Understanding the 12 Rashis

The 12 Rashis are the foundation of Vedic astrology. Each Rashi (sign) has a ruling planet, element and modality that colors how planets behave when placed there.

Elements & Modalities

The signs are grouped by four elements — fire, earth, air, water — and three modalities — cardinal, fixed, mutable. This 4×3 grid gives us 12 unique combinations.

Sign Rulers

• Mesha (Aries) — Mars
• Vrishabha (Taurus) — Venus
• Mithuna (Gemini) — Mercury
• Karka (Cancer) — Moon
• Simha (Leo) — Sun