Marriage

Marriage has always been considered one of the most important aspects of personal life. Indeed, the principal indicator of marriage and spouse, the 7^th house, is placed opposite the Ascendant in the astrological chart, symbolic of the complementary purpose that marriage plays in the life of the native. Through marriage one receives great impact -- for better or worse. According to some texts after 6 years of marriage the good effects of one person’s stars are merged into the other’s life. Unfortunately, the bad effects are also transferred. A few texts say that the wife is the principle donor of this cosmic effect and the husband the receiver. In our experience, the exchange is mutual.

No marriage is perfect in every way. Even Lord Ram did not enjoy undisturbed marital happiness. But some marriages can be more happy than others. An important function of Jyotish is to identify potential sources of conflict in a marriage and suggest how or if these can be avoided.

Many things contribute to happiness or unhappiness in a marriage. Most important are the innate characteristics and tendencies of each partner. When the tendencies of one person are naturally opposed or aggravating to the other, the marriage will likely not prove happy. Jyotish can identify such characteristics and in some cases suggest remedies that will reduce or eliminate the sources of conflict. In other cases when nothing can be done, Jyotish may recommend against the marriage. At least then the persons will not enter into the partnership blindly, only to discover their mistake after years of suffering.

In any chart a variety of house and planetary combinations reveal a person’s probable destiny in respect of marriage and the marriage partner. These include the condition of the 7^th house and its Lord, the placement of Venus and Mars, the condition of the 4^th house, and even the hour of birth. Also, a number of special yogas (unique planetary combinations) identify conditions that will likely develop in a marriage. Usually, there will be one or more combinations which contradict each other. The astrologer must intuit which will predominate.

Seventh House

The condition of the 7^th house and its Lord usually give the first indication of what marriage for the person will be like. In general, if the 7^th house is aspected or occupied by benefic planets (Jupiter, Venus) the marriage will be happy. If the 7^th house is occupied by malefic planets (Mars, Saturn, Ketu, Rahu, Sun), there will be conflict and unhappiness. Similarly, if the 7^th house Lord is badly aspected or badly placed (in the 6^th, 8^th, or 12^th houses, or in its sign of debilitation, or the sign of an enemy) there will be trouble with or to the spouse. The spouse will be sickly, or the partners will have tense relations, or they will separate.

Examples that an astrologer will recognized immediately are:

• Mars, Saturn, Rahu, or Ketu in the 7^th house will indicate much tension in married life. Early separation is often seen when any of these planets are present. Such persons are either dominated by the spouse or they go about with clenched fists. The Sun and Saturn together in the 3^rd, 4^th or 7^th houses separates the wife and husband. However, the aspect of either Jupiter or Mars on the 7^th house will reduce the malefic impact of such planets. The Aspect of either of these planets on a house gives that house a good impact whereas oddly, the presence of either planet in the house harms the house.
• In the case of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces ascendants, if the 7^th house lord occupies the 12^th house, the domestic peace will be very good (King like), and the person enjoys a blessed life. Some texts say that this does not apply if the 7^th Lord also owns the 6^th, 8^th, or 12^th houses, or is in exaltation in these houses, but we have seen very few satisfactory relations when this occurs.
• If the native’s 7^th lord is strong and conjunct or aspected by a benefic planet, then he will be wealthy, honorable, happy, and fortunate. But if the 7^th lord is fallen or combust or in an enemy’s sign, one will acquire a sickly spouse or be married several times. This affliction to the 7^th lord may also cause delays and disappointments in respect of marriage, apart from sickness to the spouse.
• If the 7^th lord is exalted, or in a sign of Saturn or Venus and is aspected by a benefic, the person will be married several times.
• If the 7^th lord is exalted while the 7^th house is occupied by a strong Ascendant Lord and a benefic, then the person gets a virtuous spouse who will expand his lineage.

