vedic astrologY BY ANAND TIWARI

ASTROLOGY OF ANCIENT INDIA...

Vedic or Hindu astrology originated in India over 5000 years ago. It utilizes the sidereal zodiac. The positions of the planets in the sidereal zodiac are determined based on where they actually appear in the sky.

The Vedic system utilizes 3 primary ascendants to evaluate your chart. The birth ascendant (sign rising on the Eastern Horizon at the time of birth) which changes every 2 hours, the moon ascendant which changes every 2.25 days and the Sun ascendant which changes every month or 30 days. In addition, there are special ascendants to evaluate specific aspects of an individual’s life. A unique aspect of Vedic astrology is the fact that it utilizes divisional charts for various aspects of life like relationship, career, children, health etc. This leads to accuracy of prediction and timing.

The Vedic system utilizes the seven celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter & Saturn) along with the 2 nodes of the moon. The nodes are sensitive points wherein the orbit of the Moon and the Sun intersect causing eclipses. The north node is termed “Rahu” (pronounced Raahoo) and the south node is termed “Ketu” (pronounced Kaytoo) in Sanskrit. The Latin terms for these nodes are “Caput Draconis” and “Cauda Draconis” respectively.

The zodiac can be understood to be a circle of 360 degrees with 12 signs occupying 30 degrees each. The same zodiac is also divided into 27 constellations (called ‘Nakshatras’ in Sanskrit) that appear in the sky each of which occupy 13 degrees and 20 minutes. These constellations are utilized extensively in Vedic astrology to determine the psychological profile and make predictions.