Free astrology courses and other free ways to learn Jyotish
Many paid courses call themselves free. These are the options whose own pages say they cost nothing, what each one teaches, and where the costs begin.
Updated
Free to apply in your browser. A person reads your application and decides within 2 days.
Short answer
A genuinely free astrology course exists: Maharishi Vedic Astrology at a Glance, a five-lesson online course from Maharishi International University, now offered without charge and with no prerequisites 1. India's government platforms are free to learners too: SWAYAM courses cost nothing, and NPTEL courses are free to enrol, with an optional Rs 1,000 exam for a certificate 2,3. NPTEL's course on astronomy in ancient India covers the nakshatra system and Vedanga Jyotisha 4. Classical texts such as Phaladeepika can be read free online 5. Kismo does not run training, but applying to it is free and the test is one reading.
Key facts
- Free astrology course
- Maharishi Vedic Astrology at a Glance: five lessons, no charge, no prerequisites 1
- SWAYAM
- Courses free of cost; a certificate needs a paid proctored exam 2
- NPTEL
- Free to enrol and learn; optional exam Rs 1,000 per course 3
- Closest NPTEL course
- Astronomy in Ancient, Medieval and Early Telescopic Era of India, IIT Kanpur 4,11
- Free classic online
- Phaladeepika, 1950 translation, about 110,000 words 5
- Free software
- Jagannatha Hora 8.0, Windows only 8
Is there a genuinely free astrology course online?
Yes: Maharishi Vedic Astrology at a Glance is a free five-lesson online course. It was developed by the Brahmananda Saraswati Jyotish Foundation, offered through Maharishi International University, and its page says it is now available without charge 1.
| Lesson | Handout on the course page [1] |
|---|---|
| One | Glossary of terms used in a Maharishi Jyotish consultation |
| Two | Bhava (houses) |
| Three | Rashi (signs) |
| Four | Graha (planets) |
| Five | Maharishi Vedic Astrology |
The teacher is Dr. Ann Crowell, and the course lists no prerequisites 1. Treat it as an introduction to vocabulary and principles, which is how the page describes it, not as training to read for clients.
Do SWAYAM or NPTEL offer free Jyotish courses?
SWAYAM and NPTEL are free to learn from, but their closest course teaches the astronomy behind Jyotisha, not prediction. SWAYAM says its courses are free of cost to learners, with a fee only for the proctored exam that leads to a certificate 2.
NPTEL says all its courses are free to enrol and learn from, and the certification exam is optional at Rs 1,000 per course 3. Its video course from IIT Kanpur, taught by Prof. Amitabha Ghosh, covers astronomy in ancient, medieval and early telescopic India 11.
| Session | What the NPTEL syllabus lists [4] |
|---|---|
| 1 | Positional astronomy: the Sun, Moon, planets, eclipses, precession |
| 2 | Vedic and Vedanga periods: tithis, months, the nakshatra system, Vedanga Jyotish |
| 3 | Siddhantic astronomers such as Aryabhata, Varahamihira and Brahmagupta; zodiacal signs; tithi and nakshatra calculation |
| 4 | Medieval India, astrolabes, Jai Singh's observatories |
| 5 | The telescope in India; the originality of the Indian nakshatra system |
The course runs five sessions of 90 minutes and asks only for Class 10 with science 4. SWAYAM's catalogue changes every semester, so search it for Jyotish yourself before you pay anyone for a course.
Which classical astrology texts can you read free online?
Three classical sources can be read free online from places that say so or whose records allow it. Each suits a different stage of learning.
| Text | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Phaladeepika, tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri | Wisdom Library 5 | 865 verses in 28 chapters; marked free to read online, not proofread |
| Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra | Enjoy Learning Sanskrit 6 | Devanagari, IAST transliteration, translation and word meanings for each verse |
| Muhurtha or Electional Astrology, B. V. Raman, 1948 | Internet Archive, Digital Library of India 7 | 204-page scan whose record says out of copyright |
Wisdom Library itself asks readers to check each page against the source PDF and still recommends buying the book 5. When you are ready to buy, see astrology books for beginners.
Which free astrology software can a learner use?
Jagannatha Hora is a free astrology program for computers, and its maker's page calls it free Vedic astrology software 8. It runs on Windows; the short installer is 3.7 MB with accurate ephemeris for 1800 to 2400 AD 8.
On a phone, AstroSage Kundli is free to install and lists astrology lessons in text and video among its features, but it contains ads and in-app purchases 9. Future Point offers LeoStar-I as a free download for PC, with paid packages on top 10.
Use one program for every chart you study, so the numbers never change under you. The full comparison is on astrology software for astrologers.
Where do free astrology courses stop and the costs begin?
