What is a rashi?
A zodiac sign, or rashi, is one of twelve equal 30-degree sections of the zodiac; its familiar animal or image is a symbol for that section.
STEP 1
Start with the measurement
The zodiac is a 360-degree circle divided into twelve equal signs. Each sign is 30 degrees wide. Its name tells you which section you are looking at; a degree tells you where a point lies inside that section. These are two parts of the same address.
STEP 2
Learn the order once
The sequence is Aries (Mesha), Taurus (Vrishabha), Gemini (Mithuna), Cancer (Kataka), Leo (Simha), Virgo (Kanya), Libra (Tula), Scorpio (Vrischika), Sagittarius (Dhanus), Capricorn (Makara), Aquarius (Kumbha) and Pisces (Meena). After Pisces, the count returns to Aries.
STEP 3
Use the symbols to remember
Traditional images include two fish for Pisces, a person holding a water pot for Aquarius, and a man and a woman for Gemini. You can use these images to remember the names. The image does not change the size or boundaries of the sign.
STEP 4
Try one calculation
Suppose a point lies 45 degrees from the start of Aries. Subtract the first 30 degrees, which belong to Aries: 15 remain, so the point is at 15 degrees of Taurus. Exactly 30 degrees starts Taurus at 0 degrees. Draw a circle, mark every 30 degrees, and add the twelve names in order.