Lagnesha = active identity; Chandra = passive identity

• The Moon and the ascendant ruler (lagnesha) are the two most important planets (graha) in any chart.

• Lagnesha = physical orientation toward a particular type of activity social environment.

• Chandra shows one's fundamental emotional character and environments where the native feels naturally, passively comfortable.

• Happiness: emotional vs. social-behavioral

• Chandra and angles to Chandra will profile the native 's psycho- emotional condition.

  • Chandra shows the character of one's inner world of feelings and intuitive perception.

  • Regardless of what happens in the outside world, the native with a peaceful and balanced Chandra situation will be relatively happy.

  Lagnesha profiles how the individual will fare socially in the outside world. How others view him and treat him, whether one has found a "good fit" with the external social environment, will contributes significantly toward happiness and self-satisfaction at the active, outward, bodily level.

Conflict between lagnesha and graha-in-lagna

Physical Body = End Result of a Long Generative Process

The physical body is a direct expression of the astral bodies, the causal bodies, and the spiritual bodies which underlie and interpenetrate the physical form.

As the past-life information encoded in the subtle particulate matter of the finer bodies percolates into the physical form, the physical body receives its past-life-driven mandate to look and act in ways that carry out its ancient destiny.

Radical lagna = the sign which was ascending on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth.

Radix lagna determines the appearance of the physical body and gross personality traits. Physical appearance and behaviors dictate to a considerable extent how the individual will be treated by others.

Lagnesha tells us about the individual's physical constitution, which in turn tells us how that individual is likely to be perceived by society.

Psycho-socially, the lagnesha helps answer the question "Who am I? How do I see myself in my primary social context?"

Who, in my preconceptionof my social Self, am I really?

First, examine the position of lagnesha in D-1.

Bhava residence of Lagnesha = show the type of environments where the native prefers to express his/her destiny.

After looking for the house location and sign characteristics in radix, I recommend finding the navamsha-lord-of-lagneshato answer the more intimate question of how the native truly sees oneself.

The self-view may be in conflict with public opinion, but it will help the consulting Jyotishi know how to advice the native on ways to live more happily and authentically.

• E.g., if lagnesha occupies a navamsha of Budha, and Budha is exalted in a good housein radix, the native believes they are highly articulate and serving society intelligently as an "explainer of things".

One may or may not actually be recognized as either articulate or useful. There could be karmic blocks in radix which prevent public validation. But one's subconscious dharma expectations (D-9) which are the accumulation of awareness built up from past lives, tells one to pursue this belief in their higher self as one's real self..

• E.g., if lagnesha occupies a navamsha of Shani, and Shani occupies a kendrain radix, the native 's self-dharma, or highest vision of himself, is focused squarely on the material plane.

Even when Shani is exalted, His concern is with the practical application of social justice. Shani is not a theoretician. Shani is about work, practice, work. Did I mention practice?Such a person will seek social validationfor the worth of their person through material accomplishments and material wealth. Such a person is also rather unlikely to consult a Jyotisha, since they do not generally require spiritual information to complete their dharmic view of "how it is". However, you might see a lagnesha like this as a relative of a more spiritually inclined person.

neechcha graha = fallen planets = weakness = dysfunctionalityof the planet's powers. The graha might be quite powerful in effect but this effect is not well-received in the native 's living environment.

For example,

• neechcha-Mangala is often accused of being sneaky, dishonest, exploitive, manipulative or passive aggressive. These are derogatory terms in modern social relations, and indeed neechcha Mangala can disturb the harmony of many less-conscious kinship (Karkata) relationships. Yet neechcha-Mangala's notorious dysfunction can be converted to a high function behavior when ported out to a more suitable environment where squeezing, subversion, manipulation, and indirect emotional confrontations can be more valued. Neechcha-Mangala often finds a warm welcome in certain varieties of psychotherapy, intervention therapies, and military applications such as guerilla warfare where sneaky style of attack becomes a premium value.

• Also the neechchamsha Kuja becomes a yogakaraka in Karkata lagna. Although the native 's personal life may suffer some effects of hypocrisy or dishonesty, great contributions of literary or political arts (5) and social governance (10) can also be produced by these natives.

Examples:

• USA Pres-03, Thomas Jefferson

In a past-life setting, the native once deprived another of resources, took more than one's proper due, or misused the empowerment of which one is now deprivedby the malfunctioning planet.

Before birth, one selects the timing of one's first breath to ensure that one will have the proper planetary rays in place in order to pay back whichever karmic debts one feels strong enough to undertake.

Fallen planets show not so much an arduous positive task one is obliged to perform; that is the role of Shani.

Nor do they show the bondage of obsession; that is Rahu.

Fallen planets indicate an expected capability which never manifests properly.

The normal resources of the planet are twisted, retarded, disoriented, or confused.

In that planet's area of expertise, society will expect its members to do, perceive, or cooperate in a culturally predetermined way.

Fallen planets indicate that the individual will fall short of social expectation, be considered unsuccessful, and feel marginalizedin that performance area.

If the lagnesha is fallen and not rescued through some type of neechcha bhanga or healing parivartamsha, native will identify strongly with one's marginalized status.

One's social "error"will be known according to the sign and house of the fallen lagnesha.

Vimshottari periods of the lagnesha

• Period of the lagna lord increases validation for the flesh-body and the social traits of the lagnesha (both the easy parts and the difficult parts).

• Period of an exalted lagneshawill bring bodily excellence, performance success, and social accolades.

• Period of a fallen lagnesha will also bring bodily strength and focus. But the nature of that strength will be characteristically stigmatizedor only contingently accepted by society.

Lagnesha in career

Lagnesha is also influential in career choices because lagnesha is an indicator of social standing and natural ability to function in the environments which match the rashi, bhava, and drishti characteristics of the lagnesha.

For example,

• swakshetra Shukra in bhava-1 is the lagnesha for the Thula-lagna kundali of Mahatma Gandhi . Gandhi was a veritable icon of gracious (Shukra) and persistent negotiation (Thula). He never lost his good manners and never failed to express appreciation for the interests and experiences of the opposing party. Shukra is very strong in kendra and in His own rashi Thula.

• Shukra is additionally strengthened by accompanying dharma-pati Budha and Mangala lord of dhana for direct and confrontational speech. Mahatma Gandhi was never afraid to say what needed to be said, and to whomever the message needed to be addressed, regardless of their rank or power. However the abilities of Budha and Mangala are guided in every case by balanced, equable, justice-seeking Shukra.

• At birth the strength of Gandhi's Shukra would have shown his family Jyotishi that this child was destined for some role in negotiation of trade and judicial settlements, such as attorney-at-law. Also it would be clear that the child's path while bumpy at times would ultimately be a success in the native 's own view.

• Gandhi's law practice failed entirely, but his life was a brilliant success for social justice causes around the world. That is the higher calling of Shukra: fairness for all parties.

Lagnesha shows broad environmental orientation, body type, musculature etc. which create natural suitability to certain career areas.

In determining career, also consider: