The Twelve Rashis (Signs)

The basic idea

In Jyotisha, the path of the Sun through the sky is divided into twelve equal parts of 30° each. Each part is a rashi (sign). Together they make the 360° zodiac, and they form the background against which the planets are read in a chart.

Jyotisha uses the sidereal zodiac, which is measured against the fixed stars. Many Western systems use the tropical zodiac, which is tied to the seasons. The two differ by an amount called the ayanamsha, currently around 24°, so a person’s sign can differ between the systems.

Try the wheel

Click any sign to see its details, or press Play to move through the signs in order.

The twelve at a glance

#	Rashi	Common English name	Element	Quality	Ruling graha
1	Mesha	Aries	Fire	Movable	Mars
2	Vrishabha	Taurus	Earth	Fixed	Venus
3	Mithuna	Gemini	Air	Dual	Mercury
4	Karka	Cancer	Water	Movable	Moon
5	Simha	Leo	Fire	Fixed	Sun
6	Kanya	Virgo	Earth	Dual	Mercury
7	Tula	Libra	Air	Movable	Venus
8	Vrishchika	Scorpio	Water	Fixed	Mars
9	Dhanu	Sagittarius	Fire	Dual	Jupiter
10	Makara	Capricorn	Earth	Movable	Saturn
11	Kumbha	Aquarius	Air	Fixed	Saturn
12	Meena	Pisces	Water	Dual	Jupiter

Patterns worth noticing

The elements repeat in a cycle of four: fire, earth, air, water.
The qualities repeat in a cycle of three: movable (chara), fixed (sthira), dual (dvisvabhava).
Each planet except the Sun and Moon rules two signs. The Sun rules Simha and the Moon rules Karka.

Questions I still have

How exactly are the signs counted from the ascendant when reading houses?
Which ayanamsha is most commonly used, and why do teachers differ?

(I will come back and answer these as I study further.)