Special Concepts
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Exaltation & Debilitation
Each planet has one sign where it is exalted (strongest), and 180° opposite, the sign where it is debilitated (weakest).
| Planet | Exalted in | Debilitated in |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Aries (10°) | Libra (10°) |
| Moon | Taurus (3°) | Scorpio (3°) |
| Mars | Capricorn (28°) | Cancer (28°) |
| Mercury | Virgo (15°) | Pisces (15°) |
| Jupiter | Cancer (5°) | Capricorn (5°) |
| Venus | Pisces (27°) | Virgo (27°) |
| Saturn | Libra (20°) | Aries (20°) |
| Rahu | Taurus / Gemini | Scorpio / Sagittarius |
| Ketu | Scorpio / Sagittarius | Taurus / Gemini |
Own sign (Sva-rashi) & Moolatrikona
| Planet | Owns | Moolatrikona |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Leo | Leo (0–20°) |
| Moon | Cancer | Taurus (4–20°) |
| Mars | Aries, Scorpio | Aries (0–12°) |
| Mercury | Gemini, Virgo | Virgo (16–20°) |
| Jupiter | Sagittarius, Pisces | Sagittarius (0–10°) |
| Venus | Taurus, Libra | Libra (0–15°) |
| Saturn | Capricorn, Aquarius | Aquarius (0–20°) |
Rahu and Ketu have no traditional own signs; their results follow the sign and house they occupy.
Combustion (Asta)
A planet within a certain distance from the Sun is "combust" (asta) — the Sun's brilliance overwhelms it. A combust planet's outer effects weaken; its inner / self-oriented effects can paradoxically strengthen.
| Planet | Combust within |
|---|---|
| Moon | 12° |
| Mars | 17° |
| Mercury | 14° (12° if retrograde) |
| Jupiter | 11° |
| Venus | 10° (8° if retrograde) |
| Saturn | 15° |
Retrograde (Vakri)
When a planet appears (from Earth) to move backwards through the zodiac, it is retrograde. Only the star-planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) ever go retrograde — Sun and Moon never do. Rahu and Ketu always move "as if" retrograde.
Traditional take: a retrograde planet acts more intensely and inwardly. A benefic in retrograde may delay or muffle results; a malefic intensifies.
Ayanamsa
The difference between the modern tropical zodiac (anchored to the spring equinox) and the Vedic sidereal zodiac (anchored to fixed stars) is called the ayanamsa. This site uses the Lahiri ayanamsa (the official Indian/Nepali standard), which is around 24.2° in 2026.
Divisional charts (D9 — Navamsha)
Beyond the birth chart (D1), each rashi is divided into 9 to make the Navamsha (D9) — used for marriage, relationships, and a planet's "inner strength". Other divisions: D7 (children), D10 (career), D12 (parents), D60 (subtle results) — each gives finer reading of a specific area.
This site currently shows D1 (the birth chart) only. D9 navamsha is on the roadmap.