We are all curious about our future; whether and when our personal situation will change. Most of the time our lives remain the same; but occasionally there’s a big shift. Using the techniques of Vedic Astrology we can identify a number of unique birth chart factors that predict major change in a person’s life. These events can be further classified as being either Desirable or Undesirable. Which way it goes depends on the characteristics of whichever astrological factors are involved.

The Vimshottari Dasha, commonly referred to as the Planetary Period System, is a predictive formula that reveals the timeline of when karmas indicated in the birth chart will be activated. Per the rules of Vedic Astrology, there are certain houses (sectors) of the chart that are strongly associated with life changes. During the time periods when one or more of these parts of the chart are “turned on” by an associated planet’s dasha (period) or bhukti (sub-period), we know a major shift is coming.

The 8th house is specifically the house of Big Changes (including the biggest change: Death). Thus, the dasha or bhukti of the planet ruling your 8th house sign, or the dasha or bhukti of a planet residing in this sector of your chart, is a clear indicator that something significant is scheduled to occur. What exactly happens is dependent on the intrinsic nature of the planet ruling your 8th house sign, where it resides in your chart, and what other planets it is associated with or aspecting. For instance, if your 8th house ruler is Jupiter, the planet of Prosperity, and it resides in your 11th house of Gains, and is associated with the planet ruling your Ascendant, you may be in for a big inheritance. On the other hand, if the ruler of your 8th house is Mars, the planet of Combat, and it resides in your 7th house of Partnership opposing your Ascendant, you could be facing a divorce, or a lawsuit from a business partner, or a serious illness.   

Another house that similarly can signal a major shift is the 12th house, the house of Endings and Loss. If the period or sub-period of the 12th house sign ruler, or of a planet in your 12th house, is coming up, the prediction is for something or someone to be dropping out of your life during that time period. What or who it will be is determined by an analysis of the planet, its position, its house rulership, what it represents in the divisional charts, etc. Whether the “ending” signified by the 12th house is experienced as a negative event, or simply the completion of something that has run its course, is likewise dependent on the qualities and chart positions of the planets involved.

Then there are certain planets that due to their natural characteristics can induce change in and of themselves. In traditional Vedic Astrology, the nodes of the Moon, called Rahu and Ketu, have been given this portfolio. Rahu specifically indicates Transformation, often attended by a sense of urgency. In the planetary period system, when the Rahu period or sub-period comes along there is a high likelihood of a least one important transition in your life. But again, whether this is experienced as a positive or negative event depends on the analysis of Rahu in the chart. For instance, a high proportion of people get married during their Rahu period; marriage is, after all, a major transformation in one’s life.

The change brought about by Ketu is rather different. Ketu signifies something that must be surrendered; a sort of renunciation of what Ketu connects with in the natal chart. When a Ketu major period or sub-period occurs, a change is in store, and it usually indicates something leaving your life connected with the house position of Ketu in your natal chart. Since Ketu is the inlet point for past life karmas, the change generally has a connection with past issues that still need resolution. Due to the “unseen” quality of Ketu, the event is usually something that happens without choice, i.e., beyond your control.

Another way that planets create change in our lives is through Transits. With this technique of prediction, the current (or future) sign positions of the planets in the zodiac are transposed to the natal chart, creating another set of factors that induce events in your life. The magnitude of these influences can be gauged by how they match up with critical points in the natal chart. When a strong planet transits over one of your natal planets, or opposite to it, there is a high probability of a significant, even life-changing event.

In traditional Vedic Astrology, Saturn is considered the “Great Malefic,” i.e., capable of causing extremely unpleasant events. Usually when Saturn transits over your Ascendant Degree, or Saturn opposes your natal Sun, you can prepare yourself for what will likely be a rough time. Whether this turns out to be life changing depends on whether or not there are other simultaneous negative influences in play. Conversely, knowing when Jupiter, the “Great Benefic,” will be transiting an important planet or point in your chart tells you when the cards will be stacked in your favor, and you can plan your advance. But for Jupiter to really change your life for the better, additional favorable factors need to be present, such as the dasha of the 9th or 5th house lord, which would activate your karma for Good Fortune.

In modern astrology, Uranus is the planet that is most associated with Big Change. Uranus is the planet of Rebellion, Unexpected Circumstance, Sudden Events, Disruption. Uranus moves very slowly, taking 84 years to make a complete circuit of the zodiac. Therefore, most of us experience Uranus transiting over each of our natal planets only once in our lifetime. Uranus transiting over the Ascendant Degree, or opposite to it, is well documented to coincide with notable events in a person’s life. When contacting an important natal planet Uranus brings disruption to whatever that planet represents. This doesn’t always have to be unpleasant. For instance, Uranus transiting over natal Venus the planet of Art, Love and Finance can give you artistic inspiration, or sudden infatuation, or an unexpected windfall. But when Uranus transits over your natal Saturn, the planet that signifies your Reality Structure and Stability, it’s highly likely that you’ll soon be facing a new reality.

Living a life that goes through changes just seems to be part of the human condition. With the help of Vedic Astrology’s predictive techniques, we can at least anticipate when we will have to face such transitions, as well as what form they will likely take, and thus be better able to prepare ourselves for when they occur.