Five Ways to Understand Health and Illness in Vedic Astrology

Jyotish (Vedic astrology) provides profound insights into health, as well as techniques to time potential health issues and remedies to mitigate them.

Understanding the connections between planetary positions and your physical well-being in your birth chart can offer valuable insights into maintaining and improving your health. Here’s where you can find the information you need to know.

Lagna - The Ascendant

The Lagna, or Ascendant, is the first house in a Vedic astrology chart and represents the self. It plays a pivotal role in determining your constitution and overall health. The planetary influences on the Lagna can shed light on your inherent vitality and susceptibility to certain health issues.

For example, malefic planets (Mars, Saturn and the nodes Rahu and Ketu) in the lagna or aspecting it can bring health problems, while benefic planets (Jupiter and the Moon) will bring blessings. The Sun in the first radiates warmth and strong vitality and Mercury a shrewd mind and communicative nature.

The 6th House

The 6th House in a Vedic astrology chart is directly associated with health, illness, and disease. The planets and signs placed here can provide insights into the nature and timing of health problems. For example, I have Saturn-ruled Capricorn on the cusp of my 6th house and Saturn is in Gemini. Gemini rules the shoulders and Saturn rules muscles and ligaments, and I often have shoulder pain and stiff muscles in this area.

The 6th house also indicates our bad habits, which of course can also be something that makes us sick. I have Venus in the 6th, and I definitely have the tendency to overindulge, which is a very Venusian type of sin. When it comes to timing, the 6th house generally indicates acute illnesses.

The 8th House

The 8th House in Vedic astrology is about longevity on the one hand, and death on the other. It is also a house associated with fear and debts, both monetary and karmic.

When it comes to illnesses, the 8th house indicates those that are chronic and/or mysterious.

4th House in the D9 - Navamsa Chart

The D9 chart, also known as the Navamsa chart, is a crucial element of Vedic astrology used for assessing the finer nuances of a person's life, including health.

The 4th house in the D9 chart relates to the overall health. If a person has Jupiter here, for example, this indicates good health, while a planet like Saturn would indicate that they are likely to get sick easily. Therefore, it is essential to consider both the main birth chart (Rasi) and the Navamsa chart to gain a comprehensive understanding of a person’s health.

State of Jupiter in the Chart:

Jupiter, known as the planet of wisdom and expansion, plays a significant role in Vedic astrology concerning health. It represents our ability to heal, our immune system, and the overall balance in our life. A strong and well-placed Jupiter in the natal chart can bestow good health, a strong immune system, and a positive outlook on life.

However, a weak or afflicted Jupiter may indicate health issues related to overindulgence or imbalances in one's lifestyle, as well as chronic health problems, like allergies.

Jupiter is linked to listening both to the good advice of others and our own internal wisdom. If compromised, this ability to listen will also be impaired, which can have an impact on health.

Timing illness

Several things should be taken into account when timing illness, such as transits and dasha. Transits describe where the planets currently in the sky are placed in your chart. For example, if you have Pisces rising and Saturn is in Pisces, he will be transiting your first house, which means this would be a period where you would likely have lower vitality, a pessimistic outlook and possible problems sleeping.

Dashas, such as Vimsottari, are timing techniques that can help predict the likelihood of disease or health problems. For example, if you are running the time period of poorly placed or heavily afflicted planet, you are more likely to have issues with your health than if you were running the time period of a strong, well-placed benefic.

Dasha is too big a can of worms to go into in much detail in this post, but I’ll definitely cover it in the future – so stay tuned!