~ chapter from INTRODUCTION TO ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY
by
BEPIN BEHARI
MADHURI BEHARI
Various occult sciences indicate some fundamental truths of astrology
which are immensely illuminating. A discovery of such truths makes our
life meaningful and our action purposeful. It also assists us in relieving
someof the heart-wrenching experiences of our life.
The nature of Kumbha Lagna has beenbe wildering. The complexity
concerning the subject has been increasing with every efforts to understand
it deeply. To give the adjective 'enigma' to this sign is an understatement.
By ploughing through the literature of ancient scriptures we have come
acrosscertain hints and suggestionswhich when worked out in detail and
elaboratedupon seemto give certain clues about the character and destiny
of this ascendant.The very word Aquarius derived from its Latin origin
refers to water-carrier. In Sanskrit, it only means a pitcher but the various
other words related to this sign give some other significant clues. The
word Kumbhaka is also related to apractice of holding the breath, andthe
word Kumbhaja is related to Rishi Agasthya who is said to be the future
Manu but who, however, hasabdicated this office in favour of one of his
disciples who is now preparing himself for this august office. Naturally,
therefore, the astrological sign Kumbha must be related to breath which
is the very life-force pervading throughout the existence andto the leaders
of occult forces who are in charge of ushering new civlisations and new
thought-currents. Working on these suggestions, we feel that these
suggestions provide a useful key to the understanding of this zodiacal
sign.
Readers of various astrological journals where this sign has often
been discussed in great depth and with scholarship know that this sign is
rightly stated to be enigmatic, mysterious and occult, having Saturn and!
or Uranus as its lords, both extraordinary planets. The sign consists of
Dhanishta later half, Satabhisha and the first three padas of Poorvabhadra
owned by Mars, Rahuand Jupiter which indicatesthat the ordinary canons
of material prosperity cannotbe the guiding principle of this sign. It would,
therefore, be futile to associate commonplace souls with this sign. Whether
in misery, deprivation and humiliation or in prosperity, abundance and
prestigious positions, the native belonging to this sign must be
extraordinary .
A perusal of notable horoscopes of eminent personalities makes it
abundantly clear that Aquarius ascendantsare very uncommon and that
the personsborn under this sign maketheir impact on the current of world
events in a special way. Whatever their station in life, whatever the field
of operation, or whatever the age, all Aquarius ascendantsput forth a
new influence on human evolution. Evidently, Prophet Mohammed and
Karl Marx, Aurangzeb and Havelock Ellis, Abraham Lincoln and J.P.
Morgan cannot and should not be classified together for they have
expressed distinctly contradictory qualities excepting the fact that all of
them have given a new twist, a new direction to the society in which they
lived, a new value to the age, society or to the environment in which they
were born. Mohammed Ali Jinnah and General B.M. Kaul were entirely
different personalities; Maharshi Ramakrishna Paramahamsaand Prof.
B.V. Raman have been different types of egos. Nonetheless, the one central
cord binding all these individuals together has been that they all have
been highly advanced ego shaving a definite mission in their life. Unless
the motivating force making theseindividuals such powerful personalities
is explored and its relationship established with their guiding star, we
might take the husk for the kernel, and begin predicting external events
without touching the inner core of such persons.
Whether we consider the European, Indian, Chaldean. Assyrian,
Egyptian or any other system of astrology, Aquarius hasbeenuniversally
r~lated to pitcher with or without water flowing out of it. Some have
pronounced it as an empty pitcher and others have made water flowing
out of it as its symbol. There have been others who have disputed the
shapeof the pitcher. But whatever the difference, the common feature of
all is that Aquarius is connected with water though it is said to be an airy
sign. Indian scriptureshave described Aquarius as"a man holding awater
pot, yellow in colour with fat body, tall staturebut normal in other respects.
Human sign, strong during day, resides in the middle of water, windy and
lazy in nature". Such characteristics are more blinding than revealing.
Satyacharya considered the Aquarius-born as sorrowful and miserable
while Bhattotpala hasopined that the individuals born in the Dwadasamsa
of Kumbha will be unhappy and poor. Such prognostications should be
adopted very carefully, and Yavanacharya has even suggested that the
fact of Aquarius is the birth sign of a person does not by itself suggest
misfortune. As a matter of fact, for an astrologer nothing is unfortunate
or fortunate; everything is an event in one's life indicating the di~sition
of certain drivine forces moulding and shaping the character ofth(: ego.
