The Sanskrit word graha refers to the ‘planets’—Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu (North Node), and Ketu (South Node). It means ‘to grasp’ or ‘to seize’, reflecting how these celestial bodies influence us. Yet, their hold is subtle, like the way thoughts arise without our conscious control.
Grahas communicate with our ‘subtle imprint’, our soul, or ‘essence’. These imprints send signals that energise certain thought patterns and feelings, determining what we do. It is our essence that holds these imprints from past lives lived and forgotten. Opening up our birth charts is about getting a glimpse of what once was, is, and will always be.
Does this mean we lack freedom? Not at all. Awareness of this influence is the first step towards liberation. Though this may sound like a contradiction, you are indeed under the spell of the grahas and completely free to choose your next move, although your next move is also predetermined.
The Sanskrit word anugraha means ‘favour’, ‘kindness’, and ‘blessing’—highlighting the positive effects of planetary influence. Even so-called ‘cruel’ planets serve a purpose: Saturn steers you towards what you must do, while Mars steers you away from danger.
The challenge arises when you ignore these signals. Resisting the natural flow of the cosmos, reflecting your inner Being, makes it harder to realign with your soul’s imprint, especially when influenced by others’ opinions or what you think society wants from you. This resistance can feel like being blocked or restrained, a state known in Sanskrit as nigraha.
This is when you experience the grahas as ‘possessors’, unwanted squatters in your home.
Yet, the thought has occurred to me: What if we possess the grahas as much as they possess us? What if we are grabbing their attention by calling them out, giving them names and attributes, making them feel possessed by us? The axiom, As Above, So Below, suggests we are Divine entities, too.
Most of us fluctuate between states of surrender—allowing life to unfold with purpose and autonomy—and states of occlusion, where we feel trapped in a predicament with no clear way forward. Few remain in constant alignment with the ever-present flow of existence. We call these rare individuals 'enlightened' or 'awakened'.
Ideally, you would always follow the subtle call of your soul. When you stray from your path, one you have set up in the first place, you struggle against unseen currents; you fight with yourself. The further off course you drift, the harder it becomes to recognise where you're meant to be. The grahas may then become more insistent on returning you into alignment, which may not feel aligned to you - it may feel like more of a struggle. But this, too, is doing something for you; it's telling you something is wrong and to course correct.
Yet, this is when the grahas may feel more like possessors. You may find yourself saying: "I don't know why I feel this way" - "I don't know why I behaved that way" - "I don't know why this is happening."
Realigning with your soul’s path is about surrendering to what is, even if you have been swayed by others’ opinions about what direction you should take.
Your Will – Others’ Will – The One's Will
The debate about one’s ‘free will’ is a red herring. It takes us away from the real converstation we need to start having in the astrology community. Spend any amount of time contemplating whether you have 'free will' or not and you will recognise that your Will cannot be completely free.
But you do have a Will. No one is taking that away from you. Yet, it cannot be separate from the One's Will, the ‘Will of the universe’, which includes your will and others’ will.
To think that you have absolute autonomy to choose whatever you consciously would like at any given time is to suggest that you stand alone in your little universe, unaffected by everything and everyone else around you, and everything that has influenced you from the time of your birth, even from past lives.
This makes the job of an astrologer quite a bit more difficult, as looking at your birth chart alone cannot show the entirety of what ‘is’. What is truer is that you are a part of the whole, including your family, community, and wider society. The environment you live in, including the country you live in, has a say in how you experience life. The relationships you have with others also have a big say in your experiences. All of that must be considered before delving into your birth chart to explore the most important relationship you will ever have - the relationship you have with yourself, and every part of You.
Your Will is always impacted by everyone else’s Will, whether you come into direct contact with others or not. This is why trends occur and why we are all influenced by them.
Oh, you think you came up with that fashion statement on your own, do you? Of course you didn’t. This is dictated by what the fashion industry is selling that season, which you are exposed to through various media, whether you know it or not. And if you make choices that run counter to that, it still has had an impact for you to go against the trend.
And if you don’t even have a choice about what your fashion choices are, do you think you have a choice in bigger life choices?
