Give a planet its zodiac address
Today you’ll learnRead a sign and degree, and find them from a position measured around the zodiac.
Twelve equal signs
The zodiac is treated as a circle of 360 degrees, divided into twelve equal rashis, or signs. Each sign is therefore 360 ÷ 12 = 30 degrees wide. Aries covers 0° to less than 30°, Taurus covers 30° to less than 60°, and the pattern continues around the circle.
A position measured around the whole circle from the start of Aries is called its absolute longitude. To turn it into a zodiac address, find the 30-degree section it falls in, then state how far into that section it lies. The address has two parts: a sign and a degree.
Sign numbers and degrees
The signs follow a fixed order: 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.
Keep a sign's number separate from a degree. Taurus is sign 2 in the order, but 2 is not its degree. In '14° Taurus,' the 14 counts degrees inside Taurus. At an exact boundary, use the next sign: 30° is 0° Taurus, not 30° Aries.
Keep the zodiac setting consistent
Reports name a zodiac setting. The cited syllabus lists two systems, nirayana and sayana. They are two different reference settings for where the zodiac is counted from. Because their starting points differ, the same moment can produce different sign-and-degree addresses under each setting.
This lesson does not teach how to convert between them. The useful habit is simpler. When you compare two reports, first check that both name the same setting. If they don't, the difference in addresses may come from the setting rather than from the chart's inputs.
Worked example
A fictional point at 100°
On a fictional worksheet, a point lies 100° from the start of Aries. Find its zodiac address.
- List the boundaries: Aries 0–30°, Taurus 30–60°, Gemini 60–90°, Cancer 90–120°.
- 100° falls between 90° and 120°, so the sign is Cancer.
- Subtract the start of Cancer: 100 − 90 = 10. The address is 10° Cancer.
Your turn
Try it yourself
A point is 44° from the start of Aries. Find its sign and degree. Which sign begins at exactly 30°?
Show the answer
Subtract the 30° that belong to Aries: 44 − 30 = 14, so the point is at 14° Taurus. Exactly 30° is 0° Taurus, because at a boundary you use the next interval.
One quick check
A point lies 75° from the start of Aries. What is its zodiac address?
See the explanation
Gemini covers 60° to 90°, so 75° falls in Gemini. Subtracting 60 leaves 15°. Taurus ends at 60°, and Cancer does not begin until 90°.
Take these three ideas with you
- Twelve signs of 30° each make up 360°.
- Subtract a sign's starting degree to find the degree inside it.
- Compare reports only when their zodiac settings match.