Vedic vs. Western Astrology
I am often asked by my clients what are the differences between the elements of Western Astrology they are familiar with, and those of Vedic Astrology.
Vedic Astrology uses twelve constellations, just like Western astrology.
It uses nine planets: the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Rahu and Ketu are the north and south nodes of the Moon and are considered to be planets in their own right in Vedic Astrology.
Two Different Zodiacs
A crucial difference between Vedic Astrology and Western Astrology is that Vedic Astrology uses the Sidereal Zodiac. The Sidereal Zodiac is the zodiac that ensures that what we see in the sky on any given day matches what we see in the calculated horoscope for that day.
For example, if we see Jupiter shining brightly in Libra in the sky – then the Sidereal Zodiac will show Jupiter in Libra on that day.