Course1 Lesson 3 S

Light On Vedic Astrology
Lesson 3
Online Course Level 1

Essential Astronomy For Astrology
Lesson 3:
by Vaughn Paul Manley, M.A.
Topics Covered in this Lesson:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Understanding The Solar System

Tropical Versus Sidereal Astrology
Calculating the Natal Chart - Part 1
Additional Concepts in Astronomical Astrology
Exercises and Homework
Understanding The Solar System

In the last lesson we explored the concepts of karma, fate and free will. This
provides a philosophical framework for understanding what the natal chart is: a
story of the soul's karma and his or her journey through time. We also addressed
some common misunderstandings about the questions of fate versus free will,
which distort the practice of astrology with fatalism and fear.
We are now ready to study the essentials of astronomy, which provides the
physical framework for understanding the natal chart. We will do this by
developing a visual conception of the solar system as applicable to the
construction of the natal chart.
Orienting To The Sky

The Computer Age has transformed the practice of astrology. The first astrology
software program, Matrix Software, came out in 1978 and since then the practice
of astrology has gradually become more and more divorced from the physical
environment. People no longer need to manually calculate the natal chart by
hand, which takes about 1 hour, and thereby maintain a relationship with the
astronomical elements that comprise the natal chart. There are, of course,
obvious time saving advantages to this development. However, there are
disadvantages for the aspiring astrologer. See this quote from K.N. Rao in an
interview with Sulekha.com in May 2005:
www.LightOnVedicAstrology.com
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For Private Use - Not For Circulation

Lesson 3

"At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (K.N. Rao's large school in New Delhi),
we insist that every student should have hands-on experience of
doing astrological calculations. I am a strong believer in the fact that
manual/mental calculations help you better visualize and develop
instincts for practicing astrology...A total dependency on computers
is never advisable. Unfortunately, astrology software programs have
helped mushroom a new breed of 'half-baked' astrologers."
Astrology is based on the old adage, "As above, so below," which says that what
happens in the sky between the stars and planets has a direct correlation to
human affairs. In lesson 1 we discussed how India's Vedic civilization was known
for its great sages, many of who were also advanced astronomers. This is
evidenced in the ancient astronomical text, the Suryasiddhanta dating back to
about 3000 B.C. Astrology was learned in an astronomical context with the two
disciplines closely related. Traditionally in India, people would sit outside, often
around a fire pit or howan kund, especially at night to watch the stars. The sky, of
course, was clear, free of pollution and the glare of big cities. Astrologers directly
witnessed planets moving or transiting from one sign constellation into the next.
Natal charts we're calculated by hand so there was a correspondence between
what was seen visually in the sky and what was represented on paper.
Nowadays we are the furthest from this level of astronomical astrology and the
practice of astrology has suffered. It's become more of a theoretical study that's
done on the computer or through books then a lived experience.
The purpose of this course is to absorb astrological principles; to learn to think
astrologically so that we're just not reliant on what others say but exercising our
own logic; to chew concepts, digest them, bring them from theory into practice,
from our heads into our bodies so that astrology gets on our insides. This
develops our astrological instincts, sensibilities, and intuition. This naturally
happens over time, but we're interested in speeding up the process. Our study of
astrology is, therefore, tremendously aided by stepping outside, away from our
two-dimensional experience of astrology with our flat screen computers and
pages in books, into the three-dimensional open sky. We will then transfer the
sky back into a two-dimensional representation: the natal chart.
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Getting Perspective: Heliocentric Versus Geocentric

There are two perspectives from which to orient to the solar system: the
heliocentric and geocentric, or from the Sun and from the Earth. Astronomy
orients to the Sun, while astrology orients to the Earth.
It's difficult to get a clear visual conception of the solar system from both
perspectives because they contradict one another. For instance, geocentrically
the Sun rises and sets, however, heliocentrically the earth rotates on its axis
causing the appearance of the Sun's rising and setting. It's an optical illusion, just
like when we're sitting at a stoplight it can appear that we're moving forward,
even though in reality cars are just coming towards us from the opposite
direction. The Dalai Lama says:
"On the one hand there are appearances, and on the other hand
there is reality. Our job is to bridge the gap between the two."
In reality the earth and the planets orbit around the Sun, the center of our solar
system. They circle the Sun much like the grooves in a record album circle the
label in the center. This is shown in the heliocentric image below:
This can also be seen in an accurate animated version of our solar system by
going to www.faustweb.net/solaris. This site will also allow you to move forward
and backward through time. Please take the time to play with this.
While the heliocentric perspective is necessary in order to have an accurate
visual conception of the solar system, it's not very helpful for our study of
astrology. It allows us to understand the planets in their orbits but it doesn't give
us any representation of the star constellations that comprise the signs, or the
houses, which are obviously necessary ingredients for the study of astrology. For
this we need the geocentric perspective that allows us to see the zodiac.
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The Zodiac
When we go outside on a clear night we don't normally conceive of the planets
orbiting around the Sun. If we can identify them in the sky at all, we see them
orbiting around the earth! We see them rising in the eastern horizon and dipping
into the western horizon along with the stars. For this reason, many ancient
civilizations believed that the Earth, not the Sun, was the center of our solar
system. The Indian astronomers knew better. However, they still settled on
geocentric conceptions for describing astrological principles. For instance, we
use the term ascendant or rising sign to indicate the signs ascending or rising on
the eastern horizon.
As astrologers we're only interested in a narrow, 18 degrees wide, section of the
sky - the zodiac belt. We leave the rest of the sky to astronomers. All astrological
dialogue about the planet's positions in the signs and houses takes place within
the zodiac belt. The belt's 360 degree circle surrounds the earth and is divided
into the twelve signs of thirty degrees each - 12 signs x 30 degrees = 360 degree
circle around the Earth. From the Earth it appears that the planets reside in the
zodiac signs because the signs form a backdrop behind the planets. The exact
center of the belt is a ring called the ecliptic because the Sun, Moon, Rahu and
Ketu cross the ecliptic to form eclipses.
Standing on the horizon the signs and planets

appear to rise and set as they circle the earth.
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The orbits of the planets never vary more than the

width of the zodiac belt, or 18 degrees. In other words,
their orbits follow the path of a plane that is almost flat.
Sign Constellations
Sign/Rashi
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Sanskrit
Mesha
Vrishabha
Mithuna
Karkata
Simha
Virgo
Kanya
Virgin
Libra
Thula
Scales
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Vrishchika
Dhanus
Makara
Kumbha
Meena
Scorpion
Archer
Goat
Water Bearer
Fishes
Symbols
Ram
Bull
Twins
Crab
Lion
Zodiac means circle of little animals and within the zodiac belt contain all the
star constellations that comprise the signs or rashis in Sanskrit, many of which
are associated with animals: ram, bull, twins, crab, lion, virgin, scales, scorpion,
archer, goat, water bearer, and fishes respectively. The Sun enters the various
signs in about the middle of the month. The reason why the Vedic Sun signs are
different than the Western Sun signs will be explained in the next section.
Quiz #8: Why do astrologers use a geocentric Perspective?

