The Gunas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas

According to the Vedic or Hindu conception of “qualities” (called gunas), these states of being are present in all things everywhere.

• Sattvic: pure, serene, and harmonious; truth and purity of purpose, being good and looking for good in others, individuality that is relatively self-aware; gives light
• Rajasic: active, passionate, and agitated; of taking action and searching and trying to find new meanings, dissatisfaction, individuality that is relatively more or less self-aware; gives energy
• Tamasic: dull and inactive, darkness and ignorance, hard to give up attachment to material desires; individuality that is relatively unaware of self; gives stability

In the Vedic astrology system, the planets are given guna attributes, which actually help to better understand their effects on human behavior in natal charts as well as transits and other forecasting methods.