While many think that giving up the notion of have a ‘free will' is depressing, I would argue that the opposite is true: Not realising that you are part of 'The One’ is the most depressing thing. It's like battling with what 'is' for a lifetime, as opposed to accepting you are part of the whole and align with that, releasing all struggle - and, ultimately, getting what you essentially want.
It may not always be what you would consciously want, but perhaps what you consciously want is not what's best for you, and your soul knows that. Simply not seeing the bigger picture when your mind is fixated on a want in the moment is not always likely to be in alignment with the whole of what is.
In my astrological work, there's nothing greater for me than seeing someone come into alignment with what is. I see it in their faces at some point in their reading. It's a recognition and affirmation that they are exactly where they need to be. There's a softening of their facial features, while also a gravity that brings them back to their bodies.
Some come for a reading who already seem to be aligned with what is, including what they may label 'good' or 'bad' from their conscious perspective. Those individuals seem to come for astrology readings to further inspire or confirm certain intuitions they have.
It's all happening perfectly, whatever you feel about it. Heck, whatever you feel about it is also happening perfectly! Even if by reading these words you are struggling to accept that all 'is', that is also perfect.
Hear the Call
Each graha calls you in its own way, guiding you toward alignment with your mind, body, and soul. Sometimes, some planets are more aligned with your mind's needs, some with your body's needs, and some with your essential (soul) needs.
To heed their call, whatever the level of awareness or need, is to move with their wisdom, reflecting your innate wisdom of Being, as mapped out in your birth chart.
The descriptions of each graha that follow are general. You have a specific relationship to each, by their positions relative to each other in your birth chart.
Pay particular attention to planets that are active on the first (soul), second (mind), and third (body) level of your viṁśottarī daśā.
Grahas communicate with our ‘subtle imprint’, our soul, or ‘essence’. These imprints send signals that energise certain thought patterns and feelings, determining what we do. It is our essence that holds these imprints from past lives lived and forgotten. Opening up our birth charts is about getting a glimpse of what once was, is, and will always be.
Does this mean we lack freedom? Not at all. Awareness of this influence is the first step towards liberation. Though this may sound like a contradiction, you are indeed under the spell of the grahas and completely free to choose your next move, although your next move is also predetermined.
The Sanskrit word anugraha means ‘favour’, ‘kindness’, and ‘blessing’—highlighting the positive effects of planetary influence. Even so-called ‘cruel’ planets serve a purpose: Saturn steers you towards what you must do, while Mars steers you away from danger.
The challenge arises when you ignore these signals. Resisting the natural flow of the cosmos, reflecting your inner Being, makes it harder to realign with your soul’s imprint, especially when influenced by others’ opinions or what you think society wants from you. This resistance can feel like being blocked or restrained, a state known in Sanskrit as nigraha.
This is when you experience the grahas as ‘possessors’, unwanted squatters in your home.
Yet, the thought has occurred to me: What if we possess the grahas as much as they possess us? What if we are grabbing their attention by calling them out, giving them names and attributes, making them feel possessed by us? The axiom, As Above, So Below, suggests we are Divine entities, too.
Most of us fluctuate between states of surrender—allowing life to unfold with purpose and autonomy—and states of occlusion, where we feel trapped in a predicament with no clear way forward. Few remain in constant alignment with the ever-present flow of existence. We call these rare individuals 'enlightened' or 'awakened'.
Ideally, you would always follow the subtle call of your soul. When you stray from your path, one you have set up in the first place, you struggle against unseen currents; you fight with yourself. The further off course you drift, the harder it becomes to recognise where you're meant to be. The grahas may then become more insistent on returning you into alignment, which may not feel aligned to you - it may feel like more of a struggle. But this, too, is doing something for you; it's telling you something is wrong and to course correct.
Yet, this is when the grahas may feel more like possessors. You may find yourself saying: "I don't know why I feel this way" - "I don't know why I behaved that way" - "I don't know why this is happening."
Realigning with your soul’s path is about surrendering to what is, even if you have been swayed by others’ opinions about what direction you should take.
Your Will – Others’ Will – The One's Will
The debate about one’s ‘free will’ is a red herring. It takes us away from the real converstation we need to start having in the astrology community. Spend any amount of time contemplating whether you have 'free will' or not and you will recognise that your Will cannot be completely free.