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1. To get a visual conception of the houses.

2. To get a visual conception of the signs.
3. To get a visual conception of the planets in the signs and houses.
4. All of the above.
The answer is at the end of the lesson.
Tropical Astrology Versus Sidereal Astrology

We've seen in the last section that visual images are very helpful for
understanding astronomical astrology. They're a tool which help us to get clear
visual conceptions in our minds. This is what we need to be able to understand
theoretical concepts. We're going to now take the next step with the previous
concepts and add the perspective of The Great Circles. This will help us to
understand the seasons, and concepts of the Precession of the Equinox, and
Ayanamsha, which we will cover in this section.
The Great Circles

Astronomical astrology uses the geocentric concept of the great circles to plot the
positions of the planets relative to earth. The first circle is the Celestial Sphere,
which is an imaginary sphere directly above the surface of the earth that gives us
a boundary for the Celestial Equator and the Ecliptic, two other important circles.
When the Earth's Equator is projected onto the celestial sphere it becomes the
Celestial Equator. This divides the heavens into two hemispheres, northern and
southern. The Earth's Prime Meridian is the circle that wraps around the Earth
through the north and south poles. When we project the prime meridian onto the
celestial sphere we get the Celestial Meridian (not shown), which divides the
heavens into two more hemispheres, western and eastern. As the planets follow
the path of the Ecliptic, which is another great circle (the center ring of the zodiac
belt), they will appear at different degrees of the constellations relative to the
location on the planet that the person is born. By dividing the hemispheres with
the help of the great circles we're able to plot the position of the planet. We will
discuss this is more depth in the next section when we deal with natal chart
calculation.
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The Four Seasons

The great circles are also helpful for understanding the four seasons, which are
determined by the path of the Sun along the ecliptic.
In the image above, you can see that the circle of the celestial equator and the
ecliptic are at an angle from on another. This is due to fact that earth rotates on
its axis at a tilt of 23.5 degrees, which is the reason we have seasons. Because
of the tilt they intersect in two places. When the Sun crosses these two
intersecting points it is the Spring Equinox (about March 21st) and the Fall
Equinox (about September 21st). On these two days, day time and night time are
of equal length. Likewise, when the Sun crosses the two points where the
celestial equator and the ecliptic are the furthest apart it is the Summer Solstice
(about June 21st) and the Winter Solstice (about December 21st). On these two
days the day and night are the most unequal in length. On the Summer Solstice,
is the longest day of the year, and on the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of
the year. These four points mark the beginning of the four seasons. However, in
the southern hemisphere this is reversed, with the summer solstice is the
beginning of winter and is the shortest day of the year, and the winter solstice is
the beginning of spring and the longest day of the year.
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The Precession of the Equinox

The point of intersection between the celestial equator and the ecliptic, which
establishes the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, is actually not stationary. It moves
backward or precedes through the twelve signs of the zodiac at the slow rate of
25,800 years! This is called the Precession of the Equinox and is due to how the
Earth wobbles on its axis, like a spinning top, changing the direction of it's tilt.
This causes the point of intersection at the equinoxes to constantly shift along the
zodiac belt. The calculation of this precession is the main difference between the
Vedic and Western astrology systems. Please see the following diagram.
The Earth's 25,800 year wobble on its axis
Without the aid of modern technology the Vedic sages were able to calculate that
the precession's annual rate is 50 seconds (50.29 seconds to be exact), or about
1 degree every 72 years (71.66 years to be exact). There are 30 degrees per
sign, 60 minutes in a sign, and 60 seconds in a minute. Therefore, a 50 second
calculation is so miniscule that it's virtually imperceptible. That the sages were
actually able to calculate this, gives us a clue as to how advanced the ancient
Vedic civilization was in terms of mathematical and astronomical knowledge.
Many centuries before the Europeans were debating over whether the earth was
flat, the Vedic sages were figuring out exactly what effect the Earths wobble
would have on the calculation of the planetary positions in their ephemeriss!
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In the above diagram the Spring Equinox is at about 24 degrees Pisces. This
means that when the Sun crosses this point it will be the Spring Equinox, or the
beginning of Spring on about March 21st as we discussed above. However, we
usually think of the Sun as at 0 degrees Aries on the Spring Equinox, at least
according to Western astrology. This is because Western astrology is a tropical
system. Tropical comes from the word "tropos" which means "turning," which
refers to the turning of the seasons and not to the actual star constellations.
However, Vedic astrology is a sidereal system. Sidereal comes from the word
"sider," which means "star," and refers to the actual star constellations.
Quiz #9: What year was the Spring Equinox at 24 degrees Pisces, if it was at 0
degrees Aries in 285 A.D?
1. 2010 A.D.
2. 717 A.D.
3. 357 A.D
The tropical zodiac is symbolic, whereas the sidereal is literal, relative to
observable astronomical positions. Western astrology orients or fixes the zodiac
to the seasons - Aries marks the beginning of Spring, Cancer the beginning of
Summer, Libra the beginning of Fall, and Capricorn the beginning of Winter.
Vedic astrology orients the zodiac to the actual, observable fixed stars and has
nothing to do with the seasons.
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In actuality the Sun is now at about 6 degrees Pisces on the Spring Equinox. By
2011 the equinox will precede to exactly 6 degrees making the difference
between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs 24 degrees.
David Frawley writes in his book, The Astrology of the Seers,

