A beginners Guide to reading your natal chart

Anyone can read a natal chart; I have attached a picture of mine so you can familiarize yourself with one. The natal chart is the reason that every Sun Sign such as Scorpio is not the same. We all have different attributes that are formed due in part to what planets fall in what house, Each chart is comprised of 12 houses and each house represents a particular facet of your life.
The First house is where your rising sign or ascendant falls. The rising sign is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth. The First House represents your appearance, how the outside world views you, it is basically your first impression.
The Second house is your house of security, your resources (not shared resources acquired via marriage, that is the 8th house) your belongings, and how you feel about your stuff both monetary and other wise.
So the first house is YOU, the second house is YOUR STUFF the third house is how you communicate.
The 3rd house is your intelligence, your siblings, shorts trips, the way you speak, write and communicate with others
The 4th house is home, your heritage, your roots, your past it can also be real estate…as it is all things related to home
The 5th house is my favorite. It is no coincidence that my sun is placed here. It rules love affairs, (not marriage that is the 7th) romantic relationships, the fun stuff, children, entertainment and music!
The 6th house is the boring stuff, the mundane activities of day to day living. It represents your routine, your job, working out and your view on health
The 7th houses rules your first marriage (and yes hopefully your only), it is also the descendent placement. There are many theories on your marriage partner that I will get into at another time. However if your ascendant is YOU the descendent on your 7th house represents the qualities (not necessarily the sign) that you look for in a partner. It also governs open enemies….A thin line between love and hate…and anyone you have a legal contracted agreement with (marriage or otherwise)..
The 8th house is my second favorite although most would say it is a dark place, it rules death both literally and metaphorically, psychoanalysis, it is also the house of “other peoples money”. Money acquired via an inheritance or a spouse. In general people with planets placed in the 8th house go through lots of changes of dyeing only to be born again.
The 9th house rules law, religion, philosophy, the higher mind…long journeys anything that elevates you to another realm of being.
The 10th house is your social standing, where as the 6th represents your day to day work tasks the 10th represents your professional achievements, reputation and overall life direction. (it is the highest point in a natal chart)
The 11th house is your house of friends, hopes and wishes. Love that! Groups of friends, like minded organizations and what you wish to fulfill in this life
The 12th house is your subconscious, it is also said to be the house of self undoing. Things about yourself you do not realize, secret enemies, everything that happens behind the scenes

So let’s recap
The first house is ruled by the 1st sign in the zodiac Aries. Keyword IM. Aries is the most impulsive sign in the zodiac, they are initiators, “me first” attitude, they are concerned with being an individual apart from the crowd. Planets in Aries will express themselves freely.
The 2nd house is ruled by Taurus. Keyword is I have. Taurus is the slowest moving sign in the zodiac. So planets placed here will not be impulsive like an Aries but rather slow and methodical. And once a Taurus starts something it is impossible for them to change direction. They are stubborn.
The 3rd house is ruled by Gemini: Keyword I think Gemini is the fastest moving sign in the zodiac. It moves about quickly on somewhat of a superficial level. It is curious and inquisitive sign, quite charming but loses focus easily. Planets in Gemini will tend to be a bit scattered, but playful.
The 4th House is ruled by Cancer Keyword I feel Cancer is the mother of the zodiac. I read once that planets in Cancer are placed in an emotional bath. Planets in Cancer cannot be objective; Cancer is an intuitive sign so they will express themselves in an emotional and nurturing way.
The 5th house is ruled by Leo Keyword I Have Leos are the star of the zodiac. They want to shine all of the time and be the center of the universe. Planets in Leo become more open and creative.
The 6th House is ruled by Virgo Keyword is I analyze Virgos are the most precise sign in the zodiac. They will notice even the most minuet detail. Planets in Virgo will be exact looking for specific details
The 7th House is Ruled by Libra Keyword is I relate Libra is all about what is fair. Balance, ya know the 2 scales. Planets in Libra will look to compromise and weigh the pros and cons
The 8th House is ruled by Scorpio Keyword is I desire. Scorpions are the deepest sign in the zodiac. They get below the surface, so planets in Scorpio become intense
The 9th House is Ruled by Sagittarius Keyword is I comprehend. I read that Gemini rules the lower mind and Sagittarius rules the higher mind. They are all about expansion, receiving information and processing it. Planets in Sagittarius are independent yet expansive
The 10th House is ruled by Capricorn Keyword I Use. Aww poor Capricorns they are without a doubt the hardest working sign in the zodiac. They are a very serious sign that want results; planets in Capricorn become more ambitious and practical
The 11th Houses Ruled by Aquarius Keyword I Know. Aquarians define themselves by group associations. They are detached and more of an intellectual sign. That being said planets in Aquarius can be objective and think about all sides of an equation
The 12th House is ruled by Pisces Keyword: I believe. Pisces are the last of the zodiac and are said to have traits of the other 11 signs. Pisces are the 2 fish swimming around and around, with that being said Planets in Pisces can lose direction

