Blogs On Vastu and Vedic Astrology By Kaartik Gor

Combust planets are pretty common in horoscopes. Remember the traditional warning issued to children? “Don’t go close to the fire; you will get burnt.” Similar things happen to planets when they get too close to the Sun.

The Sun is at the heart of the combust planets phenomenon. A kingly figure, the Sun brooks no intimacy; if anything gets too close, it can be at its peril.

The combust planets rule specifies the closeness that can be dangerous.

Let’s have a look at the combust planets’ distances from the Sun:

• Moon: within 12 degrees on either side of the Sun.
• Mercury: combust within 5-6 degrees near the Sun, provided it is in forward motion. Retrograde Mercury combusts at 12 degrees near the Sun.
• Venus: within 5-6 degrees on either side of the Sun if in forward motion. Retrograde Venus combusts at 8 degrees near the Sun.
• Mars: within 7-8 degrees on either side of the Sun.
• Jupiter: within 9-10 degrees on either side of the Sun.
• Saturn: within 9-10 degrees on either side of the Sun.
• Rahu and Ketu are shadow planets and do not combust. Instead, they cause eclipses when they get too close to the Sun.

WHAT HAPPENS TO COMBUST PLANETS?

Combust planets lose potency and cannot deliver their promise in the horoscope. But there are nuances to this loss. The closer a planet to the Sun, the more it suffers combustion. So, if Mercury is 14 degrees from the Sun, it enters its initial combustion stage, but if it is 5 degrees away from the Sun, it is severely combusted.

Planet combustion is akin to burns. There are 1^st-degree, 2nd-degree, 4^th degree burns, with some more severe than others even causing disfigurement.

For example, Sun is in Cancer at 15 degrees, and Mercury is in the same sign at 5 degrees; the latter is combusted but not severely. But if Mercury is at 10 degrees in this sign, it’s burnt out by the Sun.

COMBUST PLANETS IN DIFFERENT HOUSES

The impact of combust planets is also tempered by the houses it occurs, apart from the degrees.

If the Sun and the combusted planet are in a sign that is friendly to them both, the effects will be less daunting.

For example, if Sun and Jupiter are in Aries, and Jupiter is combusted within 10 degrees of the Sun, it will be a subdued effect as Sun is exalted in Aries, which is a friendly sign for Jupiter.

However, if the same combination of Sun and Jupiter is placed in Capricorn and Jupiter is combust, it will create more problems as Jupiter is debilitated in Capricorn.

The effect of combust planets also varies if the Sun is debilitated. For example, if a debilitated Sun is in Libra with a combust Saturn, the stakes are in favour of Saturn as it is exalted in Libra, and a weak Sun may not singe Saturn as much.

Therefore, the principle of combust planets is a layered concept. The interplay of the Sun, the combusted planet, the degrees, and the signs they occupy, factoring in exaltation and debilitation, are critical factors to study before concluding.

COMBUST PLANETS: WHY MERCURY IS A COMMON VICTIM

In the roll call of combust planets, Mercury has a higher chance. Why? Because, as the smallest planet in our solar system, it closest to the Sun.

COMBUST PLANETS HAVE A SILVER LINING

As mentioned in the previous module,combustion has caveats. Benefic planets with the Sun versus malefic planets; the impact varies. If there are two planets with the Sun and both are combusted, their combined impact is reduced if they are in a favourable sign. If the combust planet is exalted, it minimises the combustion effect.

It’s like two friends facing a fiery adversary in a conducive environment versus protecting themselves in unfriendly territory.

There can be a host of combust planets combinations in the horoscope house or bhava:

• Sun and another planet.
• Sun and two planets.
• Sun and more than two planets.

Add to this:

• Exaltation.
• Debilitation.
• Planetary strength.
• Friendly or unfriendly relationship with the house sign.

You can see how the odds and evens become vastly different.

MY TAKE ON COMBUST PLANETS

The meaning of combustion is clear yet nuanced. The combusted planet’s significations will be impacted; it’s like the feeling of pain, a scar, but it will not kill you.

A combusted planet can give you plenty of sorrow, but combustion is also a sublimation where you gain spirituality. Why? Because the phenomenon of effacement leads to humility and helps you see beyond yourself.

The chara karaka represented by the combusted planet can refine you.

In my case, my Jupiter, my Bhatri Karaka or BK (the planet with the third highest degree in the horoscope), is combust, and Jupiter is Guru. Therefore, my Gurudev can make me transform. The transformation will be challenging, especially if the planet is not involved in Raj yoga. In this case, the lessons can get painful.

The best remedy for the combust planet is praying to Lord Shiva. Do the Panchakshari mantra (five-syllable) Na-ma-shi-va-ya or perform the Rudrabhishek.