14
Interesting. My observations have been that the Nodes do affect. Whenever, the North Node (accordingly also the S. Node) transits a house, the themes related to that house surface usually in a challenging manner. These are then magnified or mitigated depending on what other transiting planets is transiting or affecting that same house, too.

15
I have to say I find it highly interesting that, in Indian Astro, the planets move to other signs, as is the case with Jupiter - in Cancer here. Good for the native because Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, which it is not in Leo. I know the native personally, and can say that he is very well-read and informed. Perhaps also Jupiter's contribution in the first house.

I also think that the 10th house (career) also suffers (Western Astro) due to Mars, ruler, being so weak in Taurus. If that is in Aries in the Sidereal chart, it should actually be strong and career should have received a boost and taken off. Not sure how Indian Astro justifies that.

17
Analysing a chart piecemeal is rarely satisfactory, and there are always arguments for anything in hindsight. My own astrological practice these days (and since a number of years) is more influenced by Greek and early Arabic traditions than purely Indian, though still exclusively sidereal, so I would be less inclined to look to nav??ṃśas, etc., and more so to consider elements like sect, the triplicity rulers of the sect light, and so on -- elements that didn't make it to India (except to some extent as part of the T??jika tradition). It has definitely been my experience that the malefic contrary to sect can cause quite a lot of trouble even when in essential dignity, though the latter often acts as a saving grace in the end. But again, this isn't classical Indian astrology.
https://astrology.martingansten.com/

18
Interesting view point, Martin.

Yes, I also use triplicities and sects, etc.

However, I should have also studied Vedic Astro because somehow it seems to quite precisely be able to tell which period starts/ends when. Also, their point-calculating system sounds quite unique. I would love to learn the Vedic system.