This past Saturday, our Moon and Transits Patreon group gathered on a day that was astrologically and spiritually significant as, not only was it Solstice but it was also Yogini Ekadashi, (an 11th Lunar day - a sacred lunar day associated with purification, healing, and karmic release). We’ve been studying Tithis in our Moon Investigation Patreon group, so the overlap brought a sense of stillness and sacredness to our meeting. And this is all happening during one of the most dynamic periods of the year—the June 2025 astrology transits, which include Jupiter’s exalted transit through Cancer and Saturn’s new journey through Aries.

We began by reviewing the planetary movements of the last several weeks (you can view the presentation slides here), and then checking-in on each others’ lives and our our personal experiences of the many ‘square’ aspects happening right now:

• 9 June – Mercury square Saturn, Venus square Pluto, Mercury square Neptune

• 13 June – Sun square Nodes

• 15 June – Mars square Uranus, Jupiter square Saturn

• 18 June – Jupiter square Neptune

• 22 June – Sun square Saturn

• 23 June – Sun squares Neptune

The response was a gentle but clear yes. Many of us shared stories of events happening ‘to’ us that we had to respond to - we had not changed, the situation had changed and it was forcing us to respond. This is a classic ‘square’ transit - forcing change, often from a hidden source.

The Ardra New Moon - Myth, Effort & a Triple Conjunction

After checking-in, we spent time discussing the New Moon taking place in Ardra. This isn’t just a regular lunar reset—it was a triple conjunction of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter, all in Ardra nakshatra. And while Jupiter in Cancer is considered exalted, its combustion by the Sun during this lunation means that its usual wisdom and sense of purpose might be hidden from view.

We reflected on what it means when Jupiter—the planet of dharma, wisdom, and expansion—is agitated. When combust, Jupiter may push us toward goals that feel urgent or meaningful in the moment, but which ultimately don’t align with our deeper truth. And yet, in the failure of those pursuits, we may finally glimpse what is.

Ardra’s mythology supported this theme. We shared the story of the crying child, unnamed until Brahma asked why he wept. “Because I don’t have a name,” he said. And so he was named Ardra—the moist one, the teardrop. This nakshatra is ruled by Rudra, the stormy form of Shiva, and its shakti is Yatna—the power to make effort. It’s not about ease. It’s about striving, often through emotional intensity, to become known.

Ardra is also ruled by Rahu, the lunar node and shadow planet. And Rahu’s influence can be seductive. It amplifies fascination, ambition and the hunger to make a mark—often without awareness of the full cost. Given the current transits of June 2025, with Jupiter combust, the Sun recently squaring the nodes (including Rahu) and Mars recently squaring Uranus, Ardra can tempt us into bold, decisive action that seems purposeful in the moment, but which may carry far-reaching consequences. It is not a gentle nakshatra. It asks for effort, yes—but also discernment. Because what we do under Ardra’s influence may not be easily undone.

Global Reflections & the Cost of Action

We looked at the chart for the recent Israel–Iran conflict, noting the presence of Mars square Uranus and Sun square the Nodes. The group looked at the upcoming transits for the following days and noted that while many of the squares had already played out, there were still some squares to come (22 June, Sun square Saturn, 23 June, Sun square Neptune) and wondered aloud: If no action is taken before the New Moon, might there be grace? But if action is taken while the squares are still active, what might the cost be?

Later that same day, the U.S. dropped bombs.

It was a sobering moment. The astrology had spoken clearly, and the unfolding events mirrored the themes we had explored: bold action taken under pressure, with high risk and unclear purpose.

What We Took Away

Despite the intensity, the group left with a sense of reverence. We are in a time of square pressure, yes—but the sky is beginning to shift. As we move toward trines (27 June, Mercury trines Saturn, 28 June, Mercury trines Neptune, 7 July, Venus trines Pluto), there is the promise of grace. We spoke about the importance of breathing, waiting, and not acting under the delusion of a “silver bullet” or of “making a name for ourselves”.

We closed by sharing memories of Jupiter’s last transit through Cancer (2013–14), reflecting on what may now be returning in new form. We are all looking forward to exploring that more.

Right after Moon and Transits, I hosted “Grow your business with Vedic Astrology” for my patrons and we explored how to work with Ardra productively, especially in the context of business and creativity. We also examined Mars and Ketu in Virgo, and how their combination can stir perfectionism and frustration.

Looking Ahead

I’ll be writing more soon on:

• How to work with Ardra’s efforting energy

• Navigating Mars and Ketu in Virgo

• What Jupiter in Cancer in 2025 really feels like

• And how to soften the edges of Saturn’s transit through Aries

In the meantime, you’re warmly invited to our next Moon and Transits gathering on Saturday, 28 June, followed by our Moon Investigation Circle.

We are going to be looking specifically at planetary influences to your Natal Moon including:

• What planets are conjunct your Natal Moon (especially nodes or malefics)?

• What rāśi aspects does is the sign the Moon is in receiving?

• What lajjitādi avasthās is your Natal Moon giving and receiving? Is it delighting or starving any planets—or being starved itself?

This will lead into upcoming Moon Investigation gatherings, where we’ll explore how the Moon can offer insight into the first year of a person’s life.

In the meantime, let me know which of these topics interests you most and how your own experience of the Ardra New Moon June 2025 was!

Slingshot - Mars Retrograde with high Chesta Bala

Let’s set the scene. Late last year, Mars was transiting opposite the Sun when it turned retrograde. This is a recipe for a high Chesta bala retrograde! Planets which are further out in the Solar System than the Earth, all get high Chesta bala when they are opposite the Sun so it’s an easy quality to spot without even looking in your software. In fact it’s easy to spot with the naked eye because it’s the time when the planet is brightest in the sky (it’s reflecting back the most sunlight). Chesta bala is associated with confident planetary action (see previous blog post for more details or The Vedic Astrology Podcast Season 1 Episode 10 - Reconsidering Retrograde - Chesta bala and Effective Readings — fionamarques.com). This Mars retrograde 2025 period lasted for several months and Mars did not return to the starting point until May 13, 2025. That’s a long, intense stretch.

What made that stretch even more unusual was that it took place in the Cancer half of the Zodiac. This is where Mars has no Uccha Bala. So we’ve got a planet pumped and twitching to act, but in a water sign that has no solid ground to push off from. Picture a slingshot pulled back with great force (retrograde motion with high Chesta bala)—but the slingshot frame itself is soft and rubbery. No matter how much power you build, there's nothing firm to spring from.

That tension? It’s real. And for many, it has been rising steadily.

Mars square Uranus - Pressure meets disruption

And then—bang. On 15 June 2025, Mars squared Uranus in Taurus, jolting all that pent-up energy. If you’ve been feeling restless, reactive, or just plain stuck, you’re not alone. As Astrology Answers put it - “Impatience can be incredibly high, and it can be difficult to manage.”

This square wasn’t subtle. It cracked through tension across both the personal and global spheres. One notable example? The timing of Israel’s military strike on Iran.

Israel’s Chart Under Fire

Israel’s national chart (14 May 1948, 4:00 PM, Tel Aviv) has a 4 planets conjunct in Leo — the Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Pluto. So as Mars transited Leo—and then squared Uranus—it wasn’t just visiting. It was igniting.

• The Moon, which rules the 10th house of karma and visibility, was under pressure.

• Saturn, lord of the homeland and inner security, was Agitated (Kshobhita) by transiting Mars.

• Natal Mars, the maraka for Libra ascendants, was the same degrees as transiting Mars.

• And Pluto was opposite the natal Moon, giving the intense, primal push to deal with unresolved or hidden things from the underworld and to bring things to an end.

This was an extreme transit for this chart. It triggered core national themes, surfacing conflict and compelling action.

