Indian Astrology
In Indian astrology, there are five elements: fire, earth, air, water and space. The master of fire is Mars, while Mercury is of earth, Saturn of air, Venus of water and Jupiter of space.
Jyotish astrology recognises twelve zodiac signs (Rāśi), that correspond to those in Western astrology. The relation of the signs to the elements is the same in the two systems.
| Number | Sanskrit | International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration | Sanskrit gloss | Western name | Greek | Gloss | Tattva (Element) | Quality | Ruling Planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | मेष | Meṣa | ram | Aries | Κριός | ram | Tejas (Fire) | Cara (Movable) | Mars |
| 2 | वृषभ | Vṛṣabha | bull | Taurus | Ταῦρος | bull | Prithivi (Earth) | Sthira (Fixed) | Venus |
| 3 | मिथुन | Mithuna | twins | Gemini | Δίδυμοι | twins | Vayu (Air) | Dvisvabhava (Dual) | Mercury |
| 4 | कर्कट | Karkaṭa | crab | Cancer | Καρκίνος | crab | Jala (Water) | Cara (Movable) | Moon |
| 5 | सिंह | Siṃha | lion | Leo | Λέων | lion | Tejas (Fire) | Sthira (Fixed) | Sun |
| 6 | कन्या | Kanyā | girl | Virgo | Παρθένος | virgin | Prithivi (Earth) | Dvisvabhava (Dual) | Mercury |
| 7 | तुला | Tulā | balance | Libra | Ζυγός | balance | Vayu (Air) | Cara (Movable) | Venus |
| 8 | वृश्चिक | Vṛścika | scorpion | Scorpio | Σκoρπιός | scorpion | Jala (Water) | Sthira (Fixed) | Mars |
| 9 | धनुष | Dhanus | bow | Sagittarius | Τοξότης | archer | Tejas (Fire) | Dvisvabhava (Dual) | Jupiter |
| 10 | मकर | Makara | sea-monster | Capricorn | Αἰγόκερως | goat-horned | Prithivi (Earth) | Cara (Movable) | Saturn |
| 11 | कुम्भ | Kumbha | pitcher | Aquarius | Ὑδροχόος | water-pourer | Vayu (Air) | Sthira (Fixed) | Saturn |
| 12 | मीन | Mīna | fish | Pisces | Ἰχθεῖς | fish | Jala (Water) | Dvisvabhava (Dual) | Jupiter |
The dates for these zodiac signs are those in sidereal astrology, different from those in Hellenistic tropical astrology. Aries begins at the date when the sun enters into the constellation Aries, taking into account the precession of the equinoxes, while in tropical astrology Aries begins at the vernal equinox.
Read more about this topic: Astrological Sign
Famous quotes containing the words indian and/or astrology:
“The Indian remarked as before, “Must have hard wood to cook moose-meat,” as if that were a maxim, and proceeded to get it. My companion cooked some in California fashion, winding a long string of the meat round a stick and slowly turning it in his hand before the fire. It was very good. But the Indian, not approving of the mode, or because he was not allowed to cook it his own way, would not taste it.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy—the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)