What is Vedic Astrology?

Vedic astrology is the traditional system of astrology of India that is at least 4000 years old. It is also known as Jyotish, Indian astrology, Eastern astrology, or Hindu astrology. It has recently gained popularity in the West because of its accuracy in predicting events and major trends in our lives. Vedic astrology is an excellent tool for helping us understand our dharma or life purpose as well as for giving us specific timetables for making decisions about career, finances, relationship, health, spiritual growth, etc. It is based on the sidereal zodiac which calculates the positions of the planets according to observable astronomy.

Ancient Vedic astrology is based on the sidereal or visible zodiac, accounting for the shift of the equinoxes by a correction called ayanamsa. The difference between the Vedic and the Western zodiacs is currently around 24 degrees. This corresponds to a separation of c. 1700 years, when the vernal equinox was approximately at the center of the constellation Pisces and the tropical zodiac coincided with the sidereal one. The separation likely took place in the centuries following Ptolemy, apparently going back to Indo-Greek transmission of the system. The ayanamsa correction has always been made in Vedic astrology, whose existence spans around five thousand years.