Zodiac, Nakshatra & Beyond – Astrology Simplified
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1.Zodiac: The Zodiac is an imaginary belt of the heavens that extends approximately 8° either side of the ecliptic, including all apparent paths of the Sun, Moon and principal planets. According to classical texts the Zodiac commences from a constant point. According to western astrology the zodiac commences from Aries sign° and throw-back by 20.23 seconds per year. It is divided into twelve equal divisions or sign i.e. Aries, Taurus, Gemini. Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
- Exact birth time: The exact moment when the whole body of the child gets separated from the mother’s womb and starts crying to take the first breath.
- Ascendant: The sign which rises in the east at the time of the birth (the cusp of first house on the eastern Horizon) and place for which a chart is prepared of a child or commencement of an event, it is also termed as Lagna.
- Sayana and Niryana system: Western system of astrology is known as the Sayana system. Sayana means moving and it indicates that the Westerns think that the entire zodiac is the moving zodiac. They also take the Sun as the central point of the solar system and because of this, theirs is also known as the heliocentric system. According to Western astrology the Sun moves on Aries sign to between 21 March to 20 April while the Sun moves on Pisces sign between this period as per Hindu Astrology.
Moon is the central point for all calculations in Hindian astrology. Indian astrological system is based on the theory that the entire zodiac is fixed and not Moving. Another way to understand this concept is that the stars as fixed to the zodiac and that they have a permanent place for them in the zodiac. For example, star Aswini is the first star in our fixed zodiac system and this will never change. Another point to be Understood is that our system is also known as the geocentric system as planet earth is In the center of the solar system. Here we take earth as the central point of the solar system.
As we are situated on the planet earth and influenced by the other planet in the solar system/zodiac, we will not show planet earth in our horoscopes. The reason is that we study how we are being influence by other planets. We will not study the influence of Earth on humans and we will not show it in our natal charts.
Example: The position of Sun as per Niryana system on 21 March 2002 at 5:30 am
(I.S.T.) is
11S° - 18’ - 46”
In order to get sayana position of the Sun, add Ayanamsa of this year to Nirayana Position of the Sun
Ayanamsa (K.P. - 2002) - 23° - 46’ - 56”
11S6° - 18’ - 46”
+23° - 46’ - 56”
29° - 64’ - 102”
Or 0S O° - 5’ - 42”
Conversion Formula is:
(I) Sayana position of the planet - Ayanamsa of that year = Niryana position
(II) Niryana position of the planet + Ayanamsa of the year = Sayana position
4. What is Ayanamsa?
The Vernal Equinoctial Point or the very beginning point of Aries is taken as the starting point for measuring celestial longitudes. In Western Astrology where the celestial longitude of a heavenly body measured from this initial point is known as the Tropical or Sayan longitude. In Sayana system for the calculation of constellations and planets an imaginary initial fixed point is considered. This initial fixed point never changes. Therefore, the position of constellations and planets also do not change. The distance between this initial fixed point and vernal equinoctial point or in other words the tropical longitude of the initial point is called Ayanamsa.
The tropical & sidereal point coincides in 285 A.D. On 22nd March 285 A.D. The Tropical and sidereal points were the same i.e. 180°-00’-03”.
As per late Prof. K.S. Krishnamurti the tropical & sidereal points were the same in 291 A.D. Therefore, there is a difference of six minutes between the Ayanamsa of N.C. Lahari and that of Krishnamurti. Horoscope prepared on the basis of K.P. must strictly follow Ayanamsa as propounded by late Prof. K.S. Krishnamurti.
5. What is Day:
The sunrise to next sunrise is termed as day in traditional astrology while in civil time the day changes after 12:00 midnight.
Example: A baby born at 3:30 midnights on 15th April 2011 at kolkata. The Sun rises at 5:17 A.M. on 15th April 2011 and at 5:16 A.M. on 16th April 2011. As per traditional Astrology the date of birth of this baby is 15th April while as per civil time the date of birth the newly born baby is 16th April. In Horary astrology always takes civil time because day is one of the considerable ruling planets.
6. House or Bhava and Cusp:
House or Bhava is a term in Jyotisha denoting a fixed Zodiacal division of the sky from the perspective of an observer. It corresponds to the concept of House in Western astrology. A natal chart is called bhavachakra. According to Indian astrology the Zodiac is divided into twelve parts. Each part is called house or Bhava. The longitude of the Zodiac is 360°. Therefore, each part is thirty degrees in longitude.
