First, familiarize yourself with the planets, houses, and signs that address anxiety, depression, and overall mental health states in a natal chart, affecting long term and short term mental states, and the differences between brief versus prolonged episodic instability. The short-term problems
are exposed by the malefic transit influences over significant weak natal planets. Long term mental and emotional instability issues are shown by weakness of and/or affliction to significant natal planets, as listed below.

By understanding through case studies, what areas of the natal chart are weak with respect to mental health both in the natal chart and in transit, we can then see more clearly the complex but contributing long term or short term factors leading to the destabilization of mental health. By determining the activations and timing factors through observing the transits, main periods, and bhuktis in effect, that may trigger an alert to upcoming tensions, we can prepare our clients, our friends, and/or ourselves, for possible trying times with respect to mental and/or emotional instability or difficulty. By studying the Panchamsa (D-V), we can further assess planetary strengths and weaknesses.

Significators of Psychiatric Problems:

1. Significant Planets: Significator of the mind is the Moon. Mercury rules nerves and communication capabilities controlled by the brain.
2. Significant Houses: The fourth and the fifth.
3. Significant Signs:Cancer and Leo. Natal afflictions to the significator planets, houses, and signs can cause the psychiatric difficulties and emotional problems to be active for long durations, where transit afflictions can relate to short-term disturbances.
4. Divisional Chart for Depression: Divisional fifth – Panchamsa.

Emotional Health Significators:

Depression: the fifth house
Emotional Peace: the fifth and Moon
Mental Peace: the fourth and Moon
Nervous Control: the sixth and Mercury
General Karaka (significator) for the fifth: Jupiter
General Karaka (significator) for the fourth: Moon and Venus

Points to Remember:

Mercury, ruling the analytical abilities, when badly placed or under the severe affliction of the most malefic planet equal bhava madhya (midpoint), causes unmanageable anxiety leading to depression, nervous breakdowns, hypertension, and insomnia. Happiness, health, and general disposition are ruled by the first house, and are additionally factored in.

The third house and Mercury rule mental growth, the third house and Mars rule initiatives, the fourth house rules the power of basic comprehension,
and the fifth house rules intelligence, emotional peace of mind, and depression. (Although beyond the scope of this discussion, severe natal
weakness and/or affliction of the planets connected with the third, the fourth, and the fifth houses, along with both the Moon and Mercury, and
without any contact of benefic offsetting influences, can result in severe mental handicaps, such as mental retardation.)

The overall natal weakness and/or affliction of the planets connected with the third, the fourth, and the fifth houses, and/or both the Moon and
Mercury, may result in mental deficiencies for the native, inabilities to cope, and consequently bring upon the native anything from anxiety and
depression, to full blown manic episodes, depending upon the severity of affliction and weakness, and the contributing nature of any influential
contacts. Both the sixth house and Mercury rule nervous control, which also factors into consideration when assessing determinants for anxiety.

For Divisional Analysis we study:

1. The strength of the lord of the ascendant for the appropriate divisional,
2. The Moon,
3. The significator, (Jupiter for the divisional fifth)
4. And the lord(s) of the particular significant/relevant houses in the rashi chart.

Note: Diagnosing states of Mental Health can be a lengthy process for Professionals in the medical field, such as Psychiatrists and Psychologists,
as many aspects of the behavior criteria, background, and motivational aspects of the patient must be thoroughly evaluated for appropriate medical
diagnosis. Often times the psychiatric medical diagnosis is followed by lengthy and diversified experimentation in medication, with the physician
searching for the appropriate medicinal prescriptive relief for that particular patient, while minimizing side effects. Often times these prescription intentions are met with unsuccessful results when it comes to finding the magic pill for behavior modification or relief, because mental and emotional states of mind are based on so many internal and external personal experiences, many of which remain a mystery to all but the patient.

Astrologer’s encounters similar experiences and investigations in their search, only we base our evaluation on the horoscope. Every individual
horoscope is a woven pattern of unique energy at play, and this energy must be thoroughly synthesized and integrated before a conclusion can be drawn, especially with respect to something as delicate as states of mental health. The prescriptions we recommend are remedial measures with propitiation of the malefics. Although beyond the scope of this article, I advise all astrologers to become very familiar with remedial measures, as often times they become the saving grace for those clients experiencing depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.

Questions & Answers:

It is really a very good article given on mental health. I would like to know... does lagna/lagna lord play any role in mental health?

Thanks for you kind words.

Yes. Condition of lagna and lagna lord certainly play a role in mental health. Please see under “Points to Remember”, where I stated (albeit briefly) that “Happiness, health, and general disposition are ruled by the first house.” Then in the last paragraph, where I stated “Every individual horoscope is a woven pattern of unique energy at play, and this energy must be thoroughly synthesized and integrated before a conclusion can be drawn, especially with respect to something as delicate as states of mental health.”

To elaborate on the above a bit, the condition of the first house, its strength, occupants, aspects, and it’s lord/karaka are all very important for determining the tone and nature of the personality in general. So to look at the primary significations for a person’s general, physical, and emotional health is certainly mandatory and a big part of the astrological synthesizing process, and synthesizing and integrating the entire chart is key. This is often not an easy task. We ALL have bad days – some people just have bad days more frequently than others, some are pre-disposed to consistent emotional and/or mental turmoil, while other personality types are better equipped for a pre-disposition for taking things in stride.

For example, Cancer’s may experience ups and down more frequently on account of being ruled by the fast moving Moon, karaka for emotions and mental peace. But analysis by planetary piecemeal without synthesis will never give the entire picture, because we need a full evaluation of the entire chart picture, and to get that, we need to include all the influences, and then we are in a position to better determine what influences appear to pre-dominate. That includes a complete comprehension of the planetary weaknesses present in the chart – as well as the afflictions – as both cause difficulty.

I have seen charts with no natal nodal afflictions, no afflictions to houses, and no planetary afflictions – but the client was consistently having a severe impairment to his long-term coping mechanisms because of multiple planetary weakness, resulting in a pre-disposition to excesses. He was medically diagnosed with ADHD. His lagna was Sagittarius, Jupiter was combust, Moon was weak, as was Mercury.

On the other hand, we also need to consider that when a benefic weak planet is well-placed, un-afflicted, and aspects its own MT house or is aspected by benefics, it still retains some capacity for beneficence…the question then becomes how much power does it retain? So a careful weighing and evaluation of all planetary influences, may just result in a weakened planet being the most influential planet in the chart….It happens…

So isn’t Jyotish the most wonderful exercise in mental aerobics we have on the planet?

 

Comments about this site, please click here.