Grahas
The Grahas domain tests natural significations, gender, caste, element, exaltation and debilitation, moolatrikona, combustion and the fivefold friendship known as panchadha maitri. You must judge a planet by sign, house, dignity, aspects and temporal relationship, not by a single keyword.
Natural nature and dignity
Jupiter, Venus, an unafflicted Mercury and the waxing Moon are natural benefics; the Sun, Mars, Saturn, the waning Moon, Rahu and Ketu are natural malefics. Exaltation degrees include Sun 10° Aries, Moon 3° Taurus, Mars 28° Capricorn, Mercury 15° Virgo, Jupiter 5° Cancer, Venus 27° Pisces and Saturn 20° Libra; debilitation is the opposite sign and degree. Moolatrikona differs from exaltation and must not be substituted for it.
Panchadha maitri
Natural friendship follows moolatrikona lordship. For example, the Sun’s natural friends are Moon, Mars and Jupiter; Mercury is neutral; Venus and Saturn are enemies. Temporal friendship is counted by sign distance: planets in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th and 12th from each other are temporary friends; those in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th are temporary enemies. Combine the two: natural friend plus temporal friend is adhimitra; natural friend plus temporal enemy is mitra; natural neutral plus temporal friend is mitra; natural neutral plus temporal enemy is sama; natural enemy plus temporal friend is shatru; natural enemy plus temporal enemy is adhishatru.
Worked example
The Sun and Saturn are natural enemies. If Saturn is 10th from the Sun, it is a temporal friend, so the pair is shatru, not adhishatru. If Saturn is 7th from the Sun, it is a temporal enemy and the pair becomes adhishatru. This distinction matters in transit and bhava analysis, where the same natural enemy can act more or less harshly.
Traps
- Confusing exaltation with moolatrikona.
- Applying natural friendship without the temporal step.
- Using fixed combustion orbs for every planet.
- Treating Rahu and Ketu friendships as uniform across texts.