Mars neutral as second and seventh lord, Ketu neutral as a shadow planet—a combination of intense martial power and spiritual detachment in the ascendant (Tanu Bhava). This placement forms a powerful kendra-trikona signature as the first house serves both roles. The catch: the drive to act lacks a logical head to guide it, leading to impulsive but strangely impersonal exertion of will.
The Conjunction
Mars (Mangal) rules the second house (Dhana Bhava) of wealth and the seventh house (Yuvati Bhava) of partnerships for a Libra (Tula) ascendant. In the first house (Tanu Bhava), Mars brings the external focus of relationships and the resources of the family directly into the physical constitution. Ketu acts as a factor of dissolution, isolation, and past-life completion. Both occupy Libra (Tula), a sign of balance and social grace ruled by Venus (Shukra). This Ketu-Mangal yoga fuses the raw energy (karaka of courage) of Mars with the headless, intuitive nature of Ketu. Mars loses its strategic orientation while Ketu gains a sharp, explosive instrument of expression. Neither planet holds higher dignity; they operate as equals in neutral territory, forcing the self to become a battleground between material drive and spiritual apathy.
The Experience
Living with Mars and Ketu in the ascendant creates a personality that strikes without warning and retreats without ceremony. You do not feel anger as a process; you experience it as a finished state. Because Mars rules the seventh house of others, your sense of self is inextricably tied to the "other," yet Ketu forces a cold detachment from those very connections. You possess the bravery of a soldier who has already accepted the end of the campaign. According to the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the placement of two malefics in the lagna suggests a life path where the physical body becomes a site of intense energetic transformation. It feels like wearing armor made of glass—strong, sharp, but prone to shattering under the weight of its own internal pressure.
The nakshatras determine the specific flavor of this volatile impulse. In the portion of Chitra (1/2) that enters Libra, the energy focuses on restructuring the physical environment through sudden, precise strikes that resemble surgery. Within Swati, the wind-god Vayu scatters the martial energy, making your actions unpredictable, highly independent, and occasionally chaotic. In Vishakha (3/4), the focus shifts toward a fixated, almost obsessive pursuit of a goal that you may not even consciously understand. The recurring struggle is the mastery of the impulse. You must learn to act because action is required by dharma, not because you seek a specific ego-driven result. You are the Voidblade, a weapon that functions best when the wielder is absent. Mastery comes when you realize that your physical presence is merely a conduit for a force that existed long before your birth.
Practical Effects
The approach to personal initiative is characterized by sudden, non-linear bursts of energy followed by periods of complete withdrawal. You do not plan your beginnings; you erupt into them. Mars as the second and seventh lord in the first house ensures that new ventures are often triggered by family financial needs or partnership demands. However, Ketu’s presence means these starts may lack a sustainable sequence or conventional logic. Mars aspects the fourth house (Matru Bhava), seventh house (Yuvati Bhava), and eighth house (Randhra Bhava), while Ketu also influences the seventh. This creates a friction between your drive for independence and the obligations of home and marriage. Success comes through short-term, high-intensity projects that require zero emotional attachment. Stand at the birth of the impulse and initiate action without waiting for the mind to catch up.