The word ‘cusp’ though signifies a house yet it has a different meaning from the general sense of a house or Bhava. Cusp is actually the beginning point of a house. The beginning point of a house is considered to be very influential as well as powerful. This is generally a western concept and quite scientific in nature. In the Placidus system of house division each Bhava or House varies in longitude. A particular Bhava may be of thirty degree or more or less from thirty degree but the total of 12 cusp or house will always be three hundred sixty degrees in longitude.
7. Constellation: Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion and there are 27 constellations in Indian Astrology. Though one more constellation i.e. Abhijeet finds a place among the constellations but it is not used. Each constellation measures 13° 20’ or 800 minutes in longitude. These 27 constellations are divided among nine planets. Each planet consists of 2 ¼ stars or 9 padas. These 27c constellations are further divided into 249 parts and each part is called sub lord.
8. Sublord: Guruji Late Prof. K.S. Krishnamurti has divided each constellation into 9 sub-division on the basis of years allocated to each of the 9 planets in Vimshottari 6 more sub-divisions. Thus 27 constellations were divided into 249 parts and each part is called sub lord. It was the valuable contribution of KSK to the world of Astrology.
A planet, deposited in a star acquires the qualities of the star lord, and finally modified by the sub-divisions occupied by it.
9. Star Lord/Sub Lord: The star lord of a planet shows us the particular matter that is under consideration, while the sub lord shows us the details about the same particular matter. For example - the sub lord will give us the scoop on success or failure, progress or no progress, whether one’s application is shelved or whether it is on the move, whether the outcome or results of the matter will be favourable or unfavourable.
The sub lord of the significator is the deciding factor regarding the matters of the star lord.
10. Ruling Planets: Unique concept of K.P for powerful divine guidance throughout predictions. A great contribution of Guru ji Late Prof. K.S. Krishnamurti ji. It is also an innovation of K.P. In order to reach the timing of any event, ruling planets are most helpful. With the help of Ruling planets one can pin point the event with the correct date & time. It is a lamp in the hands of every KP Astrologer to sail through the dark way of innocence behind the vast world of occult science.
11. Significators: The planet gives the results of its starload. So the starlord becomes the indicator of matters of the house occupied and owned by it, and also of the house aspected by it. The sublord of the significator is the deciding factor regarding the matters of the starlord. This is also a new concept in predictive astrology.
12. Aspect: Angular distance between planets and cusps or between planets themselves is called aspect. An aspect is defined as “the angular distance measured in degrees and minutes of celestial longitude between two points in the Zodiac”. Aspects are formed between two planets or between a planet and a cusp. Certain aspects will produce good or bad results according to their angular distance.
13. Conjunction: When a couple of planets are combined in the same house/ sign they are said to be in “Conjunction”. Generally, conjunction occurs only when the planets are with an orb (distance/margin) of 8 degree form each other.
There are two types of conjunction generally used in K.P. System viz. i ) Plastic conjunction and ii) Rapt conjunction.
(i) Plastic Conjunction’: This is a conjunction not exact as to the degrees but within the orb of wide influence. When two are more planets are in same nakshatra (constellation)
In a sign but in different sub then this type of conjunction are to be considered as a plastic conjunction.
(ii) Rapt Conjunction: This is a conjunction based on exact to the degrees along with the orb of tight influence. When couple of planets are in same nakshatra (Constellation) with same sub then this type of conjunction is called rap conjunction.
14. Orb: The aspect may or may not always be exact to the degree and minute. There may be a few degrees more or less. In taking the aspects into consideration, we usually allow a margin of 8 degree on both sides, the margin is called the “orb”.
15. Affliction: Adverse aspects between planets or between a planet and a house cusp; planets getting debilitated or conjoined with evils are also said to be afflicted.
16. Combust: Any planet which is within 8° of the Sun is said to be combust. It is considered as a detrimental configuration.
17. Intercepted sign: All the houses in the horoscope are not of equal dimension. The house may be less or greater than 30°. Sometimes one house may contain more than one sign. If a sign lies between two cusps without touching either is called an intercepted sign.
18. Pars Fortuna: The sensitive point which is equally distant from the Lagna as the Moon is from the Sun in longitude.