Good evening stargazers! Today our Astrology 101 series continues with talking about the elements, qualities, and polarities of the zodiacs and houses.

I keep saying that there is more I want to talk about before getting into the zodiacs themselves. This is for a couple of reasons.

1. I feel like there is a LOT of information on the 12 zodiacs and interpretations but less so on the rest of the chart.
2. If you understand the HOW of getting your zodiac and what it means in relation to everything else on your natal chart (for more information on what a natal chart is click HERE), the zodiac will have more meaning to you.

That being said, I believe this will be the last Astrology 101 post before I start doing deep dives into each of the zodiac. In the meantime, this will help give you a general vibe for each sign without memorizing a ton of details.

ELEMENTS

Depending on the context, there are a set number of elements. If we are talking chemistry, we have 118 elements on the periodic chart. If we talk fantasy… it just depends on the story. For astrology, we use the 4 classic elements of water, earth, fire, and air. (“…but that all changed when the fire nation attacked”) There are 3 signs per element and each elemental group is called a triplicity.

WATER

Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

Water signs are emotional and can be very sensitive and/or mysterious. Very intuitive; the friends you say or psychic and quick to pick up on vibes. They tend to take in others’ energy. This manifests in different ways. Cancer uses this to be a very nurturing sign. Scorpio has its ability to see through to the truth and not be swayed by the surface level BS. Pisces is like a chameleon, absorbing others’ energy like a sponge.

Positive keywords: deeply emotional, sympathetic, empathetic, nurturing, calm and peaceful, sensitive, compassionate, imaginative, intuitive, psychically aware, refreshing, charming, mysterious, private.

Negative keywords: emotionally insecure and unstable, shy, timid, lacking in confidence, oversensitive, easily influenced and manipulated, withdrawn, uncommunicative, vindictive, and vengeful, takes everything personally, moody and depressed.

EARTH

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

A good way to describe the earth signs is solid, grounded, or steady. They want security. Because they tend to be practical and realistic, they often need to be very sure that their choices are correct, so they sometimes get type cast as slow or stubborn, but it is just caution. With Taurus in particular, this looks like stubbornness. Virgo is an analyzer. Capricorn is all about having an organized plan and sticking to it.

Positive keywords: practical, efficient, organized, realistic, patient, self-disciplined, hard-working, productive, enduring, persistent, dependable, grounded, reliable, loyal, stable, good common-sense.

Negative keywords: slow, stodgy, lacking in vision, unimaginative, petty, excessively conventional, narrow-minded, stubborn, resistant to change, hoarding, ultra conservative.

FIRE

Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Just like flames, these signs can be impulsive, passionate, and sometimes temperamental. They are zesty and fast to act. They are movers and shakers. The risk takers. Think big energy, big aspirations, and even bigger personalities. They can consume those around them but also bring a warm light with them. The fire element gives Aries their energy, Leo their need to lead, and Sagittarius their adventurous soul.  

Positive keywords: extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, inspirational, visionary, high-spirited, simple, direct, physically active, dramatic, courageous, warm, strong emotions, passionate, achiever, interesting.

Negative keywords: overly active to the point of burnout, restless, impatient, selfish, insensitive, willful, hasty, lacking in perspective, thoughtless, impulsive, reckless, extravagant, wild, temperamental.

AIR

Signs: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra

Air is a very mental element. They are all about communication, spreading ideas, conceptualizing, and learning. They are thinkers but that can mean they get stuck in their heads. Gemini are very intelligent and curious, but it pulls them in too many ways. Libra is all about intellectual partnerships. Aquarius are the communicators, making them popular and a great champion for causes.

Positive keywords: articulate, objective, mentally clear, detached, capable of forethought, understanding, socially adept and adaptable, cooperative, fun, creative, idealistic, adventurous, relational.

Negative keywords: unemotional, lacking in sympathy, impractical, disassociated from the body and the physical world, over-adaptive, abstracted, glib and facile, airheaded, hyperactive.

QUALITIES

There are 3 qualities with each quality being associated with 4 zodiacs (1 of each element) and being referred to as… you guessed it. Quadruplicities. You will also see these qualities referred to as modes or modalities. These qualities are how each zodiac expresses their element, so it is their “mode” of expression. The 3 qualities are: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable.

CARDINAL

Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Cardinal signs are initiators. They tend to be assertive and natural leaders. The reason it always seems like there is something happening around them is because they are always starting something. They respond well to new ideas and flourish in a crisis. You may also note that these zodiacs are in the first month of every season.

FIXED

Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

These signs are the stable, self-contained, sustainers. This stability can seem passive or stubborn but this resistance to change can also be their strength. Their resistance often leads to lateness for different reasons, but they will get where they need to be eventually. These signs are the middle month of each season.

MUTABLE

Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

Mutable signs are the most easily influenced by their environment. They are considered unstable, but this helps facilitate their role of loosening structures to make it easier to transition from the old to something new. These signs tend to be flexible to the extreme, but that lack of stability can also stress. These signs are found in the last month of a season.

POLARITIES

The last set of categories that zodiacs can be sorted into is the polarities. These can be referred to as male/female, positive/negative, active/receptive, or yin/yang.

The 6 fire and air signs are masculine/yang/assertive/positive. These can generally be described as direct, outgoing, extroverted, giving, and active.

The 6 earth and water signs are feminine/ yin/ receptive/negative. These can be described as indirect, passive/reactive, introverted, withdrawn, and receiving.

Is it all starting to come together yet? If you go through and start finding your zodiac’s element, quality, and polarity, does it start to sound like what you have read in generic zodiac descriptions or better yet… like you?

Looking back at your chart, you may start to notice patterns. Where do the planets sit on your chart. Are they mostly in a certain element or modality? If you have most of your planets in a certain element or modality, you may see certain parts of their personality much stronger or if they are all spread out, you may have a more balanced personality.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to visit RavenWerks and I look forward to doing deep dives into individual zodiacs next!

Until next time,

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies
• Astrology 101: Elements, Qualities, and Polarity

Hey Guild! Long time no talk! As you may have noticed, Mikaela has been doing most of the articles recently. This is partially because between the two of us… she is definitely the writer. But it is also because my life has been all over the place.