Venus

Venus is the next indicator (Karaka) of marriage and spouse after the 7^th house and its Lord. In a woman’s chart, Jupiter may also be an indicator of the spouse. As with the 7^th house and its lord, if Venus is strong and well aspected, the spouse and marriage will be strong. If Venus is badly placed or aspected, trouble is indicated for the spouse, and possibly also for the marriage. Some examples of this include:

• Venus conjunct a malefic in any house usually causes loss of spouse, due to separation or untimely death of wife.
• If the Sun is with Venus in any house, the married life of the person is usually never happy.
• If Venus is placed in the 4^th house with any planet except the Sun and Ketu, the married life is good. Men with this placement will be attracted toward two types of women, one appearing younger than himself, and the other older.

Fourth House

The fourth house is the indicator of, among other things, happiness in the home and marital harmony. If the fourth house is occupied and aspected by malefic planets, or if the 4^th lord is badly placed, it will indicate a lack of harmony between the husband and wife, which may result in separation.

Conversely, if the house is aspected or occupied by benefic planets, or if the 4^th lord is strong and conjunct benefic planets, the husband and wife will enjoy harmony.

Manglik Yoga (Mars Affliction)

Mars contributes great malefic impact in domestic as well as personal life, and it never gives any chance to rectify the mistake. Mars in the Ascendant, 4^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 12^th houses is known as Manglik Yoga and is harmful for the spouse and marital relations. Mars in the 7^th house especially gives a very aggressive spouse. If Manglik Yoga is present, the match should be made with much caution. A principal remedy is that the yoga should be possessed by both wife and husband.

Manglik Yoga is also judged from the house occupied by the Moon, and the same terms and conditions apply.

If Mars is placed in the 8^th or 4^th house, the 24^th and 28^th years of life are said to be very harmful for the person. Mars in the 8^th house increases suicidal tendencies in the spouse after marriage. Of course, other planets may play a roll in decreasing or increasing this effect.

Time of Birth as an Indicator of Marriage

A person’s time of birth may also indicate the quality of marriage, as follows:

• If a person is born three hours after sunrise, with Venus placed in the 11^th house, he or she will not enjoy more than 3 and half months of happy married life, and usually the wife will be older than the husband. Such persons get married very late in life.
• If the person is born after midday, he or she will have a good married life, but will spoil it by having relations with other men or women, or will experience very early separation.
• If the person is born one hour prior to sunset, the spouse will always remains tense.
• In the case of an evening birth, if the 7^th house is occupied by the Sun or Venus, then either the spouse remains ill or they are always fighting.
• If a person is born one and half hours after sunset, or Venus is in the 6^th house, the person has a very outstanding romantic life, but a very disturbed married life. Usually such persons marry against the will of their parents. Similarly, if the birth is 3 hours after sunset, or if Venus is in the 5^th house, the person is very romantic but has a very disturbed married life.

Other Yogas

Many other planetary combinations, which are not easily explained, are recognized to indicate tendencies and relationships between husband and wife A few interesting ones are:

• In a female horoscope, Venus in the 12^th house or the Sun and Venus combined in the 4^th house indicates that the husband will earn much less than the wife.
• Venus in the 7^th house makes the person exceedingly libidinous.
• If Venus is in Saturn’s house, and in the Navamsha Saturn is in Venus’ house and Venus in Saturn’s house, then the person does not have much attraction toward the opposite sex or toward married life. They may seek union with others of the same sex (male to male and female to female). The above results should be declared only with the support of other indications in the horoscope.
• If the 5^th, 6^th, or 7^th house is occupied or owned by a combination of Saturn/Mars and Venus, then it makes the native very much attached to other ladies, or his spouse will be attached to other men illicitly.
• If the Moon is in the 7^th and the 7^th lord is in the 12^th and the Karaka of the 7^th (Venus) is weak, the native will never be blessed with marital happiness.
• If the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th houses are occupied by Mars, Rahu and Saturn respectively, the person’s spouse will not live long, and the person will have two or more marriages.
• Ketu in the 4^th or 7^th house will surely disturb family life, but if Mars is in the 12^th house in any Rasi (sign), the impact of Ketu will be reduced.

