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Astrology 101 – The Beginner’s Guide
Astrology 101 – The Beginner’s Guide – An introduction to astrology like the natal chart, zodiac signs, planets, houses, and aspects.
The Chart
The natal chart as a whole is a map of the personality. It is infinitely nuanced and complex but can be conceptualized as the following basic parts:
PLANETS ~ THE ACTOR
• Drive, motivation, the “self-state” or archetypal energy
SIGNS ~ THE ROLE
• Character, the quality, flavor, or costume the Planet takes on
HOUSES ~ THE STAGE
• Circumstance, the area of experience in which the Planet acts
ASPECTS ~ THE SCRIPT
• Interaction, conversation per geometric angles among the Planets
Thus, PLANETS (personality self-states) act as SIGNS (archetypal mannerisms) in HOUSES (areas of human life experience) and make ASPECTS (communicate/relate) to each other.
Astrology 101
The Planets
Each planet functions as an aspect of the self. They represent states within us that interact based on their geometric relationships to each other in the chart. They each vie for attention from your consciousness, and some are “louder” than others at times due to transits and progressions in a given time frame. Also, some planets are more comfortable in certain signs than others based on their essential natures.
SUN
• Conscious Waking Self – Ego – Will – Identity – Sense of Purpose – Core Being – Confidence – Creative Force – Constitution – Source of Vitality – Basic Self-Expression – Illumination
MOON
• Inner Emotional Self – Feminine Principle – Sense of Security and Comfort – Capacity to Nurture – Habits – Domestic Orientation – Reactivity and Response – Our Needs
MERCURY
• Cognitive Self – Logic – Reason – Thought – Communication – Intelligence – Learning Capabilities – Writing – Conscious Mind – Commerce – Travel – Electronics
VENUS
• Relationship Self – Cohesion – Attraction – Love – Affection – Values – Pleasure – Enjoyment – Aesthetics – Art – Culture – Harmony – Cooperation – Sharing – Money
MARS
• Assertive Self – Direct Action – Drive – Aggression – Creative Initiative – Desire – Activity – Force – Impulse – Competition – Animal Nature – Anger – Courage – Physical Energy – Survival
JUPITER
• Growth-Oriented Self – Expansion – Faith – Morality – Optimism – Higher Mind – Laws and Religion/Belief Systems – Fortune – Excess – Inflation – “Bigger, Better, More.”
SATURN
• Task-Oriented Self – Boundary – Order – Form – Structure – Discipline – Responsibility – Lesson Crystallization – Contraction – Delay – Limitation – Pruning – Fear – Denial – Insecurity
URANUS
• The Individuated Self – Liberation – Freedom – Originality – Independence – Innovation – Rebel – Awakening – Discovery – Sudden Change – Electric – Unconventional
NEPTUNE
• The Undifferentiated Self – Fantasy – Imagination – Transcendence – Ideal – Spiritual – Attunement with the Whole – Unification – Escapist – Deception – Illusion – Martyrdom
PLUTO
• Unconscious Self – Transformation/Transmutation – Regeneration – Elimination – Purging – The Underworld – Taboo – Obsession – Compulsion – Power – Annihilation
CHIRON (Asteroid)
• Wounded-Healer Self – Holistic Understanding – Teacher – Maverick – Bridge between Known and Unknown – Greatest Pain and Greatest Potential for Healing
Astrology 101
The Zodiac Signs
Each sign is a stop on the metaphorical road of personality development. It is a cyclical, not linear, road – so we ‘travel’ through all the signs many times in our lives regardless of what our zodiac signs are, or what signs in which we have the most planets. They are the archetypal costumes the planets wear as they move through the zodiac. The order in which these planets don these costumes is significant – it represents a path of development
ARIES ~ I AM
• The emergence of life; pioneering, quick, assertive (Cardinal Fire)
TAURUS ~ I HAVE
• The materialization of life; sensual, stable, practical (Fixed Earth)
GEMINI ~ I THINK
• Initial mental exchange; communicative, curious, versatile (Mutable Air)
CANCER ~ I FEEL
• Creation of emotional life; sensitive, domestic, maternal (Cardinal Water)
LEO ~ I WILL
• Creative expression; playful, dramatic, generous (Fixed Fire)
VIRGO ~ I ANALYZE
• Self-improvement; detailed, efficient, helpful (Mutable Earth)
LIBRA ~ I BALANCE
• relationship focus; tactful, aesthetic, agreeable (Cardinal Air)
SCORPIO ~ I DESIRE
• Deep merging w/ others; intense, penetrating, resourceful (Fixed Water)
SAGITTARIUS ~ I UNDERSTAND
• The philosopher; broadminded, adventurous, optimistic (Mutable Fire)
CAPRICORN ~ I USE
• Accomplishment; structured, responsible, ambitious (Cardinal Earth)
AQUARIUS ~ I KNOW
• Individual in the context of the collective; detached, eccentric, progressive (Fixed Air)
PISCES ~ I BELIEVE
• Soul-yearning; imaginative, compassionate, mystic (Mutable Water)
The Houses
Each house represents an area of human experience in which these planets in signs act out the life story. Notice that houses 1 and 7, 2 and 8, 3 and 9, 4 and 10, 5 and 11, and 6 and 12 reflect and balance each other in some way.
