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Ancient Perception of the Bhavas

7th house - concept of paradise lost

9th house – the house of God, Guru as Religious Teacher

The ancients lived a simple less complicated lifestyle without the assistance of
scientific apparatus and statistics to understand life – they relied on intuition, deep
understanding and a symbolic and mythological approach to understand the basis of
life. Thus, their approaches were mainly symbolic full and pregnant with lattice of
related meanings and a direct and straightforward implication to the human psyche
and tendencies. Thus, the Moon was seen paradoxically as both private and public
because the Moon shines publicly in the private darkness of the night as the Queen of
the Night.

The ancients placed emphasis and sought out the essence of a signification and based
on the essence of the significator, categorize the signification according to one of the
twelve houses. The ancients sought to address the bellwether effect or the essential
salient elements of each bhava and allocate the significations accordingly. Thus, the
Lagna was seen as the self, the body (Thanu) and overall aspect being the main file
and crux of the chart. The Lagna therefore rules the native, his identity, his
individuality, his overall person and overall health. The first aspect in life is
identification with the self or ego and acknowledgement of the body one inhabits,
thus the primacy of the Lagna. In Siddhic Astrology, the Lagna is the pivot of the
chart especially the Lagna cuspal sublord and its components which determines the
inner character and intrinsic tendency. That every bhava is treated as a Lagna and
compared to other bhavas in its cuspal interlinks and that every bhava contains its
own akam-puram distinction and encompasses all other 11 bhavas is a summation of
the principle that the singular contains within the plural and the plural encompasses
all aspects of the singulars.

The ancients saw man as the measure of everything – things were measured in terms
of foot, yard, field, furlong all from man’s perspective and man was the reference
point of almost everything. Similarly, in the chart the Lagna was seen as the pivot
reference against which everything was secondary. Essentially, the ancients saw in
the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti “You are the World” and identification with self and
understanding of self is the first basis of spiritual understanding as per Ramana
Maharshi. “Tat Tvam Asi” or “You are That” encapsulates the spiritual understanding
of the self.

The 2nd house (Dhana) was seen as a house of support that grows gradually or
nourishes the Lagna – thus food, family, facial appearance, wealth, finances (dhana)
was seen to support, nourish and nurture the self. Acceptance of self and by others
was seen as important – thus the image and speech we present to others define our
identity and acceptance by others. Our family accepts us as a member of the family
and the world as member of the extended human family. Our body accepts the food
and accommodates and tolerates the circumstances surrounding us. Therefore, the
2nd house is a house of acceptance, acquiescence, tolerance and accommodative
attitudes and especially our attitudes towards our resources and assets the most
important which is our self image, food, family, speech and money.
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The 3rd house (Bhratru) was essentially a house of vitality and use of the arms and
hands in tandem with the brain – thus, the 3rd house represents energy, courage,
determination, mind tendencies, early learning, agility, dexterity, errands,
craftsmanship and support in terms of younger sibling, brotherhood, relations,
supporting documents, contracts. Freedom of expression and motion is a vital aspect
of vitality and enthusiasm.

The 4th house (matru) is the house of the mother, womb, home, heart, and mind ie
the inner aspects of the person. Thus, the private residence, private activities,
domestic issues, education, productivity, peace of mind, care and stability of the
person are allocated to this house. Automobiles and vehicles were seen as moving
comforts and moving home away from home – thus, it was allocated to the 4th house.
The mother was seen as the source of creativity and source of early education in
juxtaposition to the 9th house of father as the source of higher education and
mentorship of livelihood and the living embodiment of the Earth’s womb and
fertility. Animals were part of husbandry and the farm which forms part of the
household. Thus, animals in general were allocated to the 4th house being sentient
beings which had to be nurtured and taken care of in a maternal manner. Ships,
sailing, navigation, seas and oceans were also associated with the 4th house owing to
the Kalapurusha 4th sign of Cancer being a watery sign and moveable mode. Grave,
graveyards, buried treasures and all matters underground, rooted and established
matters or establishments were also associated with 4th house, the house associated
with the nadir and womb of the Earth.

The 5th house (putra) deals with children, self expression as intelligence, creativity,
inspiration and intuition and rest, relaxation, enjoyment, sports, games as the 12th to
the 6th house of work. That sex is part of the 5th house nomenclature is inevitable due
to its associations with creativity, procreativity, pleasures, bearer of children,
enjoyment, sports, entertainment, relaxation and release from tension as the
precedent house to the 6th house of hard work and burden. The 5th expresses talent
and skill because it is a trine and fire element house of expression of inner akam
qualities.