The sidereal zodiac is probably the original zodiac historically, as it
is the observable zodiac. The tropical, which is an abstract zodiac,
must have been derived from it, as all abstractions are usually
based on underlying observable things.
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The Ayanamsha
This mathematical difference between the sidereal and the tropical zodiacs is
called the ayanamsha in Sanskrit. Ayana means "precession" and amsha means
"part" or "portion." This refers to the number degrees or portion that has
preceded from the 1st degree of Aries at the Spring Equinox. The ayanamsha
currently is about 24 degrees, with the Sun being at about 6 degrees on the
Spring Equinox. It will be exactly 24 degrees in 2010. You may have been told
that if you want to calculate your Vedic chart, then just subtract 23 degrees from
your Western chart. This is because most people were born when the
ayanamsha was closer to 23 degrees. In 1950, the ayanamsha was 23009'.
In the year 285 A.D. the two systems were in alignment with the ayanamsha
being at exactly '0'. Both held that the Sun was entering Aries at the Spring
Equinox. Since that date, Western astrology has ignored the precession and
pinned the zodiac to the seasons, Vedic astrology has continued to calculate the
precession just like it's done for thousands of years. This is evidenced by
reference to the precession in the Rig Veda. Since 285 A.D. the equinox has
been preceding through Pisces, which will continue for about 430 more years, at
which time the precession will enter Aquarius.
It's interesting to note that in about 11,200 years, the two systems will be exactly
opposite! Mark your calendars! At that time, the ayanamsha will be 1800 with the
Sun entering Libra at the Spring Equinox. Please see the following diagram.
Historic Sun Sign Positions at the Spring Equinox
Lahiri
Ayanamsha
285 A.D.
00
1900 A.D.
22028'05"
1940 A.D.
23001'26"
1950 A.D.
23009'40"
1960 A.D.
23018'04"
1970 A.D.
23026'34"
1980 A.D.
23034'31"
1990 A.D.
23043'26"
2000 A.D.
23051'22"
2010 A.D.
240
2439 A.D.
300
13,184 A.D.
1800
*According to Lahiri Ayanamsha
Date
B.V. Raman
Ayanamsha
1033'50"
21001'18"
21034'41"
21042'55"
21051'20"
21059'50"
22007'58"
22016'43"
22024'40"
22033'34"
28033'28"
178033'28"
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Tropical
Sun Sign
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
00 Aries
Sidereal
Sun Sign*
00 Aries
7032 Pisces
6059 Pisces
6051 Pisces
6042 Pisces
6034 Pisces
6026 Pisces
6017 Pisces
6009 Pisces
60 Pisces
00 Pisces
00 Libra

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However, there is some controversy about the above dates. This is because
there are several commonly used ayanamshas that vary by nearly 2 degrees
from one another. Of these, the most popular ayanamsha worldwide is the Lahiri
Ayanamsha, also called the Chitrapaksha Ayanamsha. This was developed by
the former head of the Astro-Research Bureau of Calcutta, N.C. Lahiri. In 1954
the Lahiri Ayanamsha was given the stamp of approval by the government of
India. It is the ayanamsha recommended by Sri K.N. Rao and the only one we
will use in this course. The next most popular ayanamsha is the B.V. Raman
ayanamsha developed by B.V. Raman himself.
The tropical system is a sayana system, meaning "with ayana or precession,"
because it strays from the actual fixed constellations at the time of the Spring
Equinox. On the other hand, the sidereal system is a nirayana system, meaning
"without ayana or precession," because it is aligned to the actual fixed
constellations at the time of the Spring Equinox.
The following table shows the difference between the dates of the Sun's transits
in the Western and Vedic systems.
Annual Sun Signs
Sign/Rashi
Tropical Sun Signs
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
March 21 - April 19
April 20 - May 20
May 21 - June 21
June 22 - July 22
July 23 - Aug 22
Aug 23 - Sept 22
Sept 23 - Oct 22
Oct 23 - Nov 21
Nov 22 - Dec 20
Dec 21 - Jan 20
Jan 20 - Feb 18
Feb 19 - Mar 20
Current
Sidereal Sun Signs
April 15 - May 14
May 15 - June 14
June 15 - July 15
July 16 - Aug 16
Aug 17 - Sept 16
Sept 17 - Oct 15
Oct 16 - Nov 15
Nov 16 - Dec 15
Dec 16 - Jan 13
Jan 14 - Feb 12
Feb 13 - Mar 11
Mar 12 - April 14
Debates About The Two Zodiacs

We've seen in this lesson that both systems are looking at the same
phenomenon of the Sun's position at the time of the Spring Equinox but are
referencing different zodiacs. Western astrologers superimpose a symbolic
zodiac, while Vedic astrologers reference the actual zodiac.
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Why two zodiacs anyway? It's confusing when both systems use the same
terminology for referring to two different zodiacs. Isnt one enough? After all, one
sky seems to have worked out quite well. No mistakes there. The stars shine
equally on everyone, whether theyre standing in New Delhi or downtown L.A., so
why one sidereal zodiac popular in the East and one tropical zodiac popular in
the West? Can't astrologers have an international convention and decide, once
and for all, which is one is "correct"? Since this is extremely unlikely, we'd better
learn to co-exist in a world with two zodiacs.
The debate between the two systems is, of course, centered around one main
question, how can both systems be right? How can a person, for instance, be
both an Aries in the Western system, and a Pisces in the Vedic system? The
signs are entirely different from one another.
This can obviously be a rather heated debate because were basically creatures
of habit. We tend to feel comfortable with what were used to and resist change.
Its hard to be clear and objective when we feel threatened by another viewpoint
and its easy to dismiss a seemingly opposing viewpoint to save having to
expand out of our comfort zones. Consider how debating is an integral practice in
the training of Tibetan Buddhist monks in the qualities of understanding and
compassion. Eventually their resistances are broken down and theyre able to
contain a broader, more all encompassing viewpoint.
It could be argued, first of all, that its rather simplistic to identify yourself by only
one particular sign like we tend to do in the West. This is a recent cultural
phenomenon due to the popularization of horoscope columns. Before this media
popularization, Western astrology was oriented more towards the ascendant than
the Sun if it had to be limited to one sign. Vedic astrology today favors the
emphasis of the ascendant over the Sun as well. This makes sense because the
ascendant is the starting point of the horoscope and the quickest moving
indication in the chart so is could be considered more associated with your
identity or you. In practice, the ascendant or 1st house relates more to ones
self, identity and personality traits than any other house.
However, if you asked someone in India whats your sign? they would likely
assume you mean their Moon nakshatra (lunar constellation which we'll discuss
in Level II), since Vedic astrology is a Moon-based system and its primary
predictive systems are based on the Moon.
An obvious reason why emphasizing one sign is limited is that there are so many
potential configurations from which to interpret the same descriptive traits. For
instance, your Sun may move from Aries to Pisces in your Vedic chart, but you
also may still have three planets in Aries, or Mars in Aries. You certainly would
tend to see strong Aries traits in the Vedic chart even though the Sun is not
involved. In fact, thats always been the case when I look at both the Vedic and
Western charts of a particular person. They have never contradicted one another
when the chart is considered as a whole.
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Some people argue that the Western chart is more earthy and represents the
personality and the Vedic chart is more spiritual and represents the soul. This
makes some sense due to the relative vantage points in terms of distance. In
other words, the stars are further away than our Sun, which is the closest star.
On the other hand, this seems to imply that the Western chart is more grounded
in practical matters, and the Vedic chart is more spiritual and ethereal. Whereas,
the opposite could be argued to be the case because the Vedic chart is actual or
literal, while the Western chart is symbolic. This is why there's a strong argument
that the Vedic chart is more accurate for prediction of actual events.
The Evolutionary Pattern of the Zodiac