Free astrology learning usually stops at the certificate. The table shows what is free and what is paid for each option, from each provider's own page.
| Option | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| NPTEL course | Enrolment and all lessons 3 | Optional certificate exam, Rs 1,000 3 |
| SWAYAM course | All course content 2 | Proctored exam for a certificate 2 |
| MIU free course | All five lessons and handouts 1 | Not stated on the course page |
| AstroSage Kundli app | Install and core features 9 | In-app purchases 9 |
| LeoStar-I | The download 10 | Packages sold by duration, from one month to ten years 10 |
Be wary of any "free course" that asks for a fee before the first lesson, or for money to issue a certificate after a short video.
How can you build a free study plan from these?
- Do the five MIU lessons to learn the vocabulary of houses, signs and planets 1.
- Install Jagannatha Hora and cast your own chart 8.
- Read BPHS chapter 11 on the houses, verse by verse, on Enjoy Learning Sanskrit 6.
- Read Phaladeepika's first two chapters, on definitions and the planets, on Wisdom Library 5.
- Watch the NPTEL sessions on the nakshatra system for the astronomy underneath 4.
- Practise on the charts of family members who agree, following how to read a kundli.
Write down every reading you practise and what happened later. That record costs nothing and teaches more than a paid certificate.
What does it cost to apply to Kismo once you have learned?
Applying to Kismo costs nothing: you apply in a browser at kismo.app/astrologers, with no interview, no resume and no phone call.
- Details: your name, date of birth, city, languages, practices and years of experience.
- Profile: a real photo of yourself, the name clients see and a short bio.
- Reading: a photo of your Aadhaar or PAN, a selfie holding it, then one chat reading of about 10 minutes.
Kismo does not run training, so learn first with the free routes above. After approval, the app's own short course is about earning on Kismo, not about astrology.
What do astrologers ask about this?
Is there a free Vedic astrology course with a certificate?
Not fully free. SWAYAM and NPTEL courses are free to learn, but the certificate needs a paid proctored exam, Rs 1,000 per course on NPTEL 2,3. The free MIU astrology course page does not mention a certificate 1, and Kismo's application does not ask for one.
Is the Maharishi Vedic Astrology course really free?
Yes. The course page says the five-lesson course, developed by the Brahmananda Saraswati Jyotish Foundation and offered through Maharishi International University, is now available without charge, with no prerequisites 1.
Does NPTEL have a free astrology course?
NPTEL's closest free course is about astronomy, not prediction. Its IIT Kanpur course covers the nakshatra system, tithis and Vedanga Jyotish, and siddhantic astronomers such as Aryabhata and Varahamihira 4,11.
Is Jagannatha Hora really free?
Yes. Its maker's page describes it as free Vedic astrology software, offered only as a download for Windows, with no CDs sold 8. Version 8.0 was released on 1 January 2016 8.
Are free astrology book PDFs legal to download?
Some are and some are not. Wisdom Library offers Phaladeepika free to read 5, and the Digital Library of India record for Raman's Muhurtha says out of copyright 7. Check the rights line of any scan before you download it.
Do I need a paid course or certificate to read on Kismo?
No. None of Kismo's three application steps asks for a course or certificate. You are judged on one chat reading, read in full by a person, with a decision within 2 days.
Read for clients on Kismo
Set your own per-minute rate for chat and calls, from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000. Apply in your browser with your Aadhaar or PAN and one reading.
Free to apply in your browser. A person reads your application and decides within 2 days.
Where should you go from here?
Where do these facts come from?
- Maharishi Vedic Astrology at a Glance (five-lesson seminar with Dr. Ann Crowell), Maharishi International University, Continuing Education. Accessed .
- About SWAYAM, SWAYAM, Ministry of Education, Government of India. Accessed .
- About NPTEL, NPTEL (IITs and IISc). Accessed .
- NPTEL syllabus: Astronomy in Ancient, Medieval and Early Telescopic Era of India, video course, NPTEL. Accessed .
- Phaladeepika by Mantreswara (text and translation), V. Subrahmanya Sastri, 1950, Wisdom Library. Accessed .
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra: Sanskrit text in Devanagari and IAST with translation, word meanings and morphology, Enjoy Learning Sanskrit. Accessed .
- Muhurtha or Electional Astrology (B. V. Raman, 1948), Digital Library of India record, Internet Archive (Digital Library of India). Accessed .
- Jagannatha Hora: free Vedic astrology software, version 8.0, vedicastrologer.org (P. V. R. Narasimha Rao). Accessed .
- AstroSage Kundli: AI Astrology (com.ojassoft.astrosage), Google Play listing, Google Play. Accessed .
- Free Astrology Software for PC: LeoStar-I, Future Point. Accessed .
- Astronomy in Ancient, Medieval and Early Telescopic Era of India, IIT Kanpur (course page), NPTEL. Accessed .