Origin and History Astronomy was and continues to be one of the most important aspects of Hinduism. It's considered to be so important that many families in India have their own private astrologist! The earliest known written text about astrology in India was Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa written around 1400-1200 BC (just for reference, that's about 3400 years ago). Over time, the system became more advanced, with additions and subtractions to certain key principles. This included the procession of the equinox, and incorporating Greek astrology- specifically, the signs. But over time, Indian astrology changed significantly. The Signs and Beliefs The signs of each person's birth month are slightly different than the western/Greek Zodiac, because the Hindu astrology system is based on the Sidereal Zodiac (the stars are thought to be fixed positions in space) and the western Zodiac is based on the tropical zodiac (the motion of the planets is measured against the location of the sun during the spring equinox). Over time, these slight difference have led to the difference in the signs and their relationship to the months. For most people, this means you have to take your sign back a month: Indian astrology is also highly technical. There are many more aspects to contend with, such as: Lunar mansions are divisions in the sky created by prominent stars. Gochara is the interaction of all the natal chart planets with the normal planetary influences. Dashas are planetary periods when a certain planets become very active in a person's life. Bhavas are houses that represent each person's particular interaction with the complete 360 degree circle of life. Conclusion Though the Hindu astrological system is a complicated and subtle system. It can take decades of study to have a firm grasp on all its aspects, and even then you could make the argument that a big part of it is learning intuition. In order to learn properly, many students live with their guru for years; this period of time is taken very seriously by teacher and student. For more complete look at the Hindu astrological system, check out HinduAstrology.com.