Ever find that magazine horoscope that you skim through on your lunch break a little, hmm… shallow?
Considering that everyone on the whole planet was born under one of only 12 signs of the Zodiac, how accurate can that short paragraph of text actually be?
Well, you’re right. But it’s because that throwaway horoscope, relegated to the back pages of your glossy only ever takes into account your Sun sign. Also known as your ‘star sign’, this refers to the position of the Sun in the skies, when you were born. (And it’s not even that specific – your reading is thrown together with everybody else who was born within the same 28-ish day window as you!)
The truth is, it would be impossible to take into account every planetary transit, or astrological aspect in that three-minute reading. There is SO much information contained within the astrology of a single individual, that the Sun sign barely skims the surface…yet it’s all most people actually know about their own chart!
It’s no wonder Astrology gets a bad rap!
Getting more specific with astrology is easy… if you know what you’re looking for.
Asking the right questions is a must – otherwise understanding your personal astrology can very quickly become overwhelming and a ticket to nowhere fast.
So what ARE the right questions? Well, let’s start with the Sun, and work our way out from there.
Planetary Astrology
The Sun
The reason the Sun is such a focus in basic astrology is that it represents the self. Just like the Sun is the centre of our solar system, we are each the centre of our own lives.
Where the Sun sits in a chart relates to what fuels you in life, what motivates you and makes you get out of bed in the morning!
The Moon
This twin luminary represents your emotional body, your instincts and your subconscious
personality. It’s also tied to your relationship to your mother, how you were parented and how you parent.
Mercury
The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury, symbolizes your communication style, how you share and connect with others and the world, predominantly through the mind.
Venus
The planet of beauty pertains to your values, including how you give and receive love, and your
consideration of pleasure, beauty, and art. This planet is also the ruler of money and material possessions.
Mars
The red planet relates to how you assert yourself. It symbolises will and endeavour, desire, and passion. It is the masculine principle.
Jupiter
This giant planet represents
how and where in your life you experience good fortune, luck, and expansion. It
also symbolizes higher awareness and learning.
Saturn
The planet of limitation. Saturn represents boundaries and structure and can reveal where you often face challenges and obstacles in your life.
**The next three planets are slow-moving, and the influence they offer in a chart is generational, rather than personal.
Uranus
This planet is known
as the Awakener and can bring unexpected change, revolution, and insight.
Neptune
Representing dreams
and the subconscious, this planet pertains to truth and illusion, creativity and spirituality.
Pluto
As mythical God of the underworld, Pluto refers to the shadow, and to death, rebirth, and transformation.
SO much more than the Sun Sign!
So can you see, now, how the Sun’s presence in astrology (AKA your Star sign) makes up only a very small part of who you are as a complete person? How you process feelings, communicate, love, work, allow positivity into your life, and feel duty-bound and limited, are all influenced by other planets. And the signs of the Zodiac that those planets occupy in your chart, will affect how they express their planetary energy through you.
If you want to get even more personal, the astrological houses are your next project.
Your chart is split into not only signs but houses. And these are specific to YOU and the time and place you were born. So in which house a planet sits, as well as in which sign, adds another layer of meaning onto your chart.
Here’s a quick rundown:
The Astrological Houses
- Ascendant or Rising Sign (the 1st House cusp): Your natural reaction to the world.
- 1st House: Self, Identity, appearance, first impressions. Ruled by Aries
- 2nd House: Material possessions. Money. Daily routines, work. Ruled by Taurus
- 3rd House: The mind, communication, siblings, and neighbours. Ruled by Gemini
- 3rd House: The mind, communication, siblings, and neighbours. Ruled by Gemini
- 4th House: Home, family, security, parenting. Ruled by Cancer.
- 5th House: Love, play, creativity, and self-expression. Ruled by Leo.
- 6th House: Health, fitness, systems, analysis, routines, and habits. Ruled by Virgo.
- Descendent (the 7th House cusp): What you aren’t. Qualities you lack and what you seek usually in relationships.
- 7th House: Relationships, partnerships, collaboration, marriage, and business. Ruled by Libra.
- 8th House: Birth, deaths, and transformation. The merging of assets. Power, money, and intimacy. Ruled by Scorpio.
- 9th House: Long distance travel, learning, and higher education. Governance and religion. Also luck, gambling, morals, and ethics. Ruled by Sagittarius
- Midheaven (the 10th House cusp): The most public point of your chart. Relates to your career, reputation, and social standing.
- 10th House: Structure, authority, long-term goals, achievement, traditions, limitations, and boundaries. Ruled by Capricorn.
- 11th House: Groups, friends, community, social justice. Progress, the future. Ruled by Aquarius.
- 12th House: Finality and endings. Secretiveness and things that are hidden, the subconscious, spirituality, and creativity. Ruled by Pisces.
The houses are a really useful part of astrology to get to know.
If you know which of your houses a planet is about to hit, of the next Full Moon will occur in, then you have a great indicator of which part of your life will be most affected.As well as understanding yourself, the houses can help you to plan the future.
What next?
The planets, signs, and houses all form a basis from which you can start to understand yourself beyond your Sun sign. In combination, all of these pieces of the puzzle make up who you are, so learning more about them can be hugely reassuring!
What’s more, understanding the way the planets interact with each other– forming aspects that are both positive and negative – can take your astrology to another level still.
And for the up-to-date, personal application of astrology, overlaying your chart with the present-day picture of the skies can open up a whole new world!
Yet for now, start with the Sun and move outwards, planet by planet.
Start with the basics, and build on your personal knowledge base when you’re ready.
Wishing you an enlightening journey into this world of discovery!
Bio
Katherine Anne Lee is a UK-based writer and ritualist. She is an initiate into an ancient European lineage of Shamanism, whose practices engage deeply with the Spirit of the honeybee as a living symbol and ally. The central belief (and living embodiment) is in the womb as first-brain, and the axis of feminine wisdom and power. Alongside this work, she is a long-time moon maven and has been apprenticing in the rhythms and Mysteries of la Luna for over 10 years. Find her Moon School HERE