What is a Rashi, and how is it different from a Bhava? | Learn Astrology in Easy Way | Part 3

What is a Rashi (Zodiac sign), and how is it different from a Bhava (House)?

Rashi (zodiac sign) is a cosmic segment of the sky - each 30 degrees, fixed in space. There are 12 Rashis from Aries to Pisces. They represent moods or energy fields.

                            Rashi Classification by Element (Tatwa) with water content

                                 Rashi Classification by Quality (Nature of Movement)

Taurus, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn are considered "Barren Rashis". These Rashi's are also considered weak for having children.

Bhava (house) is a life area - like career, marriage, money, family, children, health etc. Bhavas are person-specific and are determined based on your Lagna (Ascendant).

12 Bhavas (Houses) in Vedic Astrology

Rashi = the costume the actor (Graha) wears
Bhava = the stage or room where the actor performs
Graha = the actor

Example: If Mercury is in Gemini in the 2nd house. Mercury, the communicator, feels at home in Gemini (expressive, curious) and is performing on the stage of the 2nd house (speech, wealth, family). So, the native may have good communication and persuasive skills, and may earn wealth through communication, business, teaching, writing, or family trade. Native will be quite talkative personality.

Takeaway:

Rashi is the energy climate. Bhava is the life area. Graha is the player or actor performing in that combination.

What is a Graha ? | Learn Astrology in Easy Way | Part 2

 

What is a Graha? (And what it is not)

'Graha' does not mean planet in the Sanskrit. It means 'to grasp, to seize' and 'the one who controls'. The physical body of each graha is called planet. Grahas are karmic forces that seize your prana (life force) and influence your mind, body, and behavior. Grahas shows the ability of celestial events to influence and control the occurrence of events on planet earth.

In Vedic Astrology only planets that are visible to the naked eye are considered as grahas.

There are 9 Grahas in Jyotisha: -

Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn- Rahu and Ketu (shadow points, not physical bodies). 

                                              🪐 Grahas Classification Table

Comparison: 

Each Graha delivers karma. Grahas are karmic postmen. They don't write the letter, but they bring it to your door.

What each Graha brings to your door?

Sun = Soul force, Ego, Confidence
Moon = Emotions, Mind
Mars = Energy, Aggression, Will

Mercury =Intelligence, Communication

Venus= Luxury, Comforts, Beauty

Jupiter= Knowledge, Wealth

Saturn= Strength, Hardwork, obstacles
Rahu = Obsession, illusion
Ketu = Detachment, Past life

Takeaway:
Grahas are karmic delivery tools. They are neither good nor bad. They simply activate what you are meant to face or grow through.

The First House – The House of Self | Poetry | Part 2

 

I am the First House, the beginning of your journey.

I reflect your body, your mind, your temperament, and your outer presence.

I hold your prosperity, your vitality, and the way you face life.

When you took your first breath, I rose with you from the East —

That rising point is called your Ascendant or Lagna.

In the grand body of the cosmos, I am the head —

The seat of identity, direction, and conscious will.

I am your mirror — showing not just how others see you,

But how you carry your identity, your health, your spirit.

My guiding lights, or Karaka, is

The Sun – for vigour, health, and life force

The First House, your Lagna — I am not just the beginning,

I am the head, the helm, the strength and backbone of your horoscope.

The Chart That Reads You | Poetry | Part 1

I am a horoscope — your life’s map written in the stars.

I am divided into 12 parts, called houses.

Each house holds a piece of your journey — from who you are to what you will become.

Some call me a chart, some a wheel.

You will find me in Sanskrit, in Greek, in the skies over ancient lands.

How I am read depends on where you are —

Sometimes I am Vedic, sometimes Western,

Some consider it sidereal, some consider it tropical 

But in every form, I remain the same:

A guide to your soul’s story.

I offer promise. I offer hope.

I speak of past lives, present paths, and future dreams.

Read me deeply, and I will share the truths you seek —

Your wins, your struggles, your turning points.

I reveal your karmas — without fear, without judgment.

I do not decide. I only show.

The path is yours — are you ready to go?

Why is Jyotisha called the Eye of the Vedas? | Learn Astrology in Easy Way | Part 1

Why is Jyotisha called the Eye of the Vedas?

Jyotisha is the discipline of light - 'Jyoti' means light and 'Sha' means discipline. It is the eye of the Vedas, meaning it gives us the ability to 'see' when to act, what kind of karma is ready to bear fruit, and how to navigate life consciously.

Jyotisha is a bridge between Apara vidya (textual knowledge) to Para vidya (knowledge by which the ultimate reality is known).

Just as a doctor may prescribe good medicine (like the Vedas prescribe good dharma), the timing of when to take the medicine is essential. Jyotisha is the science of that timing.

Comparison:

Medicine = Veda

Doctor = Guru

Jyotisha = Correct time to take medicine.

 
Takeaway: 

Jyotisha doesn't tell you exactly what will happen. It shows you what kind of karmic environment you're walking into, like headlights on a dark road.

The Moon Story | Amavasya (New Moon) to Purnima (Full Moon)

 

The Moon, known as Chandra in Vedic astrology, is a fundamental luminary and holds significant importance in various astrological interpretations, and often considered important as the Lagna (ascendant) and Sun.

Significations in Vedic Astrology

The Moon is associated with the water, mind and wealth.
It represents silver and pearls in metals and rice, honey, salt and fruits in commodities.

Lineage 

Chandra (the Moon) is depicted as Brahma, the Creator, who assumed a physical form to be born as the eldest son of Atri and Anasuya. Anasuya was the daughter of Brahma's maanasaputra, Kardama, and his wife, Devahuti. 

Moon and Nakshatra's 

Chandra, the Moon, was married to the 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati. These daughters are personified as the 27 Nakshatras, or lunar constellations. 

Chandra, however, favored one wife—Rohini Nakshatra—above the others, spending more time with her and neglecting the rest.

Seeing his other daughters upset and ignored, King Daksha warned Chandra to treat all of them equally. But Chandra did not change his ways. Angered, Daksha cursed Chandra to wane and lose his brightness.

Terrified of fading into nothingness, Chandra approached Lord Shiva and prayed for mercy. Moved by his devotion, Shiva granted him a boon that, though he must wane due to the curse, he would also regain his strength (wax) in cycles.

To symbolize this, Lord Shiva placed Chandra on his head as a crescent moon, earning him the name Chandrashekhara (the one who wears the moon).

Lord Krishna was also born under Rohini Nakshatra which signifies beauty, abundance, growth and fertility. 

🌙 27 Nakshatras, or lunar constellations

Moon and Mind

In Vedic astrology, the waxing and waning phases of the Moon hold deep spiritual and psychological significance. The Moon, or Chandra, governs the mind, emotions, intuition, motherhood, and mental stability. Its phases Waxing (Shukla paksha) and Waning (Krishna paksha) influence human behavior, energy levels, and the outcomes of actions.

Consider how the Moon governs the powerful high rise and fall of ocean tides during Amavasya (New Moon) and Purnima (Full Moon). If the Moon can stir the vast oceans, imagine the profound influence it can have on the human mind through our blood flow, which can make native aggressive and sensitive during its phases.

In Vedic astrology, the nakshatra (lunar mansion) where the Moon is positioned at the time of your birth is called your Janma Nakshatra, or birth star. This star is deeply significant because the Moon represents the mind, and at birth, your mental and emotional blueprint is imprinted by its position.

Your Janma Nakshatra doesn't just describe who you are—it also becomes the starting point for the Vimshottari Dasha system, a powerful timeline that maps out key life events and karmic milestones.

 Hence, moon holds the most important part of our horoscope.