The Two Wheels of Astrology

This is part II of my astrology series and I am sure there will be plenty more as I am constantly researching deeper into the astrological world and there are still so many topics I haven't even begun to touch on. Stay tuned on this series and my other posts by following my instagrams @emmaclaireritter & @lostinthoughtblog as well as subscribing to my blog! If you have not already, check out part I to get a basic feel for astrology before diving into more complex topics.

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Astrology is a broad topic and I have stayed primarily on the zodiac sign side while I was still uneducated on its other half. I knew about the 12 houses from reading horoscopes and researching, but I had yet to comprehend how important that wheel of astrology is. Together the 12 zodiac signs and the 12 houses work together to create a lens over your natal chart (a personalized chart dependent on birth times and birth location) that differentiates the 2 ways of looking at your personality. My last post was more basic knowledge and it focused primarily on the zodiac signs and some terminology, while this time around I will be keeping my eyes locked on the houses which I have previously strayed away from due to the complexity and lack of understanding I had.

I like to think of there being three components to your natal chart and those being your planets, signs, and houses. Houses are what organize your planet and sign and it has the most influence over your life. “Houses” is a great name for this astrological component and I like to think of it as an actual house because it kind of stores the information for your natal chart and it is the hub of your personal data. It also gives context to your planets and signs which is important especially in horoscopes. Sun sign horoscopes like in magazines or online quizzes automatically assume that your sun sign is in your first house which is completely dependent on your natal chart, therefore, it is not accurate and I recommend using an app or website that has your natal information in order for more accuracy. I personally love Costar which is free on the app store and you can connect with your friends to see daily compatibility and if you are both going through the same things astrologically. Continuing on with the idea of accuracy, you are not just made up of your sun sign or your first house. When I dig into either my chart or somebody else’s I take their sun sign/zodiac sign for an overall personality evaluation, ascendant/rising sign for how they are perceived by others, and moon sign to get a feel for their inner emotions.

This is an astrological chart and one's specific chart would look very similar to this just each colored layer you see would be twisted a different way based on where things were in the sky when you were born.

My sun sign is Pisces and my personality almost mirrors my sign precisely with the amount of passion, empathy, imagination, and creativity I have always seen in myself. Before I knew you have more than one sign, I never really looked because I relate to being a Pisces so much although now I can also recognize other traits from my ascendant and moon signs. I am a Capricorn ascendant meaning my first impressions and how others perceive me as well as how I want them to perceive me falls into the characteristics of a Capricorn. This means I come off as hard-working, motivated, and responsible, but people may see into weaknesses such as greed and pessimism before they get to know me. Now, my moon sign carries my emotions and who I am at heart which is actually the playfully warm leader Leo who although is generous also is naturally brave and protective. I can see all three of these signs in me, not so much all at once, but in different times and different lights other parts of me shine through either in my personality, first impressions, or inner emotions.

There are more signs to define yourself by (one for each of the 12 houses) and I only mentioned three because they are the most important and it takes a lot to dive into all of the planets and what they mean based on what sign is in them on your specific natal chart. The other big component of your 12 houses next to what sign is in what planet or ascendant is what order your houses are. This may get a little confusing now because I am adding yet another level on to the chart but it is so important based on what traits shine through and how your signs’ energies are distributed into your personality. Each house has a characteristic it rules, for example, your 1st house is the House of Self and it expresses one's identity, consciousness, and how others see you. This chart below displays all of the houses and what they stand for that you can use in reference to your natal chart:

My chart (I am displaying the one from Costar) shows my Sun (Pisces) in my 2nd house which is ruled by value so it means I feel that I distinguish myself through money and material possessions. Moon (Leo) rests in the 7th house of partnerships, therefore, I find security and safety through close friends and long-term partnerships. For me, Mercury (Pisces) is in the 2nd house which fuels my curiosity to analyze what I value and the resources I want. Venus (Aries) is my 3rd house meaning love is often expressed in the things I am familiar with. Mars (Taurus) is the 4th house so I put a lot of effort into it’s characteristic of home and family. Jupiter (Virgo) Is in the 8th house of transformation which indicates my success is routed through sexuality and evolving. Saturn (Cancer) is 6th, ruling work and health, hence why I have trouble with day-to-day routines such as working out and waking up on time. My planet of Uranus (Pisces) is in the 2nd house which manifests rebelling against expectations and standards regarding money and material possessions. Neptune (Aquarius) is my 1st house and reflects on my ideal and unrealistic self-image and it is my first house so it is very present in my personality whether it is a good thing or not. My last planet, Pluto (Sagittarius), is the 11th house of friendship and I transform outdated standards of friendship and social status. That was my individual chart so you were curious about yours I would recommend downloading Costar or researching what each of your signs in what planet in that house means but that would take forever considering you would have to know how to read your natal chart diagram.

The last major chunk of understanding the second wheel of astrology is looking into which of your signs are in which planets and what houses those planets lie under. The planets also have meanings like your sun, moon, and ascendant sign do so it is the same basic concept that I preciously went through and you can use the chart below to uncover truths about yourself as I did in the last paragraph.

I put a lot of time into this post because I had to research a lot and then formulate it into words for other people to read so no, this post is not the most ideal way to learn everything about astrology immediately, but I wrote as I learned. There is probably a couple things missing from my explanation but I am only 15 and it is a lot to comprehend while still trying to keep it simple for readers to comprehend.

Thank you for reading and I am looking forward to what will come next in this series!

-Emma Claire