Astrology basics · free
Learn Vedic astrology: the basics, step by step
Free, plain-English lessons on how a birth chart works: signs, houses, planets and dashas, each point checked against the classical texts.
In short
To learn Vedic astrology, start with the 12 signs and their lords, then the 12 houses and what each one shows, then the 9 planets. With those three you can read the basic layout of any kundli. Nakshatras and the Vimshottari dasha come next: they are how a chart is timed.
What are the building blocks of a chart?
- 12 Signs (rashis) Aries to Pisces, each 30 degrees, each owned by a planet.
- 12 Houses (bhavas) The parts of the chart, counted from the ascendant. Each covers areas of life.
- 9 Planets (grahas) Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.
- 27 Nakshatras The lunar mansions: the Moon's nakshatra at birth sets your dasha.
- 120 Years of Vimshottari dasha The cycle of planetary periods used to time events.
12 signs and 27 nakshatras: BPHS ch. 3 sl. 4-6. The 9 grahas: BPHS ch. 3. Chapter and verse numbers follow R. Santhanam's English translation of BPHS (Ranjan Publications). About the text.
Where should you start? A learning path
- 1. How to read a kundli The chart's layout, the ascendant, houses, planets and dashas, in seven steps.
- 2. The 12 houses and their lords What each house shows, and the lord of every house for each ascendant.
- 3. The 1st house and its lord The Lagna: body, nature and the whole chart's strength.
- 4. The 2nd house and its lord Wealth, family and food.
- 5. The 3rd house Courage, siblings and journeys.
- 6. The 7th house lord Marriage, partners and trade.
What will these lessons cover next?
Planets, signs, nakshatras, dashas and divisional charts such as the navamsa. Each lesson will cite its classical source and say where Astrojar uses it when it reads your chart. New lessons also appear on the Astrojar blog.
Questions about learning astrology
What is Vedic astrology?
Vedic astrology (Jyotish) is the traditional astrology of India. It reads a birth chart cast for the exact date, time and place of birth, using the sidereal zodiac, and times events with dashas, the planetary periods.
How can I learn Vedic astrology for free?
Start with the building blocks in order: the 12 signs and their lords, the 12 houses, the 9 planets, then the 27 nakshatras and the Vimshottari dasha. These pages are free and explain each step with the classical source. Practise on your own chart: Astrojar shows it free on WhatsApp.
Where should a beginner start?
With the houses: they tell you what each part of the chart is about. Read the 12 houses in astrology and their lords, then how to read a kundli.
Which book is the classical source?
Most of what is taught today goes back to Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS), attributed to the sage Parashara. These pages cite it by chapter and verse so you can check every point.
Is Vedic astrology the same as Western astrology?
No. Both use the same planets and signs, but Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac (fixed to the stars), so most planets fall about one sign earlier than in a Western chart. It also uses nakshatras and dashas, which Western astrology does not.
Can astrology predict exactly what will happen?
No one can promise that. A chart shows tendencies and periods, read by traditional rules. Astrojar tests its own timing against real, dated life events and says plainly what works: see how Astrojar reads a chart.
Practise on your own chart
Ask Astrojar on WhatsApp: your first 3 questions are free. Or get a full report made from your birth chart.