The 6th house (ripu as enemies and roga as diseases) deals with physical exertion,
daily work, service, battles, conflicts, challenges to surmount enemies, diseases
(enmities and infirmities), problems, burdens, weights like litigation, court cases,
debts, loan, loansharks, issues and general obstacles and blockages in life. The 6th
house is the negation of the 7th house of sama-saptava and thus represents all forms
of imbalance, unequal relationships, bias and lop-sidedness.

The 7th house is the house of the spouse or significant other (kalatra) and deals with
relationships, significant partnerships and as it is sama-saptava, the 7th house is keen
on reflecting or mirroring balance and proportion, harmony and good social
relations. It is said that on return from the rigours of work as depicted by the 6th
house, the man of the house meets his spouse as 7th house who prepares his repast
and consolation of the day, thus the flow of events from the 6th to the 7th.

The 8th house (mrityu) deals with death and diminution, declining state and the
various states of downfall. As a house of obscuration, the 8th house is against the
house of law and order or 12th negation to the 9th house of law – thus criminal and
illegal activities, bad luck, misfortune, scarcity, lack of prosperity, atheism and
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irreligious attitudes are indicated by the 8th house. As the house of the genitals, the
8th has issues with sexuality and the excretion process. The 8th house is the house of
removal of waste and unwanted products and the significator of the perineum which
is the nexus to the crown chakra and the passage of life and death.

The 9th house (bhagya and dharma) is the house of God and deals with all good
Jupiterian qualities like benevolence, benefic, virtues, deeds, obedience, law, order,
flow with the universe, religion, blessings, grace, prosperity, luck, fortune,
compassion, charity and poorvapunya.

The 10th house (karma) is the house of the summit or apex as the height of
accomplishments and achievements ie the overall career and profession as well as
the status and standing of the person in society. Thus, his prestige, name and fame,
recognition and publicity, being the most public and open house, are indicated in the
10th house, the house of public renown and limelight.

The 11th house is the house of labha being the gains obtained from a life long or long
standing efforts or career which could be income, remuneration, wages and
emoluments. It is also a house of support being the portfolio of friends, networking,
well wishers, supporters, elder siblings and all forms of support, tangible and
intangible as it attempts to support the ambition and aspirations of the native.

Finally, the final house 12th house is the house of final emancipation or moksha,
spirituality, divinity and as the negation house of the Lagna, it is the house of vyaya
or loss, expenses, wasting away, self undoing, destruction, denial, sacrifice, penance,
confinement, exile and all forms of self limitations and self illusions which deny the
self.

As summary, we can imagine the self or “hero” thinking of his person (Lagna) on
waking up, eating breakfast and surviving on food and money (2nd), having early
learning and moving around on daily errands (3rd), obtaining formal education (4th)
and proper shelter as home (4th), taking a rest and relaxation (5th) before
commencing work (6th). Returning from work, his spouse (7th) will prepare food and
supplication for him before he relieves (8th) himself due to the fatigue and tiredness
(8th). Renewing and transforming himself for the day (9th) and feeling thankful to
God and his blessings (9Th) for another day gone well, he ponders on the
achievements (10th) and the expected remuneration (11th). He then takes time to
satisfy himself with happy hours with friends (11th) before retiring to sleep (12th) in
the bed (12th) for the next day to begin. This is an artificial construct of daily events of
a person to piece together the series of the 12 houses.

Various significations seem at odds with their bhava categorization. For example,
family is signified by the 2nd house which would have been better placed in the 4th
house as per domestic matters. Yet the family is placed in the 2nd house as an asset
and resource which assist the native. Multi-tasking, multiple work and efforts, daily
activities and errands are placed in the 3rd house and not 6th house because the 3rd
house is a house of dynamic activity and its lord of 3rd natural sign Gemini, Mercury
is a multi-tasker and have tendency towards multiple effects as well as the busy bee
doing the errands. The other lord of the 3rd, Mars is the karaka of action and pro-
activity is also suited to signify these significations as well as contracts and
documentations (supportive evidence for work and involving intellect and the upper
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limbs as per Mercury). The 3rd house also signifies frequent trips as per Mercury
lordship of repetitive actions and habits. The 4th house signification of vehicles and
ships is rather peculiar unless you consider the automobile and ship as moving
homes away from homes as Venus signifies comforts with the Moon. Animals in
general are signified by the 4th house because animals were seen as part of the
menagerie of the farm and by extension part of the home. Sports are part of the 5th
house because sports then was not played in competitive spirit but as enjoyable
amusement and entertainment for the aristocracy and masses. The stomach and
abdomen are part of the 5th and 6th house and 5th and 6th sign of the Kalapurusha
because the nakshatras which signify the stomach ie Uttram and Aatham are ruled by
Sun and Moon respectively and Uttram as split nakshatra straddles the two signs of
Leo and Virgo as 5th and 6th natural signs of the Kalachakra. Clothes and textiles,
fashion and attire are part of the 6th house being the natural work-clothes of the
ancients and animals used to accompany their masters to assist in work and later
became pets (6th house) at night eg the working dog (“work like a dog” figurative
expression). Ironically, the 7th house of spouse is also seen as the house of opposition
and opponents because it is diametrically opposite the Lagna. Intimate relations or
one on one relations of tete-a-tete nature are seen as the Lagna and 7th house axis.
The opponent mirrors the other opponent which is you thus the Lagna-7th house axis
which opposes as opponent or complements as significant partner. The doctor-
patient, lawyer-client, trader-customer relationship is best exemplified by this axis.
Wills and inheritance are part of the 8th house because the 8th house signifies all
death and death related matters. Spirituality and divinity is categorized under the
12th house because spirituality involves liberating or freeing the ego (the 12th house
negates the Lagna) and boundaries of the self as consciousness and spirituality is a
difficult task being in a puram and Lagna negating house unless religion which is in
accordance and compliance with the dictates of community, society, universal law
and order.

