Concept of Cancellation and its reality.

This was another request which I received in last few days and I felt it is worth writing about it. 

From times immemorial, we are listening to many traditional Astrologers talking about this Planet is cancelling the effect of that planet and that planet is overpowering this planet. This leads to great confusions in interpretation and understanding of charts, especially if these concepts are given to you from initial days. Then it is hard to get over these concepts and lay down new ones. So, let's understand this tricky topic today as per following points - 

Traditional Concept. 

Everything is in addition. 

Yogas. 

Exception. 

Conclusion. 

Let's cover all the points one after the other - 

Traditional Concept - Traditional concept says that if someone has a bad planetary position but a good planetary position in same chart is somehow attached to bad one, then the effects of bad one are nullified or cancelled and it becomes all good. Like, if someone has Mars debilitated in Cancer but that Mars is conjunct or aspected by a planet in a benefic way then that Mars is no more debilitated and that Mars is all good. It can bring best results. The effects of debilitation of Mars are cancelled or nullified due to that benefic planetary position. 

Everything is in Addition - But Astrology is all inclusive. Everything is in addition, nothing cancels anything. Everything gets added up. So, if there is a planet in some good/bad position in your chart anywhere then it is for a reason. Saying that it is cancelled or nullified due to another planet is complete ignorance. Every planet, nakshatra, house, sign, pada, degree in our chart is there for a meaning and it will serve that meaning anyhow and at anytime. Best example to understand this is suppose you made a cup of Tea. You put some Sugar in it and then by mistake you put some salt in it. Now, tea will have essence of Sugar and Salt both. Sugar wont cancel Salt and Salt wont cancel Sugar's effect. If you go in Lab and test it, you will find particles of Sugar and Salt both. Likewise, every planet will have its impact during its dashas. Every planet will become active as per dasha & important transits during your life and will give results. So, nothing is getting cancelled or nullified here. Treating a planet as cancelled means treating it as dead, which can't be possible. 

Yogas - Concept of Cancellation is most misused through Yogas. Some most common misuses are here - 

• Mangalik Dosha - Mangalik Dosha happens when Mars is in 1st house, 2nd house (as per South Indian Astrologers), 4th house, 7th house, 8th house or 12th house of a chart. It is said that in such a condition person should marry another person who has this mangalik dosha. But then new concepts were developed, to escape mangalik effect, that if Mars is in good dignity (in own, exalted or friendly signs) in these houses then Mangalik Dosha is cancelled and such a person can marry a non-mangalik too. Well, 1st of all, if it is really cancelled then he should only marry a non-mangalik and not a mangalik because he is no more a mangalik. Then even if Mars is exalted in 7th house or 8th house, I would consider that person as still a mangalik and advise him to marry another mangalik. Only time I can leave this condition when both persons aspirant of marriage have completed Mars's maturity age of 31 years AND for both of them Mars MD is not nearby. Because even if Mars is exalted in 7th house, person still have that Mars basic malefic nature towards 7th house of marriage/spouse and not to forget that any malefic planet impacts Jeeva Karaka 1st. So, marriage will be impacted by Mars malefic nature, i.e. Anger and Aggression. But again, everything in addition. So, exalted Mars will also show its good impact and will try to safe guard marriage. 
• Neech Bhang Raaj Yoga - Another yoga in which concept of Cancellation is misused is Neech Bhang Raaj Yoga. If a debilitated planet gets support of an exalted or own sign planet they say debilitated planet regains its strength and debilitation is cancelled, Nothing gets cancelled. This yoga will help in professional life but not in personal life. So, if someone has Mars in Cancer (debilitated) but Cancer's lord Moon is exalted in Taurus then it is creating a good NBRY. But it will only help person in professional life. In personal life, things related to Mars (Brother, Male Friends, Boyfriend, Real Estate etc.) will still give negative results in its dasha or till the age of 31 years. 
• Parivartan Yoga - So, they say that when two planets exchange each other signs, then it creates Parivartan Yoga and both planets behave like friends even if they are enemies. They say that enmity gets cancelled. Nothing gets cancelled. All it does is that both planets start co-operating on those things which they share but they remain enemies for those things which they don't share. So, if Saturn is in Leo and Sun is in Capricorn then it is parivartan yoga between 2 greatest enemies. So, this doesn't mean that Saturn & Sun will become best ever friends but all it will do is that they will co-operate on things they share like Law, Govt and Authority, i.e. person will be very law abiding and disciplined, but Saturn & Sun are still greatest of enemies when it comes to relation between Father and Son. So, it will still give some stress between Father and Son. 

Hope this is clear from above example that there is nothing like total cancellation of anything in your chart. 

Exception - Now, as every rule has its exception so this also has. Concept of Cancellation works on Mangalik Dosha of two charts. If guy and girl both are mangalik then this dosha gets cancelled but you see the difference here? Here, you need another person's chart to cancel something in your chart. It can't be that planets in your chart are cancelling each other. 

Conclusion - So, this is the way this concept works. There is nothing like total cancellation of anything in your chart. Again, always remember in Astrology, "Everything is in Addition. Nothing Cancels Anything". 

Hope this helps. Please feel free to post comments and queries, if any. 

Thanks, 

Vishal S Saxena – Astrologer