GitHub Copilot + Occult API

The MCP server exposes 309 astrology endpoints to Copilot agent mode as callable tools. Rather than describing an API and hoping the model writes a correct request, it searches the catalogue, reads the real request schema, and makes the call — so the numbers in its answer came from the ephemeris rather than from its training data.

Searching and reading schemas costs nothing. Only a successful call_endpoint spends a credit, and failed calls are free.

Create one in the dashboard. It looks like yt_live_… and carries your credit balance, so treat it as a password: never in client-side code, never committed.

Create an API key

Open .vscode/mcp.json, creating it if it does not exist, and add:

{
  "servers": {
    "occult-api": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "occult-api-mcp"],
      "env": { "OCCULT_API_KEY": "yt_live_your_key_here" }
    }
  }
}

If you would rather not edit the file by hand, the same thing lives at Command Palette → MCP: Add Server → Command (stdio).

Replace yt_live_your_key_here with your real key. You do not need to install anything else — npx fetches the server on first run.

Ask Copilot agent mode:

List the tools you have from the occult-api server.

You should get back five tools:

• search_endpoints
• describe_endpoint
• call_endpoint
• get_panchanga
• check_account

If the list is empty the server has not started. The usual cause is the config file being in the right place with the wrong shape, so check the key name above before anything else.

In agent mode: use the occult-api tools to check whether this birth chart is manglik, and show the reasoning the API returns rather than summarising it.

It should call the API rather than answer from memory. If the reply arrives instantly and contains no tool call, the agent has answered from training data — say “use the occult-api tools” and it will.

• VS Code uses `servers` as the top-level key, NOT `mcpServers`. Every other tool on this list uses `mcpServers`, so a copied snippet will load as an empty server list and give no error.
• MCP tools are only available in agent mode. Switch the Chat view from Ask to Agent, or the server connects and nothing can reach it.
• The file is committed with the repo, so use `${input:...}` for the key rather than pasting it — VS Code will prompt for the value on first run.

The endpoints are ordinary HTTP. Nothing on this page is required to use them:

curl -X POST https://api.occultapi.com/api/astro/panchanga/ \
  -H 'X-API-Key: yt_live_your_key_here' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "date_time": "2026-09-17T06:00:00+05:30",
    "latitude": 26.9124,
    "longitude": 75.7873,
    "timezone_as_float": 5.5,
    "keys": ["tithi", "nakshatra", "yogam", "karana"]
  }'

Note the keys array: four calculations in one request, charged as one credit. Calling four times costs four.