Last Updated on October 17, 2021 by astrologerbydefault

‘Can the debilitation of a planet be cancelled?’. This question is always a controversial topic among astrologers. In my experience, the energy created by a planet cannot be cancelled, it cannot be made zero. No energy can be destroyed, it can only be diverted. Let’s check out the meaning of the Sanskrit (Devbhasha Samskrutam) words, ‘neech bhang’. Most of us have forgotten our real mother tongue, that is why understanding core concepts has become difficult.

Neech – नीच – Lowered, short, vile, insignificant, inferior, deep, depressed, downwards, basal, etc.

Neech is a state of energy. When the energy of the planet perfectly mis-matches the energy of the rashi environment it is placed in, it is said to be neech. Neech means that the energy goes inwards, deeply, the direction of its movement is altered. But the planetary force has to work where is he placed, no option on that. So these neech graha also work, they cannot be cancelled or deleted from your chart. They will give their effects. Neech is neither good/ bad. Energy just is, it is all about how you use it. Sometimes the so-called ‘badly placed’ planets can, if used appropriately, give superb results. Good/bad is a matter of perception. Something ‘good’ now can be a source of immense sorrow ’bad’ later. Or something ‘bad’ for someone can be perceived to be ‘good’ for someone else. Some event seen to be ‘bad’ now can in fact grant you something very valuable down the line. Contexts and perceptions drive your life. (So do not ask me questions like ‘is this planet good/bad?’, in the comments.) Your horoscope creates the environment around you, also offers you some options and helps you in making your decisions. Decisions, Nirnay, are in your hands and the consequent effects, Parinam, of these decisions are not. Your birth chart, the planets are you, yourself. You choose your birth time, this was the best possible decision you could have made at your birth. If you blame the graha for issues in your life, know that you are blaming your own self. That, to me, is escapism. Instead, try to understand your self and work with your self.

I have written posts on the exalted and debilitated status of planets. Also on how they perform in the D1 birth chart and the D9 navamsha, param-neech etc, do go through these (use the index page or search bar), will not repeat all that again.

Bhang – भङ्ग – Burst, knitting, downfall, torturous course, splitting, rout, constant change, interruption, contraction, decay, roundabout way, bending, channel, separation, analysis, fracture, fold, breach, stretch, abatement, disturbance etc.

Bhang does not mean ‘cancellation’. It means, change in the energy’s course. This can happen in some way or the other as per the above meanings. You can proactively use the energies in some appropriate way which favours you. Or divert them to some actions which do not harm you. If you have other enabling combinations of ‘neech bhang’ in your chart then it becomes easier. You can also try any of the simple or complicated remedies, from Homa, charity, giving away items, mantra, spiritual practice etc depending on what you can afford/like to do (do use the index page or search bar to locate these posts). 

As per the books, the following conditions provide ‘neech bhang’ in a horoscope. If there are any of these combinations with respect to the neech planet in your chart, then his energy will be diverted. This diversion will depend on the modifying influence on him.

• A debilitated planet exchanges signs with a more powerful and auspicious planet who then supports him via the exchange of houses. This is also called Parivartan yog.
• A debilitated planet is conjunct with an exalted planet who is friendly or at least neutral to him, thus can support him.
• If the owner of the sign occupied by the debilitated planet is conjunct with or aspects that debilitated planet and can support him. (Moon is debilitated in Scorpio, so if Mars himself is in Scorpio, Taurus, Leo, Aries aspecting this Moon.)
• If the owner of the exaltation sign of the planet is conjunct with or aspects the debilitated planet, fortifying him in some way. (Eg Moon is exalted in Taurus, so Venus becomes the exaltation lord. So if Moon is in Scorpio, Venus should also be in Taurus or Scorpio.)
• The owner of the sign of debilitation of that planet is placed in the 5^th or 9^th house counted from the ascendant sign. (The 1st 5th 9th house make up the Dharma trikon)
• The owner of the sign of exaltation of that planet is placed in the 5^th or 9^th house counted from the ascendant sign. (The 5/9 axis is the axis of creative genius and foundations.)
• Two debilitated planets are in mutual aspects with each other.

