Career Astrology

Judging career aptitudes is one of the most difficult areas of astrology.

Occasionally, a chart will offer a clear picture that makes it easy to see
vocational direction. More often, however, it’s a mixed bag that defies simple
categorization. Nonetheless, by following some basic rules of Vedic astrology
(along with some Western ideas), we can catch a glimpse into the person’s
probable areas of worldly engagement. And by using some of Jyotish’s
unique timing techniques, we can predict when the most favourable periods
for career advancement will be.

In Vedic astrology, one assesses career by blending the influences of key

houses and planets. The most important house is the first house or lagna. If
we had only one house to analyze before making a judgment, this would be
it. The first house represents the person as a whole and therefore planets or
aspects here can shape a person’s outlook that reflects the planets’
significations. The first house ruler or lagnesh is also important. A person
with Pisces rising that has lagnesh Jupiter closely conjoined by Venus will
probably need to express that Venusian side in some fundamental way in
their lives. But that only narrows down our choices somewhat since Venus
encompasses a fairly wide range of vocational options. It may be art,
entertainment, beauty and cosmetics, or prostitution, to name a few. We
can narrow down these choices even more by looking at the rest of the key
factors in the chart.

Next we need to examine the condition of the luminaries, the Sun and Moon.
Since they are fundamental to the personality, they will often find expression
in the career. If the Sun is placed in Gemini conjoining Mercury aspected by
Mars, this might suggest a computing career or something else that blends
the notion of information, communications, and technical knowledge. Or
maybe the Moon is placed in Virgo, the sign of healing, and rules the 6th
house of Cancer and is placed in the 8th house. This combination may give
an interest in the health field, especially the areas of alternative health and
life extension as represented by the 8th house. Moreover, let’s say this
combination was aspected by the first lord Saturn, thus linking it back to the
first house or the person as a whole. This is precisely the combination we
see in the chart of Deepak Chopra.

As in Western astrology, the 10th house is most closely connected with

career. Here I like to make primary use of the whole sign 10th house and its
lord to assess career influences. The unequal 10th house cusp or MC may
also be used for supplementary information. While the house position of the
10th lord does not necessarily dictate the direction of career, it can
sometimes express its flavour or style. Again, it is important to look for
repeating themes. If the 10th lord is in the 8th house and the nodes are
prominent in some way and the person has Scorpio rising, then we might
start to look at typical 8th house careers such as metaphysics or affairs of
the dead.

Another strategy is to find the best house, the best sign, and the best planet
in a chart. Perhaps there is there an exalted planet in the horoscope. If there
is, it may exercise a strong influence on career selection particularly if it’s
dispositor and nakshatra dispositors are well placed. The same goes for
swakshetra planets, or planet in its own sign. Jupiter in Sagittarius may
guide the native towards law, academics and religion if it is closely aspected
by Mercury or Venus and its nakshatra dispositor (Ketu, Venus or Sun
depending on where in Sagittarius it is) are well placed and associated with
the 10th house.

Careers by planet
Sun authority, politicians, scientists, leaders, directors, government
employees, doctors, jewelers
Moon nursing, the public, women, children, travelling, marine, cooks,
restaurants, import/export.
Mars fire, energy, metals, initiative, weapons, construction, soldiers, police,
surgeons, engineers.
Mercury intellect, writing, teaching, merchandise, clerks, accountants,
editors, transport, astrologers.
Jupiter finance, law, treasury, scholars, priests, politicians, advertising,
psychologist, humanitarian.
Venus pleasures, luxuries, beauty, art, music, entertainment industry, sex
industry, hotels.
Saturn the aged, death, real estate, labour, agriculture, building trades,
mining, monk.
Rahu researchers, engineers, physicians, medicine/drugs, speculators,
aviation, electricity, waste.
Ketu idealism, enlightenment, religion, secret affairs, poisons, metaphysics.
Uranus scientists, inventors, computing, astrologers, lab technicians,
electronics.
Neptune photographers, movies, marine, oil, pharmaceutical, psychics,
poets.
Pluto research, investigators, insurance, death, longevity-related
technology, espionage.

