It is not possible to say exactly when Jyotish was started and by whom. In many texts the Rishi Bhrigu is regarded as the father of Jyotish. The human son of Lord Shiva, Brighu was supposedly taught Astrology by his father. Bhrigu was said to have made a horoscope chart for every human being, which is even now available at Hoshiapur, a District of Punjab in India. The script is written in the form of a question and answer. For example, the question is asked, "My lord, the person named John Smith, born in New York at 2.50 hours after sunrise, for what did he come, and what was he in the past birth, and what he will do in the present birth?" The Lord replies, "The person has came for having fun and adventure. He was a laborer in the past birth, and before death he will....... Now, after the 41st year of his present birth he will suffer from ........ At that time his friends will be with him....etc."
If a person goes to Hoshiapur and is lucky enough to receive a card, it will be written on that card why the person came, where he was born, along with his future. This may sound like foolishness, but many persons who have gone have reported experiencing it.
In Southern India, Maharishi Agatsya is also regarded as the founder of Astrology, and was said to have performed similar things, known as Nadi or Deva Vani.
If we look at other aspects of Jyotish, such as the analysis of planets, the calculation of the Ascendant and its effects, the Nakshatras and their effects, yearly charts, the speed and rotation of the earth and other planets around sun, as well as the principles of astrology set forth by such persons as Parashar Hora Shastra, Varahmir, Yamunacharya, and Deva Kerlam, it is clear that a single person did not formulate the mathematical rules and principles of Jyotish. In fact, Jyotish appears to have evolved over centuries, and involved the work and research of many people.
Whatever the case, the principles developed in ancient times show that the scholars of those times knew far more than the scholars of the present day. Again and again, their predictions and principles have proven extremely accurate and reliable. They possessed a knowledge of reality that even modern science cannot match. A modern doctor cannot accurately predict when or whether someone with an illness will live or die. The doctor may give an assessment, but it is nothing more than a guess. Often, the person who is predicted to die recovers, despite great odds to the contrary, a fact that medical science cannot explain. And yet such predictive ability is not beyond someone who possesses even a modest knowledge of Jyotish.