One day, in mid-June 2008, when I was on a chai break, I overheard two people discussing the football UEFA Euro Cup. According to them France, Germany and Netherlands seemed to be the favourites to win. I couldn’t resist the temptation to interfere. Apologising for barging in upon their conversation I said, ‘None of these countries you are discussing will win the Cup. It will be won by a 1981-born captain—and there is only one 1981-born captain in the tournament: Iker Casillas of Spain. He will win the Cup.’
One of them gave me a disdainful look and asked, ‘Are you a sports analyst?’ He looked even more contemptuous when I said, ‘No, I research astrology. I’m saying this on the basis of the planetary positions of the captains.’
The other person, who had droopy eyes, a thick moustache and a saintly smile on his face, told me to elaborate upon it. I explained the idea to him gladly. He shook his head and said, ‘Interesting. We will talk about this a little more later.’
After a week or so, Spain remained undefeated and qualified for the quarter-finals. I saw the droopy eyes and thick moustache again during my lunch break. Once again he flashed that saintly smile at me and called out, ‘Hey man, your Spain is doing well!’
I liked that acknowledgement. And when Spain qualified for the semi-finals too, the saintly-looking guy bumped into me yet again. He stopped me and said, ‘Hi, I’m Satya Rath. I’m a correspondent with the sports section of DNA. Would you be interested in writing an article on your prediction on the UEFA Euro final for the paper?’
It sounded unbelievable. He seemed a saint indeed—a kind of divine emissary at that point—at least for me.
‘But yeah, the final decision will be taken by the head of our sports division. If he says it’s okay, then your article will be in,’ he finished.
Ayaz Memon was every inch a celebrity even then, much before he became the Cricketwallah. There was always a buzz when he walked to the first floor to his office. Smoking a cigar elegantly all the while, he would often deliver words of wisdom to a bunch of enthusiastic young journos. I wondered if he coloured his hair and moustache so white.
I tried to read his eyes. If I were in his place, I would have wondered what a young, clean-shaven, bank-employee type of guy, without any usual adornments associated with astrologers, could have anything to do with astrology.
Ayaz gave me his birth details and asked me to describe some past events of his life. I understood he was testing me and, from the look of it, he was satisfied with my findings.
We talked about Bollywood. He said he was concerned about a young actress who had just debuted in 2007 and taken Bollywood by storm. Her father was Ayaz’s good friend. She was rather caught up in controversies surrounding her personal life more than her career and her sportsman father was concerned. I told Ayaz that since this actress was a 1986-born, she would be the next superstar, that she would go on to attain the place of the reigning superstar, Kareena Kapoor, a 1980-born. Natural progression, you see, even in showbiz. Besides, she was also a Libra-Sagittarius, who knew exactly how to balance her career with her love-life.
The sports prediction article was published[7] on the day of the football final. My very first article in print. It was a tiny one, so tiny that very few people would have even noticed it. But, I was thrilled. I was a columnist now. Thanks, Ayaz, for giving me my first break.
The UEFA Euro final was played between a young and sprightly Spain and the hardened veterans, Germany. Germany was captained by the cool Michael Ballack and Spain was led by an even calmer 1981-born, Iker Casillas.
Iker had the greatest horoscope amongst the footballers in the modern times. In cricket it was Dhoni. The effects of Uranus that caused one to be inventive and forward-thinking put Iker at the helm when Spain revolutionised the world with tiki-taka football. The quick short passes that frustrated the opposition involved meticulous leg work. Planet-Y was probably responsible for the precision necessary for such moves. Spain gave six years of unparalleled joy to football fans, but every good thing must come to an end and, in 2014, it did—just as I had predicted.
In cricket, MSD won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. It was amazing that Uranus, the ruler of innovation, was in its own house after 84 years when it happened. It was the same case when Iker won the UEFA Euro in 2008. T20 was the tiki-taka equivalent in cricket.
