Learn astrology Basic: part 2.

They impel us to do things and not compel us.

How beautiful, is to see starry heavens in a clear sky at night. Imagine,
you are on the beach of a peninsula, where three sides are covered with sea,
the night with clear sky, and you, like a stargazer, gazing at the universe. Or
maybe, you are on an elevated place, on a hill or mountain, and gazing sky at
night at a clear sky.
The ideal place here in India is Kanya Kumari. In the morning you can watch
the clear Sunrise from the east and sunset in the west by evening. On a night
with a clear sky, imagine you are at the beach, facing the South direction. As
you look around from east to west, you may notice many Stars, Planets, and
many different patterns and different shapes too. That’s the best part of a
Stargazer, with a Telescope and a phone, for the locating positions of stars and
the planets for coordinates, it is a great joy for them to watch their favorite
stars in the half hemisphere. The other half is visible in the daytime or maybe
visible to the stargazer in other parts of the world on opposite sides at the
same time. The entire space, all around Earth which consists of stars and
planets, is like a circle of 360 degrees and is also called the Zodiac.
Rashi or sign: From the earth’s point of view, theoretically, the entire area of
360 degrees can be divided into 12 parts being 30 degrees, and name each
area or segment as, a sign or Rashi (imagine each segment, is a wedge of a
peeled orange) starting from the east, each sign is called Aries, Taurus, Gemini,
Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
All the Stars and planets are located within these segments at any given time.
If you can see Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo in India, then you
might see the rest namely, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and
Pisces, if you are at the same time probably, in Mexico which is the opposite
side of India approximately right?
This is just the introduction to astrology, how the universe all around the earth
is divided into 12 signs with boundaries, imaginary lines, for each sign where all
planets are moving in and out at a given period as per their relative speed
through these boundaries constantly.
These signs or Rashi is numbered in order from Aris to Pisces, grouped Male
and Female, and according to their nature as movable, fixed, and dual. Also,
their Elements as Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. We can study and understand
from the below picture. There are 27 Stars, or Nakshatras allotted to 12 signs in
order.
South Indian style chart details

Jupiter Mars Venus Mercury

Dual Moving Fixed Dual
Water Fire earth Air
3.
12. Pisces 1. Aries 2. Taurus
Gemini
Negative or - Male or + ve Negative or - Male or + ve

Saturn Air 11. Aquarius 4. Cancer Water Moon

Fixed Male or + ve Negative or - Moving
10.
earth 5. Leo Fire
Saturn Capricorn Sun
Moving Negative or - Male or + ve Fixed
8.
9. Sagittarius 7. Libra 6. Virgo
Scorpio
Male or + ve Negative or - Male or + ve Negative or -
Fire Water Air earth
Dual Fixed Moving Dual
Jupiter Mars Venus Mercury

These Rashi or signs are owned by each planet, where they have good
command and strength to deliver good results. And bad or weak results when
they are weak. Notice, that Mars, owns the 1st and 8th number Rashi. Venus
2nd & 7th. Mercury 3rd and 6th. Jupiter 9th and 12th. Saturn 10 and 11th Rashi or
sign, and Sun owns Leo, the 5th and the moon 4th, the cancer.
Stars and Planets: Here, what we need to understand is that we are on the
Earth, and we see that the sun is rotating around the Earth, and hence sun is
considered a plant in astrology. From the astrological viewpoint, it is
considered that all 9 planets, the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus,
Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu, are rotating at their relative speed in those 12 signs to
Rashi, in a clockwise direction passing through all signs of 12 equal divisions,
except for Rahu and Ketu, which rotates in Anticlockwise direction. Rahu and
Ketu are not planets, but are mathematical points formed on the axis of sun
and moon and do bear effects on our life.
Therefore, to understand the basics of astrology, we need to consider 12 Rishis
or signs, 9 planets and stars or nakshatra connected with it in degrees, their
attributes, and 12 houses in any chart. 27 stars are occupied in these 12 signs
and each star has an owner, again, the owner is a planet itself. Please refer to
the Table below for details of the stars and the owner of each star. The planets
own one or two Rashi or signs in a chart. (House Lords). Each planet owns
three stars, and the planet as an owner, delivers the results produced by those
3 stars. Example: Ketu has 3 stars, Mars has Mrigashira, Chitra, and Dhanista,
and is lord for 1 & 8 signs, the Aries and the Scorpio.

