Learn Vedic Astrology

What is Astrology all about?

Astrology is an ancient science that suggests that there is a correlation between the celestial movements in the universe and our destiny. There are 7 planets that are primarily considered in astrology along with 2 nodes formed by the intersection of solar and lunar orbits. According to astrological concepts, the position of these planets at the time of your birth determines your physical appearance, behavior, relationships, career, health issues, gains as well as misfortunes.

With time, astrology has evolved into several branches using different techniques and focusing on different areas. Some of the popular branches of Vedic astrology are, Hora Shastra (Natal & Predictive Astrology), Prashna (Horary Astrology), Jaimini Astrology (by Sage Jamini), Medical Astrology (Ayur Jyotish), Nadi Astrology, Nimitta (Omens and Portents), Samhita Jyotish (National, weather, economy and Natural disasters Predictions) and KP Astrology (Nakshatra based Predictions).

As far as Science is concerned, some of the concepts of astrology are in alignment with scientific concepts, however, there are certain methods of astrology that are beyond scientific evidence and understanding, therefore Astrology is widely regarded as a pseudoscience. Millions of people had, have, and will be using astrology for self-reflection and future predictions since the astrological readings are mostly accurate and serve as a guiding light for the future if done by a qualified and experienced Astrologer. If you wish to Learn Astrology Online in a quick and easy way Click here.

Origins of Vedic Astrology

The exact origin of Astrology is unclear, but its roots are deepest in India and Mesopotamia. Many other countries have now adopted astrology and created their own versions of it in order to match their culture and beliefs.

After its evolution, astrology is now popular in India as Vedic Astrology, in China as Chinese Astrology, western countries like UK, USA, Europe and Australia use Western Astrology, and Islamic countries use Persian Astrology etc.

In India it is believed that astrology has not been discovered by humans, but rather this divine knowledge was revealed to sages by spiritual powers through meditation and yoga. The father of Astrology is considered to be Sage/Rishi Parashara who revealed his astrological knowledge to the world in the form of a book ‘Brihat Parashar Hora Shasta’ somewhere between 1500 BCE to1000 BCE. After this, several other scholars like Sage Bhrigu, Sage Garga, Sage Jamini and Sage Varahamir shed more light on this subject. Know more about the History of Vedic Astrology

Importance of Astrology

Astrology plays a significant role in decoding the cosmic influences on your life, and provides us valuable information about the basic nature, life events, relationships, strengths and weaknesses as well as challenges in your life. With astrological guidance and support, you can easily sidestep the upcoming adversities and make wise and informed decisions about your career, family as well as health. Another benefit of astrology is that it mentally prepares you for upcoming life events by predicting the unpredictable.

Astrology can also act as a bridge between you and the universe by helping you understand your karmic cycle and signs from the universe.

Planets

The planets in our solar system lay the basis of astrology because of their direct influence on various aspects of your life. According to Vedic astrology, 7 main planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn are considered to be influencing us the most along with the 2 lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Collectively they are called the “Navagraha” which translates to 9 planets.

You must note that at the time when astrology was invented, there were no telescopes or any other equipment to track celestial bodies. Therefore, only the planets that are visible through the naked eye, are considered in astrological evaluation. However, it has been scientifically proven through “Newton’s law of universal Gravitation” that, each and every object in the universe big or small, influences every other object (you) through its gravitation in some or the other way, but in most cases, the influence is negligible and therefore is barely noticed. Hence, the planets given in the Vedic astrology are sufficient to predict your life events as they have major control over you because of their close distance to earth and hefty size.