BUT I AM BACK BABY!!!! And I am ready to continue our Astrology 101 series today.

As I just said, it has been a minute so let’s have a quick recap.

1. Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.
2. Your Natal Chart is a map of where the different celestial bodies were in relation to YOU at the exact time and location of your birth. This is divided into 12 ‘pie’ pieces.
3. The Zodiac wheel is the outer wheel of your natal chart and moves based on the sun’s apparent yearly rotation about our Earth, along the ecliptic. You will see this rotating on the chart.
4. The wheel of Houses is the inner wheel and based on the Earth’s 24-hour rotation about its own axis. This is stationary on the natal chart.

In the last installment of Astrology 101, we looked at the 12 houses in the inner wheel of the natal chart. I like to think of these (this is very simplified) as categories or areas of your life (be that internal or external) that different energies can be in. Now let’s look at the planets and other celestial bodies that are placed on the natal chart.

The celestial bodies that are mapped are indicators of certain energies, needs, and drives. I have seen in a couple places that they are described as activators so let’s address this distinction before I move onto different associations and meanings. In astrology we are observing the planets and the synchrony it causes in our lives. Individuals born under different celestial patterns tend to have certain personalities, physical traits, life paths, etc. By saying that celestial bodies are activators, it insinuates that a planet “makes” something happen. Mars isn’t talking to me and controlling my actions but it being in a certain part of my chart INDICATES that I may be prone to a certain trait or action. I read a fantastic parallel online that described it like a clock at the end of a 9-5 workday. When it hits 5pm, the clock does not force you to leave work, but you do usually stop at 5pm (unless you are a workaholic like me) by choice.

You may also notice that I keep saying celestial bodies instead of planets. This is for a couple of reasons. Without digging too deep at this point into Astronomy history, the discovery of planets (and the argument about which ones count as planets- I see you PLUTO), etc… here are a few reasons that I am referring to celestial bodies:

1. Astrology is geocentric (earth in the center) and when it was originally created, the sun and moon were included in the list of planets circling earth. They are not planets, but we leave them on the list of “planets” observed and they are still 2 of the most important/influential bodies on our chart.
2. Astrology also observes several asteroids/planetoids that have a body and a calculatable orbit.

Sun or Sol: “I am”

The sun represents who you are at your core, your personality, ego, your essence, and your conscious mind, and the male principle. It is also a giver of life so can represent your will to live or creative life force. This is usually a deep, unchanging part of you. This is you in the BROADEST sense like we discussed in the first Astrology post we did (What is Astrology? Where does one start?). When interpreting your natal chart, one of the suns best qualities is rulership and one of the worst is dictativeness.

Moon or Luna: “I feel”

The moon represents the unconscious (or subconscious), emotions, the feminine. It also directly affects all life but is receptive, reflective, and passive, the polar opposite of the sun. It is also associated with memory, habit patterns, personal paradigms, role models AND how these condition and affect you. If the sun is what is apparent to others on the outside, the moon is the part of you that YOU see. When interpreting your natal chart, one of the moon’s best qualities is adaptability and one of the worst is inconstancy.

Mercury: “I think”

Mercury is the planet of thinking, learning, intellect, and communication. It can be associated with different speech patterns, senses of humor, and how one intellectually interacts with or comprehends the world around them. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Mercury’s best qualities is expression and one of the worst is restlessness.

Venus: “I love”

I was trying to remember the childhood rhyme about girls going to Venus and all we could do was come up with a more adult version. “Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider; Girls go to Venus to get more Penis.” Obviously, this is NOT the rhyme I was trying to remember from elementary school… BUT just like in our childhood rhymes, Venus is feminine and associated with love. It represents pleasure, beauty, romance, emotional attachments, marriages, harmony, and any other unions. When talking about beauty or pleasure, that can also be material pleasures like artistry. It is a very personal planet. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Venus’s best qualities is affection and one of the worst is pliancy.

Mars: “I act”

Mar’s is the opposite of Venus (see a pattern yet?). It is masculine and associated with conflict, aggression, and war rather than feminine harmony. That sounds pretty bad but there are some better associations out there like ambition, courage, vitality, action, desire, sex drive, and animal instinct. It can show how you pursue goals, stand up for yourself, attack or defend, and how you dissociate yourself from people or circumstances. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Mar’s best qualities is initiative and one of the worst is harshness.

Jupiter: “I grow”

Jupiter is all about plenty, expansion, knowledge (think philosophical vs mercury which is more factual), enthusiasm, abundance, luck, responsibility, exuberance, morality, charity, frankness, honesty, and the soul. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Jupiter’s best qualities is benevolence and one of the worst is conceit.

Saturn: “I achieve”

I find Saturn fascinating because of how it interacts with the other celestial bodies. It is associated with limits, restrictions, boundaries, safety, practicality, reality, seriousness, laws, and structures. These could all be interpreted as negative, but they are necessary and allow for more structured lives and a sort of balance. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Saturn’s best qualities is systems of organization and one of the worst is selfishness.

Uranus: “I evolve”

Uranus is a higher octave of Mercury. I read a description of Uranus that said its energy is like a bolt of lightning and I feel this is fairly accurate. It is about suddenness, revolution, change, shock, disruption, flashes of insight, revelation, creativity, invention, and innovation. It is destructive to patterns and limitations, so it helps destroy the old and bring in the new for growth. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Uranus’s best qualities is originality and one of the worst (debatable) is rebellion.

Neptune: “I dream”

Neptune is a higher octave of Venus. This feminine planet is associated with self-sacrifice, compassion, spirituality, devotion, beauty, the subconscious, illusions, fantasies, the magical or enchanting, and the primordial chaos before creation. Neptune is the planet associated with the quest for universal wisdom, but also for cloudiness, confusion, delusion, and unreality. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Neptune’s best qualities is Idealism and one of the worst is vagueness.

Pluto: “I empower”

Pluto is a higher octave of Mars. It can be about transforming repressed energies into a group energy to evolve society, or it is also associated with sex, obsessive desires, transformation, power, true upheaval, wealth, renewal, and rebirth. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Pluto’s best qualities is transformation and one of the worst is inversion.

