Make Your Horoscope

So by now we are good on the basics on the 12 signs, the 12 houses and the 9 planets and their strengths/ weaknesses.

Armed with these basic building blocks, you can now make a horoscope.

If you have not done already – download and install the latest version of JHora software which is available for free.

You can now make horoscopes and save these files on your computer. So some basics you need to know in addition to the signs/ houses and planets are as follows-

(I) TYPES Of Charts–

The main horoscope is something called as D1 or Divisional 1. This is your basic chart for which we already defined the houses, signs and planets. It’s also the most important of all charts. The complete sphere is of course 360 degrees around us. So dividing in 12 equal signs means each sign is 30 degrees each as discussed before. Further, this is not the only chart which we should be interested in, albeit the main one. The Divisional charts will be more apt for particular areas of life. As an example some of these are –

D1 – Main chart for ALL things

D2- Chart related to Money

D3 – Chart related to siblings

D4 – Chart related to fortunes and property/ assets

D7 – Chart related to children/ progeny

D9 – Second most vital after D1 also called as Navamsa (Nav = 9, amsa = division). For Overall Luck, Dignity of planets and Marriage/ Spouse.

D10 – For career and social status

D12 – For parents

D24 – For higher learning and education/ wisdom

D30 – For problems and miseries

D60 – Very vital chart showing previous life baggage our planets bring in and for ALL things like D1

There are other charts as well. But the above are some important ones for one to be aware of. As a rule D9 is always consulted in tandem with D1. If a planet has good dignity in D9, the planet is an inherently strong planet and vice-versa as well. If a planet is well placed in D1 but ill placed (in terms of dignity) in D9, then the planet is like a hollow diamond. Initially good in results but breaking down later on.

So how are the divisionals calculated?

Simply put D1 has 12 divisions of the zodiac. Each 30 degrees each. Now D9 is a further 9 equal divisions of each rashi. So what we are essentially doing is to divide each rashi further into 9 parts and hence the zodiac into 12 x 9 = 108 parts. The order remains the same Aries to Pisces. These are now repeated 9 times each instead of 1 time as in the D1. Likewise D10 is each rashi broken into 10 equal divisions.

It’s a good practice to look at a divisional in tandem to the area of life being scrutinized. Example if looking at career. You will be looking at the 10th house in D1 (and 2nd and 6th) but also look at the D10 chart. Especially the dignity of the lord of 10th house in the D10 chart will be vital. When both point in same directions, the effects are stronger.

However keep in mind that if a planet is very weak in the main chart of D1, its strength can never be fully reversed in the divisional. Meaning D1 dignity will override but strength in a divisional can corroborate or weaken the FINE tuning of a particular planet.

(II) ASCENDANT

Also known as the ‘Lagna’ is your 1st Bhaav. You already know what 1st bhaav represents. It’s YOU, your health, your characteristics, personality, overall well-being etc.

Ascendant is the sign which is rising at the Eastern Horizon at a given time and place. Once the ascendant is fixed the next sign becomes your 2nd bhaav etc.

Almost everyone knows the order. Here it is-

1 – Aries

2 – Taurus

3 – Gemini

4- Cancer

5 – Leo

6 – Virgo

7 – Libra

8 – Scorpio

9 – Sagittarius

10 – Cparicorn

11 – Aquarius

12 – Pisces

Remember the number as it becomes quicker to see what the sign is. Worry not, as this becomes second nature even with little practice. See example below

This is called a diamond chart (just because of its looks) aka. North Indian style.

The number 10 shows that the first house or LAGNA is Capricorn with Ketu in it. Next 2nd bhaav is Aquarius with no planet in it. 7th house is Cancer with Mars and Rahu in it. 9th house is Virgo with Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Sun in it and so on and so forth..

One will also be able to see all the degrees of the ascendant and the 9 planets alongside other charts like D3, D9 etc.

What you also see are words like AL, A5 etc. These are ARUDHAS or reflections. Even though this is a broader topic for later. It is worth mentioning here.

The LAGNA is your ascendant. Its lord is called LAGNESH in the above example is Saturn as Saturn rules Capricorn. AL is Arudha of Lagna or reflection of Lagna. So even though Capricorn will define the characteristics of the person etc. But Arudha Lagna will describe the IMAGE of the Lagna or the image the person has in front of the world. Likewise A2 is image of the 2nd house etc.

Pertinent point to know here is that Arudha concept is very important as it represents what people will think about that aspect of life, regardless of what it really is. It’s the manifestation so to speak or the MAYA (illusion related to that aspect of life. In case of Arudha Lagna the person herself). Example in this horoscope there are 4 planets in the 9th house of higher learning, luck, wisdom etc. This is 9th from Lagna. But 5th from Arudha Lagna. Hence 5th (intelligence) will be what will be perceived by the world around the native as with Virgo with 4 planets in it.

(III) Long & Short Ascension 

An important point to know, albeit details are not necessary at this stage, but one should know – each day all the 12 signs will rise at some time or the other. However the lagnas don’t rise for exact 2 hrs. each (which would be logical as 24 hrs. a day and 12 signs gives each sign rising for about 2 hrs.). Due to the earth’s axis which is tilted, the signs (depending on the latitude of the place) will rise for different times. This effect will be less near the equator and much more extreme as you go closer to any of the poles.

The software will use the exact geographical co-ordinates you enter and with its inbuilt atlas and ephemeris, will calculate your horosocpe and all divisional charts and exact longitudes.

In yester years, all these calculations were done by hand and took lots of patience and knowledge in astronomy to some extent. I have done this quiet a bit before the computers eased all this. Regardless I feel those who have manually done so have much stronger basics than those who started right off the bat with a software.

Now you have a software, knowledge of charts, signs, houses and planets. Enough to start making your own horoscope and start trying to find basic dignities of planets.