“An astrological chart is an astronomical map of the sky at the time of your birth, as seen from the perspective of your birthplace. It is a snapshot of the sky that freezes a moment in time that is unique to you.” (Caroline Casey, Making the Gods Work for You)
To orient yourself to the chart, look at the inner circle. This is the Earth. Think of the main horizontal line that cuts across the chart as the horizon. An astrological chart differs from a conventional map in that east is on the left and west is on the right. The point where the horizon line meets the left side of the circle determines the ascendant or rising sign. It is the sign of the zodiac which was rising due east at the moment of your birth. The ascendant represents your emergence into this physical existence and shows how you approach matters in your life. It also represents your path – the journey that will help you develop the qualities that you will need to bring your chart’s potential into full manifestation.
Everything above the horizon or the Southern Hemisphere is visible at the time of your birth, and represents the larger social world. If most of the planets are above the horizon, the chart describes someone who is more objective, sociable, and concerned with “outside” events, whether they affect them on a personal level or not. People with this predominance of planets do not mind being visible. “They are certainly allowed to have private and personal lives, but their primary task is to extrapolate larger significance from personal experience.” (Caroline Casey, Making the Gods Work for You) The lower half of the chart is referred to as the Northern Hemisphere and is the personal and subjective portion of the chart. People whose charts show the majority of planets here prefer to be invisible and private, not needing the approval or opinions of others when making choices in life.
When planets are primarily on the left side of the chart (east), it describes a person who is self-motivated and action-oriented. They tend to believe strongly in free will. If most planets are on the right (west), there is a tendency to be other-oriented and receptive. Often the needs of others are considered before making decisions or taking action. It is not unusual for these people to believe that their lives are in the hands of fate even though that is not a correct assumption.
Dividing the chart into four pie pieces are the four angles; ascendant, descendant, midheaven, and nadir. These angles show how we view, negotiate and interact with our immediate and broader environments. The ascendant is the face we show the world, our identity and personality. The descendant is how we meet, face and join with others. The midheaven is our social status or profession. The nadir is our roots, home and karmic connections.
The quadrants that are formed by these divisions show our evolution as humans from childhood, youth, adulthood, and maturity. The First quadrant (First, Second, Third Houses) is the most individual and represents Personal Identity. In this quadrant we are born, discover our physical body, learn to communicate with others, and attend school. The Second quadrant (Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Houses) represents Personal Expression. This is where we learn how to live within a family group and what it means to have roots. We begin to learn what gifts we possess are and how to use them. We discover romance, have children, take care of our bodies, participate in a work environment, and begin to understand what service to others means.
The Third quadrant (Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Houses) represents Social Identity and leads to great self-expression. Here we learn how to cooperate with others and enter into partnership and marriage. We face the issues of death and sex and begin to explore the world and ourselves on a deeper level. As our understanding deepens we start to ask big questions such as “Why am I here,” “Who is God” and “What is life about?” We also turn to higher education, philosophy and religion to try to understand these concepts.
The Fourth quadrant (Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Houses) is the quadrant of Social Expression. In it we emerge into the public eye, pursue a career, begin to consider what type of legacy we would like to leave behind, contribute to society, and draw closer to our spiritual side and “God.”
Each quadrant is divided into three sections or houses. Each of these houses represents a facet of life.
Houses of the Horoscope
An Astrology Chart is divided like a pizza into twelve sections called houses. Each house
represents, or rules, different areas of life. A natal astrology chart places the zodiac position of the sun, moon, planets, and other significant points in their location in the twelve houses of the chart at the precise time of your birth.
The houses provide a frame of reference to help you understand the areas of life that are affected by the energy of the planets. The chart begins counting with the Ascendant, or cusp of the first house.
You will see that when the sun, moon, and planets are placed in your chart, some houses will be loaded and others empty. Houses containing planets require greater attention during your life. Empty houses do not mean that you can ignore them; and, they do not indicate that nothing happens in the area of life represented by the house. To find out information about the activities pertaining to that house, we simply look at the planetary ruler of the sign on the cusp. Its location, sign, and aspects will provide the information we need to understand that house. Don’t worry if you have an empty part of your chart. It is common. Keep in mind that the chart must be taken as a whole to understand the full picture of your life.
Why do two different charts cast by two astrologers look different?
There are different “house systems” for measuring the sky. Everyone knows where the sun rises and sets in the sky. You can also see “high noon” in the sky. However, there are different ways to measure the middle of the sky. Different astrologers use different calculation methods (Placidus, Koch, Porphry, etc.) and all will argue extensively that their chosen system is the best. In reality, there is no “best” system. All are effective and correct in their own way. My system of choice is Placidus.
No matter which house system is used, the natal horoscope will always consist of twelve houses. Each house corresponds to a number of activities, life circumstances, types of people, objects, and ideas. These are gathered together under a collective keyword phrase that makes the entire contents of the house easy to categorize and remember. These key words are a convenient way to represent the major concepts underlying the particular influence of each house, but by no means do they express the entire range of influence of each house.
First House: House of Self-Image, Personality, Me, Myself, and I
Second House: House of Money, Self-Worth, Values
Third House: House of Communication, Travel, Early Education
Fourth House: House of Family, Home, Psychological & Karmic Roots
Fifth House: House of Creativity, Pleasure, Children Romance
Sixth House: House of Health, Work, Service
Seventh House: House of Partnerships, Marriage
Eighth House: House of Death, Rebirth, Sexuality, Taxes, Inheritance
Ninth House: House of Higher Education, Philosophy, Foreign Travel
Tenth House: House of Career, Honor, Legacy, Public Image
Eleventh House: House of Organizations, Groups, Contribution to Society
Twelfth House: House of Secrets, Things Hidden, Spirituality