What's important is to realize that the zodiac represents an archetypal
evolutionary pattern beginning with Aries and ending in Pisces. As an illustration,
the pattern of 12 signs can be visually likened to a clock. Whether you rotate the
base to get your sidereal Vedic chart or the tropical Western the clock still works
at least symbolically if not literally because its based on a true fundamental
pattern.
This is why Western astrology makes sense even though it uses a symbolic
zodiac. Our day-to-day life on earth is integrally effected by the seasons and,
therefore, to transpose the zodiac over the seasons works. The essential
qualities of the signs of the zodiac do line up with the Sun passing through the
seasons. For instance, the Sun passing into Aries conveys the qualities of Spring
active, energetic, vigorous creative new life etc.
Likewise, you could take any developmental pattern and transpose the zodiac.
Another example would be to take the 12-year transit return of Jupiter. Each year
is like one sign of the zodiac. The first year when Jupiter is transiting over natal
Jupiter is new, energetic and expansive in growth like Aries even though the
actual Jupiter return may happen to land in another sign. The twelfth year, like
Pisces, has qualities of dissolution and death before the rebirth again with the
next Jupiter return.
Because the tropical system is a solar-based system the commonly held opinion
is that the tropical system is better at describing the personality and
psychological patterns. The Vedic system is often considered to be better at
describing the soul nature and predicting actual events because its tied to the
actual fixed constellations.
This also becomes apparent when we study the popular reference texts of each
system. The Vedic texts shed very little light on psychological patterns and
emphasize prediction, whereas its just the opposite with the Western reference
texts.
It's my opinion that you can get an accurate reading, both in terms of
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Lesson 3

psychological interpretation and prediction, using either system. In the final

analysis, the accuracy of any system depends more on the clarity and intuition of
the astrologer than on the system itself.
Calculating The Natal Chart Part 1

Approximate Versus Exact Calculation
Up until the advent of astrology software programs in the late 1970's, astrologers
had to know how to manually calculate the natal chart as we discussed earlier.
There are two main reasons why manual calculations are important: 1) to know
how to check the accuracy of astrology software, and 2) to develop intuition or
astrological instinct. Think about a checkout clerk at a department store, who
relies on the cash machine to tell them what the change is. Their brain goes
numb from disuse. Our brains are incredibly powerful, but just like muscles we
need to keep exercising them. We must not let them become slaves to a
machine. See this quote by Bangalore Suryanarain Rao, B.V. Raman's famous
grandfather.
"The necessity of accurate mathematical knowledge is placed
beyond question; and no astrologer of any pretensions can ever
hope to become a successful predictor unless he is competent in his
astronomical knowledge of correctly casting the horoscope and
finding out the various sources of strength and weakness of planets
and the bhavas (houses)."
- from the forward, A Manual of Hindu Astrology, by B.V. Raman
There are two ways to calculate the natal chart: approximate and exact. In this
lesson, we will learn to make the approximate calculations, and save the exact
calculations for the Level II course. To make approximate calculations we have to
learn the logic behind the construction of the natal chart, which we will focus on
in this lesson.
In Vedic astrology the process of calculating the natal chart is easier than in
Western astrology because we use the Equal House System, which means that
the signs and houses are of equal length making it unnecessary to calculate the
house cusps or sign transitions. We also don't use the trans-Saturnian planets,
Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune, so we only have to calculate nine planets not
twelve. Therefore, it's only necessary to acquire the exact degrees of the nine
planets plus the ascendant to draw up the chart. The nine planets can be found
in an ephemeris or panchanga, which shows the signs and degrees for the
planets on every day of the year.
Here is an ephemeris for Jan 2000, for Greenwich, England. The Sun is at 16
degrees, 0 minutes Sagittarius, which is shown as 16:00 9 (9 = the 9th sign of
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Sagittarius). This ephemeris only shows the degrees for Rahu, not Ketu. Since
Ketu is always exactly opposite Rahu, it's easy to know Ketu's degrees by
knowing Rahu's. This is a Vedic or Sidereal ephemeris, but if it were a Western
or Tropical ephemeris, then we would have to subtract the ayanamsha for that
year to arrive at the correct positions of the planets in the Sidereal zodiac.
Notice that the Moon is by far the fastest planet and travels through the zodiac in
one month at a rate of approximately 13 degrees per day. The most that any
other planet will travel is about 2 degrees per day. Therefore, the ephemeris will
give us a fairly accurate idea of all the planet's positions on the day of birth.
However, the ephemeris is useless for determining the ascendant (also rising
sign, 1st house, or lagna), which is the sign constellation rising on the Eastern
horizon at the time of birth. For this we need a book called the Table of Houses,
which lists the zodiac positions of the house cusps at various latitudes on Earth.
However, even without this, we can get an approximate calculation of the
ascendant, but we first have to understand the houses.
The Approximate Calculation of the Zodiac

A house is a place of residence. The houses in astrology are locations in the sky
where the planets reside at the moment of birth. The 1st house is on the Eastern
horizon, the 10th house is directly overhead, the 7th house is opposite the 1st
house on the Western horizon, and the 4th house is opposite the 10th house
directly below us. Please see the following diagram:
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When the Sun passes through the 1st house, it's sunrise at about 5 am, when it's
in the 10th house it's midday, when it's in the 7th house it's sunset, and when it's
in the 4th house it's midnight. The Sun stays in a house for approximately 2
hours each as shown in the following table:
The Sun's Daily Passage Thru the Houses
5:00 - 7:00 am
7:00 - 9:00 am
9:00 - 11:00 am
11:00 - 1:00 pm
1:00 - 3:00 pm
3:00 - 5:00 pm
5:00 - 7:00 pm
7:00 - 9:00 pm
9:00 - 11:00 pm
11:00 - 1:00 am
1:00 - 3:00 am
3:00 - 5:00 am
1st House/sunrise
12th House
11th House
10th House/midday
9th House
8th House
7th House/sunset
6th House
5th House
4th House/midnight
3rd House
2nd House
Since the Sun rises at about 5 am, then if you know what sign the Sun is in at
that time of year, then you can approximate what the ascendant is. For instance,
on the Spring Equinox, approximately March 21st, the Sun is currently (as of
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2006) at about 6 degrees Pisces. Therefore, whenever the sun rises at that
specific location, the ascendant or rising sign will be Pisces.
The Sun's Annual Transit Thru the Signs
Current
Sidereal Sun Signs (2006)
April 15 - May 14
May 15 - June 15
June 16 - July 16
July 17 - Aug 16
Aug 17 - Sept 16
Sept 17 - Oct 17
Oct 18 - Nov 16
Nov 17 - Dec 16
Dec 17 - Jan 14
Jan 15 - Feb 12
Feb 13 - Mar 14
Mar 15 - April 14
Sign/Rashi
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
However, while this gives us a ballpark approximation and will work much of the
time, the Sun rises at different times throughout the world, especially at different
latitudes, which we will discuss below.
Latitude and Longitude