I just want to say that these are BRIEF interpretations. I could (and will eventually) deep dive more into each “planet” and what zodiacs they rule, elemental associations, how to interpret them for each house or zodiac etc. In the meantime, if you do want more information, a good resource would be astrolibrarys’ page on planets in astrology.

Now I did say that this was about celestial bodies… not just planets. Asteroids, dwarf planets, etc. are used to further finesse your natal chart. There are more than 100 celestial bodies that can be mapped and have meanings ranging from your nurturing style to how self-indulgent you are to your fame. I just want to briefly mention a couple you may see in a standard online natal chart:

• Chiron: Wisdom gained through self-inflicted wounds; this transforms your personal identity.
• Ceres: Your style of nurturing AND how creative you are in giving/receiving.
• Pallas Athene: Wisdom, problem solving, the balancing of polarities, and a connection to the world outside of self through cultural lines.
• Vesta: Spirituality and your ability to focus or concentrate in an undivided manner.
• Juno: Committed and loyal partnerships
• Lilith: The shadow side of your personality… basically your inner bad bitch.

We are one step closer to interpreting your chart! We now have houses that tell us what celestial bodies can affect AND celestial bodies to do the affecting. But we still haven’t touched on the one thing that most uninitiated think Astrology is solely about… the Zodiacs. Before we go deeper into the chart and start looking at aspects or anything like an interpretation, we will be adding in the outer wheel of our natal chart. Keep an eye open for our next installment of Astrology 101!

Happy stargazing!

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

Zodiac Symbols

Planet Symbols

Special Points and Angles

Asteroids

Astrological Aspects

Hemispheres

Welcome back to RavenWerks Astrology 101!

As promised previously, we now have a bit more foundation established on what astrology is and at least identifying the major sections of the natal chart so now we are moving onto… drum roll… the 12 houses. If you haven’t seen our previous Astrology 101 posts as part of this series, you can check them out in our blog under the spirituality section OR click on the links at the bottom of this post.

So now I am going to have you direct your focus to the inner wheel of your natal chart. I will reshow the full visual I made below. If you remember from our last installment, there are 2 “wheels” to your natal chart.

1. The Zodiac wheel is the outer wheel and moves based on the sun’s apparent yearly rotation about our Earth, along the ecliptic. You will see this rotating on the chart.
2. The wheel of Houses is the inner wheel and based on the Earth’s 24-hour rotation about its own axis. This is stationary on the natal chart.

Where the 2 wheels meet or sit (and where planets are) are calculated by the time and location of your birth. If you remember from our last post, you can describe zodiac signs as being in a house AND you can describe celestial bodies as being in a house OR a zodiac. You can say Pisces is in the 12^th house or that Mars is in Pisces or that Mars is in the 12^th house and all three statements could be equally true all at the same time.

So here is where I could get into why mainstream horoscopes based on sun signs are a load of bull that makes a bunch of assumptions BUT that will lead to a very deep, dark rabbit hole so instead let’s focus on the symbolism of the houses.

So, a couple quick things before we break down each house individually. The 12 houses represent different parts of your life or fields of experience. It isn’t an element or an energy like a zodiac or a planet. It is where the energies can/will manifest. Next you will notice that they somewhat follow the path of a human’s development. Lastly, it is worth noting that the 1^st, 4^th, 7^th, and 9^th houses are called the “angular houses” because their cusps are on the 4 special angles mentioned in the last post (ascendant, I.C., descendant, and M.C.) and these houses will affect you more strongly.

What Are the Houses?

1^st House- Self

The first house is a big one! It is all aspects of your personality and how you interact with the world around you. This includes your self-identity, self-image, how we initiate, our personality (duh), self-awareness, and even some of our physical traits. Because the cusp is on the ascendant, the way the whole chart interacts with the outside world is determined strongly by this house. Without going too deep into every single zodiac sign’s relationship with this house, just know that depending on what zodiac sits on the ascendant/in this house, it is said that you can note certain personality and physical traits.

For Example: I am a Leo ascendant. Astrology often associates this with being good natured, ardent, generous, passionate, kind-hearted, high-strung, broad shouldered, large-boned, tall (I am not), thin waist, upright carriage, and having a prominent upper body. Now some of this is more accurate than other bits but you also have to remember that it is all connected and can be altered or influenced by the ruling planets that reside in this house (in my case Jupiter).  

2^nd House-Possessions and Personal Values

The second house has to do with what you value. This can mean money and possessions but also self-worth, self-esteem, and your personal values. The house and home are ruled by the 4^th house so things like your car, clothes and moveable property are not included. Instead, it is more about how you come across wealth/material possessions, your potential for accumulating them, how that is spent, and your attitude towards them. And to clarify, this is your own money.

3^rd House- Communication

This house has to do with all forms of communication and our immediate environment; siblings, neighbors, short journey’s, transportation, thinking patterns, early education (before college when we are developing our communication skills), messages, deliveries, gossip, phone calls, visits, reading, and writing.

4^th House- Home

On the surface level this house is associated with the home, family, land, personal foundations, and your roots. On a deeper level, its cusp is on the I.C. which is representative of all things below the surface of the earth. Because of this it has also been associated with the deeper center of our existence, the end of life and graves. Because it is the root of ourselves, it rules where you go when you die and also your origin. This house has an interesting connection to the concepts of karma, karmic baggage and reincarnation.

5^th House- Creativity

This house is about being yourself and enjoying it. It is about passion and matters of the heart (not to confused with marriage which is considered a separate thing/ a cooperative partnership because these weren’t always for love). This house can be associated with creativity, children, pleasure, personal interests, love affairs, sports, hobbies, speculation, risk taking, teaching, drama, creative self-expression, love given, gambling, romance, and sexual relationships.

6^th House- Service and Health

This house relates to your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing as well as your life’s purpose. Some places it will list this house as having to do with work as well but I find ‘service’ to be more accurate. Work to me means something close to a career which is ruled by the 10^th house. Instead, this house is associated with your physical ability to work, quality of any job or task you perform, volunteer work etc.

7^th House- Marriage and Partnership

It was mentioned earlier that the 5^th house has more to do with love and passion. The 7^th house is the house of marriage, but it is most likely more accurate to call it the house of partnerships (specifically 1 on-1 partnerships) in more modern society. These relationships or partnerships could be marriage, business, contracts, or any cooperative relationship honestly. It also deals with the reverse of those such as divorce, separation, lawsuits, enemies, noncooperation etc. These tend to be different than relationships in the 5^th house because they are more permanent or binding,

8th House- Death and Regeneration and Sexuality and….