The clue to the 2008 football World Cup win of Spain came from the 2007 cricket World Cup-winning captain, MSD. I couldn’t fail to notice the astonishing similarities between our own Captain Cool and Spain’s captain, Iker. Yes, Casillas is called ‘Saint Iker’ for his calmness. He remains absolutely cool in the toughest situations and knows exactly what to anticipate. This surety of purpose and calmness under pressure can only be attributed to Planet-Y. Look at the similarities—a wicket-keeper captain, a goal-keeper captain. Both 1981-borns, just a month apart. One is called a ‘Saint’ and the other is ‘Captain Cool’. That is Uranus and Planet-Y for you.
I have been writing for DNA since 2008. The column is aptly titled, ‘Octozone’. The ‘Octo’ here stands for Octopus Paul, who accurately predicted the outcome of the football matches in UEFA Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. The columns are published either on Saturday or Sunday, or before major sports events. For me, lessons for cricket articles always come from football.
8.
Dhoni’s Mother and the Discovery of Planet-Y
16th June 2009. Ranchi.
Some may find it hard to believe, but I had already envisaged a man like Dhoni on the scene even before he arrived. Between 2003 and 2007 I had researched the planets and the winners of all the previous World Cups, substantially. I felt I was ready to do predictions. I knew what I was looking for. I had some idea about the guy who would lead India’s resurgence in world cricket.
I knew that this would be a person born in 1981; that he would be a brilliant combination of the explosively radioactive Uranus and the clinically precise Planet-Y. The fire and passion of Uranus would combine with the zeal and serenity of the newly-discovered Planet-Y to give us the superstar who would win India the next World Cup.
As I delved deeper, a clear picture emerged in my mind. He would act like a warrior with cunning strategy and lightning speed. His strength would be formidable. He would have amazing abilities, the coolness of ice in the face of a storm. There would also be a quirky side to him. Maybe his hairstyle or walk—something about his appearance would draw attention. That would be Uranus’ stamp.
By this time, the whole of India was waiting for such a person to come and take the baton from the Aussies. Australians were the invincible force in international cricket. They were the popular bullies of the sport, where beating them in a single match was a task. The Aussies ruled World Cup cricket those days and we, as a nation, lived in the hope that one day a person would come to resurrect our failing grasp on it. And with the backing of my research in astrology, I knew the precise details of such a hero. The combination was magical and it would be difficult to miss. I was hopeful.
Thank God that my man showed up at the exact moment when I needed him the most—in 2005—with his 148 against Pakistan. It was unbelievable. I had done many predictions before about people who were already there on the scene. This was the first time I was waiting for a man to hit the scene and I couldn’t believe that he was right there standing before me.
This was precisely the soldier I was looking for. I saw him on TV: a warrior with strong jaws and broad shoulders and that leonine mane! All children of Uranus tend to look different from the herd; they don’t mind standing out. The symbolisms of Uranus and Planet-Y were visible in his eyes, his aura. However, a small problem still bothered me for a little while. The next World Cup was in 2007. Would he be the captain by then? I was ready to bet that he would be but, of course, it was difficult to convince others. I remember sharing my enthusiasm with a colleague and getting the response, ‘Arre pehle usko team mein tikne toh de (Let him make a place for himself in the team first).’
He would d
o more than just stay in the team; he would captain it and lead it to victory laps of that I was certain. In my quest to find the next Indian cricketing great, when I chanced upon MS Dhoni in 2005, to ascertain that he was indeed the man who would bring a great renaissance in Indian cricket, I needed to verify that his birth details were correct. Aware that the most basic pitfall in making a correct prediction is the correct birth date and time, I was anxious to reconfirm the information on Dhoni’s birth.
As luck would have it, one of my training sessions was scheduled in Ranchi, Dhoni’s home town. Pankaj Kumar, my colleague based in Ranchi, felt that this was the best time to visit Dhoni’s home since he was in England at that time to defend his T20 World Cup crown and security would be less restrictive. By now I was desperate to know whether I was right, and thankfully luck favours the brave (and desperate). We reached Dhoni’s home and spoke to the security guards posted outside. I told them I was writing a book on Dhoni and needed information that no one else except his parents could provide and that it was important for the book. The guy went up and asked Dhoni’s mother. I was close enough to the house to hear her response through the window. She said, ‘They took me to the hospital at five in the morning. He was born about half an hour later.’
