What Is Vedic Astrology?
Vedic astrology, known as Jyotish, is one of the oldest systems of astrology in the world — a 5,000-year-old Vedic science that uses the actual positions of the planets against fixed stars to map the timing, patterns, and purpose of a human life. The word Jyotish comes from Sanskrit and means “light” or “the science of light.” It is one of the six Vedangas — the limbs of the Vedic tradition — which means it sits alongside yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda as part of the same ancient body of knowledge. Most people in the West have encountered astrology primarily as a personality system. Vedic astrology goes further. The question Jyotish is most concerned with is not just who you are, but when things in your life are likely to move, open, or close. It is fundamentally a system of timing.What Is the Difference Between Vedic Astrology and Western Astrology?
The core difference is this: Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which tracks the actual positions of planets against fixed stars, while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which is based on the seasons and has drifted roughly 23 degrees away from where the planets actually are in the sky. That difference sounds technical, but the practical effect is significant. In Vedic astrology, most people find their sun sign shifts by one sign compared to Western astrology. If you have always been told you are a Scorpio, in Jyotish you are likely a Libra. If you were told you are a Sagittarius, you may be a Scorpio. More importantly, the two systems are oriented differently. Western astrology tends to focus on psychological archetypes — who you are, how you think, your patterns and personality. Jyotish is more concerned with the unfolding of a life through time. What period are you in? What does this window open? What is this chapter asking of you? The tools are also different. Vedic astrology has two major systems that Western astrology either does not have or barely touches: Dashas — a system of planetary periods that maps the entire arc of your life in specific cycles. Nakshatras — 27 lunar mansions that add a layer of precision and nuance you simply cannot get from the tropical zodiac alone. Both of these are covered in depth in our course.What Is Jyotish?
Jyotish is the Sanskrit name for Vedic astrology. It literally means “science of light” and is one of six Vedangas — the auxiliary disciplines of the Vedic tradition. Where yoga works with the body and breath, and meditation works with consciousness, Jyotish works with time. It is the Vedic system for understanding the relationship between the movements of celestial bodies and the unfolding of a human life. Jyotish is not fortune-telling. It is a precision map. Like any map, it does not force you to walk a particular road — but it shows you the terrain so you can navigate with far greater awareness.What Are Dashas in Vedic Astrology?
Dashas are planetary period sequences in Vedic astrology that map the timing of your life. Each planet rules a specific number of years, and within those years there are sub-periods, each with its own distinct quality, lessons, and openings. Most foundational astrology courses skip dashas entirely. We think that is a mistake. The dasha system is arguably the most powerful timing tool in all of astrology. When you understand which dasha you are currently in, something about your life starts to make sense that may have felt confusing or random before. Why this chapter feels expansive. Why this period has been one of dissolution and letting go. Why relationships or career or health have taken on a particular quality right now. Understanding your dasha is not about predicting what will happen. It is about understanding the nature of the time you are in, so you can meet it with clarity rather than resistance.What Are Nakshatras?
Nakshatras are the 27 lunar mansions used in Vedic astrology. They are one of the most distinctive and precise tools in Jyotish, and they have no real equivalent in Western astrology. The nakshatras divide the sky into 27 segments and assign specific qualities, ruling deities, symbols, and characteristics to each one. When you know which nakshatra your Moon is in, your Ascendant, your key planets — the chart stops being a general sketch and becomes something that feels genuinely specific to you. Many people who have received Vedic readings and felt that the astrologer was somehow describing them from the inside out — that precision almost always comes from working with the nakshatras.Why Does My Sign Change in Vedic Astrology?
Your sign changes in Vedic astrology because it uses the sidereal zodiac, which tracks real planetary positions against fixed stars. Over the last 2,000 years, the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology has drifted approximately 23 degrees from the actual sky — enough to shift most people back by one sign. This surprises and sometimes unsettles people at first. If you have identified strongly as an Aries your whole life and discover you are actually a Pisces in Jyotish, it can feel disorienting. What most people find, once they sit with it, is that the Vedic chart often feels more accurate — more specific to who they actually are rather than who they might ideally want to be. The sidereal chart is based on where the planets actually were when you were born. There is a groundedness to that.Who Is This Course For?