Pope Leo - Jupiter’s lucky influence

But not everyone felt Mars this way. Let’s take Pope Leo XIV, who—based on publicly available data—has Jupiter in Leo and possibly the Moon too. No confirmed birth time, so we tread lightly, but even with that, the contrast is striking.

Jupiter and the Moon in Leo are surrounded by support and both in Great Friend dignity:

• Jupiter is delighting the Moon in the birth chart — and is delighted by Mars’ transit.

• The Moon is a friend to both Mars and Jupiter — so it is delighting them both.

• Leo itself is a place of natural dignity and vitality for these planets.

And to top it off? Pope Leo is in his Jupiter Dasa. The timing is ripe.

So while Mars was agitating Leo placements elsewhere, here it likely amplified recognition, aligned leadership, and brought inspired momentum. If Pope Leo XIV has Libra rising, Leo becomes the 11th house—the place of honor, achievement, and connection. Same transit. Different story.

Same Mars, Many Journeys

Not everyone felt either story, of course. Some experienced deep frustration, especially if Mars lit up difficult natal placements. We explored an example of this in last week's blog—highlighting how even group members sharing the same transit can respond in radically different ways. If you missed that reflection, you can catch up here.

Ultimately, the point is this that Astrology is never one-size-fits-all.

So Which Vedic Astrology Transits Actually Matter?

This brings to mind something Ryan Kurczak said on Season 1 Episode 13 of The Vedic Astrology Podcast (at around 17-20 minutes):

“It really depends on an individual's chart as to whether or not a transit or an eclipse is going to have a profound impact… it’s very important to have an understanding of your chart given to you by an objective, well-educated astrologer.”

Transits aren’t just planetary movements—they’re personal catalysts. And whether they spark confidence, crisis, or creativity depends on your chart, your timing, your journey. That’s why it’s so valuable to be part of a group—sharing insights, spotting patterns, and supporting one another through the rhythms of the sky.

Join our Moon and Transits Group

If you’re curious about how Mars in Leo is showing up in your life—especially as it regains strength and traction after months of frustration—come join our Moon and Transits Group. We meet every two weeks including this Saturday, 21 June—right on the Solstice!
And, this Saturday is also our monthly meeting of “Grow Your Business”, where we apply current transits to help you harness cosmic timing toward your entrepreneurial or creative goals.

Astrology comes alive when it’s shared. Join us this Solstice to explore what Mars is stirring up in your own birth chart — and how to put it to work for something meaningful. And if your finding that transits are universal but transformation is personal, consider booking a reading with me so we can research your unique chart and the questions that matter most to you.

The Magic of This Week’s Session

This week, the energy of summer was unmistakable. Here in Lisbon, rolling public holidays mark the shift of the season and the conversation turned to Saint Anthony, Lisbon’s beloved patron of love and match-making. Thursday marked the Eve of his holiday - a night marked by celebrations, grilled sardines, dwarf basil pots (called Manjerico) filled with love messages, a parade of the 16 couples whose wedding ceremonies were paid for by the city and neighbourhood singing-dancing competition parading down our main city avenue!

I invited everyone to share how the start of summer was unfolding in their part of the world. As we went around the group, one participant shared their practice of aligning their daily routine with the Sun’s rhythm. A grounding force that provides the strength, momentum, and stability that are essential to a life of daily service exempt from vacations and holiday days. This share was the antidote for another member, who had been feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks, barely allowing themselves to rest. The wisdom of the Sun's steady cycle created a shift. It was as if a window had opened and the intense heat of focus had dissipated as a cool breeze of relief entered the conversation. All of us could identify with this lesson that the ego and the mind where so prone to use force when there is grace all around us, even in the Sun’s daily rhythms.

What Kshudita Mars and Kshobhita Saturn feel like …

This seemed like the perfect time to draw solace from Vedic Astrology. Mars has finally exited its long retrograde and entered Leo, bringing an undeniable urge for action. Remember, during its retrograde, Mars was full of Chesta Bala (one of the six strengths of Shadbala, associated with the confidence to act). Think of it as the ‘yang’ energy within the Taijitu—bold, assertive, and ready to move. But Mars’ location near its Debilitation sign of Cancer made it wilt when actually given the opportunity to act. That’s because Mars was low in Uccha bala (a compentent of Sthaana bala) tied to our inner reserve of strength. Uccha bala is like the ‘yin’ of the Taijitu—the quiet, rooted force needed to sustain action. Now, Mars finds itself, like a toy “Hot Wheels” car from my childhood, it’s wheels are all revved up, but its forcefulness is making it spin all over the place! (We can see even in the days since this gathering how Mars squaring Uranus has brought explosive action between Israel and Iran and perhaps played a role in the massive Air India crash).

Leo is a fire sign and a natural ‘king of the jungle’, so the pressure to be ‘great’ and ‘improve one’s life (the 5th sign) is amplified. As we took it down to the individual level we say the birth chart reveal an intense struggle—Mars and Saturn conjunct in Leo, locked in Kshudita and Kshobhita Avasthas. Saturn, ever-focused on flaws, was starved (Kshudita), believing it was not good enough, while Mars agitated Saturn (Kshobhita), forcing it into relentless self-criticism. The result? A harsh internal voice, demanding more effort, more perfection. Mars, driven by urgency, lashes out, believing Saturn’s slow pace signals weakness. Yet Saturn, ever burdened by self-doubt, internalizes the pressure, mistaking discipline for punishment. The result? An exhausting cycle of effort without grace.

Guided Meditation reconnecting to Grace

With these transits transforming our understanding, it was the perfect moment to ground ourselves in meditation. I lead a guided meditation, focusing on the outbreath as an offering to the Earth—letting stress flow downward, into the magnetic pull of the Earth’s negative charge. From this place of release, we breathed up love, resilience, and Divine purpose, setting the intention for Mars to dedicate itself like a good soldier, not to the mind but to supreme service, knowing that Divine will never involve torture only grace.

As we parted ways, there was a palpable shift in energy. A renewed sense of self-compassion, grace, and community. Vedic Astrology had, once again, illuminated not just planetary transits, but had connected our inner workings of hearts and minds to the Divine plan.

Much like Lisbon’s Thursday night’s street party for St Anthony, (Festas de Santo António), our Vedic Astrology check-ins celebrate love, the deep love in community, self-acceptance, and shared wisdom. St Anthony is the patron saint of lost things and often we find ourselves when we gather in community. Whether through joyful street festivities or quiet moments of reflection, both remind us that we are never truly alone. In every transit, in every conversation, in every breath—we find connection.

Join Us for weekly Check-Ins on Vedic Astrology and Mindfulness

These 30-minute sessions offer a space for reflection, insight, and renewal—a place where Vedic Astrology validates experiences, and where self-acceptance takes root. If you’ve ever felt alone in your Astrology journey, if you’ve ever wondered how transits mirror your own transformations, this is your opportunity.

Join the Regular Contact Tier on Patreon for exclusive Vedic Astrology check-ins, meditations, and a supportive community every Thursday!

I never know what is going to happen each week, but I do know that miracles unfold when we pause long enough to truly see them.

As many of us come from Eastern traditions and are more familiar with Vedic astrology deities, we started our Jam by sharing our brushes with Catholicism (one trained with nuns, another went to convent school, and yet another was baptized Catholic!) We previously examined the Astrology birth chart of Pope Francis during his July 2023 visit to Lisbon (my home town!), so it felt natural to turn our attention to Robert Francis Prevost, born 14 September 1955 in Chicago, IL—but with no known birth time. This opened up a great opportunity to experiment with birth time rectification.

Choosing the Name, Choosing the Lagna

Without a recorded time of birth, we used life events and personality traits to hypothesize a possible rising sign for natal chart interpretation. Some life events that we examined from his Wikipedia page included that:

• He speaks many languages (Mercury?)

• He has lived and worked far from his birthplace (12th House, 9th House?)

• He gained citizenship in another country (11th House?)

• He has two older brothers (11th House?)

