The 12 Rashis

The twelve signs at a glance

Elements and qualities

The four elements set the temperament of a sign — Fire for drive, Earth for grounding, Air for intellect, and Water for emotion. The three qualities set its mode — Cardinal signs begin things, Fixed signs hold and sustain, and Mutable signs adapt and change. Every sign is a distinct blend, such as Cardinal Fire in Aries or Mutable Water in Pisces, and that blend shapes how any planet placed there behaves.

Why the Moon sign matters most

While the Sun sign is widely known, Vedic astrology gives pride of place to the Moon sign, because the Moon represents the mind, emotions and instinctive responses. This is why your Moon sign is used for rashifal and timing, and why two people with the same Sun sign but different Moon signs can feel quite unalike. The sign rising at birth — the Lagna — adds a third essential layer to the picture.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 12 Rashis?

The twelve Rashis are the zodiac signs of Vedic astrology — Aries through Pisces, known in Sanskrit as Mesha to Meena. Each sign spans 30 degrees of the zodiac, is ruled by a planet, and belongs to one of the four elements and three qualities, which together colour how planets placed in it express themselves.

How is the Vedic zodiac different from the Western one?

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, measured against the fixed stars, while Western astrology generally uses the tropical zodiac, tied to the seasons. Because of a slow shift called precession, the two currently differ by roughly 24 degrees, so a person's sidereal Sun or Moon sign is often one sign earlier than their Western sign.

What do the elements and qualities mean?

The four elements describe temperament — Fire (drive), Earth (practicality), Air (intellect) and Water (feeling). The three qualities describe mode — Cardinal signs initiate, Fixed signs sustain, and Mutable signs adapt. Each sign is a unique pairing, such as Cardinal Fire (Aries) or Mutable Water (Pisces).

Which planet rules each sign?

Mars rules Aries and Scorpio; Venus rules Taurus and Libra; Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo; the Moon rules Cancer; the Sun rules Leo; Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces; and Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. The ruling planet, or sign lord, is central to judging the strength of that part of the chart.

Is my Rashi my Sun sign or Moon sign?

In Vedic astrology, 'Rashi' most often refers to the Moon sign — the sign the Moon occupied at birth — because the Moon governs the mind and emotions and is given special importance. Daily and annual predictions (rashifal) are typically read from the Moon sign rather than the Sun sign.