Getting started

How to become an astrologer, from first lessons to paying clients

Becoming an astrologer is a long apprenticeship, not a weekend course. Here is the honest path: where to learn, what to study first, how long it takes, and how to start reading for money.

Updated 2026-11-05

Apply to join Kismo How Kismo works for astrologers

Free to apply in your browser. A person reads your application and decides within 2 days.

Short answer

To become an astrologer, learn one practice properly, practise on many real charts, then start reading for clients who pay. You can learn from a guru, an institute, a professional course or self-study; Astrotalk's application asks which of these routes you took ³. Formal routes take one to three years. The Indian Council of Astrological Sciences teaches Jyotish Praveena in a year ², and a Shastri degree in Jyotish at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University takes three ¹. On Kismo, someone new can apply as "Just starting out" and is judged on one 10-minute chat reading, not on a certificate.

Ways to learn: A guru or mentor, an institute, a professional course, or self-study with practice ³
University degree: Shastri (BA) in Jyotish: 3 years, 10+2 needed, entrance exam in June and July ¹
Council course for beginners: ICAS Jyotish Praveena: 1 year, no prior astrology needed, minimum age 18 ²
Distance master's: IGNOU MA (Jyotish): 2 years, launched June 2021, bachelor's degree needed ⁵
How big apps test you: Astrotalk: a telephone interview, then a video-call interview ⁴
How Kismo tests you: One chat reading of about 10 minutes, decided within 2 days

Learning routes

What are the ways to learn astrology in India?

The ways to learn astrology in India are a guru or mentor, an institute, a university degree, or self-study backed by practice. Astrotalk's registration guide asks applicants which of these they followed, and lists mentors, institutes, professional courses and self-study side by side ³.

Route	What it looks like	Length stated
Guru or family	One teacher, often for years, learning by watching real consultations	No fixed length
Council course	ICAS chapters teach at weekends and hold exams twice a year ²	Jyotish Praveena 1 year, then Jyotish Visharada 1 year ²
University degree	SLBSNSU in New Delhi teaches Jyotish at BA (Shastri) and MA (Acharya) level ¹	Shastri 3 years, Acharya 2 years ¹
Distance degree	IGNOU's MA (Jyotish), offered through 57 regional centres at launch ⁵	2 years ⁵
Self-study	Classical texts, modern textbooks and charting software, with no exam	Up to you

Many working astrologers mix routes: a course for structure, a mentor for judgement, and their own case notes for experience. For costs and which certificates exist, see astrology certificates and courses.

First steps

What should a new astrologer learn first?

A new astrologer should learn one practice deeply before adding a second one. SLBSNSU's Jyotish department describes the subject as three wings, Siddhant, Samhita and Hora, and runs its degrees in two streams: Siddhant Jyotish and Phalit Jyotish, the predictive side ¹.

Advanced tools come later on purpose. ICAS keeps topics such as Ashtakavarga, Prashna and Shadbala for its Visharada course, which you can only sit after finishing Jyotisha Praveena ⁶.

Learn the signs, houses and planets, and what each one signifies.
Cast charts with software and check them against a second tool until you trust the numbers.
Read the main birth chart first: the ascendant, house lords and where they sit.
Add dashas and transits, which are used for timing events.
Add divisional charts such as the navamsa once the main chart feels easy.
Learn to phrase a reading calmly, without fear and without promises.

If you choose tarot or numerology instead, the same rule holds: one system, learned well. The guides on Vedic astrology courses and reading a kundli go deeper.

Time

How long does it take to become an astrologer?

Becoming an astrologer who can read for strangers usually takes one to three years of steady study, judging by the length of formal courses. ICAS runs two one-year courses in a row ², and SLBSNSU's Shastri degree runs for three years ¹.

Months 1 to 6
Learn the signs, houses and planets. Cast charts for family members, with their permission, and note what you see.
Months 6 to 12
Add dashas and transits. Test each method against events that already happened in those charts.
Year 2
Read for friends of friends who do not know you. Write down what you said and ask later what happened.
Year 3 onward
Read for paying clients, keep studying, and add a second practice only when the first feels easy.

These stages are a guide, not a rule. Someone who grew up watching a parent read may move faster, and someone studying alone at night may need longer.

Practice

How do you practise astrology before charging money?

