An accurate time of birth (along with, of course, the date, month, and year) is the key to an accurate astrological prediction. In most cases, the time of birth as recorded in the Birth Certificate or in the hospital records is accurate enough for astrological purposes.

The recorded birth time may, in some cases, also be inaccurate. The reasons for this could be:

• A birth  during the cusp of a change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time or vice versa
• The birth was in a country which has undergone a change in the time zone since the year of birth. Many countries have undergone multiple time zone changes since 1945
• The birth was during  war time when the time zone may have been temporarily changed
• The Ascendant/Lagna or the Moon is at the very end or at the very beginning a zodiacal sign. Here, even if the recorded time of birth is  marginally inaccurate, astrological readings could go significantly wrong
• The time of birth was not recorded but approximated subsequently
• If there are other reasons to believe that the time of birth was not accurately recorded.

When a birth takes place in a hospital, the physician is responsible for certifying the date, time and place of birth for the purposes of issuing a U.S Standard Certificate of Live Birth. In the case of a birth where no physician was present, the mother, father or any other adult is responsible for providing the required information. Errors are not uncommon when the birth is outside a hospital.

In the U.S. a birth is defined as the complete expulsion of the baby from its mother. Other countries have a similar definition of a birth. This is at variance from birth as defined from an astrological viewpoint. Astrologically, a birth is defined differently by different schools. According to Nicholas deVore, author of the Encyclopaedia of Astrology, a birth is the moment of the first inspiration of breath after ligation of the umbilical cord. According to Satya Jatakam, a birth is when the head becomes visible (Shiro Darshana) or when the body touches the earth (Bhu Patna). Since the determination of the visibility of the head was difficult, Bhu Patna was taken as the time of birth. However, this was in the India of the yore when a child was delivered in a squatting position and fell to the earth upon complete delivery.

With the help of Vedic Astrology, the time of birth (or even the month or year of birth, if required) can be accurately corrected to ~ 1- minute accuracy of the actual time of birth. This correction is based on the following principles:

• Only those who are destined to have their time of birth corrected will make the effort to do so
• That, at the time and place where the astrologer corrects the time of birth, specific planets in transit will exactly match some planetary positions in the birth chart of the individual. The time of birth is reborn at this moment.
• The Ascendant/Lagna (or in extreme cases even the Moon Sign or even the Sun Sign) is corrected on the basis of transiting planets.

Purchase & Delivery

Upon purchase, a Consultant at Cosmic Insights will examine the birth details provided. The time of birth will then be corrected – if required. The revised Time of Birth will then be cross-checked for accuracy with significant events in the client’s life – from the data provided. The report, with the accurate time, will be emailed within 15 days. In a few cases, additional information may be sought from the client and the time taken may be longer than 15 days.

Cosmic Insights recommends this service only if there are serious concerns about the recorded time of birth, as listed above.