The employment of separate zodiac systems is a key distinction between Western and Vedic astrology, often known as Indian astrology. The tropical zodiac, based on the seasons and the position of the sun and Earth, is used by Western astrologers. The Spring Equinox always falls on the first day of Aries season in the tropical zodiac.
Vedic astrology, on the other hand, employs the sidereal zodiac, which is based on the physical locations of the stars in the sky. Precession occurs when the Earth spins on its axis and suffers a slight tilt or swirl. As a result, the stars and constellations do not remain stationary; each star travels around one degree every 70 years or so.
While Western astrology ignores this shift, the sidereal method detects it and uses a system called ayanamas to fix the mismatch inside the birth chart. As a result, your sun sign in Vedic astrology may differ significantly from what you previously believed. The universe is designed to astonish us.
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What is my Rashi according to the date?
How To Locate Your Rasi Using Your Date Of Birth:
- Fill in the blanks with your date of birth.
- Enter the date and time of your birth.
- Choose either your birthplace or a location close to it.
- Select “Find Rashi” from the drop-down menu.
What factors go into determining your zodiac sign?
Early astronomers witnessed the Sun passing through the Zodiac signs in a year’s time, spending roughly a month in each. As a result, they determined that each constellation covers 30 degrees of the ecliptic.
However, due to a phenomenon known as precession, the positions of the constellations we see now have changed.
The zero point of the Zodiac used to designate the beginning day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The vernal equinox happens when the ecliptic and celestial equator collide, according to astronomers.
The zero point existed in Aries around 600 BCE, and it was known as the “first point of Aries.” (See Figure 1). The constellation Aries covered the first 30 degrees of the ecliptic; Taurus covered the next 30 degrees; Gemini covered the next 60 degrees; and so on for all twelve constellations of the Zodiac.
The Earth wobbles around its axis in a 25,800-year cycle, which ancient astrologers were unaware of. The gravitational attraction of the Moon on Earth’s equatorial bulge causes this wobble, known as precession.
This wobble has led the junction point between the celestial equator and the ecliptic to migrate west along the ecliptic by 36 degrees, or nearly one-tenth of the way around, over the past two and a half millennia. This indicates that, in relation to the stars beyond, the signs have moved one-tenthor almost a month around the sky to the west.
For example, persons born between March 21 and April 19 are considered Aries. During much of that time, the Sun was no longer in the constellation of Aries. The Sun is actually in the constellation of Pisces from March 11 to April 18! (See Illustration 2) See also Figure 3, which depicts the equinox precession from 600 BCE to 2600 CE.
The dates when the Sun is truly within the astronomical constellations of the Zodiac, as defined by contemporary constellation borders and corrected for precession, are listed in the table below (these dates can vary a day from year to year).
When precession is taken into consideration, your zodiac sign will most likely be different. And if you were born between November 29 and December 17, your zodiac sign is one you’ve never heard of before: Ophiuchus! After Scorpius, the eliptic crosses across the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Visit the Birthday Sky program to view what the sky looked like on your birthday and to learn more about your “true zodiac sign.”
Constellations Image Gallery
Is your astrological sign the same as your Rashi?
When analyzing personality attributes, people are frequently perplexed about their true zodiac sign. Those who believe in western astrology consider their Sun sign to be the true indicator of their personality, whilst those who believe in vedic astrology consider their Moon sign to be their true zodiac sign. A few others are aware of their rising sign (also known as the Lagna or Ascendant), but they are few and far between. What is the source of this perplexity?
Before we answer, let’s go over how to figure out our Sun, Moon, and Rising signs. Sun signs and Moon signs are the signs in our horoscope where the Sun and Moon are located. If your Sun is in Taurus and your Moon is in Sagittarius, for example, your Sun sign is Taurus (your so-called zodiac sign) and your Moon sign is Sagittarius (also called rashi). The rising sign is the one that was visible on the horizon when we were born. Because the earth is constantly rotating on its axis, all zodiac signs appear in the zodiac at different times throughout the day. Consider a newborn baby resting on his or her back on the bed, looking up at the sky. The Lagna or Ascendant sign is the sign visible in the sky at that time.
