The sidereal zodiac divides the sky against fixed stars, not the equinox.
Understanding Your Vedic Birth Chart
A plain-language guide to reading the three key pillars of your Jyotish chart: ascendant, Moon sign and planetary positions.
The Three Pillars of Your Chart
A Vedic birth chart (kundali) is a map of the sky at the exact moment you were born, drawn from your birthplace. Three coordinates define it above all others: your ascendant (lagna), your Moon sign and your Sun sign.
The ascendant is the zodiac degree rising on the eastern horizon at birth. Because it shifts roughly every two hours, an accurate birth time is essential. It sets the entire house structure of the chart.
Astavya computes positions using the astronomy-engine library and checks them against NASA JPL data. The sidereal longitude is the tropical longitude minus the Lahiri ayanamsa (~24°).
The Nine Planets (Navagrahas)
Vedic astrology works with nine grahas: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu. Each rules specific domains of life and carries particular qualities of energy.
- Sun (Surya): soul, authority, father, vitality
- Moon (Chandra): mind, emotions, mother, daily rhythms
- Mars (Mangala): courage, siblings, property, drive
- Mercury (Budha): intellect, communication, commerce
- Jupiter (Guru): wisdom, children, dharma, expansion
- Venus (Shukra): relationships, beauty, comfort, creativity
- Saturn (Shani): discipline, karma, service, longevity
- Rahu: worldly desire, foreign lands, obsession
- Ketu: liberation, past-life karma, spirituality
Houses: The Twelve Areas of Life
The twelve houses (bhavas) describe different spheres of experience. With whole-sign houses — the default in Astavya — each house is exactly one sign. The ascendant sign is the first house.
- 1st: self, appearance, vitality
- 2nd: wealth, speech, family
- 4th: home, mother, inner peace
- 7th: partnerships, spouse, open enemies
- 10th: career, status, public life
How to Begin
Start on the Dashboard. Create a profile with your birth date, time and place. The Chart tab shows your rasi (birth) chart. Hover over any planet to see its sign, degree and house. The Dasha tab shows your planetary periods.
Remember: every number is real astronomy. The meanings are tradition. Use them for reflection, not as facts about what will happen.
Sage Parashara, Parashara Hora Shastra
Hart de Fouw & Robert Svoboda, Light on Life