A Beginner’s Guide To [Actual] Astrology
We’ve all had that experience of flicking through a magazine on a train (or nowadays more likely scrolling on Insta) and coming across the Horoscopes section, and depending on the kind of day we’re having, either drinking it up, or thinking “what a load of ****!”
The reason why it doesn’t always land is not that Astrology itself is a load of ****, but because your Horoscope is NOT summed up in that tiny piece of text!
The word Horoscope actually comes from the Greek hσroskopos, from hσra (time) and skopos (observer) - meaning to observe the time.
Your Horoscope is therefore an observation of the time of your beginning. It’s a snapshot of the Cosmos - The Universe - at the time (and place) of your birth… otherwise known as your Birth Chart or Natal Chart!
This ‘snapshot’ essentially captures the position of the Sun, Moon and other Planetary Bodies along a specific band in the Cosmos, called an Ecliptic, which is made up of 12 different constellations (or ‘signs’) known as the Zodiac.
Nature, from the microcosm of our bodies, to the macrocosm of the Universe, is cyclical, and from our little vantage point on earth, the Sun, Moon, and these other Planetary Bodies are all moving in a very orderly, cyclical way along this Ecliptic.
Because most people tend to know their date of birth, mainstream Astrology (aka the Horoscope section of a magazine) is usually just talking about the position of the Sun on the date that you were born - i.e. you’re “a Cancer” or “a Saggitarius” or “a Leo”.
So it’s not wrong, but it is extremely limited, as it’s just a very general interpretation of one tiny little piece of what is a huge and complex language.
Keep reading to learn a little bit more of this complex language and dive into Astrology 101 around some of the key things you need to understand when it comes to Astrology.
The Sun, Moon & Planetary Bodies
The first thing to understand are the different Planets and Planetary Bodies.
The “big three” to know about are:
☀️ THE SUN
The sun represents your identity, your core personality, what’s most important to you, and what you love and want. The sun spends around one month in each constellation, moving through all 12 signs over the course of a year, so anyone born within that one month duration shares the same ‘sun sign’.
🌙 THE MOON
The moon represents your inner world or your emotional self - the part of you that not everybody gets to see - and tells you about your inner-most needs. The moon spends about 2.5 days in each constellation, moving through all 12 constellations over the course of a month.
⬆️ Ascendant or Rising Sign
Where the moon represents your inner world, your Ascendant or Rising sign represents your outer self - the you that the world DOES get to see.
Your Ascendant is not actually a Planetary Body, but is the constellation (sign) that was on the Eastern horizon at the time of your birth. This changes approximately every 2 hours - which is why knowing your (accurate) birth time is so important if you want to get your full Astrological snapshot!
The other planetary bodies are made up by:
Venus - which represents love, beauty & wealth
Mars - which represents how work, show up & take action
Mercury - which represents communication & mental energy
Jupiter - which represents expansion, faith & luck
Saturn - which represents time, structure & responsibility
Uranus - which represents sudden change & revolution
Neptune - which represents dreams, fantasy & spirituality
Pluto - which represents death & rebirth
The Signs
The Sun, Moon & other Planetary Bodies listed in the previous section are all moving along a band in the Cosmos known as the Zodiac, which is made up of 12 Zodiac Signs. You’ll find these represented with symbols around the outside of your Birth Chart.
A great analogy an Astrologer friend of mine uses when explaining how to understand the Zodiac signs is comparing them to colours. For example, the colour red: You can’t see ‘red’ itself. You can see a red light, a red shoe, red hair, or a red colouring pencil. But those are all things that are red, it isn’t ‘red’ itself.
The Zodiac signs are kind of the same in this way - each sign is its own category, containing a collection of unique qualities.
So what are the signs and what are their qualities?
♈️ ARIES: March 21 - April 19
The first sign of the Zodiac. The sign of beginnings. Initiating, emerging and outward-facing energy. In its highest expression, Aries energy is direct, fast, spontaneous, independent and refreshing; in its lower expression, it can be rude, abrasive, and self-centred.
♉️ TAURUS: April 19 - May 20
Taurus energy is an inward energy, all about integration, appreciation, holding high values, and sensuality. In its highest expression, Taurus energy is all about enjoying the present, cultivating beauty, and taking exquisite care of things; in its lower expression, it can be materialistic, gluttonous, and stubborn.
♊️ GEMINI: May 21 - June 20
Gemini energy is all about interacting and interfacing, transferring information, and super-fast mental energy. In its highest expression, Gemini energy is knowledgeable, funny, and able to make lightning-speed connections between things; in its lower expression, it can be superficial, restless, and have a tendency to talk behind someones back!
♋️ CANCER: June 21 - July 22
Cancer energy is deeply inward, personal, sentimental, and caring. It’s connected to both the Mother & to the Child, and to a sense of belonging. In its highest expression, Cancer energy is emotionally connected and genuinely nurturing; in its lower expression, it can take things very personally, become over-protective and over-possessive, and obsessive around safety.
♌️ LEO: July 23 - August 22
Leo energy is all about a sense of self, identity, self expression, and leadership.
In its highest expression, Leo energy has a strong sense of self, is unconditionally loving, and is fully self expressed; in its lower expression, it can be performative, self-absorbed, and attention & validation-seeking.
♍️ VIRGO: August 23 - September 22
Virgo energy is about health, wellness, goals, processes and service. In its highest expression, Virgo energy is discerning, precise, well-organised and deeply knowledgeable; in its lower expression, it can be perfectionistic, prone to over-thinking, and critical of self and others.
