Bite-size learnings · The basics
What is my rashi? Your Moon sign in Vedic astrology
1. What a rashi is
The sky around us is divided into 12 equal signs of 30°, the rashis. At any moment the Moon is in one of them. The one it was in at your birth is your rashi, also called your Moon sign or janma rashi.
| Sign | Sanskrit name | Ruled by |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mesha | Mars |
| Taurus | Vrishabha | Venus |
| Gemini | Mithuna | Mercury |
| Cancer | Karka | Moon |
| Leo | Simha | Sun |
| Virgo | Kanya | Mercury |
| Libra | Tula | Venus |
| Scorpio | Vrishchika | Mars |
| Sagittarius | Dhanu | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | Makara | Saturn |
| Aquarius | Kumbha | Saturn |
| Pisces | Meena | Jupiter |
2. Why Jyotish reads from the Moon
In Jyotish the Moon stands for the mind (manas): how you feel, react and experience life. The idea is old. The Rig Veda’s hymn of the cosmic Person says:
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातः
candramā manaso jātaḥ
Our translation: “The Moon was born from his mind.”
Because events reach us through the mind, Jyotish reads daily life from the Moon. Your rashi is the starting point for:
- daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes;
- guna milan for marriage;
- sade sati and the other Saturn transits;
- the Vimshottari dasha, which starts from the Moon’s nakshatra.
3. Why it differs from your Western sign
Two differences stack up. First, Western astrology puts the Sun first, so the sign people quote is their Sun sign; your rashi is your Moon sign. Second, Jyotish measures the zodiac from the stars (sidereal), while Western astrology measures it from the equinox (tropical). The gap, the ayanamsa, is about 24° today, so a planet often falls one sign earlier in Jyotish.
4. How to find your rashi
You need your date of birth, and ideally your time and place. The Moon spends about two and a quarter days in each sign, so for most dates the date alone decides. If the Moon changed sign on your birthday, the time of birth decides, and our calculator tells you.
5. Rashi, nakshatra and lagna
Three terms are easy to mix up. Your rashi is the Moon’s sign (1 of 12). Your nakshatra is the Moon’s lunar mansion (1 of 27, each 13°20′), a finer slice of the same circle. Your lagna (ascendant) is the sign rising in the east at your birth; it changes about every two hours and sets the houses of your chart.
Find your rashi nowFree, no sign-up, calculated in your browser.
Find my Moon signGo deeper
Frequently asked questions
What is my rashi by date of birth?
Your rashi is the sign the Moon occupied at your birth. The Moon changes sign about every two and a quarter days, so your date of birth usually decides it; if the Moon changed sign that day, your birth time decides. The Moon sign calculator works it out for you.
Can I find my rashi by name?
Some families choose a name from the syllables of the birth nakshatra, so a name can hint at a rashi. But the true rashi comes only from the Moon’s position at birth, which needs your date, time and place.
Is rashi the same as my zodiac sign?
Not usually. The “zodiac sign” people quote is normally the Western Sun sign. Your rashi is your Moon sign, measured in the sidereal zodiac. They are different signs for most people.
Why is my Vedic sign different from my Western sign?
Two reasons. Jyotish puts the Moon first, while Western astrology puts the Sun first. And Jyotish measures the zodiac from the stars, which today sit about 24° behind the Western, season-based zodiac, so even the same planet often falls one sign earlier.
What is the difference between rashi and nakshatra?
The rashi is the Moon’s sign, one of 12 parts of 30°. The nakshatra is the Moon’s lunar mansion, one of 27 parts of 13°20′. Each rashi holds two and a quarter nakshatras.