The Nine Types of Dignities (Beyond The Exalted & Debilitated Ones)

When you get an astrological reading from me, you’ll hear me discuss the dignities of the planets. I like to think of them as the level of consciousness a planet has. It shows whether a planet will be productive or destructive. 

There are nine levels of the dignities, based on the sign in which the planet in question is placed. To get the planetary dignities in a natal chart, we need to examine the combined relationship between planets which is comprised of the natural relationships and temporary relationships between planets. Unless a person has the Kala software or any other astrological software that accurately calculates the combined relationships in a natal chart, you’ll want to understand how we determine the dignity of the planets in your chart, which I’ll discuss later. 

For now, let’s look at what the dignities look like in order from the highest levels to the lowest levels of planetary productivity & consciousness:

1. Exalted- A planet is at the highest dignity level and is the most awake and ready to effectively produce magnificent things.

2. Mulatrikona- a planet that falls in a certain degree and that’s in a sign from which the planet gets most of its energy. This planet is very awake.

3. Own sign- a planet in a certain degree that is in the sign that a planet rules. A planet in his own sign is confident in his level of production.

• The Sun rules Leo. The Moon rules Cancer. Mars rules Aries & Scorpio. Mercury rules Gemini & Virgo. Jupiter rules Sagittarius & Pisces. Venus rules Taurus & Libra. Saturn rules Capricorn & Aquarius.

4. Great friend sign- A planet can produce on a significantly more than average level.

5. Friend sign- A planet can produce on a more than average level.

6. Neutral sign- A planet can produce on an average level.

7. Enemy sign- A planet is asleep and is not able to produce much.

8. Great enemy sign- A planet is asleep and is not able to produce much.

9. Debilitated sign- A planet is in a deep sleep state and produces low things.

Example of Exalted/Debilitated Sun

Let’s compare the Sun when he’s exalted to when he debilitated as an example. When the Sun is exalted in Aries, the Sun is at its highest level of consciousness. A person with this auspicious placement has a lot of focus and drive to be consistent in their vision. Their creativity flows through them as they shine because they are expressing themselves truly. On the other hand, a person with their Sun that’s debilitated in Libra can still be extremely successful, but they’re most likely going to be on a path that doesn’t represent who they are. They can be focused on the beauty and inspiration that stems from outside of themselves, but not the inspiration that comes from within.

Examples With Lajjitaadi Avasthas

If you’ve read my blog post on lajjitaadi avasthas, then you might remember that looking at planetary combinations in the birth chart is of paramount importance because it shows a person’s habits and possible compensatory behaviors. The lajjitaadi avasthas of each planet can show if there’s going to be more ease or frustration with a planet, whereas dignity shows how productive a planet is. For example, a person can have an exalted Sun but their Sun is conjunct Saturn, which both are mutual enemies. This means that it’s going to take a person longer to find their path and to have confidence in expressing who they are, but because their Sun is exalted, they’ll eventually find it because their Sun is productive.

On the other hand, a person can have a debilitated Sun but have no enemies and only his friend Jupiter is strongly aspecting the Sun. This can help a person have more wisdom and fortune when it comes to their path or career, but because the Sun is debilitated, a person may still not go into a path that represents who they are, but they can still have joy and ease with the career(s) that they’re in.

How to Calculate the Dignities

Okay, astronerds, this part’s for you! Calculating the planetary dignities is no easy feat. So if you don’t have the software to determine the dignities and/or you are doing in-person readings, you’ll want to know how to calculate the dignities.

Natural relationships

Planets have a natural relationship with one another which determines how planets behave towards one another. The mulatrikona is the dignity of a planet and is the sign from where the planet sources its energy. We can determine the natural relationships between two planets by counting the house placements from each others’ mulatrikona.

• According to Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, planets are in natural friend signs when the planets fall in the 4th, 2nd, 12th, 5th, 9th, and 8th (also in an exalted sign) from the mulatrikona. Anywhere else will be in a natural enemy sign.

• The Sun has its mulatrikona in Leo, Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Libra, Jupiter in Sagittarius, Saturn in Aquarius, Mars in Aries, and the Moon in Taurus.

  • See the mulatrikona South Indian chart below:

For example, Mercury is a friend to Mars because when we count Mercury from its mulatrikona in Virgo to Mars’ mulatrikona in Aries, we get 8. But we have to also look at the other planet that Mars rules which is Scorpio and Scorpio is 3rd from the mulatrikona Mercury in Virgo, which makes them enemies. Because we have a friend + enemy combination, Mercury has a neutral natural relationship with Mars.

But planetary relationships aren’t always a two-way street. Mulatrikona Mars is 6th from mulatrikona Mercury and 3rd from Gemini. 8th and 3rd relationships are both inimical, so Mars is an enemy to Mercury.

Natural relationships consist of:

Friend + Friend= Friend 

Friend + Enemy= Neutral

Enemy + Enemy= Enemy

Temporary Relationships

The next thing we need to do after figuring out the natural relationships is find the temporary relationship. The temporary relationships are based on planetary positions at the time of birth. Parashara states that planets standing in the 10th, 4th, 11th, 3rd, 2nd and 12th from each other are friendly and anywhere else are enemies. Another way to put it, the planets that are three houses in front or behind are friends because temporary relationships are based on planets being close enough to each other that their rays can work together but aren't conjunct where they can obstruct each other.

Combined Relationships

Combined relationships are when you take the natural relationship of a planet and add the temporary relationship of the planet. Combined relationships are ultimately how we determine the dignity of a planet in the natal chart.

Keep in mind, if a planet is exalted, in Mulatrikona (the sign from where a planet gets its energy), when it’s in its own sign, or when debilitated, the dignities are fixed and aren’t contingent upon combined relationships.

Combined relationships (of natural and temporary relationships):

1. Friendly + Friendly= Great Friend

2. Friendly + Neutral= Friendly

3. Friendly + Enemy= Neutral

4. Enemy + Neutral= Enemy

5. Enemy + Enemy= Great Enemy

   
   

   

In the chart above, we see that the Sun is in Capricorn. The Sun in Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is in a natural enemy sign. We have to count from the Sun's mulatrikona in Leo and Capricorn is the sixth from Leo, which is a natural enemy. Aquarius, which is also ruled by Saturn is in the 7th from Leo and this is also a natural enemy. This means that the Saturn is a natural enemy to the Sun.

At the same time, the Lord of Capricorn, which is Saturn, is within three houses from Capricorn because it falls in the sign of Pisces. This gives the Sun a friendly temporary relationship. The combined relationship (enemy + friend) gives the Sun a neutral dignity in a natal chart. 

What is the dignity of Jupiter that falls in Taurus?

Answer: Venus is a natural enemy to Jupiter because Libra, the mulatrikona of Venus, is the 3rd from Jupiter's mulatrikona in Sagittarius and 6th from Pisces, the other ruler of Jupiter. Also, Venus, the ruler of Taurus, is not close enough to Jupiter to form a temporary friendship, so Jupiter is in a Great Enemy dignity (enemy+ enemy).

About

Greetings! I'm Gina, a California native who has voraciously studied astrology since 2018. I use Tropical Vedic Astrology and cartomancy as my main vehicles in my cosmic quest for profound spiritual understanding and healing. 

I hold a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Marriage & Family Therapy. With over fifteen years of counseling and teaching experience, I've always enjoyed listening to people's stories and helping them on their path.

The content on this page is to be treated as entertainment purposes only and should never replace professional advice. Her Cosmic Crown uses astrology and the cards as a tool to help with guidance providing advice during readings. We will not be responsible for the decisions you make after a reading.