JyothiShaasthram 101 – An Introduction to Astrology

Dear people…

Before I venture into JyothiShaasthram, let me give you an idea of what to expect.

I’m sure by now you’ve all Googled astrology and doubtless have your own views on many matters.

I do not wish to or intend to change any of your perceptions on the matter.

However, what I do hope to do is to give you some insight into the origin of Astrology, its purpose and its limitations in the Kali Yuga.

This initial post will also detail on the structure of a horoscope…I pray one and all of you will benefit from this post.

First, let me distinguish between a Horoscope, and JyothiShaasthram itself.

A Horoscope, or Jaathakam, is merely a mnemonic representation of the positions of various celestial bodies at the time of a person’s birth.

If you remember from previous posts, the significance of the EXACT time of birth is that it is closest to the actual time at which YOU ‘ride’ into your body/mind complex on the first breath of Prana taken in by that body (which is a built-in mechanism – so to speak).

The light that ‘falls’ on you at the moment of your first breath ‘confirms’ your Karmic Path in that life time. And it may be in your stead to remember that YOU chose your time of birth to specifically cater to your Karmic Ledger.

Ergo, your Horoscope is a depiction of the Path you have chosen. In the hands of a gifted Astrologer, it can detail everything to the size of your penis (for guys) to whether you will have a slim bodily disposition (which gives a lot of relief to many women, and causes anxiety amongst others) and even how many relationships you will have in your life (incl whether from the same community, nationality, religion etc.)

One must also be aware that this Shaasthram has been cursed in a previous Yuga and is doomed to be inaccurate in the Kali Yuga. The inaccuracies arise from Human perception, language barriers (Samskrth is no longer available for most communications), the awareness levels of Manushya in the Kali Yuga, and so on forth – and not from the science itself. Remember, this is the Kali Yuga, and the effects are very very deep.


What is the purpose of JyothiShaasthram?

As the name suggests, it is the science of enlightenment (for want of a better word in English…) and essentially is your guide to what Karma you have chosen to live out in this lifetime.

It does NOT force you to confirm to any rules, actions or attitudes. Oddly enough, you’ll find that many Yogams (inclinations?) and Doshams manifest in the most unexpected ways. The only way to understand this is to experience it.

Usually, it is when you’re around 30 years of age or so that your Natal Chart and its inferences begin to make sense. This is more to do with your abilities to perceive your past/present and emotional/social maturity, than with anything else.

I shall, in general try to stick to Western terms for planets, planetary aspects and houses – purely because this makes it a LOT easier to understand for many readers.

To learn PURE Vedic Astrology, I daresay you must devote a good part of your life to it. This is almost impossible in the Kali Yuga, and here’s why –

JyothiShaasthram has SIX major ‘chapters’ of Shaasthras: Jaatakam, Golam, Nimitham, Prashnam, Muhoortham and Ganitham

Each of these has a different purpose – e.g. Prashnam is a technique applied to solve questions without looking into other issues viz. Am I destined to have a regular job or will I be mostly living off my inheritance? Are there any curses on this property?

Jaatakam, on the other hand, is all about the interpretation of your Natal Chart. It is considered a sacred document with a life of its own, and once charted, MUST be treated with respect i.e. do NOT throw it under your bed to gather dust.

There are further classifications and divisions. Many of you of Indian Origin may be familiar with the ‘Muhoortham’ system, which deals with the ‘ideal’ time to conduct an important event such as Marriage, begin construction of a house etc.

To learn the technicalities involved in all these chapters can take a dedicated student years. In some cases, the ‘knowledge gene’ is passed on in families, and such students may imbibe such knowledge much faster (strange as it may seem, the origin of a Gene is a Thought). In other cases, individuals are blessed with insight into such sciences and will master the science sooner than others.

My objective here is NOT to provide the material to study the entire Vedic Science of JyothiShaasthram. Much as I’d like to, that would simply be beyond the scope of a blog. And it would be in violation of many laws of Universal Knowledge -If you have queries relating to this, simply ask =) and I'll try to explain, as I've tried many times before, why Samskrth concepts are nearly impossible to translate.

To work around the complexity of JyothiShaasthram and yet give you insight into Astrology as it is marketed today (you are more likely to come across these commercial Western-style documents than Vedic documents, I think), I plan to present concepts in a Vedic context, but guide you with Western terminology.

