Back To Basics
Part 1

Ignoring Planetary Cycles -- Dasas

The August 13 Mercury Out Of Cancer was the last predictive entry.  (It was followed by the lighthearted but but seriously dramatic August 25 Tee Many Martoonis.)

This August 13 entry ended on  positive note,

Clearly, the above prediction for nothing remarkable or notable in the transiting planets mid August to date (a month) was off target in regard to the amount of ills and harms. 

Just the Afghanistan pullout and U.S. fires floods and hurricanes have been so traumatic our minds have been overloaded.  (Although during Rahu's planetary cycle, there's truly only disruptions forcing transformations separated by brief intervals of quiet stage-settings.)  Were there other events?  Oh yeah, the virus swept in again like a biblical curse.  Texas passed its 6sixweek abortion law.  Haiti was struck by a major earthquake yet again...  And, of course, there are the incessant drumbeats of king Trump and his loyal downtrodden acolytes promoting hate, fear and racism -- a bulldozer covering up the truth with layers of nasty lies that make a lousy roadbed which must surely break up.

It's also true that we're all bound up in these disruptions, whether indirectly -- Afghanistan and Haiti -- or directly with natural disasters from sea to shining sea.  For so many, lives are literally burnt out or flooded out, and who in unscathed areas doesn't have family and friends running for their lives from mother nature's plummeting.  I worry for distant family in Lake Tahoe and the Outer Banks.

This entry is titled Back To Basics because the Celestial Wheel has only been analyzing secondary karma transits and not also primary karma Dasas -- planetary cycles.  So, I missed  the heightened turmoil this past month.  It's easy to fall into this lazy karmic rut because transits -- where the planets are in today's skies -- is the primary tool in Western Astrology and thereby common astrological language for society.  As a singular measurement readily seen in charts, transits are straightforward to interpret and explain to readers.

Recall it is Vedic Astrology's Dasas, which better unveil  fundamental and underlying planetary karmas over time and in degree, that have made this ancient Indian craft famous for predictive work -- like the Celestial Wheel.  But it is much more difficult to first interpret Dasas, second interpret transits, third integrate the two and fourth explain resulting karmas -- current and future (predictions).  It is true, though, that integration is the highest mental form, and this approach naturally yields the most accurate, specific and time-related predictions.  Thus, Indians sometimes call their astrologers Travelers in time.  Also, there's the old saying only Vedic Astrology can satisfy, Astrology isn't just about knowing the life, it's planning the life.

So, I slacked off to analyze only transits with at most a cursory look at the Dasas in key charts like the U.S. and Trump.  (Truly, Rahu Dasa and Trump have worn us all out!)  The result has been to understate the serious karmas (influences) that came forward recently.  This Back To Basics entry addresses that mistake by considering Dasas for these two key charts.  (Note, I have to rectify Biden's chart because the birth time is clearly wrong, and I promise here to get that important task done.)  Dasas have a Mahadasa (main) planet followed by four subperiod planets, each with decreasing amount of influence.  To include all five would be a paper blizzard, and truly, the Maha Dasa planet and first subperiod planet (Antardasa) offer enough information for accurate depictions of the past, present and future.  (You don't have to count every leaf on a tree to see its an old oak.)  Finally, as the charts for the U.S. chart and Trump and currently in the midst of long Dasas, there is no need to consider previous and future Dasas in evaluating them.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer

Back To Basics
Part 2
Dasas Analysis

The below Dasas tables for the U.S. and Trump are to the two levels, as discussed.  The main Maha Dasa planet is shown first with the secondary Antardasa planet next to it.  Thus, on November 28, 2015 the U.S. began its long 18 year Rahu Dasa, and the first Antardasa planet was Rahu.  The second Antardasa planet became Jupiter August 10. 2018.

The analysis is done by first understanding Dasas activate the planets in the birth chart.  This is akin to driving down a street at night with identical houses but which appear different because lights in various rooms are turned on.  (Implicit here is that you've previously delineated the chart and thereby know how the planets act for that life.)  So now, for example, the U.S. is running Rahu with Saturn January 2, 2021 to November 9, 2023.  An astrology shorthand here is to say Rahu major and Saturn minor.

