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Earthquakes and Explosions

March 2011 Jyotish Star

Vachaspati Christina Collins for Jyotish Star March 2011

Why study the charts of earthquakes? Except for the obvious, if you can learn to predict them, and you live near them, then you can get far away. . . Because what happens at a large level will be reflected at a minute level, Brahmanda and Pindanda.

Events at the Macrocosmic level
Brahmanda
and
Events at the Microcosmic level
Pindanda

If you can recognize the patterns in an �earthquake� or other type of disaster chart, then you will be able to see these same patterns in your own, or in another individual�s chart. This helps you personally, and helps you in assisting others to stay out of harms way � or to �avoid the danger that has not yet come.� one of my favorite quotes from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi!

Springtime does tend to bring more earthquakes in general, but when Mars aspects Saturn, and one or both are in earth signs, they increase in number and in magnitude. Mars currently is transiting in the air sign of Aquarius, where it throws its 4^th aspect on Taurus (earth sign), its 7^th aspect on Leo (fire sign) and its nasty 8^th aspect on Virgo (earth sign).

Now, one situation currently disturbing land is the planetary conflict between Mars and Saturn, who currently transit in Aquarius and Virgo. Mars and Saturn have very different natures. Mars rules action and speed, Saturn stopping and focusing. Mars rules war, weapons of war, surgical instruments, passion, and intensity � while Saturn rules structure, strength, slow and steady climbs to the top, the architecture of a building, the frame that holds a building up, the skeleton of the body, the structure that keeps a body upright, the skin that covers the body (which holds everything inside).

Mars has an erratic orbit as it goes up and down a funnel shaped corkscrew, as it moves around in its orbit, sometimes when at the top of the �funnel� it will be in a sign for many months, conversely, when close to Earth, or at the bottom of the funnel, it will move much quicker, about a degree a day. Experiences are quick and sudden when it is close � and it is currently moving quickly, and closer to Earth. Saturn, the slowest of the planets in Vedic Astrology, takes 2� to 3 years to complete a transit through a sign!

Saturn is cautious � and Mars is chaos. When they aspect each other, it can produce very sudden interruption in the staid nature of Saturn -- and the earth moves, air explosions happen, water rages and floods occur.

Add to this the planetary imbalance between Mars and Saturn, the strong factor that current transiting Saturn resides by transit in Virgo, the sign of Mercury � and Mercury currently transits in Pisces, its sign of debilitation � this weakens and destabilizes Saturn. Also factor in that Jupiter, the planet of expansion currently transits its own water sign of Pisces with this debilitated Mercury. Jupiter�s expansive nature makes things �bigger,� and intensifies their effect. (and this can produce good or bad experiences, bottom line is the thought of larger, bigger, more dramatic in expression).

Christchurch, New Zealand

More of the recent intense earthquakes began with the Sun and Mars in Aquarius taking for example, the Christchurch, New Zealand quake on February 22^nd.

In my last ACVA Online Live Webinar, on February 19^th, I suggested that everyone observe the transiting Mars, which was 3°17 Aquarius at the time � as it moved towards the degree of Saturn which was 22 Virgo Rx at that time. That the closer Mars gets to the end of Aquarius and the degree of Saturn, these earthquakes will increase in number and magnitude.

A couple of days later, I received a nice email from one of the students who participated in that webinar

saying "Oh you were right! There was just a big earthquake in New Zealand!"

My first thought on reading that was � no, this couldn�t be it, what we expect, its too soon, because Mars is only 5 degrees and Saturn, 22. Of course, as you can see below, the 22^nd February was still is a typical disaster chart, Mars aspecting two of the three earth signs, Taurus, Virgo, and the third earth sign, a 12^th house of loss. A sandi luminary, in this case the Moon, who was just changing signs, and enemies Mercury and Mars within a degree of each other, and also in conjunction in the Navamsa � and of course karmic Rahu and Ketu were also transiting at 6 degrees, as was Mercury.. (the nodes and their rulers play a role in delivering Karma and life lessons.)

Mercury is the most unstable planet, it is hemmed in by the Sun and Mars, and is malefic as ruler of the 3^rd and 6^th, and has very little strength in Shad Bala. (66%)

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With the Moon in Chitra, of course the Vimshottari Dasa will be Mars, and at the time of the New Zealand quake it was Ma/Me/Me/Ma/Me playing up that intense conjunction. In Vedasthana, all planets were inauspicious. Also, in major earthquakes and disasters, many planets are in minus declination. Here we see Jupiter as the only planet above the celestial equator!

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Sendai, Japan

Now we look to the details of the recent quakes in Japan who had a series of 5 and 6.0 earthquakes so far in March, and a larger 7.0 in Japan on March 9^th. And of course the terrible 9.0 earthquake on March 11^th contributing towards fires, a Tsunami and several nuclear plant events!

