Chandra lagna: the chart from the Moon
The Moon chart (chandra lagna) is the chart drawn with the Moon's sign as house 1. It is used alongside the lagna chart, especially for mental and emotional themes.
What it is
In the Moon chart the Moon's sign is house 1, and the houses are counted from it. A planet's house in the Moon chart can differ from its house in the lagna chart.
How it is worked out or read
This site does not draw a Moon chart. The houses from the Moon are counted in the checks, for the Manglik rule and the Sade Sati rule, which use the Moon sign as the reference.
Where it appears on this site
The Moon sign is in the panchang and in the chart checks for the Manglik count from the Moon.
What the Moon chart is
The Moon chart, called chandra lagna, is drawn with the Moon's sign as house one. The houses are then counted from that sign rather than from the Lagna. It is used alongside the lagna chart, and it is especially considered for matters of the mind, the emotions and the mother, since the Moon is the natural significator of those.
A planet's house in the Moon chart may differ from its house in the lagna chart, and the difference can shift the emphasis of a reading considerably. This is why the two charts are often compared.
Why the Moon is a reference point
The Moon's sign is used in many rules on this site. The Sade Sati check counts from the natal Moon sign, the Manglik count includes the Moon as a reference, and the Gajakesari yoga counts Jupiter from the Moon. Because these rules depend on the Moon sign alone, the Moon chart is a natural tool for understanding them.
The Moon also determines the nakshatra and the starting dasha, which adds to its importance. A reader who wants to see the full influence of the Moon will look at its sign, its nakshatra and its dasha together.
Comparing the two charts
When comparing the lagna chart and the Moon chart, the reader should note where a theme appears in both and where it appears in only one. A theme that appears in both is read as more pronounced. A theme in one chart only is read as present but less central. The reader should state which chart each conclusion draws on.
Using the Moon chart with care
The Moon chart is a reference, not a second verdict. It offers a different angle on the same chart, and it is most useful when it is read together with the lagna chart and the timing tools. Like every chart, it is only as reliable as the birth time, since the Moon's sign can change near a boundary.
Using the Moon chart on a question of feeling
For a question about emotional life or the mind, the Moon chart is often the first reference a reader turns to. The Moon's sign, its house in the lagna chart and its aspects give the emotional setting, and the reader then checks whether the lagna chart supports the same themes. Agreement between the two is read as a clearer emotional picture.