But you do have a Will. No one is taking that away from you. Yet, it cannot be separate from the One's Will, the ‘Will of the universe’, which includes your will and others’ will.
To think that you have absolute autonomy to choose whatever you consciously would like at any given time is to suggest that you stand alone in your little universe, unaffected by everything and everyone else around you, and everything that has influenced you from the time of your birth, even from past lives.
This makes the job of an astrologer quite a bit more difficult, as looking at your birth chart alone cannot show the entirety of what ‘is’. What is truer is that you are a part of the whole, including your family, community, and wider society. The environment you live in, including the country you live in, has a say in how you experience life. The relationships you have with others also have a big say in your experiences. All of that must be considered before delving into your birth chart to explore the most important relationship you will ever have - the relationship you have with yourself, and every part of You.
Your Will is always impacted by everyone else’s Will, whether you come into direct contact with others or not. This is why trends occur and why we are all influenced by them.
Oh, you think you came up with that fashion statement on your own, do you? Of course you didn’t. This is dictated by what the fashion industry is selling that season, which you are exposed to through various media, whether you know it or not. And if you make choices that run counter to that, it still has had an impact for you to go against the trend.
And if you don’t even have a choice about what your fashion choices are, do you think you have a choice in bigger life choices?
While many think that giving up the notion of have a ‘free will' is depressing, I would argue that the opposite is true: Not realising that you are part of 'The One’ is the most depressing thing. It's like battling with what 'is' for a lifetime, as opposed to accepting you are part of the whole and align with that, releasing all struggle - and, ultimately, getting what you essentially want.
It may not always be what you would consciously want, but perhaps what you consciously want is not what's best for you, and your soul knows that. Simply not seeing the bigger picture when your mind is fixated on a want in the moment is not always likely to be in alignment with the whole of what is.
In my astrological work, there's nothing greater for me than seeing someone come into alignment with what is. I see it in their faces at some point in their reading. It's a recognition and affirmation that they are exactly where they need to be. There's a softening of their facial features, while also a gravity that brings them back to their bodies.
Some come for a reading who already seem to be aligned with what is, including what they may label 'good' or 'bad' from their conscious perspective. Those individuals seem to come for astrology readings to further inspire or confirm certain intuitions they have.
It's all happening perfectly, whatever you feel about it. Heck, whatever you feel about it is also happening perfectly! Even if by reading these words you are struggling to accept that all 'is', that is also perfect.
Hear the Call
Each graha calls you in its own way, guiding you toward alignment with your mind, body, and soul. Sometimes, some planets are more aligned with your mind's needs, some with your body's needs, and some with your essential (soul) needs.
To heed their call, whatever the level of awareness or need, is to move with their wisdom, reflecting your innate wisdom of Being, as mapped out in your birth chart.
The descriptions of each graha that follow are general. You have a specific relationship to each, by their positions relative to each other in your birth chart.
Pay particular attention to planets that are active on the first (soul), second (mind), and third (body) level of your viṁśottarī daśā.
Sun (Sūrya) – The Call to Authenticity
The Sun calls you to step into your true self, to radiate your unique light. It asks you to lead with integrity and embrace your soul (sole) purpose with confidence. Ignoring this call may leave you feeling lost, unseen, or uncertain of your direction.
You may have the Sun eclipsed by a Lunar Node or conjunct Saturn, or hidden away in the 12th house, for example. In that case, you must acknowledge this so you can shine in the 'dark', and perhaps shine a light for others left out in the dark, once you have found your true source of power in your humility.
Sun-Saturn combinations may show a need to focus more through disciplines that build confidence over time (see Saturn), in the background. Sun-Lunar Node combinations may show an exaggeration (Rahu) or depletion (Ketu) of the self, which needs to find more balance for there to be a healthy sense of Self and connection to your essence. Sun in the 12th may require surrendering a worldly role so you can tap into the profound state of union with 'The One'.
The Sun calls you to step into your true self, to radiate your unique light. It asks you to lead with integrity and embrace your soul (sole) purpose with confidence. Ignoring this call may leave you feeling lost, unseen, or uncertain of your direction.
