The Bhavam Chart or Bhava Chalit Chart is one of the least looked upon charts in any horoscope report. Many of you may wonder why this chart is included in a birth report when no specific mention is present in the detailed reports in most cases. There are other important charts like Sudarshan chakra, which also have the same story. The report generated by Feelastro Adwaith Software considers the planetary positions and changes shown in the Bhavam chart in most of the predictive astrological analyses.
Let us look into detail about Bhava chalit chart and how and when an astrologer should consider the planet’s positions in this chart while analysing.
What is Bhava Chalit Chart?
Bhavam Chart or Bhava Chalit Chart is prepared by taking Lagna as the midpoint and counting houses from that midpoint degree. Suppose Lagna is at 20 degrees of Capricorn, then 20 degrees becomes the midpoint of the Ascendant. In the traditional Rashi chart, which follows the Parashara system of Astrology, uses an equal house method of calculation where each house is equal to a Rashi sign, which is equal to 30 degrees. We know houses are counted from the Lagna or Ascendant, which is not an actual planet. But this point we call Lagna is the most important spot in the birth chart and carries a top level of authority and power when compared to other planets and houses in the chart. Houses and planets in each house get certain roles as Kendra, Trikon, Trik houses etc. and planets such as yoga karaka, benefic, maraka or malefic planets through the viewpoint of Lagna. You can imagine Lagna as your physical self in this living world, which is represented through a birth chart. In Vedic Astrology, planets that are at the midpoint of a Rashi get all the riches of that sign and behave well according to that Rashi sign. But this rule only applies to planets and shadow planets. Lagna is a calculated point known as the rising sign and the particular degree where Lagna is situated is the powerful point irrespective of where it is in a Rashi sign. Lagna can be in 1 degree, 15 degrees or 29 degrees of a Rashi sign and in all these cases, it behaves the same. What matters most is the degree of Lagna in that Rashi.
Imagine yourself as Lagna and you are posited at 20 degrees of Capricorn. You are the judge of the borders of your house or Bhava. Now you look ahead and behind to see your borders. You can look ahead up to 5 degrees of Aquarius and can look behind up to 5 degrees of Capricorn. Now you see your house with 30 degrees length (20+15 degrees in forward direction reaching 5 degree of Aquarius and 20-15 degrees in backward direction reaching 5 degree of Capricorn) and you are in the middle of your house. Check the Image illustration below for a better understanding of how Lagna is seeing other houses and its own house.
Suppose Venus is in Aquarius at 3 degrees, so, according to you (Lagna), Venus is in your house (Lagna or 1st house). In other words, any planet that is within 5 degrees of Aquarius will be in the 1st house because you have drawn the borders up to 5 degrees of Aquarius as your own house and any planet that is below 5 degrees of Capricorn will be outside your own house and you will consider those planets as in 12th house.
Should I ignore the Rashi Chart and only rely on Bhavam Chart to judge the house?
Absolutely not. Ancient sages set the rules of an equal house system as per Rashi for a greater reason. Take the same example of Lagna being in the sign of Capricorn at 20 degrees and Venus at 3 degrees of Aquarius. Here you (Lagna) behave as per the character set by Capricorn. Even though you claimed Venus is in your house, that planet is actually posited under the sign of Aquarius and behaves according to Aquarius. You will definitely feel the alien nature of Venus even after you consider it as your own house member. But how long will you keep Venus as an alien member of your family? Not for a long time, off-course. So the answer to the question is, you shouldn’t ignore the Rashi chart, and the houses defined in there but do not expect that planets will always behave according to that house. As time passes, Lagna will start adapting to our own life in here. The same principle is there with all other planets known as the planet’s maturity age. So once you cross your maturity age in terms of right Karma (or wrong Karma), you will start seeing Venus (or any planet as per the bhavam chart) as a member of your own house with no alien feel and Venus will start behaving as if it is posited in the 1st house and will also give out some results as Venus in the 2nd house. So it will be a mix of 1st and 2nd house here when you analyse the horoscope for Venus’s position. But never judge the planet solely based on Bhavam Chart because the character of the Bhavam chart depends on the Lagna or in other words, your Karma. In most real-life cases I have analysed, Bhavam chart results are prominent during the second half of life, whereas the Rashi chart is strong during the 1st half.
Bhavam Chart only considers the position of the planet regarding its house and all other matters like the planet’s Rashi sign, drishti (aspect) and conjunction with another planet must be checked from the corresponding Rashi chart or D1 chart.