Natal Astrology 101

Astrology (latin for “star logic”) connects the patterns of our solar system with life on earth. At the very moment you were born, every planet and asteroid was found in specific place. Similarly to how the pull of the moon affects ocean tides and menstruation cycles, the pull and positions of the planets influence each of us to express ourselves in unique ways.

Each sign has it's own designated "energy," or (as I prefer) "influence." The first five planets (Sun through Mars) are the “personal planets,” which (since they are closer to the earth) change signs more often and affect your personality uniquely. The last five planets (Jupiter through Pluto) are generational planets, or energies that influence everyone born around the same time as you. These planets are farther away and change signs much more slowly than the personal planets do. However your generational planets' house positions, and how they interact with your personal planets, are still be very specific to you.

Each planet is found within a house, all of which are assigned according to your exact birth time. The houses rotate differently from the planets, like a wheel within a wheel. The Houses determine to a large degree the area of life in which each sign/influence acts, and the goals and activities on which its drive or impulse will be (or should be) focused.

Plainly speaking, the planets indicate our general way of being while the houses influence how we go about expressing it. For example, if you have Mercury in H10 Gemini, you'll have the thinking patterns of a Gemini but communicate it like a Capricorn (the ruler of the tenth house). My sun in H12 Aries means I have the consciousness of an Aries but express it like a Pisces.

The North Node, while not a planet or asteroid, is referred to in astrology as your "life's path." The influences suggested by this sign and it’s house position is one you must strive to incorporated into your life in order to feel most at peace and fulfill your purpose in your current earth cycle.

Additionally, the planets (depending on their sign & house placement) interact with each other differently in every individual's chart, which leads to positive or negative inner struggles and issues. Some of these positions (aka aspects) are more favorable than others.

Each planet represents a different part of your personality. Here's a small breakdown:

Sun: the overall self and how it's expressed, the conscious ego.
Moon: overall emotions, memories, moods, how we react and adapt to joy and turmoil.
Mercury: communication, mentality, thinking patterns.
Venus: how we love, feelings of affection, perception of beauty, sympathy and unity.
Mars: sex, aggression, ambition, action, how we argue/fight our battles.
Jupiter: goals, our sense of justice, morality, and personal growth.
Saturn: how we endure duty, discipline, responsibility, rules, limitations, structure.
Uranus: the expression of individuality, independence, self discovery.
Neptune: idealism, illusion, confusion, deception, perception of art & music.
Pluto: rebellion, transformation, and intense, deeply buried needs.

Each house represents the following energies:
1st House (Ascendant) : The Unconscious Ego, identity, how you approach life, the physical body, how others perceive you.
2nd House: Ownership (of the self, emotions, possessions, etc), values, priorities.
3rd House: Communication, mental exploration, mind, memory, mental energy.
4th House: The home and family, caring in general. Comfort and comforting things. All things cyclical.
5th House: Pleasures and leisure, children, aggressive creativity, love affairs and sex (as action, not necessarily as deep mental connection).
6th House: Health and well-being. Services to others and the self, criticism & critique.
7th House (Descendant): Relationships, marriage, ideals in companionship. Agreements, commitments.
8th House: Birth, death, beginnings and endings. Sexuality, control, self-transformation.
9th House: Spirituality, travel, adventure, higher education. All things which seek to expand one's experience. Freedom.
10th House: Aims and ambitions, direction. Fortitude, authority, power. Vocation, self-manifestation.
11th House: Friendships, both close and detached. Interaction with others, the urge to belong, being a part of a larger whole.
12th House: Mysticism, dreams, imagination, secrets. Retreat, deception, undoing, reflection and self-sacrifice.

Astrology isn't law and doesn't predestine anyone to anything, it merely lets you know that karmically you're influenced to handle/deal with/experience things in a certain way. Being aware of those influences has (for me anyway) been really, really helpful in making better decisions for myself and understanding myself a lot more. Phew! Okay, now the fun stuff!