What is the relation between the human body and planets?
—Dinesh, India
Dear Dinesh,
In fact there is a direct relation: basically we have the planets right within us, in our chakras.
Let me explain it a bit better: there is a direct connection between the planets and our astral (energy) body, which is the matrix of our physical body. That relationship occurs specifically with the chakras. (I am assuming you know some astral anatomy, in which the chakras are central.)
Yogananda explains in his Autobiography of a Yogi: “The astral system of a human being, with six (twelve by polarity) inner constellations revolving around the sun of the omniscient spiritual eye, is interrelated with the physical sun and the twelve zodiacal signs.”
Swami Kriyananda expands on this teaching. He explains how each planet and constellation corresponds to a specific chakra. To study it more deeply, please read his book Your Sun Sign as a Spiritual Guide, or (for a short description) his yogic manual, The Art and Science of Raja Yoga.
Interestingly, Kriyananda explains how the planets are symbols for our inner realities, not vice versa. For example, the sun (mighty as it is) is only a symbol for our spiritual eye, whose light, as yogis teach, is far greater than the light of the sun. The moon similarly is a symbol for the medulla oblongata, not the other way around. And so on.
This brings us to Vedic Astrology, which “evolved, as yoga did, in a more spiritual age. It is really but an extension of the inner yoga science and its ‘zodiac’ of the spinal centers. The constellations and planets were considered in ancient times to express, objectively deep subjective truths of man’s nature.” (from The Art and Science of Raja Yoga).
In simple words: the planets in your Vedic Horoscope are an exact picture of the situation of your chakras. And what is in your chakras determines what you are in your body, mind, and soul. The planets, therefore, describe the entire human being.
So, one by one:
- Saturn represents your first chakra, the muladhara chakra (earth element).
- Jupiter represents your second chakra, the svadistana chakra (water element).
- Mars represents your third chakra, the manicure chakra (fire element).
- Venus represents your fourth chakra, the anahata chakra (air element).
- Mercury represents your fifth chakra, the vishuddha chakra (ether element).
- The moon represents your sixth chakra, the negative pole of the age chakra (here enters the AUM, “Holy Spirit”, into the body).
- The sun represents your sixth chakra, the positive pole of age chakra (Christ Consciousness, “the Son“).
- The last chakras, sahasrara, is beyond all planets, and holds Cosmic Consciousness, “the Father“.
Swami Kriyananda recommends: “If any planet is weak in your own horoscope, you might try to improve its influence on you by meditating on its relative chakra in your body, and harmonizing the vibrations there. But if it is one of the lower three chakras that is involved, don’t meditate on it, but on the relatively positioned chakra in the upper triad: on the heart center to harmonize the vibrations in the coccyx; on the cervical center to harmonize the sacral; and on the Christ center to harmonize the lumbar.”
Often, if a planet in one’s horoscope is weak — meaning that the corresponding chakra is weak — the Vedic astrologer advises a particular gemstone to strengthen it. If you would enjoy a profound reading of your own horoscope, to discover how your own planets determine your personal life, I recommend that you contact Drupada MacDonald (contact us to get his email address). He is an outstanding Vedic astrologer — hope that he has time, as he is a man in high demand.
One last thing: the central meditative technique which Yogananda taught — Kriya Yoga — applies this relationship between planets and our astral body. It directly influences our “inner planets.”
Yogananda explains it in his Autobiography of a Yogi: “The Kriya Yogi mentally directs his life energy to revolve, upward and downward, around the six spinal centers (medullary, cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses) which correspond to the twelve astral signs of the zodiac, the symbolic Cosmic Man. One-half minute of revolution of energy around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half-minute of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment.”
I hope this is what you wanted to know.
In divine friendship,
Jayadev