Natal Horoscope

In Indian culture, a person’s natal horoscope or janampatrika (“birth-paper”) is
believed to reveal a great deal about a
person. One’s previous karma is thought
to determine the moment when one is
born. Thus, a natal horoscope provides a
karmic “itinerary,” indicating where one
has been and what he or she might
expect in the future. Natal horoscopes
still play a role in decision-making, particularly in arranging marriages. Natal
horoscopes are exchanged before fixing
an engagement in order to determine
the couple’s compatibility. Sometimes
this process takes place merely because
the claim that the horoscopes are
incompatible can provide an acceptable
excuse to refuse an inappropriate
or unacceptable match. Natal horoscopes are believed to reveal important
things about a person’s future. A person
whose horoscope indicates an early
death—or the early death of a spouse—
may find it difficult to marry unless he
or she performs certain rituals to
remove these problems.