Horoscope columns: Twelve sizes fit all?
Posted under Basics
Tags: horoscope,
houses,
signs,
sun sign
I understand that Jupiter is taking up residence in the 7th house for 1 year (for just Aquarians or everyone?). My question is how can you interpret this generalized statement with regards to your personal chart? One gets general statements as to where planets are located in the houses but can they be in different houses based on your personal chart?
Lesli
Hi, Lesli—
To answer your question, I need to give some background on how the natal chart is constructed.
Your natal chart is a map showing the location of the Sun, Moon and planets, relative to the stars and to the earth, at the time and place of your birth.
The Zodiac signs
The Zodiac signs show the location of the Sun, Moon and planets relative to the solstice and equinox points. There is a section of the sky, which the Sun passes through for one month following the spring equinox, which we call Aries, the following section we call Taurus, the next we call Gemini, and so on. As the Earth travels around the Sun, we Earthlings observe the Sun moving through these sections of the sky. The Sun spends one month in each sign, making its way through all 12 signs in one year.
Your Sun sign (often referred to simply as your “sign”) is the sign that the Sun was passing through when you were born. The Sun in astrology indicates your vitality and basic motivation in life. Thus it is a good indicator of your basic character. But it is not the whole story.
The houses of the birth chart
The houses of the birth chart show the location of the Sun, Moon and planets relative to the Earth. The Earth completes a rotation every 24 hours. Thus, the house positions are based on your time of birth.
The first house begins at the Ascendant— the point that is on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth. The Zodiac sign that this point falls in is called the Ascendant or rising sign. The rising sign may be the same as the Sun sign, if your time of birth is close to sunrise. For the majority of people, however, the Sun sign and rising sign are not the same.
A chart for someone born at 7:00 a.m. is different from the chart of someone born at 7:00 p.m. on the same day. The Sun, Moon and planets will probably be in the same signs in the two charts, but they will appear in completely different houses.
The nature of Sun Sign astrology
Have you ever read a description of your sun sign in a book or on a greeting card, or read the daily horoscopes in the newspaper, and it just didn’t sound like you.. even the best sun sign columns can only give general advice.
Granted, your Sun sign is very important in your astrological chart. However, there are a host of other factors, including the Moon sign, the Ascendant, the houses, and 8 other planets. Together, they create a total picture that is as complex as the human psyche— that’s why astrology works.
Most Sun Sign astrologers work by doing a kind of astrological shorthand. They construct what is called a Solar chart. For example, if your Sun sign is Aquarius, then Aquarius becomes your first house, Pisces becomes your second, Aries your third, Taurus your fourth, and so on.
Jupiter just entered Leo on August 1 of this year. Leo is 7 signs away from Aquarius, making Leo your “shorthand” 7th house (house of relationships). This is what they meant when they said that Jupiter was in the 7th house for Aquarians. This is not necessarily your real 7th house, however. If your rising sign happens to be Taurus, then Jupiter may actually be in the 4th house (home & family) of your natal chart. If your rising sign is Virgo, Jupiter may be in your 12th house (dreams & unconscious).
Why would you use this shorthand method? Because it sells books!
If you want a more accurate picture of what’s happening for you, it’s going to take a bit more work. One option is to hire a trusted astrologer for a reading.
If you’re a do-it-yourself type, head on over to www.astro.com, where you can get your birth chart calculated for free. Learning to read the chart yourself takes some time and effort, but it’s worth it. You can explore the free or paid reports for astrological information that is specific to your natal chart.
Molly Cliborne Gauthier
1 · Daniel · 13 February 2006
Hi Molly. I was reading an article on The Mountain Astrologer that helped a lot when reading charts, but also added some confusion. The article is title Astrological Triage in the Feb/March 2006 issue. The part that confused me is about the houses, particularly when planets enter a house. According to the author, a planet enters the next house when it's 3/4 of the way of the current house. That seems like a long way from the next house to be considered already in that house. My Jupiter, for example, is 24 degree Cancer in the first house. The second house cusp is at 28 degree cancer. Does that mean that Jupiter is really in the second house? Could you clarify this for me? Thank you.
2 · Molly · 13 February 2006
Daniel, I think you should probably contact the author of the article for clarity on what they meant. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate.
To me, a planet is in a house until it enters the next house. Except for the angular houses: 1, 4, 7 and 10, the cusps are "man-made," they're mathematically derived. And astrologers do not agree on how best to draw the lines. As there are often many ways of looking at the same thing, there seem to be many ways that work. The conclusion I draw from that is that the boundaries by nature are fuzzy and more gradual than the lines of demarcation between Zodiac signs or the ASC and MC.
3 · anne · 3 March 2006
My moon and ascendant signs are both in Pisces. When reading my horoscope how impact does this have?
4 · anne · 3 March 2006
My moon and ascendant signs are both in Pisces. When reading my horoscope how much impact does this have?
5 · Melanie · 6 April 2007
Question: Does horoscope have ANY weight or bearing on a true psychopath?
n. A person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.
For that matter, severe mental illness in general or do you have an educated answer for this question?
thank you – Melanie
6 · Darren · 19 December 2007
Does this mean Sun Sign Tabloid reading aren’t to be trusted, as they aren’t except by neurotics?
7 · Perry · 27 February 2011
Molly,
First, I’d like to thank you for all the fantastic information available on this site, especially in the Tutorial section. It has been very helpful in understanding the confusing world of natal charts.
That said, I’m still not entirely clear on the relationships of the natal chart to the current position of the planets. Does the current position of a planet correspond in some way to the house it is in on my chart? For example, Venus is in the 12th house on my chart. Does that mean that I should be watching the movement of Venus for insight on my subconscious? Or should I be watching what other planets pass through the area covered by my 12th house? Is it both?
Thanks in advance!
Perry