Astrology Lessons - Introduction to Planets (Navagrahas)

1. Planetary Rulership (Adhipatyam)

Each planet has authority over specific zodiac signs. While Rahu and Ketu do not have their own "homes," they behave like the lord of the sign they occupy.

2. Vimshottari Dasha - Nakshatra Lords

Maharishi Parashara divided the 27 Nakshatras among the 9 planets and assigned specific Dasha years to each. This is known as the Vimshottari Dasha system, with a total cycle of 120 years.

3. Natural Disposition of Planets

Planets are categorized into two types based on their natural qualities:

• Benefic Planets (Subha): Jupiter, Venus, Mercury (when not conjunct with malefics), and Waxing Moon.
• Malefic Planets (Papa): Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, and Waning Moon.

4. Planetary Friendships and Enmities

The relationship between planets is vital for analysis. This is called Naisargika Maitri (Natural Friendship).