This is a fun house to talk about (and my favorite) just because it seems to be all over the place in regard to symbolism and is also very misunderstood. This house rules death, regeneration, taxes, inheritances, wills and legacies, sex (think mattress mambo rather than male/female), occult, joint resources, another’s money and possessions (rather than your own), bankruptcy, losses, personal sacrifice, alimony, and clairvoyance. THAT IS A LOOOOOOOT. You may notice a common thread with everything I just listed is that they have a lot of negative connotations. But really this house is about transformation, going through something negative and then becoming stronger through that struggle.

9^th House- Mental Exploration

I have seen this house listed as the house of philosophy. I think mental exploration encompasses more of its meaning though. It IS associated with philosophy, but it is also associated with religion, law, higher education, ethics, morals, travel, foreign interests, spiritual pursuits, dreams, visions, higher mind, ideas, understanding, wisdom, books, publishing, ceremonies, rituals, and pretty much any other thing you can thing of that has to do with thought. It is less about learning something (like memorizing it) and more about understanding things. It is us trying to find meaning of things and is much more about the abstract whereas the 3^rd house was more about concrete knowledge.

10^th House- Career and Public Life

This house symbolizes success and the gain of intangible “stuff”. It is associated with honor, status, community power, prestige, reputation, professional careers, recognition, personal achievements, social responsibilities, sense of duty, authority figures, and even politics.

11^th House- Hopes, Wishes, and Friends

The 11^th house has to do with the social structures we live in such as community, large groups, friends, social groups, associations, memberships, and humanitarian interests. It also has to do with hopes, goals, ambitions, wishes, liberty, and self-realization.

12^th House- Self-Undoing and Problems

Here is another house that has a bad reputation. There is a mental and physical aspect to this house but at its root, it is associated with problems, separation, our subconscious, and the hidden. If we look at this from the mental angle first it can be associated with the unconscious mind, subconscious memory, habit patterns from the past, mental illness, karmic debts, self-deception, escapism, spiritual realization, limitations, frustration, and self-undoing. A little more tangible, it is also associated with what separates us from normal life such as institutions (hospital, prison etc), confinement, secrets, hidden enemies, and self-sacrifice. I have also seen it associated with sorrow, tribulation, widowhood, grief, funerals, exile, seclusion, bribery, subversion, murder, suicide, kidnapping, and endings. Not going to lie- when typing this all out I can honestly say that I see why this might now be the most loved house.

So that is the (not so) long and short of it. Those are what the houses are associated with. I am not getting into interpreting the chart yet as we still need some more context before we can get there. Basically, what I just gave you is a list of WHAT the planets on your chart can affect. Next, we will start talking about HOW they can be affected. Rather than moving onto the outer wheel of Zodiacs we will talk about the different celestial bodies.

Until next time!

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

I had to give up my career in Tarot Reading… there was no future in it. 

Almost everybody I know wishes they knew what their future held. Everybody has questions about the unknown, and we are no different than our ancestors in that regard. Humanity has been seeking their fortunes in everything from the stars, to runes, animal bones, and even their own hands for centuries. It is one of the most popular story conflicts: Do you want to know your future, is it better to know, does knowing affect the future, do you have the power to change it?  

Humans are fascinated by the future, by the idea of free will versus destiny and whether we have any control or choice in the matter. For both those who take it seriously and even those that simply view it as a quirky past-time at carnivals in tents draped with shawls and strange lamps there is a certain amount of mysticism and awe- even among the skeptics.  

Like everything else about the universe, I am fascinated by how things came to be the way they are now. The tale of how Tarot came to be is a fascinating one, so in the words of Scat Cat from the Aristocats “Let me Elucidate here for you”. Let’s read into the history of Tarot Cards, and I’ll share with you my personal beliefs on the uses of Tarot and its value in self-reflection. 

Tarot cards actually started off as a deck of cards used for playing a card game called Tarrochi. They had nothing to do with fortune telling. You can find a link for the original rules of the game {here}. The original Tarot Deck was remarkably similar to any other deck of playing cards you might see. If you live in the continental U.S., you are problem most familiar with Bicycle playing cards. Like your modern Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds; Tarot cards were split into 4 houses. Traditionally Cups, Swords, Wands, and Coins. Germany even had a Variation that was Acorns, Hearts, Leaves, and Bells. In those original days of card playing, they were individually hand painted and expensive. Now, originals are exceedingly rare. What sets aside Tarot Decks in structure from other decks of cards are the 21 trump cards- whose values are greater than that of all the other cards; These are what later came to be called the Major Arcana.  

Cartomancy- or the study of divination through Cards didn’t really become a thing until the 1400’s, but it wasn’t until 1781 that the tarot deck specifically became involved. A French Clergyman, Court de Gebelin was the first man to attempt to ascribe any sort of mystical meaning to individual cards. Many people claimed that the concept of Tarot in the Occult sense was brought to Europe from a region in Egypt know as Mamluk. His works went so far as to claim that the cards of the Tarot deck were actually a fractured copy of the Book of Thoth, supposedly written by the Egyptian God of wisdom, magic, and knowledge; which mythologically contained two spells- one that allows the reader to understand the speech of animals, and one which allows the reader to perceive the gods themselves and the knowledge of the future (Jasnow, Richard Lewis; Karl-Theodor Zauzich (2005). The Ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth: A Demotic Discourse on Knowledge & Pendant to Classical Hermetica. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 9783447050821.) though no Egyptologist been able to find documentable proof of jump from Egypt to Europe.  

Several Years later Jean Baptiste Alliette was the first to assign specific meanings to specific cards in the context of divination. Etteilla (his penname) published his work Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommées tarots (“Way to recreate yourself with the deck of cards called tarots”). which is still considered the standard reference work of Tarot cartomancy. In 1789 he also created the first true “Tarot” Deck specific to divination, which introduced the structure of major and minor Arcana still used today based off his correspondences between the tarot, astrology, the four classical elements and the four humors. He also founded the first Tarot Society. 