To calculate the natal chart we need three pieces of information: birth date, time,
and place. The date gives us the general degrees of planets on that day. The
time further refines the degrees of the planets and also gives us the general
degrees of the ascendant. However, it's the location that further refines the
degrees of the planets and especially the ascendant.
We identify the location of a birthplace by the degrees of the latitude and
longitude. The latitude is determined relative to the Equator, which circles the
middle of the earth and is 0 degrees latitude. It divides the Earth in two
hemispheres: northern and southern. A location north of the Equator is northern
latitude and a location south of the equator is southern latitude.
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The longitude of a location is determined relative to the Prime Meridian, which

runs through Greenwich, England and is 0 degrees latitude. The Prime Meridian
divides the Earth into two more hemispheres: western and eastern.
The Effects of Latitude on the Ascendant Calculation

The rising of the signs generally takes 2 hours - 12 signs rising every 2 hours
throughout the day equals 24 hours in a day. However, this is a generalization. It
is completely dependent on the latitude. This will be true at the Equator, for
instance, at the city Quito, Ecuador, which is at 0 degrees latitude. Please see
the following diagram:
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At Quito, Ecuador the start times of the rising sign are almost exactly 2 hours
apart throughout the year. For instance, on Mar 21st, when the Sun is at 6
degrees Pisces, sunrise is at 5:40 am, which shown in the diagram above. This is
followed by Aries rising at 7:31 am, Taurus rising at 9:29 am etc. On June 21st,
the Sun will be at about 6 degrees of Gemini and rises at 5:34 am.
Ascension of the Signs at the Equator: 00N
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
~ 2 Hours
Birth locations on the equator are very convenient for approximate calculations of
the ascendant. However, the further north or south that one travels from the
Equator, the more extreme the length of the signs. For instance, at one of the
northernmost towns on Earth, Barrow, Alaska, the signs take as little as 3
minutes to rise, while other signs take nearly 4 hours to rise. Please see the
following diagram:
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At Barrow, Alaska the five signs - Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus
- last less than 35 minutes, or averaging about 7 minutes each! Pisces lasts only
about 2 minutes! These, plus Sagittarius, are the six signs of short ascension in
the northern hemisphere. Notice how the six opposite signs are the signs of long
ascension with Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio lasting about 23
hours with an average of almost 4 hours each! This makes it very obvious that
our convenient generalization of 2 hours per sign is a broad generalization.
In the Winter months the Sun passes through the signs of short ascension Sagittarius through Gemini - making the times when the Sun is above the horizon
very brief. For instance, in Barrow, on the Winter Solstice, December 21st, the
Sun is at about 6 degrees Sagittarius. The Sun will rise at 12:05 pm, when
Sagittarius rises. Please see the right column in the diagram above. The Sun will
set when Gemini rises at 1:49 pm - about 1 hour 45 minutes later, which is the
only sunshine that residents get at that time of year!
Signs of Long and Short Ascension
at Barrow, Alaska: 710N
Aries
Short
~ 3 min
Taurus
Short
~ 15 min
Gemini
Long
~ 3 Hours
Cancer
Long
~ 4 Hours
Leo
Long
~ 4 Hours
Virgo
Long
~ 4 Hours
Libra
Long
~ 4 Hours
Scorpio
Long
~ 4 Hours
Sagittarius
Short
~ 1 Hour 15 min
Capricorn
Short
~ 5 min
Aquarius
Short
~ 3 min
Pisces
Short
~ 2 min
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The opposite is the case at one of the southernmost towns in the southern
hemisphere, Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina. It's not as extreme an
example as Barrow, AK, because there are no towns at such extreme southern
latitude. Ushuaia is only 54 degrees south and at this latitude the five opposite
signs - Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio - last about 5 hours, or averaging
about 1 hour in length each. These are the signs of short ascension in the
southern hemisphere along with Gemini. You'll notice that Gemini and Sagittarius
are moderate or transitional signs between the extremes at both latitudes. In
Ushuaia, the signs of long ascension become the six signs - Sagittarius,
Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, - and average about 3 hours in
length each. This is quite a contrast to averaging 7 minutes each at Barrow, AK!
Please see the following diagram:
In Ushuaia, on the Winter Solstice, December 21st, the Sun will rise at 4:35 am,
when Sagittarius rises. The Sun won't set until Gemini rises at 9:33 pm - about
17 hours later! Therefore, the concept that the Winter Solstice is the shortest day
of the year is only applicable to those who live in the northern hemisphere. The
seasons are the opposite in the southern hemisphere as previously mentioned.
Signs of Long & Short Ascension
at Ushuaia, Argentina: 540S
Aries
Long
~ 3 hours
Taurus
Long
~ 3 hours
Gemini
Short
~ 2 Hours
Cancer
Short
~ 1 Hour
Leo
Short
~ 1 Hour
Virgo
Short
~ 1 Hour
Libra
Short
~ 1 Hour
Scorpio
Short
~ 1 Hour
Sagittarius
Long
~ 3 hours
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Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces

Long
Long
Long
~ 3 hours
~ 3 hours
~ 3 hours
Most of the world's population is in the northern hemisphere between 20 and 60

degrees latitude. This covers all of North America, Europe and most of Asia. For
instance, 40 degrees north latitude comprises New York City and Beijing, China.
Let's see the signs of long and short ascension for New York City:
At New York City the signs of short ascension - Sagittarius through Taurus - are
at about 1 1/2 hours each, while the signs of long ascension - Gemini through
Scorpio - are at about 2 1/2 hours each. Therefore, our generalization of 2 hours
per sign is not too far off. And, of course, the closer to the Equator the birth
location is the more evenly the signs will be at 2 hours each.
Signs of Long & Short Ascension
at New York City: 400N
Aries
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
Taurus
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
Gemini
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Cancer
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Leo
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Virgo
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Libra
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Scorpio
Long
~2 1/2 Hours
Sagittarius
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
Capricorn
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
Aquarius
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
Pisces
Short
~1 1/2 Hours
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Summary of Approximate Chart Calculation

