Astromazal

Frequently asked questions

Understanding it all

Astrology according to Jewish tradition, made clear

What is a mazal?

The Hebrew word mazal designates the zodiac sign associated with each month of the Hebrew calendar — that is where the expression “mazal tov,” literally “a good sign,” comes from. Jewish tradition associates each of the twelve months with a sign, a planet, an element, a tribe of Israel, a stone and an angel. Your mazal is that of your Hebrew month of birth — calculate it here.

Is astrology permitted in Judaism?

Judaism rejects divinatory astrology: the sky does not predict the future and dictates no decision. But the Talmud (Shabbat 156a) does discuss the influence of the moment of birth on temperament — and concludes: “Israel is above the mazal.” The sky describes a general nature; free will and good deeds always come first. That is exactly Astromazal's line: a portrait, never a prediction.

How do I find my Hebrew date of birth?

You need to convert your civil date to the Hebrew calendar, which is lunisolar. Mind the detail most converters miss: the Hebrew day begins at sunset. Born in the evening after sunset? Your Hebrew date is that of the following day. Our calculator uses your time and city of birth to compute the exact sunset of that day.

Why does the Hebrew day begin at sunset?

Since the account of Creation — “and there was evening, and there was morning” — the tradition counts the day from the evening: that is why Shabbat begins on Friday night. Concrete consequence: two people born on the same civil day can have two different Hebrew dates, depending on whether they were born before or after sunset.

What is my Jewish zodiac sign?

Each Hebrew month carries a sign: Nissan Aries, Iyar Taurus, Sivan Gemini, Tamuz Cancer, Av Leo, Elul Virgo, Tishrei Libra, Cheshvan Scorpio, Kislev Sagittarius, Tevet Capricorn, Shvat Aquarius, Adar Pisces. Your sign depends on your Hebrew month of birth — which may differ from your Western sign, because the Hebrew calendar does not follow the same dates.

How is this different from classical astrology?

Classical astrology is based on the position of the Sun on the day of birth. Jewish tradition starts from the Hebrew month and adds its own dimensions: the tribe of Israel, the stone of the breastplate, the angel of the month, the letter of the Book of Creation, the sense to refine, the day of the week and the planetary hour. Above all: it refuses all prediction — the portrait describes, it does not decide.

What is the rising sign, the “house of life”?

The rising sign is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact minute of your birth — it changes about every two hours. An ancient teaching reported in the name of the Book of the Angel Raziel calls it “the house of life”: if the mazal of the month says who you are, the rising sign says how you meet the world. That is why the precise time of birth is so precious.

What is a planetary hour?

The tradition divides the day (from sunrise to sunset) and the night each into twelve proportional hours. Each hour is entrusted to one of the seven classical planets: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The Talmud teaches that the planet of the hour of birth colors the temperament — it is the “mazal of the hour,” which our calculator determines from your time and your city.

What do the tribe, the stone and the angel of my month mean?

Around each month the tradition weaves a web of correspondences: one of the twelve tribes of Israel (with the heritage of its blessing), one of the twelve stones of the High Priest's breastplate (with the virtue the tradition credits it with), an angel appointed over the month — the tradition never addresses itself to angels: knowing his name reminds you that every time has its guard —, a letter of the Hebrew alphabet and a sense to refine. The full report explains what each of your correspondences brings you.

Is the calculation free? What does the full report contain?

The calculation is free: exact Hebrew date, your mazal and its complete card, day of birth, planetary hour, rising sign, the downloadable wheel of your sky and the positions of the seven planets. The full report ($9.90) unlocks twelve personalized chapters: character portrait, your Moon, family, love, calling, trial, spiritual path, sacred correspondences, developed rising sign and synthesis. Prices are shown in US dollars — at checkout you can pay in your own currency.

Is my birth data stored?

As long as you do not buy: no. All calculations happen in your browser, no birth date is sent to or kept on a server, and the city search goes through our own server, which queries OpenStreetMap on our behalf — the mapping service never sees you. If you do buy, it is different and we would rather say so: the form you filled in (first name, date, time and place of birth) is kept alongside your purchase. That is what lets your report reopen on its own on another device, and what stops anyone else from using your access. This information is never passed to Stripe, never appears in the link in your email, and is erased on request.

What is “My year”?

It is a reading of the Hebrew year ahead, month by month, for your mazal — $2.90. Every Hebrew month carries, in tradition, a planet and an element; crossed with yours, they say what each season of your year favours and what it asks of you. You get your months of strength, your months of trial, the exact civil dates of each, and the date of your Hebrew birthday with what it announces. One purchase covers one year: next year's is a separate purchase.

Does “My year” predict the future?

No, and it does not claim to. It describes the character tradition attributes to each Hebrew month — Adar joy, Elul repair, Tevet rigour — and crosses it with the element of your mazal. It says what a season favours, not what will happen to you. “Israel is above its mazal” (Shabbat 156a): free will always comes first.

Can I give a report as a gift?

Yes — it even makes a beautiful gift for a birth, a bar mitzvah or a wedding. Unlocking works by code: you purchase, you receive a code, and you can offer it to the person of your choice, who will use it on their own device with their own birth date.

What does Jewish tradition say about the birth sky?

Every soul comes into the world under a sky that has never repeated itself. Jewish tradition has taught it since the Talmud: the moment of birth — the Hebrew month, the day of the week, the hour, the sign rising on the horizon — sketches a temperament, strengths, inclinations. That is the portrait Astromazal calculates, with the precision of the calendar of Israel: a day that begins at sunset, hours that follow the sky's real course, and the seven classical planets of the tradition at their exact position at the instant of birth.

But let one thing be said clearly: Judaism does not believe in a prophetic astrology. The birth sky does not predict the future, dictates no decision, and does not guide a person's steps. It describes a general nature — the way one might describe a musical instrument: the melody you draw from it belongs to you alone. “Israel is above the mazal,” teaches the Talmud: through choices, deeds and work on oneself, each person rises above their star. What you read here is a birth portrait, not a destiny — the last word is always yours.