Career Determination

By Ernst Wilhelm, www.vedic-astrology.net

CAREER FACTORS
First is to know the factors that indicate the career. According to my beautifully illustrated antique New Century Dictionary
the old meaning of career is a path, or way, which has taken on the meaning of general course of action, as of a person
through life or in some profession. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Jaimini Sutras give emphasis to the following Self
Factors for determining the career:
1. The Svamsa
2. The Atmakaraka.
3. The Pada.
Career is primarily what the native is in life in a dharmic sense of following the path that the natives own nature demands of him
or her. Secondarily Upadesa Sutras also considers the following Karma (action) Factors (Career is also the general course of
action) though this important subtlety has been lost in Brihat Parashara Hora Sastra:
4. The Pada of the 10th House, which is the Upapada or secondary Pada.
The Rasis that these four Career Factors fall in and the Planets that they join indicate the potential careers of the native
these are the primary Career Indicators according to Jaimini.
In addition to the Career Factors mentioned by Jaimini I have found that the Rasi and Navamsa of the natural
Atmakaraka, the Sun, and the planets joining the Sun are also promising career factors, especially when the Sun is stronger
than the Atmakaraka.
Additionally, there are secondary Career Factors that are related to the above:
1. The Lagna
2. The Lagna Lord
3. The 10th Bhava
4. The 10th Bhava Lord
The Rasis that these fall in and the Grahas they join are secondary career factors which in most cases can be ignored and
which are generally best ignored otherwise things can get overwhelming. The Lagna and 10th Bhava are the two factors
that non-Jaimini astrologers find useful, and they can be, but not nearly as useful as Jaiminis primary Career Indicators.
CAREERS INDICATED BY THE PLANETS
There are many ideas floating around about the nature of careers that each planet gives. Some of what is given in Upadesa
Sutras, therefore, appears unconventional, though they are actually what was most likely truly given by the Rishis, and which
have proven to be very accurate in practice. Upadesa gives the careers that a Graha can give in the Svamsa Chapter, Sutras
1.2.14-38; and 1.2.102-117.
The ideas from these sutras must be used flexibly in order to encompass all the many careers that are available in the complex
modern world. Determining the general nature of the career through a career planet is relatively easy, however, as can be seen,
each planet has the potential to give many different careers. Which one will it be, specifically? That is dependent upon the
influence of the houses and house lords upon the career planets. This influence can happen in the following ways:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Conjunction or Rasi Aspect with a House Lord.

SPECIFIC CAREERS
Following are several careers for which the specific career planets and influencing houses and/or lords are being given:

Author
Moon and Jupiter, Moon and Venus, or Moon & Mercury influenced by the 9th house for tales and teaching the 5th house
for creativity and the 3rd house for the grammar and writing.
Acting
Mercury for skill and Venus for entertainment influenced by the lagna for using the body, 3rd house for entertainment skills,
and the 2nd house for speech, and the 7th house for public exposure.
Acupuncturist
Mars for sharp objects which is influenced by the 6th house for treating disease & Moon and Mercury for healer influenced
by 6th house to treat disease.
Allopathic Doctor
Rahu for knowledge of poisons influenced by 6th house for treating disease & Moon and Mercury for healer influenced by
6th house to treat disease.
Pediatrician
Jupiter for children influenced by 6th house for treating disease & Moon and Mercury for healer influenced by 6th house to
treat disease.
Artist
Mercury for Artisan/Craftsman influenced by 3rd house for skill with hands, 5th house for creativity, 4th house for art.
Business
Mercury influenced by the 11th house for gains and the 7th house for trade.
Lawyer
Mercury influenced by the 9th lord for Law and the 6th house for litigation.
Politicians
Sun or Venus influenced by the 10th house for government, the 11th house for titles, and the 7th house for public appeal. High
Level Leaders have to have the Sun, Venus alone wont do.
Striper
Venus influenced by 12th house for secret pleasures, the lagna for the body, the 4th house for the breasts and the 8th house for
taboo activities and the external sexual organs, and the 3rd house for dance. Add the 7th house and prostitution is possible.
Software Engineer
Moon and Jupiter, Moon and Venus, or Moon & Mercury for writing influenced by the 3rd house for technical writing &
Rahu for technology influenced by the 3rd house for engineering.
Thief
Ketu, or Rahu, or Gulika aspected by the Moon, influenced by the 6th house for crime, the 8th house for breaking the law
and other peoples possessions.
Astrologer
Ketu for astronomy and Jupiter for wisdom influenced by the 5th house for clients and the 9th house for
counseling/philosophy and most importantly the 8th house for occult. (Ketu is related to Lord Ganesha- the Patron Deity of
Astrology/Astronomy.
Dentist
Mars for drills influenced by the 2nd house for teeth, the Sun for bone and the 7th house for treating tooth disease. Moon with
or aspected by Mercury for healing influenced by 7th house for treating tooth disease.
Drug Dealer
Rahu and Saturn, or in Saturns rasi with Rahu, influenced by the 8th house for drugs the 6th house for crime and the 7th
house for business.
Teaching
Self/Karma factors with Venus or in Venus rasi, or with the benefic Moon or in Cancer when the Moon is a benefic for
educationist influenced by the 9th house for teaching can give various types of teaching in the context of the career that other
planets are indicating.

