the-astrology-book

Muharta
after sunrise on a Monday would be the hora of the Moon. There follows a set
sequence as to the rulers of the subsequent hours for the different days of the week.
Since the length of day and night vary as one goes north or south of the equator and at
different times of the year, there is the complication that the hora may not be precisely
one hour long for a given date and locality. It may be necessary to calculate the
horas of the night and day separately to be completely accurate. Use of the horas can
be very specific. For example, if someone wants to schedule a job interview, it might
be desirable to select the hora of Mercury, provided other considerations are favorable
at that time and Mercury is favorable in the birth chart.
A tithi represents one lunar day and is calculated by the position of the Moon
relative to the Sun. Each tithi is 12° and there are 15 tithis in the waxing cycle culminating
in the full Moon and fifteen in the waning cycle ending with the new Moon.
Each tithi is classified as to the purposes for which it is auspicious and inauspicious.
Some tithis are completely avoided for almost all important activities. In general, the
tithis of the bright half of the lunar month are more favorable than the dark half for
activities that have a more outward direction.
Nakshatras are utilized in the context of muhurta to indicate what flourishes
and what is counter-indicated under their influence. They have certain archetypes
and qualities that lend great richness to astrological interpretation. A modern
astrologer can be led by these qualities to choose muhurtas for situations not anticipated
in ancient times. For example, the nakshatra of Revati is associated with roads
and by association, hospitality, shelter, and protection. If the client wanted to open a
bed-and-breakfast inn, an astrologer might choose a time when Revati is prominent in
the chart. The relationship between the Moon’s nakshatra in the birth chart and at
the time of the muhurta is also vital. Certain positions are decidedly inauspicious and
should ideally be avoided. A complex matrix of other factors relevant to nakshatras is
beyond the scope of this discussion.
Other important considerations give a flavor of the intricacy and detail of
muhurta. Points of transition such as the Sun’s entry into new sidereal constellations,
eclipses, and certain transition times during each day are generally considered unfavorable
for initiating most activities. In turn, other such junctures are very auspicious.
The position of the Moon is extremely important as well. For example, the Moon in
the eighth house from its natal position is said to give inauspicious results. Similarly, it
is not desirable for the Moon to be too close to the Sun. Although the consideration
of the tithi takes such factors into account to some extent, the underlying principle is
that the strength and position of the Moon is always to be optimized. Sometimes,
however, there is no choice but to commence something under some of these more
obstructive combinations. Fortunately, the system is sufficiently diverse and ornate
that these obstructions can be offset by other considerations.
Once a time period has been selected according to these criteria, the most
important final step for the purposes of this discussion is to select an ascendant that will
empower the client to realize the potential of the chosen time. Although this is technically
outside the primary considerations of the panchanga, it is universally recognized
that if the ascendant and ascendant lord are not strong, the possibility of a good out-
THE ASTROLOGY BOOK
[471]