• I am still at the same boring, poorly paid job for the last several years. I really want to do something else but feel stuck in this routine. I am studying for a professional law diploma, but also not making much progress on that task. What is your view of my career situation and potential for change?

Clearly Kuja is a very predominant influence in this native's public and private life.

Consider some of Kuja's relationships:

• Kuja rules most of the significators.

• Kuja receives the difficult drishti of Shani. These two enemy planets resist and resent each other.

• Kuja's radix influence is very extensive because his rashis are greatly inhabited:

  • Shani occupies a rashi of Kuja

  • L-10 Surya+ L-7 Shukra, Budha (a natural career karaka) and Ketu, as a group, occupy the other rashi of Kuja.

• Since Rahu has a higher degree than Chandra in Thula, Kuja ultimately controls the nodes and Chandra.

The only planet Kuja does not control is Guru, who is a good influence but Guru is fairly weak in the sign of His enemy Budha.

Kuja almost completely controls this native's life, including his public and private relationships.

For this native, we should concentrate our efforts on learning as much as possible about the role and behavior of Kuja, the drishti He receives, His positions vis-à-vis Nakshatra

Das/Behari says of Kuja's Nakshatraposition in Mrigashira /pada-1:

• "you will speak harshly. Money is always a problem. Responsibility of maintaining large number of dear and near ones. You may lose your spouse early and your longevity is doubtful. Tonsillitis, high fever or prostrate gland troubles are indicated."

• When in Mrigashira and also receiving drishti of Guru, Kuja produces

• "expert in music and musical instruments, will be liked by your relatives." Drishti of Shani when Kuja occupies Mrigashira produces, "Becomes the head of a town or village." ( Das)

Bepin Behari says in Planets in Signs and Houses(p. 137) re: Kuja in Taurus/7:

• "Mars is extremely enjoyable here: both partners will be ardently in love with each other. They will not hesitate to spend their energy and wealth in making the relationship happy."

(BP Lama note: Kuja generally makes trouble in house-7, the province of Shukra. Kuja's drishti from house-7 upon karma bhava is good for career.

But I think Behari's interpretation is unrealistically sweet and ignores the conflict embedded in Mangala's presence in any house, especially this house!)

• Kuja residing in Vrishabha, receiving the drishti of His friend Guru = "You are a connoisseur of singing and music; you prosper and are a favorite of your relations. You are clean....You have strong desires to have good fortune, build fine businesses, and do positive things and the universe blesses your energies in these regards. You like to use your energy to help everyone enjoy and therefore, you are philanthropic and you believe a real noble leader is one who provides for everyone."( Das)

• Kuja residing in Vrishabha, receiving the drishti of Shani (Shani hates Kuja, but Kuja is neutral toward Shani) = "You are capable of doing or saying the exact right thing in order to bring about pleasure for others. This boosts your leadership and brings recognition from others. It also gives you the ability to get what you want in a very precise way.

• You probably like very finely made electronic devices and precise instruments which are simultaneously powerful, very controlled and cool, especially if they are inventions or instruments which give pleasures, such as stereos and CD's, and fine vehicles." Also "Uncommon sexual tendencies." ( Das)

For Vrischika lagna, Kuja is both L-1 and L-6. One reading of this situation is "You may suffers from wounds, weapons and plague." ( Das)

Mangala in Durudhara Yoga = "[Guru and Shani] are located 12th and 2nd from Chandra... can bring material benefits like money, reputation or fame to some degree into your life. "( Das)

Mangala in the marriage house, yuvati bhava: "There is some indication that you will have two spousal relationships..." "Fortune improves after marriage." ( Das)

A general reading for Kuja in any rashi, when Kuja occupies "relationship" house-7:

• Whatever the status of Mars in this house, it spoils marital pleasure; sometimes you experiences physical abuse from the marriage partner.

• You are liable to undergo serious surgical operations.You do not return soon from abroad-though marriage is fixed or there being definite gain in business. Vanquished repeatedly. Loss of partner, most unfortunate. Troublesome opponents.

• Dwelling in foreign land. Gives up business. Mortification through injustice, worries and enemies. Impetuous and excessive love responsible for suffering. Pain through separation spouse and children. You may wants to be in every industry or business and fail every where. From 18th to 36th some stability is shown. Spouse-good, quarrelsome and dominating. Yoga for a second spouse. Ailments of the hands and stomach. Many brothers, uncles and aunts, intelligent. Afflicted Mars in this house denotes quarrels and discord with spouse. Separation-through unrestrained and passionate nature of the partner. Even well-aspected is not favorable for marriage.

• You tend to extremes and excesses in affections and emotions.Mars in a female chart shows masculine and forceful character; in a male chart it shows force as energy and enterprise. The sign occupied by Mars in this house is very important. Few friends and little happiness through spouse. Spouse has few brothers or none. Mars in the 7th house is good for doctors, favors surgery.

