Vedic Basics: Sidereal Foundations
Evergreen guide
Understanding how Vedic and Western systems diverge helps you make sense of shifting Sun signs and the timing tools Cosmitra references in chat. Use this guide as your anchor whenever you want to revisit the fundamentals.
Sidereal vs. tropical zodiac
Vedic (sidereal) astrology aligns the zodiac with the observable constellations. Western (tropical) astrology fixes its starting point at the March equinox. Because the Earth wobbles over time (precession), the two systems slowly drift apart.
Today the sidereal zodiac begins almost 24 degrees earlier than the tropical zodiac, so many planets appear in a different sign when you compare charts.
Why Sun signs shift
The sidereal zodiac considers where the Sun actually sits against the backdrop of stars. A tropical chart might describe you as an Aries, while the sidereal view notes the Sun was in Pisces.
The gap widens roughly one degree every 72 years. That’s why Cosmitra often highlights a different Sun sign—and why your lived experience may resonate more with the sidereal placement.
Why Cosmitra uses Jyotiṣa for precision
Vedic techniques such as dashas (timeline cycles), divisional charts, and nakshatras give clear timing windows and nuanced context. They help Cosmitra coach around career pivots, relationship seasons, and daily routines with grounded detail.
We still reference familiar Western language when it helps bridge intuition, but our forecasts lean on sidereal accuracy so the guidance you receive is anchored to the sky you actually see.