In the 230 years since, any number of variations, versions, and alternative decks have been designed with different intentions and all distinctive styles of artwork. There are traditional and non-traditional decks and many that deviate from traditional card spreads and meaning standards (these typically come with their own books so you can learn your deck). 

Now for an unpopular opinion. Don’t hate me. I do not think Tarot decks can predict my future. I’m sorry, but I have my earth child feet planted too firmly in the dirt to think that I have some pre-determined destiny or that even if I am free to make my own choices those choices will somehow land me in the same inevitability. That is not to say however that I don’t think that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes the Universe, or God, or the Powers that Be (whatever you choose to believe in or call it) aren’t trying to steer me in a particular direction or impart some little piece of wisdom- sometimes it’s just too obvious to be anything else. But I do believe in taking responsibility for my choices and actions. They are mine, not fate’s.  

Nor do I believe that my cards can answer “questions” or tell me what to do. I do not believe that any choice I make will be “because the cards say so”- they are my choices, and I will make them for myself. I said the opinion was unpopular, please- hear me out. I’ve had a couple people ask me: 

“Well then how come you claim to love the concept of Tarot if you don’t believe in any of it?”  

OR

“What do you mean, come to the cards with a question in mind if you don’t think it’s really going to answer it?” 

What I do believe in is insight. and I DO believe in a higher power, and that sometimes that higher power communicates in ways we don’t understand right away. I do believe in manifesting, or as the late Napolean Hill said, “the Mind attracts the things it dwells upon”. I believe in magic in the sense that sometimes we have to see the world the way we want it to be instead of the way it is and through sheer will and mind power (MANIFESTING) force it to be what we want and need because we will accept no less (I tip my hat to you Elizabeth Haydon). No momentous change came about from accepting things the way they were-I am a dreamer in that sense. I believe in the concept of a transfer of energy and communication (you can call it prayer if you are Christian, or communion with a higher being, or communion with yourself if that is your belief). I also believe that sometimes you need to put yourself OUTSIDE of yourself or your situation to answer something clearly and calmly.  

So, to answer the question: Tarot is an amazing tool for meditation, self-reflection, and critical thinking. some people can put themselves outside a situation on their own, if you need help to find that unbiased look- tarot is a great tool. When I say “come to the cards with a question in mind” it’s because if you are coming to the cards with a question in mind, you are more likely to pull cards that are relevant to you because you’ll find relevancy in the context. Tarot cards are not like horoscopes, they aren’t going to tell you to avoid the color yellow and Chinese food for the day. Instead, they are going to present possibilities and obstacles- sometimes in the form of yourself. 

I ask open-ended questions related to problems I am facing in my life. introspective questions, questions about myself and my ability for growth. By virtue of the way tarot decks are structured and used, the answers are multi-faceted, open to interpretation, and often questions in themselves. Sometimes the cards’ “answer” will be powerful simply because they force you to ask yourself questions and look at yourself differently. Sometimes the answers and solutions are possibilities that would not have even occurred to me on my own. You do not necessarily have to take the advice, but at least you’ve considered something you otherwise wouldn’t have. Through a process of self-reflection that is inherent in Tarot you are now exploring possibilities that wouldn’t have crossed your mind simply because you are too close to yourself or your situation. 

No cards in tarot are good or bad. I always hate it when tarot readers in movies flip a card and go “this is a good card” or inhale dramatically and go “there is great bloodshed in front of you.” I call B.S. They just are what they are, and that is a beautiful thing. It gives you the ability to quit labeling things as good and bad or success and failure and just let it be YOUR decision or YOUR experience.  

Each card has a meaning, and an inverse; and different decks are written with different intentions and spread styles, which is why it is so important to pick a deck that resonates with you. Look at the art, read about the artist/ author, listen to the tone, see if you can find an excerpt from the manual (most specialty decks come with a guidebook). Make sure it’s something that meshes with who you are as a person. If it feels off, it probably is. 

If you are interested in learning more, stay tuned. In the coming weeks we will be continuing our conversation about tarot focusing on different kinds of spreads, decks, how to read cards, examples of the multiple meanings of cards using my own deck as an example, and if I’m feeling particularly brave- examples of readings I’ve done for myself and the meaning I took from them and how they helped me make decisions.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

Hey guild members!

I have been researching some new topics and prepping for a move so it has been a couple weeks since I continued our Astrology 101 posts BUT it is time to look at another part of the natal chart! If you haven’t been following along for the last couple installations, I have included a couple links at the bottom the page that can take you to previous posts or you can find them in the Spirituality portion of our blog.

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of todays’ Astrology conversation: Organization and Terminology for Natal Charts

We have previously covered that the natal chart is:

• divided into 12 ‘pie’ pieces AND
• that the chart is a map of where different celestial bodies were in relation to YOU at exact time and location of your birth

Inner and Outer Parts of the Chart

The next thing we are going to do in looking at a natal chart is split our 12 pieces of ‘pie’ into an inner and outer circle.

The outer circle is our Zodiac and rotates according to our birth data and the location of the constellations around us as they appeared to be moving around earth.  It is fairly common knowledge that zodiacs are associated with different personalities, traits, elements, etc.

The inner circle is the astrological houses and that does not move. EVER. This circle is stationary. This is because this represents the earth and original astronomers thought we were the center of the universe. Each house is associated with different traits, elements, and parts of your life. I originally was going to go over these in this post but realized this would get too long very quickly. Going into detail on the 12 houses will be our next post.

Hemispheres and Quadrants

Imagine looking at the horizon facing either North or South. Which direction is determined by our ability to see the sun. If you are in the Northern hemisphere of earth, you are looking South and mapping what you see in the sky. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this is reversed, and you look to the North. This flips our North/South and East /West Hemispheres in the pictures I drew. There is some debate, that I will not dive into at this point, about whether such a north centric astrology practice is still accurate in the Southern Hemisphere, if sign meanings should be reversed, etc. etc. etc. But I digress once again.

Imagine you are in Washington… you are facing South, looking at the horizon. Now hold a blank natal chart up in front of you. The line bisecting the top and bottom of our circle is our horizon (both the -name of the line AND symbolically the one in front of you). The houses 7-12 sit above the horizon and any celestial bodies (this is planets, stars, meteors, etc) shown above the horizon at the time of your birth show up there. Think of the top of the chart as being directly overhead. Anything below that horizon line is not visible but we know where they are because of astronomy, and we still take them into account in houses 1-6.