♎️ LIBRA: September 23 - October 22
Libra energy is all about relationships - specifically the relational point between two things or people! It’s the sign of balance, beauty, and harmony. In its highest expression, Libra energy is balanced, harmonious, and beauty-centred; in its lower expression, it can be over-giving, co-dependant, and people-pleasing.
♏️ SCORPIO: October 23 - November 21
Scorpio energy is all about intensity, passion, fascination, devotion, sexuality and the occult.
In its highest expression, Scorpio energy is passionate, involved and devoted on a very deep level; in its lower expression, it can be obsessive, possessive, jealous and uncompromising.
♐️ SAGITTARIUS: November 22 - December 21
Sagittarius energy is about overflowing energy, abundance, creativity, inspiration and ‘anything is possible’ energy. In its highest expression, Sagittarius energy is enthusiastic, optimistic, motivating, and has the ability to make anything happen; in its lower expression, it can tend towards ‘toxic positivity’, and can be unrealistic and blur the lines of reality.
♑️ CAPRICORN: December 21 - January 19
Capricorn energy is an energy that is responsible, independent, and ambitious - very career, work & reputation focused. In its highest expression, Capricorn energy is a legacy builder, enduring & responsible; in its lower expression, it can be overly-focused, self-denying and immovable.
♒ AQUARIUS: January 20 - February 18
Aquarius energy represents innovation, rebellion, the collective & community, and going against the grain / paving your own way. In its highest expression, Aquarius energy is genius, secure in its individuality, and here to serve humanity; in its lower expression, it can be detached, isolated and uncooperative.
♓️ PISCES: February 19 - March 20
The final sign in the Zodiac before the cycle completes and then begins again with Aries energy, Pisces energy is mystical, spiritual, and all about the subconscious and the unseen realms. In its highest expression, Pisces energy is intuitive, deeply feeling, and emotionally aware; in its lower expression, it can tend towards escapism and addiction, and avoid responsibility.
The Elements
Each of the Signs above falls into a different element - Fire, Water, Earth or Air.
Fire signs are, well, fiery. They tend to be passionate go-getters who hold a lot of energy. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are all Fire.
Water signs are much softer, way more emotional, and also deeply intuitive. Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio make up Water.
Earth signs tend to be steady, grounded, practical and slower moving. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn make up Earth.
Air signs on the contrary are much more floaty, whimsical and much faster moving. Gemini, Aquarius and Libra are all Air.
The Houses
The Houses represent WHERE in our lives these energies show up.
Just like your Birth Chart is separated into 12 sections for the Zodiac signs, it’s also separated into 12 sections for the Houses. You’ll find these numbers towards the inside of your Birth Chart.
There are many different housing ‘systems’ you can use depending on what style of Astrology you practise and what you value most, from ease of understanding to accuracy and precision. Some systems mean that the Houses will line up exactly with the Zodiac signs, while others will include some overlaps. Whichever system you work with, here’s what each of those Houses represent:
1st House - The SELF / Your Identity / Your Appearance & Body / Beginnings
2nd House - Self-Worth / Stability & Security / Money, Finance & Value / Pleasure
3rd House - Communication / Siblings / Media & Messaging
4th House - Emotions / The Feminine / Mother / Home / Family / Lineage
5th House - Creativity / Self Expression / FUN / Dating & Romance
6th House - Health & Wellness / Routines & Schedules
7th House - Committed Relationships & Marriage / Teamwork & Balance
8th House - Union & Merging of Resources / Transformation, Death & Rebirth / Sex
9th House - Expansion / Travel / Teaching / Exploration
10th House - Career / Hard Work / Reputation / Fame
11th House - Community / Friendships / Innovation
12th House - Spirituality / The Subconscious / Endings
The Aspects
And finally (for this article) you’ve got the Aspects.
Aspects are basically how the different planetary bodies relate to one another.
Some of these key relationships are:
Hanging out super close to one another amplifying each other (Conjunct)
Directly across from each other engaging in battle (Opposition)
Coming in from different angles and clashing with each other (Square)
Working together harmoniously (Trine)
Co-operating with a bit of effort (Sextile)
Since this is Astrology 101, and aspects are more of an advanced level of Astrology, we won’t go any deeper than that for now, but one you’re comfortable with the signs, houses & planets I definitely encourage you to explore this area more deeply as there’s lots of wisdom to be held there!
The Bottom Line
If you haven’t already, here’s your invitation to head to a free resource (such as astro.com), where you can input your birth info (*psst* you’ll need to know your birth time) and take a look at what was happening in the cosmos when you came earth-side.
Use the information in this article as a cheat sheet to help you interpret what that snapshot is telling you, and see how it lines up with how you understand yourself.
Here’s 3 prompts to get you started…
My Sun Sign is in the sign of _______ in House ____ , and that’s telling me that….
My Moon Sign is in the sign of _______ in House ____ , and that’s telling me that….
My Rising Sign is in the sign of _______ in House ____ , and that’s telling me that….
For a deeper exploration into Astrology, check out Astrology Insights or even consider working with an Astrologer, who can help translate everything on your chart and help you to make the connections between all of the different elements.
And the next time you read a 4-line horoscope in a magazine - or on Insta - remember that what you’re looking at is just a few words out of an incredibly large and complex language. A language which, if you take the time to learn, can be an incredible tool for cultivating deep self awareness, and personal, relational, and business development.
WHATS UP NEXT …
