Astrology is the study of the movements and relationships between stars, planets, and objects within space and using these understandings and discoveries to create data between celestial bodies that impact life on Earth, including individual humans.
To learn about Astrology’s Ancient Roots, click here.
Astrology Background Information
Humans have been studying the stars for thousands of years and the more advancements we make in technology, the more we discover about space. In turn, we also seem to learn more about ourselves. The universe is constantly expanding and so are we! This is due to a little something we call, “Micro-Macro.”
Astrology is like downloading an endless supply of otherwise hidden knowledge of oneself and allowing it to rise up into our conscious awareness.
According to astrologers, our personal, astrological blueprints are ‘written in the stars’. This is because, upon the moment you were born, everything in space was aligned so specifically that not any two personal astrology charts, amongst the 8 billion people alive today, are exactly alike. This includes anyone who was alive before us and those who have yet to be born!
Every object in space moves at a different speed during its orbit around the Sun. This gives our solar system boundless combinations in which they align. For example, the Earth takes 365 days to complete one lap around the Sun. Whereas, Pluto takes around 248 years to fully orbit. All other planets in our solar system vary in the time it takes each one to orbit.
Before the digital age, we often looked at the sky to tell us in which part of the day we were in. Think of a sundial. As the sun shines over the horizon in the morning, the shadow will cast in one direction, while casting in the opposite in the evening. When it’s dark, we have the moon, to tell us what part of the night we are in; which is illuminated by the sun’s light.
Energy is Everywhere
Truthfully, we are connected to everything, whether we are aware of it or not. The universe is a vast web of interconnectedness that we are all woven into.
While martial artists may explain this energy as chi, Yoda calls it the force. Musicians call it vibration. A radio tuner refers to it as frequency. Taoists call this the Tao and Hindus say it’s prana. Physics tells us that everything is energy and that nothing is exempt.
According to the scientific first law of thermodynamics, energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Instead, it travels, it transforms, or it alchemizes. Energy simply moves and as it moves, it influences the flow of other energies, which many people call the ripple effect. That being said, planetary vibrations impact Earth and life on it, just as the strings of a guitar impact a song.
This is why my motto is…  You Are More Than Your Sun Sign!
Understanding the Chart Wheel
With all of that being said, let’s get to Astrology! First, I’d like to explain to my readers what an Astrology Wheel is. This is a very important tool in Astrology as it tells you everything you’re wanting to know if you know what to look for. Below, I’ve listed the majority of things that most of us are looking for in the Astrological wheel.
This wheel, by the way, is a personalized snapshot of our solar system, including the planetary alignment at the exact moment of an individual’s birth. Here’s what can be found in it:
- The Twelve Zodiac Signs
- The Twelve Houses, which are ruled by the signs.
- The Ten Planets within our solar system and the signs and houses they fall into.
- The Degree (ranging from 0-30) to which each planet is in.
- Chart Points, like the Ascendent (AKA Rising Sign), MC, Nodes of the Moon, etc.
- Large Asteroids or dwarf planets within our solar system.
- And Aspects, which are the relationships that the planets had with each other during the moment you were born.
Planets
To learn more about each planet, click the name below.
- Sun – Ego, Individual, Ability, Energy, Vitality, Will, Conscious Mind
- Moon – Emotions, Intuition, Mood, Needs, Desires, Unconscious Mind
- Mercury – Communication, Intellect, Expression, Reason, Logical Mind
- Venus – Beauty, Love, Art, Harmony, Creation, Balance, Pleasure
- Mars – Aggression, Action, Attitude, Competition, Courage, Passion
- Jupiter – Luck, Expansion, Growth, Optimism, Abundance, Wisdom
- Saturn – Karma, Restriction, Limitation, Past, Discipline, Ambition
- Uranus – Eccentricity, Rebellion, Change, Discovery, Liberation
- Neptune – Dreams, Mysticism, Imagination, Delusion, Psychic Ability
- Pluto – Transformation, Death and Rebirth, Mystery, Sex, Power
Planetary Orbits
Each Planet has a unique orbit with an individual amount of time it takes to complete it. The Sun, as you likely know, changes signs around every 30 days, while the Moon only stays in a sign for approximately 2 and a half days. Mercury greatly varies in sign change due to frequent retrogrades and can remain in a sign from 15 days to 2 months. Similarly, Venus will be in any single sign from 3 weeks to 2 months. Mars generally stays in a sign for 2 months unless it is in retrograde, where it remains in a sign for 7 months instead.
Jupiter and Saturn are our gaseous planets, being quite a bit larger and farther from the Sun than the above planets. Naturally, they take double or more time to orbit the Sun. This means they spend a lengthier amount of time in each of the twelve signs as well. For example, Jupiter spends roughly a year in each of the signs. Saturn, however, will be in a single sign for around 2 and a half years.
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are slow-moving planets. These three take a whopping 84 years to two and a half centuries before completing one full orbit! Meanwhile, Uranus spends about 7 years within a sign. Neptune doubles that with around 14 years per sign. Lastly, Pluto spends up to 3 decades within a single sign.
Slow-moving planets are sometimes referred to as generational planets because those born within the same generation will likely have at least one of these planets within the same sign. For example, everyone born from the mid-eighties to mid-nineties, like me, will also have Pluto in Scorpio.
Asteroids
Whether or not you know it, there are a million estimated asteroids in our galaxy alone. Between Jupiter and Saturn, however, is where you’ll find our solar system’s asteroid belt and this is where hundreds of tiny planetoids reside. Although small compared to our major planets, some of the asteroids there are actually large enough to also be considered dwarf planets; namely Chiron and Ceres.