This sounds a bit backwards BUT, we call the top half of the chart the Southern Hemisphere and the bottom half of the chart our Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere is associated with Ambition, being career oriented, wanting fame/recognition, being extroverted, and having material values/goals. The Northern hemisphere is associated with having a subjective view on life, a need for a private life, introversion, and an introspective outlook. Having clusters of planets in either the Southern or Northern Hemisphere can hint at whether you are more of a private or public person.

Now, because we are still facing the South, our left side is actually the East and to our right is the West. This is also seen in our natal chart; the left side is called our Eastern Hemisphere and the right side is called our Western Hemisphere. They are divided by a line called the meridian.  The Eastern Hemisphere is associated with being more independent, strong-willed, individualistic, a self-starter or leader. It is also associated with individuals who are self-motivated, self- employed, or risk-takers. In contrast, the Western Hemisphere is associated with being adaptable but dependent, passive, subtle, being a follower, and partnerships. Having clusters of planets in the Eastern or Western Hemispheres can hint at whether you are more of an individualist or a collaborator.

So as quick practice, here are a couple of examples of what someone means when they say something vs what you see on the chart vs where it actually is in the sky. Just a reminder. This is based on someone living in the North (think Washington) and they are looking south.

Chart Points

You may have noticed in the visuals I made above that there are points named in the four cardinal directions. We do not usually associate these with celestial bodies in this context because the chances of landing exactly on one is low. What you will hear though are zodiac associated with a point. Ever hear “I am a [insert zodiac] rising?”

The very top of our chart has a point called the Medium Coeli (AKA Midheaven, AKA M.C.).  This shows your aspirations, where you are aimed, and your legacy. At the very bottom point of the natal chart is your Imum Coeli (AKA I.C.). This is your root of home, memory, and soul.

Just like the Southernmost and Northernmost points on the chart are named (the M.C. and I.C.), so too are the Easternmost and Westernmost points. On the far left (furthest East) with have our Ascendant (often called our rising) and this our social mask and how we integrate into world around us. On the far right we have our Descendant, and this is what you wish you were like, what you admire, and areas of life you wish to grow in. It can also represent what you are looking for in a partner.

Putting the Inner and Outer Circles Together

Remember that outer circle of zodiacs? Remember that it actually moves? The position of that outer ring of zodiacs is based on your birth data (where in the world you are born).  

The next visual is not of my own making but hopefully seeing it 3D will help illustrate how they fit together. The inner circle is lined up on the horizon, not rotating. The outer circle of zodiacs could twist any way depending on where the constellations line up.

This visual is not of my own making but hopefully seeing it in 3D will help illustrate how they fit together. The inner circle is lined up on the horizon, not rotating. The outer circle of zodiacs could twist any way depending on where the constellations line up.

That being said… a planet can be in any number of combinations of house/hemisphere and zodiac. And a zodiac can be in a house. And a chart point can be in a zodiac. And… Have I started to lose you again?

I am going to stop for now before I start to really lose you all which would be counterproductive. These are just basics but hopefully it will help untangle what you are looking at when you see a natal chart. Next, we will be talking about the 12 houses and I will be working on getting a post up that is just reference for associations, symbols etc. Let me know if you want me to add the visuals I made!

Happy Charting!

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Chart
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

This learning experience was so fun for me. It was easy to lose myself in a rabbit trail of information and compare different things from different places. I have always been interested in Astrology but have never made it past the superficial layer before. Taylor is much more knowledgeable in this particular area, so it was fun to finally delve a little deeper and then compare what I learned to my own birthdate as practice and compare my findings with how I see myself. 

So today, in what I am counting as my small act of bravery for the week, I am going to be transparent with you and use my own personality as a teaching tool to break down some of the things/ terms I learned and help provide some hands- on context to what Taylor shared in our last post.  

As a base line: I was born on Tuesday, January 17^th, 1995, at 2:13 AM in Phoenix, AZ.  

To get a more accurate in depth look at your Astrological relationship with the world you need: date, time, and general location (the day of the week is irrelevant, I just happen to know it was a Tuesday thanks to my mother’s dedicated ‘baby book record keeping’). 

Let’s go over my Sun Sign first:

This is the one most people know. The stereotypical ‘what’s your sign?’. As discussed previously, your sun sign represents the core of who you are. It showcases your strengths and understanding of the world. I am a Capricorn. We tend to be hard working, loyal, & pragmatic. We are the ‘keep your head down and just keep chugging’ group of people. It is an earth sign. This was interesting to me because on a nerdy surface level: I am a Hufflepuff (5 points to Gryffindor for J.K. Rowling’s intuitive sorting test). On a deeper level, I find this fascinating for several reasons: between the business team that is Taylor and I- I tend to be the more grounded of the two of us, not to say that I don’t have a deeply creative side, but Taylor is the visionary, I’m the auger. I have a strange ability to put the blinders on when things get stressful; I have a ‘deal with it now, melt down afterwards’ approach (and I do have my meltdowns- we’ll get to that). I take it as a strange point of pride that several of my best friends have told me that part of the reason, I’m so close with them or still in their lives is because ‘I just don’t go away’ or ‘you kept checking in even when I stopped answering everyone, and it made me realize you really cared’. I don’t mean that to sound braggy- because it’s not always a great thing. I am stubbornly loyal, and I accept that. Can that come off as pushy? I’m sure it probably can- but I am a persistent person if nothing else. 

