Learn Vedic Astrology: Where to Start
A path through the basics of Vedic astrology (Jyotish), one idea at a time, from the twelve signs to reading your own chart. Each step opens the pages that explain it.
Step 1
The twelve signs (rashis)
The zodiac's twelve parts of 30°, from Aries (Mesh) to Pisces (Meen): each sign's element, nature and ruling planet are the vocabulary of every chart.
Step 2
The nine planets (navagraha)
Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu: what each signifies, where it is strong and where it is weak.
Step 3
The twelve houses (bhavas)
The areas of life (self, wealth, siblings, home, children, health, marriage and the rest), counted from the Lagna.
Step 4
The 27 nakshatras
The Moon's 27 lunar mansions of 13°20′, each with its lord and deity: the ground of the dashas and of matching.
Step 5
Your Lagna (ascendant)
The sign rising in the east at birth: it fixes the houses, and an astrologer reads it first.
Step 6
Read your own chart
Make your kundli and find each idea above in it: your signs, the planets in houses and nakshatras, your vargas and yogas.
Step 7
Timing: dashas and transits
The Vimshottari dasha tells which planet's period you are in; the transits (gochar) show where the planets move through your chart now.
Step 8
Doshas and remedies
Manglik dosha, Sade Sati and Kaal Sarp: what they are and when they cancel; and the traditional gemstones and mantras.
Manglik Dosha → · Sade Sati → · Kaal Sarp Dosha → · Gemstones → · Mantras →
Step 9
Kundli matching
The eight kootas of guna milan, out of 36, and the doshas checked beside them.
Step 10
Going deeper: KP and numerology
Krishnamurti Paddhati (KP) reads the cusps and their sub lords; numerology reads the date of birth.
Questions
Where should a beginner start learning Vedic astrology?
With the twelve signs, the nine planets and the twelve houses: every reading combines these three. Then learn the nakshatras and your own Lagna, and find each idea in your own kundli.
How long does it take to learn astrology?
The basics (signs, planets, houses and nakshatras) take a few weeks of steady reading. Reading charts well takes years of practice on real charts, which is why many people keep learning from an experienced astrologer.
What is the difference between Vedic and Western astrology?
Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac (with an ayanamsa, here Lahiri), the Moon sign and the 27 nakshatras, and times events with dashas; Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac and the Sun sign.