Jyoti means light in Sanskrit. Nothing brings the light quite like the ancient system of Vedic astrology. Jyotish Astrology is unlike any other cosmic system available. Its depth, accuracy and spiritual guidance are unparalleled.

Here are my top six reasons why Jyotish will change your life forever.

1) It's A Complete Map of Your Karma. Your natal chart is a complete and intricate map of your birth karma. Yep, everything that you packed into your bag for this life time is in your chart. Your jyotish chart shows you what you're here to work on and even why you are here to do the work. There's really no need to wonder!

2) Jyotish is Extremely Thorough. Nothing compares to the depth and brilliance of Jyotish Astrology. Western astrology can't hold up to the profound layers of this very ancient system of wisdom and insight. We have nakshatras (constellations) to refine the meaning and expression of the chart, dashas (planetary cycles) to share the messages and themes of your current life, vargas (divisional charts) that explain the intimate details of every part of your life- from spouse to dharma, to spiritual development and inherent weaknesses of the soul. And this is just scratching the surface! The details offered through jyotish, in order to explain your life, are only limited by your ability to study, perceive and explore the ancient Vedic texts. Anything you want to know is hidden within its contents.

3) Suffering is Optional. With a complete map of your karmas, discovering your biggest obstacles and challenges is easy and straight-forward. The suffering that most people endure is really and truly an option. The more you explore the wisdom of your own karmic map, the more you can awaken to the intricate layers that share your strengths and weaknesses. Discover your biggest challenges, then use this as a key for overcoming them. That's why you're alive in the first place! Jyotish just speeds up the process.

Ready to discover how jyotish can truly change your life? Join me for my September Jyotish Basics Classes. These are the last Basics classes I'm teaching in 2015. Get Class Details and Sign Up.

4) Timing is Everything. Much of our suffering is due to inaction or taking action at the wrong time. If we don't know when to take action, we will miss important opportunities and precious resources that can help us on our journey. If we take action when there is not support or alignment from Nature and the cosmos, we waste our valuable energy and may even quit taking appropriate action in the future. The wisdom of jyotish is actually the wisdom of Nature. It shares right timing for powerful support and alignment with Natural Law.

5) Discover Your Life Purpose. Sadly, so many people on the planet will never truly awaken their life purpose! Nor will they feel totally fulfilled and ecstatic about their work and what they offer to the world. I believe this is one of the biggest tragedies of the modern age. It's also easily overcome by studying the jyotish chart. There's no need to struggle and wonder what your life purpose is! All these dharmic details are shared within your karmic map.

6) Only Jyotish Can Bring Awakening. In fact, this was the original intention of jyotish. The ancient jyotishis originally used the jyotish chart to help people become enlightened, awakened and fully realized. The jyotish chart is in fact the biggest resource for individualized self-discovery and self-awakening- if used as such. The jyotish chart can even share what pathways and tools are best for you to use. It can also share if you'll be able to receive the wisdom you need for awakening and how moksha will come. Jyotish is the only resource available that can offer this!

I use Jyotish as a resource for self discovery and awakening. In all honesty, this is not the intention of most jyotishis these days! I'm truly passionate about making sure that the wisdom of Jyotish is maintained through sattva, purity. As my guru Maharishi once said, "Always speak the sweet truth".
I believe strongly that jyotish has the power to uplift and heal, or destroy and destruct. How we use this wisdom is very important because it is extremely powerful!

Why Study Jyotish?!

I see the challenges expressed in the chart as our biggest opportunities for self development and self growth. Unlike most jyotishis who just tell you what they see in your chart, then give you very few tools for lasting change or healing, I support my students and clients to make changes on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual body levels. I see the karmic map as a way to transform and heal our biggest blockages. But we must use the wisdom of the chart to take effective action!

My work blends ancient Vedic wisdom with cutting edge, modern tools of self development. I offer embodiment and somatic resources, as well as Expressive Art Therapy modalities, to help re-pattern neuropathways and increase life force energy. I use the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to re-pattern and transform behavioral conditioning, lineage karmas and early childhood imprints. Additionally I use ancient Vedic resources for deep, lasting effects.

My passion lies not only in helping my clients and students overcome their biggest karmic blockages, but also in helping them awaken through studying their own charts. Nothing compares to the gifts of your own insights! Studying your own jyotish chart is truly the best way to awaken and enlighten your self. As you study your karmic map and peel back the layers, your inner wisdom deepens. Here you can start listening to the brilliant messages within and unlocking the precious gifts of your being.