In this section we've seen that if we have access to an ephemeris then we can
make an approximate calculation of the natal chart. For an online version of an
ephemeris please visit www.achernar.btinternet.co.uk/fm.html, which gives the
planetary positions for any day between the years 1891 and 2100. This is a
Tropical ephemeris so we'll have to subtract the ayanamsha to arrive at the
sidereal positions of the planets as we discussed in the last section.
Once we have the sign positions and degrees of the 9 planets then the next step
is to calculate the ascendant. We do this in reference to the Sun's position. For
example, generally if a person is born at 12:00 noon on June 21st, the Summer
Solstice, the Sun will be at 6 degrees Gemini and will be in the 10th house. When
Gemini is in the 10th house, Virgo will be the ascendant. However, when we
calculate the ascendant we need to remember that the signs will rise at a slightly
different time of day and for different lengths of time depending on the latitude of
the location.
To summarize there are three methods for the calculation of the ascendant:
- General
- Refined
- Specific
The General Method doesnt take into account the latitude of the location and
uses a general "Two hours per house starting at 5:00 am rule. The Refined
Method takes into account the locations latitude and therefore modifies the "Two
hours per house starting at 5:00 am rule. The Specific Method will be taught in
the Level 2 course.
The following are the specific steps to completing both the General and Specific
Methods for the ascendant calculation. In the end of this lesson youll be given
several exercises and homework assignments for calculating your own natal
chart in entirety including both the planetary signs and degrees, and the
ascendant.
Steps to the General Method for the ascendant calculation
Step 1: Determine the sidereal Sun sign and degrees based on the date of birth.
Remember the "15th of the month rule" - the Sun changes signs, in the sidereal
zodiac, on about the 15th of every month. (see the Table above: The Sun's
Annual Transit Thru the Signs). For instance, the Sun is at about 6 degrees
Pisces on March 21st, the Spring Equinox. Also, if you know where the Sun is in
your own chart, then you can manually calculate the rest of the Sun signs from
that point. You can also look up the Sun's position in an ephemeris. If it's a
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Tropical ephemeris than you'll need to subtract the ayanamsha or approximately

23 degrees.
Step 2: Determine the Sun's house position based on the time of birth.
Remember the "Two hours per house starting at 5:00 rule" - the Sun takes about
two hours to pass through a house starting with the 1st house at sunrise at about
5:00 am. (see the Table above: The Sun's Daily Passage Thru the Houses). For
instance, at 12:00 noon the Sun will be in the 10th house.
Step 3: Calculate the ascendant based on the Sun's position at the time of birth.
If you know the sign and house position of the Sun then the ascendant can be
calculated manually. For instance, if the Sun is in Pisces in the 10th house then
the ascendant will be Gemini.
Steps to the Refined Method for the ascendant calculation
Step 1: Same as step 1 of the general method above.
Step 2: Adjust the 2-hour per house rule" for the Sun's passage through the
houses based on the latitude of the location. Remember the "Sagittarius thru
Taurus short signs rule" - the signs Sagittarius through Taurus will be signs of
short length in the northern latitude. At 40 degrees northern latitude, at New
York, these signs will be about 1 1/2 hours and the remaining signs, Gemini
through Scorpio, will be about 2 1/2 hours. (see the table above: Signs of Long
and Short Ascension at 40 degrees)
Step 3: Adjust the "2 hour per house starting at 5:00 rule" to the local sunrise
time. Most astrology software programs will give the sunrise time. You can also
find the local sunrise by going to the following website:
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/custom_srss_calendar.asp
Step 4: Create a table showing when each of the twelve signs rise based on the
location of birth. (See the example table above: Signs of Long and Short
Ascension at 40 degrees.) Once youve created this table youll be able to
calculate the ascendant more precisely.
CASE EXAMPLE: 01/11/1973, 11.00 am, Indore, India: 22N42, 73E54
General Method
Step 1: On January 11th the Sun will be at about 27 degrees Sagittarius.
Step 2: At 11:00 am, the Sun will be approximately on the cusp of the 11th and
10th house. Most likely it will have just moved into the 10th house.
Step 3: If the Sun in Sagittarius is the 10th house then the ascendant is Pisces. If
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it is in the 11th house the ascendant will be Aquarius. So, the general method
would yield that the ascendant is either Pisces or Aquarius.
Refined Method
Step 1: On January 11th the Sun will be at about 27 degrees Sagittarius.
Step 2: At 22 degrees north latitude in Indore, India the signs of short ascension
will be Sagittarius through Taurus. At 40 degrees northern latitude the short signs
are about 1 1/2 hours in length. At the equator, or 0 degrees northern latitude,
these signs are about 2 hours in length. Since 22 degrees is about 1/2 way in
between the two examples, the signs of short ascension, Sagittarius through
Taurus will be approximately 1 3/4 hours in length.
Step 3: Using the website link for calculating the local sunrise we find that the
sunrise for 22N and 73E on 1/11/73 is about 7:15 am.
Step 4: The ascendant will be at about 27 degrees Sag at sunrise. The next
ascending sign will be Capricorn, which should start at about 7:30 am since it's
late degrees Sag at 27 degrees. The ascendant moves about 1 degree every 4
minutes (30 degrees in 120 minutes or 2 hours) - 3 degrees takes about 12
minutes or until about 7:30 am. Capricorn will be from about 7:30 am till about
9:15 am (1 hr and 45 min). Aquarius will be from about 9:15 till about 11:00 am (1
hr 45 min). Since the time of birth is right at 11:00 am. The ascendant will be
either late degrees Aquarius or early degrees Pisces with the Sun in the 11th or
10th house. Since this method is approximate this is as far as we need to go.
When calculated by a software program, it comes out to be 2 degrees Pisces,
which was within our range of calculation.
Quiz #10: From memory, what are the signs of short ascension in the northern
latitudes?
1. Sagittarius through Taurus
2. Gemini through Scorpio
Additional Concepts on Astronomical Astrology

