Free calculator · Rashi
What is my Moon sign?
Your Moon sign, or rashi, is the sign the Moon was in when you were born. Enter your birth date and place; the time is optional.
The short answer
Your Moon sign is your rashi
Your Moon sign is the zodiac sign the Moon occupied at the moment you were born. In Vedic astrology it is called your rashi, and it is the sign most Indian families mean when they ask "what is your sign?". Your daily and weekly horoscope, Sade Sati and the traditional compatibility check (Guna Milan) are all read from it.
The Sun sign of Western magazines is a different thing. The Sun stays in a sign for about a month, so millions of people share it; the Moon moves through a sign in about two and a quarter days, which makes the rashi a much more personal marker. The two systems also measure the zodiac differently, as explained below, so even the same planet can fall in a different sign.
The method
How we calculate your Moon sign
- The instant. Your local date and time are turned into universal time using the time zone of your birthplace on that date. The time zone and any daylight saving are found from the birthplace and the date, so enter the time exactly as the local clock showed it.
- The Moon's position. The Moon's longitude at that instant is computed from a full lunar theory, the same calculation behind the whole ProperPandit Kundli.
- The sidereal zodiac. Vedic astrology measures signs against the fixed stars. We subtract the Lahiri ayanamsa of your birth date (about 24° today) from the tropical longitude. This is why a Western Moon sign is often one sign later than the Vedic rashi.
- The sign and degree. The zodiac is divided into twelve signs of 30° each. The sign containing the Moon is your rashi, and the degree tells you how far into it the Moon was.
The result is the same Moon sign your free Kundli shows, because both use the same engine and the same settings.
Honest when unsure
If you do not know your birth time
You can leave the time blank. The Moon moves about 12 to 15 degrees a day, so on a little more than half of all days it stays in one sign from midnight to midnight and your rashi is certain without a time. We check the whole day in your birthplace's local time to make sure.
On the other days the Moon crosses from one sign into the next. Then the calculator does not guess: it shows both signs and the local time of the change, for example "Cancer until 14:36, Leo from 14:37". If you know even roughly whether you were born in the morning or the evening, that is usually enough to choose.
Where it matters
What your Moon sign is used for
The rashi is a starting point, not a full reading. It names the sign for your Moon-sign horoscope, sets the dates of Sade Sati (Saturn's passage over your Moon), and is one of the inputs to Guna Milan. Your nakshatra narrows the Moon down to one of 27 star-divisions, and your ascendant adds the rising sign, which needs an exact time.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Moon sign and a Sun sign?
The Sun sign is the sign the Sun was in at birth and changes about once a month. The Moon sign, or rashi, is the sign the Moon was in and changes about every two and a quarter days. Vedic astrology reads the Moon sign for horoscopes and compatibility.
Why is my Vedic Moon sign different from my Western one?
Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, fixed to the stars, while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, fixed to the seasons. The gap between them, the ayanamsa, is about 24 degrees today, so a Moon in the first part of a Western sign is usually in the previous sign in the Vedic chart.
Can I find my rashi without a birth time?
Usually, yes. The calculator checks every part of your birth date in local time. If the Moon stays in one sign all day, the answer is certain. If it changes sign that day, both signs are shown with the time of the change.
Is rashi the same as Moon sign?
Yes. Rashi means sign, and when people say "my rashi" they mean the sign of the Moon at birth, also called the janma rashi or chandra rashi.
Which ayanamsa does this calculator use?
The Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa of your birth date, the standard used by the Indian government's calendar and by most Indian astrologers. It is the same setting as the ProperPandit Kundli.
Is this calculator free?
Yes. The calculator and the online Kundli are free. Nothing is stored: your birth details are used to calculate the answer and are not saved.