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Key takeaways
- Chandrashtama is when the transiting Moon is in the 8th sign counted from your Moon sign (Janma Rashi).
- It comes round about every 27.3 days and lasts roughly 2¼ days, so most people have 13 Chandrashtama periods a year.
- Tradition advises against starting new ventures, travel, signing agreements or arguments during it. Routine work is fine.
- You need your Moon sign to know your dates. Astrolal's daily rashifal flags Chandrashtama for every sign automatically.
What Chandrashtama is
In Jyotish the Moon (Chandra) stands for the mind, mood and day-to-day wellbeing. Daily transits, or gochar, are judged by counting houses from the sign the Moon occupied at your birth, your Janma Rashi. When today's Moon reaches the 8th sign from that Janma Rashi, the period is called Chandrashtama: Chandra (Moon) plus ashtama (eighth).
The 8th house is the house of obstacles, sudden events and hidden matters. Classical muhurta texts treat the Moon's transit there as the least supportive of its twelve positions for new undertakings, which is why almanacs and temple calendars in South India list Chandrashtama dates for every rashi.
How often it happens and how long it lasts
The Moon completes a circuit of the sidereal zodiac in about 27.32 days, spending roughly 2¼ days (about 54 hours) in each sign. So Chandrashtama recurs about every 27 days and lasts a little over two days. Because a sign change can fall at any hour, a Chandrashtama often begins in the middle of a day; our daily readings give the exact time the Moon changes sign.
| Your Moon sign | Chandrashtama when the Moon is in |
|---|---|
| Mesha (Aries) | Vrishchika (Scorpio) |
| Vrishabha (Taurus) | Dhanu (Sagittarius) |
| Mithuna (Gemini) | Makara (Capricorn) |
| Karka (Cancer) | Kumbha (Aquarius) |
| Simha (Leo) | Meena (Pisces) |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Mesha (Aries) |
| Tula (Libra) | Vrishabha (Taurus) |
| Vrishchika (Scorpio) | Mithuna (Gemini) |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Karka (Cancer) |
| Makara (Capricorn) | Simha (Leo) |
| Kumbha (Aquarius) | Kanya (Virgo) |
| Meena (Pisces) | Tula (Libra) |
What tradition advises during Chandrashtama
Chandrashtama is a caution, not a catastrophe. The usual guidance is to keep important first steps for another day and to be gentle with yourself and others:
- Avoid starting a new job, business, journey or major purchase, and avoid signing agreements if you can choose the date.
- Steer clear of arguments and big decisions taken in a low mood; the Moon's position is said to make the mind less settled.
- Routine work, finishing tasks already begun, rest, prayer and planning are all fine.
- Many families avoid fixing ceremonies such as engagements or griha pravesh on the Chandrashtama days of the people involved.
Variations you may see
Some traditions also observe the Chandrashtama nakshatra: the Moon passing through the 17th nakshatra counted from your birth nakshatra (sometimes called Vainasika). Others weigh the 8th-house Moon less heavily when it is strong by phase or aspected by benefics. Astrolal uses the sign-based rule, which is the most widely published, and shows it for every rashi.
Chandrashtama depends only on your Moon sign, which is why the same dates apply to everyone born under that rashi. Your full chart can soften or sharpen it, which is something a personal reading looks at.
How to find your Chandrashtama dates
- Find your Moon sign with the free Rashi calculator (it needs your birth date, time and place).
- Check today's rashifal: any sign with Chandrashtama is marked in red, and the sign page gives the time the Moon moves on.
- Look at the weekly outlook to see which days this week are Chandrashtama for your sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chandrashtama bad luck?
It is a traditional caution period for starting new things, not a prediction of misfortune. Ordinary work and life continue normally.
Does Chandrashtama use my Sun sign?
No. It is counted from your Moon sign (Janma Rashi), the sign the Moon occupied when you were born.
How long does Chandrashtama last?
About 2¼ days, the time the Moon takes to cross one sign. It recurs roughly every 27 days.
Can I travel during Chandrashtama?
Tradition advises postponing optional journeys. If travel is necessary, plan carefully and avoid starting it during Rahu Kaal as well.
Try it on your own chart
Sources and method
- Muhurta Chintamani (Daivajna Rama), chapter on transit strength (gochara) (classical text)
- Phaladeepika (Mantreswara), chapter 26, on transits counted from the Moon (classical text)
- Moon positions: Swiss Ephemeris with the Lahiri ayanamsa
Astrolal articles follow our editorial standards. Astrology is a traditional system of interpretation; it is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.