1st HOUSE ~ I or ME
• Presentation/persona, physical appearance, self-projection
2nd HOUSE ~ MINE
• Values, resources, attitudes toward possessions
3rd HOUSE ~ HERE
• Mental relationship to the immediate environment, neighbors, siblings, etc
4th HOUSE ~ PRIVATE
• Emotional and psychological foundations, home, inner self, family ties
5th HOUSE ~ LOVE GIVEN
• Creative self – children, the arts, romance, play
6th HOUSE ~ PHYSICAL HEALTH
• Self-improvement – health, daily routine, work environment
7th HOUSE ~ YOU
• Relationship with the other, on-one interactions, marriage
8th HOUSE ~ YOURS
• Transformation – death, psychology, metaphysics; shared resources/joint or other’s possessions
9th HOUSE ~ THERE
• Higher/collective mind, search for meaning, gurus, long journeys
10th HOUSE ~ PUBLIC
• Professional/social endeavors, authority figures, outer world status
11th HOUSE ~ LOVE RECEIVED
• Group endeavors, associations as a result of career, collective reform, friendships
12th HOUSE ~ EMOTIONAL HEALTH
• Transcendence, collective soul, things hidden, inner realities, seclusion
Astrology 101
The Planetary Aspects
Each of these is a conversation being had between planets. They can be sweetly singing to each other, yelling at each other, or having a variety of other types of dialogue depending on the aspects made and how comfortable the planets are in their respective signs and houses.
CONJUNCTION ~ 0 to 10 degrees • Identifies or Merges planets with each other, Concentrated Energy
SEXTILE ~ 60 degrees • Facilitates Expression between planets, Opportunity
SQUARE ~ 90 degrees • Encourages Growth through Dynamic Tension, Challenge
TRINE ~ 120 degrees • Combines Harmoniously, Least Friction, Benefit w/o Effort
QUINCUNX ~ 150 degrees • Contradicts, Forces Adjustment, “On again, off again.”
OPPOSITION ~ 180 degrees • Opposes and Complements; Asks for Awareness, Balance, and Integration QUINTILE ~ 72 degrees / BI-QUINTILE ~ 144 degrees • Aesthetic, Metaphysical, Harmonious, Natural Beauty, Feminine
SEPTILE ~ 51.42 degrees / BI-SEPTILE ~ 102.85 degrees / TRI-SEPTILE ~ 154.28 degrees • Inventive, original, alien, unusual, fated, unpredictable, “Eureka!” • In a natal chart, people with attachments to other reality planes
Astrology 101
Extended Info on the Signs of the Zodiac
The Zodiac is based on four elements:
EARTH ELEMENT
• Practical, grounded, material, sensual, physical realm
AIR ELEMENT
• Mental, social, intellectual function, a communicative interaction
FIRE ELEMENT
• Animate identity, energetic, passionate, inspired, creative expression
WATER ELEMENT
• Emotion, compassion, sensitivity, interrelatedness, intuition
Each element exists in 3 forms or modes (4 elements x 3 modes = 12 signs of the zodiac):
CARDINAL • Initiation, dynamic action, generating, active
FIXED • Concentration, stabilization, consistency, focus
MUTABLE • Adaptable, versatile, learning, adjusting
Each sign of the zodiac consists of one of the elements in one of the modes – there is a Cardinal, a Fixed, and a Mutable expression of each element, and they can be compared to elemental functions we know of in daily life:
CARDINAL EARTH ~ Capricorn • Mountains ~ initiating and building form
FIXED EARTH ~ Taurus • A fertile field, stabilizing and securing the form
MUTABLE EARTH ~ Virgo • Quicksand, fault line ~ learning from and adjusting (to) form
CARDINAL AIR ~ Libra • Tornado ~ initiating mental/social interaction with others
FIXED AIR ~ Aquarius • Still air, even a vacuum ~ solidifying and broadening mental/social functioning
MUTABLE AIR ~ Gemini • Changing gusts ~ learning from flexible mental/soc interaction with others
CARDINAL FIRE ~ Aries • Volcano ~ pioneering identity and realization of the self
FIXED FIRE ~ Leo • Steady glowing embers ~ solidly expressing a secure self
MUTABLE FIRE ~ Sagittarius • Top of flickering flame ~ learning about and adapting to a wider range of self-states
CARDINAL WATER ~ Cancer • Rapids or geyser ~ stimulating emotional and spiritual
FIXED WATER ~ Scorpio • Still lake or ice ~ grounding emotional and spiritual connection
MUTABLE WATER ~ Pisces • Water vapor, fog ~ learning from and dissolving of emotional/spiritual belief
Developmental Progression of Growth through the Signs:
Here I’ll expand a bit on the “path of development” discussed above in the SIGNS section. The signs flow from one to another by what we experience developmentally over and over again, on large or small scales, as humans:
ARIES ~ Cardinal Fire • You are a life force of energy that initiates itself as a separate self or entity
TAURUS ~ Fixed Earth • You are confined in a secure physical form and begin to interact with the substance
GEMINI ~ Mutable Air • You must acknowledge that others exist and learn to interact with them
CANCER ~ Cardinal Water • You have feelings and a spirit that must be expressed and cared for
LEO ~ Fixed Fire • You can solidly express a personal creative energy
VIRGO ~ Mutable Earth • You must adapt to and learn how to adjust material form (& physical self)
You have now developed the self enough in the first six signs to be able to function in the outside world:
LIBRA ~ Cardinal Air • You initiate an equal mental and social partnership with others
SCORPIO ~ Fixed Water • You get a more solid idea of feeling by merging with another
SAGITTARIUS ~ Mutable Fire • You are learning, understanding, and adapting a collective identity
CAPRICORN ~ Cardinal Earth • You are initiating, building, and producing material form with others
AQUARIUS ~ Fixed Air • You are sustaining individual and collective mental/social interaction
PISCES ~ Mutable Water • You are adapting to and dissolution of feeling and spiritual belief