In all honesty, I would recommend that you contact a well-known Vedic Astrologer and have a cup of coffee with him/her. There is NO substitute for that.

I’m sure many a Vedic purist would frown at my approach – and it would be true that I would NOT be able to transfer Vedic Concepts as accurately as I might want to. My only hope is that the insight I give you will inspire you to set out on a path of your own.

Let us start our understanding of the Jaatakam

If you’ve had a look at your horoscope from many of the popular websites that offer such services, you must be familiar with the ‘houses’ in your chart.

A House is a logical ‘compartment’ of your life. Usually specific areas of human life are compartmentalised into a house. Mathematically, these Houses are occupied by celestial bodies, and the ‘attitude’ of these bodies combined with the aspect of your life that the House controls makes changes to the way you live your life…

Perhaps this will be clearer as we move along to some information on your First House.

The First House is located between the 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm position
in your chart (Western-style, that is). It reveals the sign that was ‘ascending’ or rising at the moment you were born. First impressions you create and the personality that you wear in front of other people is usually governed by this house, and the ‘ruler’ of that house in your Natal Chart describes the way you dress, the way you move, your modes of self-expression, the overall condition of your health and your physical body. As you move through life, various ‘rulers’ move in and out of your houses, and these have additional affects on your behavior.


If you have the sun in your First House then you would have the traits of a Leo in your personality. This is because the Sun rules the sign of Leo. This would make a person an extreme extrovert, a natural performer and create a flamboyancy that indicates an obsessive need to be the center of attention. A good example of an

actor with the Sun in his first house is the popular Nicholas Cage who is known way of dressing. Other examples of Sun in the First House eccentrics are Brad Pitt, Bjork, Gerard Depardieu and Jude Law.

If you have the moon in the first House you are likely to present yourself like a Cancer native. You could be very intuitive, moody and also VERY sensitive. You are likely to be a collect wealth (assets?) and quite sociable on the outside but manipulative behind the scenes. The example of a person with a moon in her first house is the talented but obviously publicity scheming Madonna. Other examples
include Leonardo DiCaprio, Antonio Banderas, Kate Winslet, Heather Locklear and Charlie Chaplin.

Mercury in the First House bestows traits of the sign of Gemini (Mercury's ruling sign) and, to a lesser extent, Virgo. This is a very manic and self-expressive placement and it is likely that the person with this in their First House will be an actor or a writer.

He or she might also be a big gossip. They are excellent communicators and seem to be everywhere at once (or at least, they WANT to be…). When you have Mercury in the first house it is also likely that you connect a lot of individuals together. A good example of a fast-talking individual with Mercury in the first house was the late Steve Irwin – the Crocodile Hunter from Oz. Other examples are Arnold Schwarzenegger (strange, huh? but consider that in spite of his horrible accent, he's made it to governer of the state with the largest economy in the US), Ronald Reagan, Juliette Lewis, John Kerry and Barbara Streisand.

Venus in the First House usually gives you the traits of the sign of Libra, and some of the traits of the sign of Taurus. A person with Venus in the first house is a little bit shallow - more into pleasure, sex and beauty then most people. People born with this are also more attractive and go to a lot of trouble to enhance their appearance. The downside is that this type of person can be stubborn or self-indulgent. A really good example of a well-known individual with Venus in the first house is former American president Bill Clinton who is of course most famous for his charm and his infidelity. Many ‘hot’ celebrities including Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law also have Venus in the first house.

Mars in the First House means that you will demonstrate the aggression, ambition and "can do" attitude of someone born in the sign of Aries. You are a proactive individual who is prone to working too much. A drawback of having Mars in the First House is a tendency to get into conflicts very easily. You would also be prone to impulsive behaviors and also accidents due to an inability to look before you leap. An example of an individual with Mars in his first house is Michael Jackson (who of course, was always in some kind of trouble yet it is probably also this strong Mars placement in his chart that fuels his fame and talent.) Other examples of people with Mars in the First House are M K Gandhi (who of course had his personal Islamic religious mission), Condoleezza Rice (who ironically deals with a lot of war), Roman Polanski
(exiled for pedophilia) and Dodi La Feyed who was Lady Diana's handsome
fiancé (The British Monarchy would die rather than admit it!!) and was killed in a car crash with her in Paris.


