By Missy Mitchell of Spiritually Sourced
Our astro charts have almost become the new scapegoat for the behaviours that don’t necessarily win us brownie points. A tendency to like nice (expensive) things? It’s your Taurus sun. Find yourself getting a little fiery in confrontations? Aries moon. Can’t decide whether to stay in and get FOMO or go out with the girls? Libra rising.
But what if we decided to actually use astrology for what it is? A way to cultivate deeper self awareness.
Sure, it’s not as exciting as blaming our workaholic tendencies or sexual escapades (hello capricorns and scorpios) on our signs, but it is a practice of identifying who we are and why we are here.
And that’s pretty fucking monumental.
Astrology is a great entry point for ‘doing the work’. It allows us to look at our personality with a rational understanding based on our charts. It helps us make sense of who we are, almost like a guideline.
So, with that being said, I have made a little astro guide for you all to begin your journey of cosmic understanding.
This is a very basic guide, astrology is a never ending labyrinth of learning, but these are the main components that are helpful to know and understand.
When we look at your chart, we are looking at a snapshot of the sky at the time of your birth. In order to look up your chart, you will need to know your date/time/place of birth (so call you parents or look at your birth certificate if you don’t know the exact time).
We are going to focus on the main planets and placements.
You will all most likely know your sun sign, this is the answer you give when people ask your star sign or when you’re looking at your horoscope (which btw, are not accurate. So no, your love life is not doomed this month).
Our sun sign is the light that we shine into the world (hence, the sun). It is our essence, our conscious mind and our creative force. So when we are looking at our sun sign, we are looking at the characteristics of what sign our sun is placed in. e.g. Taurus, Libra, Pisces etc. to understand how we express ourselves.
Next is our moon sign. Our moon is our emotional side, how we feel. When we are looking at the sign our moon is placed in, we are looking at how we express and feel our emotions.
Our rising sign is how we present ourselves to the world. You know when you first meet someone and you think they’re rude then six months later you’re besties? That’s because you met their rising (probably in Sag..I kid, don’t come for me), it’s almost like our wall that we put up before we know someone. This means, when you first interact with somebody, they are displaying their rising sign and its characteristics.
These are the three main placements that are integral to understanding ourselves. From there, we continue looking at all of the planets and what sign they fall in.
Each planet rules a different aspect:
Mercury: communication, intellect, reason, mind
Venus: attraction, love, relationships, harmony
Mars: aggression, sex, passion, courage, competition
Jupiter: growth, abundance, understanding
Saturn: structure, responsibility, ambition, law
Uranus: reformation, unpredictable changes, eccentricity
Neptune: dreams, intuition, mysticism, imagination
Pluto: death, rebirth, transformation, power, evolution
The planets are what we feel and express, the sign it falls in is how we feel and express. We then look at the house that the planet falls in and this rules where this plays out in our life.
Confused AF yet?
I know, it’s a lot. Let me list the houses and what they mean and then you have the basics.
1st House: Your Personal Brand
2nd House: Your Values
3rd House: Your Communication Style
4th House: Your Inner Foundation
5th House: Your Inner Child
6th House: Health and Routine
7th House: Partnerships
8th House: Transformation
9th House: Higher Learning
10th House: Legacy and Reputation
11th House: Networks and Vision
12th House: Spirituality
For example, My Scorpio (water sign, passionate, stubborn, resourceful, deep thinking) is in Mars (planet of aggression, passion, sex, courage) in the 8th House (transformation, regeneration, sex, money), which can translate to; I enjoy deep intimate relationships that offer passion and expansion. I am an extremely deep thinker, specifically around my continual transformation, which can sometimes be a hindrance as I can stay inside my head, but also a mini super power because of constant evolution. Also means I enjoy passion in the bedroom.
Try this for yourself, first looking at the planet, what sign it falls under and what house it is in. It’s a process, but it is worth it.
So wtf does this all mean?
It means that you now understand why your horoscope each month is a load of sh*t. There is A LOT that goes into your unique chart. But when you dig a little deeper, it’s a powerful tool for understanding your strengths and weaknesses.
If this is still confusing (not surprised if it is), I recommend getting your chart read by a professional or downloading an app for a further breakdown. Costar astrology is a fab, free app that will show you your chart and all of your placements, with a further breakdown of wtf it all means.
Remember to use astrology as a tool and not as a scapegoat for shitty behaviour. Ultimately we have free will in this lifetime and the opportunity to continue to grow, evolve and develop deeper relationships within ourselves and those we love.