I'm passionate about supporting your awakening process!

Ready to discover how jyotish can truly change your life? Join me for my September Jyotish Basics Classes. These are the last Basics classes I'm teaching in 2015. Get the Class Details and Sign Up.

Unlike Western, or Tropical astrology, Jyotish, or the Sidereal approach to astrology, does not place the most importance on the Sun sign. The rising sign is actually considered the most important piece of the overall chart, as it organizes the placement of the all the planets, the karmas, and the intimate details of the chart as a whole. Jyotish is actually soli-lunar based, meaning that equal importance is given to the Sun and the Moon. I will share more about the Moon sign in my next article, but for now I will focus on the Sun sign and its role.

In Jyotish, the Sun represents father and masculine energy. His attributes are likened to the king. He shares rank and position, power and authority, as well as respect and ruler-ship. The Sun will give us our dharma, the proper path to follow for our enlightenment. Traditionally, the father is supposed to help guide the child on their path of dharma. It is the father who is responsible for instilling self-esteem and ultimately gives the spark of life via his sperm.

The Sun is also responsible for illuminating the Moon, as well as the other planets. The Moon directly reflects the Sun's light and shares this filtered light- which is nourishing, supportive and doesn't burn. In fact the glow of the Moon is said to offer soma, or divine, healing nectar. Together, Sun and Moon represent God and Goddess, who together create life and our experience of reality. Read more about the importance of the Sun.

The Sun is our father energy, the part of our being and our karma that was given to us from our father and his lineage. This of course plays a vital role in our human experience as well as how we use our power in life. The masculine is the container that supports the expansiveness of the feminine. We need the power of the masculine to take action, to be seen for our gifts and to share our gifts with others. Our father energy plays a very important role in how we shine and share ourselves with the world.

How do you shine? How do you show up for yourself and others? Do you allow yourself to be seen? In what ways? Your jyotish chart is a powerful resource for exploring your Sun energy, your masculine self, as well as uncovering the birth karma you acquired from your father.

Use my previous step by step articles to explore the basics of your birth chart. Step one here and step two here.

The Sun sign shares how your light is able to shine and what its purpose is for shining. Remember that the Sun sign shares the gifts of your father- for better or worse. Ultimately, the challenges we face are also resources, so thank the positives and negatives!

Your Sun sign is a powerful resource for unlocking the mystery of your inner power. Let's take a deeper look at your father energy and the light of the soul shining within you.

Step #1:

Identify Your Sun. First, notice where the Sun is located in your chart. The abbreviation is likely SU.
What sign is it in?

Step #2:

Who Rules Over Your Sun? The planetary influence upon the sign is a vital piece of information. What is the planetary ruler of your Sun sign? Mars acts very differently than Saturn. What can you determine about your Sun sign based on its planetary ruler?

Step #3

Where Does Your Sun Light Shine? Next, determine what house (or bhava in Sanskrit) your Sun is placed in. The house of your Sun shows how it will share its solar energy- and in what capacity. Each house has very specific meanings, so use this to refine your understanding of how your light shines and what is important for you to share with the world in this lifetime.

1st House: Sense of self, worldly house, being seen, ego, appearance, intelligence.
2nd House: Nourishment, wealth, support, gems, speaking, voice.
3rd House: Communication, writing, courage, the arts, creativity, self expression, using the hands.
4th House: Home, land, mother, emotions, spirituality and moksha.
5th House: Children, creativity, romance, intuition, knowledge.
6th House: Enemies, bad habits, healing, disease, legal issues, competition, debt.
7th House: Relationships, others, partner, sexuality, desire, travel, trade.
8th House: Death, disease, transformation, transcendence, vulnerability, mysticism.
9th House: Dharma, guru, wisdom, education, foreign travels, fortune, religion.
10th House: Career, achievement, success, father, action, fame, social status.
11th House: Gains, wealth, income, friends, desires, fulfillment of desire.
12th House: Endings, loss, liberation, marriage, retreat, foreign lands, alone time.

Step #4

Putting it all together. It's time to combine all the layers now and derive some meaning from it all. What can you determine about your Sun sign based on the previous steps? How does your light shine? What parts of your father support this self expression? What power are you here to share? Where do you need more power and strength? Use the resources below to further explore these questions in relation to your Sun sign.