Because the Sun takes 30 days to pass from one sign to the next in astronomy, all people born in that month will have the same personality traits. The Moon, on the other hand, changes signs every two and a half days, and this is a typical occurrence for people born during that time frame. The rising sign, on the other hand, is only visible for two hours and hence is more unique to those born during that time frame. The closer we get to that sign that actually resembles our personality and life style, the more we narrow down the time period. As a result, the rising sign (Lagna or Ascendant) is clearly the genuine determinant of our personality and behavior.
So, what’s the point of the Sun and Moon signs? The answer lies in the significant distinctions between vedic astrology and the astrology used in the West. Predestination and soul transmigration are concepts in Vedic astrology that are guided by our karmic tendencies. Human life is divided into three categories: body, mind, and soul. Our rising sign (Lagna or Ascendant) governs our physical existence or body in this life, while the Sun represents our soul and the Moon represents our mind.
To put it another way, the soul (Sun) requires a body (Lagna or Ascendant) in order to be born. The mind (Moon) is the software that enables us to go about our daily lives in a safe and secure manner. It also helps us make sense of our various life experiences and is the source of a wide range of emotions.
The Sun sign, when viewed in this light, resembles our feeling of life purpose, or what we often refer to as life objectives. The circumstances that one will encounter in this birth will be determined by the current birth (Lagna or Ascendant), while the Moon will inform us about our experiences. It functions similarly to a GPS system, assisting us in navigating current events and making meaning of various life experiences.
Let’s look at an example to help you understand. Assume you’re planning a trip from Delhi to New York. As a result, our eventual destination in this scenario is New York, which is similar to Sun (soul). Our current location, however, is Delhi, which is the Lagna or Ascendant. The Moon sign determines how we intend to get there. Different zodiac signs have distinct personality types that approach the same task in different ways. An Aries moon sign person will plan ahead of time and make all necessary arrangements, but a Cancer moon sign person will laugh at the inconvenience of a long flight and the resulting jet lag. Those born under the sign of Libra, however, enjoy the prospect of change and look forward to meeting new people.
In order to comprehend your personality, destiny, and buried karmic patterns, a vedic astrologer will look at the linkages between the Sun, Moon, and Lagna signs when studying your horoscope. Human personality is not a static trait; it changes and develops over the course of a person’s life. The sun sign represents that aspect of life that will always provide us true enjoyment, as well as our desires, which might be difficult to satisfy at times. The Lagna or Ascendant represents the situations we will face throughout this birth, which will further mold our personality. The Moon sign is the aspect of our personality that is constantly formed by our social interactions and experiences, and it assists us in making decisions based on what we learn from our surroundings.
Which zodiac sign is truly Western and which is truly Indian?
Because Indians subtract 23 degrees from a constellation’s visible position, there is a 23-day difference between sun signs in the western and desi zodiacs. “If someone is born on March 24, his Vedic sun sign is Pisces, whereas his Western sun sign is Aries,” Bhambi explains.
What makes my Vedic sign unique?
Vedic astrology presupposes a baseline spirituality that is mainly lacking from mainstream Western astrology techniques, as evidenced by its roots in ancient religious writings. Vedic astrology isn’t a personality test or an in-home psychoanalysis; rather, it provides instructions for living life with spirit and intention. In Vedic Astrology, the Four Pillars or Purposes revealed by a birth chart are:
1. Dharma: The way you fulfill your spirit via your daily activities; the reason for your existence.
2. Artha: How do you make money and meet your basic needs?
3. Kama: How do you pursue your dreams?
4. Moksha: How do you get enlightenment or spiritual liberation?
The zodiac system is the other main distinction (and the one that gets the most attention) between Vedic and Western astrology. The tropical zodiac, which is based on the seasons and the Earth’s relationship to the sun, is used in Western astrology. The first day of Aries Season in the tropical zodiac is always the Spring Equinox. The sidereal zodiac, which places the planets’ positions against a backdrop of stars, is used in Vedic astrology (Sidereal means stars).
The stars and constellations do not remain in a fixed place due to the Earth’s tilt and erratic orbit. Every 72 years, each fixed star travels one zodiac degree. The sidereal zodiac accounts for this movement through a correction method known as ayanamsas, whereas the tropical system does not. As a result, your Vedic astrology sun sign may differ from the one you know from Western astrology.