The zodiac sign rising in the east at the exact moment of birth. It sets the first house of the chart and shapes your look, nature and the layout of the whole kundli.
Glossary · Charts
Ascendant (Lagna)
The zodiac sign rising in the east at the exact moment of birth. It sets the first house of the chart and shapes your look, nature and the layout of the whole kundli.
What does Ascendant (Lagna) mean in astrology?
The zodiac sign rising in the east at the exact moment of birth. It sets the first house of the chart and shapes your look, nature and the layout of the whole kundli.
Keep exploring the glossary
Abhijit MuhuratA universally auspicious window near local midday, lasting about 48 minutes. It is counted as the eighth of the fifteen muhurats between sunrise and sunset, beginning roughly 24 minutes before solar noon. Tradition holds it auspicious for most beginnings, and it is one of the few windows allowed to override a mild dosha — though it is still avoided on Wednesdays by many practitioners.Aspect (Drishti)The influence a planet casts on the house or planet it 'looks at'. Every planet aspects the 7th house from itself; Mars, Jupiter and Saturn cast special extra aspects in Vedic astrology.AyanamsaThe cumulative difference between the tropical zodiac (anchored to the equinox) and the sidereal zodiac (anchored to the fixed stars), caused by the slow precession of Earth's axis. Currently about 24 degrees. Subtracting the ayanamsa from a tropical position gives the sidereal one used in Vedic astrology — which is why a Western Sun sign often becomes the previous sign in a Vedic chart.BeneficA planet whose natural influence is supportive and constructive. The natural benefics are Jupiter (the greatest), Venus, the waxing Moon and Mercury when unaffiliated with malefics. Benefic planets in a chart smooth the houses they occupy and aspect, soften afflictions, and during their dashas tend to bring growth, protection and favourable events — subject always to the benefic's own dignity, house placement and running period.
Looking for a term we haven't covered? It may live in the FAQ — Charts concepts are added weekly.