Astrology and the Law of Karma

Your karma decides the quality of life you are destined to live, and astrology helps you analyze and understand how and when the fruits of karma will unfold in your life. Your present reality is the result of your karma, which has come into being as a result of your own past actions taken consciously or unconsciously. At the same time, your present actions, the choices you make each moment, will define your future karma. The law of karma says a soul will come to Earth again and again to reap the fruits of its karma until it has cleared all pending dues (karma).

Types of Karma

There are three types of karma: Sanchita: It is the karma your soul has accumulated over past incarnations. Part of this karma gets reflected in your nature, tendencies, capacities, and desires. Prarabdha: the past karma that fructifies to shape your present life.

Agami: the karma you are creating now. The effects will be experienced in the future.

What Astrology Tells about Your Karma

Astrology defines each individual as a combination of energies, which can be specifically identified from the person’s natal chart. This chart is actually a depiction of the kind of life a person is entitled to have based on his/her karma. The planets in your natal chart are carriers of the good and bad vibrations you experience in terms of good and bad outcomes in different aspects of life. You enjoy karmic rewards in the form of happiness, success, and fortune; karmic punishment materializes in the form of limitations and failures.

Clues in Your Natal Chart

The position of Saturn in your chart says a lot about your karma. Saturn, called the Agent of Karma, has the nature of putting restrictions, delays, and limitations in areas that come under its purview (in your chart). Those are the areas where you need to pay extra attention and work harder to grow and improve as a person. Apart from Saturn’s position in the chart, Saturn’s transit, called “Sade Sati” or “Saturn Return,” is the time in your life when you encounter the intense energies of the planet, compelling you to slow down and introspect on the areas where you have evaded paying your dues. Secondly, the position and condition of Rahu and Ketu are also important in this regard. The energies of Ketu, which is the south node of the Moon, give an inlet to past-life impressions that reflect in your behavior, whereas Rahu, the north node of the Moon, indicates the karma that has to be experienced in this lifetime. These two shadow planets also have the authority to nullify the favorable results emanating from other planets if the time is not ripe for you to enjoy the fruits of your good deeds. The tenth house in your chart is called the house of karma. The presence or aspects of favorable planets in the tenth house indicate your entitlement to enjoy rewards for your good deeds done in the past. Apart from these specific areas in your chart, your karma is also reflected through your ability to enjoy benefits due to planetary yogas and your entitlement to suffer pain due to planetary doshas.