The adage "Health is Wealth" highlights the importance of health. A healthy person only can work hard, achieve success, earn well and live happily. Oil the contrary, a wealthy but sick person cannot enjoy good food and other luxuries available to him. Astrology, through an analysis of the horoscope, helps correctly foretell the nature and timing of disease which can help one to take timely preventive measures.
Good or bad results are experienced in life through the body represented by the Ascendant A strong Ascendant and Ascendant lord indicate good health and general well-being. According to Sarvartha Chintamani (Chap.'2, Sloka 70),
When the Lagna lord is strong, posited in a Kendra or Trikona and free of malefic aspect, then good bodily health should be predicted.
The 6th, 8th and 12th houses are called Dustanas (evil houses) by virtue of their adverse Karakattwas (significations). The remaining houses are considered good houses. Among the evil houses, the 8th is regarded the most evil. The Ascendant lord, the Sun and the Moon are exempt from the blemish of the 8th lordship.
When the lord of any house is located in an evil house or an evil house lord occupies any good house, then matters coming under that house suffer. However, when an evil house lord is posited in any of the evil houses, it produces good results. Its affliction augments good results.
The state of health and likely disease is analyzed on the basis of following factors
(i) Ascendant and Ascendant lord,
(ii)Planets in the 6th house
(iii)6th lord and planets associated with it,
(iv)Planets in the 8th and 12th,
(v)Transit of Mars, Saturn and Rahu through the 6th, 8th and 12th houses and also vis-a-vis the concerned house.
The body organs indicated by different houses from the head to the toe are shown in Table I.
Table I- Houses, Signs and Parts of Body
House
Rasi
Body Parts
1st
Aries
Head, brain and forehead
2nd
Taurus
Face, right eye, mouth, teeth, throat and neck
3rd
Gemini
Right ear, collar bone, shoulder, right hand, respiratory system and skin
4th
Cancer
Lungs, chest, heart and breast
5th
Leo
Heart, upper stomach, back and spine
6th
Virgo
Intestine, Lives, navel, gall bladder and upper back.
7th
Libra
Below navel area, pancreas, kidneys, urinary and internal generative organs
8th
Scorpio
External generative organs, testicles and rectum
9th
Sagittarius
Buttocks and thighs
10th
Capricorn
Knees and joints
11th
Aquarius
Left ear, left hand, shin and calf portion of legs
12th
Pisces
Left eye, heels and soles
Whichever house and its lord are strong and conjoined with or aspected by benefics that body organ is strong and free from disease. The converse also holds good and causes weakness of the concerned organ making it disease prone. Different planets rule different diseases as shown in Table II.
Timing of Disease
The planets in the 6th, 8th and 12th house and those associated with their lords give disease according to their affliction and signification during their Dasa-Bhukti-Antara periods. When a malefic in transit approaches a disease producing planet it triggers the disease. There is much suffering during its transit within 5° on either side. When the distance crosses 12°, the ailment subsides and gets cured. Saturn and Rahu transits give suffering for longer periods due to their slow motion.
Ascendant, Sun and Moon
A strong Ascendant, Ascendant lord, the Sun and the Moon give sound health and occasional minor ailments. When the Sun and the Ascendant lord are in the 6th, 8th or the 12th or conjoined with or aspected by their lords, one suffers frequently from fever and stomach ailments. If the Ascendant lord and (Moon-sign) lord are associated with the 6th, 8th or 12th houses or their lords, then one has a weak body susceptible to disease. When the Moon is weak and receives evil aspect, one frequently suffers from cold, cough and chest complaints. The conjunction of the Sun and the Moon in a Kendra or their exchange of signs adversely affects health. Evil influences on the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon decrease the resistance of the body to disease. The Ascendant in Papakartari Yoga formed by Saturn, Mars, Rahu and Ketu spoils health and eyesight.
