What does it signify?  Do these planets have any influence on the earth? How can one define these influences ? 

During the Vedic Era, the Sages and the Saints known as Rishis and Munis  used to calculate the time from the sunrise till sunset by viewing the shadows. During night time they used the stars positions to judge the time of the moment. Unlike these days they never had any clock and measuring instruments, yet they were far more accurate in finding the planetary positions and their movements. What they found is astonishingly accurate to today's  developed science and technology.

They identified the planets and its influence on the earth and its particles so precisely that each planet has some relative element in its existence.  Listed below are some of the links and examples that are quite relevant to Astrology and its notions.

Sun being the largest star in our Solar system, while passing its rays to the earth, also touches many other planets before entering into the earth's atmosphere. Thus radiation emanated from the Sun is a mixture of rays with contamination from other planets. These mixed rays are suitable for some and not so for others, whether human or otherwise.

To overcome these problems they found simple solutions from nature itself and discovered that each planet is, in one or other way linked to the nature, viz. tree, plants, grain, mineral and color too.  They precisely found the links and identified it with remarkable influences.

For instance, wheat is identified with Sun and if a person has the Star Sun placed in a weaker position, then he is advised to substitute wheat with other food items.  This is a corrective measure which helped the sufferer from the ill effects of the planet/star.

Like wise, for each planet they marked a particular grain, mineral, metal, tree or plant, color and flower. Within my limited knowledge, I give below the list of each planet and its relative substance on the earth.  0ne can then easily understand why an astrologer suggests some gem or other to weed off the ill effects of a specific planet.  I am giving hereunder the sample stones also for one to recognize.

Alright.  Now what about its effects and influences on humans? How can one be sure which color or stone suites someone best?  What effect these gems will have on a person?

Let us study these points one by one.  First, let us discuss  the planet Saturn.  People in general tend to fear saying this planet's name and are scared once they find that they are under the influence of Saturn (Saade Sathhi or  the so called Seven and half years period of Saturn's cycle).

Planet	Color		Gem	Grain	Metal
Sun	Red		Ruby	Wheat	Bronze
Moon	White		Pearl	Rice	Lead
Mars	Red		Coral	Bengal Gram	Copper
Mercury	Green		Emerald	Green Gram	Mercury
Jupiter	Yellow		Yellow Sapphire	Chana	Gold
Venus	White		Diamond	Soya Gram	Silver
Saturn	Blue		Sapphire	Gingili	Iron
Rahu	Black		Zercon	Black Gram	Blackstone
Ketu	Multicolor		Cat's eye	Horse gram	Red stone

As listed above, Saturn is identified with Iron & Steel and its rays contain Iron particles. When Iron substance is excessively found in one's body then the neuron chips in the brain gets disturbed. Thus the emitting of brain wave is also disturbed or scattered and this puts a person under Saturn's effects to great hardship. People tend to ignore this person. Many a time clashes occur. A person under its influence is likely to slip from his or her routine. They are more often attracted towards  unwanted and unlawful activities. Greed takes them for a ride and they may even tend to go for gambling, howsoever a refined person he or she may be.

Saturn is a very slow moving planet and it takes roughly two and half years to cross one sign of 30 degrees.  Unless it is a new moon or full moon day, generally during all Saturdays, the atmospheric pressure is very minimal.  This low pressure in atmosphere causes lethargic attitude in most of us and for those who suffer from the Seven and Half years period of Saturn, in particular. That's why persons affected by it become lazy and lethargic during the ill effect period.

This I have seen in many peoples' horoscopes  that practically during the Saturn's ill effect periods, they tend to forget even most important assignment, lose valuable items, become very lethargic and inactive, lose weight, and spend money more than usual and mostly borrow it even if it is for higher interest rates etc. thus taking him to a bad debt trap.

Many a person who suffered these bad effects were given some remedial suggestions according to astrological considerations. If a person wears a blue sapphire stone during that specific period, the Saturn's ill effects are minimal. But how a stone or gem can bring solace is questioned by many. The fact is that the mineral content in a particular stone and the cosmic radiation combined together are beneficial, that much one can be sure of.

Some alternative methods are also suggested to weed off Saturn's radiations. 0ne such suggestion is to light/burn the gingili seeds soaked into  gingili oil and inhale the carbon. This  method is practically done on every Saturday evenings in the famous South Indian temples which hold a separate location for the Temple of Planets.  This method supposedly relieves one from Saturn's ill effects, viz. by inhaling the gingili Carbon, the ventricles take it directly to the brain and the chemical reaction caused in the brain releases the excessive Saturn Radiations from the brain, through the seven visible holes in the face itself - i.e. nostrils, ear, eyes and mouth.  In addition, the skull punch or the focal point, (from where  brain waves are emitted) also ventilates the Saturn's radiations. Saturn's rays are, presumably,  thick containing iron substance/iodine.

Another such method is, just to keep the gingili seeds into one's palm for few minutes and then to gift it to a Brahman. It is said, that gingili seeds absorbs the Saturn's rays directly from the body and gives relief to the sufferer. This is also done on a Saturday. It is widely believed that the receiver of this gingili gets the ill effects of the Planet Saturn and the receiver is mostly a Brahman who should take remedial measures to correct the imbalances. This I shall discuss in a separate article under Duties of a Brahman.