India · roots ~last centuries BCE
Vedic astrology · Jyotish
Reads the same sky as Western astrology, but measured against the fixed stars — with the Moon and its 27 mansions at the center.
Where it comes from
Jyotisha, “the science of light”, is one of the classical limbs of Vedic learning; its mature birth-chart form was codified in Sanskrit classics such as the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. It remains woven into daily life in India — from naming ceremonies to matchmaking.
What we compute from your birth
We compute sidereal positions (Lahiri ayanamsa) for the planets — measured against the actual stars, which shifts everything about 24 degrees from Western signs — plus your lagna (ascendant), the Moon's nakshatra, and the vimshottari dasha timeline of planetary periods.
The positions and cycles are computed with real astronomy and calendar arithmetic — the interpretation never invents a number.
If it's new to you
If you know Western astrology: same planets, different ruler. The zodiac is anchored to the stars (sidereal), so your Sun may land one sign earlier; the Moon outranks the Sun; and the dasha system adds something Western charts lack — a lifelong calendar of planetary chapters.
Key terms
- Sidereal zodiac
- Signs measured against the fixed stars rather than the seasons — about 24° behind the Western (tropical) zodiac today.
- Nakshatra
- The 27 lunar mansions — a finer, older zodiac of the Moon. Your birth nakshatra colors temperament and instinct.
- Lagna
- The ascendant — the sign rising at your birth. The chart's anchor; needs an exact birth time.
- Dasha
- Planetary periods (vimshottari: 120 years across nine planets) that give Jyotish its famous timing.
- Graha
- The nine “seizers” — seven visible bodies plus the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu, unique to this tradition.