• His mother’s ancestry is international (Rahu?)

I proposed a Libra Ascendant, corresponding roughly to a birth time between 7:20am and 9:50am CST. With Libra rising:

• Mercury sits right on the Ascendant—correlating with his multilingualism and communication style.

• Venus, the Ascendant ruler, falls in the 12th House, a classical placement for spiritual contemplation, service, and life abroad.

• Jupiter (and the Moon if the birth time is before 9:30am) falls in Leo, suggesting spiritual leadership. Fittingly, the name "Leo" echoes this placement. When we looked at the chart in Sidereal, the Sun is placed in Leo!

Kaal Sarpa Yoga and a Life of Surrender

Whether or not the time is precise, the chart offers striking features:

1. Kaal Sarpa Yoga – All of Pope Leo XIV’s planets fall between the lunar nodes Ketu and Rahu, forming Kaal Sarpa Yoga. This could indicate intense karmic lessons, spiritual potential, or a life of extremes. While interpretations vary, many Vedic Astrologers consider Kaal Sarpa yoga can lead to an “all or nothing” approach to spiritual and personal growth.

2. Jupiter in Leo (Great Friend Dignity) – Jupiter in Leo is in a friend’s sign (Sun), giving it strength to express its wisdom, generosity, and leadership. Jupiter in Leo often shows a confident teacher, one who leads with ideals and personal magnetism.

3. Venus + Mars in Virgo – This conjunction is always worth examining. Venus is debilitated in Virgo, while Mars is neutral. In many charts, this pairing leans toward passionate or romantic drives. But in spiritual contexts, we speculated whether Venus’s debility might actually encourage self-sacrifice or the transformation of desire into bhakti (devotion). We compared this to the chart of Amma we examined in last month’s AstroliJam.

4. Mercury-ruled Signs and Secret Shame – Here’s where it got especially fascinating. With Sun, Mars, Venus, and Ketu falling in Mercury-ruled signs (Virgo and Gemini), we explored the possibility of a Lajjit Avastha caused when one planet "shames" another. It’s called secret shame because it’s not a literal interpretation of the Lajjit Avastha. This is typically created when a planet is conjoined with a malefic in the 5th house, or when a similar configuration involving a node in any house. In secret shame the set up of a planet, a malefic and a node can be spread across the field owned by a sign i.e. Gemini and Mercury. If you’re new to Lajjitaadi Avasthas or are interested in Astrology for beginners, check out my article on How to become an Astrologer). In this chart, the secret shame dynamics could potentially manifest as:

• Venus shamed by Mars and Sun

• Mars shamed by the Sun / Sun shamed by Mars

These can lead to internal struggles with self-worth, authenticity, and personal will. Yet when these avasthas occur in spiritual houses like the 12th, we also see the potential for deep surrender and healing.

The 12th House Hypothesis

Assuming Libra rising, all of these dynamics would be playing out in the 12th House - one of the most spiritually potent astrology houses, tied to:

• Retreat, ashrams, monasteries

• Self-sacrifice

• Spiritual service and suffering

• Secrets and hidden attachments

The presence of a lajjit avastha in secular charts could manifest as abusive relationships or power struggles. But in the context of spiritual leadership, it could also point to deep personal growth through renunciation and compassion. This is the kind that invites profound surrender—to the Divine, to one’s own truth, to grace itself. We explored how Venus, when shamed, might struggle to see its own worth, seeking love in difficult places. And yet, when reframed spiritually, this might become a holy longing—a quest to become love.

Sun shaming Venus can feel like sacrificing the self for authority. Mars shamed by the Sun can dissolve personal will into divine will. Together in a spiritual house, this may create a soul ripe for compassionate leadership—one that embodies humility, acceptance, and a deep reverence for each individual's unique path.

Given the history of the catholic church we speculated on potential astrological predictions for Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. Maybe this avastha pattern could also reflect collective issues facing the Church, such as secrecy and institutional shadow? This is pure speculation ESPECIALLY because we don’t know the birth time and therefore we do not know if this is happening in the 12th House of secret bed pleasures.

Personal Takeaway

For me, the key inspiration was the possibility that Pope Leo XIV has done the inner work of this chart—that he has processed the wounding and shame shown in the lajjit avastha and come out the other side transformed by Divine Love. If so, he may be poised to lead with authentic compassion, born not of doctrine, but of personal experience.

Too much to share in one blog!

There was so much more to our discussion. For example we …

• Used the Cards of Truth to help us narrow down a pre vs post dawn birth time.

• Looked at the chart in Sidereal to see what placements remained consistent and what bhava lord combinations repeated themselves.

• Examined the timing of the election of Pope Leo XIV by the conclave and Pope Leo’s first speech to see what transits were impacting the chart at the time.

• and more!

Next Steps and Next Jams

If you enjoyed this kind of in-depth analysis, I invite you to:

Join our Redemption Arc Detective Tier
Our next meeting is on Saturday 5 July to explore complex charts and identify spiritual pathways through planetary shame, debilitation, and avasthas. This group is all about healing, insight, and hopeful evolution. We don’t just diagnose hard avasthas - we stare them down and seek healing paths with love and clarity.

Come to the next AstroliJam
It’s happening Sunday 13 July, and I’m brainstorming topics that are both relevant and astrologically juicy. Tell me in the comments below any ideas you have for our next AstroliJam case study!

Following our previous explorations of the Sun, Moon, and Mars, the Mercury chapter shifted our focus, bringing us down to Earth – quite literally! The core themes revolved around Mercury's role in populating the world with humans and creating the incredible variety of life forms we see. This aligns perfectly with Mercury's astrological domain, governing classification, categorization, management, and organization. As many of us in the group noted, the sheer number of characters and detailed lineages in this chapter made it quite a challenging read, a Mercury-like abundance of data to process!

The Mythology: Who Am I?

A central part of understanding Mercury in Vedic Astrology lies in its unique birth story. As we discussed, Mercury is the child born from an unconventional union between Tara, the powerful wisdom goddess and wife of Jupiter (Brihaspati), and the Moon (Chandra). This celestial love triangle created significant tension between dharma (righteous duty, tradition, represented by Jupiter) and individual desire (the Moon).

The pivotal moment arrives with Mercury's birth, where the parentage is unclear – is the child the Moon's or Jupiter's?. This inherent uncertainty about identity sets up Mercury's fundamental approach to life: a constant, intellectually rigorous questioning of "Who am I? Who am I truly?" This quest for self-discovery through questioning helps us cut through illusion and uncover deeper truths, reflecting Mercury's link to the Vedanta approach to enlightenment.

In the end, Mercury is born so beautiful, clever, and intelligent that Jupiter happily claims the child as his own. We discussed how this love triangle went on to set up the Mahabharata many generations later and talked about the battle of righteous and non-righteous action.

Connecting with the latest Podcast episode

The mythic journey of identity is exactly what we explored in the latest episode of The Vedic Astrology Podcast - Who Am I? The role of Jupiter, Mercury, Tara & the Moon in identity, love, self acceptance and A Restless Traveller S4 Ep 14.

And you can jump directly to they sharing of Mercury’s origin myth at 15 minutes into the episode.

Mercury's Restlessness - An Itch to Explore

The concept of Mercury as a "restless" planet, covered in the podcast, also came up in our book club discussion. Mercury gives us the energy to explore options and be open to new experiences in a nonjudgmental way. As the Jaimini Sutras describe Gemini (ruled by Mercury) as having "itches, stoutness, and density," and Virgo (also ruled by Mercury) as "like Gemini, as well as small fire," we connected this to the idea of an "itch" or strong desire that motivates action. Just as Pururavas (Mercury's son) was driven by his desire for the celestial nymph Urvashi, Mercury can use worldly desires as fuel for exploration and creating new methods and processes. The "small fire" of Virgo suggests that by focusing diligently on the details and processes related to this "itch," we can refine and purify these desires, potentially leading towards higher evolution or even moksha. This Mercury chapter of “The Greatness of Saturn” beautifully wove these themes together.