We see every day the moon rising and moving in different shapes. One day it is
a full moon, or another day it may be dark, Or a new moon. The moon travels
the whole zodiac in 30 days, forming a month. It stays in each sign once in 2
and a half days. The sun rises from the east every day. (from Earth’s point of
view) and the sun takes a year to complete one round around the zodiac,
Passing through each Sign or Rashi in one month. That’s how we see festivals,
and seasons, when the sun moves from one to the next sign or Rashi.
Lagna or Ascendant: As the sun rises in the east, theoretically, it is said that a
Rashi rises in the east every day, once every two hours. When a child is born,
the Rashi or sign rising in the east is considered the starting point in the chart
and is called Lagna or Ascendant. How do we understand this Lagna or
Ascendant? Consider an example of the wall clock. When you look at the
clock in the afternoon, you may notice the small needle is at 2 pm. The evening
may be 4:30 pm as the needle has entered 4 and past 4, by night, you see 9
pm. The small needle is moving every number in one hour. The clock has 12
hours, like 12 numbers Signs or Rashi. A small needle moves every number by
1 hour, through all 12 numbers, which are placed equally in the clock at
definite places permanently.
Similarly, to understand Lagna in a South Indian style chart, 12 signs or Rashi or
signs are placed in definite places in an order, (Refer to the Rashi Diagram) and
like a small needle, the Lagna, the Ascendant moves through each sign, every
two hours from one house to another house.
A child born at any given time can be measured in time, hour, minutes from the
clock, and in seconds to the precision. (if the clock is calibrated). Similarly, the
Lagna or ascendant is also seen and can be addressed to a sign in which it is
present, at what degree, and minutes. A clock has 60 minutes for one hour or
360 seconds, and so, the 12 signs present in the universe theoretically have 360
degrees, having equal 30 degrees for each house, (12 x30 =360 degrees) just
like in a clock.
In a day of 24 hours, a small needle completes two rounds and the Lagna
completes one round in 24 hours, passing through all signs, degree by degree.
Also, all planets may be moving in any of these 12 signs and moving at their
respective speeds by degree.
Now say, at 6 am, Lagna entered no.1 sign, Aries, the first sign, and has
traveled for 2 hours in it to leave Aries and enter Taurus by 8 am as it takes two
hours. We can say that the Lagna has traveled 30 degrees in the Aries sign,
which is equal to 30x60= 1800 minutes (in circular degrees).
That means, Lagna takes 4 minutes to travel one degree, in the sign, (2 hours is
equal to 120 minutes and so 120/30 = 4 minutes.), and Lagna degree can be
measured in decimal degrees, or seconds (circular measurement not of time).
And so, a chart or horoscope can be precisely prepared with degrees and
minutes for Lagna as well as for all planets, at a given time for a particular time,
Date, and location for a child born. Therefore, the child, born at any given
time, date, and location, during 24 hours of the day will get a Sign or a Rashi,
for Lagna or Ascendant, planets in the chart to the precision.
The Lagna, the fastest, travels one degree in 4 minutes and so the destiny
changes for a child born after or before 4 minutes and this can answer how a
twin baby enjoys a different destiny through, being born in a difference of a
few minutes. Interesting right? The chart can tell the address of a child with a
sign for Lagna, moon, sun, and birth star along with other planets to a precise
degree with decimals as per Astrology knowledge and calculations. Today, we
are at very convenient period where in various software provides this birth
chart with the required details with accuracy. Thanks for their contribution.
Example of a random Birth chart showing the Lagna, house numbers:

Lagna is in the Aries sign and is house no. 1. The 2, 3, 4……counting clockwise
till the 12 th house.
Another example of a chart where Lagna is in Sagittarius, (refer to Rashi chart
above) is where sa, the short form for Saturn present and is House number 1,
followed by 2 where sun and mercury are present and subsequently rest of the
house 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 where Jupiter is present. This is for a
beginner to understand and identify Lagna, the houses, different signs, and
planets present in different houses. Please note that in Vedic astrology, Ur, Pl,
Ne, are not considered.
This inspired knowledge of astrology is provided by many ancient sages from
ages. How to use knowledge correctly is known as, Wisdom. One can acquire
this wisdom by diligent study of the fundamentals and regular practice along
with the right attitude to serve others by guiding what destiny is promised in
each house.
Each House, the lord of each house, and its Rashi, the lord of nakshatra or star
all are telling us something to ponder for our betterment. This can be studied
in detail later, as only the basics are being considered here. To understand
finer details and for personal study, there are an enormous number of books,
written by eminent personalities with vast experience available in India.
However, it is understood that the readers can grasp the basic understanding
of astrology from here and this helps the reader like a stepping stone or
foundation, to grow further without much confusion. (not easy to understand
by reading a book for many people and many may not be able to afford the
cost). Also, this may help you to enhance your understanding, through books
(self-study) and YouTube videos to grow and progress with time.
If you do so, by benefiting yourself and guiding others, all the efforts are paid
off. In the next session, let us learn about stars and the Dasha system. Many
astrology teachers would like this knowledge to reach the most through media,
so that many may benefit by learning astrology. While appreciating all their
efforts! Happy learning to you.
Let us learn more about the details of House, Rashi or Sign details, what
attributes the planets provide, the Dasha system for a person, and how to read
and understand from a birth chart in further sessions.
…..