Vedic or Jyotish Astrology
The system of astrology which has developed under 5,000 years in India is called Vedic astrology or Jyotish astrology. The word “Vedic” comes from the Sanskrit word “veda” meaning knowledge. Ancient Sanskrit Vedic writings cover all areas of knowledge including spiritual, medical, political and cultural as well as astrological. Vedic astrology is often called Jyotish astrology, meaning science of light.
Different zodiac systems
Vedic uses the sidereal zodiac system while western astrology is based on the tropical zodiac. In Sidereal zodiac system uses the actual position of the planets against the background of certain fixed stars (or unchanging from our perspective). Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, is aligned with the first constellation, called Aswini in Jyotish astrology.
On the other hand, western astrology is based on the orientation of the Earth to the Sun. Since the earth’s equator shifts backward through the signs of the zodiac at the rate of about 51″ of longitude per year, in a phenomenon known as the “precession of the equinoxes,” the Aries of the western zodiac differs from the Aries used by Vedic astrologers. The rate of this drift is approximately 1 degree every 72 years.
The Aries of the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were in alignment to each other in 285 AD. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, there is now roughly a 23 degree difference between the two systems. This means that all of the planets in a Vedic horoscope, including the rising sign, will be approximately 23 zodiacal degrees ahead of their position in a Western chart. This that your Vedic sun sign will usually be one sign earlier than your western sun sign—for example, most western astrology Taureans have an Aries sun according to the Jyotish system.
Differences in chart appearance
The Vedic chart also looks very different than a western astrology chart. Western charts have a round shape, but the Vedic charts resemble squares made up of small boxes. Like traditional western astrology, Jyotish only uses nine planets, so you will see fewer objects indicated on the chart. Also, you will not see aspect lines drawn on a Vedic chart as the Vedic system uses other types of planetary relationships.
Differences in philosophy
Vedic astrology readings look at your chart within the context of the law of karma. The law of karma derives from the belief in reincarnation and states that the life each human being has been shaped by the actions of previous lifetimes. Vedic astrologers stress prediction, looking at what the chart reveals about when the results of our karma will come have an impact on our current lives. Western astrology, on the other hand, emphasizes the ways in which the natal chart reveals the psychological makeup of an individual.
Jyotish astrology is part of a larger spiritual view of life formed by Hindu philosophy. Jyotish is seen as a sister science to both yoga and Ayurveda, the traditional holistic health system of the Indian subcontinent. Yoga (in all its forms, not only hatha yoga which means the poses and movements westerners associate with this word) is the means of walking the spiritual path while Ayurveda keeps us healthy enough to continue on the path. Jyotish is the map which reveals each individual’s karmic path.