Vedic astrology

Vedic astrology

Also known as: Jyotish

Vedic astrology (Jyotish) is an astrological tradition originating in India, based on the sidereal zodiac (which accounts for Earth's precession), unlike the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology.

It uses a partly different toolkit from Western astrology — including nakshatras (27 lunar "mansions") and the dasha system for precisely timing life periods ruled by a given planet. Rahu and Ketu (the lunar nodes) are treated as full, if "shadow", planets.

Because of the different reference point (sidereal vs. tropical), the same birth data can give a slightly different sun sign in Vedic astrology than in Western astrology.