Jyotish works with nine grahas. Seven are visible bodies, and two, Rahu and Ketu, are the points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's. Together they are called the Navagraha.
| Graha | Represents | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Surya (Sun) सू | Soul, father, authority, confidence | Sunday |
| Chandra (Moon) चं | Mind, emotions, mother | Monday |
| Mangal (Mars) मं | Energy, courage, land, siblings | Tuesday |
| Budh (Mercury) बु | Intellect, speech, business | Wednesday |
| Guru (Jupiter) गु | Wisdom, teachers, children, growth | Thursday |
| Shukra (Venus) शु | Love, beauty, comfort, marriage | Friday |
| Shani (Saturn) श | Discipline, hard work, delay, justice | Saturday |
| Rahu रा | Desire, ambition, the unusual | – |
| Ketu के | Detachment, spirituality, past karma | – |
Benefic and malefic
Traditionally Guru, Shukra, a bright Moon and a well-placed Budh are called benefic (shubh). Shani, Mangal, Rahu, Ketu and Surya are called malefic (krur). In real charts this is never so simple. A "malefic" planet in the right house can give great results. That is why a chart is read as a whole and not planet by planet.
Dashas: the timing of life
The Vimshottari dasha system divides a 120-year life into periods ruled by each graha, starting from the nakshatra of your Moon. The planet whose dasha is running colours that phase of life. Astrologers use dashas together with current transits (gochar) to talk about timing.
This article is general information about traditional Vedic astrology. It is not a prediction for you personally and not a substitute for professional advice.