Frequently Asked Questions

No. Many people come to consultations skeptical and find value in the framework regardless of their belief system.

You can approach this as:

• An ancient wisdom tradition with cosmic significance
• A sophisticated pattern recognition framework
• A psychological tool for self-reflection
• A practical timing system for decision-making

What matters is whether the insights ring true and prove useful in your actual life.

Many skeptics become believers not through convincing arguments,
but through experiencing the accuracy firsthand.

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotish, is an ancient system of pattern recognition that originated in India thousands of years ago.

It uses the precise positions of planets and stars at the moment of your birth to map your natural tendencies, rhythms, and life patterns.

Unlike popular sun-sign astrology, Vedic astrology is mathematically precise and deeply rooted in observable astronomical phenomena.

It's not about personality horoscopes or daily predictions.
It's about understanding the patterns, tendencies, and timing cycles (periods when certain life themes become more active or dormant, like seasons) that shape your experience.

Think of it as a sophisticated framework for recognizing what you're already living,
giving you language and context for your own nature.

No. Vedic astrology shows tendencies, not verdicts. Ritesh focuses on participation over prediction.

Instead of telling you what will happen, he helps you understand:

• The patterns currently active in your life
• Your natural tendencies and how they shape your experience
• Favorable and challenging timing for different activities
• How to work with your nature instead of against it

The aim is clarity, agency, and timing awareness, not forecasting your future or telling you what will happen.

You remain the author of your life.

Astrology is not deterministic.
It shows tendencies, not verdicts.

Pattern recognition is about identifying the recurring themes, tendencies, and cycles in your life. These patterns might include:

• Relationship dynamics you repeat with different partners
• Career challenges that show up in various forms
• Emotional responses that feel automatic
• Life phases that echo previous experiences
• Timing synchronicities that seem too precise to be random

Ritesh's background as a journalist (someone trained to notice patterns across thousands of interviews) makes him particularly skilled at this.
He sees the common threads that you might sense but can't quite articulate.

There are several key differences:

• Different zodiac systems: Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac (based on actual star positions), while Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac (based on seasons).
• Focus on timing: Vedic astrology places strong emphasis on dasha systems (timing cycles) that show when certain patterns become active in your life.
• Moon emphasis: Vedic astrology considers the moon sign primary, as it represents the mind and emotional patterns.
• Precision and specificity: Vedic calculations tend to be more mathematically detailed and precise.
• Practical orientation: Traditional Vedic astrology focuses on practical life guidance, not purely psychological interpretation.

Ritesh acts as a translator, turning mathematical calculations into practical language you can use, regardless of which system you're familiar with.

A consultation can provide:

• Clarity about long-standing patterns you've sensed but couldn't articulate
• Context for challenges that once felt random or personal
• Self-compassion for tendencies you've judged harshly
• Clarity on timing for upcoming decisions
• Relationship insights that can shift how you communicate
• Practical guidance you can actually implement
• A sense of relief and recognition

This approach works best for people who are:

• Willing to examine patterns honestly (even uncomfortable ones)
• Open to frameworks that reveal truth, whether convenient or not
• Ready to participate actively (not looking for someone to "fix" them)
• Comfortable with nuance and complexity

This isn't the right fit if you:

• Want someone to tell you exactly what will happen in your future
• Are looking for easy answers without doing the work of self-understanding
• Need emotional validation or reassurance rather than honest insight
• Prefer purely logical/scientific frameworks with no interpretive component

If you're unsure, reach out and we can discuss whether this approach aligns with what you're seeking.

While each reading is unique to your specific chart, here are some real examples of the kinds of insights people receive:

• Relationship dynamic: "You process emotions internally before speaking. Your partner needs to verbalize to process. Neither is wrong; you just have different wiring. Stop trying to match each other's pace."
• Career pattern: "Your chart shows natural skill in teaching and mentoring, but you're strongest when working independently first, then sharing what you've learned. Collaborative environments early in a project drain you."
• Timing awareness: "This 18-month cycle favors consolidation, not expansion. Resist the urge to launch something new right now. Strengthen what you already have."
• Parenting insight: "Your child has a naturally slower processing speed and needs repetition to integrate information. Pushing for faster results will create resistance. Patience here pays off exponentially."

You'll also receive a visual Foundation Chart showing your chart patterns, current timing cycles, and practical guidance organized by life domain.

Ritesh does not prescribe gemstone packages or ritual upsells that are common in traditional Vedic astrology.

His "remedies" are practical and grounded:

• Knowing when to act and when to wait
• Practical actions aligned with your nature
• Psychological re-framing of challenges
• Behavioral adjustments
• Communication shifts
• Working with your patterns instead of against them

The goal is to help you understand and work with your patterns consciously, not to magically override them with external objects or rituals.

