Question

How do you use functional malefics and benefics, compared to natural malefics and benfics?

My Reply

If we start by clarifying the difference between “functional” and “natural”, the rest of the answer may come much easier…

A “natural benefic” is a planet whose inherent nature is benefic.

A “functional benefic” is a planet whose acquired nature is benefic.

An example of a natural benefic is Venus, because the intrinsic nature of what Venus represents is pleasant, prosperous, etc. Jupiter is another natural benefic. Mercury and the Moon also, to lesser or conditional extents.

An example of a functional benefic is any planet that owns a benefic house. For example, a lord of a trine, especially the lord of the 9th house.

Now that we have clarified those terms, I think it is not hard to see how to use them together. If Venus is the lord of the 9th house it is both naturally and functionally benefic. If it is the lord of the 8th, then it is naturally benefic but functionally malefic. Etc.

This shouldn’t be confusing if you are familiar with how to “quantize and accumulate” with astrological things.

Venus’ natural beneficience: +3

Venus’ functional maleficence if it is, for example, lord of 8th house: -2

Venus’ total beneficence: +1 (3-2).

Simple enough, right?

How about the fact that most planets own two signs? Weight the mooltrikona more heavily and take an average of the two.

All thats left is to have someone give an intelligent, accurate quantification of the beneficence and maleficence. Here is what I suggest…

Natural (naisargika)

Venus + 3
Jupiter +2
Mercury +1

Moon +0

Sun -1
Saturn -2
Mars -3

Temporal / Functional (naimittika)

9th House: +3
1st or 5th House: +2
2nd, 4th or 11th House: +1

3rd, 7th, or 10th House: -1
6th or 8th House: -2
12th House: -3

Example Calculations

Venus in a Libra ascending chart…

• She owns 1 and 8, worth +2 and -2
• Her mūlatrikona is 1 so (2×2 + -2) / 3 = 4-2/3 = 2/3
• Her inherent nature is +3.
• So her actual benefic value in a libra ascending chart is “3 2/3” on our scale of +3/-3 (i.e. “super benefic”)

Saturn in a Libra ascending chart…

• It owns 4 and 5, worth +1 and +2
• Its mūlatrikona is 5, so (+1 + 2×2 ) / 3 = 5/3 = 1 2/3
• Its inherent nature is -2
• So its actual benefic value for the libra ascendant is -1/3 (ie. “not actually malefic”)

We could probably refine this basic formula to get something even more accurate. For example maybe the houses owns should be summed, not averaged. Or maybe the initial values could be tweaked slightly. But what I suggested here seems like a solid basis and a fine starting point.