The signs on the cusp will color each house and the planets place inside each house will determine the effect that planet has on you (1st house?), what you value (2nd house) , (how you communicate (3rd house) and so on and so forth
Let’s discuss the Planets so you can interpret your natal chart more effectively:
First look at your ascendant and what planet rules that sign For instance my ascendant is in Aquarius, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus. I can find Uranus in my 8th house of shared resources and death. Uranus is the planet of unexpected changes. I can expects unexpected changes in financial situation and change within myself, a sort of death of one self and rebirth
Next Look at your Sun Sign-everyone knows your sun sign-this is what most people as when inquiring what sign are you?
In astrology the sun represents your identity, where you define yourself, your ego, the Sign shows how you display it and the house denotes where you shine, where your ego is derived from. I’m at a disadvantage here in a way because my sun sign is in cancer, Cancers rely on intimate connection for their identity and here is my sun in the 5th house of romance and children one could assume that those things are very important to me. My sun is shining brightly on love affairs; I live for love, children and music…but what happens when those things are not accessible. If the sun is a representation of your ego you can plainly see that if my love life is not flourishing, my ego is bruised.
The moon represents our emotions, your inner wants, and instinctive behavior. The sign your moon is in will give you an idea on your emotional Reponses. I often wish I had a moon in Libra. Libra is all about balance they think of both sides before reacting, carefully weighing out the outcome. My moon is in Aries, a spiritual advisor once told me I have the mind of an 80 year old with the emotional maturity of an 8th grader. Yikes! Aries is impulsive, me first, jump in and think later. With moon in Aries, I react then think, I often speak without thinking…sometimes with love & other times with distain. And I often wish I can take take it all back the minute it tumbled out of my mouth. My moon is located in the 2nd house the (the house of I have) This would indicate I’m emotionally connected to all that I have; security both financial and otherwise is important to me.
Mercury is the planet of communication, short tips, making connections whereas the Moon rules your emotional side Mercury rules your rational Mind, it is how you learn, your thought process and how you communicate. Someone with Mercury in Gemini is going to make connection with lightening speed. Gemini is after all the fastest sign in the zodiac all on its own add that to Mercury in Gemini and I would gather that person would connect the dots rapidly. My Mercury is in Cancer, cancer is an intuitive sign, we feel people’s energy, we decide intuitively if we like you, we pick up on non verbal cues…we often look for what isnt being said. Do you see how it works? How the sign effects the planets expression and the house represents where it will be expressed. My Mercury is in the 6th house of daily routines, which would indicate I speak on a daily basis, have a high ability to multi task and sort out daily concerns and learn by instinct…what feels right.
Venus is the planet of love; it represents beauty, art, money…all that is beautiful. All that is valued. It also represents the type of woman a man will be attracted to (not marry, attracted to). This applies ONLY to the man’s chart. Look at the sign for the qualities he finds attractive in a woman. My Venus is in Gemini, Gemini can be sort of a superficial sign, however very talkative and mentally fast, so you can derive that since My Venus in Gemini is also in the 3rd house which is the house of communication and natively ruled by Gemini….this means I put a high value on communication.