For more info on the asteroids, click here for Chiron and here for Ceres.
The Zodiac Signs
To learn more about each sign, click the name below.
- Aries: Courageous, Impulsive, Determined, Impatient
- Taurus: Reliable, Practical, Stubborn, Possessive
- Gemini: Curious, Adaptable, Nervous, Indecisive
- Cancer: Loyal, Sympathetic, Nurturing, Moody
- Leo: Passionate, Creative, Arrogant, Bossy
- Virgo: Analytical, Shy, Generous, Anxious
- Libra: Fair-minded, Social, Passive, Guarded
- Scorpio: Brave, Resourceful, Mysterious, Secretive
- Sagittarius: Adventurous, Brash, Idealistic, Philosophical
- Capricorn: Disciplined, Self-Controlled, Strong-willed, Melancholy
- Aquarius: Progressive, Independent, Aloof, Easily-bored
- Pisces: Intuitive, Gentle, Fearful, Martyr
The Astrological Houses
To learn more about each house, click the name below.
- First House: Ego, appearance, first impressions, initial representation of self, etc.
- Second House: Money, possessions, daily life, material goods, spending habits, etc.
- Third House: Mind, thinking, interests, communication, education, memory, etc.
- Fourth House: Home, family, foundations, childhood, comfort, early life, etc.
- Fifth House: Play, fun, creativity, self-expression, drama, children, fertility, etc.
- Sixth House: Health, community, pets, service, hygiene, well-being, habits, etc.
- Seventh House: Relationships, partnerships, marriage, contracts, agreements, etc.
- Eighth House: Mystery, death and rebirth, sex, transformation, occult, inheritance, etc.
- Ninth House: Travel, wisdom, philosophy, morals, values, traditions, beliefs, etc.
- Tenth House: Career, work, status, goals, public Image, reputation, titles; etc.
- Eleventh House: Groups, friends, colleagues, organizations, associations, etc.
- Twelfth House: Endings, self-undoing, karma, afterlife, enemies, jail, hospitals; etc.
The Angles
The four angles, (listed below as ASC, DSC, MC, and IC), on a chart are not actual planetary objects, but rather mathematical configurations. These angular points represent very important features in our lives, where one aspect of ourselves meets another in time and through consciousness. The dot in the middle of the wheel that intersects all four of these points is a basic representation of us when all of these features of the chart integrate and make all aspects of our lives complex and whole.
Ascendant: Self, Conscious, Outward Persona, Personal Identity, Appearance, and Physical Features.
Descendant: Others, Unconscious, Attraction/Repulsion, Projections, and Personal Preferences.
MC: (Medium Coeli)External, Public Identity, Professionalism, Sociability, and Reputation.
IC: (Imum Coeli) – Internal, Private Life, Roots, Comfort, Family, Relaxation, and Foundation.
The ASC/DSC line is the line drawn from the left side of the wheel to the right side of the wheel and separates the top half from the bottom. The Ascendant (ASC), is more frequently referred to as the rising sign because it represents the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of your birth. The Ascendant (ASC), which represents the self, will always be found between the twelfth and first houses. Conversely, the Descendant (DSC), which represents our relationships with others, will always be found between the sixth and seventh houses. No matter what sign your ASC falls into, your DSC will always be exactly six signs away. For example, if you’re a rising Taurus (the 2nd sign), then your DSC will automatically be Libra (the 7th sign).
The MC/IC axis is a line drawn on the chart, which starts at the top (MC) of the wheel and goes down to the bottom (IC), which divides the left side from the right. This line gives us an idea of who we want to become as an individual and in the public eye versus who we were in our childhood beginnings and later within our home and private life. The MC, (more frequently referred to as the midheaven), can always be found between the ninth and tenth houses, while the IC is always between the third and fourth houses.
Degrees
You may notice that there are different numbers next to each zodiac sign on your chart, which looks like this: “Sun in Aries at 22o 13’” or this: “Venus in Taurus at 13o 59’“
What the above examples convey is that this person has their sun sign in Aries at 22 degrees and 13 minutes and their Venus in Taurus at 13 degrees and 59 minutes.
Within every zodiac sign, there are 30o (degrees) and within every one of those degrees, there are 60’ (minutes). So, if it is at 01’, it is the beginning of the degree because it’s in the first minute. If it is at 59’, then it’s at the end of the degree because that is nearly the last minute. Likewise, if a sign is within the third degree of Scorpio, for example, they’d be Scorpio on the cusp of Libra because Libra falls before Scorpio. On the other hand, if they had Scorpio in the 28th degree, they’d be a Scorpio on the cusp of Sagittarius instead because Sagittarius falls after Scorpio.
60 minutes = 1 Degree
30 Degrees = 1 Zodiac Sign
The coolest part of learning about astrological degrees, in my opinion, is understanding that there are 12 zodiac signs, which have 30 degrees within each of them. Therefore, 12 signs x 30 degrees = 360, which is the number of degrees found around the edge of a perfect circle. It is also roughly the amount of days it takes the sun to complete a single orbit around the Milky Way and for us to experience an entire year on Earth!
References:
- Cafe Astrology: “The Ascendant (Rising Sign)” – https://cafeastrology.com/risingsignsascendant.html
- Astrology Library: A collection of articles and resources covering various aspects of astrology – https://www.astrologylibrary.org/
- Astrology.com: Provides a wealth of articles, horoscopes, and resources to learn about astrology – https://www.astrology.com/