Svātī occupies 6°40’ to 20°00’ of Tulā (Libra) and its presiding deity is Vāyu — the wind, the breath, the most mobile of all natural forces. Governed by Rāhu and presided over by Vāyu, Svātī carries the quality of something that cannot be contained: like the wind, it goes where it will, changes direction without apology, penetrates every barrier, and is absolutely essential for life even as it eludes all attempts at capture. The young plant shoot bending in the wind is the nakṣatra’s primary symbol — flexible, responsive, alive to every change in circumstance, yet rooted enough to survive the storm.
The name Svātī is derived from a root meaning “self-going” or “independent” — and this captures the native’s fundamental orientation. These individuals have a profound need for autonomy and freedom of movement. They are not well-suited to rigid hierarchical structures or to roles that require suppression of their individuality. When given room to move, to explore, and to adapt, they are extraordinarily effective; when constrained, they become restless, evasive, and eventually find ways to move regardless of institutional expectations.
Parāśara describes Svātī natives as skilled in trade and commerce, fond of independence, restrained in speech (a counterintuitive quality for such a mobile nakṣatra — but the wind does not waste itself), knowledgeable about social convention (which they may choose to observe or not, depending on context), and prone to wandering. Rāhu’s rulership adds worldliness, ambition, and a fascination with crossing cultural and social boundaries. Many Svātī natives are exceptional traders, entrepreneurs, diplomats, or travelers — individuals who move between worlds with ease and who find profit in the margins between established territories.
Svātī is classified as a cara (movable) nakṣatra — highly auspicious for travel, new business ventures, changing directions, and activities requiring adaptability and flexibility. The wind quality also connects Svātī to breath-work, prāṇāyāma, music (particularly wind instruments), and any practice involving the conscious direction of prāṇa. Varāhamihira notes that those born under Svātī are “independent in attitude, good-natured, skilled in trade, kind, and devoted to righteousness.”