Nakshatras are an extremely important part of Vedic Astrology. Infact Nakshatras and not the star-signs are at the core of our ancient astrology system. In Western astrology system, Nakshatras are referred to as Constellations or Asterisms.
The word Nakshatra perhaps comes from a combination of the word Nabh (नभ meaning Sky ) & Kshetra ( क्षेत्र meaning Area). There is also another explanation of the word Nakshatra being a combination of Naksha (नक्शा meaning Map) & Tara ( तारा meaning Stars ). It thus denotes a map of stars.
Nakshatras have been given significant inportance by all our books of knowledge in Astrology. They are said to represent the journey from our birth to the moment of death. Nakshatras are 27 in number and each nakshatra has a planetary lord. All the nine planets in our birth chart sit in a particular nakshatra and the condition of the planetary lord of that nakshatra is also an important metric to observe while trying to do predictions.
In ancient tales, Chandra Devta (The Moon God) is known to have twenty seven wives. The 27 Nakshatras are representative of those divine energies.
The Nakshatra names are the names of these 27 Goddesses.
Nakshatras play a very important role in multiple ways in predicting outcomes or guaging strengths or weakness of the planets in any horoscope.
Nakshatras play an extremely significant role in match making and the Asht Koot Guna Milap before marriage. They are also useful for daily predictions as the Moon resides in one nakshatra for 1 day.
The Nakshatras are listed below in the sequence of their being. Ashwin Nakshatra is the first and Revati is the last.
Knowledgable astrologers definitely look at the Planetary ruler of the Nakshatra in which a particular planet is associated.
For example, if Moon is in Purva Phalguni Nakshatra, then the ruling lord of Purva Phalguni Nakshatra Venus will be evaluated in terms of its placement and strength. The predictions that related to the Moon or the house it lords over in the horoscope will need to be made in context of placement or strengths or weakness of Venus, the lord of Purva Phalguni Nakshatra.
Story behind Nakshatras 
