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The four types of charting styles.
In India the astrologers follow different methods of casting a chart. There are mainly four methods of casting the charts. They are explained bellow.
South Indian method: In the south Indian style of casting a chart, the position of the zodiacal signs, from Aries to Pisces always remains fixed, as shown in the picture below left. The counting of the houses and the positioning of the planets is done clockwise, as shown in the picture below right. This changes from individual chart to chart. So it can be said that the south style chart follows the fixed sign method. The sign which becomes the ascendant or lagna is marked with the words As or Asc or Lagna. In some cases astrologers also draw two parallel lines at the top corner of the ascendant, the way we cross a bank cheque, to mark the ascendant
The South Indian Style
The data given in the table to the right below, shows the ascendant and the 9 planets in the 1st column, their exact degrees in the 2nd column, the rasi in which they are placed in the third column, the nakshatra in which they are placed in the 4th column and the nakshatra pada in the last column. The birth chart is made placing the planets in those houses. The positioning of the planets and the ascendant is as follows.
Ascendant or Lagna: In Vrischika or Scorpio
Sun : In Vrishabha or Taurus
Moon: In Kumbha or Aquarius
Mars: In Mithuna or Gemini
Mercury: In Mesha or Aries
Jupiter: In Tula or Libra
Venus: In Mithuna or Gemini
Saturn: In Mesha or Aries
Rahu: In Kumbha or Aquarius
Ketu: In Simha or Leo
Please note:
The sign in which the moon is placed is called Janma Rasi or moon sign. In this case the janma rasi is Kumbha or Aquarius.
The nakshatra in which the moon is placed in the birth chart in called Janma Nakshatra. In this case the janma nakshatra is Satabhistha 1st quarter.
As obvious in this chart the lagna is Vrischika, moon and rahu are in the 4th house counted from lagna, Mercury and Saturn are in the 6th house from lagna, Sun is in the 7th house, Mars and Venus are in the 8th house, Ketu is in the 10th house and Jupiter is in the 12th house.
North Indian Style
North Indian method: In the north Indian method of casting the chart, as in the above example, the ascendant or lagna is always kept at the top center and the signs are denoted by their zodiacal sequence number, i.e., Aries is 1, Taurus is 2, Gemini 3, Cancer 4, Leo 5, Virgo 6, Libra 7, Scorpio 8, Sagittarius 9, Capricorn 10, Aquarius 11 and Pisces 12. Here the charting of the houses and the planets is anti-clockwise. In the above demonstration the same chart with the same planetary positions is shown. The lagna is Vrischika and denoted by the sign number 8 and placed at the top center. The planets are placed in the same houses, but charted in the anti-clockwise fashion. For example sun is in Vrishabha or Taurus which is the zodiac house number 2. So we can say that the northern chart chart follows the fixed house method.
East Indian or Maithili method: This type of chart, which is popular in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Orissa and Bengal, is drawn differently and follows the fixed sign method of the south style chart, but the charting is done anti-clockwise as shown in the picture bellow.
East Indian chart
The circular chart: It is the same as the northern chart in every respect but drawn in a circular fashion as shown below.
Circular chart