We observe that the March 9^th and 11^th earthquakes are similar in nature, as Mercury is debilitated in both, Rahu, Ketu, Jupiter, Mercury, Sun, Mars, Saturn and Venus are in the same signs, the respective moons are in Aries on March 9^th and Taurus on March 11^th � in the 9.0 quake there are three planets NOT in minus declination, the exalted Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter. While in the earlier March 9th (the first large quake (7.) of this long series in Japan � ALL except Jupiter were in minus declination. So even though the latter experiences of Tsunami, fires and nuclear incidents occurred in later quakes, I believe the �kick-off� to the whole string began on March 9^th, which is some ways is the more malefic chart. Aries Moon vs. exalted

Moon, though the March 9^th had a more stable mid point Leo ascendant, and the more unstable lagna for March 11^th had a sandi lagna at 0° degrees Leo. This rising sign changing moment put Jupiter (not in minus declination in either event) in a different house, changing from the good 9^th house position, to the difficult 8^th house position, along with debilitated Mercury.

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A more �dramatic,� effect can be expected when the aspect between planets is closer in degree. Note, that Mars at 18°46 Aquarius throws the 8^th aspect on Saturn in earth sign Virgo at 21°37 which is a degree closer than the March 9^th earthquake in Japan. Note again we have a sandi situation, this time the Lagna instead of the Moon (like in the New Zealand quake). Also note that Venus, also in Capricorn another earth sign, resides in the 6^th house of accidents, in close degree to Jupiter. Addtionally, as Mars nears the exact degree of Saturn, and the Sun changes signs to Pisces, this unstableness could cause the nuclear element to be more problematic.

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Notice, that although most of the planets are in minus declination, three, the Moon, Mercury and Jupiter are not.

Now, I was expecting, and still am as I write this, the really big water disasters and Tsunami�s as the stellium of five planets (six if you count Uranus, and I sometimes do), as they join Mercury and Jupiter in Pisces. � also check out Planetary Tips.

Earthquake scenario for March 9 and 11 in Japan

Mercury is debilitated in Pisces

Mercury rules the transiting Saturn in Virgo

Sun is in Aquarius, ruled by Saturn (who is in Mercury�s sign)

Mars is in Aquarius, ruled by Saturn (Saturn is in Mercury�s sign.)

Venus is in Capricorn, Saturn�s sign (Saturn is in Mercury�s sign)

Ketu is in Gemini, Mercury�s sign

Rahu is in Sagittarius, Jupiter is in its own sign of Pisces (conjunct Mercury)

Jupiter, in is own sign rules the Mercury expanding and intensifying the placements.

Mercury will become more and more malefic later this month as it swings between 29 degrees of Pisces, into zero Aries, then, before it even becomes stable at 1 degree Aries, it goes Retrograde moving back to debilitation at 29 Pisces.

Now some feel that a Retrograde Mercury cancels its debilitation due to one of the rules of Neecha Banga (if a debilitated (neecha) planet become retrograde in motion, the debilitation is cancelled (banga).
Mercury will stay retrograde until April 23^rd when it goes direct and debilitates again.

Now, what is coming soon, in the next few weeks is that Sun and Mars will join Jupiter and Mercury in watery Pisces. Add to this, for those that recognize Uranus � its placement in 6 degrees Pisces, in a Kendra, or squaring the nodes within 2 degrees. Now observe that this stellium or line up of planets are all aspected by Saturn in an earth sign, who also throws its 10^th aspect on Ketu in Gemini, air, and Scorpio another water sign. -- this means Earthquakes, Explosions and Tsunamis. It can also mean air disasters � tornados, volcanic eruptions, airplane crashes.

So, why did this 9.0 earthquake come earlier? Why not after Saturn aspected everything directly?

If you look at the Navamsa 9^th harmonic chart of the March 11^th chart, you will see that Mars is in Pisces, and Saturn is in Virgo, and that they are both in near degree! Mars at 18°51 and Saturn at 19°08. There likely will be more and/or other water disasters this month in addition to what we have already seen.

Finally, I thought you might like to see another earthquake chart from 1995. The 6.9 Kobe earthquake which took many lives. Note, another Aries Lagna or Moon, note Rahu aspects the ascendant as it does in the two Leo rising Sendai, Japan charts, note another seemingly �good� moon, Cancer in her own sign, as the March 11^th quake had an exalted moon! (aspected by Mars). Mars again aspects Leo, this time by position, in Sendai by opposition. With the sign of Aries, you often have disasters. Primarily because the most unstable planet, Mercury is ruler of 3 and 6, and secondly because the ruler Mars is malefic at the time. Often, there is a retrograde Mars in very bad disasters � Mars is never as good while retrograde, as it is a malefic, staying there longer.

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Christina Collins Biography:

Christina Collins, Jyotish Kovid, Jyotish Vachaspati is a third generation astrologer specializing in the Vedic system. She received her honorary titles from the late Dr. B.V. Raman, former President of the ICAS (Indian Center for Astrological Sciences) in New Delhi and Bangalore, India. She is the first and sole American woman to be honored by this highly held title of Jyotish Vachaspati (Jyotish - the light bearer and Vachaspati - the one who speaks the truth and whose predictions come true. (Vac = speech and Brihaspati is a name of Jupiter the planet of wisdom and truth. She serves as faculty and on the Board of Directors of the American College for Vedic Astrology (ACVA), as Editor of the ACVA News and is President of Celestial Resources (The Timing Coach) where she serves corporate and private clients from celebrities to students. You can reach her in Boulder CO at [email protected]:

Christina's consultation contact information:

Christina Collins, J.K., J.V.
Editor in Chief The Jyotish Star
Lafayette, (Boulder County) CO, USA
web site: http://www.vedicastrologer.cc
email: [email protected]
phone: 303-665-9996



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