You may have the Sun eclipsed by a Lunar Node or conjunct Saturn, or hidden away in the 12th house, for example. In that case, you must acknowledge this so you can shine in the 'dark', and perhaps shine a light for others left out in the dark, once you have found your true source of power in your humility.
Sun-Saturn combinations may show a need to focus more through disciplines that build confidence over time (see Saturn), in the background. Sun-Lunar Node combinations may show an exaggeration (Rahu) or depletion (Ketu) of the self, which needs to find more balance for there to be a healthy sense of Self and connection to your essence. Sun in the 12th may require surrendering a worldly role so you can tap into the profound state of union with 'The One'.
Moon (Chandra) – The Call to Embodiment
The Moon whispers through your feelings, intuition, and inner rhythms. It calls you to honour your feelings, trust your instincts, and nurture your heart. Dismissing this call may result in emotional instability or a disconnect from your more instinctual self.
Just as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, you can only reflect the truth of who you are when you feel everything as it arises. Any block to fully expressing all your feelings leads to emotions that create obstructions to simply Being.
Emotions can be thought of as simply feelings with a timestamp. Feelings that are not fully processed each moment become emotions that clog the mental-emotional ‘body’, potentially leading to blocks in one’s life and purpose.
The Moon is asking you to flow with all of life, including all of your Being: mind, body, and soul.
The Moon whispers through your feelings, intuition, and inner rhythms. It calls you to honour your feelings, trust your instincts, and nurture your heart. Dismissing this call may result in emotional instability or a disconnect from your more instinctual self.
Just as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, you can only reflect the truth of who you are when you feel everything as it arises. Any block to fully expressing all your feelings leads to emotions that create obstructions to simply Being.
Emotions can be thought of as simply feelings with a timestamp. Feelings that are not fully processed each moment become emotions that clog the mental-emotional ‘body’, potentially leading to blocks in one’s life and purpose.
The Moon is asking you to flow with all of life, including all of your Being: mind, body, and soul.
Mars (Maṅgala) – The Call to Action
Mars urges you to act with boldness, to pursue your passions with strength and determination. It calls you to embrace discipline, assert boundaries, and fight for what matters to you. Ignoring Mars can lead to stagnation, frustration, or misplaced aggression.
Yet acting just for the sake of it can lead to more problems than it solves. You must take orders from the sense of what is right for your Being (Sun), reflected in how you feel (Moon). True feelings, which are based on the present moment, require certain actions. Emotions can remove one from the urgency of what needs to be done in the moment, a story that may hold you back from doing what you must.
When action initiated by Mars is thwarted for whatever reason, it can lead to swings between inaction and an overreaction.
Mars urges you to act with boldness, to pursue your passions with strength and determination. It calls you to embrace discipline, assert boundaries, and fight for what matters to you. Ignoring Mars can lead to stagnation, frustration, or misplaced aggression.
Yet acting just for the sake of it can lead to more problems than it solves. You must take orders from the sense of what is right for your Being (Sun), reflected in how you feel (Moon). True feelings, which are based on the present moment, require certain actions. Emotions can remove one from the urgency of what needs to be done in the moment, a story that may hold you back from doing what you must.
When action initiated by Mars is thwarted for whatever reason, it can lead to swings between inaction and an overreaction.
Mercury (Buddha) – The Call to Communicate
Mercury calls you to think, express yourself truthfully, and remain open-minded. It urges you to refine your thoughts, adapt, and engage in meaningful dialogue, both inner and outer. When ignored or overemphasised, confusion, miscommunication, and mental restlessness may arise.
Mercury is the illegitimate son of the Moon in Vedic myth, reflecting the intellect’s relationship with your feelings. How you feel dictates what you think - not the other way around - even if you can somewhat alter how you feel by thinking something different.
It is the Moon, your feelings that drive what you think and what you decide to do. This is one reason the periods of planets in the Vedic system highlight the Moon, not Mercury. Mercury is subservient to the Moon, but no less important in a task it is given; that is, to understand all of the above.
