The Moon as pitrikaraka

The Moon as pitrikaraka colours the theme of the father and elders with care and feeling: what stays in memory is not so much strictness as the emotional climate around them. How even these relationships are depends largely on the strength and phase of the Moon.

The father in an emotional key

The Moon is the natural indicator of the mother and the mind. Having become the pitrikaraka, it transfers these qualities to the figure of the father: he may be seen as a gentle, sensitive person attached to home, and sometimes the role of paternal support is in fact taken on by whoever cares more rather than whoever is formally in charge. The values of the family are absorbed through atmosphere and habits rather than through rules.

How it manifests

• closeness to elders is built on trust and a sense of security;
• mentors who support and look after;
• the person in the role of the elder tends to take care of others, sometimes excessively;
• the relationship with the father changes along with life circumstances — the Moon is mobile.

A strong and a weak Moon

A waxing Moon, or a Moon in Taurus or Cancer, usually makes this bond warm and stable. A waning Moon, a Moon in Scorpio, or one under pressure from Saturn, Rahu and Ketu may show distress connected with the father, separation or emotional distance. This is a tendency that favourable aspects and a mature attitude to the past soften. Since the Moon determines the Vimshottari dasha, its periods touch this theme especially noticeably.

On the nature of the planet, see the page on the Moon; the general order of the karakas is in the overview of chara karakas. You can find out your pitrikaraka in the karaka table after you build your birth chart.