Jupiter in the First House is considered a ‘lucky’ placement by many (not I, though). You will appear wealthy, emotionally secure and more "together than most people." You will have many of the traits of Sagittarius (Jupiter's Sign) including the Archer's optimism, efficiency and intelligence. On the misfortunate side, Jupiter in the First House can have you come off as being spoiled or opinionated to others. You may also have a tendency to be overweight or addicted to an indulgence like alcohol. Bill Clinton, who was famous for his quick jogs to McDonald's, is an example of a person with Jupiter in the first house (Are you beginning to realize that multiple planets can occupy a house?) Other examples are Marlon Brando (who also dealt with an
expanded waistline in his latter years), Kate Hudson and Michael J. Fox.

If you have Saturn in the First House you will have the traits of the sign of Capricorn - you will be responsible, moral and a bit uptight. Individuals with Saturn in the First House appear suspicious and fearful to others. You might also appear very status conscious - to the point of appearing shallow. Others do not easily trust people with this placement. An example of a person with Saturn in the First House is the much-maligned Bobby Brown (singer and husband of Whitney Houston.) Other examples are the much criticized Britney Spears, wife-beater sex-symbol Sean Connery, adulterous (in spite of being UGLY!) singer Mick Jagger, actor Sean Penn and singer Cher.

If you have Uranus in the First House then you will have many of the traits of the sign of Aquarius. Others will see you as forward thinking, imaginative and innovative. In fact others perceive many people with Uranus in the First House as geniuses. Uranus in the First House denotes great intelligence as a well as an interest in unusual and esoteric subjects. A good example of a person with Uranus (the planet of technology as well!) in the First House is computer magnate Bill Gates. Other examples are singer Kurt Cobain, singer John Lennon and singer Bruce Springsteen.

Neptune in the First House gives you the traits of the sign of Pisces and you may appear as moody or unreliable to others. Often people with Neptune in the First House appear untrustworthy because they easily shift alliances or appear like opportunists. They appear to "wear their heart on the sleeve" and can sometimes disturb others, as they appear otherworldly, quirky or even psychic. A good example of a person with Neptune in the First house is Nicole Kidman whose appearance is very angelic and unusual. Other examples of individuals with Neptune in the first house are Marilyn Monroe, Vanessa Paradis, Gwen Stefani, Roger Moore, Courtney Love and Andy Warhol.

Pluto in the First House lends an individual the appearance of an authoritarian. You come off as an intense, yet secretive person. People with a Plutonian first house also have great intuition and understanding. They also have the ability to heal others and themselves yet of all the signs they can also be the most savage when it comes to personal survival. A good example of Pluto in the First House person is the current Dalai Lamai who of course keeps many spiritual secrets. Another good example is Keanu Reeves who starred in the Matrix series. Actress Sharon Stone, millionaire Richard Branson and fashion designer Donatella Versace are also individuals with Pluto in the first house.

Aaah…that was a lot of information…But here’s MORE.

It is vital to realize that what is good for one person may be bad for another. The easy-going nature of a person with Neptune in the First House is a disadvantage if you expect that person to be an Entrepreneur. But it is an advantage for someone who requires to be calm and collected under stress.

Remember, there are NO good or bad characteristics. It’s a matter of context, in many cases. For instance, if Gwen Stefani had not been an opportunist, she would NEVER have made it from waitress to pop star.

Not everyone with Uranus in the First House will be a Bill Gates. Other houses, their rulers, the totality of the horoscope and so on come into action here.

Here's an interesting excercise - look at people you know well, observe their behaviour…consider their motives, and try to gauge what planet they have in their First House. See how it feels to have insight.

Finally, look at yourself. I'm sure there are many websites that give you your natal chart for free...

See for yourself how easy it is to be prejudiced based on little information. It is very easy to mistake shyness for prudishness, caution for cowardice, and stupidity for courage.

Remember also that a person's nature is hidden beneath many, many layers of conditioned or practiced behavior.

Let me know what you think…I am eager to hear from all of you, and will try to reply as fast as I can to your queries and insights.

Warmest regards