Combust (Astangata)
A planet too close to the Sun, said to be 'burnt' and weakened by its glare.
A planet is combust, or astangata ('set'), when it sits within a certain number of degrees of the Sun — the exact orb differing by planet, commonly around 8 to 17 degrees. So close to the Sun it would be invisible in the sky, lost in its light.
Traditionally a combust planet is read as weakened or obscured, its significations harder to express clearly because the Sun's brilliance overwhelms it. Mercury and Venus, which never stray far from the Sun, are frequently combust, so the condition alone is not treated as severe.
Schools differ on how much combustion matters and whether it can be partly redeemed (for example by the planet being strong otherwise or retrograde). Like most single factors, it is weighed within the whole chart rather than read as decisive on its own.
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