Astrology basics

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• How to read a birth chart for beginners

  How to read a birth chart for beginners: signs as weather, planets as actors, houses as places, and aspects as the angles between them.

• The big three in astrology: Sun, Moon, and rising

  The big three in astrology are the Sun, the Moon, and the rising sign. What each one describes, and what a chart still needs besides them.

• Zodiac signs and meanings

  The twelve tropical signs, with element, modality, traditional rulership, and dignities.

• Planets in astrology

  The ten planets from the Sun through Pluto, with classical rulerships and the later outer planets.

• The 12 houses in astrology

  The twelve houses as places of life, with their traditional topics and natural signs.

• Astrology aspects for beginners

  The five major aspects: conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition.

• What retrograde means in astrology

  What retrograde means in astrology. Apparent backward motion, the two stations, the shadow, and why a planet's topics come back for review.

• New Moon and Full Moon in astrology

  New Moon and Full Moon in astrology. The conjunction and the opposition, what each one is for, and how a lunation sits in a sign.

• What an eclipse means in astrology

  What an eclipse means in astrology. A New or Full Moon near the lunar nodes, and why a run of them is called an eclipse season.

Zodiac signs and meanings

The twelve tropical signs, with element, modality, traditional rulership, and dignities.

• Aries

  Aries is cardinal fire, ruled by Mars, and the exaltation of the Sun. A plain-language guide to the first tropical sign.

• Taurus

  Taurus is fixed earth, ruled by Venus, and the exaltation of the Moon. A plain-language guide to the second tropical sign.

• Gemini

  Gemini is mutable air, ruled by Mercury. A plain-language guide to the third tropical sign, the twins, and the craft of exchange.

• Cancer

  Cancer is cardinal water, ruled by the Moon, and the exaltation of Jupiter. A plain-language guide to the fourth tropical sign.

• Leo

  Leo is fixed fire, ruled by the Sun. A plain-language guide to the fifth tropical sign, the heart, and the craft of being seen.

• Virgo

  Virgo is mutable earth, ruled by Mercury, and the exaltation of Mercury. A plain-language guide to the sixth tropical sign and the craft of sorting.

• Libra

  Libra is cardinal air, ruled by Venus, and the exaltation of Saturn. A plain-language guide to the seventh tropical sign and the craft of the pair.

• Scorpio

  Scorpio is fixed water, traditionally ruled by Mars. A plain-language guide to the eighth tropical sign, depth, and what is shared or sealed.

• Sagittarius

  Sagittarius is mutable fire, traditionally ruled by Jupiter. A plain-language guide to the ninth tropical sign, the far road, and the aim.

• Capricorn

  Capricorn is cardinal earth, ruled by Saturn, and the exaltation of Mars. A plain-language guide to the tenth tropical sign and the long climb.

• Aquarius

  Aquarius is fixed air, traditionally ruled by Saturn. A plain-language guide to the eleventh tropical sign, the circle, and the cold sky.

• Pisces

  Pisces is mutable water, traditionally ruled by Jupiter, and the exaltation of Venus. A plain-language guide to the twelfth tropical sign.

Planets in astrology

The ten planets from the Sun through Pluto, with classical rulerships and the later outer planets.

• The Sun

  The Sun is the daytime luminary, ruler of Leo, exalted in Aries, in detriment in Aquarius, and in fall in Libra.

• The Moon

  The Moon is the nighttime luminary, ruler of Cancer, exalted in Taurus, in detriment in Capricorn, and in fall in Scorpio.

• Mercury

  Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, and is exalted in Virgo. He is in detriment in Sagittarius and Pisces, and in fall in Pisces.

• Venus

  Venus rules Taurus and Libra, and is exalted in Pisces. She is in detriment in Aries and Scorpio, and in fall in Virgo.

• Mars

  Mars rules Aries and Scorpio in the traditional scheme, and is exalted in Capricorn. He is in detriment in Libra and Taurus, and in fall in Cancer.

• Jupiter

  Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces in the traditional scheme, and is exalted in Cancer. He is in detriment in Gemini and Virgo, and in fall in Capricorn.

• Saturn

  Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius in the traditional scheme, and is exalted in Libra. He is in detriment in Cancer and Leo, and in fall in Aries.

• Uranus

  Uranus is a modern planet, associated with rupture, invention, and the sign Aquarius in later astrology. He has no classical domicile.

• Neptune

  Neptune is a modern planet, associated with imagination, compassion, and fog. Later astrology links him with Pisces. He has no classical domicile.

• Pluto

  Pluto is a modern planet, associated with power, burial, and renewal. Later astrology links him with Scorpio. He has no classical domicile.

The 12 houses in astrology

The twelve houses as places of life, with their traditional topics and natural signs.

• The first house

  The first house is the Ascendant, the helm of the chart, body and beginning, naturally paired with Aries and Mars.

• The second house

  The second house concerns livelihood, movable goods, and what a person has to keep or spend. Its natural sign is Taurus, ruled by Venus.

• The third house

  The third house covers siblings, neighbors, letters, and short journeys. Its natural sign is Gemini, ruled by Mercury.

• The fourth house

  The fourth house is the root of the chart: home, parents, land, and the end of matters. Its natural sign is Cancer, ruled by the Moon.

• The fifth house

  The fifth house covers children, pleasure, creation, and the risks taken for joy. Its natural sign is Leo, ruled by the Sun.

• The sixth house

  The sixth house covers labor, skill, service, and the traditional topic of illness. Its natural sign is Virgo, ruled by Mercury.

• The seventh house

  The seventh house is the Descendant: partners, open opponents, and contracts. Its natural sign is Libra, ruled by Venus.

• The eighth house

  The eighth house covers shared resources, debt, intimacy, and the traditional topic of death. Its natural sign is Scorpio, ruled by Mars.

• The ninth house

  The ninth house covers far journeys, law, religion, and higher learning. Its natural sign is Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter.

• The tenth house

  The tenth house is the midheaven: public standing, vocation, and what the world can see. Its natural sign is Capricorn, ruled by Saturn.

• The eleventh house

  The eleventh house covers friends, allies, and hopes. Its natural sign is Aquarius, traditionally ruled by Saturn.

• The twelfth house

  The twelfth house covers withdrawal, confinement, and what works out of sight. Its natural sign is Pisces, traditionally ruled by Jupiter.

Astrology aspects for beginners

The five major aspects: conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition.

• The conjunction

  The conjunction is the major aspect of 0 degrees, when two planets share a degree and their topics fuse into one voice.

• The sextile

  The sextile is the major aspect of 60 degrees, a friendly opening between signs that still asks for a hand on the work.

• The square

  The square is the major aspect of 90 degrees, a right angle between signs of the same modality and a different element.

• The trine

  The trine is the major aspect of 120 degrees, joining signs of the same element. It is the easy path, and ease has its own risk.

• The opposition

  The opposition is the major aspect of 180 degrees. Opposite signs face each other, and awareness arrives through the other pole.