Before your session: Ritesh spends 2-3 days manually calculating your chart, mapping patterns, and entering your energetic rhythm.

By the time you meet, he's already deeply familiar with your patterns.

During your session:

• Opening discussion about what brings you to the consultation
• Pattern exploration: your natural tendencies, recurring themes, rhythms
• Current timing: what phase you're in and how it's influencing your experience
• Practical guidance: specific, actionable suggestions tailored to your patterns
• Ample time for your questions

The atmosphere is conversational, clear, and grounded.
Ritesh acts as a translator, turning mathematical calculations into practical language you can use.

Session length depends on the type of reading:

• Foundation Reading: 60 minutes
• Extended Reading: 90 minutes
• Relationship Reading: 90 minutes
• Parent-Child Reading: 90 minutes
• Update Session: 60 minutes
• Extended Update: 90 minutes

Ritesh doesn't rush. If a session needs more time to provide real value, he takes it.
The goal is depth and clarity, not efficiency.

Required information:

• Birth date, birth time (as exact as possible), and birth location
• Your current questions or areas of focus
• For relationship readings: birth details for both individuals

To prepare:

• Think about what questions or life areas you want to explore
• Come with openness (and even healthy skepticism)
• Create a quiet, private space with headphones for better audio
• Schedule buffer time afterward to reflect

You don't need to study astrology or believe in it beforehand.
A partner or family member is welcome to be present if that feels supportive.

For a complete preparation guide: Detailed session preparation page coming soon.

This isn't therapy requiring regular sessions. Common patterns include:

• Initial reading: Deep dive into your patterns and current phase
• Annual review: Check-in on the year ahead, current timing cycles
• Transition periods: When facing major decisions or life changes
• As-needed: When specific questions arise

The goal is empowerment, not dependence. One consultation can provide insights that remain relevant for years.

This is completely natural.

When you finally understand patterns you've carried for years, relief and recognition can be profound.
You can pause anytime you need to.

Typical wait times:

• Individual readings: 1-3 weeks
• Relationship/Parenting readings: 2-4 weeks (more preparation time)
• Update sessions: 1-2 weeks

Reach out as soon as you know you want a reading and we'll find a time that works.

Credit/debit cards, PayPal, bank transfer, Venmo, and Zelle.
Payment is collected when you book, with confirmation sent via email.

Birth time accuracy significantly affects chart precision.
The birth time determines your rising sign (ascendant) and the house positions, which are crucial for detailed analysis.

Ideally:

• Best: Exact time from birth certificate or hospital records
• Good: Time from parent's memory (within 15-30 minutes)
• Workable: Approximate time (within an hour or two)
• Challenging: Only knowing morning, afternoon, or evening

Even without exact birth time, much can still be understood about your patterns, though the depth and specificity will be more limited.

First, try to find it:

• Check birth certificates, hospital records, or baby books
• Ask family members who were present
• Contact your birth hospital (many keep records for decades)

If you can't find it: Ritesh can often refine approximate times during your consultation by cross-referencing major life events, personality markers, and relationship patterns.
This isn't formal rectification, but it often provides workable accuracy.

If your birth time is off by 15-30 minutes, mention this when booking and Ritesh can work with it.

Yes, most sessions are conducted via video call.
Ritesh works with clients across all time zones worldwide, accommodating international schedules with flexible session times.
Sessions are conducted in English.

Remote sessions are just as effective as in-person.
Most of Ritesh's work happens before the session (2-3 days of chart preparation), so the live consultation translates perfectly to video format.

Vedic astrology uses precise astronomical calculations based on:

• The exact positions of planets at your birth moment
• The sidereal zodiac (aligned with actual star positions)
• Complex mathematical systems for timing cycles (dashas)
• Intricate house divisions and planetary relationships

This is not guesswork or intuition alone. It begins with verifiable astronomical data.
What Ritesh adds is interpretation and pattern recognition of what the mathematics reveal.

In Vedic astrology:

• Sun sign: Represents your core self, vitality, and life direction
• Moon sign: Reveals your emotional nature, instincts, and inner world (considered primary in Vedic astrology)
• Rising sign (Ascendant): Shows how you appear to others, your approach to life, and your physical body

Vedic astrology emphasizes the moon sign more than Western astrology does, as the moon represents the mind and emotional patterns.
That said, all three (and many other factors) contribute to a complete picture.

No. And we'd actually encourage you not to.

Framing astrology as something you either believe in or don't believe in might be the first wrong turn.
It sets up a binary that doesn't serve anyone.

Here's a more useful question: Instead of asking "Is this true?" try asking "Is this useful?"