Homeopath
Sun and Rahu influenced by a benefic for knowledge of poisons and the Moon/Mercury for healer influenced by 6th
house to treat disease. Have also seen Homeopaths with only one of the Sun or Rahu as a career factor with one aspected by
the other.
Detective/Investigator
Same as policeman plus Mercury for investigation influenced by 6th house to investigate crime.
Tarot Reader
Venus for seeing meaning where there is none influenced by 9th house of counseling, 5th house of clients and 8th house of the
occult.
Police
Mars for influenced by 6th house for service and 9th house for Law.
Psychologist
Jupiter for wisdom influenced by the 5th house for clients and the 9th house for counseling and the 4th house for psychology
and Moon/Mercury for Healer also influenced by the 4th, 5th and 9th.
Scientist
Venus or the full Moon or Cancer when the Moon is full, influenced by the 3rd house for rational thought and the 12th house
for laboratory research.
Musician
The Moon for music and Venus for entertainment both influenced by the 3rd house for instruments, the 7th house for public
exposure, the 5th house for creative expression. Venus has to be in the the 1st, the Moon in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th from the
svamsa, etc.
Singer
Sun for song influenced and Moon for Music by 2nd house for vocals and the 7th house for public exposure the 5th house for
creative expression & Venus for entertainment influenced by the same. Venus has to be in the the 1st, the Sun and Moon in
the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th from the svamsa, etc.
Composer/Songwriter
The Sun for song, Moon for music and Venus for entertainment both influenced by the 3rd house for instruments and
writing, the 7th house for public exposure, the 5th house for the 5th house for creative expression. Venus has to be in the the 1st,
the Sun and Moon in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th from the svamsa, etc. Plus a writing combination of Moon/Jupiter, Moon/Venus or
Moon/Mercury involving the 3rd and 5th Bhavas.
School Teacher
Venus or the full Moon or Cancer when the Moon is full for education influenced by the 9th house for teaching and the 3rd
house for academics initiatory instruction, because grade school is meant to give the basic abilities with which to get through
life.

College Professor
Venus or the full Moon or Cancer when the Moon is full for education influenced by the 9th house for teaching the 3rd house
for academics and the 11th house for the title of professor.
Yoga, Hatha
Jupiter for spirituality, influenced by 3rd house for exercise and balance, the 1st house for the body, and the 9th house for
philosophy and teaching and Mars athletics influenced by 3rd house for exercise, the 1st house for body, and the 9th house for
philosophy and teaching.
Athlete
Mars related to 1st house of body and 3rd house of competition and 10th Bhava for performance. Athletes that play game such
as football, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. also need Mercury as a career planet influenced by the same since Mercury
rules games.
Government Employee
The Sun or Venus influenced by the 6th Bhava for Govt. Service. This is the bailout career when no other career comes to
the surface or it can indicate a career with the government in a field indicated by other factors.

As can be seen, it can be quite a complex matter to determine the specific career, however, if you can just determine the career
planets and rasis you will be able to assess the general nature of the career and benefit the client greatly.
DASA INFLUENCE
In Vedic Astrology the Dasa has the final say on everything. Amongst the potential careers indicated, it is the one that the
Dasa lord is activating that is important- careers are Dasa dependent. Amongst the potential careers available to the native as
determined so far, the Dasa Lord will give the career of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Itself.
Any Planets in its Rasi.
Any Planets in its Navamsa.
Any Planets in its Nakshatra.
The planet in which the dasa lord falls in the Shadvargas is always a source of wealth during the dasa and so may well
indicate the career since it is through career that most wealth comes.

Saturn gives no specific career all by itself, therefore, it not only gives the careers indicated by 2, 3, 4 and 5 above, it can also
the career of the dasa previous to it, namely that of Jupiter. Saturn gives accomplishment, more effort and success in the
career already begun. This is especially so when Jupiter and Saturn are joined or in opposition to each other or Rasi aspecting
each other. If Saturn career is indicated by number 5 above, then the career of the previous dasa will likely continue.
The Dasas of Rahu and Ketu will give the careers indicated by:
1. Themselves.
2. Their Rasi Lords.
3. Their Navamsa Lords.
4. Their Nakshatra Lords.
5. Planets falling in their Nakshatras.
Also, the Dasa Lord can give the career related to:
1. The Houses it rules.
2. The House Lords in its Rasi, Navamsa, or Nakshatra.
3. The House it is in.
Some horoscope will indicate only one strong career theme, in which event the native will have a strong idea of what they
want to do. Other horoscopes will have many various career themes, in which event the native will be more indecisive and
unsure about what to do. Occasionally a Dasa will not bring any significant career planets to the surface, in which case the
native will unfocused and unclear with their ambition.
TIP: Since the Dasa Lord has the deciding influence of the career that the native will involve themselves in, to simplify
matters, you can start assessing the career by seeing which planets the Dasa is activating and then check to see if those planets
are career planets or not.
Finally, success and fame in the career is indicated if the Dasa Lords that are giving the career are forming the favorable yogas
in the Pada chapter in Upadesa Sutras.
Note: Looking at any Conditional Nakshatra Dasas that may apply to the chart will often help in pointing out the career
during that dasa.