The ancient way of perceiving and living is relevant to the way the house
significations were allocated. We must not adopt a condescending “Orientalist”
attitude of modern approach to understanding the ancient way of conceiving and
perceiving life but put our empathetic selves in their shoes and see things in their
apparently less complicated lifestyle of how they approach things, conceive culture
and their way of understanding and living life.

The ancients recognize the importance of the self and how the vastness of the world
revolves around the inner world of the self. The inner self reflects the outer world as
much as the Sun and Moon illuminate the world as our character and personality
facets. The ancients knew the significance of the self as ego and how the merging of
the ego with the ether of the divine matrix can assist in tapping the universal oasis of
knowledge from the noosphere. The religious and divine spiritual significance of the
self held great relevance in ancient times and the sacred could infuse with the
mundane self was a perplexing conundrum the ancients attempted time and time to
solve.

The ancients placed emphasis on the survival of the person and how he can subsist
on the bare essentials and necessities of life. Luxury was foreign and survival on food
and resources was vital. The 2nd house is the immediate house after the Lagna
because the immediate concern of the ancients was to survive, to have food and
resources to subsist and money then was a means to barter for food and resources to
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survive. Wealth was thus seen as nourishing and nurturing the survival of the native
as food and resources and less as luxury and assets as it is perceived as today. Thus,
the family, the food, the finance and the face were all important facets of survival in
the ancient days. Even the face as the façade in the ancient times were seen as
attributing status and wealth to the native and contributory to the well-being of the
native, the legacy which is carried on today as cosmetics and beautification
techniques. Speech as emanating from the mouth as per the kalachakra 2nd sign also
contributed towards the wealth and well-being of the native in ancient times as it was
the tool and means in barter trade for food for survival.

The ancients saw to it that gesticulations and expressions were distinct from speech
and thus the manual use of the upper limbs as communication and expression were
categorized in a separate house from the house of speech (2nd). In fact, gesticulation
and gesturing were the precursor and original form of communicating long before
speech arose as we imagined how Stone Age aborigines communicated without use of
speech which came much later. The quest for survival required manual skills (3rd) in
dexterously and nimbly hunting down animals (3rd house) and in sowing and
planting agriculture (4th house). Ancients were concerned about the use of their
hands in hunting for food and the need for courage, determination, strength, energy,
fortitude, drive, initiative, zeal and enthusiasm (all 3rd house significations) to
overcome the fraught dangers of life in the game of survival as the hunter often
become the hunted.

Besides the need for food and resources (2nd) and the means to attain it (3rd), the
other basic requirement is home or shelter. The 4th house as the nadir designate the
private residence of the ancients because the ancients saw the womb of mother earth
and the womb of the mother as the primeval home to which the native sought solace
and sojourn in its origins and roots as home. Thus, the roots of the native designate
the 4th house of the native as home, hometown, homeland, heart, heart of the matter,
origin, foundation and resting place of the native. The ancients saw that the 4th house
designates the womb of the mother, the home and the graveyard final resting place of
the native. All private thoughts, feelings, emotions, state of mind and happiness were
also the private domain and are the internal effects as much as the external
manifestation of such as the private residence of the native. The 4th house designates
the bottom or nadir of the chart and indicates the private and domestic matters of
the private residence of the individual and the greatest forms of happiness and
emotional joy is contained within the inner heart which is the inner sanctum of the
individual.

This is also because the Sun sets at midnight in the 4th house – note that the Earth
revolves counter-clockwise on its axis and clockwise in its ecliptic; thus, while the
seasons conform to the sequence, the houses move in opposite direction to the time
of the day eg 6 am is assumed as the First House, 12 noon is the 10th house, 6 pm is
the 7th house and 12 midnight is the 4th house ie moving from Lagna through the 12th,
11th, 10th (noon as zenith), 9th, 8th, 7th (6 pm sunset), 6th, 5th, 4th (midnight as nadir),
3, 2 and back to Lagna again. However, the hours of the day conform with the zodiac
eg April 22nd is beginning of Aries at eg Sunrise 7.00 am Kuala Lumpur. Thus the 1st
two hours of April 22nd to May 22nd is Aries from 7.00 am to 9.00 am then 9.00 am
to 11 am is Taurus and so forth.
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The greatest comforts and peace of mind is attained in the serene oasis of the hearth
of home and the vehicle was also seen as a form of moveable home or motional
comfort and wealth and attributed to Venus as its karaka or significator. Animals
were often used as part of vehicle eg bullock cart and animals thus formed part of the
signification of the 4th house. Another form of wealth of the mind is education which
is the greatest form of akam wealth. The ancients saw education as the heart of the
matter; education is the raison d’etre of life; we incarnate on earth to learn the
lessons of life on earth as the university of life, experience and hard knocks. The
mother and father were seen as the source of education ie basic and higher education
as domestic learning and mentorship. The 4th house is the foundation of the chart
because it houses all the treasures notably treasure of the mind as education, the
mother as the greatest treasure and crux of the native’s life especially in the
formative life, home as hearth of peace of mind and tranquility, happiness as the
greatest form of emotional treasure, vehicles as moveable treasures and peace of
mind as the ultimate treasure of the mokshasthana or moksha seeker. All that one
seeks is within, so seek within the inner treasures of the 4th house, the house when
the Sun has descended at midnight.

The 5th house is the house of play, amusement and entertainment besides sports,
hobbies, pastime, leisure, rest, relaxation, talents and other forms of recreation and
enjoyments. Sports were seen as pastime and entertainment more than competition
in ancient times and so was sex! Intelligence and intellect was also seen as mental
stimulation and mind games or mental play or toying with the mind. The greatest
form of amusement or entertainment is mental and cerebral and thus intelligence,
intellect, logic, reasoning, intellectual discussions and exams are signified by the 5th
house. The religious proscribing of sex as duty and taboo is prudish and was not the
actual perception of the ancients. Perhaps a more accurate description is that the
mind must be in a creative state of rest and relaxation to perform in sports, talents,
performing arts, artistic endeavours, creative efforts and sexual activities. Tension,
stress, the burden of duties and responsibilities go in the way of creativity. To
conceive mentally and physically requires a relaxed state of mind which only the 5th
house of play and rest can provide. Thus, children the fruits of one’s procreation can
only be conceived in a state of recreational creativity and enjoyment. It is a recorded
fact that the most important activity is rest and relaxation as the foundation of
productive work. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

The Freudian concept of sex to clearly depict the 5th house qualities best summates
the 5th house ie sex as creativity, procreativity, bearer of children and pleasures,
enjoyment, entertainment, release of tension, sports, pastime. Of course, the 5th
house is more than sex as it also encompasses significations like talent, intelligence,
conventional spirituality, mantra chanting, intellectual pursuits, performing arts etc.
Venus and Jupiter best represent the qualities of the 5th house as its primary karakas.

The ancients also saw to it that the counterpoise of rest is work and the immediately
succeeding house to the 5th is the 6th house of work and service. We have to get back
to work once we have rested enough or the equilibrium of activity would tilt
perilously towards sloth, laziness and lackadaisical attitudes. Work was meticulous,
detailed, toiling and often physical exertion in service to the master or paymaster and
animals were often used in service and accompanied the human worker or master
back home and served as pets. In ancient times, humans identify each other’s
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vocation via their clothes and wore their work clothes for half of their daily life. Thus
pets and attire became part of the fabric of the 6th house.

On returning from home, the worker expects to see his spouse prepare a good dinner
and welcome. Thus, the opposite end of the horizon depicts the spouse or significant
other of the Lagna. The spouse is also the “antithesis” of the self as the self will exert
effort, time, energies and wealth at his expense to please the significant other. The
significant other is the equal or significant other as “opponent” to the self, the
counterpoint or sama-saptava to the identity of the self. Both spouses are equals in
the eyes of the ancients and acting as equals and treating each other equally and
harmoniously and equitably was the sure way to marital harmony. The marital state
is important as the balance or point of equilibrium of the chart and must be treated
with care as is all equilibrium points in life. You must have consideration, tolerance,
compassion, accommodation and all feminine qualities to succeed in marriage since
the 7th house is the natural house of Venus the feminine. Equilibriums must be
handled with poise and equanimity and so is the marital state.

