Vedic Astrology (Jyotish) is based on the ancient scriptual texts of India called the Vedas and today is recognised world wide as being one of the most ancient, effective and accurate tool for basing predictions. Followed by millions, this form is quite different from Western Astrology which highlights the psychological aspects of an individual whereas Vedic Astrology based on specific Dasha periods will pinpoint exact times of events, happenings and give in-depth readings of physical, emotional, social makeup of an individual. No form of Astrology can offer such a profound reading of one’s life.
Dashas show periods when certain planets, their connections and their significations come into activation. There are several types of dashas. The most widely used is the Vimshottari dasha system. This indicates certain years when particular planets will be the most active in your chart. It is based on the exact position of the Moon and therefore, your birth time must be exact.
Vedic Astrology uses the Sidereal Zodiac which is based upon the physical positions of the constellations in the sky. It chooses a starting point for the beginning of Aries and proceeds in equal 30 degree segments for subsequent signs. Western Astrology uses the Tropical Zodiac and does not take into account the precession of the equinoxes; therefore after 2000 years it is off by about 20 degrees of longitude–almost a whole Zodiac sign (30 degrees). Two centuries ago it so happened that the beginning of the Zodiac sign Aries coincided with the beginning of the spring equinox (March 21). Western astrologers (in Greece and Egypt) assumed that the heavens would always stay the same. What they didn’t know is that each year that the earth revolves around the sun, it returns to a place in space slightly behind where it was the previous year. Therefore, it is going backward through the signs of the Zodiac.
In Vedic Astrology it is believed that a person is born in particular circumstances, place and a situation according to his past Karmic pattern. The placement of planets at your time of birth are patterned in such a way that you will be paying in this lifetime for your good or bad deeds of your last birth. The sages who gave us this study have graciously thrown light on how to understand with which Karma we have come into this birth simply by reading a horoscope.