And, in the caseof the divine force pouring forth through Kumbha Lagna,
its influence is colossal.A person born under this sign is carried by a gale
of the pa~tkarma let loose by the Lipikas so that the human child. could
acquire a new outlook, a new direction, in his own life and intorudce the
samein the lives of his fellow-beings.
In order to substantiatethe conclusion, one has merely to examine
the fact that the three Nakshatras, namely, Dhanishta, Satabhisha and
Poorvabhadracomprising Kumbha are owned by Mars, Rahu and Jupiter
which areintimately connectedwith the powerful Karmic forces generated
in past lives. Jupiter bestows all the auspicious opportunities for the
developmentandfruition of spiritual faculties; Rahubestows immortality,
whereasMars is the planetthat gives courageandenthusiasmfor ascending
to divine heights. Thus in Kumbha sign there is the undercurrent of all
the three planetswhich are greatly connected with all spiritual pursuits in
life. The very nature ofthe ownership of the sign suggeststhat the persons
born under this sign would be very intimately connected with their past
lives. Saturnkeepsarecord of all the past deedsandmisdeedsof different
person so that by arranging the everyday life of the individuals it could
create enough impediments so that the individual in surmounting them
acquires strength and becomes stronger and more dispassibllate. To
considerthis sign asunfortunate would be throwing aspersionson Divine
Plan and the benevolence and kindness of Divinity itself. Saturn teaches
the hard way but he establishesthe individual on the path of renunciation
more firmly. From these, it could be concluded that the individuals born
under this sign would do renunciation as a result of powerful karma
generated in the past lives and they must turn their gaze homeward,
otherwise the wisdom imparted by Jupiter, or the sorrow and pain
generatedin everyday life by Saturn, or the influence of impersonal Rahu
would force the individual by their own impact to that direction. The
usual prediction that Kumbha lagna personsare unhappy and miserable
implies this fundamental naturethat Kumbha peoplemustopenthemselves
to Divine Plan, to heavenly light; probably, that is why the sign is said to
be strong during the day suggestive of the intense activity of the radiance
of God.
One must acknowledge the fact that Kumbha has Makara as its
twelfth sign. Saturn owns both these signs. For Kumbha Lagna, Saturn is
important because of its ownership of Lagna and the 12th house. The
12th is the house oflife beyond death and assuch, the native born under
Kumbha Rasi must be intricately related to "life beyond". That is another
reason why Aquarius ascendants,no matter in what sphere of life they
are born, they are generally connected with transcendental motivations.
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsawas motivated in his spiritual search
by ardent faith in God; J. P. Morgan, probably one of the richest men in
the United States,was also burning with intense philanthropic objectives;
B.V. Ramanis atorch-bearer of occult sciences,whereasAurangzeb could
be cruelly zealous about establishing his religion and his type of faith in
God. Karl Marx as well as Havelock Ellis, though investigating very
n,undane subjects approached their subjects from a completely
unconventional standpoint. All these person endeavoured to inculcate
new values among the people. Obviously, this is a fundamental trait of all
Aquarius ascendants.
kumbha Rasi is dedicated to Indra in Hindu mythology and one
must recall that Indra rules the domain where the egosdwell asaresult of
past good deeds. In Greek mythology, Ganymedes, the object of lustpersonified,
wascarried from earthby Zeusto behis cup-bearer.In Hebrew
religion, Lam-ach means (Lam-the father) the father of the age, or the
father of Noah who inaugurated a new era or aperiod of creation after the
Pralaya, or Deluge. The father and the son are said to representAquarius
and Pisces.From these, it may be seen that sign Aquarius is intimately
connected with that aspect of Divine Plan where the individuals like
Ganymedeare chosento be the cup-bearers of gods, or to be the fathers,
or the precursors of Noah who established a new civilisation or gave a
new direction in human life. Examine it with some of the known
horoscopes,and it would be abundantly clear that the ancient mythologies
of many important religions knew well the significance of Aquarius asa
harbinger of new life and light despite the fact that in doing so they may
have to encounter difficulties and personal deprivations. For example,
Abraham Lincoln establishedthe spirit ofliberty, democracy and equality
in the United States though his own personal life was full of thorns;
Professor B.Y. Raman made astrology a valid and respectful scientific
subject when many persons have been deriding the subject and while
doing so, he had to forego much of his personal pleasures and comforts
and he had to meet difficulties created in many quarters.