Careers by sign
Aries army and police, surgeon, mechanics, iron and steel, firefighting,
industrialists, athletes.
Taurus luxury goods, jewelry, cosmetics, music, actors, banking, tailors,
fashion, property.
Gemini media and journalism, accountants, representatives, translators,
writers.
Cancer naval and marine, fishing, nursing, interior design, food, petroleum,
historians.
Leo government jobs, politics, religion, investing, diplomacy.
Virgo computing, astrology, accounting, media, doctors, healing.
Libra judges, artists, cosmetics, fashion, receptionists, advertising, interior
decorating, prostitutes.
Scorpio chemicals, drugs, liquids, insurance, doctors, nurses, police, occult.
Sagittarius law, religion, banking and finance, entrepreneurs, athletes,
clothing and shoes.
Capricorn raw material extraction and processing such as lumber and
mining
Aquarius advisors, consultants, philosophers, astrologers, engineers,
computing
Pisces doctors, marine related, chemicals, oil, painters, hospital, prisons.

Careers by house
First self-employment, politics or the public at large, the body (e.g. health
club)
Second banking, investments, accountants, restaurants, teaching,
consultants, psychologists, writing
Third communication, arts, sales, advertising, computing, writing,
publishing
Fourth agriculture, building trades, real estate, vehicles, water, geology and
mining
Fifth politics, stockbrokers, religious rituals, entertainment, authorship
Sixth lawyers, military, police, labour, health related professions, food,
waiters.
Seventh business, trade, merchant, females, foreign business.
Eighth insurance, research, death-related, metaphysics (e.g. astrology), sex
industry.
Ninth law, university teaching, travel, religious professions, foreign
countries.
Tenth government jobs, dealing with public and the masses, managers,
politics.
Eleventh trade and business, accountants, financial institutions, group
work.
Twelfth foreign, jobs requiring secrecy, travels, hospitals, prisons, charities,
advocacy.
Case study: Graham Greene
[Please note I use the sidereal zodiac and whole sign houses. The unequal
houses cusps are shown for comparative purposes only.] There are no
simple rules or formulas to put together these influences into a single
comprehensive picture. Here are a few ideas that I have found helpful. So
we not only have to look at strong unafflicted planets if possible, but also
connections between planets that reinforce dominant themes in the chart.
For example, in a writer’s chart, we would expect to see Mercury and Venus
prominent in some way, along with the 2nd, 3rd and 5th houses. Signs are
of least importance, but we could include Gemini as well as the Venus ruled
signs, Taurus and Libra, since they are associated with aesthetic
sensibilities. The key in a writer’s chart is that there is usually a connection
between these factors. Mercury’s sign or nakshatra dispositor may be placed
or ruling the creative houses.

Graham Greene Natal Chart

We can see how these chart factors combine in the chart of famed British
novelist Graham Greene (Oct 2 1904 10.15 am GMT Berkhamsted, England).
First, we look at the condition of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant. Note that
both Sun and Moon are placed in signs owned by Mercury, the planet that
governs communication. Sun is placed in Virgo in the 12th house in the
nakshatra of Hasta, which is ruled by the Moon. Moon, in turn, is in Gemini,
the sign of writing par excellence. The Moon is given extra career importance
because it is 10th lord is very well placed in the 9th, aspecting the 3rd
house. This supports the notion of the career connected with writing since
the 3rd is associated with communication and writing. The Moon also closely
conjoins Neptune which produces a strong imagination. The Libra ascendant
is ruled by Venus, the planet linked with the arts. Venus itself is strong by
virtue of its placement in its own sign of Libra. The Ascendant is aspected by
3rd lord Jupiter and 5th lord Saturn. While the 3rd rules communication, the
5th is often associated with the intellect and authorship. Ketu’s trine aspect
to the Ascendant magnifies some of these themes since it is placed in the
5th house and its nakshatra dispositor Jupiter rules the 3rd.

Another powerful feature of Greene’s chart is the close opposition aspect

from 3rd lord Jupiter to Venus, the ruler of the 1st in the 1st house. This is
an excellent configuration for aesthetic appreciation and will push the native
to harness his sense of beauty in his daily work and communication. The MC
falls in the nakshatra ruled by Venus, yet another aesthetic influence. For its
part, Mercury conjoins

Rahu and is close to the MC. Rahu magnifies the Mercury and its placement
in the 11th house suggests that it is a source of gains. Its placement close to
the MC, the unequal 10th house cusp, also tells us that Mercury-related
matters such as writing will be expressed in the career.

