (debility).
By this principle, we can say that a new cycle for a planet begins after conjunction with the sun that happens after it crosses its sign of debility or deep winter in its northern pole.
We may wonder if such a principle is not applicable to Moon. Should not a new cycle of moon begin after it crosses debility in Scorpio?
Should not the Lunar new year (new cycle) begin after moon crosses debility and conjoins the sun?
Yes. Vikrama calendar begins the lunar year from Kaarthigai after moon conjoins the sun soon after its debility!
But that calendar is not in vogue today. A debate must have happened among the sages about the logic of having a calendar like that for moon.
The Sun and the moon are exceptions as they are not treated along with other planets. Moreover moon’s debility is not technically correct because it attains neecha bhanga – by being in Kendra to itself.
The same question if applied to Sun and its debility has a different application in astrology.
Sun debilitates in Libra. Soon after it moves out of Libra, that is, when it enters Scorpio, that marks an important time. All facets of vegetable horoscopy are assessed from the day the sun enters Scorpio.
The prediction of the crops and crop pattern to be raised in the ensuing season is judged from the sun’s entry into Scorpio, after leaving its sign of debility.
If solar cycle is observed for agricultural purposes, the lunar cycle is observed for festivals and vrathas that form by itself another type of maana called Saavana maana.
From all this we deduce that sun and the moon are excluded from the regular pattern of how the new cycle begins for a planet.
From the Jupiter’s cycle we know that the new cycle begins after the planet leaves its debility (deep winter in its northern pole) and repapers after a conjunction with the sun.
Let us apply this principle to Venus. We don’t apply this to other planets such as Mars or Mercury, because the 10 types of measurement of time as given by Vedic seers do not consider them. The calendar of sun and the moon are for mundane life. Jupiter is for those living in the north (Devas) and Venus is for those living in the south (Asuras).
Venus debilitates in Virgo. That must be the time of peak winter in its northern pole. But it is not so. Because Venus is tilted very little, say by 3 degrees only. The seasonal changes are almost nil, but it is a matter of exploration if some change in illumination of the poles happens in Venus. The Mayan cycle of 5,125 years is perhaps to do with such a cycle that is possible once in many 1000 s of years.
If we look at the sky map of
Venus, after emerging form the sign of debility becomes conjunct with Saturn in Libra and emerges from that in Scorpio.
A similar happening can be noted on
Then also Venus had emerged from debility sign, then conjoined with Saturn and re emerged at Scorpio.
Its location in degrees on both occasions is very close – within 6 degrees.
That sign (Scorpio) is in opposition to Taurus lorded by Venus.
For Asuramaana, the sun may not be a close ally, but Saturn could be!
Saturn and Venus are friendly planets and their association and interchange give rise to odd behavior and perverse pleasure which are characteristic of Asuras.
Perhaps the Asura-maana that was discarded by the sages had the new cycle of Venus beginning after it crosses its debility sign and a subsequent conjunction with Saturn when summer runs peak in Saturn’s north.
Related information:-
5 reasons why the world will not end on 2012.
The 10 types of measurement of time are as follows:
1.Brahma maana (kalpa)
2. Deva maana (of the Gods)
3. Pithru maana (of the fathers or pitrus)
4. Prajapatya maana (of Prajapathi / manvanthra)
5. Brihaspatya maana (of Jupiter)
6. Saavana maana (civil year – day starts from sun rise)
7. Chandra maana (lunar year)
8. Soorya maana (solar year)
9. Nakshathra maana (sidreal time)
10. Asura mana (of Venus)
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From
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/12/11/ArticleHtmls/11_12_2009_013_011.shtml?Mode=0#
Saturn's mystery hexagon emerges
After years of waiting for the Sun to illuminate Saturn's North Pole again, cameras aboard Nasa's Cassini spacecraft have captured the most detailed images yet of the fascinating hexagon shape crowning the planet.
The new images of the hexagon, whose shape is the path of a jet stream flowing around the North Pole, reveal concentric circles, curlicues, walls, and streamers not seen in previous images.
Nasa's Voyager spacecraft had last captured the visible light images of the entire hexagon nearly 30 years ago. After the sunlight faded, darkness engulfed the north pole for 15 years, and much to the delight and bafflement of Cassini scientists, the location and shape of the hexagon in the latest images match those they saw in the Voyager pictures.
"The longevity of the hexagon makes this something special, given that weather on Earth lasts on the order of weeks," said Kunio Sayanagi, a Cassini imaging team associate at the California Institute of Technology. "It's a mystery on par with the strange weather conditions that give rise to the long-lived Great Red Spot of Jupiter," he added.
The hexagon was originally found in images taken by the Voyager in the early 1980s. It encircles Saturn at about 77 degrees north latitude and has been estimated to have a diameter wider than two Earths. The jet stream is believed to whip along the hexagon at around 100 meters per second.
Early hexagon images from Voyager and ground based telescopes suffered from poor viewing perspectives. Cassini, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, has a better angle for viewing the North Pole. But, the long darkness of Saturnian winter hid the hexagon from Cassini's visible-light cameras for years.
However, infrared instruments were able to obtain images by using heat patterns which showed the hexagon is nearly stationary and extends deep into the atmosphere. They also discovered a hotspot and cyclone in the region.
From
http://365daysofastronomy.org/2009/08/11/august-11th-cassini-watches-the-sun-rise-above-saturns-rings/
Today, August 11, 2009 , marks Saturn's equinox, the first day of spring in its northern hemisphere. An observer at Saturn sees crazy things happening when the Sun passes through the plane that contains Saturn's enormous ring system and the orbital paths of all its moons. Moons eclipse each other; they cast shadows on Saturn and its rings; the weird waves in Saturn's rings begin to cast their own shadows; and, finally, today, the north side of Saturn's rings will see the Sun rise for the first time in nearly 15 Earth years. The Cassini spacecraft is there to capture images of the weird and beautiful play of light and shadow.
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002044/