Georgia and I designed this course for a specific kind of person. You have probably had a Vedic astrology reading at some point and walked away wanting to understand what the astrologer was actually looking at. You sense there are patterns in your life but you cannot quite read the map yourself. You may have explored Western astrology and felt it was good but not precise enough. Or you have always been drawn to the Vedic tradition through yoga or meditation and Jyotish feels like the next natural layer. You do not need any prior knowledge. The course is built from the ground up and assumes nothing. What you do need is a genuine interest in the system and the commitment to show up for 12 weeks. This is not a surface-level overview. It is a foundational education in a living system that has been refined over thousands of years.What Will I Actually Learn?
The course runs across six modules: Module 1 – The Planets. The nine planetary forces in Jyotish — Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. What each planet represents, how it expresses in a chart, and how to work with it consciously. Module 2 – Signs and Houses. The personalisation layer of the chart. How the signs and houses reveal the specific structure of your life across career, relationships, health, dharma, and purpose. Module 3 – Dashas. The timing system. This is the module most foundational courses leave out. We give it the depth it deserves. Module 4 – Nakshatras. The 27 lunar mansions that make a Vedic chart come alive. Once you understand nakshatras, you will never look at a chart the same way again. Module 5 – Transits. How real-time planetary movement activates your natal chart. This is what makes Jyotish a living practice week to week, not just something you consult once a year. Module 6 – Remedies. The practical tools Jyotish offers for working with difficult periods or strengthening weak planetary energy. Mantra, gemstones, yagya, and other Vedic practices. This is an area Western astrology barely touches. And as a bonus, the course includes The Planet Journey — nine guided pranayama and kriya practices I created specifically for this course, one for each planet. These are practices for experiencing the energy of each planet through your body, not just understanding them intellectually. They are unique to this course and not available anywhere else.Are Sessions Recorded?
Yes. Every session is recorded and permanently accessible in the course portal. If you cannot make a live session, you will not miss the content. That said, there is something particular about being in the room live — the questions that arise, the group field — that recordings cannot fully replicate. We encourage attending live whenever possible.Is This a Professional Certification Course?
No. This is a foundational personal-use course. It will give you the strongest possible foundation for reading charts — your own and those of people around you — but it is not a practitioner training or professional certification program. If you go on to pursue professional-level Jyotish study, what you build here will serve you well. But that is not the purpose of this course. The purpose is to give you a genuine, working understanding of this system for your own life.What Makes This Course Different From Books or Apps?
Georgia and I built this course because the resource we always wished existed did not exist. Books on Vedic astrology tend to be rigid, symbol-heavy, and often fear-based in their language. Apps strip a 5,000-year-old living system down to personality blurbs. Most online courses teach symbols without teaching the system — you learn what a planet means without learning how to read a chart or understand the timing of a life. We teach the system. Not the symbols in isolation, but how everything connects. By the end of this course you will be able to look at your own chart and understand what period you are in, why your current chapter has the quality it does, and what is opening or closing in the years ahead.What Does the Course Cost?
The course is $825 AUD for full payment, or three payments of $275 AUD on a payment plan. Every session is recorded. The recordings remain yours permanently. Enrolment closes when the course begins on May 1, 2026.Who Are the Teachers?
Geoff Rupp has been studying Jyotish for over ten years, trained through the Sattva lineage under Anand Mehrotra at Sattva Yoga Academy in the Himalayas. He is a Master Teacher of Vedic Meditation, Himalayan Breathwork facilitator, and Vedic Astrologer based in Sydney, with over 15 years of immersion in the Vedic sciences. His approach is direct, practical, and rooted in lived experience of these teachings — not theory. This course is taught alongside Georgia Vavasour, a fellow Vedic Meditation teacher, breathwork instructor, and Vedic Astrologer. Geoff and Georgia have spent years talking astrology together, and the decision to teach this course came from a simple recognition: two perspectives, two decades of combined experience, and a depth of conversation that one teacher alone cannot replicate. The result is a richer, more complete transmission of the system.What Are People Saying?
“So much insight into my own timing and direction. I finally feel like I understand what I have been moving through.” — Julie Stansfield “Clarity, warmth and genuine care. This is the real thing.” — Jaz Louisa “Precise, beautifully structured, and genuinely life-changing.” — Trey WilliamsReady to Begin?
The course starts May 1, 2026 — a full moon — and runs for 12 weeks. If Jyotish has been calling to you, this is the place to start. Enrol in the Foundational Course in Vedic Astrology Questions? Email geoff@geoffrupp.com or reach out directly.Geoff Rupp has been studying Vedic astrology for over ten years and teaching for over a decade. He is a Master Teacher of Vedic Meditation, Himalayan Breathwork guide, and Vedic Astrologer based in Sydney. He is the founder of Find Your Calm.