There are several additional concepts in astronomy that will help in your
understanding of astrology. Specifically, they are retrogression, the Moon's
phases, Rahu and Ketu, and eclipses, which we'll discuss in this section.
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Retrogression
When one of the five planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - are
closest to the Earth in their orbits they are said to be retrograde, or moving
backwards through the zodiac. Of course, they only appear from earth to be
moving retrograde relative to the backdrop of the star constellations, since the
planet's orbits around the Sun are fixed in forward movement. Retrogression
occurs because the planets orbits vary in speed and have elliptical orbits of the
planets around the Sun, which means that they are sometimes close and
sometimes far from the Sun. In their independent orbits around the Sun
sometimes planets will come close to the earth, which is when they appear
retrograde. From a geocentric perspective the planets normally transit in direct
motion through the zodiac from west to east. When they are retrograde, however,
they appear to be transiting from east to west. Please see the following diagram.
During retrogression planets will visibly appear larger and brighter. The most
dramatic example of this was in August 2003, when not only was Mars
retrograde and therefore close to the earth, but this coincided with when it was at
its perihelion--its closest approach to the Sun in its elliptic orbit. Mars gradually
appeared larger because of its closest proximity to earth in some 60,000 years.
To understand retrogression better, and to see this phenomenon of Mars's close
proximity to earth, return to the animated version of our solar system by visiting
www.faustweb.net/solaris, and set the date to August 27, 2003. Notice how close
Mars is to the earth, and to the Sun.
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The Phases of the Moon

The Moon orbits around the Earth approximately every 30 days, which is called a
lunar month. A lunar month is divided into two fortnights or pakshas: the waxing
or shukla paksha, and waning or krishna paksha. As the Moon transits in
different positions relative to the Sun, only portions of its surface will be
illuminated relative to Earth. This is because the Moon has no light of its own and
relies on the reflected light it gets from the Sun for visibility.
For instance, when the Moon is conjunct the Sun, or occupies the same sign
position in the zodiac, it is invisible relative to earth. This is the New Moon or
amavasya phase. As it transits eastwards, away from the Sun, it waxes or grows
in brightness. Between day 0 and day 4 is the waxing crescent phase. On the 7th
day it's half full or the first quarter phase, and is at a 90 degree angle to the Sun.
Between day 7 and day 14 is the waxing gibbous phase. On the 14th day it's a
Full Moon or purnima, with the Moon at a 180 degrees opposition to the Sun.
Therefore, the Moon will rise as the Sun sets. After the Full Moon it enters the
waning fortnight gradually losing brightness until it reaches the culmination of
darkness at the New Moon again. Please see the following diagram.
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Here we've only shown eight phases: New Moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter,
waxing gibbous, Full Moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.
However, in the Vedic system each day of the lunar month is a different phase or
tithi. There are 15 phases of the waxing or shukla paksha fortnight, and 15
phases of the waning or krishna paksha fortnight. All religious festivals are based
on the lunar calendar, which is determined by the Moon's phases. We will be
revisiting this topic in more depth in the Level 2 course when we discuss the
methods for the timing of important events or muhurta.
Rahu and Ketu

In Vedic astrology the north and south nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu, are
given the full status of planets even though they are only astronomical points in
space. Because they have no physical substance they are called shadowy
planets or chaya grahas. Specifically, they are the points where the Moon's orbit
crosses the ecliptic. This is only possible because the Moon's orbit is at an angle
or is inclined to the ecliptic. This is similar to how the celestial equator is inclined
to the ecliptic that we discussed in the 2nd section. As the path of the Moon's
orbit crosses the ecliptic in a northern or ascending direction it creates the north
node or Rahu. And as it crosses the ecliptic in a southern or descending direction
it creates the south node or Ketu. Rahu and Ketu are always exactly opposite, or
180 degrees, from one another.
These points of intersection are not stationary but travel through the zodiac in a
retrograde or reverse direction. Their average or mean rate of travel is about 19
degrees and 30 minutes per year. However, this fluctuates constantly creating
two possible calculations: mean or true. Usually ephemeris's and astrology
software programs will give you both the mean and true positions of the nodes.
K.N. Rao strongly recommends using only the true nodes.
Eclipses
Rahu and Ketu are significant for many reasons but especially because they
cause eclipses. An eclipse is the partial or total visual obstruction of a planet
behind another. There are two kinds of eclipses: solar and lunar, eclipsing the
Sun and Moon respectively.
Lunar eclipses occur on the full moon (purnima) and are of three types: total,
partial and penumbral. A total lunar eclipse is when the Moon entirely passes
through the earth's dark shadow or umbra, which means, "shaded area." (Our
word "umbrella" comes from the latin root, "umbra"). A partial lunar eclipse is
when the Moon partially passes through the umbra. A penumbral lunar eclipse is
when the Moon passes outside the umbra in a region called the penumbra, which
means, "almost shaded area." The penumbra receives some partial rays of the
Sun, which makes the penumbral lunar eclipse the weakest of the three types
and is very difficult to detect, even with a telescope. About 35% of lunar eclipses
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are of the penumbral type, while about 30% are partial eclipses, which can easily
be seen with the naked eye. 35% or so are total eclipses, which are the most
dramatic and intense from an astrological point of view.
Why isn't there a lunar eclipses every month on the full Moon? This is because
the Moon's orbit around the earth is at a 5 degrees tilt relative to the Earth's orbit
around the Sun. Only 2-4 times per year is the Moon's orbit within the plane of
the Earth's orbit. The points where the Moon's orbit and the Earth's orbit cross on
the ecliptic or also called the eclipse points, which are equivalent to Rahu and
Ketu.
Solar eclipses occur on the new Moon (amavasya) when the Moon passes
between the Sun and the Earth. They are of three types: total, partial and
annular. A total solar eclipse is when the Moon's dark shadow called the "umbra"
falls on the Earth's surface. From that region of the earth the Sun will appear to
be completely eclipsed by the Moon for a short period of a few minutes. The
shadow will move across a portion of the earth in a narrow band called the path
of totality. It is about 10,000 miles long but only 100 miles or so wide. In order to
see the Sun totally eclipsed by the Moon, you must be standing in the path of
totality.
When only the Moon's faint shadow called the "penumbra" strikes the Earth, we
see a partial eclipse of the Sun from that region. An annular solar eclipse is when
the Moon is too small to cover the entire disk of the Sun. This can happen
because the Moon's orbit around the earth is not round but oval and varies by
about 13% in proximity to the earth. When the Moon is closest to the earth and
crosses the plane of the earth's orbit around the Sun then a total solar eclipse
occurs. When the Moon is farthest from the earth and crosses the plane of the
earth's orbit then annular eclipse occurs. If you are in this path, you will see a ring
or 'annulus' of bright sunlight surrounding the Moon at the maximum phase of the
eclipse.
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A partial or total eclipse of the Sun or Moon only occur about four days of the
year when the Sun or Moon are within approximately 18 degrees of Rahu and
Ketu.
Quiz #11: True or False. When a planet is retrograde is it appears to be moving

backward in the zodiac toward the eastern horizon.
1. True
2. False
Answer is at the end of the lesson.
Exercises and Homework