• Lawyers gain from criminal cases.Good for mechanics, engineers, turners, fitters, drivers. Also for police and other administrative officers; especially, if the colleague is a female. Opposition between the officers and subordinates." ( Das)

• In Rashis of Shukra or Chandra, and in house-7, Mangala has unique characteristics, "Illness to the spouse or two marriages. Combative and forceful, ugly, trouble through opponents, infamy through business, sickness, suffering, vice and poverty. Mars in other signs gives favorable results." ( Das)

In house-7 occupying one of the "earth signs", Mars assists these trades, "Building contractor. Trade in timber or agriculture is also gainful. Success in engineering or surgery."

The good news is that within a year of this writing, you are approaching a bhukti of Mars! Kuja bhukti should have a strongly positive effect on your career. Physical and social energy for making partnerships, contracts, agreements, entering negotiations, conducting adversarial conversations etc. - all the implications of competitive yet loving Kuja in yuvati bhava - will be on the rise during Kuja bhukti.

Budha/Kuja period which begins in Oct-2007 is definitely auspicious for career. Budha is a natural karaka for career because Budha rules gestures and communications of all varieties, all uses of the hands and small-group process. Your communications will be highly energized during Budha/Kuja period.

• In addition all the implications of Mangala listed in the readings above will emerge during Kuja bhukti. Kuja being 2nd-from-Budha implies financial gain and great activity in the area of speech and singing. Your musical performance skills will gain strength, as will your interest in the history of your people.

Relationships are however a different story. During Mars periods you must walk on eggshells within your intimate partnerships and your business relationships as well. Your energy for accomplishing business goals, starting new enterprises, and fueling old outstanding projects so that you can drive them to completion, is all highly auspicious and richly endowed by the universe. However be cautious because your strong competitive enthusiasm may overwhelm the more sedentary persons with whom you are conducting personal or professional relationships.

You have such an abundance blessing of relationship energy! A profession in law is excellent. Kuja gives very energized and positive results in the practice of law when He occupies the 7th house of law courts, agreements, and conflict resolution. Shani should be strong to ensure a sense of social justice and equitable distribution of social resources.

Your Shani is adequately strong first because He rises in the lagna but secondly and more importantly in terms of professional qualities, Shani and Mangala give each other mutual aspect. This means good news professional for any type of dealings with law and legal process.

You have a strong and secure understanding of human social justice (build up by being occasionally yourself the victim of injustice, this is part of the karma of Shani rising in Kuja's sign) AND you possess the business drive to wake up in the morning and get to work on some very contentious issues between warring parties!

I predict Kuja bhukti to provide you an excellent boost of physical and social energy to break through your current lethargy block (caused at least partly by your underlying concern and energy drain of personal relationships that seem to need tremendous emotional attention, due to Chandra bhukti at a 1/7 angle from His mahadashapati.)

For career Chandra bhukti awakens the 9th house of radix, navamsha, and dashamsha. Chandra bhukti may not energizes career movement but it will develop and nourish the spiritual and psycho-emotional sensitivities. It may be best to bide your time until Kuja period arrives. In the meantime while Chandra is still in the driver's seat, focus on religious education and ethical awareness of how one is thinking of others and treating others. Chandra in house-12 with Rahu suggests foreign travel, to an exotic country which may provide some taboo opportunities for you that are not normally available in your home country.

When Shani moves into Simha rashi permanently in July 2007, He will enter your 10th radix and cause a deepening of your sense of discipline to accomplish important works of leadership, and your sense of public responsibility, to do something important to lead the people you care for, those who are underserved or treated unjustly, into justice.

• You will feel strongly dedicated to the work ethic that pushes social leadership to top excellence. And work it is! Shani gives very good results to those who have a well-configured karma bhava because house-10 and house-11 are Shani's natural houses. Your karma-bhava is well-configured because its radix lord Surya is exalted in Mesha yuti L-7 Shukra, and Surya occupies 9th-from-swakshetra Simha.

• Shani will temporarily exit from Karkata rashi and enters Simha for the first time in 29.5 years, from 31-Oct-2006 until 17-Jan-2007. However Shani re-enters Karkata from Jan until July 2007. Then by the end of July 2007 Shani will be finished oppressing Karkata rashi for the next 30 years!

• So you might feel some small relief of the stuckness, boredom, and being drained by troublesome intimate relationships, when Shani moves out of Karkata. However, the biggest improvements in your career situation will begin when BOTH Shani moves into Simha for the long haul in July 2007, AND the bhukti of Kuja starts in Oct-2007.

• Simha gochara Shani will cast drishti upon bhukti-pat Vrishabha Kuja from Shani's temporary transit home in house-10. Then you will be surprised how much vitality, discipline and drive you can experience for advancing your career!

Your career building process will never be easy because of the mutual aspect of Shani and Kuja, who mutually dislike and oppress each other. This situation resembles Kipling's fantastic animal the "push-me-pull-you". However when both Shani who emphasizes Ethics when He transits Simha, and Kuja -- who emphasizes working out agreements from contentious disagreements in the stable environment of the law courts -- are energized cosmically, you will get going for sure!