The 12 Zodiac Signs (Rashi) in Vedic Astrology: Meaning, Rulers and Traits

The 12 Zodiac Signs and Rashi Names in Vedic Astrology

A rashi is one of the 12 zodiac signs, each covering 30 degrees of the sky. In order, the 12 rashi names are Mesha (Aries), Vrishabha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karka (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrishchika (Scorpio), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Meena (Pisces). When most Indians say "my rashi", they mean the sign the Moon occupied at birth, not the Sun sign used in Western horoscopes.

Vedic astrology uses the rashis as the basic map of the chart. Every planet sits in a rashi, every house is a rashi, and your Moon sign shapes your emotional profile and the way transits such as Sade Sati are read.

The 12 rashis at a glance

#	Zodiac sign	Rashi (Sanskrit)	Hindi	Ruler	Element	Quality	Sun in sign (sidereal, approx.)
1	Aries	Mesha	मेष	Mars	Fire	Movable	14 Apr – 14 May
2	Taurus	Vrishabha	वृषभ	Venus	Earth	Fixed	15 May – 14 Jun
3	Gemini	Mithuna	मिथुन	Mercury	Air	Dual	15 Jun – 16 Jul
4	Cancer	Karka	कर्क	Moon	Water	Movable	17 Jul – 16 Aug
5	Leo	Simha	सिंह	Sun	Fire	Fixed	17 Aug – 16 Sep
6	Virgo	Kanya	कन्या	Mercury	Earth	Dual	17 Sep – 17 Oct
7	Libra	Tula	तुला	Venus	Air	Movable	18 Oct – 16 Nov
8	Scorpio	Vrishchika	वृश्चिक	Mars	Water	Fixed	17 Nov – 15 Dec
9	Sagittarius	Dhanu	धनु	Jupiter	Fire	Dual	16 Dec – 13 Jan
10	Capricorn	Makara	मकर	Saturn	Earth	Movable	14 Jan – 12 Feb
11	Aquarius	Kumbha	कुंभ	Saturn	Air	Fixed	13 Feb – 14 Mar
12	Pisces	Meena	मीन	Jupiter	Water	Dual	15 Mar – 13 Apr

The dates show when the Sun is in each sign in the sidereal zodiac with Lahiri ayanamsa, and the ingress can shift by a day from year to year. Makar Sankranti (around 14 January) and Mesha Sankranti (around 14 April) are the Sun's sidereal entries into Capricorn and Aries, which is why they fall about three weeks after the Western solstice and equinox dates.

These are Sun dates. Your rashi in the Indian sense is your Moon sign, which changes every two and a quarter days, so you cannot read it off a calendar. Use the Moon sign calculator with your birth date, time and place to find it.

How do the tropical and sidereal zodiacs give different signs?

Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which is fixed to the March equinox. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is fixed to the stars. Because of a slow wobble of the Earth's axis called precession, the two have drifted apart. Today the gap, called the ayanamsa, is about 24 degrees by the Lahiri value that the Indian government's calendar reform adopted and most Indian software uses. Other ayanamsas exist: the KP value differs from Lahiri by only a few minutes of arc, while Raman's is about one and a half degrees smaller, enough to change the sign of a planet sitting near a sign boundary.

In practice this means:

• Someone born in mid-May is a Taurus in Western astrology. In the Vedic sidereal zodiac, the Sun is still in Aries until around 14 May, then moves into Taurus.
• For many people the Vedic Sun sign is one sign before their Western sign.
• In Vedic astrology, your Moon sign (rashi) and Lagna matter more than your Sun sign. See how to find your Moon sign and your Lagna.

Janma rashi and naam rashi

Many Indian families also use a naam rashi, the sign linked to the first syllable of a person's name through the nakshatra syllable system. It is often chosen to match the birth nakshatra, but not always. If you only know your name, the rashi by name tool gives the naam rashi; for chart work and daily horoscopes, astrologers prefer the janma rashi from the actual Moon position.

What elements and modalities mean

• Fire (Mesha, Simha, Dhanu): energy, action, confidence.
• Earth (Vrishabha, Kanya, Makara): practicality, stability, results.
• Air (Mithuna, Tula, Kumbha): ideas, communication, social links.
• Water (Karka, Vrishchika, Meena): emotion, intuition, depth.

The three modalities describe how a sign acts:

• Movable (chara): starts things and likes change.
• Fixed (sthira): sustains and resists change.
• Dual (dwiswabhava): adapts and balances both.

