According to the Vedas, The planets are the instruments of God, by which the law of Karma operates.
The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu, are called the 9 “Grahas” which Sanskrit meaning is: “to grab” or “to hold”.
According to the ancient scripture Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra : “Vishnu (God) has incarnated as the Navagrahas (9 planets) to bestow on the living beings the results of their Karmas or actions. He assumed the auspicious form of Grahas to destroy the strength of the demons (evil forces), to sustain the strength of the Devas (the divine beings) and to establish Dharma (cosmic order or law). ”
The planets, besides their huge physical mass and gravitate force , are tremendous fields of subtle psychic or spiritual energies, and it is in that level that we have to understand their effects. It is in that understanding that the science of astrology is based.
Each planet corresponds to a specific vibratory frequency, color, subtle element, geometrical form, and even a personality type with it’s own likes and dislikes, friendships and enmities.
Each individual person is made of a specific and unique combination of the energies of these planets and on that depends his characteristics, likes and dislikes, personality and behavior.
It is interesting to note that vedic astrology doesn’t use the “outer” planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, even though there is some historical evidence that the ancient Rishis knew about them, and in the ancient scripture the Mahabharata, three planets are mentioned which corresponds with the location and coordenates of the outer planets, although not use in vedic astrology.

				RAHU AND KETU

The Sun being the center of our planetary system, represents the central position, the king, the soul, the government, the masculine principle and our vital energy (together with the moon).
Without the Sun life on earth wouldn’t be possible, therefore it represents the life force and energy.
Even though the Sun represents our true nature which is the soul or Atman, due to the spiritual ignorance in which human beings are, it manifests more as the individual self or ego.
The Sun represents what the individual identifies with.
According to the sign and house in which it is located in the birth chart, we can understand which areas will be important for the person, or areas the individual has to experience to find out his true nature and Self.
Because of its fiery nature, the Sun is considered in Jyotish as a malefic planet, because it hurts or damages the areas which it affects.
By identifying with a particular area of life, which is not the true self or soul, it brings a fall of the consciousness, leading to experience suffering, which will eventually lead us to develop humility and recognition of our true nature.
The Sun represents the authority figure, the king, the government or the boss. A strong Sun in the birth chart will indicate a person with some authoritarian and leader personality, who will tend to be in an important position in society or in some relationship with the government.
He also represents the father or paternal figure. A strong Sun usually indicates a rich or powerful father or a good relation with him.
A strong Sun in the chart indicates a mature soul with a developed consciousness, strong personality, and good self esteem, but a too strong or predominant sun can indicate a too authoritative person, or someone which is too self-centered, wanting to always be the center of attention, having difficulties to work with or under other people, and a lack of humility.
A week or afflicted Sun will usually indicate a difficult relationship with the father or that the father has some problem, or a low self-esteem, low vitality or health problems.
The sun rules the heart, blood circulation, the sight, right eye, head and headaches, hear growth or baldness, the abdomen and digestive fire, dryness and fever.
His ayurvedic constitution is Pitta or fiery.

The Moon is considered the most important heavenly body in vedic astrology, due to its influence on the mind and emotions, which are the instruments by which we perceive the world, we act and relate with it, being the cause of the play of Karma.
The Moon reflects the energy of the Sun and balances its fire with her fresh, cooling, nourishing and vitalizing light and nectar.
It represents the mind, emotions, prana, the mother, food and nourishment, water and liquids.
The Moon cycles of waxing and waning are well known for its effect on all life on earth, plants, ocean tides, climate, the female cycle, fertility and emotional moods.
A strong Moon on the chart reflects mental and psychological stability, good concentration and capacity of well being and emotional satisfaction.
And afflicted Moon usually reflects emotional difficulties, mental or psychological disturbances or health problems.
Statistic studies have shown that mentally disturbed people feel more affected or aggravated during the full Moon.
The Moon cycles directly affect the psychological and physiological state of humans and all living beings.
Being born during the waxing Moon usually leads to a more extroverted mind and personality, while the waning Moon leads to more introverted mind.
The position of the Moon in the birth chart indicates the way the person thinks and feels, his important subjects in life and his relationship with the external world.
The exact degree of the Moon at birth determines the successive planetary periods known as Maha Dashas, and it is an important factor to predict the predominant energies and issues that will predominate in the course of time.
Moon also represents the mother, and its position indicates the type of relation with her and her wellbeing, factors that have a deep effect on a person’s psychology and life.
It also represents the nourishment, food and material needs for survival, all which are provided by the mother, therefore a strong Moon is a great strength of the chart and a help to overcome difficulties in life.
The effects of a week Moon can be overcome by meditation and spiritual practices, living in calm places, in contact with the nature, and by white or light colors.
Moon represents female fertility, blood and body fluids, the longs, breast, milk and the chest area.
The ayurvedic constitution is Kapha or phlegmatic, and partially Vata or airy.