Kumbha Lagna has the head of Kala Purusha in the 3rd house
representingcourage,prowess,heroism andmental power of which Aries
is the sign and Mars the lord. From this, it is evident that the native canbe
happy and fulfilling the purpose of his life when his entire energy and
interests are directed towards beginning a new cycle of evolution. For
this, the native is admirably well suited. Two of the force-centres of Kala
Purusha,namely, Brahmarandhra andAjna ehakra located in this house,
do not only indicate considerable latent faculties for inculcating the idea
of Divine Unity in every manifested form of the creation andthe capacity
for arousingmetaphysical ideasin the heartsof the people,but this situation
also suggeststhe fact that the destiny of suchindividuals lies in energising
these force-centres without which they would not feel satisfied, Those
Aquarius ascendantswho do not mobilise all their energiesfor this purpose
are naturally bound to feel their life stifled and therefore miserable.
Heart of the Aquarius is in the throat of Kala Purusha. This is a
strange statement, but it is related to an innate instinct of the individual.
The development of Brahmarandhra ehakra provides full consciousness
of the invisible and visible worlds around the person so that he could
uninterruptedly tap the universal consciousness.The development of Ajna
chakra could lead the individual to have waking visions of places and
people. The faculty of clairvoyance--one of the siddhis highly coveted
by the occultists comesfrom this chakras. In an ordinary individual, these
may not besocommon, but thesechakra being in the 3rd houseofKumbha
ascendantswhere the Kala Purusha lays his head, for them these would
undoubtedly provide great opportunities. Ifuntutored, they might develop
unconscious psychism. Such personsjust "know" the things without any
effort. Intuition is often mixed up with suchpsychic faculties, but the fact
remainsthat they are ableto get in touch with suchpowers. Ifundeveloped
and blocked up due to planetary disposition, Aquarius ascendantsmight
become crude and anti-religious to a great extent. When it is said that the
Aquarius has its heart in the throat of the Kala Purusha, it implies that
Visuddhi ehakra of Kala Purusha, which is the sixteen-petalled forcecentre
located near the throat, would be in the 4th house of the native.
This being so, the individual would have great emotional upsurgewhen
he hears the woes and sorrows of the world; upliftment of human kind is
most dear for such ascendants. Obviously, Aurangzeb the despot,
Havelock Ellis the sexologist, Karl Marx the anti-theist, and the founder
of communism, were allied to their activities with a view to relieving the
miseries ofthe common people. All of them felt that in someway or the
other, the humanity has a greater and paramount claim on their heart.
Kundalini Shakti located at the base of the spine of Kala Purusha, for
Aquarius ascendantswould be in the 10thhouse.This is very vital because
the urge to creativity, the karma of the person, would be to quicken the
development of his spiritual nature. Whatever else the individual born
with Aquarius ascendantdoes,unlesshe makes progresstowards his own
spiritual unfoldment, he would be amiserable man. As long asthis ehakra
of the individual is dormant, he might be non-descript, but if it be loaded
with undesirable influences, the whole constitution and attitude of the
person would be distorted. There would be no morality in the individual,
and he would be sensualist, treacherous, anti-social and the greatest
denouncer of all spirituality.
Aquarius ascendantsare generally very intelligent; Mercury is the
lord of their 5th and 8th houses.They should be mainly preoccupied with
producing a new way of living basedon their own understanding of the
universe and the role of the individual in the same.But, it should also be
noted that the lord of the 8th house is Mercury, and, therefore, he would
be finding considerable difficulties in the expression of his viewpoint.
