Hi there!

I'm from India.Someone please tell me which system is the correct one.The difference in the two is basically that of the aynamsha.

Both are correct.

Having said that, lemme explain further from a book that I have. There are basically two main differences in the tww systems:

(1) Ayanamsha
Western astrology orients the zodiac to the point of the vernal equinox, which it marks as the beginning of Aries. Thus, its Earth-Sun relationship remains constant (as in the equinoxes). It shows how the planets distribute the solar force i.e. the solar side of our character (that which appears to the world at large)

The Vedic system orients itself towards the galactic centre and thus, it also considers the millennial rotation of the solar system through the precession cycle. Its signs are the stellar constellations. Ayanamsha measures the precession of the equinoxes.

When a Western astrologer says that the sun is in Aries, he does not mean that the sun is in the constellation of Aries; in fact, he knows that the sun is probably in the fixed star of pisces but what he means is that the Sun is in the first of a twelvefold division of the zodiac based on the position of the sun at the vernal equinox.

When a Vedic astrologer says that the Sun is in Aries, he means the fixed star of Aries and not the tropical division which, he knows, is probably Taurus.

Though both of them use the same terms, they refer to different portions of the sky based upon two different ways of dividing the heavens.

(2) Determination of house
The main difference is in the interpretation of the house cusps. Both systems agree that planets located at or near the cusps are strong. However, while the Western system makes the cusp the beginning of the house, in the Vedic system a cusp is the middle of the house. Thus, the 1st house in Vedic will contain half the 12th house of the Western system.

The difference, however, is not as major as it appears. The Western system gives an orb of at least 5 deg to the cusp of a house and sometimes upto 10 deg for the luminaries (Sun and Moon). Planets located these degrees prior to the cusp, though technically in the previous house, are regarded as influencing the house through their conjunction with the cusp.

Hi Ani!
Thanks for the feedback.But my query is sill unanswered:both systems cannot be correct-astrology being the precise science that it is,so how does one wade thru the confusing quagmire where the two do meet?One system has to be chosen over the other and I want to make sure I choose the right one.Which one do u use and why?

Ani Hi! again,
Please tell me the name of the bookU were talkind about.Thanks,
Rimi.

Hi Rimi,

The book is called "The astrology of the Seers". It is written by one David Frawley and published by Motilal Banarasidas. Mere 95 rupees but a real gem.

Apropos which system I use, hey, I have just started learning astrology and groping my way about its alleyways. I started with the sidereal (vedic) system and am still studying it because a couple of astrologers I know used to follow this system only and used to make remarkably accurate predictions (unfortunately, they are no more, being contemporaries of my grand dad).

Rimi, to put my two cents in, I think it is a mistake to say that only one of the two systems can be "correct" and that you have to choose one over the other. I also think it is not quite accurate to say that either system is a "precise science" ... astrology is both science AND art, and any good astrologer will tell you that intuition plays as big a part as hard facts and scientific calculations in making good interpretations.

I use primarily the Western system, simply because that's what I learned first and it fits best with my general outlook on life, but I definitely recognize the value of the Vedic approach. One of the top Vedic astrologers I know uses the eastern system for prediction, but turns to western astrology for understanding personality and potentials. So I don't think it's the case that one is "right" and the other "wrong" -- they are simply different approaches, and if you choose between them it should be based on which one you are more personally comfortable with.

Greg

Hi Ani and Greg!
By astrology being a precise science I meant that all its rules are scientifically formulated;the predictive aspect is no doubt an art and calls for a lot of intuitive thinking.I think I'll stick with the western system 'cos for one thing it takes Uranus,Neptune and Pluto into consideration,and secondly because the vedic system has so many different and contradictory rules in different parts of India that after some time it just stops making sense.But not losing sight of it entirely seems like a good option and I think I'll do that.
rimi