We use all kinds of frameworks that aren't strictly "true" in a scientific sense but prove remarkably useful for navigating life. Personality typologies. Therapeutic models. Even the narratives we construct about our own childhoods.
The question isn't always whether the map is the territory.
It's whether the map helps you find your way.

Read our full guide for skeptics →

The planets don't control. They describe.

Planets don't "cause" life events. They reflect patterns and rhythms, like a cosmic timepiece showing which themes are currently active.

This distinction between description and determination, between correlation and causation, is where something interesting happens.
You don't have to believe that Saturn is making you struggle to find value in noticing that a particular period in your chart coincides with patterns you've observed in your own life.

No. Nothing in Vedic astrology is fixed or absolute.

It shows tendencies, strengths, blind spots, and timing phases, not fate.

Patterns repeat until awareness changes them.

Think of it this way: your chart shows your default patterns, the grooves you naturally fall into.
But once you're aware of a pattern, you can choose differently.
Awareness interrupts the loop.

As Ritesh says: "Karma is repetition. Once you see the pattern, you become free to participate with it instead of repeating it unconsciously."

You always have agency. The work is about empowerment, not determinism.

Confirmation bias is a valid concern with any interpretive framework. Here's what makes this different:

• Specificity: The patterns identified are often highly specific, not vague generalities that could apply to anyone
• Surprising accuracy: People frequently report that readings reveal things they haven't told anyone, or articulate patterns they weren't consciously aware of
• Timing precision: When internal shifts align exactly with timing cycle changes (sometimes to the day), it's harder to dismiss as coincidence
• Practical results: The real test is whether applying the insights actually improves your life, relationships, and decision-making

Healthy skepticism is welcome. Come to a session with it.
Let the accuracy speak for itself through your direct experience.

Vedic astrology doesn't fit neatly into the scientific framework as currently defined. It's more accurately described as:

• An ancient observational tradition spanning thousands of years
• A sophisticated pattern recognition system
• A mathematical framework with internal consistency
• A practical tool validated by experiential results

Whether you view it as cosmic science, psychological tool, or practical wisdom tradition, what matters is: does it work?
Many skeptics find that experiencing the accuracy firsthand matters more than philosophical debates about its nature.

This can happen, and it's perfectly fine to say so. Possible reasons include:

• The pattern hasn't manifested in your conscious awareness yet
• The description doesn't match your specific expression of that tendency
• You've already worked through and transformed that particular pattern
• The birth time information was inaccurate
• The framework simply doesn't fit your experience

Ritesh welcomes this feedback. If something doesn't ring true, say so.
Sometimes it leads to deeper exploration that reveals why.
Other times, it helps refine the interpretation or reveals a timing issue.

Remember Ritesh's principle: If information increases fear or confusion, it is not knowledge. Good insights should bring clarity and relief, not additional burden.

You shouldn't trust it blindly.
Experience it directly, notice whether insights create clarity or confusion, and test whether applying the guidance improves your life.

The goal isn't to replace therapy or other support systems.
It adds another lens for self-understanding.
The framework stands or falls on its usefulness in your real life.

Yes. Understanding a child's patterns can be incredibly helpful for parents wanting to support their child's unique nature instead of trying to mold them into something they're not.

Children's readings focus on:

• Natural temperament and learning style
• Areas where they'll naturally excel
• Challenges they may face and how to support them
• Communication approaches that work with their nature
• Timing cycles that might bring growth spurts or challenges

The goal is never prediction.
It's understanding temperament, needs, and learning style so parents can support, not shape.

There's no minimum age. Parents often want readings for infants (understanding temperament), young children (supporting their learning style), or teens (navigating developmental phases).

For younger children, the reading is conducted with parents only.
Teenagers can participate if interested, but it's not required.

Understanding your child's patterns provides insight into their temperament, emotional needs, communication styles, and timing for challenging phases. This builds:

• Compassion for traits that might otherwise frustrate you
• Patience: knowing that certain phases are temporary
• Effectiveness: strategies aligned with their nature, not against it
• Understanding of differences between your patterns and theirs

Most parents say it reduces frustration and increases connection.

No. Patterns are not destiny. This work is descriptive, not prescriptive. Children are never labeled.

The reading provides context for your child's nature so you can support their natural unfolding, not a prescription for who they must become.

It depends on age and interest:

• Under 10: Usually best discussed with parents alone
• Tweens (10-13): Can participate if interested
• Teens (14+): Often valuable for them to hear directly, if open to it

The information can always be shared with them later if/when they become curious.

A compatibility reading examines two charts together to understand:

• Where you naturally align and complement each other
• Where you approach life differently
• Common sources of misunderstanding
• How to communicate more effectively
• What each partner needs to feel understood
• Current timing cycles for both individuals

The goal isn't "should we be together?" (you already know that from experience).
It's "how do we understand each other more compassionately?"
Creating shared language for handling differences.

