Lal Kitab needs no formal introduction.
It is popular amongst neophytes and masters of astrology
equally. The enamoured of the remedial measures of Lal
Kitab and the astrologers who suggest them take pride
in them. The measures are too simple to be explained in
detail and too typical to be understood by an intelligent
human being. Whatever be the facts they are quite effective
and cannot be just given up for their simplicity. Rather
they bring credit to him who suggests them.
On the face of it Lal Kitab is an important treatise on
palmistry and astrology. Ordinarily the palmists talk
of mounts and lines Sun, Moon and Mars etc. but it is
in Lal Kitab only that we comes across the birth charts
of the natives having twelve houses and all the planets
(earliest known nine planets) posted there. Rules of prediction
are also very much like those enunciated in astrology.
Despite all this, the astrology of Lal Kitab is different
from astrology we know of, be it eastern, western or of
any origin.
Lal Kitab is essentially palmistry. The astrological
contents that are added to it are to reflect the findings
of a palmist or rather to corroborate it. The palm has
been divided into 12 parts just as the natural Zodiac
is divided into twelve signs like Aries, Taurus etc.
Some types of shapes have been alloted to planets. These
shapes wherever they exist on palm are supposed to be
occupying particular houses of the birth chart. These
signs represent the planets they are alloted to. Thus
we have the twelve houses and the nine planets posted
in the chart having twelve houses. The astrological
chart is ready on the basis of the palm. They are often
different from the birth charts prepared on astrological
principles. The authenticity of astrological charts
is to be corrected by the chart prepared from palm imprints.
How charts are made from the palm is not our subject
here. We propose only to discuss and deal with astrological
contents of the book.
Whatever be the system or method of preparation the
chart has ascendant or the lagna and the other twelve
houses numbered serially. Though they are the 12 sings
of the Zodiac the signs have no significance in the
chart. For signs, we may say, each horoscope is to be
treated just like the horoscope of Kala Purusha; that
is, house No. 1 should be considered as identical with
Aries in all cases. As Sun is exalted in Aries and debilitated
in Libra, we say that Sun is exalted in Lagna and debilitated
in the 7th house. The lordship of the houses will also
go likewise. Mars is always the lagna Lord and Venus
the 7th Lord.
In the palm we talk of lower Mars and upper Mars. In
Lal Kitab’s astrology we have two Mars, one a
malefic or bad Mars and the other a benefic or a kind
of good Mars. This is one peculiarity of Lal Kitab’s
astrology. Both the Mars have their own properties.
As regards the comparative power of the planets it
is the same as given in classical texts but at the same
time we come across the concept of equivalent planets.
Mercury for instance, is considered to be equivalent
to Sun in power of giving results.
We have a concept of blind or sleeping planets and
blind or sleeping houses in Lal Kitab. The planets are
supposed to have an aspect of some houses and affect
the results of those houses. In Lal Kitab if the aspecting
planet has no planet in the aspected house the aspecting
planet becomes a blind planet in the aspected house
the aspecting planet becomes a blind planet himself.
It may be pertinent to note that the aspect of the planet
is not the same in each house. Sun if posited in house
2 shall not aspect the 8th house but the 6th house only
and if 6th house is unoccupied sun becomes blind. In
short it is the house that grants aspect to the planet.
The house is blind if it has no planets in it. This
is the concept in astrology also. We call that house
as weak.
There is also a concept of the artificial planets.
A group of two planets together form one particular
artificial planet or a substitute of that planet. Sun
and Venus together form one artificial Moon. Likewise
there are artificial planets for each of the planets
including the nodes Rahu and Ketu.
There is also a concept of sacrificial goats. If, suppose,
Sun is afflicted by Saturn the effects of Sun shall
be affected. This will not affect the effects of any
other planet like Mars, Mercury or Rahu etc. According
to Lal Kitab the affliction of Sun shall be passed on
to Ketu. In other words the affliction would affect
the results of Ketu. The affliction of Saturn would
be spoilt. The wife of the native may die or suffer
from miseries and troubles. It may be brought on record
that such effects have actually been noticed although
Saturn does not represent wife nor he is the significator
of wife. Such results do need a deep research and the
results are likely to enrich our astrology.
We have a basic assumption that a planet gives the
results of the houses of his lordship and those of the
house occupied by him. He may, according to some, also
offer the results of house or houses of which he is
the natural significator although we have our own reservations
but the planet in Lal Kitab can give results of any
house by applying suitable remedies. This is a revolutionary
concept and really needs deep research work like the
assumption of sacrificial goats referred to above.
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