Explaining personality

In the vedic astrology of the Systems‘ Approach, the reading of the birth chart is focused on the ascending sign. In some sense, the rising sign interpretation of vedic (sidereal) astrology may appear comparable to the emphasis western (tropical) astrology places on interpreting the sun sign. However, the rising sign is only the starting point for an extensive analysis of the horoscope based on assigning houses to signs and rulership to planets. As a result, this is the only true form of horoscopic astrology. There are other notable differences between these two approaches to astrological interpretation and prediction, which are reviewed in appendix. This article focuses on two very different personalities, which became world famous for their leading role in World War II. It examines how an independent scholarly description of their personality matches up with the description of their rising signs as per the System‘s Approach. Amazingly, there are cases of word for word matches between the historical and rising sign descriptions for both men.

The ascending sign

Determining the ascending sign depends on the unique location and time of each birth. The coordinates of the place of birth and the elements of timing, including the year, month, day, hour and minute of birth, combine to determine not only the sign rising in the ascendant but the exact degree, from 0° to 30°, of the rising sign. The exact ascending degree becomes the most effective point (MEP) of the ascendant and, indeed, of all twelve houses of the horoscope. The ever changing MEP is a key element in making the lives of individuals born at different times distinct. It takes the rising sign about two hours to pass over the ascending point. Hence, two individuals born in the same location but within a few minutres of each other, will have slightly different horoscopes and karmic experiences. By comparison, it takes the sun, so important for western astrology, approximately one month to pass through one sign, making such analysis less suited to reveal individual paths.The birth information for both men is considered reliable, with AA Rodden rating for Hitler and A for Churchill.

A tale of two personalities

A stunning description of different personalities is found in the book Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership by Andrew Roberts (Orion Books, 2003).

"To an extent rarely seen before outside a religious context, the phenomenon of Adolf Hitler allowed intelligent people to suspend the activity of that part of their brains which induce rationality. The German Minister of Defence, Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg, claimed that a handshake from the Furher could cure him of the common cold. Field Marshal Hermann Göring said: "If Hitler told you you were a woman, you would leave the building believing that you were." There are endless further examples of intelligent people - men and women alike - who were spell bound by Hitler. One of his senior staff officers, General Walter Warlimont, recalled how: "Hardly one of the great theatre commanders, when summoned to make a presentation or report at the headquarters, was proof against the overpowering presence of Hitler." Churchill by contrast never seemed to exert this kind of personal, almost mystical power over others. While Hitler had charisma, Churchill did not...Most powerful leaders - not just Hitler or Churchill - are egocentric characters who are powerfully aggressive in the face of opposition, but when Churchill argued down the opposition and defeated it with votes in Parliament, Hitler gunned down his opponents on the Night of the Long Knives and used Dachau and other concentration camps to dispose of the rest...In almost every facet of their personalities, no two men could have been more different than Hitler and Churchill. The latter was a magnificent hedonist whose appetites were massive...Hitler, meanwhile, can be accused - and even convicted - of being an anti-smoking, teetotal vegetarian...The key attribute shared by both men was almost a superhuman tenacity of purpose that they held on to throughout their long years of adversity and failure."  

Adolf Hitler: Libra rising

The clue to Hitler's personality is found in the fact that he had the sign Libra rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth. Libra was thus in his ascendant. Astrologers and authors, V. K. Choudhry and K. Rajesh Chaudhary offer an insightful description of all the twelve ascendants, including Libra, which matches what we know of his life.

The Libra rising personality

“Libra is an airy sign ruled by Venus, the significator for materialistic pursuits and comforts. Saturn, the planet of hard work and discipline, is exalted in this sign and the Sun, the significator of vitality and status, is debilitated. If the Sun which rules the soul is involved in this sign which rules luxuries and pleasures, the spiritual development of the person is obstructed and that is why the Sun gets debilitated in this sign. If Saturn is placed in this sign it gets exalted because Saturn ruling servants occupies the sign of luxuries and pleasures. These factors render the Librans a magnetic personality, if Venus is strong. The person makes use of the body language for communicating with others. If Libra rises as the ascendant, the Ishta Devata would be mother divine, Goddess Lakshmi. This sign rules lumbar region and lumbar bones, skin, lower part of large intestine, bladder and inner sexual organs such as ovaries, uterus, testicles and prostate gland. If Venus is strong, the Librans enjoy good health. Otherwise, they are vulnerable to diseases connected with parts ruled by this sign, skin diseases, diabetes, venereal diseases, renal problems, urination problems, arthritis, etc. This is the mooltrikona sign of Venus. Libra is a moveable, positive, rajasic, tri-dosha, male, talkative, semi-fruitful and biped sign and signifies sense of justice, clarity, strong will-power, optimism and is highly sensitive. Its talkative characteristic provides the person capacity to communicate, including the use of body language and facial expressions for making the communication more effective. Its positive characteristic makes the person a contributor instead of being only a consumer. Its airy characteristic makes the person a thinker. Its semi-fruitful characteristic blesses the native with affluence and resourcefulness in life. Depending on the influences on the ascendant and/or Venus, the sign Libra usually gives their natives a strong sense of harmony, justice, balance, charm and aesthetic sense, making them spontaneous, artistic, charismatic, harmonizing, humanitarian, independent, adaptable, idealistic, talkative, thinker and able to consider different aspects of standpoint and judgment or offensive arguments, inconstant, changeable and indecisive. They can attune themselves to the love of truth and thereby quickly learn to transcend the world.“[1]

