The Astrology of Assassination – Theory and Technique

Part 1 of a three part series

Vedic astrology research on assassination of public figures

The astrology of assassination is a grim but fascinating topic. I’ve recently been doing some research on this topic that I would like to share with you in three-part series. This first post explores how specific daśā systems, such as Śūla Daśā, reveal patterns in the timing and circumstances surrounding the assassinations – or near-assasinaions – of public figures.

In the second post in the series, I’ll present a few case studies of assassination and attempted assassinations of several famous people. In the third post, I’ll focus exclusively on the near-assassination of Donald Trump.

If you're newer to Vedic astrology, I’ll walk you through a few foundational ideas. If you're more experienced, you’ll find plenty of technical details to do a deeper dive.

Before we get started, let’s clear up what we mean by assassination, since the term is sometimes used rather loosely.

What is an assassination?

An assassination is the deliberate and targeted killing of a prominent or important person, usually for political, ideological, or religious reasons. It’s a premeditated act meant to cause ripple effects, such as influencing public opinion, disrupting power structures, or sending a broader message.

Not every killing of a public figure qualifies. If the motive is personal (revenge, jealousy) or the act is random, it is more accurate to call it murder or homicide. Assassination is distinct in its intent and broader implications.

Now that we’ve made that distinction, let’s move onto the astrology. I’ll start by discussing Vedic astrology timing techniques in general, and then focus on Śūla Daśā, a system especially relevant to health, danger, and longevity.

Timing techniques in Vedic astrology

In Vedic astrology, a daśā (or “dasha”) is a timing system that divides life into karmically significant time periods. These are two-fold:

• The mahādaśā – the main period that sets the overall tone

• Multiple antardaśās – sub-periods that fine-tune the experience

Different daśā systems – yes, there are many – serve different interpretive purposes. For example, Viṁśottarī Daśā is calculated from the birth nakshatra and uses a fixed planetary sequence; it is used to examine desires and focus, as well as periods of activation for certain configurations in your chart. Others, like Nārāyaṇa, are sign-based and tend to reflect external, concrete events. Each system provides a unique lens, which is why using them together improves accuracy and depth.

In daśā systems, mahādaśās can span years or decades, and antardaśās months to a few years. Think of it as a stage (mahādaśā) and scene (antardaśā).

I’ve already written about the most well-known system, Viṁśottarī Daśā. You can read that post here.¹

I’ll write more details about Nārāyaṇa Daśā in a future post. For now, let’s move on to Śūla Daśā.

Introducing Śūla Daśā

Now on to the real focus of this post: Śūla Daśā (also known as Shula or Shoola Daśā) – a lesser-known, sign-based longevity daśā system used to time health events, danger, and even death.

Before we go further, let me pause to clarify something important: I do not use this technique with clients to predict the time of death. In fact, the ancient Jyotish sages have stated that the ability to do so is often karmically veiled in the chart. We’re not generally meant to know the exact moment of our passing, and I believe most charts reflect this.

That said, Śūla Daśā can be useful when predicting or assesing chronic illness progression, for example, which makes it useful for Vedic astrologers specializing in medical astrology. Since I am not a medical astrologer, and would refer out any clients suffering from major health issues to someone who was, this technique is not something I apply to the average consultation, nor do I recommend using it out of morbid curiosity.

As a research tool, however, Śūla Daśā offers deep insight into timing and karmic thresholds, such as in the case of assassination.

Foundations: the nature of death in a chart

According to Jaimini, one of Jyotish’s classical sages, the third house from the Ārūḍha Lagna (AL) reveals the circumstances of death. If you’ve never heard of the Ārūḍha Lagna, it is point calculated from the ascendant which reflects how a person is seen in the world – their public image, reputation, and external manifestations.

To analyze the nature and circumstances of death, examine:

• The sign in the third house from AL

• The quality of that sign (fixed, movable, or dual)

• Any planets placed in or aspecting that house

Where death occurs: sign qualities

Each zodiac sign has a quality that can describe, in general terms, where death is likely to occur:

• Sthira (Fixed signs): Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius → at home

• Cara (Movable signs): Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn → far from home

• Dviṣbhāva (Dual signs): Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces → near home or in a familiar location

“At home” is fairly clear. “Near home” might mean a hospital in your city or on the way to work. “Far from home” could mean a different city, state, or country.

