Ancient Astrology - Hindu Myth - Vedic Samprada

Vedic astrology is an ancient system of astrology originated in India. This ancient science has been practiced in India for more than eight thousand years. It is called "Jyotish" in Hindi, which means the knowledge or science of light. Since Vedic astrology or Jyotish is a part (Vedanga) of Vedas (ancient Indian Hindu scripts), it is known as Vedic astrology.  

There are many differences between Vedic astrology and Western astrology, but the main difference is that the Vedic astrologers use the Sidereal system or fixed zodiac while Western astrologer use the Tropical system or moving zodiac. The difference between both zodiac (Ayanamsa) is now roughly 23 degrees which is almost a whole sign. This means that your Sun-sign that you see in the Magazines or Newspapers usually is not the same as your Vedic Sun-sign. In most cases it is one sign back. For example, if your Sun sign is Taurus according to a Newspaper, which uses Western astrology, it is most likely that you will be an Aries when a Vedic astrologer does your chart using the system of Vedic astrology.
Another important difference is that Western astrology mostly deals with one's psychological patterns and personality while Vedic astrology deals with more of practical matters and one's karmic patterns.

The Basic Components of Vedic Astrology

The most basic elements of Vedic astrology are the nine planets or heavenly bodies and the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve houses of the chart. When studying Vedic astrology, it is important to become familiar with the Sanskrit words for all the main components. To begin with, let it be known that the words planets and "grahas" are synonymous. The twelve signs of the zodiac are called "rashis" and the houses are called "bhavas" or "sthanas" .
The nine planets used in Vedic astrology are:

Common Name	Sanskrit Name
Sun	Ravi
Moon	Chandra
Mars	Kuja or Mangala
Mercury	Budha
Jupiter	Guru
Venus	Shukra
Saturn	Shani
Rahu	Raahu
Ketu	Ketu

The twelve signs, their lords, and their characteristics are given below:

Sun Sign	Sanskrit Name	Lord	Nature	Sex	Motion
Aries	Mesha	Mars	Fire	M	Movable
Taurus	Vrishaba	Venus	Earth	F	Fixed
Gemini	Mithuna	Mercury	Air	M	Common
Cancer	Karkata	Moon	Water	F	Movable
Leo	Simha	Sun	Fire	M	Fixed
Virgo	Kanya	Mercury	Earth	F	Common
Libra	Thula	Venus	Air	M	Movable
Scorpio	Vrishchika	Mars	Water	F	Fixed
Sagittarius	Dhanus	Jupiter	Fire	M	Common
Capricorn	Makara	Saturn	Earth	F	Movable
Aquarius	Kumbha	Saturn	Air	M	Fixed
Pisces	Meena	Jupiter	Water	F	Common

The following figures shows the astrology chart or horoscope in South-Indian and North-Indian styles which are used to predict ones nature, future etc.,
Each house spans 30 degrees and the whole chart takes 360 degrees. Always, in the south-indian chart, the house where the ascendent is present is taken as the first house and going in clockwise fashion 2,3, .. and the 12th house to complete 360 degrees.
The parameters that are required to cast a chart are:

• Date of Birth
• Time of Birth
• Place of Birth (Latitude and Longitude)

Based on the above parameters, the chart of the individual is casted. If there are any discrepancy in the above parameters, then the casting of the chart will result in worng casting of the chart which will result in wrong predictions. Please make sure that you provide accurate information for casting the chart.
There are different types of charts derived from the main chart (raashi chart), these are :

• Raashi Chart (The Basic chart)
• Hora
• Drekkana
• Chaturthamsha
• Sapthamsha
• Astamsha
• Navamsha Kundali (Important and seen along with Raashi chart)
• Dashamsha
• Shodashamsha
• Vimshamsha
• Chaturvimshamsha
• Bhamsha
• Thrimshamsha
• Khavedamsha
• Akshavedamsha
• Shastyamsha

What does these houses signify?