You practise astrology before charging money by reading for real people with real questions, for free, and checking your work afterwards. Start with charts whose past events you can verify, so you learn which methods hold up.

Keep a case notebook: the chart, the question, what you said, and what happened later.
Practise in the format you will use. If you plan to read on chat, practise clear answers in short messages.
Time yourself. Online clients pay by the minute, so learn to reach the main point in the first few minutes.
Practise saying hard things gently, and never predict a death or tell anyone their marriage is doomed.
Ask a teacher or senior astrologer to read a few of your case notes and point out what you missed.

Chat is a skill of its own. The guide to giving a reading on chat shows how to structure one.

First clients

How do new astrologers find their first paying clients?

New astrologers find their first paying clients through people who know them, through local word of mouth, or through an astrology app that sends clients to them. Apps reach strangers fastest, but each one tests you before your profile goes live.

App	How it tests a new astrologer
Astrotalk	A form, then a telephone interview and a video-call interview ⁴
InstaAstro	An application and onboarding in its Astrologer Hiring app; the test itself is not described publicly ⁷
Kismo	One chat reading with a client, about 10 minutes, read in full by a person

Compare the apps before you pick one in the apps astrologers can join, and see what the work involves in becoming an online astrologer.

Mistakes

What mistakes do new astrologers make?

The mistakes new astrologers make most are promising results, selling fear and claiming more experience than they have. Each one costs trust, and on most apps it also costs reviews.

Promising outcomes. A reading is guidance; nobody can guarantee a marriage, a job or a reunion.
Selling fear. Telling a client a dosha will ruin them, then selling an expensive remedy, breaks trust.
Giving medical, legal or financial advice. Send those questions to a doctor, a lawyer or a financial adviser.
Overstating experience. Some applications fix your years for good once you submit, so state them honestly.
Learning five practices at once. Clients notice shallow answers quickly.
Missing a crisis. A client who talks about harming themselves needs emergency services or a crisis line, not a chart.

On Kismo

Can someone just starting out apply to Kismo?

Yes: Kismo's application lets a new astrologer pick "Just starting out" (0 years) for experience, and it decides on one reading rather than on certificates or years.

Apply free in a browser at kismo.app/astrologers. There is no interview, resume or phone call.
Enter your name, date of birth, city, languages, practices and years of experience.
Add a real, current photo of your face, the name clients will see, and a short bio.
Photograph your Aadhaar or PAN and take a selfie holding the same card.
Do one chat reading with a client, about 10 minutes, typing every answer yourself. There is one try.
A person reads the whole reading, and the decision arrives by email within 2 days.

Practices, languages and years cannot be changed after you submit, so pick only what you can read today. There is no training before approval, so do your learning first.

After approval the app has a short course, How to earn on Kismo: five episodes of about two and a half minutes. The Increase Client Flow switch gives each new client 5 free chat minutes with you; you earn nothing in them, but they are the fastest route to first reviews.

Questions

What do astrologers ask about this?

Can I become an astrologer without a degree?

Yes. Astrotalk's registration guide treats certifications as optional, asking for them only "if any" ³. A degree such as SLBSNSU's Shastri gives you structure and classical grounding ¹, but clients and apps judge how well you read.

Do I need to come from a family of astrologers?

No. Family teaching is one route among several. Astrotalk's form lists mentors, institutes, professional courses and self-study as equal answers ³, and ICAS's first course needs no prior knowledge of astrology at all ².

What is the minimum age to study or practise astrology?

ICAS asks for an age of 18 and a pass in the SSC examination before you join its courses ². Reading for clients on Kismo also needs you to be at least 18, under its Astrologer Agreement.

Is astrology a good career in India?

It can be steady work for someone who reads well and keeps clients, but no app or course can promise an income. What you earn online depends on your rate, the minutes clients pay for and the share you keep; see what online astrologers earn.

Can I learn astrology online while working?

Yes. ICAS says most of its chapters now teach online and hold classes at weekends ², and IGNOU's MA (Jyotish) is taught by distance learning ⁵. Free options are listed in free astrology courses.

How do I become an astrologer on Kismo?

Kismo takes applications in a browser at kismo.app/astrologers. You enter your details, build a profile with a real photo, confirm your ID with a card photo and a selfie, and do one chat reading of about 10 minutes. A person reads it in full and emails the 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.