The 2nd house is also closely associated with writing and not surprisingly,
we see Greene’s 2nd lord Mars placed in the 10th house of career. Its
dispositor Sun is also in a Mercury-ruled sign Virgo in the 12th house. This is
more evidence of a writerly orientation and may also relate to Greene’s
double life as a British intelligence agent while visiting many far-flung
places. The 12th house is connected to secrecy and foreign countries.
Moreover, Mars and the 2nd house are strengthened immensely by a very
favourable aspect from Jupiter.

This chart analysis shows how several different houses are often involved in
a single profession. In my experience, this is a necessary way of doing
astrology. However much we may want to keep things simple, we also have
to recognize that astrology does not lend itself well to simply deductive rule-
based systems. Although individual houses may be connected to individual
professions, (e.g. writing and the 3rd, health and the 6th), in practice we
generally look for combinations of houses.

Case study: Oprah Winfrey

The horoscope of television talk show maven Oprah Winfrey (Jan 29 1954
4.30 am CST Koscuisko, MS) provides another illuminating case of career
astrology. Oprah has become one of the richest women in the world through
her unparalleled success in the entertainment arena. Like most entertainers,
we would expect a strong Venus influence, along with Mercury, and the 2nd,
3rd, 5th houses. Because of her high public profile we should also find strong
associations to the 1st and 10th houses.
She has Sagittarius rising, with its ruler Jupiter in the 6th house in Taurus.
While 6th house placements are considered problematic by some
astrologers, this is a fine placement that underlines Oprah's dedication to
helping others and service to humanity. She has become known as a self-
help guru, something which is very appropriate given the 6th house's
traditional affiliation with health and service. What is also important to note
is that her chart ruler or lagnesh, is exactly aspecting the Midheaven (i.e
unequal 10th house cusp) by trine. This is a powerful and precise connection
between the 1st and the 10th houses that suggests success and fame.

Oprah Winfrey - NatalThe Moon is

placed in the 12th house debilitated in Scorpio with Mars. This dussthana
placement of a luminary is not what we would expect from a world famous
entertainer. Still, it's worthwhile to note that simple house placement isn't
everything. The Moon here has some problems but it is also aspected by 1st
lord Jupiter, an aspect . that gives prominence. She has a four planet
stellium in the 2nd house in Capricorn. The 2nd house represents speech
and communication. For a woman who earns her living talking to millions on
television every day, this is a reasonable placement. The 10th lord of career
is Mercury, and it is placed in the 2nd, so that is another hint that the 2nd
house will be central to Oprah's career. Jupiter aspects this Mercury very
closely and thereby confers great strength to the Mercury (the planet of
communication) and to the 10th house by virtue of its lordship. So the
evidence begins to accumulate that pushes the 2nd house to the forefront of
the chart, along with Mercury. Mercury in fact may be the strongest planet in
the chart. The Sun is also rendered superstrong through its extremely tight
conjunction with Venus -- with just 8 minute s orb. Besides further boosting
the 2nd, it also supports the indications of the 9th house, including higher
knowledge and duty. This is perhaps one reason why Oprah did not pursue
the usual TV trash daytime talk show and instead chose to tackle more
serious and refined social issues that aimed at the betterment of her
viewers.

A Rough Guide to Career Astrology

So here are some rough and ready rules for career selection. It’s nearly
impossible to suggest which factors are most important since each depends
on several other subsidiary associations. It’s best to simply make note of
each of them and watch for repeating themes.

1. House and sign of Sun, Moon and ascendant and ascendant ruler
(lagnesh). Look for repeating patterns e.g. A Jupiter-dominated
horoscope might have Sun’s dispositor conjunct Jupiter and Moon in
Sagittarius with Pisces rising.

2. All aspects to these. e.g. a close square from Mars to the Moon will
often lend a definite martial flavour to the person and influence career
choices in that direction.

3. Any houses with 3 or more planets (outers excluded). This house and
the one opposite will usually be connected with career in some basic
way.

4. 10th house and its lord and aspects thereto. Also planets in close
aspect to MC.

5. The strongest planet in the chart such as one that is exalted and
unafflicted or receives a close aspect from Jupiter, Venus, or Mercury.
Also planets that are heavily aspected by several planets are like
pivots for the whole chart. Similarly, slow (less than 20% of normal
speed) or stationary planets exercise an undue influence. If connected
to the 2nd or 11th houses representing money, strong planets will
probably provide the best avenue in life for prosperity.