The 12 rashis, one by one

Mesha (Aries)

Ruled by Mars. Direct, energetic and quick to start. Courage is the gift, impatience is the test. Natural leaders who need to learn to listen.

Vrishabha (Taurus)

Ruled by Venus. Steady, sensual and loyal. Values comfort, food, money and beauty. Slow to change, but dependable. Stubbornness is the shadow.

Mithuna (Gemini)

Ruled by Mercury. Curious, witty and communicative. Learns fast and adapts. Needs focus to avoid scattering energy.

Karka (Cancer)

Ruled by the Moon. Caring, protective and emotionally intuitive. Home and family matter deeply. Mood swings and clinging are the lessons.

Simha (Leo)

Ruled by the Sun. Confident, generous and dignified. Wants to lead and be recognised. Pride can get in the way of listening.

Kanya (Virgo)

Ruled by Mercury. Analytical, practical and service-minded. Excellent with details. Self-criticism and worry are the usual trouble.

Tula (Libra)

Ruled by Venus. Balanced, diplomatic and fair-minded. Values relationships and harmony. Indecision is the common test.

Vrishchika (Scorpio)

Ruled by Mars. Intense, private and resilient. Strong research instinct and emotional depth. Watch for jealousy and control.

Dhanu (Sagittarius)

Ruled by Jupiter. Optimistic, philosophical and freedom-loving. Drawn to learning, travel and meaning. Bluntness and overconfidence are the risks.

Makara (Capricorn)

Ruled by Saturn. Disciplined, ambitious and patient. Builds slowly toward long-term goals. Rigidity and overwork are the cost.

Kumbha (Aquarius)

Ruled by Saturn. Independent, inventive and community-minded. Thinks ahead of its time. Emotional distance can be a problem.

Meena (Pisces)

Ruled by Jupiter. Compassionate, imaginative and spiritual. Absorbs the feelings of others. Needs boundaries so empathy does not become escape.

These are general traits for a sign. A person is shaped by the whole chart, not only one sign, so treat them as a starting sketch. Daily and monthly rashifal by Moon sign applies these signs to current transits, which is also why it is only a broad guide compared with a full chart reading.

Planets and their signs

Every planet has signs where it is comfortable (own sign), strongest (exaltation) and weakest (debilitation):

Planet	Own signs	Exalted	Debilitated
Sun	Leo	Aries	Libra
Moon	Cancer	Taurus	Scorpio
Mars	Aries, Scorpio	Capricorn	Cancer
Mercury	Gemini, Virgo	Virgo	Pisces
Jupiter	Sagittarius, Pisces	Cancer	Capricorn
Venus	Taurus, Libra	Pisces	Virgo
Saturn	Capricorn, Aquarius	Libra	Aries

See our planets in Vedic astrology guide for what each planet represents.

How signs become houses

In a Vedic chart the sign on the ascendant becomes the 1st house, the next sign the 2nd, and so on. That is how the same twelve signs become twelve life areas. Read the 12 houses (bhavas) explained for what each house governs.

Common mistakes

• Assuming your Western sign is your Vedic sign. Check using a sidereal chart.
• Reading only the Sun sign. The Moon sign, Lagna and nakshatra carry more weight.
• Treating sign traits as fixed destiny. Planets, houses and dashas all modify the picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rashi in astrology?

A rashi is one of the 12 zodiac signs, each 30 degrees wide. In Vedic astrology, your Moon sign is usually called your rashi.

What are the 12 rashi names in order?

Mesha (Aries), Vrishabha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karka (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrishchika (Scorpio), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Meena (Pisces).

Why is my Vedic sign different from my Western sign?

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is about 24 degrees behind the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology. For many people this shifts the sign back by one.

Is the Moon sign more important than the Sun sign?

In Vedic astrology, yes. The Moon sign describes your emotional pattern and is the reference point for transits, Sade Sati and horoscope matching, while the Moon's nakshatra sets the starting point of your Vimshottari dasha.

How do I find my Vedic rashi?

Generate a sidereal birth chart with your exact date, time and place of birth. The sign of the Moon in that chart is your rashi.

Can I find my rashi from my name?

Your name gives a naam rashi, based on the first syllable of the name. It matches your birth rashi only if the name was chosen from your birth nakshatra, so for chart work use the Moon sign from your birth details.

Related Articles

1. How to Find Your Moon Sign
2. Lagna (Ascendant) in Vedic Astrology
3. The 12 Houses (Bhavas) Explained
4. 27 Nakshatras in Vedic Astrology
5. Planets in Vedic Astrology: Complete Guide
6. Vimshottari Dasha in Vedic Astrology