7/6/24, 3:31 PM How to Read a Birth Chart in Vedic Astrology

How to Read a Sidereal Vedic Birth

Chart: Houses, Planets, & Trinities
Co-authored by Tara Divina and Jennifer Mueller, JD
Last Updated: May 31, 2024

Vedic astrology is based on the current positions of constellations, also called a

"sidereal" zodiac. By using your birth date along with the exact time and location of your
birth, you can create a Vedic birth chart that shows a rectangular map of the location of
the stars and planets the moment you were born. This map is divided into 12 zones or
"houses" that each represent an aspect of your life. According to Vedic astrology, the
location of the planets and constellations indicate aspects of your personality and
predict possible future events.[1] With an understanding of the houses, signs, and
planets, and how they all interact with each other, you can read your own Vedic birth
chart. Vedic astrology is really complex, though. A classically trained Vedic astrologer
can give you the best and most accurate results.[2]

Method
1 Houses

Vedic astrology divides the celestial field into 12 fixed houses, each of which represents
an aspect of your life.[3]

Identify the 12 houses in the Vedic birth chart. A Vedic birth chart is a
1 rectangle divided into 12 houses. The boundary lines for the areas that
represent each house consist of an "X" drawn from each corner to the
diagonally opposite corner and intersecting in the center. An additional
parallelogram is drawn with the corners of the parallelogram bisecting each
side of the chart.[4]
The house in the top center of the chart is the 1st house. The 2nd house is
to the left of the first and the 12th house is to its right along the top of the
chart.
Directly below the 1st house is the 7th house. The 6th house is to the left of
the 7th house and the 8th house is to its right along the bottom of the chart.

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The 4th house is the central house on the left side of the chart. The 3rd
house is above it and the 5th house is below.
The 10th house is the central house on the right side of the chart. The 11th
house is above it and the 9th house is below.

Distinguish between good, bad, and neutral houses. Good houses

2 bring good or positive things into your life. While bad houses don't
necessarily cause bad things to happen to you, they are responsible for any
hurdles or opposition you might have to overcome in life. Neutral houses don't
bring anything good or bad to the table—their effect depends solely on the
planets and constellations that happen to be located there when you're born.[5]
The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th houses are good houses. This
includes the 4 houses in the center of the chart, which are also called the
Cardinal houses.[6]
The 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are bad houses.
The 3rd and 11th houses are neutral houses.

Divide the houses into their 3 general classifications. These

3 classifications help you better understand the power and importance of the
planets found in the houses. There's a hierarchy for the houses, too—power
and importance start in the center and decrease as you move outward.[7]
Cardinal or Kendra houses: 1st, 10th, 7th, and 4th. These houses are often
considered the most important in any Vedic birth chart. Planets in these
houses are strong and fully express their energy. If you're only going to do
a partial reading, go with these houses.
Fixed or Panapara houses: 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th. These houses all relate
to money and material things. Planets in these houses have moderate
strength.
Cadent or Apoklima houses: 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th. Planets in these
houses are seen to be weakened and have little power.

Method
2 The 4 Trinities

The 12 houses are further divided into 4 trinities (also called "trines"), one for each of the
4 elements (fire, earth, air, and water) represented by the zodiac signs.[8] Each sign also
has a ruling planet.[9]

Use the Dharma trinity to determine your purpose in life. This trinity
1 includes the 1st, 5th, and 9th houses and deals with spiritual action. If

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you've ever wondered why you're here or what you're meant to do, this trinity
might show you some answers. The houses in this trinity are all associated
with fire signs.[10]
The 1st house (Aries) represents your body and your self, or ego, as well
as your appearance.
The 5th house (Leo) represents your heart, romance and sexuality, and
children.
The 9th house (Sagittarius) represents your higher mind, including your
higher learning and level of intelligence as well as your religious beliefs or
spirituality.

Reveal your financial prospects through the Artha trinity. If you're

2 curious about whether you'll end up rich, pay attention to the 2nd, 6th, and
10th houses. These 3 houses are associated with earth signs. You might also
hear them referred to as the "wealth" trinity because they all deal with your
livelihood and financial wellbeing.[11]
The 2nd house (Taurus) represents your possessions, inheritance, and
financial comfort.
The 6th house (Virgo) represents your food, nutrition, and health.
The 10th house (Capricorn) represents your social standing, reputation,
and fame.

