Mercury Transit in Chitra

Tvashtar, the divine architect also known as Vishvakarma, is the deity of Chitra, and a bright jewel is its symbol. Mars is the lord, and Mercury counts Mars neutral. The first two padas lie in Virgo, Mercury's own and exalted sign, and the last two in Libra, ruled by its friend Venus.

Design, form and finish are the themes. Mercury stays about nine days, close to a month under a retrograde, and architecture, drawing, jewellery, tailoring, graphics, interface work and anything that must look right as well as work right come forward. Speech grows polished. A person may fuss over how a sentence sounds.

Muhurta Chintamani counts Chitra among the mridu nakshatras, soft, good for art, clothing, friendship and learning. Mars as lord adds ambition and a competitive edge to the softness. In the Libra padas the eye of the buyer and the partner enters the design.

• Virgo padas: Leo, Gemini, Aries, Aquarius, Sagittarius and Scorpio Moons hold Mercury in Phaladeepika's favourable houses.
• Libra padas: Virgo, Cancer, Taurus, Pisces, Capricorn and Sagittarius Moons gain.
• Libra, Leo, Gemini, Aries, Aquarius and Scorpio Moons have the harder houses once Mercury crosses into Libra. They should finish the work before showing it.
• The lagna is read by the same count.

The transit shows how much of a person's work is done for another's eye. Chitra makes that proportion easy to see.

The remedy is to make one thing well and show it to no one for a day. Recite Om Budhaya Namah, worship Vishnu, and give green cloth or moong on Wednesday. Tvashtar is honoured by respect for the craftsman and the tool. Worship Hanuman on Tuesday to settle Mars as nakshatra lord.