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Basic design of the Natal-chart

In the nearly thousand five hundred years long history of Indian astrology one can glean some detail about the development of lunar-stellar elective astrology, but it is completely silent about the history of the natal-chart with its twelve zodiacal houses and unequal distribution of house ownership of seven celestial bodies. If this chart is not indigenous to India, when and how it was introduced to Indian astrology is not known. Twelve zodiacal houses and planetary ownership of 'houses' was first mentioned in the Indian astrology by Bashistha, followed by Garga, but detail

description about the structure is found in Parasara's 'Brihat Hora Sastra'. All subsequent Indian astrologers accepted it unquestioningly. This absolute acceptance and lack of evolutionary history in the Indian astrology compel us to believe that a completely developed and widely accepted design was introduced to India by about 8th-9th century B.C. (After Lagadha and before Parasara).

The structural design of the natal-chart used by the ancient Mesopotamian, modern and ancient Indian and Western astrologers are basically the same, and all alterations are merely cosmetic. This design is probably the world's first computing software with built-in 'virus'. Scores of informations are integrated in this design which will become evident as soon as the 'planets' are placed in their proper places, but the whole computing structure gets destroyed even if a single alteration is brought in. That is the reason why no subsequent astrologer dared to modify the same.

The present author has gone through at least ten different interpretations of genesis of design of the birth-circle (Jamma Chakra) based on astrology, astronomy, numerology and on mystic value, verging from near rational to absolutely fantastic. There will be no great harm if the present author adds his own interpretation to this lot.

The design of the natal-chart virtually universally used in Indian and western astrology was first seen on the clay tablets (found in the archaeological excavations) of the ancient Mesopotamian cities of Babylon, Nineveh and Nippur, the age varying from roughly 2000 B.C. to 6th century B.C. The Greeks got their chart from the Chaldeans by about 6-7th century B.C., whereas Indian astrologers must have known about its existence before one millenium B.C. but did not find it acceptable till about 8th century B.C. Once accepted it remained unchanged for the last for three thousand years.

The present author comprehends the design of the zodiacal-ascendant birth-chart with its planetary ownership of houses, as two- dimensional representation of the three dimensional spatial interplanetary energy distribution map of the solar system as known at that time. To follow the logic behind this apparently simple design, where a circle is divided into twelve equal sectors or houses with the Sun and the Moon owning one house each and rest of the planets known at that time namely Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn owning two houses each should have been easy, but deciphering could not be done for the last three thousand years and the secret went to grave along with its designers.

To grasp the intricacy of this grand design, first we must accept some postulations as true and then subsequently reexamine the same whether they could have been true or not.

1. To the astrologer designers of the natal-chart, the orbital path of the celestial bodies were as important as the celestial bodies themselves.

2. The designers knew that the Moon does not have any energy field of its own, but it conveys the solar energy to the Earth.

3. The five solar planets visible with naked eyes from the Earth, and the Earth itself revolve round the Sun.

4. Relative spatial positions occupied by the planets of the solar system including this Earth in respect to the Sun was known at that time.

5. The designers of natal chart probably also knew (but it is not absolutely essential ) that the Earth is spherical in shape, and it revolves round its axis.

It will be much easier to understand this grand design if one retreats step by the structural evolution of the natal-chart with the help of a series of diagrams. Ultimately the truth will be revealed making further explanations superfluous.

This is the most popular design of the natal-chart in India, used Primarily in the southern states. It is only a 'mirror image' or 'reverse' of the classical Mesopotamian design. House ownership of planets is same as in the classical chart. DIAGRAM - 4

This design of natal-chart is popular in the northern and central India. Modification of the classical design is made by bringing the house where ascendant is located to the top-central square. If we put ascendant in the house of Aries, the classical design is obtained. DIAGRAM - 5