Kundali
A birth chart is a map of the sky at the exact moment you were born. It captures where each planet was, which sign it was in, and which house of life it was activating. Here is how to read one.
Jupiter-ruled chart with Gajakesari Yoga. Moon and Jupiter in mutual kendras. Venus-Ketu conjunction in the 3rd house.
Click any planet to see its aspects
The Four Layers
Signs (Rashis)
In the South Indian format, the 12 signs are fixed in position. Pisces is always in the top-left corner, and signs proceed clockwise. Think of them as the permanent backdrop, the personality of each room.
Houses (Bhavas)
Houses are numbered 1 through 12 starting from the Ascendant sign. House 1 (the Ascendant) falls on whichever sign was rising at the moment of birth. The rest follow clockwise. Each house governs a different domain of life.
Planets (Grahas)
The nine Vedic planets are placed in the houses they occupied at birth. Each planet carries specific significations: the Sun represents ego and authority, the Moon represents mind and emotions, Mars represents courage and conflict, and so on.
Aspects (Drishti)
Every planet casts its gaze (aspect) on certain houses from where it sits. All planets aspect the 7th house from their position. Mars additionally aspects the 4th and 8th, Jupiter the 5th and 9th, and Saturn the 3rd and 10th. Click any planet in the chart to see its aspects.
Step by Step
Find House 1. The sign it falls in is the Ascendant (Lagna). This is the lens through which the entire chart is read. It determines which planets are benefic or malefic for the person.
Find where the Moon is placed. The Moon's sign is the emotional core. Vedic astrology gives it equal or greater weight than the Western sun sign.
Is each planet in its own sign, exalted, debilitated, or neutral? A planet in its own sign or exaltation performs well. A debilitated planet struggles, but can be rescued by cancellation conditions.
Each house has a lord: the planet that rules the sign occupying that house. Where the lord sits tells you where the house's energy flows. If the 7th lord sits in the 10th, partnership energy flows toward career.
Yogas are planetary combinations that create specific life patterns. Gajakesari (Jupiter-Moon in kendras), Budhaditya (Sun-Mercury conjunction), and the Pancha Mahapurusha yogas are among the most important to check.
Which planets aspect which houses? Jupiter's aspect is protective and expansive. Saturn's aspect brings delay and discipline. Mars's aspect brings energy and potential conflict.
A Note on Format
There are two main chart formats in Vedic astrology. In the South Indian format (used here), signs are fixed and houses rotate. In the North Indian format, houses are fixed and signs rotate.
The underlying astrology is identical. Only the visual representation differs. KarmIQ uses the South Indian format because it makes it easier to compare charts and spot planetary patterns across different ascendants.
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