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Ascendant vs Moon sign

Your ascendant (Lagna) and your Moon sign (Rashi) are two different points in the same birth chart. They are found differently, change at different speeds, and are used for different things.

The ascendant: the sign rising at birth

The ascendant is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment and place of your birth. Because the Earth turns once a day, a new sign rises roughly every two hours, so two people born on the same day a few hours apart usually have different ascendants. The Lagna fixes the first house of the chart, and every other house is counted from it.

The Moon sign: where the Moon was

Your Moon sign, or Rashi, is the sign the Moon occupied when you were born. The Moon moves through a sign in about two and a quarter days, so everyone born in that window shares a Moon sign. The Moon's exact position also gives your birth star, or nakshatra, one of 27 divisions of the zodiac.

What each one is used for

Traditionally the Moon sign speaks to the mind and emotions, while the ascendant describes outlook, temperament and the way a life is approached. In practice:

• Many newspaper and app horoscopes in India are written by Moon sign, because it needs only a birth date.
• Kundali matching compares the two Moon signs and nakshatras, which is why it works even when the ascendants are uncertain.
• The Vimshottari Dasha periods are counted from the Moon's nakshatra at birth.
• House-based readings, including VendaNorth's monthly readings, start from the ascendant.

Which should I read?

Neither is more correct; they answer different questions. A reading by ascendant is more personal because it depends on your birth time, which is why VendaNorth's monthly readings are written for each Lagna. If you don't know your birth time, the Moon sign is usually more reliable than a guessed ascendant.

And your Sun sign?

The Sun sign is the sign the Sun was in. Western astrology leans on it most. In the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology, your Sun sign is often one sign earlier than the Western one, because of the roughly 24-degree difference between the two zodiacs.