Question 1

What is the difference between Vedic and Western astrology?

Accepted Answer

Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, tied to the seasons, while Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, tied to the fixed stars. The two systems disagree on sign placements by roughly 24 degrees today. Celestify calculates both from your birth data so you can compare them side by side.

Question 2

Why does Celestify use the Lahiri ayanamsa for Vedic calculations?

Accepted Answer

Lahiri is the ayanamsa officially adopted by the Indian government and used by the majority of modern Vedic astrologers. It defines the offset between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs based on the star Spica. Using a single, widely accepted ayanamsa keeps our Vedic output consistent with most Vedic references you will find elsewhere.

Question 3

Do I need to know my exact birth time?

Accepted Answer

For sign placements and planetary positions, the date is enough. For an accurate rising sign (Ascendant) and house cusps, the time matters — a 4-minute error shifts the Ascendant by roughly one degree. If your time is unknown, Celestify still returns planet positions, but we flag the houses and Ascendant as low-confidence.

Question 4

Is Celestify actually free? Do I need to sign up?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The birth chart, horoscopes, and transit pages are free to use without an account. We offer optional paid features for deeper readings, but nothing on the home page, horoscope pages, or basic chart requires you to sign up.

Question 5

What data does Celestify store about me?

Accepted Answer

If you calculate a chart without signing in, we store only the birth data you entered (date, time, place) linked to a shareable hash — no email, no tracking identifiers. If you create an account, we store your email and chart history so you can come back to them. We never sell personal data.

Question 6

Which house system does Celestify use?

Accepted Answer

We default to Placidus for Western charts and Whole Sign for Vedic charts, matching the conventions of each tradition. Placidus divides houses by time-based quadrants, which is the dominant modern Western choice, while Whole Sign assigns one full zodiac sign to each house, which is the Vedic standard.

Question 7

Are the interpretations written by an AI?

Accepted Answer

Yes — our horoscope and chart readings are generated by large language models, conditioned on precise planetary positions from a professional-grade astronomical engine. The underlying astronomy is deterministic and accurate to arc-seconds. The interpretation layer is AI-authored, so treat it as one informed perspective rather than a substitute for a personal astrologer.

Your cosmic blueprint, grounded in real astronomy.

Today's sky

Today's horoscopes

Frequently asked questions