The chart below is of Mary Shelley.  The box at top right in the diagram is Gemini, her ascendant, and the signs of the zodiac and 12 houses run clockwise from there.   In 1797 when Mary Shelley was born the difference in planetary positions between Western and Vedic Astrology was 21 degrees, so the usual 2 degree Cancer ascendant minus 21 degrees converts to 11 degrees Gemini.  This gives the visible astronomical positions for the ascendant and planets at the time of birth and allows many insights not available in Western Astrology.

The daily countdown to the Presidential election has started in earnest. It's the season of prediction, so of course astrologers are feeling right at home. Since the Presidential Panel in May at UAC 2012 to the latest commentary in blogs, newsletters and the Huffington post, astrologers have used a wide variety of indicators to determine how the candidates will fare. Below I have highlighted a few of the more interesting columns that present a variety of techniques, from modern to ancient, Western to Vedic. Although most predict President Obama will win, no one thinks it is going to be an easy path.

In IS-300B, students compared the Vedic and Western traditions for Horary and Electional astrology.

Kerri Hartnett wrote the following in response to an assignment from faculty member Gary Gomes regarding the Vedic tradition.

Many of Prasnas’s most revered texts originated from the Kerala region of India. This article explores the social, historical and mythological factors that encouraged the development of horary astrology in this part of India.

The ancient history of Kerala is a bit of a mystery. If we look to mythological evidence, there is legend in India that Parasuram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, created Kerala. Legend has it that Parasuram stood on top of a mountain and threw his battle-axe into the sea, commanding it to retreat. The land that emerged from the waters became Kerala.