Malefic Yogas

The following yogas are known for their malefic impact on married life:

• Sun and Venus combined occupying the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 9^th, or 11^th houses. We have seen that the combination of Sun and Venus never gives satisfactory married life and gives much stress and strain in married life.
• The Moon and Ketu together in any house.
• The Sun and Rahu together in any house.
• The Sun and Saturn together in any house. Usually the presence of the Sun and Saturn combined are enough to make the life full of domestic turmoil. Other yogas may enhance the impact and produce two or more marriages.

When a Person Will Meet and Marry

The time when a person is likely to marry is generally indicated by transits as well by combinations of planets at the time of birth. Some accepted combinations that suggest the likely time of marriage are the following:

• If the 7^th lord is in a good house (or in the 9^th) while Venus is exalted or in its own sign, the native will usually meet the person he or she is to marry at the age of 5 or 9 (i.e., during childhood).
• If Venus is in an angle from the ascendant, while Saturn is in the 7^th house from Venus or the Ascendant, the person will usually meet his or her partner at the age of 12 to 19. That is, the native usually falls in love and marries as a teenager.
• If the 7^th lord is placed in the 12^th house or the lord of the 12^th house is placed in 7^th house and the Ascendant lord is in the 7^th in the Navamsha chart, the person will marry at the age of 23 or 26 years. If the same combination is related with the 8^th or 9^th house then marriage will be in either the 25^th year or the 33^rd year.
• Venus in the 4^th house allows a person to get married either in the 23^rd or 29^th year of age. The 29^th year is known to be best for such marriage.
• Venus in the 11^th house gives a late marriage for the person and marriage prior to the age of 28 years usually ends in a separation. Aquarius Ascendant is an exception in such cases.

Appearance of the Spouse

The 7^th house, Venus, or the Moon, whichever is strongest, will indicate the appearance and characteristics of the would be partner. Here the question comes how to know which of these is stronger compared to other two.

In Vedic astrology, good and other effects are calculated from the Moon or the Ascendant whichever is stronger. The strength of a planet or house is determined by analyzing each as they occur in the 16 Vargas, or divisional charts. A house or planet is considered strong the more times it is found to be exalted, in its own house, or occupied by its own lord, or has favorable conjunctions in each of these charts. The Rashi and Navamsha charts, however, contribute the greatest effect compared to the other charts.

In the Rashi chart, usually the 7^th house indicates the appearance of the spouse, while the Moon the nature of person, and Venus indicates the members of the opposite sex with whom the person is likely to have friendship or relations or marriage. Venus is a very attracting planet and many times it cheats Astrologers who may fail to identify the difference between the development of relations and marriage.

In the Rashi Chart, the Moon exalted in the 7^th house makes the 7^th house very strong. Venus in the higher houses (1^st, 2^nd, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th houses) makes Venus strong, and if the middle point of the 7^th house falls in the Navamsha of the 7^th house, the 7^th house gains even more strength which makes the appearance of the spouse very clear to any astrologer.

Similarly, the Moon in exaltation in the Rashi as well in Navamsha charts makes the Moon the strongest, a rule that applies to Venus also. If a person has an exalted Moon as well as an exalted Venus in the Rashi chart as well as in Navamsha, the person usually has extramarital relations. This is because an exalted Venus attracts the person very much toward the opposite sex, and if the heart (Moon) is also exalted (the Moon is exalted in Taurus, the house of Venus), then such a development is natural. Such a person is usually short in height, having a tendency of becoming stout and has a very young looking counter part.

There are, in fact, more than 11,280 combinations related to the appearance of the counterpart with whom one will have intimate relations. For example:

• If Venus is in 11^th house and placed in Taurus Zodiac, the person usually gets an elder spouse or counterpart who is also short in height.
• If Venus is in 11^th house in Aquarius, the counterpart will be very slim and has dance either as a profession or hobby.
• If Venus and Saturn are exchanging houses in the Rashi chart as well as in the Navamasha, the person is attracted toward people of the same sex.