Examine your relationships through the Kama trinity.[12] Look to the

3
3rd, 7th, and 11th houses if you're curious about your romantic future.
These houses, all related to air signs, deal with other types of relationships as
well, including family and business.[13]
The 3rd house (Gemini) represents your siblings and your relationship with
them, as well as your communication skills and how well you share
information.
The 7th house (Libra) represents your partnerships and business
relationships, as well as your marriage.
The 11th house (Aquarius) represents your income, as well as your
relationships with your friends and other close associates.

Find your higher calling through the Moksha trinity. The Sanskrit word
4 "moksha" means "enlightenment," and the houses in this trinity concern
your soul and spirituality, as well as what will happen to you in old age and in
death. The 4th, 8th, and 12th houses are in this trinity and are associated with
water signs.[14]
The 4th house (Cancer) represents your home and any property you own,
the level of luxury you live in, and your comfort in old age.
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The 8th house (Scorpio) represents obstacles in your life, including

suffering or imprisonment. It also relates to sex and death.
The 12th house (Pisces) represents expenses and losses, as well as
suffering and instances of self-sabotage.[15]
Remember—the 8th and 12th houses are considered bad houses! When
you look at the areas of your life they represent, it's easy to understand
why.[16]

Method
3 The Planets

Vedic astrology recognizes 9 "planets," including the Sun and the Moon, each of which
corresponds to some part of you and your life. The placement of these planets at the time
of your birth can help you understand what might happen over the course of your
lifetime.[17]

Locate the favorable planets to find your strengths. Vedic astrology

1 identifies 4 favorable planets—the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury—
which generally have a positive effect on the house they're in. Each favorable
planet represents a specific part of your life as well, so the planet's placement
indicates an interaction between what the house represents and what the
planet represents.[18]
The Moon represents the female and mother. It affects your sense of
nurturing and connection to other people. For example, the Moon in your
5th house (children) might indicate that you'll have a large family.
Venus affects sexual and sensual desire, including happiness, love, sex,
vitality, and respect. For example, Venus in your 10th house (fame and
social standing) might mean a lot of people will fall in love with you.
Jupiter affects your knowledge and optimism, as well as teaching or
mentoring. For example, Jupiter in your 9th house (higher mind) might
indicate you're meant to be a spiritual teacher or guru.
Mercury affects your speech and communication skills, dexterity,
intelligence, curiosity, and playfulness. For example, Mercury in your 3rd
house (siblings, communication skills) might represent a fun and playful
relationship with your siblings or a career as a speaker or counselor.

Find challenges or weaknesses where unfavorable planets are

2 placed. The Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu (the northern lunar node), and Ketu
(the southern lunar node) are unfavorable planets. Rahu and Ketu are the 2
points in space where the orbital paths of the sun and the moon intersect
(causing an eclipse on Earth).[19] These planets have the potential to affect

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your life in negative ways. A Vedic astrologer could recommend specific

actions, chants, or rituals designed to counter that negative energy.[20]
The Sun represents the male or father. It affects your confidence, power,
and self-growth. For example, if you see the Sun in your 12th house
(expenses, losses), it could be a signal that you have problems with money
or going into debt.
Mars represents male friends and brothers. It affects your physical
strength, discipline, aggression, and logic. For example, Mars in your 6th
house (food, health) might mean that you have a hard time sticking to a
healthy diet and like to eat junk food.
Saturn represents old age. It affects your ambitions, fears, responsibility,
and capacity for hard work, stress, or isolation. For example, if Saturn
shows up in your 4th house (comfort in old age), it might be telling you that
you'll work hard into your old age rather than have a relaxing retirement.
Rahu (the northern lunar node) affects your attachment, distorted
perception, obsession, and psychic ability. For example, Rahu in your 11th
house (relationships with friends) could mean that you have difficulty
trusting people or believing them.
Ketu (the southern lunar node) affects your dissatisfaction, detachment,
discrimination, and temper. It's not considered as bad as Rahu. For
example, if you saw Ketu in your 7th house (marriage), you might want to
watch out for fights with your spouse.

