One of the distinct features of Vedic astrology chart is that there are three different chart types you can use. Each one has a different design and rules, as well as a region and planet it is associated with.
In this post, we’ll look at each chart type individually. But first, here are a few basics you need to know.
The planets and houses in signs
In Western Tropical Astrology, charts are pie-shaped like the one below. To read the chart, you need to learn both the symbols for the signs and the planets, otherwise you won’t be able to make heads or tails of it.
Although you have three chart variations, in some ways Vedic astrology keeps things simpler. Instead of learning symbols, you just need to follow numbers (at least in the North Indian chart) and know the zodiacal order of the planets.
This is as follows (with the Sanskrit terms in brackets):
1 Aries (Meṣa)
2 Taurus (Vṛṣabha)
3 Gemini (Mithuna)
4 Cancer (Karka)
5 Leo (Siṃha)
6 Virgo (Kanyā)
7 Libra (Tulā)
8 Scorpio (Vṛścika)
9 Sagittarius (Dhanuṣ)
10 Capricorn (Makara)
11 Aquarius (Kumbha)
12 Pisces (Mīna)
The planets themselves are even easier to recognize as they are simply presented in an abbreviated form as follows:
Sun=Su
Moon=Mo
Mercury=Me
Venus=Ve
Mars=Ma
Jupiter=Ju
Saturn=Sa
Rahu (North Node)=Ra
Ketu (South Node)=Ke
Now, let’s look at each chart, starting with the one I most often use.
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The North Indian chart
Structure and Appearance
The North Indian chart (Bhṛgu Chakra) has a diamond-like structure. It consists of a series of interconnected diamond-shaped boxes, arranged in a clockwise fashion. Each box represents one of the twelve houses of the zodiac, starting from the Ascendant (Lagna) and proceeding counter-clockwise.
Characteristics
Houses: The houses are fixed, meaning that the position of the houses remains constant regardless of the Lagna. The Lagna is marked “As”, and other houses follow in a fixed sequence.
Planets: The planets are placed in the respective houses based on their positions in the zodiac.
Visual Orientation: It provides a clear visual representation of angular relationships (Kendra houses: 1, 4,7,10) and trinal relationships (Trikona houses: 1, 5, 9).
In this chart, the Lagna is marked with the number 9, which means the Ascendant is in Sagittarius. Venus, Sun and Mercury are in the 7th house marked with the number 3, which means they are in Gemini.
The numbers under the planets and Ascendant indicate their degrees, as is also the case in the following two charts.
The South Indian chart
Structure and Appearance
The South Indian chart (Guru-chakra), also known as the rectangular chart, is laid out in a more grid-like, rectangular format. It resembles a square divided into 12 smaller squares and is read clockwise.
Characteristics
Houses: Unlike the North Indian chart, the houses in the South Indian chart are not fixed. Instead, the signs of the zodiac are fixed in their positions, and the Ascendant (Lagna) is placed accordingly in the respective sign box. The order is always as follows with Aries in the second box at the top and then moving in zodiacal order. This is the same chart as the North Indian chart above, with Sagittarius rising and Sun, Venus and Mercury in Gemini.
Planets: Planets are placed within the fixed zodiac signs rather than fixed houses.
Visual Orientation: This chart offers a straightforward view of the zodiac, making it easier to see the distribution of planets across different signs.
The East Indian chart
Structure and Appearance
The East Indian chart (Sūrya-chakra), often referred to as the Bengali or Oriya chart, has a distinctive circular or semi-circular appearance. It may also appear as a rectangular chart similar to the South Indian format (like it does here) but with different conventions for marking houses and signs. It is read counter-clockwise.
Characteristics
Houses: The houses can be either fixed or non-fixed, depending on the regional practices. The way I’ve personally learned to use it is in its fixed form, with Aries at the top as follows.
Planets: Planets are placed according to their zodiacal positions within the houses.
Visual Orientation: The East Indian chart combines elements of both the North and South Indian charts, offering a balanced view of house and sign relationships.
Which one should you use?
If you are from India, this will largely depend on the region you’re from.
The common breakdown is as follows:
North Indian chart: widely used in North India and parts of Central India
South Indian chart: predominantly used in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh
East Indian chart: predominantly used in Eastern India, including states like West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam
Vedic astrologers learning Jyotish outside of Indian often use the chart they first learned with.
However, this was not the case for me as I initially learned using the South Indian chart, but later switched to the North Indian style. I think this is likely because it is the one most similar in design to Western tropical zodiac charts. Since I studied Western astrology for over 20 years, this similarity feels familiar to me.
Planetary associations and uses
The North Indian chart is associated with Venus. As I mentioned above, it is the most similar in form to the Western chart in that is maps the sky and time in a clear way. This can be seen in the Kendra houses, which make up the four inner diamonds.
Lagna/Ascendant=Sunrise
7th house=Sunset
4th house=Midnight
10th house=High noon
This makes it very easy to see at a glance what time someone was born by the position of the Sun. For example, if the Sun is in the 2nd house, the person was born just before sunrise, if the Sun is in the 9th house, they were born in the mid-afternoon, if the Sun is in the the 5th house, they were born close to midnight, and so on.
The South Indian chart is associated with Jupiter (Guru). Since this chart clearly has fixed signs for each house, it can be useful to use when focusing on the concentration of planets in a particular sign. It is also used in Vāstu (Indian Feng Shui) to bring more well-being and harmony into a home or room.
The Eastern Indian chart is associate the Sun (Sūrya). The Sun rules vision and the ability to see, which makes this chart particularly good for predictive purposes.
Do I need to know how to read a chart to have a Vedic consultation?
No, this is not at all necessary.
In fact, many of the clients I see have little to no knowledge of astrology. When this is the case, we talk together about what the chart says rather than go into any technical aspects. Unless they are curious and request it, I don’t screen share their chart as it is more likely to be overwhelming rather than helpful during our consultation.
That said, I do definitely think it’s important for anyone studying or practicing Jyotish to have the ability to read all three charts. Although it’s common to have a general preference, as I do, forcing yourself to shake things up and read from different charts can help you hone your vision and see more deeply into a chart, which is the whole point in the first place.
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Michelle R. Dean is a Vedic astrologer and writer based in Berlin. To find out more about Michelle or book a Vedic astrology consultation, swing by here.
