The Rashis

The zodiac is divided into twelve equal 30° segments called rāśis — a word that predates the Greek zōdiakosand simply means "heap" or "mass". Signs are stages; planets are actors. A graha does not become the sign it sits in, but its expression is coloured by the sign's element, modality, and ruling lord.

The three axes

Every sign is categorized along three orthogonal axes:

Element (tattva)

Four elements in three groups of three: fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). The elements repeat every four signs, so any two same-element signs are 120° apart — a trine, the most auspicious aspect in the classical system.

Modality (tattvaguṇa)

Three modalities in four groups of three:

• Movable (cara) — Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn. Initiators; start things.
• Fixed (sthira) — Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. Sustainers; hold things.
• Dual (dvisvabhāva) — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. Mixers; handle transitions.

Modality governs navamsa calculation (movable signs start navāṃśas from self, fixed from the 9th, dual from the 5th) and determines sign aspects in the Jaimini system.

Gender

Odd signs (Aries, Gemini, Leo…) are masculine; even signs are feminine. This alternation matters for ojayugma bala in shadbala (natural benefics prefer even signs, natural malefics prefer odd).

The twelve rāśis

Aries — Meṣa · 0–30°

Ruled by Mars. Fire, movable, masculine. Head. The sign of beginning; everything about it is raw, forward, and without precedent. The Sun exalts here at 10° — authority's first expression. Aries rewards initiative and punishes delay. Planets in Aries want to act before they analyse.

Taurus — Vṛṣabha · 30–60°

Ruled by Venus. Earth, fixed, feminine. Face and neck. The Moon exalts here at 3° — the mind's preferred resting place. Taurus holds onto what it has; planets in Taurus are slower, sensory, and resistant to change without cause.

Gemini — Mithuna · 60–90°

Ruled by Mercury. Air, dual, masculine. Shoulders, arms. The first dual sign; its subject is communication — intellectual motion, exchange, trade. Planets in Gemini become versatile but are susceptible to scattering if ungrounded.

Cancer — Karka · 90–120°

Ruled by the Moon. Water, movable, feminine. Chest. Jupiter exalts here at 5° — wisdom finding a home. Cancer concerns emotional memory, home, mother, and nurture. A sensitive sign; planets in Cancer act with care and can be wounded subtly.

Leo — Siṃha · 120–150°

Ruled by the Sun. Fire, fixed, masculine. Heart. The only sign with no exaltation — because the Sun, its ruler, needs no further elevation. Leo concerns authority, visibility, and the radiant self. Planets in Leo want to be seen.

Virgo — Kanyā · 150–180°

Ruled by Mercury. Earth, dual, feminine. Belly. Mercury exalts here at 15° — the only case of a planet exalting in its own rulership. Virgo concerns craft, precision, service, and health. Planets here gain analytical clarity but can tip into excess criticism.

Libra — Tulā · 180–210°

Ruled by Venus. Air, movable, masculine. Lower back, kidneys. Saturn exalts here at 20° — law finds its frame. Libra concerns balance, contract, aesthetic judgement, and partnership. It is the only sign represented by an inanimate object (the scales).

Scorpio — Vṛścika · 210–240°

Ruled by Mars. Water, fixed, feminine. Genitals, excretory organs. The Moon debilitates here at 3° — emotional exposure in a sign that hides. Scorpio concerns depth, research, the occult, and crisis-driven transformation. Planets in Scorpio act privately; their results are felt before seen.

Sagittarius — Dhanu · 240–270°

Ruled by Jupiter. Fire, dual, masculine. Hips, thighs. Ketu is often considered exalted here. Sagittarius concerns dharma, higher learning, long pilgrimage, and moral law. Planets in Sagittarius gain philosophical orientation and an instinct for the right direction.

Capricorn — Makara · 270–300°

Ruled by Saturn. Earth, movable, feminine. Knees. Mars exalts here at 28° — aggression refined into structured action. Capricorn concerns endurance, slow-built authority, institutions, and responsibility. Planets here produce durable results on a long timescale.

Aquarius — Kumbha · 300–330°

Ruled by Saturn. Air, fixed, masculine. Calves. Aquarius concerns collectives, abstraction, reform, and the outsider. Saturn's intellectual aspect rather than its material one. Planets here act strategically and often in service of a group rather than the self.

Pisces — Mīna · 330–360°

Ruled by Jupiter. Water, dual, feminine. Feet. Venus exalts here at 27° — love returning to its oceanic source. Mercury debilitates at 15° — analytical intellect dissolving into intuition. Pisces concerns dissolution, compassion, renunciation, and mystic culmination. The final sign; everything completes here.

Dual rulerships

Five planets rule two signs each — the first rulership is classically considered the "night" home and the second the "day" home:

The Sun and Moon each rule only one sign (Leo and Cancer respectively) — they are the source luminaries and need no pair. Rāhu and Ketu have no classical rulership, though modern tradition assigns Rāhu to Aquarius (or Virgo) and Ketu to Scorpio (or Pisces).