Favourably disposed,Mercury could provide great insight into the hidden
mysteries of nature due to its lordship of the mysterious 8th house,
otherwise the individual would be averse to all forms of
expression-written, vocal or impressionistic. Much of the personality
balanceof Aquarius ascendantswould dependupon favourable disposition
andrelationship betweenSaturnand Mercury becauseof their friendliness
and thier ownership of most important housesconnected with creativity.
Venus isthe most important planet for the Aquarius people, It owns
the 4th and the 9th housesand these are the most significant houses for
the happinessof an individual. Venus has sway over all kinds 9f material
comforts andpleasures.Generally speaking, Aquarius-born personshave
fine taste for good living. Notwithstanding other traits of leadership in
the realm of thought, desire to comprehend the universal mind of the
Divinity, and the great urge to do good to the human kind, the Aquariusborn
individuals want to obtain a good, comfortable, pleasantand artistic
living for themselves. They want a good life. Provided the past karmas
are favourable, they are likely to be surrounded by music, paintings and
other cultural attainments.
The importance of Mars for Aquarius ascendants cannot be
minimised. Mars being the ruler of the 3rd and the 10th housesand being
inimical to the Ascendant lord, Aquarius-born persons cannot expect a
peaceful and smooth life. Impediments would be faced at every level, but
given the courage to surmount and endeavour to raise oneself from the
material plane to that of transcendental heights, they could lay down the
solid foundation for a future glorious living. If lazy, unchivalrous and
unable to take initiative in doing good to others, the individual would be
a bundle of contradictions, and would be frustrated, miserable and
quarreIsome.
Much progress of Aquarius-born individual would depend upon
his partner. Ifhis wife, businesspartners and such others are god-fearing
humanitarians and strong egos,the life of the Aquarian, to a great extent,
could be successful.The Sun, lord of the 7th in happy partnership, would
mitigate to a great extent the malefic and depressive effects of Saturnian
Aquarius; the Sun's exaltation sign being Aries, the 3rd housewould also
indicate that the partners' influence in arousing initiative, altruism and
philanthropy would greatly benefit such individuals. Partnership for such
individuals cannot be based merely on sexual or personal exploitation,
which is likely to be the grave for Aquarius-born individuals.
Many examples of eminent Aquarius ascendantshave already been
discussedabove. However, a commonplace horoscope is given below to
indicate some ofthe points suggestedabove.
A significant feature of this horoscope is the debilitated ascendant
lord but Venus, in his own house and in the 9th house, has greatly
reinforced the pleasures of a good life. A good, well-furnished house
with all modem amenities ha~clearly fulfilled the attributes of Venus. He
is very fond of artistic things. Mars, lord of the 3rd and the 10th and
retrograde in the 4th, hascreated emotional problems and incidentally, it
has also created some problems in hIs'professional career. Mercury, the
lord of the 5th and 8th, is located in the 11thoHe earnedagood livelihood
Rahu Mars
Saturn
Moon (R)
Ascdt.
4th December 1911
Mercury Jupiter Ketu
Sun Venus
by accounting profession. The native has very good social manners. His
unique quality is that he is very different from his other family members.
He is motivated by fellow-feeling andhasgreat urge to do every possible
humanitarian work. His wife is an assetto him, but whenever she falls
sick, his whole life, personal, social and professional, gets upset. Sheis a
moral force in his life. He has been slowly progressing on the spiritual
path, but as it is universally true of Saturn, the Aquarius lord, he grinds
slowly but grinds very fine--the native hasbeenundergoing severalpangs
of!ife which can be hardly sharedby others. But ultimately, the Aquarius
ascendantmust ascendat leastone ladderup on the golden stairsof spiritual
unfoldment, andthis native is certainly, by hard way, ascendinggradually
the uphill path of spirituality.
We wish to emphasize that Aquarius is not an unfortunate sign.
rather it is a sign of great spiritual significance. It is a sign under which
leaders of a new age are born. Those who follow the current of forces
flowing through this ascendantwould ultimately get to the sublimer heights
of spirituality, and would merge themselves in the Oceanof Divinity, but
those who fail to do so, they will only get a miserable existence, for
Aquarius must towards the end make them understand the true values of
life and unfold that which is latent in them. The water contained in the
pitcher must flow out, and that, the water-carrier would do anyhow:
whether he does it sweetly and willingly or by the force of the
circumstances is immaterial.