The 12 Rashis of Vedic Astrology

A rashi is a 30° slice of the zodiac, and the twelve rashis form the backbone of Vedic astrology. Your Moon sign (Chandra Rashi) is the rashi the Moon occupied at your birth and is often considered more important than the Sun sign in Jyotish. Each rashi has a ruling planet, an element (fire, earth, air or water) and a quality (movable, fixed or dual) that together describe its temperament, strengths and compatibility. Select a rashi below for its full profile.

All twelve rashis at a glance

Sidereal, not tropical

Jyotish uses the sidereal zodiac, which tracks the constellations where they actually sit. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, tied to the seasons. The two have drifted roughly 24 degrees apart, so your Vedic rashi is usually the sign before your Western one. This offset is the ayanamsha, and it is why people often find their Vedic sign surprising.

Which rashi actually matters

Three placements are read, and they are not interchangeable. Your lagna (rising sign) sets the house structure of the whole chart. Your Chandra rashi (Moon sign) governs the mind and is the sign every rashifal and transit forecast is counted from. Your Surya rashi (Sun sign) matters least of the three in Jyotish. A reading that mentions only the Sun sign is not a Vedic reading. See the lagna lesson and the ascendant guide.