The 12 Rashis: the zodiac signs

A rashi is one of the twelve equal divisions of the zodiac, the band of sky the nine grahas travel through. Where a graha is the moving character, the rashi is the room it walks into, shaping how that planet is able to express itself in your chart.

The four elements

The twelve rashis fall into four elements, and knowing the element already tells you a lot about the sign's temperament. Fire signs are Mesha (Aries), Simha (Leo) and Dhanu (Sagittarius). Earth signs are Vrishabha (Taurus), Kanya (Virgo) and Makara (Capricorn). Air signs are Mithuna (Gemini), Tula (Libra) and Kumbha (Aquarius). Water signs are Karka (Cancer), Vrishchika (Scorpio) and Meena (Pisces). Fire moves, earth builds, air thinks, water feels.

Why your Moon sign matters most

In Vedic astrology the sign that holds your Moon at birth, your Chandra rashi, is treated as your emotional home, which is why daily predictions are read from the Moon sign rather than the Sun. This is the rashi your daily rashifal speaks to. Your Moon sign is less about what you show the world and more about what soothes you when the day is done.

Rashi vs your Western sun sign

If your Vedic rashi surprises you, that is expected. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, fixed to the actual stars, while most Western horoscopes use the tropical zodiac. The gap between them is roughly 24 degrees, so your Vedic sign is often the one just before your familiar Western sign. Neither is wrong; they are simply two honest ways of measuring the same sky.

Find your rashi

The surest way to know your true Moon rashi is from your full birth details. Read your daily horoscope to see your sign in action, or compare two charts with Kundli matching to see how two rashis meet. Once you know your rashi, every other tool on the site starts speaking directly to you.