If you analyse these conditions carefully it is obvious that the neech planet is being supported or his energy is being diverted in some way or the other in the birth chart.

• Either he himself is being directly helped, eg by conjunction, aspect etc combinations.
• Or the sign in which this debilitation has occurred is being supported, by a powerful placement of its owner planet.
• If natural or functional benefics aspect this neech planet, even then his energies are diverted.

If you know your exact birth time to the minute, you can open your D-9 navamsha chart. Most birth times are off by 5-10 mins thus of no use in divisional chart calculations. If you have not done your birth time correction etc do not use the varga charts, they will mislead. So if the debilitated planet shifts to some better sign then there will be a change in his energy (this post on analysing the navamsha). We see several divisional charts for improving the accuracy of the predictions (post here). So in some DC or the other your well placed planets of the birth chart are going to shift to their neech signs also.

• Suppose in your birth chart you have an exalted Sun and he goes and becomes neech in the D9 (post here). So though in your outward life you enjoy the plus points of the exalted Sun, in your inner life, your subconscious, potential, expectations etc the energy of the debilitated Sun influences you. This can give rise to a strange and unique personality.
• Suppose in your birth chart your Moon is in Pisces, Jupiter’s rashi, so its all good. But in the D-9 if he gets into Scorpio. Now this person outwardly might seem very philosophical, religious, hopeful, ie everything that Jupiter gives. But his life-time’s underlying experience will be colored by the Scorpio lens. A neech Moon in the navamsha, over-laid by a nice birth chart placement gives rise to one of the strangest mindsets.
• And finally if some planet is neech in some divisional chart then it can give inauspicious results in that aspect of life. eg Venus 4th house lord in birth chart and is neech in the D-7, then this person can suffer misfortunes in travel etc.

And the biggest ‘neech bhang’ is this, and it is applicable in all readings. The ascendant sign has to be powerful. It should be occupied or aspected by benefic planets. It should not be disturbed by malefic influences, nor by combust planets, nor by debilitated planets etc. Then this sign will ensure that you get an enabling body structure, environment and a general auspiciousness in all your life. The ascendant lord has to be powerful, he will ensure that your self and your surroundings work perfectly together. And the birth Moon has to be capable of giving auspicious results. ie should be exalted, in own sign, in sign of friends, aspected by benefics. Should not be influenced by malefic etc influences. Should be placed in kendra or kona houses or any house except the dusham-sthan (6^th, 8^th, 12^th houses are the dusham-sthan. The 3^rd house can go either way so has to be seen chart-specific). If the ascendant sign, ascendant lord and birth Moon are powerless in your chart, then even if you have exalted planets or raj-yogs they cannot give major favourable results. But if these three points in your birth chart are good, then you are quite capable of weathering any storms in your life. Whatever the other planets are upto, you can use their energies in some way favourable to you. Whatever situations pop up in life, your personal confidence, health, ability to navigate, intelligence, emotional stability, support from friends etc will help you come out of them successfully.

If you have a neech planet in your chart then the aspects of life controlled by this planet will work differently in your life. Eg if it is Venus then your relationships will take the brunt, you might feel out of place in business partnerships, with material gains and even in spiritual practice. This Venus will make you introspect deeply on what ‘Venus’ really means, delve deeply into the more serious face of ‘Venus’. And if you have managed to use the neech bhang combinations then you will be able to gain significantly with his blessings.

Charts with Neech bhang combinations will not in any case be your average persons. The planet will in some way show that his energy is different Neech, despite being diverted by the Bhang combinations.

Jyotish is about self-illumination, understanding yourself. If you are afraid, do not get into it. It is not always a comfortable process, seeing your own naked face, stripped of all pretensions and social masks. Analysing one’s own self is the hardest thing. If you feel you are mature enough to take up this challenge, only then study Jyotish.