Navigating Challenging Narratives

Our group openly discussed the challenging language in the Mercury chapter, particularly its descriptions of divine events through what felt like a predominantly male perspective. Terms like the Moon being "ordered" to return Tara as if she was a possession, or Jupiter viewing Tara's womb as "his field to plow," or celestial beings banishing Urvashi due to their own "discharging of their seeds", can be confronting to a modern audience and can obscure the chapter's value.

We reflected on how, as we exit the current era (Kala Yuga), there remains a cultural forgetting of the richness and agency of goddesses and female energies. The Tara story, for example, only makes sense if we understand Tara's own immense power and free will – the subsequent war between devas and asuras only happens because she is not simply a possession to be ordered back. Discussing this openly as a group, acknowledging the historical context while seeking deeper meaning, was incredibly valuable. We recognised that a book like "The Greatness of Saturn," only has a brief overview of each planet, lacking the space to explore the full pantheon of associated planetary deities and their complex narratives.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion

Our exploration of the Mercury chapter produced several key points:

• The value of community: Reading and discussing potentially challenging texts like "The Greatness of Saturn" in a supportive group makes the material more digestible and allows for richer insights. We all agreed that this the kind of book that rewards careful attention and re-reading.

• Mercury's purpose: We can consciously direct Mercury's energy – that "itch" for exploration, classification, and detail – towards our highest good and personal evolution.

• Understanding Variety: Mercury is strongly associated with the Earth element and embodies all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), reflecting its role in creating the vast diversity of life. It also uniquely connects the Sun and Moon lineages through its progeny.

Our Mercury discussion was a fun and light-hearted way to weave together ancient mythology, astrological principles, and deeply relatable human experiences like identity, restlessness, relationships, and desires.

Want to Join the Conversation?

Does this sound like the kind of exploration you'd enjoy? We welcome new members to our "The Greatness of Saturn Book Club" on Patreon! Our next meeting on July 5th, 2025 will explore the chapter on Jupiter – a perfect follow-up to our discussion on Mercury, diving deeper into the Guru, faith, wisdom, and expansion.

Come join our friendly and supportive space where Vedic Astrology enthusiasts connect, share insights, and unravel the profound wisdom embedded in these planetary stories and their reflection in our own lives.

What resonated with you most about Mercury's mythology or its connection to restlessness and identity? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

One of the first things that stood out was Amma’s Moon in Taurus, in Krittika Nakshatra, a placement that remains consistent whether viewed Tropically or Sidereally. For me, Krittika Nakshatra has strong maternal symbolism because it is associated with the six celestial mothers who nurtured Lord Kartikeya, a deity associated with the Mars Avatar. (Interestingly, Amma is a Mars Ascendant in her Tropical chart). These six mothers are linked with the six brightest stars of the Pleiades constellation.   It is ruled by Agni (the Fire god), symbolizing purification and strength. People with the Moon in Krittika can exhibit fierce devotion, nurturing qualities, and a sharp ability to cut through illusions which are all traits that resonate with Amma’s compassionate and transformative presence.   

The Moon as the 7th lord in the 9th house initially made us think of marriage. But placed at 29º, it can signal something unfinished, unmaterialized or unable to fully take form in the material realm. As well as that, Venus, the ruler of Taurus (her 9th house), is debilitated in Virgo, and we see some confluence that this is not a chart destined for a conventional marriage. Instead, her Moolatrikona Moon in Taurus in the 7th house reveals a different kind of union—the ability to deeply connect with others in a spiritual way rather than through personal partnership.

Jupiter in Gemini, in the 8th Moksha house, also sparked fascinating discussion. Jupiter, the guru, residing in Gemini, which is a sign associated with the arms and hand (not to mention with human connection / communication), made us reflect on how Amma’s most profound gift is literally given through her arms! Her hugs transcend simple human connection; they become a doorway to spiritual liberation.

Her Rahu in the 4th house in Aquarius and the exalted Saturn in the 12th house also tell a story about her role as an unconventional mother. She has no children of her own, yet she is mother to everyone! The Air nature of Aquarius makes her a mother who propels he children forward rather than binding them in attachment. Aquarius prevents her compassion from creating clinging bonds. It is a Rasi of sustainability. And its Lord is Exalted in the most pragmatic sign on Libra. These placement have allowed her to embrace thousands and thousands of people without fostering dependence.

We also noticed that the lord of her Rahu is Exalted, while the lord of her Ketu (the Sun) is Debilitated - both in the 12th House. This seemed to explain so much about her powerful calling to give darshan. Additionally, when looking at her sidereal Navamsha, we noticed that her Sun is exalted, emphasizing a profound inner spiritual authority. While her Tropical chart presents themes of surrender and moksha, this sidereal insight underscores her radiant presence as a guiding force, suggesting a strong inner clarity and divine purpose despite any external renunciation.

We finished with a fun observation about her Mars-Venus conjunction in Virgo, speculating about how this energy may manifest in her ability to guide others into harmonious relationships, perhaps as an intuitive matchmaker :)

As we explored Amma’s spiritual presence, I shared my own story that seemed to resonate with our insights from her birth chart. Before leaving Australia in 2006, I had the opportunity to receive a hug from Amma (my teacher’s guru) in Sydney. At the time, I didn’t realize how this moment would weave into my journey later.

After moving to Portugal later that year, I found myself far from both Amma and my teacher. Then, in 2008, I had a remarkable dream where Amma told me she had booked an appointment for me at 11 on the 11th. When I woke up, I remembered to check the internet, and found that Amma was in fact scheduled to be in Barcelona on the 11th (of the 11th month!!). Taking it as a sign, I traveled there and imagining my “appointment” would be at 11 AM did everything I could to get there in the morning. But as fate would have it, Amma’s popularity meant that I waited I got my hug “ticket” at 11 AM, but didn’t actually get my hug till nearly 11 PM!

Months later, I had another dream. This time Amma was getting into a car, saying goodbye. It felt like a message. Like she way telling me there was no need to feel sad that we might not meet again, she was waving at me and let me know she was going. This dream gave me the ending that left me satiated knowing I didn’t need to chase after her.

Only during AstroliJam did I realize how this moment mirrored her chart’s Rahu, Aquarius connection in the 4th house, and the exalted Saturn in the 12th and that her presence is profoundly nurturing, yet allows people to move forward without attachment.

As I reflect on our discussion of Amma’s chart in this blog, I’m noticing striking parallels with our next AstroliJam case study - Pope Leo XIV. Like Amma, Pope Leo XIV has Venus and Mars in Virgo, reinforcing the themes of devotion, service, and spiritual leadership. Virgo brings precision and refinement, a disciplined approach to love and connection, which reflects in both figures’ spiritual missions. This means they both have Venus in its debilitation sign. Is this linked to a celibate, spiritual life?

Additionally, our upcoming Redemption Arc Detectives case study mirrors Amma’s chart in key ways, with four planets in the 12th house (Amma’s has three), including Sun and Saturn, strengthening the theme of moksha, surrender, and karmic resolution. They also both have Venus conjunctions in the 11th House. Interestingly, Amma’s Ascendant lord is in the 12th and the Redemption Arc Case Study’s Ascendant lord is in the 11th. How influential is this in the different paths these two birth charts have taken?

If you want to build your confidence in reading birth charts, I’d love for you to join our next AstroliJam, where we’ll dive into the chart of Pope Leo XIV and continue exploring how astrology shapes spiritual figures. Hop onto my Patreon anytime, where Vedic astrology enthusiasts connect, share insights, and exchange experiences in a friendly and supportive space. Hope to see you there!

Reflections from the Latest "Moon and Transits" Gathering

I love running small groups and on Patreon, I have the chance to meet regularly with my network and diving into various aspects of Vedic Astrology. I always mean to write up a little something to share it - but never have the time! However, today I’ve given it a go!

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like one phase of life was ending, but the next hadn’t fully taken shape? That was the theme that emerged at our latest Moon and Transits gathering on Saturday. It makes sense as we have so many planet leaving Tropical Pisces and entering Tropical Aries this year. With these shifts creating a sense of endings and beginnings in motion, understanding transits becomes even more valuable. Vedic Astrology is so strong in predictive techniques like Vimshottari Dasa cycles, planetary maturity, planetary ages, Nodes, and Varshaphal, that transits often receive less emphasis—sometimes leaving us feeling "out of the loop" with what’s happening in the skies above. That’s where our Moon and Transits group comes in. It was a natural evolution of our Varshaphal Word-of-the-Year study group in 2023–2024, and has become a collaborative space where we share experiences and observations to bridge this gap. What makes these discussions so insightful is how each member contributes, deepening our understanding by bringing their unique perspective.

On Saturday we began as we often do by sharing our experiences from the past two weeks. Several members described recognizing that certain chapters—whether in career, living arrangements, or personal identity—had definitively ended. Yet, despite knowing there was no going back, the shape of the next phase remained unclear. We mused as to whether this feeling was linked to the recent planetary shift from Pisces to Aries, as Venus, Sun, Mercury, Neptune, and now Saturn moved into this bold, initiating sign. The Pisces-to-Aries transition isn’t just a change in energy; it’s a leap from the misty heights of sublime Shangri-la into the fiery impulse to act whatever the consequences. Aries asks us to leap first and solve the consequences later!

With Saturn now in Aries it turned out that people had spontaneously taken up new physical fitness and strength routines. We discussed how this was maybe a good approach to Saturn in Aries where it is debilitated BECAUSE it can be influenced to be too reactive. Channelling that restlessness into strength training is a great way respond! Saturn will remain in Aries between May 26 – September 2, 2025, and then again from February 2026 – April 2028, making it a long-term energy to track carefully.

Another key theme was the Gandanta point, the transition from Pisces to Aries—where water transforms into steam before fully igniting as fire energy. This moment is deeply spiritual, often linked to personal transformation, yet it can make physical manifestation elusive. Some members speculated that DOGE and even the fading shock-and-awe surrounding the second Trump administration could be influenced by this Gandanta effect, where momentum dissipates rather than solidifies into real-world results.

Finally, we also shared a theme of reconnecting to our past selves. For example, I shared a personal reflection on cycles and how my recent Virechana Ayurvedic liver cleanse spontaneously brought back memories of a similar cleanse from 2009. Even my YouTube algorithm seemed to clued into these repeating cycles, randomly suggesting the audiobook A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, which I hadn’t revisited since that time. These moments of reconnection struck a chord—not just for me, but for several members who shared similar experiences of feeling called back with a pleasant nostalgia to forgotten phases of their lives.

Looking ahead, we explored the major astrological shifts shaping the next few weeks. As we move through June, several key transits will influence our emotional, mental, and physical landscapes. Mercury and Jupiter will both enter Cancer, marking a shift toward emotional depth and intuitive expansion. The Full Moon in Sagittarius, particularly in Jyeshtha Nakshatra, will highlight leadership, strategy, and achievement. A series of planetary squares—including Mercury square Saturn, Venus square Pluto, Jupiter square Saturn, and Mars square Uranus—will challenge themes of discipline, transformation, and action, creating moments of tension but also opportunities for refinement. The month concludes with the Sun entering Cancer, bringing a focus on acceptance.

With Jupiter soon entering Cancer, members shared their hopes for this exaltation sign. This transit encourages us to connect to faith and what is truly meaningful. As the lunar cycle unfolds, and with the Full Moon being held in Jupiter’s sign of Sagittarius, we’ll continue to observe, discuss, and reflect—not only on the planetary movements in the sky but on how they shape our lives in real time. What lessons will Saturn in Aries reveal? How will Jupiter’s presence in its exaltation sign of Cancer balance Saturn’s debilitation? These are questions we’ll explore in the coming weeks.

Does this sound like the kind of conversation you’d love to be a part of? If so, I hope you will swing by my Patreon—where Vedic Astrology enthusiasts connect, share insights, and exchange experiences in a friendly and supportive space. I’ve added our slides from the gathering below for your interest.

Have you ever come across Lajjitaadi Avashtas or challenging combinations in your birth chart? Maybe you've seen something on YouTube, or perhaps you've had a session with an astrologer who pointed out a complicated aspect in your chart. You might be feeling overwhelmed, unsure of how to unpack the information, or what it means for your life. More importantly, you might be wondering what you can do to improve your experience here in the world.

Introducing Redemption Arc Detectives

To address these concerns, I've created a group called Redemption Arc Detectives. We delve into the more complex placements within birth charts, taking on the role of curious investigators. Our goal is to understand what's really going on and to seek out remedies together. Recently, we had our first introductory meeting for the weekday group, and the next one for the weekend group is coming up soon. I wanted to share the essence of these introductory meetings with you, in case you’re considering joining us.

The Group's Mission

For me, this group is about turning challenging placements into opportunities for growth. Ever since I began practicing as a Vedic astrologer, I've dreamed of running groups for people facing similar astrological challenges. Originally, I envisioned hubs for people with, for example, Saturn-Mars conjunctions or debilitated planets. The idea is to learn together by sharing our experiences and insights.

Understanding Difficult Placements

In our upcoming meetings, we'll explore various challenging placements you might encounter in your chart—like Lajjitaadi Avashtas, debilitations, negative Drikbala, Saturn returns, and more. Each participant will have the chance to share their experiences and gain insights from others facing similar astrological challenges.

Group Dynamics and Participation

Right now, we’re forming large, inclusive groups where anyone can join to explore difficult placements in their charts. My long-term vision is to create smaller, more focused groups that address specific issues with greater depth. Whether you're dealing with shame, agitation, or any other challenging aspect, you’ll find our community to be a supportive space.

Reframing the Narrative - From Shame to Redemption

One of my major inspirations is to reframe and even rename these difficult placements. Terms like "shamed avashta" can sound like a curse, but they actually present crucial opportunities for personal growth—similar to a redemption arc in a hero's journey.

The Hero's Journey and Astrology

The hero's journey—a universal theme found across cultures—mirrors the zodiacs and houses in Vedic astrology. From the call to adventure in the first house to the final battle in the tenth, the journey encapsulates our personal quests. What's fascinating is that difficult placements often represent moments where we face our darkest challenges, leading to profound transformation.

Practical Applications and Remedies

Our group isn’t just about understanding these placements; it's also about finding practical remedies. In future meetings, we'll break down the complex aspects of your charts and explore strategies for mitigating difficulties. This might involve mantras, affirmations, meditation practices, and more.

Community and Communication

Effective communication is key to our group’s success. We practice nonviolent communication, focusing on empathy and genuine connection. Everyone in the group is treated as an equal, fostering a supportive environment where advice is requested rather than imposed.

Join Us and Transform Your Journey

If you want to dive deeper into your chart and gain support from peers facing similar challenges, I encourage you to join us. Whether you can attend every meeting or just drop in occasionally, you'll find value in our community.

For more information, jump onto my Patreon account patreon.com/fionamarques or visit my website. Feel free to book a time with me if you have any questions. Our aim is to transform our relationship with these challenging placements, turning them into empowering narratives of redemption and growth. I look forward to seeing you soon. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Exploring Vedic Astrology for Personal Transformation

Introduction

Last Monday, a group of curious souls gathered in our cozy, zoom room, ready with anticipation. Our mission? To unravel the cosmic mysteries encoded in our birth charts. Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the Redemption Arc Detectives—a fellowship dedicated to navigating the complexities of planetary placements using the ancient wisdom of Vedic Astrology.