Aries: Mesha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the ram. Qualities are leadership, pioneering. Need to work on flexibility, anger issues, “hitting one’s head against the wall”. Body parts are head, brain and nerves. Odd, Male, ruled by Mars. Pitta. Correlates to the number 1 in the chart.

Taurus: Vrshabha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the bull. Qualities are strength and stability. Need to work on issues with being “bull headed”, stubborn and going beyond the material realms. Body part is neck, face and parts therein. Even, Female, ruled by Venus. Kapha. Correlates to the number 2 in the chart.

Gemini: Mithuna in Sanskrit, symbolized by a couple holding a mace and a lute. Translates as couple (male and female) or copulation, companion. Qualities are extremely creativity, communication and artistry. Need to work on issues of mental body and taking effective action steps. Body parts are arms and hands. Odd, Male, ruled by Mercury. Vata. Correlates to the number 3 in a chart.

Cancer: Karka translates as female crab in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well. Qualities are sensing and feeling, with depth and compassion, heart centered. Need to work directly with emotional body awareness, co-dependency issues, mother issues. Body parts are heart, breasts, chest. Even, Female, ruled by Moon. Kapha-vata. Correlates to the number 4 in a chart.

Leo: Simha translates as lion in Sanskrit, the symbol of Leo. Qualities are leadership, dominance, authority and power. Need to work on ego issues, needing authority and power, as well as father issues and ancestral issues. Body parts are stomach and abdomen. Odd, Male, ruled by the Sun. Pitta. Correlates to the number 5 in a chart.

Virgo: Kanya means a girl, a virgin or daughter in Sanskrit. It is symbolized by a woman in a boat holding grains and fire in her hands. Qualities are purity, cleanliness and perfection, creative, entrepreneurial. Need to work on the critic and inner judge, overly puritanical beliefs. Body parts are hips, loins, buttocks. Even, female, ruled by Mercury. Vata-kapha. Correlates to the number 6 in a chart.

Libra: Tula means the balancing scales in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well. Qualities are ability to see both sides of situations, good business skills, able to weigh and measure options, able to work with equality issues. Need to work with decisiveness, clarity and not swinging to extremes, going beyond the surface, as well as finding one’s own beliefs and ideals. Body parts are lower abdomen. Odd, Male, ruled by Venus. Vata-Kapha. Correlates to the number 7 in a chart.

Scorpio: Vrschika means Scorpion in Sanskrit which is also its symbol. Qualities are depth, going beyond the surface, occult and mystical knowledge, passion. Need to work with emotional body awareness, polarities and extremes, mother issues, one’s darkness and shadows. Body parts are genitals and anus. Even, Female, ruled by Mars and Ketu. Kapha-pitta. Correlates to the number 8 in a chart.

Sagittarius: Dhanu means bow in Sanskrit. The symbol of Sagittarius is a man holding a bow and arrow, the lower part of his body being that of a horse. Qualities are oriented towards seeking knowledge, wisdom and growth as well as spirituality. Need to work with being overly dogmatic, taking effective action steps, working with depth on the mental/emotional levels. Body part is thighs. Odd, Male, ruled by Jupiter. Pitta- Kapha. Correlates to the number 9 in a chart.

Capricorn: Makara translates as sea monster in Sanskrit which has a head of a deer or goat and the body of a crocodile, which is also its symbol. Qualities are hardworking, persevering, steady. Need to work with “doing less accomplishing more”, self care, not pushing so hard to get an outcome. Body part is knees. Even, Female, ruled by Saturn. Vata-kapha. Correlates to the number 10 in a chart.

Aquarius: Kumbha translates from Sanskrit as a vessel that holds water, a water pot. The symbol here is a man holding a pot. Qualities are ingenuity, out of the box approach to life, oriented towards gaining and acquiring. Need to work with balancing both shadow and light, working with shadow parts, finding the silver lining and excessive drive to acquire. Body part is calves. Odd, Male, Saturn and Rahu. Vata. Correlates to the number 11 in a chart.

Pisces: Mina translates from Sanskrit as relating to the ocean and large expanses of water. The symbol here is two fish tied together with their heads and tails in opposite directions. Qualities are expansiveness, universality and deep compassion for others with strong spiritual inclinations. Need to work on emotional body issues, grounding expansiveness into clear goals and action steps, actualizing dreams. Body part is feet. Even, Female, ruled by Jupiter. Kapha. Correlates to the number 12 in a chart.

I just shared an article that gives five simple steps to reading your Jyotish Chart. Did you miss it?

Now that you are starting to peel back the layers of your karmic map, it's time to make a little meaning out of what you're reading.

Look at your first house and notice the number there. This number correlates to your rising sign.

Aries is a number 1.
Taurus is a number 2.
Gemini is a number 3.
Cancer is a number 4.
Leo is a number 5.
Virgo is a number 6.
Libra is a number 7.
Scorpio is a number 8.
Sagittarius is a number 9.
Capricorn is a number 10.
Aquarius is a number 11.
Pisces is a number 12.

Each of the signs (or rasi in Sanskrit) have very unique and special meanings. There are twelve signs in the zodiac, which are also constellations in the sky. In Jyotish, or Sidereal astrology, we use a fixed twelve house zodiac. The signs are constantly moving through the fixed zodiac in the sky. This is why your exact birth time determines what sign was positioned on the Eastern horizon when you took your first breath. The sign on the Eastern horizon at the moment of your birth is your rising sign, or lagna in Sanskrit. This is significant as it organizes how the entire chart will be oriented. Your rising sign determines how your karmas will express themselves in your life time. Your natal chart shares these intimate details.

To understand how each sign expresses themselves, we must explore their meaning from several different levels.

#1

First of all, the meaning of each rising sign is influenced by a ruling planet. Some signs have more than one planetary influence though. This will add a blending of flavors layered on top of each other. (I will discuss the meaning of planets more in an upcoming article, but for now it's important to understand that each planet has a very specific expression and offering). Here is a list of the nine planets and their correlation to the signs.

Sun: Exalted in Aries, debilitated in Libra, mulitrikona and own sign in Leo.
Moon: Exalted in Taurus, debilitated in Scorpio, mulitrikona in Taurus and own sign Cancer.
Mars: Exalted in Capricorn, debilitated in Cancer, mulitrikona in Aries and its own signs are Aries and Scorpio.
Mercury: Exalted in Virgo, debilitated in Pisces, mulitrikona is Virgo, and its own signs are Virgo and Gemini.
Jupiter: Exalted in Cancer, debilitated in Capricorn, mulitrikona is Sagittarius, and own signs are Sagittarius and Pisces.
Venus: Exalted in Pisces, debilitated in Virgo, mulitrikona is Libra, and its own signs are Libra and Taurus.
Saturn: Exalted in Libra, debilitated in Aries, mulitrikona is Aquarius, own signs are Capricorn and Aquarius.
Rahu: Exalted in Taurus and Gemini, debilitated in Scorpio and Sagittarius, mulitrikona is Virgo and its own sign is Aquarius.
Ketu: Exalted in Scorpio and Sagittarius, debilitated in Taurus and Gemini, mulitrikona is Pisces and own sign is Scorpio.

#2

Each sign also has a unique symbol. These symbols are very metaphoric and they tell the story of the sign. We can think of them as an explanation of our wants and needs. They tell us about our life purpose, how we express ourselves, and also how to get greater support and fulfillment in life. These symbols are ancient and elaborate and should be researched for greater insight. Take the symbols literally and imagine how they might share a story or a theme. For example Sagittarius is symbolized by a bow. A bow and arrow is created to hit its target, to not waiver. It must stay true to course in order to meet the mark. This is relevant for the Sagittarius sign as it has a difficult time changing course. What does your symbol share about your personality?

Aries: Mesha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the ram.
Taurus: Vrshabha in Sanskrit, translates as its symbol, the bull.
Gemini: Mithuna in Sanskrit, symbolized by a couple holding a mace and a lute.
Cancer: Karka translates as female crab in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well.
Leo: Simha translates as lion in Sanskrit, the symbol of Leo.
Virgo: Kanya means a girl, a virgin or daughter in Sanskrit.
Libra: Tula means the balancing scales in Sanskrit which is its symbol as well.
Scorpio: Vrschika means Scorpion in Sanskrit which is also its symbol.
Sagittarius: Dhanu means bow in Sanskrit. The symbol of Sagittarius is a man holding a bow and arrow, the lower part of his body being that of a horse.
Capricorn: Makara translates as sea monster in Sanskrit which has a head of a deer or goat and the body of a crocodile, which is also its symbol.
Aquarius: Kumbha translates from Sanskrit as a vessel that holds water, a water pot. The symbol here is a man holding a pot.
Pisces: Mina translates from Sanskrit as relating to the ocean and large expanses of water. The symbol here is two fish tied together with their heads and tails in opposite directions.

#3

The twelve signs are each ruled by specific elements as well. Use their natural element as a resource of refinement. The element dictates the basic expression of the sign and is instrumental in understanding what drives the person. Fire planets are motivated, passionate and action oriented. Water signs are fluid, gentle and feeling-oriented. Earth based signs are grounded, solid and "of the earth".  Air signs are moveable, change frequently and have a certain lightness. For example, Aries is a fire sign. Therefor it is not unusual for an Aries ascendant to have issues with fire. This can manifest as anger, agitation or aggression, as well as acting without thinking. What does your element share about your tendencies?

Aries: Fire
Taurus: Earth
Gemini: Air
Cancer: Water
Leo: Fire
Virgo: Earth
Libra: Air
Scorpio: Water
Sagittarius: Fire
Capricorn: Earth
Aquarius: Air
Pisces: Water


Now that you have some tools to study your own rising sign, what can you assess about its meaning? What does your rising sign express about who you are? Your likes and dislikes? Your story and personal mythology? Take each of these layers, step by step, and assess your rising sign from these three angles. Take notes, pause, contemplate and repeat this cycle. This is the beginning of using your jyotish chart as a tool of self-referral, self awakening. By bringing presence to who you are and how you are in the world, you begin to awaken. This awakening can lead to monumental inner and outer changes.

Your Jyotish chart is a unique karmic map that shares the wisdom of life- past, present and future.

Your chart holds the key to understanding who you are on a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual body level, while also sharing intimate secrets about your healing and transformation process.

Though jyotish is a Vedic science that takes hours, years and even life times to fully explore and understand, there are some very basic steps for starting to peel back the layers of your own jyotish chart.

I share more elaborate and specific details in my weekly Jyotish Basics Classes, but here are five simple steps to get you started right now.

1) Identify Your Rising Sign.

Using the North Indian Style diagram above, notice where the first house is in your own chart. This is also where your rising sign is located. The small number in the first house indicates your rising sign. What is your rising sign?

Aries is a number 1.
Taurus is a number 2.
Gemini is a number 3.
Cancer is a number 4.
Leo is a number 5.
Virgo is a number 6.
Libra is a number 7.
Scorpio is a number 8.
Sagittarius is a number 9.
Capricorn is a number 10.
Aquarius is a number 11.
Pisces is a number 12.

2) Finding Your Sun and Moon.

Now count counter-clockwise around the chart, locating the first through the 12th houses. What houses are your Sun and Moon in?

SU is the abbreviation used for Sun. The Sanskrit abbreviation is SY for Surya.
MO is the abbreviation for the Moon. The Sanskrit abbreviation is CH for Chandra.

3) What Are Your Sun and Moon Signs?

Now that you have identified the houses that your Sun and Moon are in, identify what signs they are in. Remember the numbers in each house indicate the signs. What is your Sun sign? What is your Moon sign?

4) Identify All Nine Planets in Your Chart.

Use the common abbreviations below to identify the nine planets. What houses are they in?

Common Abbreviations:
AS = ascendent, your 1st house. MO = Moon. SU = Sun. SA = Saturn. ME = Mercury. MA = Mars. VE = Venus. JP = Jupiter. Ra = Rahu. Ke = Ketu.

5) What Are Your Planetary Signs?

Once you identify the planets and what houses they sit in, the next step is to determine what signs each of the nine planet is placed in. Where do your Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Rahu and Ketu sit in your own chart?

Remember that this process takes time- so go slow and remember to breathe! At first, just stick to the identification process. Meaning making comes next!

Truth be told, understanding the basic principles of reading a jyotish chart is very different than being able to find meaning in the many elaborate pieces. Being able to integrate the many layers of the jyotish chart and knit them together with your own understanding is quite a different skill! This is where time, study, meditation and contemplation are essential. Practice is essential for honing this craft! For those who want to practice and increase their jyotish skills, you will need to be diligent in your studies. Reading books, taking classes and spending time studying charts is essential.

Perhaps the most important part of learning and growing through jyotish wisdom, however, is studying your own chart. Your own karmic map is your reference point for all other understanding- even understanding other charts. Your jyotish chart is the core of your own awareness and will help you unlock your own inner knowing. First and foremost, study your own chart and use it as a reference for understanding yourself, in relation to world.

As the Vedic texts state, Aham Brahmasmi, I am the totality.


Ready to learn more? Join me for my August Jyotish Basics Classes!

Don't have a copy of your chart? Get one here.

* This Article is relevant for reading a North Indian Style chart only.