Astro 101: Understanding the Birth Chart
Astrology.
You either love it, hate it, or have not a single clue what any of it means. Maybe the extent of your knowledge is the @glossy_zodiac Instagram account, or maybe you have a full understanding of current planetary transits and their effect on your own chart. Regardless, astrology can be so fun, no matter the depth you decide to invest in.
I have recently taken a deep dive into all things astrology (proud Scorpio here) and have found it fascinating. There is always something more to learn, knowledge to share, and new connections to be made. After lots of learning on my end, I have finally decided to share some with The KR Project.
Let’s get started, from the beginning!
WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?
Merriam-Webster defines astrology as “the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects.” This is a really fancy way to say a lot of people have studied the patterns of the stars and planets for a really long time and have found that there is usually a correlation between these patterns and the patterns within human activity. For example, for thousands of years, it has been observed that people born when the moon is in specific parts of the sky show similar patterns in how they process their emotions.
So, astrology does not mean that knowing things about your sign or entire birth chart will determine what exactly will happen to you as it is set in stone. Knowing about this information will simply aid in understanding how you may feel and act in different areas of your life and how to better relate to others. It can also bring your attention to areas of life you may find more success or help guide you to what you are most passionate about. To better understand this, we look to your birth chart.
WHAT IS A BIRTH CHART?
While it can seem intimidating at first glance, your birth chart is, simply put, a literal map of the sky at the time of your birth. This includes the planets, sun, moon, constellations, and houses where they fall. Where these things fall in your chart impact certain areas of your life. In short, your birth chart is a map of the sky, but everything’s location on that map has significance, depending on where it is, that will correlate to an area of your life.
THE HOUSES: THE AREAS OF LIFE
In astrology, the sky is divided into 12 “houses” that each occupy 30 degrees of the 360-degree circle that is the entire sky (see photo below). These houses are like imaginary lines drawn over the sky, so we are able to make more sense of what we are looking at. If the entire sky is a pizza, each house is a slice of that pizza that correlates to an area of your life. For example, the first house rules the self, the second rules finances and possessions, etc., etc.
For specific information on what each house rules, check out this page on Astrology.com.
PHOTO: The Modern Astrologer
THE SIGNS
Each house falls on top of a constellation, making that house “ruled” by that sign. This essentially means you view that specific area of life through the lens of that sign and the characteristics associated with it. For example, if the constellation of Scorpio is in the 30 degrees of the sky that is the first house the moment you are born, your first house will be ruled by the sign Scorpio. So, your sense of self or how you yourself are perceived by the world will have similar characteristics to that of the sign of Scorpio.
For more information on the signs and what characteristics are associated with each, check out this page on Astrology.com.
THE PLANETS
The planets are similar to the signs when it comes to where they fall in your chart, in that they will also impact that area of life depending on what characteristics are associated with the particular planet you are looking at.
For more information on what specific planets rule and what characteristics are associated with them, check out this page on Astrology.com.
YOUR SPECIFIC BIRTH CHART
Now that you understand what you are looking at when pulling up a birth chart, it’s time to look at your specific chart! In order to do this, you have to know where and what time exactly you were born. If you do not know this, your rising sign will be miscalculated, and your entire chart will be incorrect. So, now is the time to call your mom if you need.
My favorite birth chart generators are Chani (you can also download their app) and Astrocharts. Just plug in your info and it will create your chart for you!
THE BIG THREE: START HERE
By now, you’re probably thinking there is a lot more to astrology than just the one sign you most likely already knew and identify with when you’re reading your horoscope on a card or keychain in a gift shop. To break down your chart, start by looking at your “big three,” arguably the most important three placements when it comes to who you are.
THE SUN | I am almost positive you know your sign if you have made it this far. The one that you tell people when they ask, “What’s your sign?” is your sun sign. This is where the sun was in the sky when you were born. The sun stays in each sign for about a month. This sign represents who you are at your core.
THE MOON | The next of the big three is the moon. Your moon sign demonstrates your emotions- how you process them, how you emotionally relate to others, how recharge emotionally, etc. All of this is determined by the sign in which the moon was over when you were born, thus allowing you to take on emotional characteristics similar to that sign.
THE RISING | The last of the big three is the ascendant or rising sign. This is where the sun was on the horizon at the exact time of your birth. This sign changes approximately every two hours, which is why it is so important to know the exact time you were born. This is also always the sign of your first house, so your entire birth chart is built off of this placement. Your ascendant sign is all about the self and determines how you are perceived by others. Usually, you will notice someone’s rising sign characteristics at first meeting, and once you get to know them more, the sun sign characteristics will begin to shine through.
THE BIG SIX: THE EXTENDED VERSION
Once you have a grasp on your big three, you can move on to your big six—Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
MERCURY | Your Mercury sign is all about your communication style. How you communicate with others, the way you deliver and process information, and everything associated with this, such as writing and reading, are all seen through the lens of the sign that Mercury falls within in your chart. This can be important to note when first meeting someone and learning how to interact with them most effectively.
VENUS | The Venus sign relates to love: how you show it, how you receive it, how you choose friends and partners, and everything in between. This can also be important when understanding how loved ones can best serve your needs and vice versa. Your Venus sign will also correlate to your love language but will give a deeper explanation to this.
MARS | Lastly, the mars sign impacts how you take action. I like to describe the Mars sign as how likely you are to choose the restaurant in a group of people—if you are typically the first to make the decision, you probably have a Capricorn or Aries Mars sign. Whereas, if the idea of choosing a restaurant for a group of people makes you want to cry a little, your Mars sign might be in Cancer or Libra.
IN CONCLUSION (for now)
Astrology is a complex study of patterns that has been going on for as long as humans have had the urge to understand their selves and one another. At the end of the day, it is also just really fun. Looking at your birth chart, your friends’ birth charts, and whoever else’s can give a lot of insight to someone’s personality, emotions, and their connections with others.
This article is just the beginning to understanding this huge area of interest, but hopefully brings you clarity on what all this means and simplifies it in a less daunting way.
Happy birth chart reading!
xo,
KR
SOURCES
Merriam Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astrology | The Modern Astrologer https://www.themodernastrologer.com/news/2018/11/20/natal-chart-explained-houses
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