red numbersAs astrologers, we routinely scan astrological charts looking for yogas. If we’re observant, we’ll notice that some yogas turn up frequently, while others turn up only rarely. And if we’re mathematically-inclined, some of us might ask ourselves, what are the odds of seeing this or that yoga? But if you’re not inclined to engage in that kind of analysis, then sit back and relax, because I’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

Pancha Maha Purusha Yoga

There are lots of yogas we could look at, but to whet your appetite for this, we’ll start with the simplest, which involves only one planet. The Pancha Maha Purusha Yoga is formed when one of the true planets occupies:

  1. the sign of its ownership or exaltation, and
  2. a kendra.

The true planets are Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Each planet rules two signs, and each planet has one sign in which it is exalted. That means there are three signs where each of these planets can qualify for a Pancha Maha Purusha Yoga, except for Mercury, which has only two signs to make the grade, since Virgo is the sign of both its ownership and its exaltation.

  • The odds of Mars being in Aries, Scorpio or Capricorn are 3/12.
  • The odds of Mercury being in Gemini or Virgo are 2/12.
  • The odds of Jupiter in Cancer, Sagittarius or Pisces are 3/12.
  • The odds of Venus being in Taurus, Libra or Pisces are 3/12.
  • The odds of Saturn in Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius are 3/12.
  • The odds of any planet being in a kendra are 4/12.

The following table summarizes the odds for such yogas to appear:

Planet (yoga)

Sign odds

Kendra odds

 Total odds

Simple odds

Percent
MA (Ruchaka)

3/12

 4/12 12/144 1/12

8.33%
ME (Bhadra)

2/12

 4/12 8/144 1/18

5.55%
JU (Hamsa)

3/12

 4/12 12/144 1/12

8.33%
VE (Malavya)

3/12

 4/12 12/144 1/12

8.33%
SA (Sasha)

3/12

 4/12 12/144 1/12

8.33%

So the next time you see a Bhadra Yoga, take note, because now you know that it’s more rare than any of the other Pancha Maha Purusha Yogas.

Chandra Mangala Yoga

magic squareNext let’s examine the simplest of the two-planet yogas. A Chandra Mangala Yoga is formed when the Moon and Mars are either in the same or opposite signs. What are the odds?

  • The odds of Mars being in a sign are 12/12 (it has to be somewhere)
  • The odds of the Moon being in the same or opposite sign are 2/12.

Therefore, the odds of finding a Chandra Mangala Yoga are 12/12 * 2/12 = 24/144 = 1/6, or 16.67%. In other words, one out of six charts will have one.

In the case of Pancha Maha Purusha Yoga, the qualification was two-fold: the planet had to be strong by sign (own or exalted) and it had to be well-placed (kendra).

But in the case of the Chandra Mangala Yoga, the threshold for its formation is set very low – the planets need only associate or mutually aspect each other. But what if we demanded that the yoga be strong in some way or other, such as having Mars or the Moon strong by sign?

  • The odds of Moon being in Taurus or Cancer are 2/12.
  • The odds of Mars being in Aries, Scorpio or Capricorn are 3/12.

In fact, we can now use these two examples to create a powerful Chandra Mangala Yoga:

  • Moon in Taurus (1/12) and Mars in Scorpio (1/12) = 1/144, or 0.69%
  • Moon in Cancer (1/12) and Mars in Capricorn (1/12) = 1/144, or 0.69%

From this, we can see that, whereas the formation of a basic Chandra Mangala Yoga is relatively common (16.67%), the appearance of one in which both planets are strong is quite rare (0.69%).

diceMaha Bhagya Yoga

For a change of pace, let’s now consider a yoga that involves something in addition to the planets. Maha Bhagya Yoga is formed under two scenarios:

  1. a man is born during the day with the Ascendant, Sun and Moon in one of the male signs (fire or air)
  2. a woman is born during the night with the Ascendant, Sun and Moon in one of the female signs (earth or water)

 What are the odds?

  • The odds of being a man (or a woman) are 1/2.
  • The odds of being born in the day (or night) are 1/2.
  • The odds of the lagna in a male (or female) sign are 6/12, or 1/2.
  • The odds of the Sun in a male (or female) sign are 6/12, or 1/2.
  • The odds of the Moon in a male (or female) sign are 6/12, or 1/2.

Therefore, the odds of being a man born in the day with ascendant, Sun and Moon in one of the male signs are: 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/32, or 3.13%. Similarly, for a woman born at night with female signs. So the next time you see a Maha Bhagya Yoga in a chart, remind yourself that only three people in a hundred will have one.

~~~

Alan Annand, astrologer and palmist, is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology and the British Faculty of Astrological Studies. He is the author of several books, both fiction and non-fiction. 

Stellar Astrology offers astrological techniques, in-depth celebrity profiles, and analysis of world events, while Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish.

His NEW AGE NOIR crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

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