• Atmakaraka Guru in 7th navamsha suggests the highest calling in the present life is realization through marriage.

• Michael Douglas is the talented and well-connected child of celebrated film actor Kirk Douglas.The groom was 55 at the time of this marriage (his third).

• he couple's first child from was born in August 2000; their second child was born in April 2003.

• Graha in 3 of the 4 kendras.

• After marriage, the husband occupies the 4th kendra, providing strength and completeness to the life. Note however a significant Kuja Dosha.

• Gaja Kesari Yoga - double power Chandra and Guru in kendra to lagna

Somewhat scandalous conditions = nodal influence upon the navamsha 1/7 axis

• lover is 25 years her senior, he was married, and she became pregnant while he was still legally married (albeit long separated).Budha/Shani period

• neechcha Shani Occupies 8th-from-Budha

• Shani's lord Kuja is exceptionally strong in lagna

• Shani = lord of Rahu

• Shani = karaka for elders, established social position,

• Shani rules the final bhukti of the Budha mahadasha which had governed her life from age 14 to 30 - signaling "end of a way of life" . The Budha-Shani period is particularly associated with endings and conclusions due to the karaka functions of Shani, as the inarguable finalizer, separator, delayer, materializer and law-enforcer.

• Rahu enters Cancer 01/11/1999 until 07/30/2000

• Ketu enters Capricorn 01/11/1999 until 07/30/2000

• Guru = karaka for first husband

• Guru = atmakaraka

• Guru = 7th-from-Chandra

• Guru = atmakaraka in 7th navamsha

• Guru = L-1/L-4 from lagna (physical appearance, home shelter)

• Guru = L-11/L-12 from Chandra (goals and achievements, community and networks, spiritual retreat and dissolution or withdrawal into dreams)

• Rahu enters Gemini 07/30/2000 until 02/16/2002

• Ketu enters Sagittarius 07/30/2000 02/16/2002

• radix lagna, Rahu in domain-7

• Ketu contact radix Mangala (Kuja-Dhanau-1,Behari says, "You gain renown and wealth, especially from overseas.")

• navamsha Rahu-Ketu

• navamsha-7, containing: Rahu, Budha, Guru, Mangala, and Shukra

• Rahu-Ketu were enormously powerful at this time, focusing all eyes on her radiantly beautiful persona as they transformed the wedding into a glittering, global celebrity event.

First husband
Shani
Catherine Zeta Jones is approximately 25 years younger than her husband.

One significator of an older husband is the drishti of neechcha Shani, the significator of age, onto Zeta-Jones yuvati bhava. This relationship entered the commitment phase and their first child was born in the bride's period of Budha/Shani as well (a classic 6/8 period for the taboo romance).

In the worst cases, when Shani's oppression is completely unmitigated, the aspect of neechcha Shani can bring into the marriage qualities of bitterness, emotional coldness, oppressive duties, ignorance, racial hatred, heavy responsibilities for children, or poverty caused by ignorance.And also, Shani represents the benefits of age such as emotional maturity, patience, and wisdom of experience.

CZJ's Shani is improved by Shani's 5/9 angle to lord Kuja, where Kuja himself is in kendra and a friendly sign. This is not quite enough improvement for full neechhha bhanga - so there will be some stress in marriage due to husband's age and heavy responsibilities for children.

Guru, Budha

Overall significator for first husband = Guru. Guru is highly auspicious as lagnesha and L-4; lord of Chandra and 10th-from-Chandra..

Guru + exalted 7th lord Budha suggests a highly intelligent and generous husband whose public standing is very high (domain-10 and lord of 10th-from-Soma). The spouse partners with her (L-7) to problem-solve some sticky situations is a very successful style, due ultimately to superior detail administration (Budha).

[Panchamahapurushayoga for benefics]

"If Budha, Guru, or Shukra be in 4th, 7th, or 10th from Lagna, or be in the company of Chandra in Lagna, the native will enjoy royal fortunes."

~~ BPHS Chapter 12, shloka 5-7

Budha mahadasha

CZJ's Mercury mahadasha as a whole was very favorable due to Budha's almost magical attributes. Even the awkward karma of a surprise child in Budha/Shani (with Shani in 5th house of children) or a the fact of her affianced being twice married and the age of her own father (which anyway is common amongst entertainers) barely disturbed the grandeur of this most excellent 7th lord.

Despite Shani's age significations, Shani plays a fairly minor role in defining CZJ's first husband. Primary evidence of the nature of the first spouse is normally seen in the 7th navamsha. This Gemini house vividly describes a glittering, powerful, well-connected, multi-cultural, articulate, and artistic spouse.

he 7th navamsha is exceptionally busy and complex. This marriage is focused on a particular range of traits and activities:

• communications media [Kuja/Budha]

• verbally gifted [Budha]

• excellent memory [Guru/Budha]

• part of a large network of exotic people, highly unusual, containing a number of cultural foreigners (Rahu)

• despite the presence of foreign elements (Rahu) most of the transactions of the union share the native's her language and mentality (Budha)

• international [Rahu]

• wealthy [Rahu/Guru]

• many wonderful friends [Guru/Rahu/Budha]

  • both men and women [Shukra/Kuja]

  • Of artistic distinction [Venus/Rahu].

Prognosis

Mahadasha of uchcha L-7/L-10 Budha age 15-31. Budha in 7th-from-Chandra, member of the Sreenatha Yoga (above), lord of 7th navamsha. Excellent career, extraordinary intelligence, a remarkable marriage.

Mahadasha of Ketu age 31-37 - effect of L-1/L-4 Budha, focus on body and home, Guru with Budha, continuation of career while creating children.

Mahadasha of L-6/L-11 Shukra+ Ketu, less favorable. Shukra in 6th-from-Chandra.

Perhaps health or financial problems, dissolution of marriage, or debts; nevertheless gainful and achieving, age 37-57

• = continuous progress of prosperity, glamour and financial success for Catherine Zeta Jones.

Mars rising gives tremendous physical vitality, which includes prize-winning tap-dancing and sword-wielding as well as smooth and well-coordinated childbirths! Mars in the very auspicious and friendly sign of Vedic Sagittarius also connotes a humanistic life perspective based on gracious good humor and an educator's deep belief in the transformative power of the human will.

However - caveat emptor - such a vital and proactive person will also be highly independent and argumentative in marriage, unless they can have a large and unmolested creative "space" in which to express their militant energies.

Mars rising gives the classic kuja dosha for fighting in the first marriage. Kuja dosha is a very frequent yoga, found in more than 50% of rashi charts. (Thus the traditional understanding in India that marriages have a +/- 50% happiness rate no matter how they are arranged; and the famous fact that when most US states legalized no-fault divorce in the late 1960's the US divorce rate quickly soared to +/- 50% - and stayed there.)

The beneficial 5/9 Venus-Mars angle in CZJ's chart suggests that at least in the early years of marriage she will be granted all the space she needs. Also the fact that Kuja's lord Guru is yuti the 7th lord Budha, and that all these planets are well-disposed, suggests a tremendous generosity of spirit in the husband which naturally inclines him to give her a very free and well-funded "space"!

Every couple faces a challenge when one partner enters a bhukti of divorce-maker 8th lord. The divorce-maker does not always cause divorce; in fact, it often causes separation which provides the psychic space for urgent self-transformation, followed by healing and renewal. And of course there must be other supporting factors. But initially the period of the 8th lord gives a wake-up call. Such a period for CZJ is Venus/Moon, especially contentious due to their 6/8 angle. However the superior intelligence and resources of this couple provide them plenty of options to heal.

May all beings venerate life as a state of deep spiritual intimacy.