The Vision

Led by the Fiona, our group aims to dig deep into our charts and demystify the complexities of Vedic Astrology. Members can come and go as they please with the goal to empower each detective with knowledge and practical actions that transform their relationship with any difficult avasthas or placements in their charts and lives.

Lajjitaadi Avasthas

Our first session delved into the Parashara’s heart of Vedic Astrology (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra V1 Capter 45 V11-29)—the concept of Lajjitaadi Avasthas. The verses cover Avasthas such as Baladi and Jagraadi. These states influence our lives, shaping our experiences. Fiona emphasized that advantage of working with Lajjitaadi Avasthas is that with our awareness and intellect we can mitigate their effects. We embarked on a guided tour, deciphering Lajjitaadi Avasthas for every planet in our charts.

From ‘Proud’ to ‘Agitated’

Fiona explained the uplifting energies of ‘proud’ and ‘delight’. Next she covered ‘starvation’ and ‘thirst’ when planets clash with enemies. And then there was ‘agitation’, when a planet is with the Sun, malefics enemies or receiving aspect from malefic enemies. Agitation can have us living out of alignment with our true dharma bringing frustration and intimidation. Could investing time in truly getting to know the self be a key to unlocking this painful avastha? Fiona’s passion ignited our curiosity.

Specifics of Mercury starved by the Sun

In one detective’s chart, Mercury is agitated by the Sun. Fiona dissected this placement in relation to the person’s life. We pondered the difference between ‘combustion’, agitation and the Budha Aditya Yoga.

Natural Enemies

The group debated the ‘Natural Enemy’ phenomenon. Even benefic planets—Moon, Mercury, Venus—could play foes under specific conditions. The group looked once more as a detectives chart with a Mars and Saturn conjunction. Together we explored how to interpret their complex relationship - starvation, agitation, Own Home dignity, exaltation. We found it invaluable to be able to take the time to contemplate and discuss all the factors contributing to this conjunction.

Shame

Fiona then explain how the Lajjit Avastha (including ‘secret’ Shame as defined by Ernst Wilhelm). We then explored how these avasthas show up in Kala Software both in the Calculation Table and the Cards of Truth. We discussed how shame doesn’t have to define us. Allowing others to forgive and accept us redeems.

Case Studies

We had time to dive into the specifics of two of the member detectives. We looked at how Lajjitaadi Avasthas uniquely in each chart. This allowed for a detailed Q&A session.

Drik Bala and Debilitation

Finally, we quickly looked at Drik Bala created by malefic aspects. And touched on Debilitation and how that can affect a person’s life experience.

Next Steps

This Saturday, we’ll do it all again - so come along if you have a drive to understand your chart and its challenges more deeply.

Discovering the true value of the Lajjitaadi Avastha starts now! Join us as we transform these misunderstood planetary states into paths of redemption. Sign up for the Redemption Arc Detectives today and let's embark on this enlightening journey together.

The 'Redemption Detectives' is an innovate new community created with you in mind. As a working Vedic Astrologer, I encounter ‘difficult’ astrological placements all the time. And I’m disheartened by how often people can feel trapped, dismissed or side-lined by the way their charts are interpreted by other astrologers or on youtube. It’s so important to me, I recently published a whole podcast episode on it! This group serves as a supportive, engaging, and resource-rich platform where you can connect, learn, thrive and mend the damage done having our avasthas ‘written-off’ as unfixable. This group serves as a supportive, engaging, and resource-rich platform where you can connect, learn, and thrive. 

It’s a space where patrons can share their experiences, access exclusive content, and collaborate on a journey of personal growth and understanding. Whether you’re looking for insightful remedies, dynamic conversations, personalised attention to your specific chart, or a network of like-minded individuals, Redemption Detectives is here to provide that and more. 

We’ll meet once a month and cover expert/insider content in unpacking your unique avastha or difficult yoga. For example, what sign is it in?, what house lords are involved?, how much kasta does the planet have? what about its shad bala strengths like dig bala, chesta bala and uccha bala?, what karakas are implicated and more. The peer support aspect of the group will allow you to connect with other individuals with equally difficult avasthas and learn from their experience and vulnerability.  

Ready to take the next step in your journey? Join Redemption Detectives today and unlock a world of exclusive content, support, and community! Click here to join.

Thank you for considering joining Redemption Detectives. You can find out more on my webpage at fionamarques.com/hubs. Also, please book a time with me if you have questions. We can't wait to see the incredible things we’ll accomplish together!

Fiona Marques Tropical Vedic Astrologer

I was honoured to be included in the video of 2023 Tropical Vedic Astrologers! And thrilled that so many of them had been on the Podcast!!

• Laura Barat https://www.thevedicastrologypodcast.com/1810408/8915449-the-vedic-astrology-podcast-sits-down-with-laura-barat,

• Corey Dowds https://www.thevedicastrologypodcast.com/1810408/9914460-pandemics-and-predictions-with-corey-dowds,

• Sachin Sharma https://www.thevedicastrologypodcast.com/1810408/11787254-carl-jung-through-the-eyes-of-the-veda-with-sachin-sharma,

• Desi Hristova https://www.thevedicastrologypodcast.com/1810408/10869116-astrology-and-music-panel-discussion, and

• Suzanne Balka https://www.thevedicastrologypodcast.com/1810408/10531926-is-a-vedic-astrologer-a-counsellor and hopefully many more to come!

[00:07:29] Fiona Marques: Hi everyone. My name is Fiona Marques and I am a tropical Vedic astrologer. And just like Dustin I undertook The Vedic astrology apprenticeship with Ryan Kurczak. Before I was a Vedic astrologer, I was a Vedic Life coach and massage therapist, and this means that my style of working with clients is all about authentic empowerment.

My clients find that Vedic astrology can really help them connect to their authentic self. and when you work with me, you'll often leave the session feeling proud. Really proud of yourself. Truly, truly who you are. And it's from that deep place of appreciation and celebration of the self that you can achieve anything.

So I love the Vedic astrology gives us that way to. Talk about trauma and suffering to be grounded in reality. And then the objectivity that we get from Vedic astrology allows us to untangle ourselves from those obstacles and traumas and be truly free, be truly conscious, and truly able to make our own choices.

So if you wanna find out more about me, I have a website, a Patreon, and a YouTube. They're all based around my name, Fiona Marques all together, so F I O N A M A R Q U E S all together. You can find those. And actually I can share the screen too. Hold on.

So you can connect with me through my website. You can find out more about me by watching the YouTube videos, or I also host the Vedic Astrology podcast. Um, So there's heaps of episodes there. You can listen to them on your favorite platform on Apple Music, on Spotify, wherever you normally listen to music, you'll be able to access the podcasts.

And as well as that, I am the custodian of the Asheville Vedic Astrology apprenticeship program. That is on teachable.com. So I work with students to assess their work on the certification pathway. . And in that role, I, I host, um, some study halls and help everyone just keep progressing through that curriculum.

And as well as that, I host a jam for astrologers called Astro Jam, where we pre-research charts and we get together and we jam. We just share techniques and methodologies that we've been experimenting with, and we inspire each other and try out new things. If you would like to have a reading with me, you can book your reading on my website.

Uh, traditionally I've always done my readings live on Zoom because I love interacting with people. Um, however, I'm just at right at this moment, introducing a pre-recorded. Video option, um, for those on a budget. So if you would like to have a reading with me, I would be delighted to work with you. And the final thing for me to say is just to thank Dustin for inviting me to be part of the project and look forward to interacting with you all.

Okay, bye everyone. Bye.

If you're in my Patreon group and your one of my "Detectives", but you were not able to come along. We did an AstroliJam at the beginning of February about early deaths and whether there's techniques and insights in Vedic astrology that can help us see something in this pattern of early deaths. So we looked at Elvis Presley who was the subject of our podcast episode. And then we have tragically not only his early passing, but his daughter and his grandson. We all got together. You know how AstroliJam works. We give out the data and you research it privately, and then you come along and just like a musician. You jam.

