Vedic Astrology-Science or Synastry

Vedic Astrology is an ancient Indian science which explains planetary motions and positions with respect to time and their effect on humans and other entities on earth. This article is a discussion of the ancient Indian science of Vedic Astrology. It explains the fundamental premise of this ancient science and compares it to its western contemporary. It is also a discussion of the way deductions are reached with respect to astronomical sciences.

Introduction

Vedic Astrology is an ancient Indian science which explains planetary motions and positions with respect to time and their effect on humans and other entities. Vedic astrology is a science whose roots can be traced thousands of years back. Early Vedic astrology was only based on the movement of planets with respect to stars, but later on it started including zodiac signs as well. According to Vedic astrology, there are 27 constellations made up of 12 zodiac signs, 9 planets and 12 houses with each house and planet representing some aspect of human life. Depending on when a person is born, the 12 signs are distributed among the 12 houses and 9 planets are placed in various houses. This visual representation of the snapshot of the signs and planets is called a horoscope chart. Vedic astrology is nothing but interpreting the meaning of these arrangements as it applies to humans and other entities.

Difference Between Vedic Astrology and Western Astrology

The most easily referred to difference between the two lies in the method of measurement of the Zodiac. Vedic astrology uses primarily the sidereal zodiac (in which stars are considered to be the fixed background against which the motion of the planets is measured), whereas most Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac (the motion of the planets is measured against the position of the Sun on the Spring equinox). This difference becomes only noticeable over time, after the course of several centuries, as a result of the precession of the equinoxes. Synchronically, the two systems are identical, with just a shift of the origin of the ecliptic longitude by about 22 degrees or days, resulting on the placement of planets in the previous sign in Western charts about 80% of the time.

Vedic and Western Horoscope Charts

Vedic charts are charts with square compartments. This are house positions for the signs. Western charts have a circular wheel shape. The signs are divisions in these circular diagram.

The Earth's axis wobbles slightly, performing a complete rotation over a period of some 25,800 years like a spinning top. This is caused by the combined gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon acting on the Earths Equator (the Earth being an oblate spheroid rather than a sphere, it bulges slightly at the Equator).

No astronomical body can appear in the exact same place more than once every 25,800 years. The Western system of Astrology calculates its charts and fails to take this into account. This is called the precession of the axis.
Western Astrology uses the Tropical zodiac, which is based on the premise that the Sun will be at zero degrees Aries annually on the 21st March. The Tropical system was created (based on the equinox), about 1900 years ago, when the Sun was actually at zero degrees Aries. The assumption was made that the Sun would return to this position every year on the spring equinox.

The Earth takes approximately 365 and 1/4 days to orbit the Sun. It is astronomically impossible for the Sun to be at zero degrees Aries every year at the Spring equinox. Therefore, after many years of discrepancy there is about a twenty-three degree difference between the constellations and the signs of the same names. Making the Tropical system astronomically inaccurate.

The 9 Planets, 12 Signs and 12 Houses

Vedic astrology takes 9 astronomical planets into consideration of which two are nodes of the moon. The 7 planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The two nodes of the moon are known as Rahu and Ketu. These are the north and the south nodes respectively, which are also responsible for causing the eclipses. The signs are 12 in number-Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Saggitarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. A house is a position in the chart decided upon by the time of birth at which the zodiac rises on the horizon also known as the Ascendent. This becomes the first house mid-point, all other houses are calculated based on this position. Each planet is placed both in a sign as well as a house.

Aspects: Relations between Planets and Houses

Aspects are degrees of association between planets, as also between planets and house positions. Aspects have different degrees of association. A 0 degree aspect is known as a Conjunction. A 180 degree aspect is known as a Opposition. A 90 degree aspect is known as a Square. A 60 degree aspect is known as a Sextile.

Natal and Transit Positions

A natal position is the one prepared at birth of an individual or of an event. A transit position is a moving position, which takes place after the natal position has passed. The transit positions are used in comparison to natal positions to study events and to prescribe effects. Transiting postions in aspect with natal positions trigger events.

Lunar Constellation Signs

Vedic astrology also gives credence to the 27 lunar constellations in the zodiac. Each of this is made of 3 degrees and 20 minutes and add up to make a 360 degree zodiac. Every individual has a constellation based on the position of the moon in a constellation in his natal chart. This is also known as the moon sign in western astrology, which is the sign rather than a constellation.

Major and Minor Periods in Lunar Constellation Signs

Lunar constellations have a system of major and minor planetary periods. These periods stretch for different periods of years and months for an individual, event or object. A major period of saturn has the sub period of all the other planets and vice versa.

Conclusion

Vedic astrology is an ancient science being put to use in modern times for delienating present, past and future events of an individual, object or event. It uses a system of dividing the zodiac into a 360 degree chart for an individual or an event for analysis of characteristics and events. Planets, Signs and Houses are part of this analysis. Aspects between planets and between planets and house mid-points trigger events. Lunar constellation signs give information of passing periods in years and months. Though, the approach is very scientific, vedic astrology can be said to border between synastry and science.