The skepticism of astrology, like many other things, is likely due to some lack of understanding of it. So before you write it off as pseudoscience, let’s explore a bit about what might be written in the stars for and about you.
You’re probably aware of the month you were born—cool. That’s a start! This allows you to be aware of your star sign, zodiac sign, or as I’ll refer to it here, your Sun sign. When we get to know people these signs often come up because if we have vague understanding of the qualities of each of the 12 signs, we can quickly get an idea about a person’s personality based on their sign.
More than anything though, this is all confirmation bias. If I just meet someone and they ask my sign, once I say I’m a Leo, that suddenly explains why I’ve known the friend with me in the bar for over 10 years. Leo’s are grounded in loyalty, so the person inquiring would be able to piece together what they’re learning about me and feel good about themselves for their quick read and instant validation. They might make other assumptions about me based on my sign and appearance. Leo’s are confident and commanding presences in the room, so this new curious person is expecting me to be first on the karaoke list.
Confirmation bias can get in the way when reading horoscopes too. Horoscopes, or the blurb that summarizes a period of time for each sign, are what I think is responsible for astrology’s popularity and dismissal. They’re really broad so people can find themselves in it and apply aspects of it to their own lives. If it’s wrong it’s fake, if it’s right it’s real. The thing is, your Sun sign isn’t all there is, nor does it have to completely encompass who you are. It’s only a fragment! When you can fill out more of your personal map, the details are more specific to you uniquely.
Rising signs, or Ascendents, are how you present yourself to the world. If you know the time of your birth, you can determine which sign was on the eastern horizon the moments you arrived. This sign is good to know because on your natal chart, the map of the signs and planets in positions of you, this sign is in the first position or first “house.” All is right in your world or perception of your reality if you are fulfilling this sign. Mine is Aquarius, so I feel best when I’m philosophically conversing, and people see me as a humanitarian. This is different from my Leo personality traits.
The other main sign is your Moon sign, which indicates your emotional self and who you are internally, your inner desires and qualities. Your Sun, Moon, and Ascendent are your “power three.” The combinations of these indicate who you are, how you express yourself, and your foundation.
To know your Rising Sign, as I mentioned, puts it in the first position. Then you can see the order of the signs in the other positions, or ‘houses’ as I’ll refer to them here. Your second house is about your values and resources, third is early life and siblings, fourth is home and family, fifth creativity, sexuality, and children, sixth is health and healing. These first 6 are mostly about self. Once you get to your seventh through twelfth houses, these are more about you relation to the world.
The seventh house is your partner in life (if you have one) or your mirror. These are aspects that are reflected back to you. The eighth house is more complicated being about death and dimensions, while ninth is more straight forward about higher learning and education, travel, and dreams. The tenth is career and vocation, and the eleventh is for friends and community. The twelfth is also complicated and mysterious—hidden subconscious.
The different planets also fall into the different houses. The planets represent different components of your life like how you communicate, love, grow, dream, etc. There are also different symbols that are involved such as Chiron. Chiron is The Wounded Healer. This means wherever he is on your chart is your “wound” or sacrifice. He has a fascinating story in mythology worth looking into.
Another important part of your chart is the North and South Nodes. Your South Node indicates the spot where in past lives you have spent a lot of time. This is your comfort zone. Directly across from it is your North Node which is your direction or purpose in this life. Now, this is the point where things start to get more complex. There are many dimensions to reading an astrology chart, and different astrologers have different interpretations. These are the basics I work with and that give me more insight to my chart and life.
In the same way some people may rely heavily on their horoscopes to make decisions or guide them (I don’t really recommend that), your astrology chart can seem a bit like your fate or formula for life. While it offers deep insight, it is still to be taken lightly as a point of reference. I’ve had my chart read by an astrologer, but of course this was one interpretation. I figured out how to draw my chart which is meditative and introspective. Your own interpretation is most valuable, and you may surprise yourself what might come up for you! For example, I don’t have any planets in my third house, the house of siblings, because I’m an only child!
On astro.com, which I also referenced in Psychology of Color, generates your chart for free! Each year on my birthday I look at a Solar Return Chart which gives me insight on my year ahead. It can be overwhelming to dive into, but take it slow with a few symbols at a time. After a while it all comes together and you begin to understand yourself as its physical form! I understand more of my “why’s” and “how’s” which is both grounding and cosmic. It’s a beautiful way to feel more connected to yourself, your expression, and the universe.
See yourself in the stars, and if you like this page, please share it!
Live Fluently 
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