Elements of Hitler‘s personality as read from his chart

Body language is important to the magnetic Libra personality

As Venus is the Moolatrikona lord of the sign Libra which is in the first house, it became Hitler‘s 1st lord. It was placed in the sign Aries and the 7th house, where it was conjunct 7th lord Mars. This combination made Hitler‘s personality especially magnetic, with a militaristic, relationship and change oriented influence on the nature. Saturn as 5th lord of management and creativity, was placed in Cancer and the 10th house, giving a career as manager of men. As Saturn aspected Venus and Mars, it rendered him exceptionally intelligent. Ketu, the planet of strange experiences, was in Sagittarius and the 3rd house from where it also aspected Venus and Mars, adding an element of separation to the sense of self, relationships and communication. Mercury, the Moolatrikona ruler of the sign Virgo and 12th house, was the 12th lord of losses. In that placement it was conjunct the most effective point of the 7th house, where it aspected the 1st house. This made Hitler selfish and unconcerned with the welfare of others, to the point of making decisions that consigned countless people to death. He even took his own life and that of his wife when all was lost. Another favourable combination, a so-called Gajeskari yoga, is the conjunction of 10th lord Moon and 3rd lord Jupiter in the 3rd house of speech and action. This placement explains Hitler‘s oratorical powers and global fame, linked also to his authorship of the controversial book, Mein Kampf. Despite his negative personality traits, Hitler was judged by his peers to possess a magnetic and a towering personality.

Winston Churchill: Virgo rising

Winston Churchill, for all his rousing speeches, eminence as a writer and prognosticator of international trends, as well as his public stature as an international statesman and champion against the evil of fascism, was not considered a magnetic pershonality. Let us look at Churchill‘s horoscope for the answer to his personality, beginning with the fact that Churchill had the sign Virgo in the ascendant, as described by Messrs. Choudhry and Chaudhary.

The Virgo ascendant personality 

Virgo is an earthy sign ruled by Mercury, the governor of nervous system. Mercury, the significator of analytical faculties, is exalted in this sign and Venus, the significator for materialistic pursuits and comforts, is debilitated. These factors render the Virgos a discriminating nature and deep sensuality. If Virgo rises as the ascendant, the Ishta Devata would be Lord Vishnu. This sign rules the waist, abdominal umbilical region, nervous system, small intestine, upper part of large intestine, appendix and kidneys. If Mercury and Saturn are strong, the Virgos enjoy good health. Otherwise, they become hypochondriac and are vulnerable to overexertion, nervous breakdown, appendicitis, constipation, etc. This is the mooltrikona sign of Mercury. Virgo is a dual, negative, tamasic, vata, female, barren and biped sign and, if Mercury is strong, it gives the power of analysis and discrimination. Depending on the influences on the ascendant and/or Mercury, the sign Virgo usually makes their natives communicative, attractive, charming, prudent, cautious, protective, analytical, dependable, honest, truthful, practical, sincere and detailed or critical, neurotic, distant, resentful, indecisive and nit pickers with a fault finding tendency.[2]

Elements of Churchill's personality as read from his chart

A cigar and a whiskey were never far from Churchill's lips.

Virgos are often described as rational in their demeanour due to their power of analysis and discrimmination. Churchill‘s 1st lord, Mercury, was well placed in the 2nd house of status. Meanwhile, his 2nd lord Venus was placed in the 3rd house of communication. Even if Venus is weak in old age, the combination was enough to make Churchill witty, known for his repartee, and a prolific writer of books and speeches. He was known to be hedonistic when it came to his ample appetite for liquor and food. His physical appearance was not impressive. He was of average height in his prime (5 ft 8 in./1,69 cm) and of a plump, stooping appearance in middle and old age. His facial expression and fighting spirit was such that he was called “the British bulldog“. Despite his warmth, wit, foresight and humanity, Churchill was not considered a magnificent personality by his peers. Churchill‘s 4th lord of fixed assets and inner tranquility, Jupiter, was also placed in the 2nd house of family and assets, but it was conjunct Ketu, the planet of sudden changes and separation. This gave him a reputation for family heritage and large assets, but it also made his sense of happiness and real estate matters unstable during his lifetime. The US government rescued him financially, to enable him to hold on to his estate, Chartwell, during the war.

References

[1] Yournetastrologer. Libra in the ascendant. June 28, 2017.
http://yournetastrologer.com/learn_astrology78.htm

[2] Yournetastrologer. Virgo in the ascendant. June 28, 2017. 
http://yournetastrologer.com/learn_astrology77.htm.

Appendix: Differences between vedic and western astrology
Vedic astrology relies on the sidereral zodiac which is aligned with the visible constellations. It‘s beginning point is arrived at by setting the fixed star Spica at 0° Libra for all time. By comparison, the tropical zodiac is fixed on the Vernal Equinox at 0° Aries. As a result, the tropical zodiac has been drifting away from its visible moorings for close to two thousand years, from the time when the two zodiacs were identical. Today, the signs of the western zodiac have shifted 24° away from their visible constellations, almost by  one whole sign of 30°. Another difference is that vedic astrology also uses only the seven planets that are visible to the naked eye, the inner planets from Sun to Saturn, along with calculated points of Rahu and Ketu, the Moon‘s nodes, which are needed to determine the recurring eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Meanwhile, Western astrology uses also the planets visible only by telescope, the outer planets from Neptune to Pluto, as well as a host of distant objects in the solar system. Further, any sign remains in the ascendant for only around 2 hours, whereas the sun resides in the same sign for one whole month. In horoscopic astrology, the expectation is that persons born on the same day but with different rising signs and degrees, will differ in their personality, as well as karma and how it fructifies in the life. Indeed, the ascending sign becomes the key to horoscopic astrology. It determines the placements of planets in signs and houses, but also their nature for better or worse. This is because the rising sign becomes the basis for assigning house rulerships to the planets.