All the planets mentioned in astrology are believed to have a specific nature and responsibilities, and their placement in your chart impact different areas of your life to a great extent. The nature of the planets can be classified in two major groups called Malefic Planets as well as Benefic Planets. The malefic planets have a harsh nature strict attitude, however the benefic planets have a soft nature end they always tend to give positive results. Know about the 9 planets in Vedic Astrology

Houses

Just like the Zodiac signs, the houses are also the 12 divisions of the sky but the difference is that the houses they may not necessarily be exactly 30° and stay fixed in one place and the 1st house always starts from the east horizon. However, the Zodiac signs keep moving through these houses. The houses also fall in an anticlockwise direction in your birth chart and each house represents a different area of your life. While the planets represent different attributes as well as how things will happen for you, the houses represent different areas of your life where those particular events will happen. Therefore, houses play a vital role in decoding the events that will happen in your life by interpreting that in which area of your life, the energy of a planet will manifest. Learn about the 12 Houses in Vedic Astrology

Nakshatras

Nakshatras are the 27 divisions of the 360° circle imagined earlier in order to understand the Zodiac signs. They fall within the Zodiac signs. Each nakshatra is ruled by a different planet including Rahu and Ketu. The division of the nakshatras is basically done according to the movement of the moon covered in one day, therefore, the Moon crosses through 1 nakshatra every day.

Interestingly, moon takes 27.3 days to circle the earth, and there are 27 nakshatras, therefore, to balance this, a 28th nakshatra called Abhijeet nakshatra is also considered but not widely used.

Nakshatras are used to make more detailed predictions and to dive deeper into your astrological profile. The most important nakshatra for you is a nakshatra in which the moon was present at the time of your birth. This nakshatra can reveal a lot about your personality, habits and your upcoming events in life. Click Here for a complete guide on Signs & Nakshatras

Planetary Aspects

In astrology, when planets are placed in a particular house, instead of influencing just that house alone they impact one or more houses through their aspects as well. The aspects of benefic planets may bring positive results whereas the aspects of malefic planets building struggle and obstacles.

All the planets have an aspect on their opposite house which is the 7th house from the house they are situated in. Other than that, Jupiter, Rahu and Ketu, also aspect the trine, which is the 5th and the 9th house with respect to their placement. Mars aspects the 4th as well as 8th house and Saturn aspects the 3rd as well as 10th house from its placement.

Every aspect of a planet contains a different energy and interpreting these aspects decodes a lot of elements of your life.

Yoga and Dosha – Some Special Conjunctions

In Vedic astrology, yogas are specific combinations of planets that create a powerful impact on your life in a positive way. Yogas can bring you wealth, success, wisdom as well as spiritual growth and on the other hand, Doshas are also specific planetary combinations that create a negative impact on your life and bring your struggles and obstacles in your career wealth accumulation marriage or family life.

Decoding and understanding the yogas and doshas in your chart help the astrologers to advise you remedies and reveal your strengths and weaknesses. The planets forming yogas or doshas usually give their positive or negative result during the period of their Dasha. If yogas and doshas are forming in your birth chart, the astrologers will generally suggest you remedies in order to minimize the expected negative results and enhance the positives.

Some Common Yogas (Auspicious Conjunctions):

Gajakesari Yoga - Moon and Jupiter
Budhaditya Yoga- Sun and Mercury
Chandra-Mangal Yoga- Moon and Mars
Dharma-Karmadhipati Yoga- Lords of the 9th and 10th houses
Raj Yoga- Lords of Kendras (1, 4, 7, 10) and Trikonas (1, 5, 9)
Viparita Raja Yoga- Lords of dusthana houses (6th, 8th, or 12th)
Neechabhanga Raja Yoga- Debilitated and exalted planet

Common Doshas (Inauspicious Conjunctions):

Grahan Dosha- Sun or Moon with Rahu or Ketu
Kaal Sarp Dosha- All 7 planets between Rahu and Ketu
Pitra Dosha- Sun with Rahu or Saturn
Paap Kartari Dosha- Benefic planet hemmed between malefics
Vish Dosha- Saturn with Sun
Guru Chandal Dosha- Jupiter with Rahu
Kemadruma Dosha- Moon alone with empty consecutive houses

Know more about Yogas & Doshas in Astrology

Planetary Conjunctions

Planetary conjunction means the alignment of two or more planets close to each other in the same Zodiac sign. The result of the conjunction becomes stronger when the planets are close to each other within the range of 10° or less. If the planets are placed further apart, the conjunction may not have a strong impact on your life, however, if the conjuncting planets are placed at the same degree, they come in a war like state, and the planet having the lower minutes (subdivision of degrees), usually dominates the other planet.

