Om Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaya Dear Ramdas Rao, Many thanks for you long reply and example from

your personal life. Yes, this business of retrograde planets is one that astrologers struggle with in general and I follow Sanjay's input on this. He has given some hints here and there and what he has said has always made sense to me. Your quote from Uttara Kalamitra suggest that retrogradation means opposite results. If an exalted planet is retrograde, then it behaves as though debilitated and vice versa. But it depends whether that planet is a benefic or malefic and it depends on whether that planet is in a kendra or trikona vs a dusthana. In my own chart, my Guru is neecha in the 3rd house from the lagna and 6th from the Moon. Now we know that this is terrible by all accounts and not a good yoga and I will surely leave the world in my Guru dasa (starts age 66). He occupies a maranasthana from lagna. Certainly health will decline. However, all things related to Guru have done well in my life... let's say above average. Astrologers told me I'd have no children and my family life would be short lived. One astrologer gave me two years for marriage... at most. Jupiter rules my 2nd and 5th. I have 3 healthy children and my marriage is 10 years old with no sign of breakup... not perfect but good. Money has never been a problem. It has always come and I never worry about it too much. No wealth but enough for a satisfactory life. So neecha Guru is in a dusthana and in my opinion, that's one explanation. Yes, he is exalted in D-7 and aspecting the 5th lord and that explains children. If he was retrograde, the opposite would have occurred. It would not have given the same good result. So the principle here is that neecha benefics in dusthanas are good unless retrograde. The opposite is true for kendras and konas. Neecha benefics in kendras are not good unless retrograde. The opposite is true for malefics. In otherwords, debilitated malefics in kendras are good unless retrograde. I think all this applies to your own case and your wife's case.

I have never worked with the effect of the retrograde planet on the previous house. KN Rao used to teach this and he even took it a step further. He claimed the planet made aspects from the previous house, while in transit, as well aspects from the house it was in, and this means almost every house (8 houses) in the chart is influenced by R Sani. Your idea makes more sense. Is it widely used? Regards, Brendan

*** Dear Brendenji, First of all any retrograde planet behaves in a different manner. We can not consider Guru in 5th and Guru in 5th house as same. Ofcourse these kind of controversies have to be studied thoroughly. I am just adding my own experience here. Now for example in my chart Lagna ( Makara /Capricorn ) lord and 2nd lord Shani is retrograde in 9th in Virgo sign. Now let us see how Shani behaves here. As Lagna lord in 9th house,I am a worshipper of Lord Vishnu and my father was highly religious and I follow very old traditions. Now Shani being Karma Karaka placed in Virgo sign has not given me any proffession connected accounts, computers, mathematics etc. But now I consider its retrograde effects. I am considering Shani is aspecting its previous house ie., 8th house where Ketu is placed in Simha Rasi. So this means Ketu is with Shani. Karma Karaka Shani with Ketu gives a profession of a technician or working hard as a labour. the sign involved is Leo ruled by Sun which is Agni Tattwa Rasi and so I am working here in Kuwait,a dry,desert area and hot area as depicted by Leo sign. As Saturn is retrograding I could not get any promotions in my career eventhough my monetary gains are exceedingly high. This is because of a beautiful Vipareetha Raja Yoga formed in 3rd house by 12th lord Jupiter,6th lord Mercury and 8th lord Sun. During my last week's mail ,I said that Venus combustion has delayed my grade change and increase in salary and now yesterday when Venus came out of combustion,I got a letter from the company about the grade change and a very reasonable pay hike. My Shani Dasa started in October 8 ,1989 with Saturn's Antara running till 1110-1992. During this period as Saturn's sade sathi or 7 and half Saturn's period

