How to analyze a Dasha

 

4. Vargas. The divisional charts or amsas cover many themes. E.g. the Navamsa is the marriage amsa, the Dasamamsa the career amsa, etc.

Hart taught that the most powerful use of the varga charts is in analyzing the placement of the dasa and bhukti lords in the relevant varga. He used the Iyer method (explored elsewhere on this website) to ascertain whether the themes indicated by the specific amsa would go well or poorly during the dasa/bhukti period.

One of the most important insights I've gotten from him is about the four types of placement:

A. Poorly placed and weak.

A Dasa lord is poorly placed if it's part of a Papa Sankhya Yoga or is a malefic in a Mishra Sankhya Yoga or is either a benefic or a malefic in a bad house (3 or 6 or 8 or 12) without a planet in the corresponding house (11 or 8 or 6 or 2 respectively). A Dasa lord is weak if it is within 3 degrees of the Sun natally or in a planetary war in the Rasi chart or debilitated in the amsa chart.

If the lord is both poorly placed and weak, then the themes of the varga chart both go poorly and are very challenging to the native.

(There are some exceptions to this general rule, e.g. if the Dasa lord is aspected by a strong Jupiter, themes better.)

2. Poorly placed and strong.

If the Dasa lord in the varga chart is poorly placed (see above) but is also in its own or exalted sign or Vargottama or has Dig Bala or is Retrograde, then there are definitely challenges but the person can handle them. Think of a very skilled captain navigating a bad storm.

3. Well placed and weak.

If the Dasa lord is a malefic in a good house (with no planet in the corresponding house) or a benefic in a good house or in a Mishra or Shuba Sankhya Yoga, but the Dasa lord is weak, then the themes go well but the person can't make a lot out of them.

E.g. a person in a good period in their marriage but they can't fully appreciate their spouse.

4. Well placed and strong.

If the Dasa lord is well placed and strong, then the themes of the varga are well-augmented and the person is able to take full advantage of them.

5. Dasas. Dasas are periods of time when a particular planet is activated. During such periods, everything the planet signifies and touches (by aspect, rulership, residency by house, etc.) is mobilized.

When, for example, a person runs the Dasa of the 4th lord, many of the themes of the Fourth House will come to the fore, including home, land, Mother, happiness, etc.