Whoopee!
The guard came and confirmed the date too. It was the correct year—1981. Now I was ready to declare to the world that Dhoni was the guy Indian cricket was waiting for. Dhoni is a Gemini-Leo according to my book, What is Your True Zodiac Sign? Gemini blessed him with a sharp mind and Leo gave him control over things without ruffling him. The quick-thinking strategist with a regal bearing would lead India to well-deserved heights.
Don’t ask me how I spent the rest of that day or even that week. All I remember is a feeling of pure joy and the desire to shout out my thoughts to the entire world. There was no doubt in my mind at all now. When I spoke to my family and friends about him, it was with this conviction. Since they all knew me, they were ready to humour me without always buying whatever I said. Thank you, all, for hearing me out.
I would like to tell all the hardwired astrology enthusiasts that MSD has a Gemini ascendant. His is not a Virgo lagna as most of the websites would have you believe. The ascendant sign or the lagna is the zodiac sign that is visible over the horizon when you are born. The planets in the first house indicate what kind of a person you are. With the exact time of birth given by Dhoni’s mother, the air was cleared about Dhoni’s ascending sign.
*****
I do not know if anyone reading this has any inkling about the importance of what I’m going to say next.
I ‘discovered’ a planet.
Yes. I actually discovered a planet. I’m not an astronomer. I don’t have a degree in astrophysics or mastery in astronomy. But I indeed discovered a planet—or a planetoid—relevant and particularly significant to astrology.
As I mentioned earlier, there were 12 zodiac signs, which indicated the presence of 12 planets ruling them. Indian astrology used only five therefore, seven others needed to be added. While Uranus, Neptune, Chiron and Pluto used by the Western astrologers could fill in four more gaps, the remaining three were the planets that I refer to as Planet-X, Planet-Y and Planet-Z.
My discovery of one of these planets, Planet-Y, can be attributed to one man—the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Unknowingly and unwittingly, he helped me zero in on that one planet which explained his extraordinary mind that always worked with numbers and always had a plan A, B and C[8].
Now I come to that part where Dhoni played an important role in my detection of this planet. It was his horoscope that helped me narrow down my research to the years 1977 to 1981, when I thought the planet that ruled Virgo was in exaltation. And it proved my hypothesis correct.
Around that time I also happened to study the birth chart of a young widow. She was born in 1981. I could not see any planetary position that could explain her situation. I just visualised a planet in her chart that ruled the house of marriage that resulted in this huge loss. But that particular planet was missing in that particular house. I knew that Planet-Y was present in that girl’s horoscope in the wrong house. Dhoni’s horoscope helped me know exactly where that planet was if I applied it to that widow’s chart.
When I took Dhoni’s birth details from his mother and constructed his horoscope, I was amazed to find that this Planet-Y was placed in his very first house. The first house indicates the ‘persona’ in astrology. It defines who you are as a person. Dhoni could easily be described by the keywords related to this planet. Most importantly, this planet was exactly where I guessed it would be, in the same zodiac sign.
Planet-Y is the ‘true’ ruler of the zodiac sign Virgo and it is exalted (the best position) in Gemini. These were two of my assumptions. Dhoni’s horoscope proved both my assumptions to be true. The widow’s chart (and later on hundreds of others) proved that too.
Another important point about the Planet-Y was that this was the planet that gave Dhoni and India the second World Cup. While Uranus was responsible for the first World Cup in 2007, which was in a new format, Planet-Y gave Dhoni another one. Also, the fact that he had Chiron in exaltation gave him the World Cup on home soil. Chiron rules the ‘motherland’.
Another chart that confirmed Planet-Y’s presence belonged to tennis star Serena Williams. In Serena’s horoscope, there is no indication why she is a tennis player. She is a 1981-born, just like Dhoni. She has an Aries ascendant and Planet-Y is exalted in her third house. Now, the third house indicates the hands in astrology. Why Serena is a tennis player can be attributed to Planet-Y. Interestingly, another 1981-born, Roger Federer has Planet-Y exalted in his 11th house. The 11th house indicates the second half of life (35 plus) and it is no wonder that Federer is playing fantastic tennis even at 37 plus.