Next step is our Lunar sign:

Your moon sign is the soul side of your identity, the inside of your sun sign, your subconscious- it makes up a lot of your emotional side. My moon sign is Cancer. This is as close to opposite from Capricorn as possible and makes an interesting pairing if not a sometimes difficult one.  Cancer is associated with strong empathy, being intuitive to others, a strong need for alone time and recharge time, & quality over quantity with friends. It is a water sign, and they frequently need to find a way to ground themselves. While Cancers are not known for being lazy, they are much moodier than Capricorns. A Cancer’s tendency towards strong emotions and a need to communicate with others through emotions can frequently catch the Capricorn side off guard. When I was reading about this particular relationship it caught me right in the solar plexus. Both Taylor and Thomas can vouch for the fact that if I do not get my ‘alone time’ or my ‘recharge time’- I turn into a mess. I get moody, emotionally distant, and drained. Little things start to irritate me, and I get overwhelmed easily; My stress level goes up, I begin having flare ups and inevitably get sick. I love doing things with others and being with people, I NEED that connection- but I have a limit and I know exactly what that limit is. The alone time balance is an absolute necessity for me, and it took a long time to learn that you can’t pour from an empty cup. I am emotionally intuitive and connect with the people and world around me emotionally before anything else, and that requires setting certain levels of boundaries or it can bowl me over. This can lead to bouts of depression and anxiety if I’m not careful. I have a small collection of very close and private friends that I hold near and dear to my heart and I protect them with badger-like loyal fierceness (see what I did there?). There are definite upsides to the pairing of Capricorn and Cancer, It’s not all ‘clash of the personalities’- I am not quite Golem. The water aspect of Cancer adds some fluidity and adaptability to my Capricorn side; and the Earth nature of a Capricorn helps me ground my emotions and gain perspective in moments of importance instead of letting them run away with me (I still have my meltdowns- but Capricorn says ‘lemon juice in your eyes? You don’t need your eyes to make lemonade, just keep juicing and rinse your eyeballs later.’). In some ways, my own internal conflict balances me out. 

Let’s move on to my Ascendant:

This is how the world sees you, your outward expression of yourself. The personality you present to the world.  For me, my ascendant is Scorpio. On one hand, this can be a difficult ascendant according to many; Scorpios can be abrupt, abrasive, and moody, and frequently struggle with negative, toxic, and emotionally obsessive states. On the other hand, Scorpio Ascendant can offer you magnetism and charisma as well as make you deeply perceptive. Let’s pick this one apart, shall we? I have always had best friends or worst enemies. I know I can be abrasive, and I suppose a lot of people probably consider my rapid-fire way of talking to be abrupt. Negative and emotionally obsessive states? Here’s the funny thing about that: I am probably one of the most upbeat, high energy, bubbly people I know, BUT the minute that ‘alone time’ tank dips too low- all of me dips. I go in waves. I always have. My brain gets in a ‘place’ and it frequently stays there for several weeks at a time until it works out a way to get out of it. I’m great at grounding other people (see Capricorn). I get in ‘I’m not enough’, ‘I can’t do this’, ‘the world is overwhelming and falling apart’ moods. I don’t know if I would call myself Magnetic or Charismatic necessarily, but my kindergarten teacher did tell my parents I was precocious (technically I don’t think it was meant a compliment). The fact of the matter is I tend to put myself out there, organize people, and take control of situations. I used to think it was a problem, especially as a little girl being labeled ‘bossy’ or ‘overbearing’ hurt. But the older I get and the more I learn about myself and other people the more I’m okay with it. I have had some luck in leadership and management roles, and I would like to think that the bit of leadership I have can be attributed to a combination of Charisma/ Magnetism, decisiveness, an emotionally perceptive understanding of others and a little bit of a mother hen caretaker habit.  

There is still so much more that I need a better understanding of and want to know more about because reflecting on what I already learned has led to some interesting insight and self-awareness. Things that you know about yourself but don’t always admit. Reading the explanations of things allowed me to pause and look at myself in a more pragmatic way. I had a few ‘oh my god, I DO that moments’ (some in excitement and some with a grimace). My next steps will be exploring my Mercury, Venus, and Mars and I hope you will join me for that.  

If you are interested in learning more but aren’t sure where to start, a fun exercise/ tool to help you find out your own is: Free Chart – Astrodienst 

From there you can go through the process of looking up and learning about the connotations behind your own Astrological relationships. Remember that this is a guide and intended to give you insight into your predispositions, but it does not dictate or limit who you are. If anything, this can be a tool to expose areas of your life that you may need to work on or stay on top of.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela 

What are the parts of a natal chart and what does each one represent? 

We talked about what astrology is a bit in a previous post. Feel free to reference our What is Astrology? post if you do not remember. But more than likely, if you are here, you have a basic idea of what astrology is and want to dig into its meat and potatoes. Brief recap though… 

Astrology looks at a snapshot of the celestial bodies in the sky at your birth and how that affects who you are and how you interact with/view the world around you. This snapshot is called your natal chart. 

To find your natal chart you need: 

1. Your time of birth (because every couple of minutes everything is shifting as the earth turns) 

2. Location of birth (because the sky looks different depending on where you are on the planet) 

3. Patience and research (or a free website- see a couple good ones listed in our What is Astrology? post)

Basic astrology takes into consideration 4 main things to give you your natal chart: 

• The planets (including the sun, moon, and Pluto) 
• The Zodiac signs which the plants are located in  
• The Houses 
• Aspects 

So back in the day (note I am saying this in an exaggerated old timer voice), astrologers would divide the heavens around us into 12 sections or archetypes. These are the 12 signs of the zodiac. Now we know (hopefully) that we are traveling around the sun, but from our perspective on Earth, it appears that the sun, moon, planets etc travel through the sky around us and as our observant ancestors noticed, it takes a certain amount of time for them to travel in set patterns “around” us. As astrologists tracked the path and patterns of celestial objects around the zodiac, they started noticing things like the fact that it takes the sun a year to make it through all 12 zodiacs and the moon a single month.  

Because the planets visual path across the sky is basically straight and “flat”, we can draw a 2D drawing to represent where everything is at a given time in the sky from our perspective at any given moment. We draw this as a circle and split that into 12 pieces like the ancient astronomers. Now imagine you lay down on the ground, look up at the sky and mark off exactly where all the planets are on that circle at the exact moment and location of your birth. Each one of those planets is in one of the 12 houses (will get into that in a later post). Because all the planets are in a circle, we can also look at the degrees of separation and the relationships between the planets on the chart (which is what we call aspects). Now if I look at the sky and chart this at 10pm in Seattle vs 10pm in Tokyo vs 4am in Tokyo, what I will see in the sky will be different each time which is why the time and location is key.  

Once all of this is drawn out, I now present to you…. your natal chart. 

