Did you know?
Astrology is one of the most popular topics in the world
It’s as common as:
– the weather,
– sports,
– or the news.
Every time I meet up with a friend, it always comes up in conversation.
Yet, most people use it incorrectly!
— “What’s your horoscope?” — is a question often asked, and most people eagerly answer with their sun sign, thinking that settles the matter. However, astrology is a much deeper and more complex system than that.
In this article, I will show you:
The difference between astronomy and astrology.
What the concepts of zodiac and ascendant really mean.
The various zodiac signs and when they occur.
The essential planets you need to know about.
The system of houses and what they represent.
Whether you’re completely new to this world or an enthusiastic horoscope reader, this guide will clarify the main concepts so you can navigate the vast amount of information with greater confidence and interpret your own natal chart more effectively.
So you can better understand yourself.
Everything about astrology — all in one place!
Astrology, also known as star divination, is part of the esoteric teachings.
It is a branch of astronomy since it involves the study of celestial bodies.
Though not considered a science, it was used in some form by almost every ancient civilization.
The term “astro” means star.
While astronomy focuses on the characteristics of planets, astrology concerns itself with events and occurrences inferred from the positions of celestial bodies, providing a wealth of additional information about individuals.
Astronomy is the scientific study of celestial bodies and phenomena, dealing with their nature, movement, and the observation of their behaviors. Astrophysics, for instance, is a branch of astronomy that applies physics to explain astronomical observations.
In contrast, Astrology examines and interprets celestial bodies and their movements to understand how they influence our lives. Astrography, a part of astrology, records the movements of stars and planets and studies their ordering principles.
So, while the two fields are distinct, astrology is built upon astronomical foundations.
Astrology is practiced by astrologers, and it is most commonly criticized by researchers with a scientific perspective.
The main criticism is that there is no evidence to support the validity of astrology.
Astrologers often counter by saying that not everything that happens to people is measurable, and we should not dismiss the possibility that there are things we cannot see but that still exist—like gravity. For millennia, we didn’t know what gravity actually was because:
We didn’t think it had anything to do with Earth.
We didn’t have the tools to measure it.
It was invisible to us.
Yet, everyone could feel its presence.
Similarly, astrology, along with the personality traits and horoscopes it describes, is perceived by a vast number of people. Numerous films and TV shows explore it, which, according to astrologers, is not just a coincidence. They argue that the current level of scientific development simply isn’t advanced enough to demonstrate any causal relationship between planetary alignments and their consequences or the connection between planetary characteristics and certain aspects of personality.
So, while we may not be able to measure astrological phenomena with current scientific methods and tools, this does not diminish their impact.
One thing is certain: astrology enjoys immense popularity!
The most popular element of astrology is the horoscope.
In common understanding, the horoscope refers to the Sun sign — that is, the zodiac sign the Sun was in on the day of your birth.
In reality, astrology and a person’s horoscope are much more complex!
Astrological studies center around Earth. Although we now know that Earth orbits the Sun, we still study astrology as if the Sun and other planets were moving relative to Earth. This creates the concept of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun around the sky as seen from Earth.
The horoscope, based on the exact time and place of your birth, reveals your character, personality, and traits.
Birth Chart: A snapshot of the sky at the exact time and place of birth (including country and city).
A horoscope is built on at least three key components:
Signs (12 of them)
Planets (10 of them)
Houses (12 of them)
Determining the Ascendant gives us another point, known as the Descendant (DC). This point is exactly opposite the Ascendant on the western horizon and is always found at the cusp of the 7th house.
On the vertical plane of the birth chart, there are two other important points: MC and IC.
MC (Medium Coeli): The “Midheaven” is the point where the ecliptic intersects the imaginary line passing through the poles of the Earth (the meridian) at the place of birth. Simply put, it’s the degree at the top of the sky. The MC shows what we identify with in life; the qualities and traits of the sign at this point reflect our conscious or unconscious aspirations.