Yes. Many couples find that understanding each other's patterns changes their relationship.

Common benefits include:

• Reduced reactivity: context for behaviors that previously felt personal
• Improved communication: language for discussing differences constructively
• More compassion: understanding that your partner's nature isn't willful opposition
• Better conflict resolution: framework for working through disagreements
• Deeper appreciation: for complementary strengths and different approaches

It creates a shared language that makes relationships easier.

Never.

He explicitly avoids framing one partner as "right" or "wrong."
The entire focus is on understanding each person's nature, how they differ, and how to communicate more effectively.

The emphasis is always on creating compassion for both people's patterns and finding language to bridge differences.

Not necessarily. Options include:

• Both present: Ideal for hearing insights together and asking joint questions
• One partner: You can learn about both charts and share insights later
• Sequential: Each partner has an individual reading, then optionally a joint session

If your partner is skeptical or uninterested, you can have the reading yourself and use the framework to understand them better.
The reading works whether they believe in it or not.

Many skeptical partners become curious once they hear specific, accurate insights secondhand.

You'll gain insight into:

• Their natural emotional patterns and needs
• How they process information and make decisions
• What energizes and depletes them
• Their approach to conflict and resolution
• Communication styles that work for them
• Current timing phases affecting their experience

More importantly, you'll understand why they approach things differently than you. Not because they're difficult or wrong, but because their patterns are genuinely different from yours.

Compatibility readings work for any significant relationship:

• Romantic partnerships: couples, marriages, long-term relationships
• Family dynamics: parent-child, siblings, extended family
• Friendships: understanding close friendships and their patterns
• Business partnerships: working relationships and collaboration styles

Wherever two people interact regularly and want to understand their dynamic better, a compatibility reading can provide valuable insight.

You'll receive:

• Full session recording (within 24 hours), yours to keep and download indefinitely
• Foundation Chart, a visual reference showing your chart patterns, timing cycles, and guidance organized by life domain
• Handwritten calculations, a scan of Ritesh's manual chart work using ancient formulas
• Detailed written summary (within 48-72 hours), covering key patterns, current timing, and practical suggestions
• Follow-up support via email for clarifying questions, particularly in the first week

These serve as lasting references you can return to as life unfolds.
For deeper questions or new situations, consider an Update Session ($250-$550).

For guidance on integrating your session insights: Complete integration guide coming soon.

Yes, unless you request deletion for privacy reasons.

Keeping your chart on file allows for continuity if you return for annual reviews or timing consultations.
Ritesh can see how patterns have evolved and provide more context.

No. While sessions can feel therapeutic and bring emotional clarity, this is not mental health treatment, medical advice, legal counsel, or financial planning.

Vedic astrology provides context and timing awareness that can inform your decisions, but it complements (never replaces) licensed professionals in specialized fields.
If you're dealing with clinical mental health conditions, please work with a qualified therapist.

Ritesh does not answer questions about:

• Predictions of death (yours or others')
• Predictions of specific illnesses or diagnoses
• Whether someone will cheat on you
• "Will we break up?" or "Should I leave?"
• Lottery numbers or gambling predictions
• Specific financial investment advice
• Legal case outcomes
• Medical diagnoses or treatment decisions
• Fear-based questions meant to create anxiety

The work focuses on understanding patterns, not feeding fear or making life decisions for you.

No. His journalism background trained him in neutral, non-judgmental observation.
There are no "good" or "bad" charts, only different patterns.
What looks like a "flaw" from one angle is often a strength from another.

Yes. Your chart, recording, and written summary are never shared without your explicit permission.

The only exception would be if you explicitly request that certain insights be shared with someone else (for example, if you want Ritesh to discuss your child's reading with another family member).

• 24+ hours before: Full refund or reschedule at no charge
• Less than 24 hours: Non-refundable, but contact us and we'll try to accommodate rescheduling
• After delivery: No refunds once the reading has been delivered

Yes. Readings make meaningful gifts for birthdays, weddings, new parents,
or anyone facing a major life transition.

To gift a reading:

• Contact us at contact@shuklavedic.com to arrange payment
• We'll provide a gift notification you can share with the recipient
• The recipient schedules their session directly when they're ready
• Birth details come from them, not the gift-giver

Important: The reading must be for someone who genuinely wants it.
Surprise readings without the recipient's interest rarely work well.

No. This work is interpretive and experiential.
What Ritesh can promise is thorough preparation (2-3 days per chart), genuine insight based on decades of study, and practical guidance offered with integrity.
The value comes from your experience of the accuracy and usefulness.