Use the zodiac signs to determine how much power a planet has. The
3 zodiac sign where a planet appears tells you how strong that planet's
energy will be. A planet's energy is most effective if it's in the sign that it rules.
If it's "exalted," this means it gives off more idealized, positive energy. If it's
"debilitated," it gives off weaker, negative energy.[21]
The Sun rules Leo. It is exalted in Aries and debilitated in Libra.
The Moon rules Cancer. It is exalted in Taurus and debilitated in Scorpio.
Mars rules Aries and Scorpio. It is exalted in Capricorn and debilitated in
Cancer.
Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo. It is exalted in Virgo and debilitated in
Pisces.
Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces. It is exalted in Cancer and debilitated
in Capricorn.
Venus rules Taurus and Libra. It is exalted in Pisces and debilitated in
Virgo.
Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. It is exalted in Libra and debilitated in
Aries.

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Rahu (the northern lunar node) is exalted in Taurus and debilitated in

Scorpio.
Ketu (the southern lunar node) is exalted in Scorpio and debilitated in
Taurus. Note that neither Rahu nor Ketu rules any zodiac sign.

Method
4 Planet and Sign Placement

In a Vedic birth chart, the placement of the zodiac signs (constellations) and planets at
the time of your birth can give you insight into what will happen in your life and the
challenges you'll potentially face.[22]

Note the location of the zodiac signs in each house. Vedic astrology
1 shares the same 12 zodiac signs with Western astrology. Each sign is
associated with a corresponding constellation. While the houses remain fixed,
the constellations move through them. Their location at the time of birth is
documented on the birth chart.[23]
In Vedic astrology, the zodiac signs are typically represented by a number
from 1-12: Aries (1), Taurus (2), Gemini (3), Cancer (4), Leo (5), Virgo (6),
Libra (7), Scorpio (8), Sagittarius (9), Capricorn (10), Aquarius (11), Pisces
(12).
Each of the zodiac numbers corresponds with the house that sign is
associated with. But be careful! The signs move while the houses remain
fixed, so a sign won't necessarily be in the house it's associated with at the
time of someone's birth.
When you're looking at a Vedic birth chart, the numbers tell you where the
zodiac signs are located.

Use the planets and signs in the Cardinal houses for a core reading.
2 The Cardinal houses are considered the most important, so if you only
read part of the chart, make sure you look at these. Find the planets located in
each house, then the zodiac signs. Check for relationships between the planets
and the signs, then make your reading based on what each planet
represents.[24]
For example, suppose you're looking at a birth chart with the Sun in the 1st
house. You know that the 1st house represents the person's self, ego, and
appearance. The Sun is a planet with a negative influence on confidence,
power, and self-growth. So you could say that the person has low self-
confidence and doesn't put pride in their appearance.
Although this is a gross over-simplification, knowing what the planet
controls and what house it's in gives you a starting point to analyze how it
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affects the person. Those effects are then stronger or weaker depending on
the location of the zodiac signs and the relative placement of other planets.
For example, if Libra was also in the 1st house with the Sun, it would
debilitate the Sun and weaken its effects. So while the person might have
low self-esteem as a result of the Sun in the 1st house, it wouldn't
necessarily mean that they hated themselves.

Delve deeper into money matters with the Fixed houses. Since the
3 Fixed houses all relate to your financial security and material possessions,
the planets located in these houses affect those parts of your life. The zodiac
signs located in the house determine how strong or weak the influence of the
planets are.[25]
For example, what if a chart shows Rahu (the northern lunar node) in the
2nd house? Since the 2nd house represents material possessions,
luxuries, and finances, and Rahu deals with attachment and obsession,
you might conclude that this person is obsessed with spending money and
being surrounded by luxury and material possessions.

