
However, technology has come to their rescue in the form of online astrology, helping people save precious time, trouble, and even money, but still receive all the benefits that astrology offers. While their faith in astrology remains as strong as ever, they started finding it difficult to do astrology consultations conventionally, taking much time and trouble traveling long distances through the traffic to visit astrologers, wait for their turn, and hold elaborate discussions. Times have changed, making lives fast-paced, when livelihood issues have begun casting heavy demands on the people and their time. Which planet is present in which House? Which planet is in conjunction with which other planet and where? Which planet casts its aspect on what House? What are the qualities of the planets placed in the various Houses? And what areas of life do those Houses represent? – All these form part of the horoscope reading or analysis and forecasting about a person and their future. Similarly, each of the other Houses, too, stands for a significant aspect of life. The first House, called the Lagna or the Ascendant, is perhaps the most crucial and represents an individual's personality and physical features. The 12 horoscopic Houses, too, have their significance. While Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and the waxing Moon are held auspicious, the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, and the waning Moon are considered otherwise.

Some of these nine planets are regarded as auspicious or benefic, while others are inauspicious or malefic. They only represent the points of intersection of the orbits of the Sun and the Moon, where Rahu denotes the Northern node of the Moon and Ketu, the Southern node. Unlike other planets, Rahu and Ketu do not have physical existence and hence are known as Chaya Graha, the shadow planets.

These are Surya, the Sun Chandra, the Moon Mangala or Chevvai, Mars Budha, Mercury Brihaspati or Guru, Jupiter Shukra, Venus Shani, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. These nine planets, which hold such strong sway over the people's lives, are much revered as Navagrahas. The planets as found placed in the sky at the birth time are plotted in these sections, known as the Houses, and it is this horoscope, the replica of the celestial map at the time of birth, which is analyzed to make predictions about the person concerned.Īccording to the ancient Vedic Astrology system, there are nine planets, the Grahas, which include the self-luminary Sun, around which all the planets rotate but exclude our mother earth. The natural zodiac comprises 12 signs, known as the zodiac signs, and is represented by the 12 sections of the horoscope. Hence, these planets were plotted accordingly in a uniquely designed chart known as the natal chart, birth chart, or horoscope. Astrology operates on the principle that the positioning of the planets at the time of birth of a person virtually decides the course of their lives and fortunes.