Dustanas
When there are malefic planets in the 6th or the 6th lord conjoined with malefics occupies the Ascendant or the 8th, one frequently suffers from disease, injury and wounds. The location of 6th house Karaka planets (Mars and Saturn) in the Ascendant or in the 6th from the Moon also indicate injury or wound to the native.
The 6th or 8th lord with Mars in the 5th house causes stomach ailments. If the 6th lord with a malefic planet is in the 7th or 8th it causes boils in the rectum or piles.
Chart 1: Male: Born April 16, 1939 at 14h. 35m. at 30 N 55, 74 E 38.
Chart 2: Male: Born December 25, 1972 at 13h. 17m. at 28 N 39, 77 E 13.
The Ascendant lord Sun is exalted in 8th but afflicted by Ketu in Chart 1 and 7th lord Saturn is with 8th lord Jupiter and debilitated Mercury in the 8th. The native suffered from constipation and piles during Saturn Dasa Jupiter Bhukti.
. . . Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are regarded as the main disease producing planets. Mars and Saturn are the Karakas for the 6th house while Saturn is for the 8th house. The diseases caused by Mars and Ketu are sudden, painful and of short duration, while those caused by Saturn and Rahu develop slowly and are chronic in nature. Diseases of Rahu have an element of suddenness and difficulty in diagnosis.
Table II- Planets and Diseases
Planet
Diseases
Moon
Bile disturbances, high fever, Vitality, digestive, head, brain, back and head disease
Mars
Cold, cough, chest, digestion, blood, mind and sleep related diseases
Mercury
Stomachache, fever, blood and muscle
Jupiter
Mental and nervous weakness, speech defect, allergy, nose, throat infection and skin disease
Venus
Liver, pancreases, fat, vertigo, breathing and cough problem
Saturn
Eyes, pancreases, kidney, urinary and generative organ disease
Rahu
Depression, digestion, constipation, leg ailments, chronic diseases like rheumatism and paralysis and injury from stone tree.
Ketu
Mental confusion, poison, snake-bite, heart palpitation, leprosy and difficulty in diagnosis of disease
Moon
Fear, phobias, boils, injury, physical and mental agony
All the Kendras are vacant in Chart 2. The Ascendant lord Mars is in his own sign Scorpio in the 8th with 6th lord Mercury and 7th lord Venus. The 5th lord Sun is in 9th with 9th lord Jupiter but conjoined with Rahu. The Moon is in 5th aspected by Rahu. Saturn and Mars are in Kendras to the Moon. During Moon Dasa (1977) the tried to go abroad for doing his MS but failed and went into depression. He remained under medical and psychiatric treatment for many years.
The Ascendant 8th and 4th lords in the 6th cause vehicular accidents. Saturn with the 4th lord in the 6th has the same effect. The 4th lord with Rahu in the 6th house causes injury by thieves. Ketu with 4th lord in the 6th causes injury from weapons. Malefics in the 12th cause illness and expenditure. The Sun or Saturn in the 12th makes one disease-prone. Benefic aspects reduce the malefic effect.
Mars and Ketu in 6th or 8th cause injury or operation in the lower abdomen or rectum.
When planets in the 6th house and 6th lord are aspected by Saturn or Rahu, one is perennially ill.
Mars causes stomach ache, injury, muscle and blood diseases Saturn causes problems in the legs, rheumatism and lameness. Saturn is called manda (lame) and in the 6th causes problem in the legs. As the Karaka of the 6th house, Saturn's aspect on the 8th and 12th gives problem in the legs.
Rahu or Ketu in 6th cause diseases of teeth, lips and intestines.
The Ascendant lord and 8th lord in the 6th house cause diseases in the navel area.
Among the plants Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are regarded as the main disease producing planets. Mars and Saturn are the Karakas (significators) for the 6th house while Saturn is for the 8th house. The diseases caused by Mars and Ketu are sudden, painful and of short duration, while those caused by Saturn and Rahu develop slowly and are chronic in nature. Diseases of Rahu have an element of suddenness and difficulty in diagnosis.
Courtesy: MODERN ASTROLOGY (Sita Ram Singh)