Zodiac signs and their Characteristic

Something about Your zodiac signs

Note- In Vedic Astrology Moon sign is considered as the zodiac sign rather than Sun sign (as in Tropical or Western astrology).

The sign in which the planet “Moon” is placed is known as Moon Sign

Twelve Zodiac Signs 

The Rashis (zodiac signs) form the cosmic background through which the Grahas move. At the time of birth, each Graha will be found in one of the twelve Rashis. The Rashi will have a great impact on the condition of the Graha (favourable or unfavourable), as well as its unique qualities. Unlike the tropical zodiac that is used in Western astrology, the Rashis are based on the position of the actual stars. If one compares the nine Grahas to lights that radiate according to our level of awareness in the areas of life explained above, then the Rashis would be like the lamps inside which the light shines. The color, shape and qualities of the lamp will have a significant impact on the light inside it, and could help the light get more focused and useful, or it could obstruct the light and discolour it.

Traits of the rashi - Each Rashi has a symbol associated with it. The symbol is a visualization of the nature of the sign, and helps in understanding the qualities and tendencies of the sign in question. The symbols are chosen by the ancient rishis to represent the qualities of the signs as closely as possible. The qualities of the sign are not derived from the symbols; the symbols are based on the qualities! Therefore, do not try to over-interpret the meaning of the symbols. In the classical Vedic Astrology literature, the zodiac is depicted as the body of Shri Vishnu, the personification of time, also referred to as the kalapurusha. Each Rashi represents one of the body parts. Each sign is ruled by one of the Grahas. This relationship between a sign and its planetary ruler is extremely important, and plays a prime role in the analysis of the chart. The odd signs are male, and the even signs are female. Male signs represent a more masculine, bold and assertive quality, while female signs are more feminine, gentle and supportive in nature.

1. Mesha (Aries) -The complexion of Aries is blood-red. It has a prominent (big) body. It is a quadruped sign and strong during the night. It denotes courage. It resides in the East, and is related to kings. It wanders in the hills and its predominant guna is “Rajasik”. It rises with its back and is fiery. Its ruler is Mangal(Mars). Mesha is ruled by Mars which represents strength, and is a male and movable sign. Mesha represents the head of the kalapurusha. Mesha has a great ability to mobilize energy, to apply strength with agility and mobility.The symbol of Mesha is a Ram. A Ram is a fiery, strong, mobile, headstrong animal, which captures the spirit of Mesha. A person who has Mesha prominent in their chart, will therefore tend to have a reddish complexion, , is strong and courageous, has a large body but yet is mobile and likes to wander around. Such a person likes to explore and start new things. Aries function well at night

 2. Vrishabha (Taurus) - its complexion is white, and is governed by Venus. It is long and is a quadruped sign. It has strength at night and resides in the South. It represents villages and businessmen. It is an earthy sign and rises with its back. Vrishabha is ruled by Venus, the Graha for comfort and enjoyments. Vrishabha is a fixed, earthy and female sign. Altogether it represents a very steady and grounded quality, attracted to material values and comforts. It combines very sturdy qualities with harmonious relations. The symbol of Vrishabh is a bull (a gentle one), and is descriptive of its qualities. Cows are peaceful and do not move around a lot. They have prominent necks and prefer the comfort of the meadow above rocky or uneven terrains. They stick together in a herd. A person who has a prominent Vrishabha in their chart, will enjoy being with other people, and have steady and reliable social relations. Building up a foundation for material comforts, and accumulating possessions in one form or another is likely to be important. Such people are generally tall with well built shoulders or a strong neck. The quality of Earth and Venus combines to a pleasant and calm type of personality.Taurus is “Rajsik”.

3. Mithuna (Gemini) - It rises with its head and represents a male and a female holding a mace and lute. It lives in the west and is an airy rashi. It is a biped rashi as well and is strong during the nights. It lives in villages and is windy in temperament. It has an even body with a green hue like the color of grass. Its ruler is Buddha(Mercury). Mithuna is a dual sign, airy and male. Mercury's significations of speech and intellect turn particularly mental in this sign, due to the element of air. The property of dual adds the capacity to always see two sides of any issue, allowing for great mediating skills on one hand, but indecisiveness on the other. Since dual signs are partly movable and partly fixed, they provide an adaptable quality. Buddha greatly emphasises this quality, and the combination gives great ability to deal and communicate with all sorts of people. The symbol of Mithuna is a couple, holding a mace and a flute. The couple symbolizes communication and interaction, and the objects held indicate multi talents. People with a prominent Mithuna in their chart will be very intellectual, love to analyze and scrutinize, can think of the pros and cons of anything. Want to stop a Mithuna from doing something, ask him/her "are you really sure?" They enjoy frequent communications, are witty and skilful in speech, and can easily relate to people of all kinds.  They learn quickly, but also forget quickly.This rashi is “Rajsik”