I know that not everybody can make it every time. So here is my notes from my preparation and what I what we talked about, obviously I don't record AstroliJam because I like it to be a safe space where we can all stuff up if we want to and bring ideas that we are trying out and experiment with, so, don't want that to end up on YouTube. But here is a summary of what our discussion was and my notes from my research. And I hope you can join us next time.

Summary of contributions

For this particular AstroliJam, we were looking at the early deaths of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie, and Benjamin Keogh. And we're just wondering, what is it that's in the charts that might give an astrologer an idea of what's happening there. So that was the brief to go out and research that, and everybody came with their own suggestions and research that they'd done. Some people were looking at like the yogas for longevity and what Brihat Parashra are says about that. And working out each of the indications in each of the charts. Some people also looked at the Dasas where these things happened. And the transits as well. So that was all part of the discussion that I don't have here because they weren't in my notes. But what we do have is the research that I did.

My preparation

I wanted to just make sure that I had the data for the cause of deaths and the circumstances. And then have a look at what might be going on in the birth chart. I actually had thought that what I would want to research was the D12. I was really interested in the ancestral story that might be moving through these charts. But once I started researching the charts, it was actually the D30 that seemed to pull my attention more. So I ended up doing... that's what AstroliJam is all about, is that you you get a chance to play. Because often when we're researching charts for clients, we have a really specific thing that we're looking for and we don't get this time necessarily to dig into something. So I got really interested in the D30 so I had to look at that and the transiting D30, just the, also the transits in general. And then finally, I did have some time to go and have a look at those D12s. So that's what I'm going to share with you today.

For my notes, I just use this format of Elvis Presley in green on the left, Lisa Marie in blue in the middle and Benjamin Keogh in yellow on the right.

Causes of Death

This is just a summary of my notes about around the cause of death. So we have Elvis Presley was a heart attack. That's what was recorded at the time. But I think since that passing and people understanding more about what was going on in his life, there's probably quite a recognition of the prescription drug use. That was really a contributing factor to what was happening with this body. And because of those issues, it made me think that in the birth chart, I want to know what's going on with Rahu. And I want to know what's going on with the fourth house. Rahu, because I always think of Rahu with chemistry. So that medication was involved here. I wanted to know what was going on with Rahu. And the fourth house, because it's the chest. And then Lisa Marie, passed very recently, it was also a heart attack. The press at the time was talking about a pressure to appear in public. Apparently she'd been quite reclusive during COVID. Her son had passed away during that time, and it was just her enormous support and love for the project, the film "Elvis" that was receiving an award, that gave her the the pressure or the courage to appear in public. And there was some speculation that she'd be taking, perhaps some weight loss medication. Maybe just like the father, the heart attack was also chemistry, perhaps. I don't know. But it made me think about the fourth house and the 10th house because of this not wanting to appear in public. The fourth house of our safe home. And the 10th house of fame and being outside the home. So I wondered what was going on in her chart about that. And for Benjamin Keogh. He passed away in 2020 by suicide via gunshot wound. So it made me think about Mars.

Rasi Chart

And then when I looked at just the general indicators in their D1 to see whether those things that I had been thinking about, where would they show up for Elvis Presley? He's a Sagittarius ascendent. And the ascendant Lord is in the 12th house, which we know that the 12th house relates a little bit to dying. It's certainly relates to being connected to the world beyond our material world.

And the fourth Lord of the heart was in the 12th house because the Sagittarius ascendent is Jupiter ruling the first and the fourth and Jupiter is in the 12th house of this chart. And the eighth Lord off vitality is also in the fourth house, in a moksha house. And in that house related to, to the chest and the heart center.

For Lisa Marie, she's a Leo ascendant. Oh, I forgot to mention that. In Elvis's chart, he's got Saturn conjunct Rahu. Lisa has Saturn debilitated, conjunct, Rahu. So we see that in the heritage going from one chart to another, we see this Saturn / Rahu conjunction. For Lisa Marie the ascendant is in the seventh house, which is a maraka house. The 10th Lord of fame is in the sixth house of obstacles and enemies. So I thought that might explain some of why her relationship with fame maybe felt heavy and difficult and something that she would like to avoid. Mercury is the 11th Lord in this chart and it is debilitated and it is breaking the yoga of Mars. Mars, naturally rules the fourth and the ninth house for a Leo ascendant. Mars is with that yoga breaker in this chart. And the fourth cusp is in Libra with Ketu.

And then for Benjamin Keogh. Scorpio, ascendant. Ketu in the eighth house of vitality was something I just noticed. The yoga breaker, the 11th Lord is Mercury again, and it's on the ascendent in Scorpio. And Mars rules Scorpio. So it naturally rules the first and the sixth. Ruling, The self the body. And our obstacles our own obstacles to overcome. It's in the ninth house, the house of the parents. And it's getting that Rasi aspect from Saturn.

So we see that Saturn with the Rahu in Elvis' chart. Saturn with Rahu in Lisa Marie's and then Saturn aspecting this ninth house. But in this chart Rahu was not conjunct with Saturn. It is in fact conjunction with Venus.

D30 Charts

So in looking at these charts, I got inspired to go have a look at the D30, maybe because the nature of the deaths were also unexpected and shocking. So for Elvis Presley, it is an Aries Ascendant, the D30. It has Mars in that first house in Aries. The eighth cusp is in Pisces. Which you remember is the fourth house of the birth chart. The eighth house is Scorpio. The first cusp is being Rasi aspected of by Mercury, Jupiter and Mars. So in the D30 there's a lot of Rasi aspects to that first cusp. And the second house where we ingest beings has got Rahu, Ketu and Saturn. So I just thought that was interesting in the D30.

For Lisa Marie's D30. It's a Scorpio ascendant. Mars is in Aries, just like the Aries ascendant for Elvis Presley. So some commonality there. It's ruling the first and sixth. And it's in the sixth of the D30. It's with the tenth, Lord of fame, and the Sun, which is exalted.

Mars is being rasi aspected from a debilitated, Jupiter, and Rahu, Ketu. So we've got the first Lord here being Rashi aspected of by Rahu, Ketu. Just like we had the first cusp was rasi aspected by Rahu, Ketu. The first cusp in Lisa Marie's chart is being rasi aspected from Jupiter, Rahu, Ketu, Sun, Mars and Moon. So lots of aspects there. And Scorpio is the fourth house from the D1. So the heart, the chest. So yeah, I thought there was quite a bit in Lisa Marie's D30.

With Benjamin Keogh. It's a Libra ascendant. Mars, which I'm looking for this gunshot wound, is in the ninth house rasi aspecting the first cusp. Rahu and Ketu are also rasi aspecting that first cusp. As are the Sun and the Moon.

Like I say, this is a jam. So we were playing with riffs that we think are interesting and that are entertaining us. And just notice there were a lot of rasi aspects to the first cusp in the D30s across the board of these three people.

Transiting D30s

And then I went and had to look at the transiting D30s at the time of death. So for Elvis Presley, Saturn and Mars we're transiting the first cusp of the Pisces. Which you remember in Elvis's birth chart is the fourth house. It's ruled also by the ascendant Lord in the D1. In Pisces in the transiting D30 there are planets there in the D12, the D30 and the transiting D12 . So Pisces just seemed to be a really important sign. And we think about it. That is the field. The fertile soil or the infertile soil. So Pisces seems to be really important. And Ketu in the D30 is transiting natal Ketu. So that's what I noticed.

In Lisa Marie's, Leo ascendant. The sun, which is the ascendant from the D1, is conjunct with Mercury, which is the 11th lord from the D1 plus Rahu and Ketu. And the first cusps and the sixth, seventh and the 12th cusps are all on that Leo ascendant. The Leo ascendant of this transiting D30 is the same ascendant as the D1. So they're both Leo. And in this transiting D30, the Sun is conjunct with Mercury and Rahu and Ketu. And Mercury, we know is that 11th Lord, the yoga breaker from the D1.