Timing Issues: Predicting career ups and down

Besides providing a vocational guide, astrology can also indicate when career
advances and setbacks are most likely. Using a combination of transits and
planetary dashas, we can usually determine which times will yield favourable
results and which times may prove more difficult. The dasha of a poorly
placed, afflicted planet may prevent any advance despite the best efforts
and hard work on the job. Conversely, the period of a well-placed planet
may bring a very easy promotion or a new job that seems to just fall in
one’s lap.
The critical issue then lies in determining which planets can yield good
results and which will not. This is rarely straightforward and requires careful
consideration of the natal and dashamsha (D-10) charts. Vital information
can be gleaned from a planet’s house, sign, dispositor, nakshatra lord,
aspects, declination, and midpoint pattern.

Case study: Sandra Day O’Connor

An interesting example can be found in the chart of recently retired U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (Mar 26 1930 1.10 am MST El
Paso, TX). She was the first female justice on the Supreme Court. Her legal
career can be seen by the significator of law, Jupiter, in the 6th house in
Taurus. The 6th house is associated with legal matters. This Jupiter is
especially strong because it is chart ruler. This makes the 6th house a focus
of the horoscope. Jupiter is further enhanced by its dispositor, Venus,
exalted in Pisces in the 4th house, is placed in a kendra house, close to the
IC and Sun. The 4th house square aspect from Mars may have produced
some health concerns over the years, but for career matters, this influence
was not negative. Mars ruled the 5th house of counselling and intelligence,
and gave greater wisdom to O’Connor’s Jupiter. Further, Jupiter’s nakshatra
lord is the Moon, and it is unafflicted and strong in the 2nd house
representing education and speech. All of these influences make Jupiter an
exceptional planet in this chart.

O’Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court in the summer of 1981 and
was sworn-in in September of that year. This coincided with the running of
the Saturn-Mars dasha. Although these are two natural malefics, we can see
good results from the periods of these planets as long as they are strong in
the horoscope. In this case, they are. Saturn is 2nd and 3rd lord well placed
in the first house, unaspected except for a wide trine from Rahu and a tight
square from Uranus. The Rahu influence needn’t be negative for occupation
at all since Rahu is associated with ambition and material gain. The Uranus
influence is also not a hindrance for career matters and may describe the
sudden or tumultuous nature of life events throughout the period. Saturn is
further strengthened by virtue of its placement in Purvashada, a nakshatra
owned by Venus. Venus, as we know, is very strong by exaltation and placed
in a kendra with the Sun. Finally, the favourable 9th and 10th lords Sun and
Mercury are both placed in Uttara Bhadrapada, a nakshatra ruled by Saturn.
This enhances the results of the Saturn dasha, especially as they pertain to
career advancement (10th house) in legal matters (9th house).

The bhukti lord Mars is a crucial factor here. 5th lord Mars is placed in the
3rd house and is aspected by Saturn, lord of the 2nd house of status and
wealth. Its dispositor Saturn is strong in the first house. Its nakshatra lord
Rahu is also strong since it is placed in the favourable 5th house. Moreover,
the benefic Moon is placed in Dhanista, a Mars-ruled nakshatra. The two
dasha lords, Mars and Saturn are in a very auspicious 3-11 house
relationship with each other which also helps the results for this period.

O'Connor sworn-in Sept 25, 1981It is

also important to note the transits at the time of the appointment. Dasha
lord Saturn was transiting the 10th (whole sign) house of career and fame
and most importantly fell under the exact aspect of benefic natal Jupiter at
the time of the confirmation and swearing-in. Transit Rahu was also exactly
aspecting O’Connor’s 10th lord Mercury. Although Rahu is a natural malefic,
it often operates favourably in material matters such as career, particularly
when it is well placed natally. It is as if that positive natal energy of the
planet is bundled up and carried on the long transit journey through the sky,
ready for distribution in transit situations. Finally, transit Jupiter closely
aspected 10th lord Mercury at the time of the appointment and then 11th
lord Venus two months later at the time of the swearing-in. All in all, those
three excellent transits gave crucial support to the favourable dasha picture
and helped bring about O’Connor’s appointment to the highest court in the
land.