 4. Karka (Cancer) - It is pale red. It relates to forests and represents Brahmins. It is strong during the nights. It has many feet (i.e. it is a centipede rashi) and has a bulky body. It is Sattvic in disposition (seen in gods) and it is a watery rashi. It rises with its back and is ruled by Chandra(Moon). Chandra is the ruler, and Karka is a movable, watery and female sign. Chandra is a significator for water anyways, so Karka is highly associated with water and the characteristics of water. It is nurturing, supportive, sensitive and emotional. The symbol of Karka is a crab, a water based animal that is always on the go looking for food. The symbolism of the large scissors of the crab seems inappropriate for Karka. People with a prominent Karka in their chart are changeable, and continuously moving around creating new associations. There are ups and downs like the tides, and the emotions play an important role in everything. This sign is “satvic”.

 5. Simha (Leo) - It is ruled by Surya(Sun) and is “satvic”. It is a quadruped and a royal rashi. It relates to forests and rises with its head. It has a large, white body. It resides in the east and is strong during daytime. Surya (the Sun) is the ruler and Simha is a fixed, fire, male sign. The Sun is a fiery Graha, so Simha is very fiery sign indeed. Add to that the male quality, and the sign's symbol of a Lion makes a lot of sense. Surya represents the king, and the lion is called the king of the animal kingdom. People with a prominent Simha in their chart are territorial,dominant. They have pride and radiance and natural leadership qualities. The ego is pronounced, and questioning such a person is likely to cause a strong response. Leo is not very flexible, but can be very generous when it serves maintaining dignity. It thrives on being recognized for its superiority in some area.

 6. Kanya (Virgo) - It is a resident of the hills, and is strong in daytime. It rises with its head and has a medium build. It is a biped rashi and resides in the south. It has grains and fire in its hands. It belongs to the business community and is variegated. It relates to hurricanes ('Prabharanjani'). It is a Virgin and is “tamsik” (a disposition of demons). Its ruler is Buddha. Buddha (Mercury) is the ruler and Kanya is a dual, earthy female sign. As compared to Mithuna, Buddha's qualities manifest very differently in an Earthy sign, as the excellent discriminative qualities of Buddha are expressed in a more physical form. The result is an unsurpassed eye for details in practical matters. Buddha is a neutral Graha, and Kanya is female, causing a rather tender combination. The symbol for Kanya is a young woman, standing in a boat, holding wheat (or corn) and fire. This image symbolizes an industrious but homely quality. Just like in the case of Mithuna (Gemini) the dual quality of the sign is reflected by having opposite elements in the symbol. People with a prominent Kanya will be somewhat shy, and have a soft, tender disposition. They are very good at organizing and keeping track of details, and tend to worry more than necessary. They are likely to have practical skills, especially related to communication and information processing.

 7. Tula (Libra) - It is a Sirshodaya rashi rising with its head. Tula is strong during daytime. It is black in complexion and is predominant with “Rajsik” guna. It relates to the western direction and resorts to land. It is destructive or mischievous. It represents Sudras or the 4th Varna. It has a medium build physique and is a biped rashi. Its lord is Shukra. Shukra (Venus) is the ruler and Tula is a movable, airy and male sign. Shukra is the graha for harmony and grace, and in this airy sign these qualities get expressed in more abstract forms. The symbol of Tula is a man holding scales, symbolizing an innate affinity with considering balance, proper relations and the harmonious exchange of things. People with a prominent Tula will be easy to deal with due to their Venusians quality. The element of air gives an ability to easily sense other's people's nature, and Venus added to that makes for a great talent to create pleasant relationships. Such people will be good at maintaining a balance in the process of giving and taking, or they can use the same to their advantage in salesman type work. You have Tula (Libra) predominant in your chart.

