A lot of us try to find their own zodiac sign, called the rashi in Vedic astrology. It requires 3 simple details: Your birth date (per the Gregorian calendar, that is the current universal dating system), (birthtime as close to accuracy as possible), and your birthplace. An astrologer can draw your Kundali from this information, or if you have a premade Kundali, it’s even easier.

There are a total of 12 zodiacs,
1) Aries (Mesh), 2) Taurus (Vrushabh), 3) Gemini (Mithun), 4) Cancer (Kark), 5) Leo (Sinh), 6) Virgo (Kanya), 7) Libra (Tul), 8) Scorpio (Vrushchik), 9) Sagittarius (Dhanu), 10) Capricorn (Makar), 11) Aquarius (Kumbh), 12) Pisces (Meen)

Three types of signs are prevalent: Moon sign – Sun sign – Lagna-sign.

When you look at your birth chart, you may see a title “Ascendant” or “D-1”, or “Janma Lagna Kundali”. It will provide you with all the above-mentioned types of rashis.

The 12 houses in the birth chart are called Bhavas. The central, diamond-shaped Bhava is the Lagna or Ascendant. This is in no way connected to the marriage form of the word. You may see “Asc” written in the space. Your Lagna-sign is determined by the number written in the Lagna Bhava; the number signifies the position of the rashi in the zodiacs. For example, if my Lagna Bhava has the number 8 written in it, then my Lagna-sign is Scorpio.

The numbered rashi in which you see “Mo” written is, similarly, your Moon sign. For example, if Mo is written in the 5th rashi, then my Moon sign is Leo.

The third type, the Sun sign, can be found like the Moon sign. The rashi bhava in which you see “Su” written is your Sun sign. For example, if I see Su written in the 3rd rashi in my birth chart, my Sun sign is Gemini.

How can the layman use the rashis?
The sign in the Lagna Bhava changes after 2 hours every day approximately. This is why one must be aware of their precise birth time.

The Moon is posited in a rashi for approximately 2.5 days, hence if the change in rashi does not occur close to your birthtime, your Moon sign will not change. The horoscope you see told in the daily newspapers, magazines, television shows, etc. are told for our Moon signs, and we must understand accordingly. A person’s temperament is determined from the Lagna and Moon signs, but you would need an astrologer’s assistance to understand it.

The Sun, however, is posited in a sign for 30 days. We can definitely point out your birth month based on the Sun’s position. It shifts around the middle of the English months, viz. between 13th-17th. Around the 14th or 15th of January, the Sun lies in Capricorn, and moves to Aquarius at 14th/15th February, and so on.
Are the Signs per Western Astrology the same as the Vedic Moon sign and Sun sign?

No. Western astrology allots signs according to the dates. We can establish a connection with the Sun’s movement through the zodiac circle but the other aspects are quite distinct; especially the Moon sign because of the swift pace of change in the Moon’s position. If and when one’s birth chart per the Western tradition matches with that drawn from the Vedic tradition, consider it a coincidence.

Find out what your Lagna, Sun and Moon rashis are.