Mercury dances back and forth with the Sun as it moves in and out of retrograde motion more than any other planet. This is reflected in the mind's need to make sense of circumstances as they unfold.
Mercury (Buddha) – The Call to Communicate
Mercury calls you to think, express yourself truthfully, and remain open-minded. It urges you to refine your thoughts, adapt, and engage in meaningful dialogue, both inner and outer. When ignored or overemphasised, confusion, miscommunication, and mental restlessness may arise.
Mercury is the illegitimate son of the Moon in Vedic myth, reflecting the intellect’s relationship with your feelings. How you feel dictates what you think - not the other way around - even if you can somewhat alter how you feel by thinking something different.
It is the Moon, your feelings that drive what you think and what you decide to do. This is one reason the periods of planets in the Vedic system highlight the Moon, not Mercury. Mercury is subservient to the Moon, but no less important in a task it is given; that is, to understand all of the above.
Mercury dances back and forth with the Sun as it moves in and out of retrograde motion more than any other planet. This is reflected in the mind's need to make sense of circumstances as they unfold.
Jupiter (Guru) – The Call to Expand
Jupiter’s call is one of growth—materially (body), intellectually (mind), spiritually (soul). It asks you to seek knowledge, give generously, and align with higher truths. When overlooked, life may feel small, uninspired, or lacking in faith. When overblown, it can lead to biting off more than you can chew, ungrounded in what is simply too good to be true.
Depending on how well you can integrate your feelings and act on them will show how well you trust your instincts and follow your intuition. In the order of the planets from the Earth, Jupiter comes after Mars, i.e., wisdom comes from action.
A lack of faith in life is but a symptom of a lack of faith in yourself, which you can build through taking action. Either way, you learn from doing, from living; from Being.
Jupiter’s call is one of growth—materially (body), intellectually (mind), spiritually (soul). It asks you to seek knowledge, give generously, and align with higher truths. When overlooked, life may feel small, uninspired, or lacking in faith. When overblown, it can lead to biting off more than you can chew, ungrounded in what is simply too good to be true.
Depending on how well you can integrate your feelings and act on them will show how well you trust your instincts and follow your intuition. In the order of the planets from the Earth, Jupiter comes after Mars, i.e., wisdom comes from action.
A lack of faith in life is but a symptom of a lack of faith in yourself, which you can build through taking action. Either way, you learn from doing, from living; from Being.
Venus (Śukra) – The Call to Love
Venus calls you to find joy, cultivate love, and appreciate beauty in all things, not just on the surface level. It reminds you to honour relationships, express creativity, and seek harmony. Ignoring Venus may lead to dissatisfaction, strained connections, or a loss of appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.
Without Venus, life can become a chore. Yet when you do your chores and act from your authentic self with integrity and honour, you are more likely to enjoy yourself. Venus on its own doesn’t necessarily satisfy every part of your Being; you need something more meaningful and purposeful, just as Venus’ day (Friday) follows Jupiter’s day (Thursday) each week.
And life cannot be all about pleasure-seeking either, just as Venus’ day leads to Saturn’s day or Saturday. The more you indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, the bigger the price you must pay to Saturn!
Venus calls you to find joy, cultivate love, and appreciate beauty in all things, not just on the surface level. It reminds you to honour relationships, express creativity, and seek harmony. Ignoring Venus may lead to dissatisfaction, strained connections, or a loss of appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.
Without Venus, life can become a chore. Yet when you do your chores and act from your authentic self with integrity and honour, you are more likely to enjoy yourself. Venus on its own doesn’t necessarily satisfy every part of your Being; you need something more meaningful and purposeful, just as Venus’ day (Friday) follows Jupiter’s day (Thursday) each week.
And life cannot be all about pleasure-seeking either, just as Venus’ day leads to Saturn’s day or Saturday. The more you indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, the bigger the price you must pay to Saturn!
Saturn (Śani) – The Call to Mastery
Saturn’s voice is stern yet wise, urging you to embrace responsibility, patience, and perseverance. It calls you to build something lasting, to face hardship with resilience, and to learn from experience. Resisting Saturn’s lessons can lead to repeated struggles and a sense of limitation.