And then for Benjamin Keogh, he had a Sagittarius ascendant transiting the D30. Mars was on the ascendant with the first and seventh cusps. And the rasi aspects were coming from all the malefics on to those cusps. Mars is the ascendant in the D1 and the D12. And it's debilitated in the D1. And Sun was transiting the natal Mars. Quite a lot of Mars stuff, which is what I was expecting.

Yes. I thought looking at the transiting D30s was really interesting. I might have some more screenshots to share with you. So this probably makes more sense about what I was saying. This is Elvis Presley. You can see that we have, if you're comfortable with the Western style chart, we have here the birth chart in the middle. And the transits around the outside. We've got the birth D1, the birth D30 and the transiting D30. So let's just go through these again.

So we've got Saturn and Mars we're transiting the first cusp. So you can see here Saturn and Mars. We've got Pisces, excuse my spelling. There are planets in Pisces in the transiting D30. There's planets in the birth D30. There's planets in the birth chart. So Pisces energy really seemed to be important. And Ketu in the D30 is transiting natal Ketu. So, here's Ketu in the D30 is in Leo. And the Ketu from the birth chart is also in Leo. So I was just jamming to see whether that was a factor, and that was interesting.

All right. So that means that I must have here, Lisa Marie. So same thing. We've got the transits together. Or you can have a look at the birth chart. The birth D30 and the transiting D30. When you look at this D30, you can see a whole lot of stuff going on in Leo. Which if you remember is also the ascendant from the birth chart. We've got Sun, which is the ascendant from the birth chart and this transiting D30, is with Rahu, Ketu and Mercury. Mercury is the 11th Lord in, obviously this transiting D30, but it's also the 11th Lord from the birth chart. And the cusps are all there. One. And six. For health. So perhaps that transiting D30 is sharing something.

And then we also have for Benjamin Keogh. Mars on the ascendant, which you can see right here. It's with the first and the seventh cusps. It's being rasi aspected by Saturn, by Sun and by Rahu and Ketu. And then I've got, Mars is the ascendant of the D1. And it's the D12 as well, which you haven't seen yet. It is debilitated in the D1. And the Sun was transiting in the actual sky, the sun was passing over natal Mars. We can see that Mars is really important in this Benjamin Keogh chart. And that's what we were expecting when we heard about the cause of death.

Trigger Transits

Now just general transits at the time of death. There was in Elvis Presley's chart there was a Sun-Saturn conjunction opposite natal Saturn. Venus the 11th Lord in the D1 was transiting the eighth cusp. Transiting Jupiter was about to enter the eighth house. Remember that Jupiter is the ascendant Lord. And Rahu was transiting the 11th house of excess. So the, just the general transits, not going down to the level of the D30, but the general transits also seem to be supportive of this event occurring at this time.

For Lisa Marie, I don't have an exact time of death. So I have picked, I'm putting it here for you. I'm putting 10 30. The Sun was square to natal Rahu and Ketu. Rahu was square to the natal Sun, which is the ascendant. Venus was transiting the natal Sun. We know that those two are enemies. And Ketu was moving towards the fourth cusp. So perhaps those are some of the trigger transits there.

And for Benjamin Keogh, I also don't have an exact death time. So I'm putting 1:00 AM. There was a Mars, Moon conjunction. And I just wondered whether that was important. We've seen how much that Mars was part of the story for Benjamin's chart. And maybe the Moon and Mars conjunct by transit. Ketu was over the third cusp of like risk taking and competitiveness. There was a Jupiter Saturn conjunction. That can be really depressing, right? Because Jupiter. He's all about optimism and hope in the big picture and Saturn can really bring that vision down. And the Sun was over the natal Mars. So again, more pressure for the Mars. And making me think that the Sun is like the brightness of the king. And some of the press that I read about Benjamin Keough was, feeling in the shadow of a very famous progenitor, how do you actually have your own life? So it just made me wonder about the Sun going over natal Mars. Whether that was also a trigger as well.

D12s and Ancestral Karma

And then I did go and have a look at the ancestral karma from the D12. So for Elvis Presley it was an Aries ascendant, which made me think that maybe the ancestral message there is to start new things, Aries the initiator. The first Lord Mars is in the 12th house. And the eighth lord of vitality is also that 12th house. Mercury is really well-placed. And so it makes me think connecting and communicating. That's Mercury. And that Elvis connected a generation in a way that almost nobody has. Just so famous. And really spoke to so many people. Created a cultural phenomenon. And Moon and Mercury with Ganesh deity. So in the D12, you can have a look... There are four deitie s for the D12. And they talk about auspicious support; they talk about constraints and the things that we're held on a leash about; and knowledge that comes from our ancestors. So the deities can be really interesting. And in that D12, we have Moon and Mercury. And I thought that was interesting because The Moon is the public. And Mercury we know, is so well-placed. There's a lot of support.

Now in Lisa Marie's D12, it was a Scorpio ascendance. I wrote here exploring inner demons and luckily everybody on the Jam was also helping me reframe that. That Scorpio ascendant on the D12 is perhaps a mission to transform. And to process things that take us to the next level. In the Scorpio ascendant for Lisa Marie's D12, the first Lord Mars was in the 12th house. Just like in Elvis's D12. And D1. Now the big difference was that Mercury was debilitated. Whereas Elvis's Mercury was really well supported. In Lisa Marie's, it was debilitated. The 12th cusp was in Virgo. And the Lord of Virgo is debilitated. And there are no Yama deity placements in Lisa Marie's D12. And it just made me think the importance of those constraints. What helps us having boundaries and focus. And there were not. any. So I was just wondering whether that... somewhere in the D12, that's providing that guidance and constraint. Again this is a Jam. This is not well-researched.

And in Benjamin Keogh's D12 it's also a Scorpio ascendant. So perhaps again, that ancestral mission to transform and to go within and to process. The Moon, which is the Mother is well-placed, but it is with Mercury, the 11th Lord. So I was thinking that kind of gave that feeling that "I can't be close to the mother without being in the shadow of the elders", which maybe is Elvis. The 12th cusp is in the 12th house. The third house of willpower is Capricorn. Saturn is in the eighth. Will use your willpower to end your life maybe? And same as Lisa Marie, there were no Yama datey placements. Again, I don't know if that's significant or not, but that's what jams are for is for taking the time to look at this stuff.

As a summary, what do I think those D12. They're trying to say? That for Elvis has chart it's Aries want to start something. Mercury's in own home. The ancestors have perfected that Mercury want to take it out and connect with the public. Because the Moon is also got that Ganesh deity. For Lisa Marie and Ben Keogh with Scorpio, we've got this exploring our inner demons, getting ready for transformation. Perhaps from all of this, what the ancestors achieved, through Elvis, giving now a chance to transform and detoxify some of that. But they've got no restraints. Both Elvis Presley and Lisa Marie have a kind of letting go of the father. Because of the placements of the Suns in their D12s. Whereas Lisa Marie and Ben Keogh, they've got this closeness, but with the 11th Lord yoga breaker. And close to the mother, but cannot be there without the elders also being there. So maybe that speaks to some of those difficulties.

Conclusion

So this was like a summary of our conversation from my notes that I prepared. But what would you have researched? What do you think is interesting to have a look at. Regarding these unexpected and untimely deaths in three generations. I'd love to hear your thoughts and I hope you come along and join us next time when we do AstroliJam. Okay. Bye TVAPlings. Thanks. Bye.

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if different Astrologers researched the same chart?  Would they find the same things?  Would they agree on their insights?  And would they predict the same future?

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Today's Newsletter celebrates 1000 downloads of The Vedic Astrology Podcast and revisits the enigma of ‘How does Astrology work?’

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