Getting married causes death of the individual or individualism as it so often

occurring to female spouses who forego their surnames, independent lifestyles and
become subordinate to the male spouse. Thus the immediately succeeding house is
the 8th house of death and abrupt endings.

On death, there is the transformation, restructuring, revamp and renewal as signified

by the new growth fostered by the father as mentor and guide. Ancient Indians saw
their fathers as guides and mentors in leading and guiding development of livelihood
in the progeny so that the children can progress in their life and make an
independent living often following in the footsteps of their fathers and caste
professions. Fathers were seen as mentors as per 9th house “The Teacher” rather than
authority figure as per 10th house because whosoever is the eldest is often treated as
the respected authority in the household and is not necessarily the father; thus, the
implicit connection between the father figure in India, mentorship of livelihood and
higher education (note the implicit connections of basic education with the mother as
per 4th house and higher education with father as per 9th house). Nonetheless, fathers
or father figures were given great respect and were seen as important, significant as
well as beneficial and benevolent influence on the child. The lineage, patrimony and
patriarchal transmission of knowledge, legacy and skills were seen as significant and
beneficial impact on the person as the Lagna and the 9th house is the most beneficial
influence on the Lagna. The 9th house is part of the triumvirate of Lagna, Fifth and
Ninth as the present, future and past as self, children and father or sanchita,
prarabdha and poorvapunya karma. Nevertheless, the respect given to Gurus,
teachers, sages, spiritual elders held no bounds as even kings deign to bow down in
the midst of enlightened beings. In ancient India, the king was of Kshatriya caste and
apparently inferior to the Brahmin priestly caste.

The 10th house is the summation of all efforts of the native as the father guides and
leads the training of the native in pursuing his career. The preceding house, the 9th
house is summated as the house of the father as patriarchal figure guiding and
providing the platform for independent livelihood (10th house). The father prepares
the son for eventual independence, self success and karma or vocation in the world.
Thus, business and entrepreneurship was seen as the pinnacle of success and
independence from the constraints of service and wage work. Work was also always
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at the forefront and in service to the community and society and interaction with
society as one creates a niche and eminence in one’s skills and offering to society.
Careers are open profiles of the individual and part of the overt 10th house and never
a covert operation akin to the 12th house.

The outcome and results of the 10th house career is income, gain and profit,
recognition, accolades, awards, titles which fall in the domain of the 11th house. The
11th house signifies ambitions, aspirations, fulfillment of objectives, desires and
major aims especially with regards to public welfare, community, network of friends
and acquaintances. The 11th house is the last or final akam house and symbolizes the
final karma house or house of desire. The greatest karmic desire is to have desire of
true friendship and comradeship, of elder brother support, camaraderie, networking,
enjoyment of friends company, fraternity and fellowship, brotherhood, sense of
belonging to the association or club, of feeling of belongingness and support and
embracing each other as comradeship and camaraderie (Chinese “heng tai”), of
friendship which marriage, wealth, name and fame, prestige and power, status and
title, purchase and negotiation, love and care cannot obtain unless two souls connect
and befriend freely of each other’s accord. True friendship can be unconditional, not
dependent, loyal and considerate like the unconditional love of man’s best friend, the
dog.

Note that the distinction between the 2nd house source of income and 11th house
income is that the former dictates income of a fixed nature while the latter tends
towards profits of unfixed nature, supplementary income, business gains.

However, material gains and success do not complete the cycle as the main aim of the
ancients was to attain final liberation or emancipation which is the most difficult task
– thus the designation of moksha to the 12th house of self-undoing, confinement,
restriction, sacrifice, torture, penance and merging with the universal subconscious.
Earlier trinal support of the 4th house preparing a calm and peaceful state of mind
and 8th house training in the metaphysical and esoteric elements of life as the secrets
of life do not yield easily except to the deserving initiate at the appropriate moments
will prepare the spiritual aspirant for final emancipation by letting go of all desires
(the 11th house of desire fulfillment negates the 12th house of moksha) and by acts of
self-denial, penance and fasting as ritualistic approaches which may aid in the path
towards awakening and enlightenment. The path towards enlightenment has also
provided the framework for linking the disparate houses by signifying the numerical
progression of the houses as the journey of the hero or spiritual aspirant towards the
final ending or moksha.