Saturn’s track may be the hardest to stay on, but when you do, it offers the greatest sense of achievement. Aligning with what you must do, you can find meaning and purpose in even the most mundane of tasks, or when the results of your actions don’t seem to produce results from the get-go.
Without Saturn - without some sort of limitation in life - you would not enjoy anything (Venus); you would find everything meaningless (Jupiter). You must experience a lack from time to time so you can fully appreciate what you've got. Oftentimes, it’s a case of not knowing what you’ve got until it's gone. Knowing that, you can give thanks for what you still have while you still have it.
Saturn’s voice is stern yet wise, urging you to embrace responsibility, patience, and perseverance. It calls you to build something lasting, to face hardship with resilience, and to learn from experience. Resisting Saturn’s lessons can lead to repeated struggles and a sense of limitation.
Saturn’s track may be the hardest to stay on, but when you do, it offers the greatest sense of achievement. Aligning with what you must do, you can find meaning and purpose in even the most mundane of tasks, or when the results of your actions don’t seem to produce results from the get-go.
Without Saturn - without some sort of limitation in life - you would not enjoy anything (Venus); you would find everything meaningless (Jupiter). You must experience a lack from time to time so you can fully appreciate what you've got. Oftentimes, it’s a case of not knowing what you’ve got until it's gone. Knowing that, you can give thanks for what you still have while you still have it.
Rāhu – The Call to Transform
Rāhu calls you toward the unknown, pushing you beyond your comforts to evolve. It urges you to break away from tradition, explore new possibilities, and step into your destiny. Ignoring Rāhu’s pull may result in obsession, confusion, or being trapped in delusions.
Why would you obsess about something unless you have either not done it or overdone it? Yet, Rāhu asks you to go to extremes so you can find the discernment. If you haven’t had something you desperately crave or had so much that you cannot think about anything else, you eventually learn to be happy with what you’ve got.
Eventually, Rāhu leads the way to Jupiter in the planetary cycles (daśās), which means the hunger to experience something you feel you need to be complete leads to an ability to simply Be. It is only then that you achieve all you ever truly wanted.
Rāhu calls you toward the unknown, pushing you beyond your comforts to evolve. It urges you to break away from tradition, explore new possibilities, and step into your destiny. Ignoring Rāhu’s pull may result in obsession, confusion, or being trapped in delusions.
Why would you obsess about something unless you have either not done it or overdone it? Yet, Rāhu asks you to go to extremes so you can find the discernment. If you haven’t had something you desperately crave or had so much that you cannot think about anything else, you eventually learn to be happy with what you’ve got.
Eventually, Rāhu leads the way to Jupiter in the planetary cycles (daśās), which means the hunger to experience something you feel you need to be complete leads to an ability to simply Be. It is only then that you achieve all you ever truly wanted.
Ketu – The Call to Detach
Ketu’s voice is quiet but profound, calling you to release attachments, embrace spiritual truth, and trust in the unseen. It asks you to surrender to wisdom beyond the material. Neglecting Ketu’s lessons may lead to aimlessness, isolation, or a feeling of being stuck in past patterns.
Ketu keeps pulling you back to the past as a reminder of what you constantly put out into the universe. Yet it also calls you beyond space-time, to a ‘non-self’ that is not bound by this life or your experiences.
Ketu is the ‘experiencer’, not the experiences themselves, which are always fleeting. It reminds you of what is not changing, a still point within you, always looking on.
In the end, everything must be relinquished to Ketu, and you return to Source.
Aum Tat Sat
Ketu’s voice is quiet but profound, calling you to release attachments, embrace spiritual truth, and trust in the unseen. It asks you to surrender to wisdom beyond the material. Neglecting Ketu’s lessons may lead to aimlessness, isolation, or a feeling of being stuck in past patterns.
Ketu keeps pulling you back to the past as a reminder of what you constantly put out into the universe. Yet it also calls you beyond space-time, to a ‘non-self’ that is not bound by this life or your experiences.
Ketu is the ‘experiencer’, not the experiences themselves, which are always fleeting. It reminds you of what is not changing, a still point within you, always looking on.
In the end, everything must be relinquished to Ketu, and you return to Source.
Aum Tat Sat