IC (Imum Coeli): The “Nadir” is exactly opposite the MC, on the other side of the Earth, beneath us. It symbolizes our roots and is associated with the 4th house.
Thus, astrology is interpreted based on not just a single (Sun) sign, but at least three crucial elements (planets, signs, and houses).
Let’s explore each of these components in detail!
The astrological signs can also be called zodiac signs—or simply zodiac.
Zodiac: The system of astrological signs and their associated characteristic traits and features.
The zodiac signs themselves are derived by dividing the sky into 12 equal parts, each 30 degrees in size.
Originally, the purpose of the zodiac signs was to make it easier to determine the positions of planets moving around Earth. Therefore, in a given segment of the sky (i.e., a specific 30-degree section), a particular zodiac constellation (a group of stars) is present.
For example, Sagittarius got its name because the Sagittarius constellation is visible in its 30-degree segment.
… and the same applies to the other zodiac signs.
The 12 zodiac signs are as follows:
Your Sun sign (the zodiac sign the Sun was in at the time of your birth) can be determined from your birth date:
Aries: March 21 – April 19
Taurus: April 20 – May 20
Gemini: May 21 – June 21
Cancer: June 22 – July 22
Leo: July 23 – August 22
Virgo: August 23 – September 22
Libra: September 23 – October 22
Scorpio: October 23 – November 21
Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21
Capricorn: December 22 – January 19
Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
Pisces: February 19 – March 20
Each sign is associated with several archetypal personality traits unique to it.
Additionally, certain signs share similar traits and can be grouped accordingly.
The main grouping systems are:
Let’s explore these separately.
There are three quality categories:
Cardinal (Initiating): These signs are known for their leadership and ability to start new projects. They are energetic and pioneering.
Fixed (Stable): These signs are characterized by their stability and reliability. They are persistent and often resistant to change.
Mutable (Adaptable): These signs are flexible and adaptable, able to adjust to changing circumstances and environments.
The zodiac signs can be categorized into these three groups:
Cardinal Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
Fixed Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
Mutable Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
You can easily remember these groupings by noting that:
Cardinal signs correspond to the beginning of the seasons.
Fixed signs correspond to the middle of the seasons.
Mutable signs correspond to the end of the seasons.
Astrology also relies on the presence of the four basic elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
Each element embodies certain fundamental traits that group the signs:
Fire: Enthusiastic, dynamic
Earth: Practical, steady
Air: Intellectual, communicative
Water: Emotional, sensitive
Therefore, zodiac signs can also be categorized into one of these four elements:
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
With this, we’ve covered the first key element of astrological interpretation—the zodiac signs.
Next, let’s move on to the second important element: the planets.
In astrology, we distinguish a total of 10 celestial bodies, collectively referred to as “planets” in the jargon, even though the Moon and the Sun are not technically planets.
The 10 celestial bodies are:
From Earth’s perspective, the planets are always in motion. Therefore, at the moment of birth, each planet is located in a specific zodiac sign.
Each planet is associated with certain traits and energies:
Thus, the energy of a planet is expressed in accordance with the traits of the zodiac sign it occupies.
For example, if the Sun was in Sagittarius at the time of your birth, then the Sun’s energies (such as vitality) are expressed in a way characteristic of Sagittarius (such as a love for freedom). This means you would feel most vital when you can experience freedom in your daily life.
Each planet rules one or two zodiac signs. This means that the characteristics and meanings associated with a planet influence the expression of the signs it rules.
Planetary Rulerships:
In the interpretation of a natal chart, personal planets have greater significance:
Personal Planets:
Now, let’s return to planetary motion.
There are two fundamental types of planetary motion:
The planets’ orbits around Earth are not perfect circles. As seen from Earth (which is also moving), their motion sometimes appears to move forward smoothly, then slow down, stop, and appear to move backward before returning to their original forward direction.