There are other measurements serving to make predictions more accurate and specific, for those are the goals of any forecasting.

Take a look at where the Dasa planets are placed in the chart and how they are disposed.  Consider how far into the Dasa the U.S. has experienced -- one third the total.  And given what's already occurred, how much more change should be expected.  Consideration must also be given for the length of the Dasa and where in the Antardasa sequence the time analyzed is.  Planetary energies build over time.  So results in the early years of a Dasa will be weaker than latter ones.  Also, in longer Dasas like these (Dasas range from 6 to 20 years), the karmic weight accumulation is greater, meaning the Dasa will change the life to a greater degree.  One also considers the nature of the energies and relationship between the major and minor planets.  Are they benefics, malefics, a mix of both?  Obviously, this primary quality describes the good/bad of the energetics.  What is the house/sign distance between the planets?  There are good distances, evil distances and neutral ones.  Of course too, one must consider the person's condition at the beginning of the Dasa and how strong the chart is and his/her age.  If one is in a good position initially, a Dasa bringing illness will not be so bad.  Age too makes a difference in how the person deals with an illness, or truly any karma.  For nation charts, like the U.S. considered here, one must translate human qualities into a societal model.

You can readily see from this discussion that even single-topic Dasa analysis is complex.  To then complete transit analysis and then integrate the two is a computational tour de force!

Here are a few observations condensed from this analysis about the current Rahu/Saturn Dasas for the U.S. and Jupiter/Mercury for Trump.

U.S

For the U.S., Rahu is a terrible dragon, reaching down into eighth house depths to dredge up all kinds of nightmares and make nervous system Mercury paranoid, especially of authority figures.  Feeling under attack is unavoidable.  That which remains hidden in the unconscious is experienced as fate is especially applicable to Rahu Dasa in the U.S. chart. And symbolizing dark skinned people, Rahu makes the U.S. fundamentally racist.  Rahu's first eighteen year cycle ran beginning 1776, transforming the colonies into a full blown democratic Republic.  Rahu next ran beginning at the end of the nineteenth century, which heralded the First Progressive Age.  Well into the third eighteen year Rahu Dasa now, we can see how he's torn up the turf  more in just six years than the U.S. typically changes in twenty as it brings the Second Progressive Age.

Saturn, the great malefic, is placed in the tenth house of government officials and the public side of society.  But because it rules the second house of income, speech and and domestic harmony plus ruling the third of desires, Saturn is manipulative about wealth and communicates harshly without regard for truth. Of course too, domestic harmony has been overwhelmed by racist hate and fear.  An influence from Mars adds a cruel energy bringing action which can be criminal, violent and destructive.  Finally, Saturn in the tenth house often lifts the nation (person) up just to drop him down.

The Dasa combination of Rahu with Saturn is very tough, for this nasty Saturn pushes Rahu hard, focusing and intensifying Rahu's serpent attacks.  Remorseless, uncaring and ruthless pursuit of selfish goals, especially in the public sector, is endemic to this combination with victimizing a basic quality.  With this Rahu/Saturn Dasa lineup having begun January of this year, and it continuing until November 2023, only a quarter of the interval has resulted so far -- and three quarters left!  Airy Saturn is dry. And so with two more summers ahead of this cycle, expect more drought.  Rahu sitting in the kapha sign of Cancer in the eighth house of calamity suggests more wet storms -- flooding and hurricanes that bring terrible destructions.  Of course, COVD is not done with us yet, and chronic illness Saturn, which is also the planet of death, drives Rahu's serpent toxicity to increase and endure. While the virus can be beaten down, it will tend to rise back up again during this Rahu/Saturn cycle with more than two years to go.

There's also certain risk for the economy as asset and income are reshuffled, especially in regard to COVID and global warming. Expect both economic dislocations and losses.