After Abhinav Bindra won the historic, first ever individual Olympic gold, I approached him and coaxed him into giving me his birth details. I wasn’t surprised to see that the 1982-born had Planet-Y as his third lord (of the hands!). Abhinav has spent almost all of his life staring at a wall and using his hands to send a micro bullet into a microscopic point. There are extremely little chances of error in this game. The difference between a gold and silver medal is almost negligible. Planet-Y gave him the power of winning a ‘granular’ event.
Later on, thousands of confirmations of the presence of Planet-Y in exaltation emerged in the period 1977–81, using the horoscopes of celebrities and common people. But the first person to give me an inkling of Planet-Y’s presence was MS Dhoni. He was the ‘King of Details’.
The key words connected with Planet-Y are perfection, detail, granularity, hard work, meticulousness, method, being process-oriented, design, structured work, duty, efficiency, data, analysis, synthesis, etc. I was surprised to find that Dhoni was all these qualities personified in his everyday work.
Dhoni acknowledges that his mind is always bombarded with numbers. It is always calculating, over by over, bowler by bowler. When everyone else is panicking, Dhoni’s Planet-Y mind synthesises the numbers and he finishes the game with the clinical precision of a surgeon. No emotions, just cold-blooded calculation. Exactly what Vishwakarma, the ruler of the Planet-Y would want him to do: finish the job perfectly. Dhoni personifies Planet-Y and how! Thanks, Dhoni, for leading me to this planet.
9.
Lessons from Tennis
August 2010. Mumbai.
‘Bro, you have the toughest assignment of your fledgling astrology career. Boss wants you to predict how many Grand Slams Federer will end up with. Let’s see if you get that right. You better get it right and, yeah, also ensure that he gets one more than that bugger, Nadal.’
Derek Abraham didn’t mince words—he was very blunt, had a clear point of view and, like a typical Scorpio, could go on and on with a lot of intensity. Linda (Goodman) was right; Scorpios either love or hate things. Derek loved Roger Federer, and anyone who had even an iota of liking for Rafael Nadal would be his enemy. An enemy’
s friend is an enemy, correct? The boss here was Vijay Tagore, the head of the sports section at DNA in those days.
The football World Cup had just ended the previous month and Iker Casillas had led Spain to a stupendous victory. It was his second triumph on the highest stage after leading Spain to a win in the 2008 UEFA Euro. I was trying to work out if Dhoni would win the 2011 cricket World Cup, and Iker’s win was a massive boost to that line of thought. And here was Derek asking me to have a go at Federer. In one breath we were talking about three 1981-borns here: Federer—Casillas—Dhoni. All three gentlemen born within a month of each other. All three, the greatest of their generation in their respective sport.
Did Dhoni have an alter ego?
If so, it had to be Roger Federer.
If one was born on 7th July 1981 (07.07.81), the other was born on 8th August 1981 (08.08. 81). We all know Dhoni loves number 7 and considers it his lucky number. I’m not sure if Federer feels the same way about number 8.
When the 22-year-old Federer won the Wimbledon Grand Slam and the world looked at him with great expectations, it triggered an idea. The simple thought was that if I needed to know who would win the 2011 World Cup, I needed to know how big Roger Federer would be by the time he hung up his boots. In terms of tennis, it meant the number of Grand Slams. Simple. How far could he go? Could he go on to beat his predecessors and be #1? Or would he settle down as a number 2, 3 or 4? How much time did he have? How many more Slams could he win?
The top three Grand Slam achievers, when Federer started winning Grand Slams, were Pete Sampras, Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. Roy and Rod both played in the 1960s. Rod ended up with 11 and Roy bettered him by one more to end up with 12. In the 1990s, systematically, with his precise and powerful ‘pistol’ serves, Pete Sampras broke both these records and sat on top of the heap with 14 Grand Slams.
Howzzat Page 4
