As you may know, this summer I signed up for a fantastic Psychic Astrology class. I understand the basics now and I'm keen to practice with loads of charts so that it will sink in, rather than memorize it all. For the next few months, anyone who purchases a 20 Minute Tarot Reading will also get a Natal Chart Interpretation (see here for details).
If you'd like me to zoom in on a specific part of your chart we can try that as well. At the moment my focus is on making sense of the natal chart and soon I'll look at predictions, especially how our "yearly" return evolves with us as we grow up. Today I'm doing a practice reading for Armando, born in Mexico, 1974.
An Introduction to Birth
Charts …
Let’s start with the shape of the chart. In the picture, you will see a circle with black lines crossing it, like a pizza with 12 slices. Each of these represents an aspect of life that we can choose to prioritize, though it could also be highlighted by outside events. These include personal identity, belongings, early education and siblings, home
life, hobbies, work ethic, relationships, higher education, public life, social causes and spirituality. The zodiac signs in each house tell us about our approach in that area. For example, Aries in the 2nd
House of personal belongings and earnings indicates a fiery, intuitive and
driven approach to work (the zodiac sign of entrepreneurship).
Then come the planets. The birth chart looks at where the planets were at the time of our birth, if we took a snapshot of the sky. If you have lots of planets in one zodiac sign, that sign's traits will be prominent in the personality. Too many planets in one house and we might be overwhelmed by that house, it overwhelms or even pushes us away. We can learn a lot about a person's inclinations by looking at the inner planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars:
- Sun: Our essence, life force energy and soul's path.
- Moon: Feelings, emotional life and relationship with mom.
- Mercury: Thoughts, ideas and communication style
- Venus: Love, personal values, prosperity and social life.
- Mars: How we get from Point A to Point B.
Most of us are familiar with Sun Signs, but all of the personal planets influence our character, beliefs and how we view the world. Say for example that your Sun is in Capricorn but you have three planets in Libra. The charming and diplomatic traits of Libra will come through, giving Capricorn's ambitious and hardworking personality added social skills.
Then there's a whole other layer to look at: Aspects. If you look at Armando's chart below you'll see blue and red lines drawn across the wheel. These indicate the degree formed if we trace a line from Planet A, to the center and out to Planet B. Squares and oppositions (in red) are known as tense aspects, with the planets at odds to each other. These so-called hard aspects bring creative tension, often in the shape of internal or external challenges. Easy aspects are shown in blue, making 30, 60 or 120 degree angles. They make things easier, letting us coast in certain areas of life. We need both kinds of aspects in our chart to be productive individuals.
Here is Armando's Chart
Sun in Gemini
The sun represents our essence, the energy that drives us forward and to an extent, the path we are on in this life. As an air sign, Gemini is associated with thought, intellect and curiosity. Armando's energy could be described as dynamic, multitasking, captivated by a variety of interests. Gemini loves learning, often by talking to different people (it's ruled by Mercury, the planet of ideas, thought, communication, learning and logic). Mischief and laughter can be a factor, the word that comes to mind is "prankster".
Moon in Leo
The moon rules our emotions, how we see our mother and the influence that our early upbringing has on our instincts and inner self. Armando's moon is in the fiery and regal sign of Leo. Think Mufasa in Lion King (Simba's dad). The lion is a fierce protector, commanding, proud and loving, who also needs to be adored by those around him. With the Moon in his 4th house of home life, Armando may need respect and adoration from a loving family to feel secure.
Taurus Rising (Ascendant)
The Ascendant is the sign that was rising over the horizon at the time of our birth. It's what I like to call our user interface, how we interact with the world, especially when we are on unfamiliar ground. Taurus is an Earth sign: practical, down to earth and capable. It is ruled by Venus, the planet of love, prosperity, material comforts and friendships. Taurus values these aspects, as well as the hard work that goes into maintaining them. Taurus doesn't sacrifice beauty or quality.
Mercury in Cancer
Mercury is the planet of communication, thoughts and ideas. Its how we learned growing up and how we share our ideas with others. Cancer is an intuitive sign that's self-aware to the point of being defensive (the crab hides its soft interior behind it's hard shell) and guarded. It's likely that Armando is transparent with those he trusts, and a little bit guarded with others. The visual that comes to mind is of a poker game where we don't show our cards until we know what the other person is thinking.
Venus in Gemini
The planet of love, money and beauty has a special place in Armando's chart. With Taurus rising, it's the ruler of his natal chart, and it's also conjuct his sun (only 3 degrees apart) so that the energies mix. This aspect (the proximity between the planets) indicates that Armando's sense of self is closely linked with this relationships, and potentially with the divine feminine. Gemini is endlessly curious and adaptable, which could lead to relationships with a wide variety of people, whether romantic or platonic.
Mars in Cancer
Mars is the planet of action, progress and ambition. It's how we go about getting what we want: do we fight for it, do we think it through and then act, or do we rush in without thinking? In the empathic and sensitive sign of Cancer, Mars treads carefully. Armando may have a heightened awareness of how his actions affect other people. This can be helpful if he takes on the role of protector, though it can pose a problem if "the best defense is a strong offense." The question then becomes, when is it OK to ruffle feathers for a good purpose?
North Node in Capricorn
The Moon's nodes are mathematical points that can be found by tracing the Moon's orbit and finding the points where they cross the Earth's orbit around the sun (or the sun's around the earth, from our point of view). This is where we can find our karma, whether you call it Past Life or Ancestral Astrology. If you believe in reincarnation, the theory is that over the course of many lives we've developed strengths (our comfort zone) and weaknesses (things we'd love to do if we weren't so scared to jumping out of our comfort zone). The South Node is the past, the North Node is the future. Jan Spiller's theory is that when we move into our North Node we find joy, happiness and personal fulfillment. Our South and North Nodes are always opposite each other on the zodiac, so it means learning to do the exact opposite of what feels comfortable and natural (ouch!)
With North Node in Capricorn, Armando would need to dial up the goal-oriented qualities of Capricorn (an earthy, business sign), and move away from the sensitive, nurturing and endlessly caring sign of Cancer. The traits to dial up are self-control, self-respect, ambition, sensible problem solving (how to do you fix and get from Point A to Point B), keeping promises to others, and accepting responsibility for his success. As a matter of fact, it's OK to chase that success, even if it doesn't feel natural. (For some reason, I'm thinking of that feeling you get when someone scratches their nails on a chalkboard).
It's also interesting to see that Armando's North Node is in the 10th House of Career and Public Life. Armando may feel comfortable quietly caring for his community (3rd House South Node), but his destiny is to take a leadership position on a wider scale, as long as it is focused on results, progress and change. Though Capricorn is on the cusp of the 10th House, most of the house is filled with Aquarius energy and it makes me think that his public life could be linked with technology, social issues and the greater good.
Stay Tuned for Part 2!
That's it for today! Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll look at the aspects formed in Armando's chart (those are the red and blue lines crossing the circle). There are two triangle formations that I'm drawn to, touching his 2nd house of earnings potential and personal belongings, and the sixth of work ethic and values. The post will be ready in a few weeks, follow the links below to get updates.