Interesting Note
Many people (mistakenly) conclude that if a planet was moving in retrograde at the time of their birth, its energy will negatively affect their natal chart. However, this is not true. A retrograde planet indicates a more challenging path, meaning that the expression of its energy might be more difficult, requiring a bit more effort on your part.
So, there is no such thing as a “bad planet” or “bad placement,” and there’s no need to interpret everything in a “negative sense.” These are simply energies that require more resources and effort to work with.
Now that we have examined the zodiac signs and planets, which form the core of astrological interpretation, only the houses remain.
The system of houses is an artificial framework created to divide the space surrounding the Earth.
Each house is responsible for a particular area of life, but it can also refer to specific individuals (e.g., mother, father, sibling, friend, etc.).
There are several house systems, but two are particularly prevalent:
In the Placidus system, houses vary in size, whereas the Equal House system has a simpler, equal division.
The Ascendant indicates the position of the first house, following a counterclockwise direction from the horizon line, numbered from 1 to 12.
The 12 houses are as follows, each associated with a specific life area:
The first six houses are personal, dealing with the individual’s inner qualities, self, and intimate matters, while the last six houses relate to external affairs and interactions with other people.
Certain houses hold more significance in the natal chart than others. Planets within these houses (if any) gain more influence. These houses are:
In a natal chart, there will always be some empty houses. When this occurs, the sign covering the house and the ruling planet of that sign will determine our reactions to matters associated with that house.
The basic structure of the natal chart is outlined by four main angles and the lines connecting them: the Ascendant (AC), Descendant (DC), Midheaven (MC), and Imum Coeli (IC). The AC-DC line represents the horizon or horizontal axis, while the MC-IC line represents the vertical axis.
These axes divide the circle into four quadrants, each containing three houses.
The starting quadrants — the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th houses — are known as cardinal houses and are distinguished by Roman numerals.
This distinction indicates that these are particularly significant areas of the horoscope, fundamental pillars that show the most important aspects of the person’s self and life path: the self (1st) — home and family (4th) — love and social relationships (7th) — ambitions and career (10th).
Continuing the previous example, if the Sun was in Sagittarius in the 7th House at the moment of birth, then the Sun’s energies (e.g., vitality) will be expressed in a way characteristic of Sagittarius (e.g., love of freedom) within the area of human and social relationships — meaning the person feels most vital when they can maintain and experience their freedom even within close relationships.
This completes the final element of the core of the natal chart.
The greatest benefit of a natal chart is that it reveals a person’s:
It’s important to note that the natal chart shows the autopilot settings of a person, which operate unconsciously during a certain life phase. Your personality and yourself will evolve and change many times throughout your life.
Therefore, don’t view what your personal natal chart reveals about you as an unchangeable rule. You do have an influence on your life’s course—your decisions shape who you become! Instead, consider the chart as a tool to gain deeper insight into the forces, thoughts, and ingrained patterns within you, which you can consciously improve and develop.
When examining the whole natal chart, it’s useful to determine the following in this specific order:
In simple terms:
In addition to the core elements covered in the personal horoscope, there are a few important components to consider—the so-called ancient triad:
When exploring your current horoscope, don’t only focus on your Sun sign but also consider the information related to your Ascendant sign and your Moon sign. This will give you a much clearer picture of the influences affecting you now and in the near future.
Ascendant (Asc, AC): The sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth and its exact degree—this is the starting point of the chart, always located in the 1st House or its cusp. The Ascendant sign reveals fundamental traits of your personality and your true self, known only to a few.
Sun Sign and House: Shows how you express yourself to the world, where and how you feel comfortable.
Moon Sign and House: Reveals your emotional world, how you respond to challenges, and your instinctive habits.
The Fourth Essential Element of the Horoscope
The fourth essential element of the horoscope is aspects.
This requires more advanced knowledge and is crucial for a comprehensive interpretation of the horoscope.
Stay tuned for my upcoming article on this topic!
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