First House - Lagnasthan, Tanusthan
This house signifies life,longevity, self, health, nature and appearance of native. Complexion,vitality, sorrows, gains and profits to younger brothers and his friends. It governs head and face.
Second House - Dhana-sthan, Kutumb-sthan
This house indicates inflow of finances, bank position, right eye, family, early age or boyhood,speech, sanyas, servants and friends. Self earned wealth, loss or damage, worldly possessions, jewellery, grandfather and mother. It also denotes family, eyesight, understanding with family members,inheritance, law suits, throat, right eye, domestic comforts in general.
Third House - Bhatru-sthan, Parakram-sthan
It denotes younger brothers and sisters and their relations. It signifies courage, intelligence,education up to Higher Secondary level, taste for writing, ornaments,clothes, short journeys. Signing contracts and documents etc. Body parts are arms, right ear, shoulders etc.
Fourth House - Matru-sthan, Sukha-sthan
This house signifies mother,property, conveyance, domestic surroundings and happiness. Old age environments, private affairs, public, inheritance, false allegations,agriculture land and its produce. It represents breasts, chest, lung, stomach, elbow joints etc.
Fifth House - Vidya-sthan, Putra-sthan
Children, speculation, intellectual status and luck are gauged from this house. Pleasure,love affairs, lady love, legal or illegal amusements, kidnap, rape, etc. are also checked. Belly, heart, liver, spleen are the body parts covered by this house.
Sixth House - Ripu-sthan, Rog-sthan
This house is responsible for enemies, health, service, servants, uncle, aunts and relations on father's side. Food, subordinates, debts, obstacles in life, mental worries, theft and calamity etc. The body parts denoted are kidney,large intestine, uterus and anus.
Seventh House - Bharya-sthan, Maraka-sthan
Matters regarding wife,husband, partnership, external sex organs, conjugal happiness are checked from 7th house. This house also denotes marriage, married life, love contracts, litigations, divorce, honour and reputation in foreign country. Body parts are private parts, uterus, glands etc.
Eighth House - Mrutyu-sthan
Diseases, death, finances through unfair means, internal sex organs, longevity, mental pain obstacles, dowry of wife, gain from in laws, mode of death, imprisonment, worries and privations are checked from 8th house, It indicates body parts as scrotum, pelvis, seminal vesicles, external genitalia, etc.
Ninth House - Bhagya-sthan
This house indicates religion, foreign travel, publicity, preceptor, higher education, learning, writing books, also faith, wisdom, prosperity, powers of foresight, religious institutions, providential help, etc. Hips, thighs are body parts.
Tenth House - Karma-sthan, Pitru-sthan
This important house indicates father, profession, status in life, activities outside house, pleasures, honour, power and authority, Government favour, trade,business, command, occupation, adopted son. All questions regarding worldly activities and moral responsibilities. Body parts are knees, joints, bones, hairs and back.
Eleventh House - Labha-sthan
It accounts for accumulated wealth, elder brothers and sisters and relations with them. Friends, fluctuating money gains, club or social activities, emotional attachments, love affairs and friends, honour, social success etc. Body parts are legs, left ear, teeth, ankle etc.
Twelfth House - Vyaya-sthan
It signifies private enemies, pleasures of beds, law suits, imprisonments, secret works, moksha, hospitalisation, conjugal relations with opposite sex other than legitimate. Sorrows, debts, lost goods etc. are judged. Body parts are feet, left eye, teeth etc.

Casting and Predicting a Chart

There are two parts in astrology. One is the Casting the chart or deriving the chart from the persons date, time and place of birth as inputs. Second is the Prediction part which involves predicting the future of the person based on the casted birth chart.
Casting mainly involves mathematics and astronomy where we study the movements of planets and accordingly cast the chart based on the planetary position when the person is born.
Predicting involves in-depth study of the effects of various planets when in different zodiacs.This reqires lot of study of old astrology books, manuscripts and discussions with other astrologers and is much study involved.
While predicting a chart one has to observe the combined effects of planets, if any house is occupied by two or more planets it gives the combined effect.
Vedic Astrology is a vast and endless study and in order to predict accurately one has to study the subject for many many years and has to see the minor details as well as major details in a given chart, the different "Yogas" for a chart, etc.