Panchang

The Panchang (five limbs) is the core of vedic astrology. While the study of astrology might originate from the Mesopotamian civilization, ancient vedic society had it’s own methods of keeping time. The Panchang is, at it’s core, a vedic timekeeping system, based on the lunar calendar days. Something you will notice about the vedic calendar as well, is that each month is named after a nakshatra. The nakshatra that the month is named after depends on the sign that the full moon happens in for that month.

Most divination techniques start of as either practical timekeeping techniques, or as games, which then progress into esotericism after humans start seeing patterns in them.

Panchang is usually what is used to find auspicious timings for occasions, and is very useful for ritual timings. Major hindu festivals are usually based on nakshatra and tithi. When reading for people or for yourself, panchang is especially useful when used for finding and creating rituals that will help people in their path.

The five components of the vedic calendar are

• Tithi – the phase of moon you’re born in. The moon tells you how you express yourself in the world, what you show, how you emote, basically, your personality
  
• Karana – the half part of a tithi. It is the guiding light, the path you must take in this world, your destiny. What you came to this earth for.
  
• Yoga – the ultimate desire of your soul, and it gives you a hint on how to reconcile your spiritual needs with your physical needs (karana).
  
• Vaar – the day of the week you’re born in, and tells you what planet guides your actions, when you want to achieve something, how you go about it is shown by vaar
  
• Nakshatra – the constellations in the sky, how you navigate, how you see directions when you have nothing else. It’s the framework through which you see life, what you choose to prioritize, and how you make your decisions

How To Interpret The Panchang

Yoga, Karana, and Nakshatra all have deity rulers and symbols. Nakshatras are the most well documented in terms of the amount of symbols, but the basic ways to understand these elements are through the study of the meaning of the name, their symbols, and their deities. Through the combination of these elements, you can understand what kind of picture is painted.

There is generally less information on the Panchang, mostly because it is very interpretive and rather individualistic in how it plays out. So, if one wants to learn, better than trying to find information, it is best to study symbolism, and journal based on your understanding. It is very useful to journal and document events and feelings in a notebook, have them labelled, and check the common themes that stick out to you.

I would also recommend praying to the deities of whatever aspect you are studying. It is a good practice. If you are a monotheist, you can just think of the aspect of your deity that is like the deity (one of their names, rather than a whole deity).

Tithi can be studied through the events that take place during the hindu calendar year, and their stories, and generally also through the moon phases that the tithi is part of. This information, too, is easily available, so I will not get into it. Vaar, as well, can be studied through just understanding the planets.