Mars is the Planet of action, how we go after what we want, our wants our needs and our sex drive. A man’s Venus tells you the qualities he looks for in a woman, and in a woman’s chart Mars tells you what she looks for in a man. My Mars is in dare I say Taurus. Mars the planet of action and I have it in the slowest moving sign in the zodiac. That being said like a Taurus once I start something I will see it through to the end. Mars the planet of action in my third house (the house of communication) means I say what I want, am direct and very opinioned. As for the man I would like…I have never dated an earth sign long term (too much fire in my chart) with that being said Taurus is the most stable sign in the zodiac, sensual, and loves good food. What woman isn’t looking for that?
The Following Planets will be in the same sign for everyone born within a certain time period. The orbit is slower because they are further out in the solar system. For instance Mercury orbits the sun every 88 days; Saturn takes 29 1/2 YEARS to make one single trip around the sun. Thus the sign isn’t as important as what house the planet falls in.
Jupiter is the planet of good luck; it represents expansion, growth, abundance and success. Where Jupiter is located in your chart you will find good luck-if not afflicted by other planets-it can also indicate where we go overboard. My Jupiter is located in the 4th house (the house of home and family) this denotes I will have a large home and I value family… I will keep you posted. For a Cancer a happy homes comes way ahead of a large home on the priority list
Next up is Saturn BLAHHH! Saturn is the father of the zodiac, it is practical responsible, cautious sensible and restrictive! Look to the placement of Saturn to see where you are being held back. My Saturn is in my 6th house of daily activities and my career. And I can say I don’t really have a desire to rise to the top of my field or anything like that. I enjoy what I’m doing even if it means I don’t have a title. I was in a position before this which carried a title…I could care less.
Uranus is the planet of expecting the unexpected, it represents individuality, change, independent, progressive, surprising and being original. Look to see what house Uranus is in for you and you will see unexpected unpredictable changes.
Neptune is the planet of dreams, things that are intangible, intuition, creativity; it also shows where you are most sensitive and imaginative.. On the negative side it also rules, addictions, things you do not see clearly, escapism. Look To your chart to see where Neptune is and you will see an area you do not see clearly. My Neptune is conjunct my 10th house, it is on top of my 10th house (the house of social standing and career achievements) So if Neptune represents creativity and what is not clear it should come as no surprise that I have had 30 jobs and only have been on this earth 33 years. Neptune in 10th house means I would rather focus on creative endeavors. I do not have one clear cookie cutter path. Thanks Goodness!
Last of the planets (No matter what astronomers say) is Pluto, One of my favorite planets; it represents Depth, Power and transformation. The placement of Pluto will tell you where you transform and alter yourself, where you get below the surface, yearn to be in control. One word to describe Pluto is Intense, persistent, jealous, possessive, twisted and controlling. In synasty if you ever couldn’t let someone go I guarantee there was a Pluto placement. I have Pluto in the 8th house that is where Pluto belongs, it is at home there. The 8th house is the house of death, psychoanalysis and other people’s money. I transform myself through these outlets. In general any one with 8th house planets will have a depth emotionally that is hard to match. Now see what your chart reveals go to www.astro.com for your free natal chart


3 thoughts on “A beginners Guide to reading your natal chart

  1. I have read your information with great interest. But still cannot understand or explain my own birth chart. Could you please explain my chart as you have explained yours on this page. I really love it, am too stupid to do it myself.

  2. I have many links to understanding your birth chart under “natal astrology” for a free reading go to http://www.cafeastrology.com

  3. […] A beginners Guide to reading your natal chart […]

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