The ayanamsa — the one setting that changes the chart
The ayanamsa is the correction that converts the tropical zodiac to the sidereal zodiac that Jyotiṣa uses. It is the single most consequential setting in the app, because changing it shifts every planet's sidereal longitude and can move a planet — or the ascendant — across a sign boundary. For that reason it is the only setting the offline calculation engine actually consumes, and changing it re-casts the active chart immediately.
Lahiri (Chitrapakṣa) is the default and the most widely used ayanamsa in modern Vedic practice; it is the official Indian standard. The app also offers Raman (B. V. Raman's value), Krishnamurti (the KP ayanamsa, for KP-system work), and Fagan-Bradley (the Western sidereal value). Pick the one your tradition or technique requires and leave it set; every new chart inherits it.
- ◆Lahiri (Chitrapakṣa) — the default and the official Indian standard; most mainstream work.
- ◆Raman — B. V. Raman's ayanamsa, used by that lineage.
- ◆Krishnamurti (KP) — the ayanamsa for Krishnamurti Paddhati work.
- ◆Fagan-Bradley — the Western sidereal value.
Chart style, house system and nodes
These presentation and method settings shape how the chart is drawn and divided. The chart style sets your default kuṇḍalī diagram — North-Indian (diamond, houses fixed, signs rotate) or South-Indian (square grid, signs fixed, houses rotate) — so every new chart opens the way your tradition reads.
The house system controls how the houses are demarcated. Whole-sign houses are the classical Vedic default and the right choice for most Parāśarī work; the app also offers Equal, Śrīpati, Placidus, Koch, Regiomontanus, Porphyry and Campanus for those who need them (KP practitioners, for instance, or Western-influenced methods). The node setting picks true or mean Rāhu/Ketu — a small but real difference that some lineages specify.
- ◆Chart style — North-Indian or South-Indian as your default diagram.
- ◆House system — whole-sign by default, plus Equal, Śrīpati, Placidus, Koch and more.
- ◆Nodes — true or mean Rāhu/Ketu, to match your lineage.
Languages and terminology
Soul Yatri Jyotish is built to be used in the language you and your client actually speak. The language switcher changes the interface, and a terminology setting lets you present astrological terms in either accessible English or traditional Sanskrit — so you can keep the rigour of Sanskrit terms or soften the learning curve for a newcomer, as the situation calls for.
Switching language updates the interface immediately, with no restart. This makes the app equally comfortable as a personal study tool and as a consulting instrument you present from in front of a client.
Theme and the dark/light toggle
The theme toggle switches the whole app between a calm light mode and a low-glare dark mode. The setting is shared with the toggle in the top bar, so flipping either one keeps both in lock-step — there is one source of truth, and your choice persists across sessions.
Dark mode is the natural fit for long evening study sessions and for reducing eye strain; light mode reads cleanly in a bright office. This is purely a display preference and does not affect any calculation. Note that the printed report has its own separate surface theme (Ivory or Midnight), chosen in the report builder, independent of the app chrome.
Your astrologer profile
If you prepare readings for others, the astrologer profile turns a generic printout into a branded, professional deliverable. You fill it in once in Settings, and it then prints on the report cover as a "Prepared by" credit and in the closing colophon as an "About the astrologer" note. It is identity and credentials only — name, an honorific or role, a photo, years of practice, a credentials line, areas of focus, and a short bio.
By deliberate design the profile carries no contact fields whatsoever — no phone, email, website or social handles. A printed birth reading is a sacred document and a brand moment, not a business card, so the editor never even offers those inputs. The profile is stored locally on your device, like everything else.
- ◆Name and an honorific or role (e.g. "Jyotiṣa Ācārya").
- ◆A profile photo, stored inline so it prints with no external asset.
- ◆Years of practice, a credentials line and areas of focus (shown as chips).
- ◆A short biography — and no contact fields, by design.
How and where settings are saved
Every preference is stored locally on your own machine, so it persists between sessions and never travels anywhere. Set your ayanamsa, chart style, house system, nodes, language and theme once, and every new chart and every report inherits them, so you are not re-choosing the same options each time.
Because the ayanamsa is the only setting the calculation engine consumes, changing it re-casts the open chart on the spot; the presentation settings apply to how charts are drawn and labelled. If you ever want to confirm the engine is running, the Settings view shows a status readout for the local offline engine.
Frequently asked questions
- Which ayanamsa should I use?
- For mainstream Vedic work, keep Lahiri (Chitrapakṣa) — it is the default and the official Indian standard. Switch only if your tradition or technique calls for it: Raman for that lineage, Krishnamurti for KP-system work, or Fagan-Bradley for Western sidereal. Changing the ayanamsa re-casts the active chart immediately because it is the one setting the engine consumes.
- Why does changing the ayanamsa move my planets but changing the chart style does not?
- The ayanamsa is an astronomical correction — it alters every planet's sidereal longitude, so it genuinely changes the chart and re-casts it. The chart style, house system display and theme are presentation choices about how the same chart is drawn and labelled, so they change the view without changing the underlying positions.
- How do I change the interface language?
- Open Settings and choose your language from the switcher; the interface updates immediately with no restart. A separate terminology setting also lets you present astrological terms in accessible English or traditional Sanskrit, depending on your audience.
- What goes on my astrologer profile, and does it include contact details?
- The profile holds identity and credentials only — name, title or role, a photo, years of practice, a credentials line, specialties and a short bio. It deliberately has no contact fields of any kind. A printed reading is a brand moment, not a business card, so the editor never offers phone, email, website or social inputs.
- Are my settings stored online or synced anywhere?
- No. Every preference, including the astrologer profile, is stored locally on your own device and persists between sessions. Nothing is synced or uploaded — consistent with the app running fully offline and keeping your data private.
