Today's world is fast changing. Changed political scenario, advancing economies and rapid technological developments have created new opportunities for the ambitious employed youth. The concepts of traditional or ancestral professions have become redundant. However, these newly created opportunities accompany new crises too and professional uncertainties have become a matter of concern. It is here that astrology has a new role to play and explain this relatively new phenomenon assigning new meanings to the known astrological combinations wherever required. These professional crises may be mostly related with finding a new job after a lay off, feeling of relative deprivation, not finding a congenial environment in office etc. Whether the trouble is minor or major may be a subjective phenomenon too. Astrologically speaking, such professional distress happens due to affliction to 10th house/lord and lagna/lord primarily with trik houses (6th, 8th & 12th). Fifth house too deserves serious consideration as it is 8th from 10th house. Then dashas play an important role. Problem may span a Pratyantardasa, an Antardasa or sometimes even a full long Mahadasa. Also, transits with Ashtakvarga, Mrityubhaga (MB) factor, Jaimini Amatyakaraka (AmK) etc. too should not be lost sight of. What follows is an attempt to analyze all this astrologically as case studies using various tools.

Case-1: Trouble gave Rajayoga December 15, 1938; 04:47; 79E12, 21N10; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs

See the proximity of 8th and 10th lords in the birth horoscope. See affliction to the lagna lord. His professional life was never a bed of roses. Now concentrate on 1977 when it was dasa of Jup-Sat. What do you expect - a Rajayoga? Yes, it is the first impression as they exchange houses as 4th and 5th lords. Now see the Navamsa also. He was a government servant teaching Physics to secondary classes. During Jup-Sat-Rahu he was transferred to a distant place but didn't join his duties. See the natal Rahu and see that Rahu and Saturn were approaching the 10th from different directions to grab it. As a consequence he was suspended in his service. However, during Jup-Sat- Jup he competed for a higher post (Headmaster) in his department, studied in his free time during suspension and succeeded finally. See the role of 5th house. Dasa lord Jup owns the 5th while AD lord Sat occupies it. Moon in MB aspects the AD lord. Suspension continued for 4 months and he finally enjoyed the Rajayoga on new post during Jup-Mer. See Mer (AmK) in the 10th from Jup.

Case-2: Sacrificed for the family September 9, 1959; 05:43; 72E51, 18 N56; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs.

She joined a middle level government job. Her Venus dasa started in 1992. During this dasa she had to seek transfer from one state to another twice for her family welfare. This rendered her junior most in the respective cadre (as per rules in vogue). Hence, she is still stagnating on the same post while all her colleagues have already got two promotions. This has given her a deep sense of deprivation. Just see her Venus:

1) Venus is 10th lord of ‘profession’ and 3rd lord of ‘change’. It is retrograde. What does it mean?
2) Venus is in mrityubhaga.
3) Venus is in the constellation of Ketu which has gone to the 8th house.

So here again it was the adverse dasa of 6th lord from 10th which played the mischief. Incidentally, see Chara dasa. It was dasa of Sagittarius from Sep 92 to Sep 2003 which is 8th from 10th.

Case-3: Confusion prevails May 13, 1973; 19:02; 81E58, 25N53; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs.

He is an Engineer (B.E.) qualified from a good college. During Rahu dasa he changed three jobs in private / public sector, primarily due to lack of job satisfaction. At the fag-end of Rahu dasa, he somehow got into a non-technical low status job in the Income-tax department of government of India. During present Jup dasa, he is in utter confusion and has developed some fear psychosis too. He can neither dare give up this unsuitable job nor accept it. Why did it happen during Jup dasa which seems to be a yogakaraka for the native? See the following

1) 10th lord is along with 8th lord.
2) 10th house is aspected by 6th lord.
3) Jup is lord of 5th in Rasi and Navamsa both. This Jup is debilitated and is under Papakartari in Rasi.
4) Lagna lord too is in a bad shape. Now see the Chara dasa of Cancer (1996-2006) confirming it which is in the 12th from 10th. Hence, dasa of a weak 5th lord was detrimental due to affliction to the 10th house.

Case-4: Ego gives distress May 11, 1973; 09:46; 72E55, 19N05; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs.

This man is in the field of film direction. He has suffered professional distress primarily due to his ego. We can see his:

1)) 10th lord in fall exactly on 22nd Dreshkona. See lagna lord too carefully.
2)Navamsa dispositor of 10th lord is in the 6th afflicted by malefics
3)AmK has gone to the 12th in Rasi and in the 6th in Navamsa

Now we will try to analyse why he was without a job during Nov 8, 2001 to Sep 27, 2003 (except a brief spell of 20 days). Consider the following:

1) It was Moon-Venus up to July 2002. Moon is in 3rd house and Venus is 5th lord.
2) Then came Moon-Sun up to Jan 2003. Sun is lord of 6th from 10th. Mars dasa started thereafter.
3)Now see that up to July 2003 Jup was transiting Cancer who has 0 point in Bhinnashtaka of Mars

5th House Syndrome - Contrasting Study
From above discussion, one may wonder how the Kona house considered to be most auspicious can give professional distress. But this is not unconditional and subtler considerations are there. 5th house may simply give some changes or may entail professional setbacks too. Hence, two contrasting studies are being given hereunder to help check the fallacious impression.

Case-5: Stagnation after rise March 19, 1969; 23:55; 74E32, 15N52; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs.

A very well placed officer of a private petroleum company, he made rapid advances during Venus dasa. As soon as Sun dasa started (lord of 10th in 5th) he faced professional jealousies, clashes with superiors and is stagnating. Sun-Rahu was worst and he could hardly resist the temptation to resign. The Sun is involved in the best Rajayoga in 5th house. But note the following:
1)Sun is in the 5th closely eclipsed by Rahu and aspected by a retrograde Jupiter.
2)Sun is with only 16 points in Sarvashtaka and has just 2 points in Bhinnashtaka.
3)Sun is 8th lord in Dasamsa.
However, a strong lagna lord should help him overcome the crisis.

Case-6: Changes for rise only July 31, 1974; 00:23; 74E42, 26N27; Time Zone 05:30 Hrs.

Native is a software engineer. Here too Sun dasa (5th lord) was running from Dec 97 to Dec 2003. Native changed jobs due to winding up of his company and due to aspiration to rise higher. He went abroad thrice. Hence, destabilizing effect of 5th lord was visible without any professional crisis. Here we can see:
1) 10th lord is not afflicted. Rather, it is with two benefics aspected by two other benefics.
2)See the strength of lagna lord aspected by a strong 9th lord Jupiter.
3)Dasa lord Sun is well placed in a Kendra without any affliction.
4)Sun is aspected by two benefics in Navamsa too.

Conclusion: Summing up, we can make some observations on professional set-backs of modern era as follows:
1) Afflictions to 10H/L and lagna/L pose a threat to professional stability. Influence of 6th, 8th and 12th lords is to be watched particularly.
2)Reference from lagna is primary though consideration from 10th house too is important. In the first case, it may indicate serious handicap.
3) Potential threat to profession materialises in adverse dasabhukti.
4) Ashtakvarga must be kept before the eyes and concepts like MB too shouldn't be forgotten.
5) Never exaggerate the role of Dasamsa.
6Refer to Jaimini using AmK and Chara dasa. It may give some new insight.
7) Further research is earnestly required. For instance, what happens when AmK transits different houses from lagna, the 10th, AK or from its own natal position or how the Vimshottari dasa of AmK behaves?