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Frequently asked questions
Short, honest answers to the questions people ask most about Jyotish and about aatm — what a kundli is, whether we predict the future, what we do with your data, and more.
What is a kundli (janam kundli)?
A janam kundli is your birth chart: a map of where the planets sat in the sky at the exact moment and place you were born, drawn as twelve houses. It is the foundation every Jyotish reading is built on.
Each house describes an area of life, and the planets and the Lagna are read against it. It is one chart per person, fixed at birth — not a daily horoscope that changes with the date.
What is the difference between Vedic astrology (Jyotish) and Western astrology?
Jyotish uses the sidereal zodiac (fixed against the stars, via the Lahiri ayanamsa), while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac tied to the seasons. The two can place your Sun or Moon in different signs, and Jyotish leans on the Moon, the Nakshatras, and the Dasha timeline rather than the Sun sign.
The offset between the two zodiacs is currently around 24°, enough to shift a placement by a whole sign. Jyotish reads from the Moon's Nakshatra and from planetary periods; this is a difference of method, not a judgement that either system is right or wrong. See also Janma Nakshatra and your Moon sign.
Does aatm predict the future?
No. aatm does not predict the future and never claims to. It orients you within your life — showing the period you are in and what it tends to ask of you — rather than forecasting events.
Orientation over prediction is the idea the whole product is built on. The Dasha layer frames time; it does not foretell outcomes, and aatm will not tell you what will happen or what to do. More on this in orientation over prediction.
Do I need to know my exact birth time?
It helps, but it is not required to start. An exact time sharpens the Lagna and the house placements; when your time is uncertain, aatm reads from your Moon's Nakshatra first, which needs only your date and rough time of day.
A one-hour error can shift the Lagna and every house with it. aatm scores birth-time confidence at onboarding and adjusts what it shows for low-confidence charts rather than pretending to a precision it does not have. The Moon's Nakshatra is the sturdy starting point.
What is a dasha or mahadasha?
A dasha is a planetary period in Jyotish — a stretch of life ruled by one planet. The Vimshottari system divides life into nine mahadashas, from Ketu to Mercury, together spanning 120 years, so you can see which chapter you are living through.
Each period colours a span of years with the character of its ruling planet. The mahadasha you were born into is set by your Janma Nakshatra. Read more in what is a Dasha and across the nine Mahadashas.
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions the Moon moves through. Your Janma Nakshatra — the one the Moon sat in at your birth — is often the most personal part of the chart and describes your inner temperament.
Each nakshatra carries a ruling planet, a symbol, and a character, and is computed with the Lahiri ayanamsa. Start with what is a Nakshatra or browse all 27 nakshatras.
Is my data private? Does aatm sell data or show ads?
Your birth data and readings are yours. aatm shows no ads and does not sell your data, and you can export or delete everything at any time. Anything sent to AI is sent only with your consent.
Deletion is no-questions-asked, from the app or by email. The full detail is in the privacy policy, and you can remove your account any time from the delete-account page.
Is aatm free?
Yes — aatm is a free app that reads your Vedic chart in plain words. You can start without paying.
There is nothing to buy to get your reading. If that ever changes, we will say so plainly. Back to aatm.
Is this religious? Do I have to believe in astrology?
No. aatm is not a religion and asks you to believe nothing. Jyotish is a centuries-old system for reading the chart drawn at your birth; aatm offers it as a mirror for self-understanding, not as doctrine or a verdict.
There is no fear here, no commandments, and no judgement — you are free to take what is useful and leave the rest. More on the stance in orientation over prediction and why aatm.
Can aatm tell me what to do about my health, money, or a legal problem?
No — aatm offers orientation, not advice. It is not a substitute for medical, legal, or financial help, and it will not tell you what to do about a specific decision.
What it can do is describe the period you are in and the temperament your chart tends to carry, as a mirror for your own thinking. For real decisions about health, money, or the law, please talk to a qualified professional. More on this in orientation over prediction.
Related: Learn Jyotish · Janam Kundli · Orientation over prediction · Privacy · aatm