Hindu Predictive Astrology – II.
The Zodiac and the Solar system.
The Zodiac is an imaginary band extending
9 degrees on both
sides of the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the locus of the
Sun’s path and it passes exactly through the center of the
zodiac longitudinally. The imaginary circle of 360 degrees
is divided into 12 equal parts of 30 degrees. Each division
of 30 degrees is assigned a sign called Rasi. Every degree
in a sign has its own peculiar qualities. The zodiac
revolves once in a day from east to west on its axis.
The planets, which exert the maximum influence on our
earth, are seven leaving aside the shadowy planets Rahu and
Ketu. The far off planets Uranium, Neptune, Pluto and newly
discovered 10th planet Xena are not considered for the
calculations as their influence on the Earth is minimal.
According to Suryasiddhanta, Saturn is the farthest
followed by Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the
Moon from the Earth. The velocity of each of the above
diminishes as its distance from the Earth increases. The
Sun traverses roughly 1 degree of the zodiac per day
comprising 24 hours. It takes 365 days and 6 hours to
completely traverse the 360 degrees.
The Moon takes 1 hour 48 minutes to cover one degree. Mars
takes one and half days to cover the same 1-degree. Mercury
moves at the average speed of one and half degrees a day
but it is very unsteady because of its proximity to the
Sun. Sometimes it moves towards the Sun and sometimes goes
away from it but never goes away more than 28 degrees in
either direction from the Sun.
Jupiter stays for one year in each sign. It takes a little
less than 12 years to completely traverse the zodiac. Venus
on the other hand takes one day to move through one degree.
But Saturn is the slowest taking 1-month to cover 1 degree.
Rahu and Ketu move in a reverse direction to all other
planets. Both stay in each sign for 18 months at a stretch.
(To be continued).