The 12 Signs (Rashis): Lords, Elements and Qualities

The twelve signs, or rashis, divide the zodiac into equal parts of thirty degrees, counted in the sidereal zodiac from the first point of Aries. Each has a lord, an element and a quality, and each is the sign of a planet's exaltation, fall or rule. The sign rising at birth is the Lagna, from which the houses are counted.

#	Sign	Sanskrit	Lord	Element	Quality	Exalted here	Fallen here
1	Aries	Mesha	Mars	Fire	Movable	Sun	Saturn
2	Taurus	Vrishabha	Venus	Earth	Fixed	Moon	—
3	Gemini	Mithuna	Mercury	Air	Dual	—	—
4	Cancer	Karka	Moon	Water	Movable	Jupiter	Mars
5	Leo	Simha	Sun	Fire	Fixed	—	—
6	Virgo	Kanya	Mercury	Earth	Dual	Mercury	Venus
7	Libra	Tula	Venus	Air	Movable	Saturn	Sun
8	Scorpio	Vrishchika	Mars	Water	Fixed	—	Moon
9	Sagittarius	Dhanu	Jupiter	Fire	Dual	—	—
10	Capricorn	Makara	Saturn	Earth	Movable	Mars	Jupiter
11	Aquarius	Kumbha	Saturn	Air	Fixed	—	—
12	Pisces	Meena	Jupiter	Water	Dual	Venus	Mercury

Sign by sign

Aries (Mesha) is a movable fire sign ruled by Mars, holding Ashwini, Bharani and one quarter of Krittika. The Sun is exalted here. Saturn falls here.

Taurus (Vrishabha) is a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus, holding 3 quarters of Krittika, Rohini and 2 quarters of Mrigashira. The Moon is exalted here.

Gemini (Mithuna) is a dual air sign ruled by Mercury, holding 2 quarters of Mrigashira, Ardra and 3 quarters of Punarvasu.

Cancer (Karka) is a movable water sign ruled by the Moon, holding one quarter of Punarvasu, Pushya and Ashlesha. Jupiter is exalted here. Mars falls here.

Leo (Simha) is a fixed fire sign ruled by the Sun, holding Magha, Purva Phalguni and one quarter of Uttara Phalguni.

Virgo (Kanya) is a dual earth sign ruled by Mercury, holding 3 quarters of Uttara Phalguni, Hasta and 2 quarters of Chitra. Mercury is exalted here. Venus falls here.

Libra (Tula) is a movable air sign ruled by Venus, holding 2 quarters of Chitra, Swati and 3 quarters of Vishakha. Saturn is exalted here. The Sun falls here.

Scorpio (Vrishchika) is a fixed water sign ruled by Mars, holding one quarter of Vishakha, Anuradha and Jyeshtha. The Moon falls here.

Sagittarius (Dhanu) is a dual fire sign ruled by Jupiter, holding Mula, Purva Ashadha and one quarter of Uttara Ashadha.

Capricorn (Makara) is a movable earth sign ruled by Saturn, holding 3 quarters of Uttara Ashadha, Shravana and 2 quarters of Dhanishtha. Mars is exalted here. Jupiter falls here.

Aquarius (Kumbha) is a fixed air sign ruled by Saturn, holding 2 quarters of Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha and 3 quarters of Purva Bhadrapada.

Pisces (Meena) is a dual water sign ruled by Jupiter, holding one quarter of Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati. Venus is exalted here. Mercury falls here.

Reading the table

The signs are sidereal: they are measured from the first point of Aries as the stars stand, with the Lahiri ayanamsa, so each begins about twenty-four degrees later than the tropical sign of the same name used in Western astrology. A Western "Aries" is therefore largely a Vedic Pisces. The elements run fire, earth, air and water round the circle three times; the qualities run movable, fixed and dual four times. The lords are the seven visible planets, the Sun and the Moon ruling one sign each and the other five two. Rahu and Ketu, in the classical scheme the site follows, rule no sign. A planet's exaltation and fall are opposite each other; each sign's page gives them by degree where the texts divide the sign.

Your Lagna and Moon sign, and the sign each planet occupies in your chart, are in a free birth chart. The daily, monthly and yearly horoscope is read from the Moon sign.