Analyze the planets and signs in the Cadent houses for a complete
4 reading. When it comes to the overall picture, the Cadent houses are the
weakest. There's a lot of flexibility in how you interpret planets and signs that
fall in these houses, but be careful! That flexibility brings instability along with
it.[26]
For example, suppose a birth chart shows Jupiter in the 9th house. The 9th
house is associated with Sagittarius, and Jupiter rules Sagittarius. You can
infer from this that Jupiter would be particularly strong and effective in the
9th house.
To continue the example, you know that Jupiter influences knowledge and
teaching, while the 9th house deals with higher mind and spirituality. From
that, you might infer that the chart belongs to someone who is a spiritual
teacher or guru.

Apply the PACE method for a deeper understanding of the chart. The
5 PACE method analyzes the Position, Aspect, Conjunction, and Exchange
of all the planets in the chart to determine how the planets interact with one
another. This ultimately determines the strength or weakness of each of the
planets on your life.
Position: This relates to the zodiac sign where the planet is located. A
planet in the sign it rules is most effective. It can also be exalted or
diminished.

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Aspect: Each planet aspects, or watches, the 7th house from its location.
Count these out for each planet to determine which house it aspects, then
you can make a determination for how that affects the house based on the
aspecting planet's energy.
Conjunction: You have a conjunction when there are 2 or more planets in
the same house. The effect of the conjunction varies depending on how the
planets get along with each other. If they're in conflict, they weaken the
house.
Exchange: This happens when the ruling planets of 2 signs swap positions.
For example, you could have the Sun, which rules Leo, in Cancer, and the
Moon, which rules Cancer, in Leo. The effect of the exchange depends on
the houses where each planet is located as well as the other planets on the
chart.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you make a birth chart in Vedic astrology?

Tara Divina
Vedic Astrologer
Expert Answer

Shri Jyoti Star is a great software to use if you're on the computer—it's pretty
much the gold standard for generating and reading Vedic charts.

Question

What if the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are all in the sixth house?

Community Answer

That indicates a powerhouse of strength and power with the Sun gracing the
sixth house. The mind and electricity illuminate the areas of health, career,
and day-to-day workouts. There is a warm and assured aura with a natural
capacity to look after the nitty-gritty factors of life.

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Tips

Vedic astrology is a complex discipline, with astrologers using as many as 15

divisional charts in addition to the basic birth chart to create someone's
horoscope.[27]

Warnings

Vedic astrology is treated by practitioners as a science. Classically-trained

Vedic astrologers spend years studying under a guru to learn how to read and
interpret charts correctly. These practitioners will tell you that it's not possible
for you to accurately read your birth chart yourself.[28]

References

1. https://yogainternational.com/article/view/mapping-your-destiny-with-vedic-
astrology
2. Tara Divina. Vedic Astrologer. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
3. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
4. https://astrotalk.com/astrology-blog/houses-in-vedic-astrology/
5. http://modernvedicastrology.com/planets
6. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
7. http://www.sahajayogaportal.org/en/astrology/vedic-astrology.html
8. https://brankaastro.com/bhava-classification-the-four-trines/
9. http://www.theartofvedicastrology.com/?page_id=146

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7/6/24, 3:31 PM How to Read a Birth Chart in Vedic Astrology

10. http://vedicastroscience.com/astrology-house-1st.aspx
11. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
12. http://vedicastroscience.com/astrology-house-1st.aspx
13. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
14. http://vedicastroscience.com/astrology-house-1st.aspx
15. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
16. http://modernvedicastrology.com/planets
17. https://www.vaastuinternational.com/astrology2.html#sun
18. https://www.vaastuinternational.com/astrology2.html#sun
19. https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/navagrahas-the-planets-of-vedic-astrology
20. https://www.vaastuinternational.com/astrology2.html#sun
21. https://www.vaastuinternational.com/astrology2.html#sun
22. http://modernvedicastrology.com/planets
23. https://vedicfeed.com/12-houses-astrology/
24. https://www.vaastuinternational.com/astrology2.html#sun
25. http://www.sahajayogaportal.org/en/astrology/vedic-astrology.html
26. https://www.findyourfate.com/indianastro/vedic-astrology/housequality.html
27. https://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/natal-charts-readings/guide-sidereal-
astrology-natal-charts
28. https://yogainternational.com/article/view/mapping-your-destiny-with-vedic-
astrology

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