The planets may give completely unexpected results when in a conjunction because of each other’s influence. The conjunctions may be harmonious and uplifting if the planets are friendly with each other, however it could also be destructive if the planets are in conjunction with their respective enemy planet. Explore the effects of Planetary Conjunctions

Divisional Charts

The apparent screenshot of the position of the planets and the Zodiac signs in the sky during the time of your birth, is called your Birth chart. Other than the main birth chart, Astrology decodes several divisional charts dedicated to specific areas of your life. There are 16 main divisional charts in Vedic Astrology known as “Shodashvarga”, however, when we dive deeper into advanced astrology, we can study up to 60 different divisional charts as mentioned by sage Parashar in his book ‘Brihat Parashar Hora Shastra’. These divisional charts are created by mathematically dividing each Zodiac sign into further subdivisions. The basic birth chart is known as D1 chart that reveals all areas of your life, other than that, some important divisional charts are D9 (marriage), D2 (Wealth), D4 (property), D7 (children) as well as D10 (career).

You must know that, in different parts of the world, the representation of a birth chart may vary in structure and style but the position of the planets will remain similar. In northern part of India the birth chart is denoted in the square form with diagonal lines intersecting each other forming houses. However, in southern India the houses are represented along the perimeter of a square shaped box in a clockwise direction and in a western style, the chart is in the form of a circle showing a geometrical representation of all to 12 zodiacs as well as planets along the boundary. Read More about different Divisional Charts in astrology

Dasha System

According to Vedic astrology, Dashas are basically time periods a particular planet is activated, and its results are more prominently seen in your day-to-day life. The most popularly used dasha system is known as “Vimshottari Dasha” That spans over 120 years, where each planet rules for a certain period of time. This is known as the main period or Mahadasha that indicates the long-term impact of the ruling planet. Inside a particular main period, There are sub periods known as “Antardashas”, which last for a few months. In a particular Mahadasa, there lie AntarDasha of all the planets in a particular order. Furthermore, there are more classifications of dashas under Antardasha, that can help you accurately predict everyday events.

The Main period/ Mahadasha you are born in, depends on the moon’s position during the time of your birth. This Dasha system, helps the Astrologers predict events with accuracy and provide you an exact timeline of events.

Some Commonly used Dashas:

Vimshottari Dasha- 120 years, based on the Moon's nakshatra at birth
Ashtottari Dasha- 108 years, applied under specific lunar conditions
Yogini Dasha- 36 years, used in both Parashari and Tajika systems
Kalachakra Dasha- Variable time, relies on lunar signs and nakshatras
Chara Dasha (Jaimini Dasha)- Variable time period, sign-based

Other than these Dashas, there are several Conditional Dashas that are used under specific chart conditions. Dashas: the secret time-clock of your life

Planetary Transits

While your birth chart shows the movement of the planets at the time of your birth, the transits show the current movement of the planets through the Zodiac signs. These transits also impact your life, bringing periods of growth, success transform as well as challenges. When a benefic planet turns to its original position in the transit as in your birth chart, it brings good news as well as prosperity. However, when a malefic planet returns to a similar position as in your birth chart, it brings new challenges and transformation.

Transits help the astrologers to predict current events and auspicious and inauspicious periods to start a new project, family expansion or looking for a better job etc.

The outer planets nodes, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu create a long-term impact through their transits, however the inner planets, Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars create a short-term impact on your life. Finally, the Moon impacts your daily life since it moves very quickly and takes only 2.25 days to cross a zodiac sign in its transit. Understand more about the planetary transits

Zodiac Signs

The Zodiac signs or the Rashi are actually derived from the constellations across the Zodiac belt where planets orbit around the sun with respect to earth. In order to imagine the Zodiac signs, you can divide the sky into 12 equal parts of 30° each, making a complete circle of 360°. Each of these parts are named after the shapes of the constellations falling in that respective part. These Zodiac signs keep moving anticlockwise as seen from earth because of Earth's rotation. The 12 Zodiac signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius as well as Pisces.