was also running,I had tremendous problems ,mainly health problems to my wife and a lot of financial burdens upon me. Most of the problems happened during Saturn's retrogression which started from May 5,1990 ( Actual problems started from July 11th ) and increased the problems when transit saturn with its retrograde motion entered back to sagittariius on June 21,1990. On September 24,1990 ,Saturn became direct in Sagittarius and on the same day I performed Shani Shanti Homam and Sri Mrityunjaya Homam for my wife as she was suffering from a severe health problem. But at that I have not seen any planetary movement but GOD has helped me to perform the above remedies and on Oct 4,1990,my wife was operated for removal of pericardium,the outer cover of heart. This I am explaining about the effects of retrograde Saturn both in Rasi chart and in transit. the doctors have made a surgery on July 28th,1990 when Saturn was retrograde and was a failure and ony waste of money and suffering to my wife and mental tensions for me. Only when saturn became direct,I found a good doctor and surgery done and my wife got cured after about 1 year of treatment. Now in my wife's chart,Lagna is Cancer and 7th and 8th lord saturn is in 6th in sagittarius but retrograde along with 6th and 9th lord Jupiter who is also retrograde. Now if we take 7th lord Saturn in 6th ,after marriage there would have been always misunderstanding between the couple or husband will stay away from wife for his profession but I was always with my wife and our relations are cordial always. So I think the reason may be due to Saturn retrograde is aspecting its previous house ie. ,5th house. From 7th,11th house. Jupiter in 6th . Here suppose if we take Jupiter in 6th,then my wife should not become sick at all and also she should not have got son,so early in life and marriage so early ( 19 years of her age ),son in 20th year. Now if we take Guru's aspect to 5th house,then the above interpretations possible. Here Guru became more strong and Shani became weak. So Shani can cause troubles during its dasa or its Sub periods. Anyhow these are my observations and I wanted others to observe from real life charts and come to a conclusion about retrograde planets. I dont have any charts which have any retrograde planet in Kendra but as mine was in trine and I explained in my own method. I also found from some other charts that these retrograde planets become direct in one's life time depending on the retrogression. I hope this helps you. With Sri Hari Vaayu Naama Smarana, Ramadas Rao.

Bpfeeley (AT) AOL (DOT) COM wrote: In a message dated 9/20/2003 3:10:49 AM Eastern Standard Time, ramadasrao (AT) (DOT) co. in writes:

Dear Ramdas Rao, In the case of retrogradation, how do we intrepret the behavior of the planet is it is in a kendra, trikona or dusthana and whether it is a benefic or malefic? How do we apply these principles from Uttrakalamrita to such variations?

This is a real complex area and often very confusing for us astrologers. Of course I should give you some examples but none come to mind just now. Regards, Brendan

Dear Rao, Please go through this Shloka from Uttara kalamrita by Kalidasa about exalted planet in retrogression and debilitated planet in retrogression : vI Svaebl> svsihte mXy< bl< tuf ge vakr svoccabala savakrasahite madhya bala tuagabhe vI nIcbl> SvnIcvne vIbl< tuf gjm!, vakr ncabala svancabhavane vakrbala tuagajam| %Swen yutaeRvIyRimit ceIce tu zUNy< bl< uccasthena yutoarddhavryamiti cennce tu nya bala imE> papogaE> zuE irpuogEyuRaeip caR bl<. mitrai ppakhagau ubhai ripukhagairyuktopi crddha bala || Meaning the strenth of a planet who is retrograde is similar to that e is in

exaltation. When a planet associates with such a retrograde planet his strength will be 1/2 Rupa ( a measure of strength ). When a planet occupies his exaltation but is retrograde,he gets only Neecha Bala ie. , without any strength. But a planet is debilitated and be retrograde,his strength is similar to that when in his exaltation. It also tels when a planet is in conjunction with another planet who is exalted,he gets 1/2 Rupa strength whereas if a planet is in conjunction with another planet who is debilitated ,then this planet gets nothing. Also you might have seen recently during USA and Iraq war,Guru was exalted and retrograde and so America declared war against Iraq illegally without the consent of UNO. Now you see if Guru would have got enough strength,the war would not have taken place. So even if Guru was exalted but was retrograde and so the reason for illegal war. I hope this helps you. With Sri Hari Vaayu Naama Smarana, Ramadas Rao.