 8. Vrischika (Scorpio) - It has a slender physique and is a centipede rashi. It denotes Brahmins and resides in holes. Its direction is north and is strong during daytime. It is reddish brown and relates to water and land. It has a hairy physique and is very sharp (or passionate). Mangal is its ruler. Mangal (Mars) is the ruler and Vrischika is a fixed, watery and female sign. The Mangal that made Mesha (Aries) so enterprising and energetic, plays a much more defensive and protective role here. It is defending its delicate watery/female core. The symbol chosen for this sign is the Scorpion, an animal that is known for its ability to defend itself. People with a prominent Scorpio can be very warm and sweet, if left unchallenged and unthreatened. They rather not change their position, but defend themselves if someone tries to harm them.  Their tendency to be fixed can make them appear to be controlling, but their true nature is to nurture. Just don't tease them.This sign is “tamsik”

 9. Dhanu (Sagittarius) - It rises with its head and is governed by Guru. It is a “satvic” rashi and is tawny in hue. It has strength in the night and is fiery. A royal rashi, Dhanu is biped in the first half. Its second half is quadruped. It has an even build and bears an arch. It resides in the east, relates to land and is splendid.      Guru (Jupiter) is the ruler and Dhanu is dual, fiery and male. Guru is the Graha for knowledge and expansion. In a male and fiery sign, these qualities turn ambitious and enterprising. The dual quality is found in its symbol: a creature that is half horse, half archer. Guru is connected to the element of space, and the bow and arrow symbolizes the sign's affinity with crossing spaces, and reaching out into new territories. People with a prominent Dhanu are opportunistic and full of life. They are generally optimistic and cheerful, and actively pursuing their interests. They are interested in knowledge that can help them progress, and are good at expressing themselves. You have Dhanu (Sagittarius) predominant in your chart.

10. Makara (Capricorn) - It has Shani as the lord and has predominance of “tamsik”guna (a disposition seen in demons). It is an earthy rashi and represents the southern direction. It is strong at night, and rises from the back. It has a large body. Its complexion is variegated and it resorts to both forests and lands. Its first half is quadruped and its second half moves in water, without a foot. Shani (Saturn) is the ruler and Makara is movable, earthy, and female. Shani has qualities of patience, endurance and slow but steady progress. The movable side of Makara is contrasting mobile as compared to Shani. The symbol of the sign is a crocodile with the upper body of a goat. The crocodile part stands for the patience and endurance, and the goat part grafted on top of it stands for the mobility, and the somewhat stubborn nature of the sign. People with a prominent Makara are industrious and hard working. They are ambitious but patient in reaching their goals. They are likely to travel, or move around in one way or another.

 11. Kumbha (Aquarius) - It represents a man holding a pot. Its complexion is deep brown. It has a medium build and is a biped rashi. It is very strong during daytime. It relates to deep water and is airy. It rises with its head and is “tamasik”. It rules Shudras, the 4th Varna, and the west. Its lord is Shani, Surya's offspring.  Shani (Saturn) is the ruler, and Kumbha is fixed, airy and male. Shani's slow and deep qualities are not directed to physical causes like in Makara, instead it has a mental and philosophical slant, capable of deep thought. The symbol is a man holding a water pitcher. Holding a water pitcher without dropping it requires steady concentration and fixity of purpose, both qualities of this sign. People with a prominent Kumbha have a purpose, based on some philosophy or simple life principles. They have an interest in helping friends, or a community at large. They can be rough in their manners, but are also not too delicate themselves.

12. Meena (Pisces) - It resembles a pair of fish, one tailed with the head of the other. This rashi is strong at night. It is a watery rashi and is predominant with “satvic” guna. It denotes resoluteness and is related to water. It does not have a foot and has a medium build. It rules the north and rises with both head and back. It is ruled by Guru. Guru (Jupiter) is the ruler, and Meena is a dual, watery and female sign. Jupiter's expansive qualities combined with the element of water, gives an association with large bodies of water. The symbol is a pair of fish, swimming in opposite directions.  The fish is characteristic of opposite directions contained within one quiet body of water. People with a prominent Meena tend to have an idealistic and universal view on things. They are active on the outside, but peaceful on the inside. They can have a problem making up their mind, or change their judgment on things. They are attracted to spirituality for the promise of enlightenment. They can be sentimental, and much moved by women or beauty. They have an attraction to products from the sea.