Describing the place of death

The sign itself gives additional details that describe the place of death. Ancient texts like Praśna Mārga assign environments to signs. Here are a few examples:

• Virgo: temples, libraries, stables, women’s quarters

• Aries: forests, heat, places with fire, hunting grounds

• Scorpio: wells, caves, cemeteries, toxic or hidden places

In some case we need to infer the meaning or modernize the symbolism. For example:

• A “temple” may be a hospital with a view of a church of cathedral

• “Places with fire” could be a kitchen, a steel factory, or a room with a fire place

• A “cave” could be a basement or underground garage

Manner of death: planets and lords

To assess how death might occur, consider:

1. Planet(s) in the third from AL

2. The ruler of that house

3. Any planets aspecting the third house, by either:

   • Rāśi Dṛṣṭi (sign-based aspects)

   • Graha Dṛṣṭi (planetary aspects)

Examples of potential manner of death based on the planets influencing the third from AL:

• Jupiter: tumors, swelling, obesity; peaceful or natural death if strong

• Saturn: chronic illness, suffering, delay in death

• Mercury: nervous system issues, skin diseases, memory or speech disorders

I’ll provide additional examples when I post the case studies.

Timing death with Śūla Daśā

All of the above tells us about the manner and circumstances of death. However, they do not give any indication as to when it will happen.

This is where Śūla Daśā becomes useful.

Using this daśā is fairly complicated, particularly when pinpointing death prior to fact, which is another reason why I would never use it carelessly. However, in my research I focused on when each of the details I mentioned above were activated in this timing system.

The trishūla of Shiva and the symbolism behind Śūla Daśā

Śūla Daśā takes its name from the trishūla, the three-pronged spear wielded by Lord Shiva, symbolizing creation, preservation, and destruction – the fundamental forces ruling the cycle of life.

In this daśā system, these forces are represented by Brahma (creator), Maheshvara (preserver), and Rudra (destroyer), each of which is assigned to specific planets in the birth chart. Just as Shiva’s trident strikes with precision and purpose, Śūla Daśā marks key periods when one of these forces becomes active.

(I’ll spare you how this is determined and/or calculated, as it would take us down an astro rabbit hole of determining strength rules and house rulership. Not a place we need to go right now.)

Of these three planets, Rudra is particularly important when studying matters of mortality. If the Rudra sign is activated during a Śūla Daśā period, especially by mahādaśā or antardaśā, it may indicate a period of risk, loss, or destruction.

Other Śūla Daśa sign activations that indicate potential danger include:

• the sign of the 3rd house from AL

• the sign of the AL itself

• a trine (i.e., three houses that are ruled by the same element) containing a particularly nasty planetary combination

• the sign of the Rudra planet, or one of its trines (e.g., fire sign house if it is in Aries) especially highlighting times of crisis, transformation, or mortality when Rudra’s destructive energy is triggered.

Coming next: Case studies in assassination and survival

Now that we’ve explored the theory behind Śūla Daśā and how Vedic astrology can reveal the nature and circumstances of death, the next post puts these principles into action.

In the paid companion post, I’ll walk through the charts of public figures who were assassinated – and those who narrowly escaped – including:

• Martin Luther King Jr. – the karmic precision of Śūla Daśā on the day of his death

• Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi) – a tragic surprise in Geneva

• Adolf Hitler – a look at the possible “why” of three failed assassination attempts

• Salman Rushdie – how timing and protection played out in his near-fatal stabbing in 2022

Insight into the near-assassination of Donald Trump will be published as a separate, third post in the series.

To read the full case study post and support ongoing research in traditional Jyotish, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

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I’ll probably publish a post on a lighter topic later this week, and then move onto the case studies towards the middle of the month, so stay tuned.

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Michelle R. Dean is a Vedic astrologer and writer based in Berlin. To find out more about Michelle, swing by here.

1. In my post about Viṁśottarī Daśā, I examine the chart of JD Vance before the election. In retrospect, I realize I should have also looked more closely at his Nārāyaṇa Daśā as well. This daśā clearly shows that he had entered a period of incredible fortune and rise. The issues seen with his Viṁśottarī Daśā that I mention in the post remain, but it is only by combining these two systems (or others that may be relevant) that we can see the full picture. Although the point of the post was not necessarily to predict Vance’s future, this lesson is one that I’ve taken to heart when this is the case.