Mars represents energy, courage, initiative and action.
A strong and well placed Mars in the birth chart indicates a spiritual warrior, lack of fear to face the difficulties and enemies of life, internally an externally, control over the own body and agresivity, while an afflicted Mars can indicate a fearful, aggressive or violent person.
Mars represents war and aggression, but depending on his position it can be a positive spiritual energy to overcome obstacles and grow spiritually, or it can become a destructive force, causing harm, injuries, accidents and uncontrolled passions.
Mars is action oriented, initiative, youth and conquering of enemies. It can lead to a very dynamic, active and enthusiastic personality, or alternatively to someone who wants to dominate others by force.
A week Mars can lead to an uncontrolled dissipation or loss of the vital energy in many directions, it can create muscular weakness.
Physical exercise is a good way to strength Mars energy.
Mars also represents brothers, technology, technical or mechanical skills, mathematics, computing, athletics and sports, medicine and surgery, blood pressure, police and military people, dictators, fire and explosions.
Physically it represents the marrow, muscles, physical strength, the head, testicles and virility, and has a Pitta or fiery ayurvedic constitution.

Mercury represents the intellect or Buddhi, the capacity for discrimination, communication, language, learning, youth, childhood, plays, sports and friends.
A strong and well placed Mercury indicates a good intelligence and capacity for learning, oral or written communication skills and good speech.
Mercury has a constant desire for learning, but he also creates a duality in the mind, always comparing between the pairs of opposites.
The Moon represents the subconscious or emotional mind, but Mercury represents the pure analytical and rational mind.
Mercury, when too strong or predominant, can lead to repress the emotions with reason, and make a very critical nature.
A weekly placed Mercury, can lead the person to rely more on emotions and instinct rather than on his reason, but it can bring some difficulties in learning, speech, the skin, nervous system, and diminish the capacity to retain knowledge.
Mercury can behave as a benefic or malefic planet depending on his association with other planets.
A person can have a good intelligence, but use it on a selfish and destructive way, if afflicted by malefic planets.
Physically it represents the skin and breathing passages, and it has a Vata or airy ayurvedic constitution.

Júpiter represents the teacher, the “Guru”, the one leading from the darkness of ignorance, to the light or knowledge.
He stands for wisdom, knowledge, learning, goodness, good luck, good karma and expansion.
Brihaspati is called in the Vedas, the Guru of the Devas, the celestial or angelical beings.
He is represented as a priest, full of wisdom, righteousness, justice, goodness, desirous to bless and give prosperity to everyone.
The position of Jupiter on a birth chart will indicate the ways of spiritual learning, type of faith or religion, teachers and material prosperity.
It is consider the most benefic planet because of its nature of giving and expanding, without expectations.
Jupiter usually blesses the areas related with its placement, but for some ascendants like Taurus, Libra or Capricorn, it can be adverse or bring inauspicious effects, because it is the ruler of difficult houses.
A strong and well placed Jupiter on a chart is an indicator of optimism, faith, interest in religion of philosophy, sense of righteousness and justice, positive contacts with teachers, wise or religious people, and good prosperity, caused by some good past karmas and spiritual tendencies.
It is very common in the charts of religious people, priests, teachers, philosophers, judges, lawyers, or prosperous people.
But in some cases, an excessively strong Jupiter can lead a person to not do any effort to improve the life situation, an excessive optimism which can lead to a spiritual stagnation.
An Afflicted Jupiter can indicate difficulty to get a spiritual teacher, or sometimes even getting a wrong, dishonest or fake teacher, or a difficult relationship with teachers in general. It can bring lack of faith and optimism in life, or a more materialistic view of life, or having material difficulties which don’t allow the mind to expand into a more spiritual awareness.
Jupiter also represents children, mainly the eldest son, and in case of woman, it represents the husband.
An afflicted or week Jupiter can indicate marital difficulties or husband’s bad health, or difficulties to have children.
Physically it is related to the fat tissues, accumulation of fluids, obesity, liver, pancreas and the sugar and fat metabolism, the hips and the feet.
Its nature is Kapha or phlegmatic.

Venus is also a spiritual teacher, but he is the teacher of the Asuras or demons, beings who were spiritually evolved at some past time, but fell from that grace due to strong materialistic or selfish tendencies.
Venus helps them to find to find their path of return.
Venus represents the feminine, the beautiful, refined, attraction, the desires and human passions, the sexual and marital relationships.
A strong and well located Venus tends to bestow artistic talents and creativity, physical beauty, good sense of esthetics and harmony, prosperity, wealth and divine grace, but if there are no other spiritual indications on the chart, a too strong or dominating Venus can lead to an excessive attachment to sensual pleasure, and the material objects of the world and its physical pleasures
An afflicted or debilitated Venus usually brings a difficulty to obtain pleasure or enjoyment in life, which can lead a person to look for exaggerated means of sensual gratification to compensate that.
It can also indicate weakness or diseases of the reproductive organs, or sexual disorders.
In some cases, if there are other spiritual indications, a debilitated Venus can lead a parson to a sincere spiritual path, developing a strong devotion, looking for God’s love alone.
A well located Venus has a spiritual potential of transforming the energy of love and sensuality into devotion, cosmic love and a feeling of the divine grace, but adversely affected it can lead to strong attachment to worldly pleasures.
For a man, Venus is a significator for woman or the spouse, whose characteristics and relationship can be assessed from the position of Venus on the birth chart.
Venus is also associated with wealth, cloths, jewelry, music, dance, the fine arts, creativity, semen, love, attraction and sexuality.
Physically it represents the reproductive organs, urinary tract and semen.
Its ayurvedic constitution is Kapha and Vata.