It is still most likely a bit confusing which is I will be further diving into how that chart looks, the symbols, the houses, the aspects, elements, how to read the chart, etc in upcoming posts but for now let’s just talk about the 3 big pillars of the chart. The 3 big kahuna’s that most people have at least heard of even if they aren’t particularly interested in astrology or horoscopes.  

What is our sun, moon, and ascendant signs? What do they mean?  

Sun Sign 

When someone asks what your sign is, this is usually what they are referencing. Your sun sign is your core self, your basic identity, and who you are to the outside world. It can show us how we see ourselves. It is a very generic overview of ourselves, our path, purpose, personality, and ego. This is also the easiest sign for anyone to know since it can be determined just by knowing your date of birth. It takes the sun 12 months to move through all the astrological signs and so it is in each sign for a month.  

Moon Sign 

Your moon sign gives a much more in-depth look at your inner self and hidden potential. It is who we are in private and indicates what your comfort zones are. It will tell you about your subconscious side, your emotions, and your instinctive responses. To get your moon sign you need your birth date, birth time, and birthplace. Because the moon goes through a cycle much quicker than the sun, it only stays in a sign for 2 and a half days at a time making it a much more accurate sign.  

Ascendant/Rising Sign 

Even more narrowed down is your ascendant. Determined by your time of birth, it changes much more frequently than even your moon sign (think 30minutes to a couple of hours depending on how far away from the equator you are- remember the stars are different in Arizona vs Alaska!!!). This sign shows how we adapt to the environment around us, true inner nature, our outermost layers (like how we look which cracks me up still), and what first impression we leave on people. 

I can tell you that my sun sign is Pisces, my moon sign is Gemini, and I am an ascendant Leo. I am not going to get into my interpretation of what those mean to me yet BUT I will in the next couple posts as I further break out the zodiacs, planets, and houses and what their meanings are. I can tell you that astro café though does a FANTASTIC job of breaking out the meaning of your chart. I honestly felt a bit attacked with how accurate it was about parts of my personality, what makes me tick, and even how I act at my day job.  

Until next time,  

Taylor 

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

So let us start with the basics. The sky and space have always held a lot of humans’ attention. It is mysterious, expansive, and mostly unexplored. Ancient cultures observed it for both practical (when to plant crops) and religious purposes (oh no! the gods are angry and flooding our fields!). To many of the ancient civilizations, it is not an over exaggeration to say that they believed much of their life and the events of the natural world around them were determined by the gods. Many cultures believed that the gods lived in the sky/space or were in fact the planets like in the case of the Sumerians. This led them to watching the sky and stars to find meaning. They relied on it to determine when to hunt, plant, get married etc.  

No matter if you believe in the spiritual or if you are a person of science, we can all agree that to an extent there is some validity to their methods. Obviously, our calendars are a bit different, and our gardening schedule is no longer based on our father sitting outside, looking at the stars and telling us it is time to plant the turnips. Modern science has progressed, and we can predict and make more sense of weather, movement of celestial objects, etc without attributing everything to a god. On the other hand, the sky and the celestial bodies do influence earth and the world around us. For example, the moon controls tide in the ocean and can be linked to changes in people’s moods.  

Astrology vs Astronomy vs Physics

Despite our development of modern science, people are still fascinated by the sky and how it influences our lives. Based on this, we were forced to split the study of the sky/space into more rational, calculated fields of Astronomy and Physics vs the philosophical/psychological/interpretational study of Astrology.  

• Astrology [əˈsträləjē]; NOUN; The study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. 

• Astronomy [əˈstränəmē]; NOUN; The branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. 

• Physics [ˈfiziks]; NOUN; The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics, distinguished from that of chemistry and biology, includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. 

We all need a starting point…

I used to believe that Astrology was- and I quote- “froo froo woo woo hippy shit”. All I knew was that it had to do with Zodiac signs and horoscopes. As I have done more research over the years and admittedly loosened up a lot to alternative beliefs outside what I was raised with, I have also realized that it is much deeper and more involved than teenage girls looking up if they are compatible with their crush. That said, it can be confusing when terms start being thrown at you like sun/moon sign, ascendant, ruling planets, hemispheres, and houses around.  

What houses? Hogwarts houses?  

Never fear though! I am going to break down what they all mean and how they are found. Maybe you are honestly looking for another way to look at your personality and strengths and weaknesses and you are just starting your exploration into astrology.  Or maybe you think it is just froo froo woo woo hippy shit and are just curious. Maybe your ex broke up with you because “you are a scorpio” and you are trying to decipher what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks she was yelling about in the bar at 2 am. Either way, let us start with the most obvious, cookie cutter, pieces. The bread and butter of Astrology if you may.  

First things first…

First, I would say to use a free natal chart calculator online. A natal chart is an astrology birth chart and a cosmic map showing all the planets placement and movement around the sun in relation to where you were born. Because it is down to the minute and specific to the place of your birth, it is unique to everyone. I have used several and even cross checked them for accuracy. The following two are favorites. The first has a ton of different options if you are more experienced and want to tweak some different things or pull a non-standard chart. The second site (my favorite) is great for beginners, straight to the point, and even gives a description of what it all means.  

Free Charts & Data – Astrodienst 

Free Astrology Birth Chart Report (cafeastrology.com) 

Co – Star: Hyper-Personalized, Real-Time Horoscopes (costarastrology.com)– This is a phone app

Both Mikaela and I have looked up meanings and interpretations and pulled information from quite a few places online and from our bookshelf. To really understand the chart, it is always best to look in multiple places. Part of it will also come from experience. That being said, the point of the astrology posts I will be putting out is to break down some of that info in small bite sized pieces so you have to do less digging around.

In the next few Astrology posts, you will see Mikaela and I use ourselves as examples and as we build on this info we will continue to delve into our own natal charts, what the pieces mean to us and then how that can be applied to various parts of our world. I would encourage you to do the same.  I know that some cultures do not believe this information should be shared as people can use that knowledge against you so, please only share if you are comfortable.

Remember! This is supposed to be fun. It is a tool and very much up for interpretation. It is also going to mean vastly different things for and to everyone. We want to hear from you! What do you think this all means to you and what did it say?

Happy Charting! 

Taylor 

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies