How is the Birth Chart drawn? - Basics of Astrology - Part 1

Astrology has existed for time immemorial, especially Vedic Astrology. It is one of the ‘6 Vedangas’, the six disciplines or components of study associated with the Vedas.

The Sanskrit word for it is, ‘Jyotisha’ and ‘Jyotishshastra’. It is made of two words, Jyot and Isha. ‘Jyot’ means light and ‘Isha’ means the divine, cosmic entity or the universe itself. So, Jyotishshastra means the ‘study of the cosmic light’.

Why am I writing this?

Today there is a notion that Astrology is a superstition and does not work. This notion draws strength from the fact that many so-called ‘Astrologers’ have used this science to scare people and exploit them for money, giving them expensive and ineffective remedies and what not. (Tell me more such things in the comments)

Through my articles, I wish to spread the right information to the extent of my knowledge with my readers and suppress this nonsense that’s been going on in the name of ‘Astrology’.

How? By spreading awareness regarding the basics, mechanics and the basis of this ancient science. I wish to attack the root of this issue, which is our ignorance of this subject. I wish to promote curiosity about the things we do not know, rather than fear. I wish to bring you to a point where you are capable of making your opinions and decisions about Astrology and not fall for traps.

So, What is Astrology truly?

If I were to tell you in one line, Astrology is the science of knowing you and your actions.

It is not about when you will get married, it is not about when you will get money. It is not about denying or granting you something. It is completely about understanding your own ‘energy configuration’. In using Astrology just for your finances, job and business, you’ll miss the bigger picture, its true purpose. Through Astrology, you can see all the different ‘karmic ties’ you are carrying, the ways to dissolve them and then move towards the ultimate goal, which is liberation or moksha.

How does Astrology tell you all this? Through the observations of the celestial bodies. Observations done by our ancient sages thousands of years ago are relevant even today. We observe the movements of the different celestial bodies, draw a horoscope or kundali and interpret it to make predictions.

Astrology is the art arising out of the amalgamation of Astronomy, Mathematics and pure observation.

How is the Birth Horoscope or Kundali made?

Your kundali represents the exact chart of the celestial bodies as they could be seen when you were born and where you were born. Yes, astrology is based on the astronomical data of that moment. You can imagine the birth chart as a ‘snapshot’ of the sky when you were born.

Once you have the birth date, time and place, your next step would be to open up the ‘Panchang’ for that day. The ‘Panchang’ has all the details of the planetary movements of that particular day and hour. Now, using the details from the ‘Panchang’ we place the ‘Grahas/planets’ in the respective rashis and houses.

You can use different apps or websites to generate your horoscope for free. I recommend Astrolinked.com, Jagannath Hora (Windows) and the Cosmic Insights App (Android and iOS). You can use any one of these to generate your accurate horoscope.

How to make sense of your Horoscope?

To understand the horoscope, you’ll have to understand the houses, rashis and planets. This will tell you a lot of things, though that is not all there is to astrology.

There’s still Nakshatras, Upagrahas and many more things to know about astrology. Unless you wish to be an Astrologer yourself and start predicting, you don’t need to dive that deep. Just an overview shall be enough for now.

Let’s understand through an example.

Basic Structure of North Indian Style Kundali (left)

This is the basic structure of the horoscope (in North Indian format). On the left, I’ve demonstrated what each box is representing. The topmost diamond is the 1st house and we start counting from there in a counter-clockwise manner. This structure remains the same for every chart drawn. Remember this order.

Now you’ll notice that in the example horoscope, the 1st house has the number ‘4’ with Jupiter and Moon. Do not be confused, the number there does not mean it is the 4th house. It means that the ‘Rashi’ there is the 4th one, which is the sign of Cancer. 'Jupiter' and 'Moon' written there mean that those two planets were transiting through that zodiac sign at the time. You can apply the same logic throughout.

From here on, remember that the number written in the houses represents the ‘Sign’ or ‘Rashi’ falling in that house.

How do you decide which Rashi goes in the first house?

Good question. The answer is simple. The sign rising in the ‘EASTERN’ horizon at the time for which the horoscope is drawn, goes in the first house.

This sign is also called as the ‘Ascendant’ or ‘Lagna Rashi’. The Lagna Rashi always falls in the first house and thereafter the sequence of the zodiac is followed for the successive houses. This is one of the most important detail along with the Rashi in which ‘Moon’ falls in your horoscope. These 2 details can tell a lot about you and your life.

Some Important Terminologies and Facts

Before we dive into more details, I’d like to share some facts I think are vital to know as we go ahead.

The Zodiac Belt with the Nakshatras and their Padas

The 12 Rashis or Zodiacs form a 360-degree belt. That means each Rashi is equivalent to 30 degrees.

Just like 12 Rashis, there are 27 Nakshatras within them. Each Nakshatra is 13 degrees 20 minutes. Within each Nakshatra, there are 4 ‘padas’ of 3 degrees 20 minutes each.

You see, the more we ‘zoom in’ into the chart, the more details we can extract. All of these details are necessary to make accurate predictions about the past and the future.

In Summary

To draw an accurate birth chart, we need accurate birth details such as the date, time and place. Then according to the details, we look up the astronomical data and arrange the Rashis and Grahas in the different Bhavas/Houses.

Each House, Rashi, Graha, Nakshatra adds its flavour to the mix. All these different combinations can give you clues about the ‘energy’ you are carrying in that aspect of your life.

In the next article, we’ll look at what each House, Graha and Rashi represent. Also, we’ll look at the transit duration of different planets and talk about the accuracy of Astrology.

Hope you learned something new today. If there are any questions, feedback that you want to convey, I would love to them hear them. Please comment them below.

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