Karakas: the indicators of everything

What makes a system like astrology work is that all the planets taken together can account for every single thing that exists- including thoughts, emotions and actions. This means that any one planet is tied to a multitude of things, people, places, and the study is one of understanding the qualities of each planet so deeply that anytime something new enters ones environment it can be understood in terms of its planetary makeup.

In the Vedic system, these correlations between planets and specific things, people, areas of life, etc. are called Karakas. Venus, for example, is the karaka—or indicator—for vehicles. But there are many kinds of vehicles. Bicycles are Venus-Saturn (they have been, historically, a ‘poor peoples’ form of transportation, and Saturn is associated with poverty- we could also say a hearse might fall into that category, since Saturn is associated with old age and death), Venus-Mars might be a sports car (Mars is the athlete), and Venus-Sun could be any kind of transportation used for people in positions of power (limos, for example).

Another example: Mercury rules plants and trees. Jupiter is associated with flowers, so flowering plants would be Mercury-Jupiter. Beautiful, decorative plants would be Mercury-Venus and plants with healing herbs would be Mercury-Moon. Within those categories there are subcategories. Black pepper can be used medicinally, but itself is ruled by the Sun. So this specific medicinal plant might be Mercury-Moon-Sun. This goes on forever, with every nuance of life and experience being accounted for in the planetary association.

This is very descriptive in that it shows us that we are constantly ingesting the planets- both through our senses and even internally through the food we eat and air we breathe. Just as in Ayurveda where every different kind of water (from a river originating from these mountains vs. those mountains, moving in this direction vs. that direction, from lakes in the summer or springs in the winter or rain during a specific season or wells in a specific location and at a specific depth) has a specific effect, everything we are exposed to throughout our day has a specific planetary influence. And we will tend to be attracted to those specific planetary combinations which align with our natal horoscope. If someone has a strong Mercury-Moon combination well disposed in their chart they may study herbalism or some other form of plant medicine. If Venus is related to career they may sell vehicles or work with clothing (another Venus indication).

Natal combinations can be strengthened or modified by working directly with one’s environment. If Mercury needs strengthening we might bring a lot of plant life into the home or grow a big garden. If we want more Moon in someone’s life they might be advised to live near water or spend time near rivers. There are actually an infinite number of ways to work like this, including cultivating an internal approach related to a planet (softness for moon, enjoyment for Venus, spaciousness for Jupiter, etc).

To me the most fascinating aspect of Karaka—outside of how magical it can be to get in there and begin working directly with the planets as they appear in our life—is that everything belongs to something, in this system. You could point to anything you’ve every experienced and it can be described by some combination of the planets. Every location on earth, type of person, color in existence, smell in the air, weather pattern is ‘ruled’ by one or more planets. So, nothing is really free, including us as humans who are under the influence of all this. Everything is entangled in a gigantically complex and mysterious karmic web that pushes and pulls us constantly beneath the level of awareness.

To contemplate the opposite of this: the complete absence of attachment to any sort of plan or natural law feels a little bit like starring into a gigantic void. That kind of freedom is actually moksha or final liberation, which is a type of death to the self, and probably not the kind of freedom the Western Mind is after, which seems to be more about freedom from the type of belonging which requires participation with Nature and Her laws.

When this belonging is embraced then all loneliness is eliminated. We are always in the presence of the subtle influences of our environment and awareness of this dynamic can actually pave the way for some beautiful gift-giving, praise and reciprocity which is where remedial measures attempt to work in Vedic Astrology.

I was thinking, this morning, about how I cannot see the stars from where I am now—in Southern Utah I had a crystal clear view of the night sky. But because I know that the stars and planets are in everything around me—Venus in the roses and Saturn in the wind, the Pleides in the grape vines and Ursa in the bears and the Big Dipper in the ladles used for offering—I can look for them there. And so, too, can you!