Fundamental Concepts in Astrology
What is Astrology?
Astrology is, put simply, the study of the correlation between the astronomical positions of the planets and events on earth. Astrologers believe that the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth have a direct influence on that person’s character. These positions are thought to affect a person’s destiny, although many Astrologers feel that free will plays a large role in any individual’s life.
What is an Astrological Chart?
A horoscope is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person’s birth. A chart for a person’s time of birth is also called a Natal Chart.
The natal chart is like a blueprint for a person’s personality and it shows the possibilities in someone’s life. These possibilities are many and not all will manifest. A person can choose not to follow the energies in their chart and this is what astrologers call Free Will.
How does the Astrological Chart Work?
In an astrological chart the planet is the energy. The sign the planet is in represent the characteristics the planet’s energy takes on, and the house is the area of life where the planet’s energy plays out.
Each planet, sign and house rule different things (energies). There is NO good or bad planet, sign or house. They ALL represent strengths and weaknesses.
Read the lists below to see some general descriptions.
The Planets:
Sun = ego, personality, and the physical body
Moon = emotion, instincts,the mother and female relatives
Mercury = thinking, communicating, and writing
Venus = love, relationships, and harmony
Mars = energy, initiative, impulsiveness, sex drive and courage
Jupiter = luck, abundance, long distance travel, higher education, religion, growth and expansion
Saturn = work, discipline, responsibilities, limitations, restrictions, depression, the father or authority figure
Neptune = idealism, confusion, deception (also self), illusion, glamour, escapism, addiction and dissolution
Uranus = change, disruption, sudden events, rebellion and technology
Pluto = sex, death, birth, transformation. It deals with psychology, the underworld and power
The Signs:
Aries =Willpower, impulsive, initiative, courage, energy, activity.
Often rushes headlong into things
Quadruplicity: Cardinal, Element: fire, Ruled by Mars
Taurus = Sensual, pleasure-seeker, steadfast, strives for security
Sees red when provoked for a long time
Fixed, earth; ruled by Venus
Gemini = Mental type, witty, communicative, mobile, takes pleasure in learning.
Rarely touches down
Mutable, air; ruled by Mercury
Cancer = Emotional type, stubborn, seeks safety and closeness
Very much a family person
Cardinal, water; ruled by the Moon
Leo = Glamour, generosity, organizer, the center of attention
Likes to take the lion’s part
Fixed, fire; ruled by the Sun
Virgo = Precise, differentiates, analyzes, does what is necessary, utilitarian
A critical point of view
Mutable, earth; ruled by Mercury
Libra = A sense of beauty and proportion, tactful, seeks balance and harmony. Sometimes hovers between the scales
Cardinal, air; ruled by Venus
Scorpio = Corrosive, passionate, piercing, extreme situations, all or nothing
Frequently quarrels with the spirits he called
Fixed, water; ruled by Pluto
Sagittarius = Free spirit, carefree, love of movement, cheerful
Wanderlust, often seems to be elsewhere
Mutable, fire; ruled by Jupiter
Capricorn = Enduring, has a sense of purpose, proud, ambitious
Can get stuck in craggy heights
Cardinal, earth; ruled by Saturn
Aquarius = Communicative, humanitarian, progressive, fraternal
Universal spirit with occasional astonishing obstinacy
Fixed, air; ruled by Uranus
Pisces = Sensitive, compassionate, helpful, sociable, wishy-washy
Very adaptable, hard to get a hold on
Mutable, water; ruled by Neptune
The Houses:
1st House: The Self (your personality, ego and physical body)
2nd House: Your Possessions (your money, what you own, what you value)
3rd House: Communication (how you think and communicate)
4th House: Home & early and later life (your past, childhood home, your parents, homeland)
5th House: Creativity & Sex: (your hobbies, risk taking, children, romance and dating)
6th House: Service & Health (your daily living environment & habits, co-workers, health, house of the paycheck)
7th House: Partnership (marriage, significant other, intimate relationships)
8th House: death, transformation, legacies, what you share with others, sex, birth, taxes, inheritance
9th House: Mental Exploration (religion, philosophy, higher education, long distance travel, publishing)
10th House: Career & Reputation: (career, status, ambition)
11th House: Hopes, Wishes & Friends (goals, clubs and organization you join, the masses, innovation)
12th House: Secrets, Sorrow & Self-undoing (Things that are hidden, the unconscious, confinements, karma)
Glyphs – The Symbols in the Zodiac
Putting it All Together
When astrologers read a natal chart they look for the possibilities in it. This means piecing the words together that represent a possibility in someone’s life. As I said earlier on the page, the possibilities are many, which can make it hard to identify how they are manifesting in someone’s life. Astrologers often study many years or decades to become adept at recognizing these possibilities.
For example, if a person’s planet Neptune is in the 8th house in the sign of Cancer, we can look at the words below and see the possible word combinations.
Neptune = idealism, confusion, deception (also self), illusion, glamour, escapism, addiction and dissolution
Cancer = Emotional type, stubborn, seeks safety and closeness. Very much a family person
8th House = death, transformation, legacies, what you share with others, sex, birth, taxes, inheritance
One, this could mean the possibility of emotional (cancer) confusion (neptune) about a family inheritance (8th house)
Or, it could mean, the subject seeks security (cancer) through having glamorous (neptune) sexual partners (8th house)
Or it could mean, the subject has morbid (8th house, death) fantasies (Neptune, illusion) about their mother (cancer)
Well obviously these are three very different scenarios!!!
Maybe the subject experiences all of them or none of them. And still there are many more possibilities with this particular configuration of Neptune in Cancer in the 8th house. It usually requires talking with the subject to determine how these energies are playing out in the real world. That’s the role of the astrologer!
If you are learning astrology, I highly recommend you read the writings of many different astrologers. Each astrologer has their own viewpoint and insight on the planetary energies, and this is helpful to gain a broad understanding of the horoscope. Good luck!