How to find your rashi and nakshatra: the Moon sign and birth star explained

Your rashi and nakshatra are the first two things any Indian astrologer asks for. Both come from where the Moon stood at your birth. They are used for name letters, matching, daily rashifal and dasha timing, so it is worth getting them right.

What you need

Your date, exact time and place of birth. The Moon moves about 13 degrees a day, so even a few hours can change the nakshatra pada, and sometimes the sign. If you only know the date, you can still find the rashi on most days, but not always.

Rashi

The zodiac has 12 signs of 30 degrees each. The sign the Moon was in at birth is your Moon sign, or rashi. The Moon spends about two and a quarter days in each sign. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is about 24 degrees behind the tropical zodiac used in the West. This is why your Vedic rashi is often the sign before your Western Sun sign.

Nakshatra

The 27 nakshatras divide the zodiac into slices of 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Each nakshatra has four padas of 3 degrees and 20 minutes. Your janma nakshatra is the one the Moon was in at birth. The 27 are: Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati.

What each is used for

• Rashi: daily and yearly rashifal, Sade Sati, Manglik reading and the Moon sign guna.
• Nakshatra: name letters, Vimshottari dasha start and Nadi, Gana and Yoni in matching.

The Palmastra app finds both from your birth details. Use a hospital record for the birth time if you can, since family memory can be off by an hour or more.