Trump

For Trump, his great sixteen year Jupiter Dasa in his second house of income continues his ability to charm and dissemble with a primary goal of more money.   That's why his PAC gained $100 million just this year.  Jupiter in the second house of speech makes the person a smooth talker, like both the Clintons.  Jupiter's aspect to the lucky fifth house of investments and the mind make him fortunate, adds more wealth and stimulates his belief in being a king, or even better, emperor.   That his Jupiter just turned retrograde means it is powerfully stationary direct, which supercharges his optimistic qualities.  Keep in mind, however, that over-optimism can result in over-reaching.

Mercury, the planet of communications, rules the second house of speech and income and is placed in the eleventh of gains, friends and groups.  All prosper, though in Trump's typically egotistically way -- for himself first and last.  Rich friends gravitate to Trump, and he earns money in many ways, often in big chunks.

This Jupiter/Mercury Dasa combination started last July and continues until late in 2023 -- almost exactly overlapping the U.S. Rahu/Saturn combination from January of this year until November 2023.

As Jupiter is the higher mind and and Mercury the lower calculating mind, and both involve speech, this Dasa combination is extremely mental. This makes Trump's talk even more and be increasingly excessive.  He trips himself up with claims that can only be understood as bizarre and which don't relate to a greater whole.  This puts a great strain on Trump's mind -- rational and emotional.  And since he believes he can talk anyone into anything, Trump denies any negative results relentlessly and insists his reality version is correct -- The Big Lie for example.  Even though he has no political position, Trump can and will certainly stir up the pot whenever he can without regard for the common good.

Whether The Big Lie and other evil constructions continue to galvanize his base, those must ultimately fail and fall short, notably compared with positive efforts by the Democrats to support and protect the people. Then there are the legal attacks Trump must ultimately face for his lying --  both in past business dealings and his more recent political career.  He'll surely not be an effective defendant because he can't stop lying.  It's not known when the legal hammer(s) fall, but in part because Trump will harm himself with his mouth, there will be tremendous drama when the charges and indictments start falling.

In a nutshell, the U.S. chart's hard push of Saturn/ Rahu bringing huge challenges will continue for two more years with Trump braying like a donkey to a shrinking base and Republicans pulling away from him.

There are some positive results.  Aerospace, advanced energy and scientific gains elicit from Rahu probing deeply Cancer with mental Mercury.  We've already seen the COVID vaccines created in record time, transportation electrification and achievements in space we can only wonder about in amazement.  Even climate change can be effectively addressed, and the end result of all these is to push society further into the Second Progressive Age.  Restoring shared democratic values to empower regular folks is a consequence here as Rahu and COVID are changing the very fabric of society.  How all this happens is unknown, for Rahu's karmas cannot be anticipated, but clearly a new path forward is needed to pull the public out of this lousy rut of inequality and racism. 

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer

Back To Basics
Part 3
Transits

This forecast is Part 3 of 3 of Back To Basics.  Part 1 Ignoring Planetary Cycles -- Dasas was published September 19 and Back To Basics Part 2 Dasas Analysis the following day.

The reason for this exercise in Vedic Astrology forecasting basics is the Celestial Wheel's use of only transits, especially mid August for a month.  Then, floods, fires, hurricanes and political discords poured down like hail in an Oklahoma thunderstorm.  The transit-only predictions stated in the August 13 Mercury Out Of Cancer about what's happening and coming, nothing remarkable or notable, was so clearly wrong in understating the severity of ills, it stimulated this Back To Basics review.

The U.S. and Trump's charts were considered in the Part 2 Dasa Analysis, but to maintain some clarity from simplicity, this forecast will focus upon the U.S. chart.  Here's part of the explanation in Part 2.

Now to the transits mid August.  Here again is the transit chart for August 13, as shown in the forecast for that same day, August 13 Mercury Out Of Cancer.

August 13, 2021

We can see some afflictions and weakness, as discussed then.  But there's not enough to explain the flood of destructive karma.   Yes, Mars afflicts Ketu by aspect (glance), which can bring an extreme event -- but not by itself alone.  Mercury is also afflicted by Mars, and Venus is fallen -- weak.  But these are not quantifiably major karmas.  Plus, Jupiter and Saturn, the big planets, are weakly retrograde, which takes the wind out of Saturn's malevolent sails and renders good Jupiter useless.  So, rather than signaling one of more major catastrophes, this transit chart indicates more trudging through muddy karma.