The Ascendant Sign is basically the Zodiac sign that was rising along the eastern horizon at the exact time and the place of your birth. Ascendant sign is crucial in order to determine the appearance as well as behavior of a person. Another important sign is the Moon Sign which basically means the Zodiac sign in which the Moon was present at the time of your birth, this sign reveals your mental strength as well as thoughts. Know the difference between Ascendant and Moon Sign

Similarly, the Sun Sign is the sign in which the sun was in during the time of your birth. The Sun Sign represents your core personality and your overall nature. Know the difference between Moon Sign and Sun Sign

Every Zodiac sign has unique qualities and would influence you in a different way. These signs fall under the jurisdiction of the planets we discussed earlier where each planet owns 2 signs except the Sun and the Moon who own 1 sign each and Rahu and Ketu who don’t own any sign. The behavior and nature of every Zodiac sign is derived from its ruling planet.

Moon sign Vs Sun sign

In astrology, Sun sign means the sign in which Sun was present at the time of your birth, and similarly Moon sign means the sign in which moon was present at the time of your birth. Both sun sign and moon sign have a deep impact on your personality as well as your thoughts. The sun sign represents your identity outlook and your personality traits. They are mostly used in western astrology to make predictions about a person. However, the moon sign talks about your inner self, subconscious mind and emotions. In Vedic astrology the moon sign is considered more important and provides the basis of predictions by Vedic astrologers. If put together, sunshine and moonshine can provide a clear and more detailed information about you inside out. Discover more about Moon Sign vs Sun Sign

Sade Sati – Saturn’s Transit over Moon

Sade Sati is an important astrological period when Saturn impacts your moon for 7.5 years through its transit. This period starts when Saturn is at a distance of 45° from the moon, moving towards it and ends until Saturn is 45° away from the moon on the other side moving further away. In other words, you can judge the approximate initiation of Sade Sati as Saturn enters the 12^th house from the placement of the moon In its transit, and ends when Saturn leaves the 2nd house from your moon.

During this period, things slow down for you, there are delays as well as challenges in everything you do especially if your Moon is afflicted. This period acts as a test of time leading to your personal growth and transformation. Once this tough period is over, you will clearly be able to identify between your true well-wishers and fake friends.

This period is typically considered as a challenging period that comes after every 30 years. However, if the placement of Saturn is strong in your chart you may receive gains, especially towards the end of this period. Sade Sati will help you evolve into a more mature, patient and responsible. What Happens During Saturn's Sade Sati?

Astrological Remedies

Astrological remedies are traditional practices that help to balance out the energies of the planets and therefore reduce the negative influence of an afflicted planet or a dosha present in your chart. If done properly, the remedies will help you minimize the obstacles and delays and overcome all challenges with ease. There are several types of remedies that are used in Vedic astrology which include:

Yagna: Sacred fire ritual performed to please specific planets or deities, purifying energy and invoking blessings.
Mantras: Chanting specific sounds or prayers carrying vibration and energy multiple times, dedicated to planets or deities to harmonize the planetary energies.
Rudraksha: Sacred beads believed to be blessed by lord Shiva that carry spiritual power, worn to protect yourself from negative influences, promote overall well-being and establish a spiritual connection.
Gemstones: Precious or semi-precious stones or crystals that are associated with planets, worn to strengthen favorable planetary energies and bring positive results.
Yantra: Geometric diagrams carrying energies of particular deities, used to meditate or to attract positive cosmic energies.
Puja: Worshiping ritual involving offerings to deities, seeking divine intervention through prayers for health, abundance, and peace in your home.

Specific remedies are prescribed to you based on your birth chart to help you restore cosmic balance and improve your life. Know More about Astrological Remedies

Remember

As per North Indian style of chart, the placement of the zodiac, houses and the movement of planets will be Anti Clockwise.
Although all planets really move in the same direction, but sometimes as seen from earth, the apparent movement of a planet seems to be going backwards due to the movement of the earth being faster than the respective planet or optical illusion. This phenomenon is called retrogration of planet that makes its energies and power more intense.
Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu are planets, as far as astrology is concerned, so please don’t confuse yourself with the astronomical definition of a planet, because here, planet simply means a celestial body or a non-body that has an influence on your life.
Even though we know that earth revolves around the Sun but since the rules of astrology are based on how things appear to be, as seen from the earth, the Sun also appears to be revolving around the earth due to earth’s rotation as well as revolution.