Saturn represents austerity, discipline, restrictions and sufferings.
He is also a spiritual teacher, but one who teaches trough restriction, hard work, purification, service and humility, leading the person to face his weaknesses and more negative trends to recognize them and change them.
Saturn make us face and work out the negative karma we created on the past in the form of restrictions and sufferings, which will lead us eventually to recognize our negative patterns and develop responsibility and self-discipline to change them.
The position of Saturn on the chart indicates the areas of struggle and difficulties in life, though in vedic astrology it is considered as a very important planetary energy for the spiritual advancement and evolution.
A strong and well located Saturn on a chart will indicate a good capacity to endure the hardships of life, capacity for hard work, strong sense of responsibility, seriousness, self-discipline, austerity or “tapas”.
An afflicted Saturn can show a difficulty to face the responsibilities, or trying to evade them, which leads to more suffering.
It can cause mental depression, loneliness, feelings of isolation, addictions and chronic diseases.
The more one tries to escape from Saturn’s restrictions, the more intense those sufferings become, leading eventually to extremely difficult situations.
Saturn’s restrictions lead to disappointment and detachment from the worldly happiness, which eventually leads to search for the true happiness within the spirit.
The best way to relate with Saturn’s energy is to understand and accept his restrictions consciously trough self-discipline and self-purification.
Saturn moves slowly, indicating that his lessons will have to be learned by a long period of perseverance and hard work, after that, Saturn can give immense blessings and spiritual strength.
He usually tend to postpone or delay things and the areas of life that affects on the chart.
A strong and dominant Saturn can be found on the birth charts of hard workers, servants, politicians, Yogis and ascetic people.
Its energy can be positively channeled trough fasting, selfless service, seclusion and meditation.
Saturn represents longevity, old age, concentration and meditation.
Physically it is associated with the nerves and it has a Vata or airy ayurvedic constitution.

Rahu and Ketu are not physical planets, they don’t have a physical mass, but are very powerful energetic points in the Sky.
They are the points of intersection between the path of the Sun and the path of the Moon, causing the Sun and Moon eclipses.
They are very important on the spiritual level, and they are related with the unconscious shades, unresolved karmas and conflicts coming from previous lives.
They are mythologicaly represented by a snake who was cut in two: the head (Rahu) and the tail (Ketu).
This inner conflict manifests as two antagonistic opposite forces in the sub-conscious mind which generate conflicts, dualities, fears, compulsive desires, rejections or phobias, and karmic situations which lead us to face them and work them out.
When we can understand an connect those two antagonistic forces, the awakening of the “Kundalini” the inner spiritual power and strength awakes, leading to the inner healing, peace of mind and spiritual illumination.
Therefore, Rahu and Ketu can be the cause of great conflicts, dissatisfactions and diseases, but understanding and working them out spiritually, we can connect them and transform them into a great spiritual power.

Rahu is related with the unconscious desires, dissatisfactions, fears, obsessions, ambitions and unresolved issues from the previous lives which need to be experienced in this life.
The houses and signs were Rahu is located indicate areas where there will be mental restlessness, hypersensitivity, strong desires to experience that areas but fears to do and dissatisfaction it at the same time.
It tends to create very strong but unconscious desires, with out really understanding their causes, which can lead to compulsive behavior, addictions, fantasies, unrealistic imaginations or suggestions.
Rahu also represents the non conventional, illegal, dark but desired, foreigners, people out of the social system and its norms, or “out casts” , but it can also be transformed and sublimated into a spiritual energy, knowledge of the occult side of the mind, knowledge of psychology, and understanding and control of this energy leads to esoterical knowledge and awakening of the Kundalini power

Ketu is represented by a Sadhu or mendicant ascetic monk, one who rejects the world an its vanity, looking for the essential truth alone.
The placement of Ketu on the birth chart indicates areas which have been experienced in excess on previous lives, causing now a feeling of rejection towards them and dissatisfaction.
Ketu indicates areas where detachment has to be developed, areas which will be source of some suffering with the purpose to be spiritualized, searching for its very essence.
Ketu can cause damage and restrictions in the areas it affects, but it is also a way of spiritual learning.
An adverse Ketu can cause ruptures, breaks, accidents or diseases, but alternatively it can bestow intuitive knowledge coming from past lives experience.
Ketu is considered a very important planet for the spiritual evolution, because it represents the capacity for renunciation, detachment from the ephemeral, and search for the truth and the essence of life.
A predominant Ketu can be seen in the charts of monks, ascetic, renunciate, psychic and clairvoyant people
It also represents Moksha, the liberation from the cycle of births and deaths and attainment of illumination.