In order to have a societal-changing event occur, the Dasas have to be rough, and the most potent transit malefics in involved.  For example of the latter, Mars, the planet of action, afflicts Rahu/Ketu, and a good Jupiter is nailed by Mars and Ketu.  There are other nasty combinations as well, some including Saturn, the great malefic.  However, for contemporary experience, the Mars, Jupiter and Moon's Nodes -- Rahu and Ketu -- have repeatedly hit the U.S. chart with devastating results.

The February 8, 2020 Now Comes Mars shows such a chart, which signaled the COVID virus.

Transits February 8, 2020

In fact, the next entry, the February 16 Mars And The Corona Virus, stated,

Provocatively, this same combination occurred 9-11!

Thereby, it wasn't the transits in August/September that caused this summer's havoc, although they did make their usual secondary karma contribution.  It was the combination of tough primary karma Dasas of Rahu/Saturn with secondary karma transits (bad but not terrible) that caused the deluge of harms mid August to mid September.  Further, there was no horrific society-changing event, like 9-11 or COVID during this interval.

So what's ahead?

We know now that Dasas a primary karma and the U.S. chart Dasas are Rahu/Saturn January 5, 2021 to November 12, 2023. (I state specific dates here because it was the inception of this Saturn minor cycle that was followed the very next day by the January 6 insurrection.  Pretty amazing, eh?)  This remorseless, uncaring and ruthless pursuit of selfish goals, especially in the public sector, is endemic to this combination with victimizing a basic quality.

As for transits, the August 13 Mercury Out Of Cancer offered a suggestion at the end of that entry, It means, rather, that major conflagrations are not likely for the next several weeks. Late September into October, however, do appear disruptive, with the hot Sun joining hot Mars -- fighting.

Transits September 29, 2021

The above transit chart for today shows the hot Sun/Mars fighting combination.  (Sun and mars are both malefic and Pitta -- fiery. The Sun is government, of course, and Mars is aggression, military, weapons...)

The transit is in Virgo, the natural zodiac (global influence) sixth house of acute illness and discords.  This is not a dominant karma but shouldn't be ignored.  The transit brings some of that energy to the U.S. directly.  But more important for the U.S. is that Sun/Mars causes the virus to persist and problems with friends and enemy nations to crop up.

In the U.S. chart, Virgo is the tenth house of the public and government officials.  So that's where the action will likely be.  (Whether any more hurricanes or other disasters strike is likely but not specifically predicted here.)  We can see that in politics at all levels -- local, state and federal.

Mercury went retrograde September 26 and will go backwards into Virgo where it crashes into the tightening Sun/Mars conjunction October 9.  The retrograde will end October 18, and then Mercury will cross Sun/Mars in mid November, a sign ahead now in Libra.

Jupiter can't protect because he's retrograde and now again in his fallen sign of Capricorn.  He won't turn forward until October 18, when he'll begin to advance back toward Aquarius October 18.  He'll reach that strong position late November.

Saturn is also retrograde, as shown. That weakens Saturn's ability to do harm.  Saturn will turn forward October 10, which will give Saturn great strength again.  Because transit Saturn sits on U.S. birth chart's Ketu, his destructions will be explosive -- heavy but brief -- like a volcano, fire or hurricane.  Saturn also then aspects Rahu, which just adds to the victimizing found in the Dasas. 

Given the Dasas are Rahu/Saturn, these transit harms, which includes Saturn/Rahu, are very difficult. The Indians say that when Dasas and transits match up, accurate predictions for actions can be made.   This is the case for the second week in October.  Rhetorically, there will be Rahu/Saturn Dasa planets roiling the river of life beset with transit lightening, fire, storms and floods.  However, as difficult as life on earth may be this fall, it doesn't appear there's another 9-11 or pandemic coming.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer