How Planetary Friendship and Enmity Works

When an astrologer studies a birth chart, the first instinct is to see which planets are strong. One checks exaltation, own sign and house strength. Yet even after this, there are many charts where planets appear powerful and yogas are present but life outcomes move in a very different way. This gap often arises from ignoring planetary friendships and enmities.

In Vedic astrology a planet is never read in isolation. Every planet carries a defined attitude toward every other planet. Some are natural friends, some are natural enemies and some remain neutral. The way these planets sit and interact in a horoscope decides how much of their promised result can actually manifest. This combined view is the heart of Panchadha Mitratva, the fivefold relationship system.

What Types Of Planetary Relationships Exist

Planetary relationships can be understood on three key levels.

1. Natural friendships and enmities
2. Temporary relationships based on house position
3. Compound or Panchadha relationship

Together these three layers show how two planets behave toward each other in a specific chart.

The table below gives a compact overview.

Level	What it shows	Where it is used
Natural relationship	Inborn friendship, enmity or neutrality between planets	Same for every chart, never changes
Temporary relationship	House based attitude in a specific horoscope	Varies from chart to chart
Compound relationship	Sum of natural and temporary ties	True behaviour in yogas and dasha results

What Are Natural Planetary Friendships And Enmities

Nature of Naisargik Sambandh

In Vedic astrology each visible planet has a fixed relationship with every other planet. This is called Naisargik Sambandh or natural relationship. It does not depend on any chart. It comes from the inherent nature of each planet as given in the classics.

This natural relationship has three categories.

• Natural friend
• Natural enemy
• Natural neutral

These labels never change. They apply to every horoscope.

Natural friendship table

The table below lists the natural friends, enemies and neutrals.

Planet	Natural friends	Natural enemies	Neutrals
Sun	Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury	Venus, Saturn	None
Moon	Sun, Mercury	None	Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn
Mars	Sun, Moon, Jupiter	Mercury	Venus, Saturn
Mercury	Sun, Venus	Moon	Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Jupiter	Sun, Moon, Mars	Venus, Mercury	Saturn
Venus	Mercury, Saturn	Sun, Moon	Mars, Jupiter
Saturn	Mercury, Venus	Sun, Moon	Mars, Jupiter

Special position of Rahu and Ketu

Rahu and Ketu are shadow planets. Their behaviour does not follow a rigid natural friendship table like visible planets.

• Rahu is often seen as comfortable with Mercury, Venus and Saturn but its true nature in a chart depends strongly on the dispositor and planets it joins.
• Ketu is closely connected with Mars and has a spiritual alignment with Jupiter, yet its final expression again comes from sign lord and conjunctions.

For both, context is more reliable than any fixed list.

How Do Planets Become Temporary Friends Or Enemies

Meaning of temporary relationship

Within a chart planets form an additional layer of relationship based on how they are placed from one another by house. This is called Tatkalik Mitratva or temporary friendship and enmity. It is unique for every horoscope.

Here the question is: from Planet B, in which house does Planet A sit?

Rule for temporary relationships

To judge the temporary tie between Planet A and Planet B, we count houses from B to A.

• If Planet A is in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th or 12th house from Planet B, then B treats A as a temporary friend.
• If Planet A is in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th house from Planet B, then B treats A as a temporary enemy.

This is one sided. So we must repeat the process from A to B as well.

The table below summarises the rule.

House of A from B	Temporary relationship of B to A
2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12	Temporary friend
1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Temporary enemy

Why these houses

Classical astrology assigns a distinct tone to each house.

• Houses 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 and 12 are seen here as relatively more cooperative or at least less confrontational between planets.
• Houses 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 often involve identity, competition, opposition or tension in expression, so they are placed in the temporary enemy zone.

In this method the 12th house represents distance without direct conflict, so it is treated as friendly.

Examples of temporary friendship

Example 1: Moon in Aries, Mercury in Capricorn

Assume Moon is in Aries and Mercury in Capricorn.

• From Moon, Capricorn is the 10th house, so Moon sees Mercury as a temporary friend.
• From Mercury, Aries is the 4th house, so Mercury also sees Moon as a temporary friend.

They become mutual temporary friends even though naturally Moon is friendly to Mercury while Mercury is an enemy to Moon. Temporary support can soften this natural friction.

Example 2: Jupiter in Aries, Venus in Leo

Assume Jupiter is in Aries and Venus in Leo.

• From Jupiter, Leo is the 5th house, a temporary enemy place.
• From Venus, Aries is the 9th house, again a temporary enemy position.

Here both planets treat each other as temporary enemies. Since Jupiter and Venus are also natural enemies, conflict becomes quite pronounced.

How Is Panchadha Mitratva Calculated

Numeric method of compound relationship

To understand true behaviour we combine natural and temporary ties. This combined link is known as Panchadha Mitratva, often called the compound relationship.

For this, each type of tie receives a number.

• Natural friend = +1
• Natural enemy = −1
• Natural neutral = 0
• Temporary friend = +1
• Temporary enemy = −1

Now we add the two values for any pair of planets.

The final total shows the compound relationship.

Total	Compound relationship
+2	Great friend
+1	Friend
0	Neutral
−1	Enemy
−2	Great enemy

This tells us how planets will actually behave together in that specific chart.

Example: Sun and Mercury

Sun and Mercury are natural friends.

Let Sun be in Aries and Mercury in Pisces.

• From Sun, Pisces is the 12th house, so Mercury is a temporary friend to Sun.
• For Sun, Mercury is
  • Natural friend = +1
  • Temporary friend = +1
  • Total = +2 → Great friend

Here Sun and Mercury strongly support each other. Intelligence, communication and authority can work in harmony.

Example: Jupiter and Venus

Jupiter and Venus are natural enemies.

Let Jupiter be in Sagittarius and Venus in Capricorn.

• From Sagittarius, Capricorn is the 2nd house, a temporary friend place.
• For Jupiter, Venus becomes
  • Natural enemy = −1
  • Temporary friend = +1
  • Total = 0 → Neutral

The tension is moderated. Their energies may coexist without deep cooperation or deep conflict.

Example: Mars and Mercury

Mars and Mercury are natural enemies.

Let Mars be in Taurus and Mercury in Leo.

• From Taurus, Leo is the 4th house, a temporary friend.
• For Mars, Mercury is
  • Natural enemy = −1
  • Temporary friend = +1
  • Total = 0 → Neutral

In such a case logical analysis and decisive action can function side by side without as much internal struggle as pure enmity would suggest.

Why Planetary Relationships Matter In Horoscope Analysis

Impact on conjunctions

When two planets sit together in one house, their relationship colours the conjunction deeply.

• If they are friends or great friends, the conjunction tends to produce supportive and coordinated results.
• If they are enemies or great enemies, the combination can become a seat of mixed outcomes, delays or inner conflict.

For example, if Jupiter and Venus conjoin and also stand as temporary enemies, the person may constantly swing between higher ideals and sensory enjoyment.

Impact on mutual aspects

Planets influencing each other through full aspects also carry their friendship dynamics. If Sun and Saturn, who are natural enemies, mutually aspect each other and form a harsh compound relationship, this may show as struggle between authority and discipline, between self expression and responsibilities.

Role in Mahadasha and Antardasha

During the period when two planets rule one after another or together, their compound tie becomes very important.

• When both are great friends, transitions usually support growth and steady progress.
• When they are great enemies, the same sequence can feel like a stretch of inner tension and conflicting pulls, even if their individual strength is good.

This explains why two people running the same dasha experience very different results. Chemistry between planets in their charts is different.

Influence on yogas

Many Raja yogas and Dhana yogas depend on cooperation between multiple planets.

• If yoga forming planets are friends by compound relationship, the yoga has a better chance to deliver its promise.
• If they are enemies, the yoga may stay present in theory but its strength becomes diluted in practice.

The table below summarises the effect.

Common Misunderstandings About Planetary Friendships

Is natural friendship alone sufficient

If only natural friendship is considered, many subtleties are lost. Two natural friends can become temporary enemies and end up neutral or even hostile in compound terms. Predictions based on friendship alone may then fail.

Do two strong planets always give good results together

Two strong planets with a great enemy relationship can pull in opposite directions. Their strength may turn into pressure rather than support. The outcome is powerful yet stressful.

Is one sided friendship enough

One planet may see the other as a friend while the second sees the first as an enemy. This rarely leads to smooth cooperation. True harmony needs mutual friendship.

Do Rahu and Ketu follow the same rules

Rahu and Ketu respond more to the sign lord, house position and planetary company than to fixed friendship tables. Treating them like visible planets in this context can create confusion.

Shastra Roots And Classical Teachings

The methods of planetary friendship and enmity arise from the teachings of the ancient seers.

• Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra gives the natural friendship table, describes temporary friendships and explains how to form compound relationships used in Panchadha Graha Maitri.
• Texts like Saravali, Jataka Parijata and Phaladeepika repeatedly remind the reader that planets must be judged in combination, not as isolated entities. They give many examples where compatibility or conflict between planets alters yoga results.

The tradition consistently views planets as interacting forces whose relationships modify every prediction.

A Balanced Way To Use Planetary Friendships

Planetary friendship and enmity are not emotional labels. They describe how easily different energies can blend in a chart. A friendly tie does not guarantee success and an enemy tie does not guarantee failure. Strength, dignity, aspects, house ownership, dashas and free will all share the stage.

When natural, temporary and compound relationships are read together, analysis becomes deeper and closer to lived reality. This integrated approach shows why some yogas flower fully in one chart and stay dormant in another and why the same dasha feels supportive for one person and testing for another.

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Frequently Asked Questions On Planetary Friendship

Question 1. Can two enemy planets still give good results if they are strong

Yes, they can when their compound relationship turns neutral or friendly and when both are strong and well placed. In such cases enmity becomes mild tension rather than open conflict and their combined result can still be constructive.

Question 2. What happens if two friendly planets are strong but one is debilitated

Friendship cannot fully compensate for weakness. If one planet is debilitated, combust or badly afflicted, it may not be able to support its friend properly. Results then depend more on the stronger planet and the house involved.

Question 3. Do these relationships apply only in the main birth chart

These relationships apply in all divisional charts. In Navamsha (D9) and Dashamsha (D10) they become crucial for judging marriage, career and reputation, because cooperation between planets in these charts shapes real life events.

Question 4. Can one planet be a friend to another but not the other way around

Yes. This often happens with temporary friendship. Planet A may sit in a friendly house from Planet B while B sits in an enemy house from A. The result is a one sided bond where one planet supports and the other resists.

Question 5. How can we judge if a yoga formed by two planets will actually work

Three checks are essential. One, see the compound relationship between the planets. Two, verify their strength, dignity and freedom from affliction. Three, confirm that dasha and transit activate the yoga. If the planets are weak or great enemies, the yoga may remain only partly effective.

Compound tie	Usual impact on yogas
Great friend	Yoga strong, results steady and clear
Friend	Good support, mostly positive outcomes
Neutral	Moderate effect, depends on timing
Enemy	Reduced strength, mixed results
Great enemy	Yoga works weakly or only in parts