Astrology is a form of knowledge being practiced from historical times based on the planetary positions. In the present time, we mainly have three well-recognized branches of astrology; Western astrology, Indian/Vedic astrology (or Jyotish), and Chinese or East Asian astrology. In India, the first named authors writing treatises on astronomy are from the 5th century CE, the date when the classical period of Indian astronomy can be said to begin, besides the theories of Aryabhata in the Aryabhatiya and the lost Arya-siddhānta.

There are slight variations in the way these different systems give importance to the birth time and planetary positions. The Indian astrology gives importance to the rising sign (often called as Birth Sign or Lagna or Ascendant), besides the moon's position (called Moon Sign or rashi) in a particular zodiac constellation. Whereas the Western astrology gives importance to the Sun's position (known as Sun Sign) in a particular horoscope.