In this lesson we began to look at the natal chart from new perspectives relative to the earth and the sky, or the geocentric perspective, and the solar
system or the heliocentric perspective. We also took the initial steps to
calculating the natal chart by hand, the way its always been done, up until about
thirty years ago. We also discussed other principles of astronomy relative to
astrology that will be helpful in our study. We are now ready to apply this
information to our own life, our own natal chart, and the charts of others.
This is a longer lesson, and the exercises and homework assignments are also
more demanding, so you may need to allow more time to complete them.
Materials needed:
- Notebook
- Pen
Exercises
1) Subtracting the Ayanamsha
Please visit www.achernar.btinternet.co.uk/fm.html and go to the tropical
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ephemeris of the year that you were born. Find the month and day that you were
born along with all the planet's positions. The far left column will give the day of
the week. In your notebook, write down each of the planet's degrees and sign.
Now subtract the approximate ayanamsha of 23 degrees from each of the
planet's degrees, thereby determining the sidereal degree and sign. For example,
see the following calculations:
Tropical positions - 23 degrees = Sidereal Positions
Sun: 14 Scorpio 23 = 21 Libra
Moon: 10 Virgo 23 = 17 Leo
Mercury: 28 Libra 23 = 5 Libra
Venus: 8 Libra 23 = 15 Virgo
Mars: 25 Capricorn 23 = 2 Capricorn
Jupiter: 9 Pisces 23 = 16 Aquarius
Saturn: 24 Aquarius 23 = 1 Aquarius
North Node: 18 Sagittarius 23 = 25 Scorpio
South Node: 18 Gemini 23 = 25 Taurus
An easy way to do this in your head, if the planets degrees are less than 23
degrees in any given sign, is to add 7 degrees and go back a sign. For example,
if a planet is at 11 degrees Gemini then add 7 degrees and go back to Taurus.
The sidereal position would be 18 degrees Taurus.
For extra credit, go for more of a challenge by determining the exact Lahiri
ayanamsha of the year and month you were born.
Use the following dates for the ayanamsha as a starting point:
January 1st 1940 - 23 degrees 01 minutes
Use these approximate figures:
4 minutes 11 seconds per 5 years
1 minute 40 seconds per 2 years
50 seconds per 1 year
4 seconds per month
Use this more precise ayanamsha to subtract from the degrees and minutes of
the planets listed in the ephemeris.
2) Let's Get Animated!
Please visit www.faustweb.net/solaris. This website allows you to zoom in and
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out with the solar system. It also allows you to fast forward or rewind to any date
in time and see the heliocentric view of the planets.
First, identify the six planets from the center of the screen outwards - Sun,
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, and Mars. Next, observe one month of time with
the Moon making one rotation around the Earth. Also, observe one year of time
with the Earth making one rotation around the Sun. Now, zoom out so that the
screen includes Jupiter and Saturn. Zoom out some more so that the screen also
includes Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
Now, rewind back to the day that you were born and see what the heliocentric
perspective of your chart looks like. It takes about 1 minute to rewind 3 years, so
if you're 45 years old it will take about 15 minutes. Once you get the day of your
birth, use the diagram below to identify the planets in the respective signs. If you
draw an imaginary line on the screen from the Earth to a planet, and then refer
back to the diagram, you will see what sign the planet is in. For instance, in the
diagram Saturn is in Aries, Jupiter is in Sagittarius, Venus is in Virgo, Mercury is
in Scorpio, Mars is in Cancer etc. The Sun and Venus are conjunct in Virgo. Look
at your own date of birth and try to figure out where the signs are. See if you can
identify conjunctions, oppositions etc.
3) Geocentric Drawing
In your notebook, make a geocentric drawing, based on the diagram below, that
shows all the positions of the planets in your natal chart. For instance, if you have
Mars in the 1st house, place Mars on the eastern horizon, or left middle; if you
have the Sun in the 11th house place it at the top, to the left of the zenith in the
10th house.
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4) About Latitudes and Longitudes

Use the map below to determine the approximate latitude and longitude of your
birthplace. Then, visit www.astro.com/atlas, and enter in your birthplace to
determine the exact latitude and longitude. How close were you able to
approximate?
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Homework Assignments
1) Look Mom, No Computer!
Calculate your own natal chart by hand, by completing the approximate
calculation steps outlined on pages 24-26. Start by putting away your chart and
create this without referring to it at all. Next, either draw the north Indian or the
south Indian chart in your notebook - whichever you feel more comfortable with.
Next, enter the planets and their degrees that you calculated in exercise 1 above.
Lastly, complete the steps for both the general and refined methods for
calculating the ascendant degrees. Afterwards, check and see how accurate you
were.
Calculate your own natal chart by completing the approximate calculation steps
outlined in this lesson. Start by drawing either the north Indian or the south Indian
chart and entering the planets and their degrees from exercise 1 above. Next,
complete the steps for both the general and refined methods for calculating the
ascendant degrees. If you have a copy of your natal chart, put it away. Create
this without referring to it at all. Afterwards, check and see how accurate you
were.
For extra credit, repeat the above steps and approximately calculate the chart of
the other person that you've already calculated by computer. You'll need to also
repeat exercise 1 to get the planetary degrees.
For double extra credit! Choose someone whose chart you have never seen just work from their birth data. Afterwards, verify how accurate you were by
calculating the chart by computer.
Quiz Answers
8. All the above
9. The precession if the equinox moves 1 degree in 72 years. To move from 0
degrees Aries in 285 A.D. to 24 degrees Pisces it would take 6 x 72 or 432 years.
285 + 432 = 717. The correct answer is 717 A.D.
10. The signs Sagittarius through Taurus are short in the northern latitudes, and
long in the southern latitudes. Please memorize this.
11. False. It appears to be moving toward the western horizon, not the eastern
horizon.
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Light On Vedic Astrology

Online Course Level 1

Topics Covered in this Lesson:

Understanding The Solar System

Understanding The Solar System

Orienting To The Sky

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Getting Perspective: Heliocentric Versus Geocentric

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Standing on the horizon the signs and planets

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The orbits of the planets never vary more than the

Quiz #8: Why do astrologers use a geocentric Perspective?

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1. To get a visual conception of the houses.

Tropical Astrology Versus Sidereal Astrology

The Great Circles

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The Four Seasons

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The Precession of the Equinox

The Earth's 25,800 year wobble on its axis

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David Frawley writes in his book, The Astrology of the Seers,

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Tropical Sun Signs

Debates About The Two Zodiacs

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