Contents
Astrology Fundamentals
How to Understand Horoscopes
How to Calculate Your Horoscope
Signs of the Zodiac
The Planets
The Houses
The Aspects
Astrology and Compatibility
Astrology for Everyday Decisions
Astrology and Destiny
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How to Understand Horoscopes
Horoscopes are like snapshots of the solar system captured from a particular place on Earth at a precise moment. The purpose of a horoscope is to present a visual map of the location of each major celestial body in the heavens—the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Astrologers read this “map” in order to draw conclusions about people and events; every event has a horoscope. To read and interpret horoscopes, you need to know:
- How horoscopes represent the sky
- The main components and symbols of the horoscope
How Horoscopes Represent the Sky
The horoscope portrays the entire solar system as a 360-degree circle, known as a wheel. Horoscopes represent the world from the perspective of someone on Earth, as opposed to the standard depiction of the heavens that positions the Sun at the center. Every horoscope is divided in half from top to bottom:
- The top half: Depicts the 180-degree portion of the sky that was visible from the location on Earth, and at the precise moment, for which the horoscope was calculated (see How to Calculate Your Horoscope). The eastern horizon is located at the leftmost spot on the wheel, and the western horizon at the rightmost spot.
- The bottom half: Depicts the 180-degree portion of the sky that was not visible from the location on Earth, and at the precise moment, for which the horoscope was calculated.
The horoscope further divides the sky in two ways:
- By the 12 signs of the zodiac: Each sign (explained below) occupies 30 degrees of the total 360 degrees on the wheel.
- By the 12 astrological houses: Each house (explained below) takes up a portion of the wheel that differs on every horoscope and does not necessarily align with the 12 divisions based on the signs of the zodiac.
When astrologers analyze a horoscope, they examine each planet to determine its precise location within each sign and house. The zodiac and houses have profound symbolic meaning for astrologers, which forms the foundation of astrological interpretation.
The Horoscope’s Components and Symbols
Every horoscope contains five main parts:
- The signs of the zodiac
- The planets
- The houses
- The aspects
- The cusps
The Signs of the Zodiac
The zodiac is a band of 12 constellations, or groups of fixed stars. Each of the constellations is represented by a specific symbol or sign. The 12 signs of the zodiac appear in two places on the horoscope:
- Centered inside a portion of the perimeter of the horoscope. Each sign occupies 1/12th of the horoscope—30 of the horoscope’s 360 degrees.
- At a specific point along the sign’s portion of the wheel’s perimeter. This point marks the precise location in degrees and minutes—60 minutes (60') equals 1 degree (1°)—of the border, or cusp, of one of the 12 houses of the horoscope (explained below). For example, a symbol surrounded by 25° and 20' indicates that the border of the house is located at 25 degrees and 20 minutes within the sign’s 30-degree slice of the wheel.
For more information on the zodiac and its signs, see Signs of the Zodiac.
The Planets
In astrology, any celestial body that seems to move when seen from the vantage point of the Earth is considered a planet. Therefore, the Sun and the Moon are also considered planets.
Each planet moves through the 12 signs and houses of the zodiac in a counterclockwise motion, starting at the leftmost spot on the wheel. Each planet appears on the horoscope in the form of a symbol, which is often surrounded by a set of numbers indicating its precise location in degrees and minutes within the sign through which it’s passing. Astrologers interpret the meanings of a planet’s location on the horoscope according to three factors:
- The house of the horoscope in which it’s located
- The sign of the zodiac in which it’s located
- Its location with respect to other planets on the horoscope
For more information on the planets, see The Planets.
The Houses
The 12 houses of the horoscope are numbered 1–12, beginning at the leftmost point of the horoscope and proceeding counterclockwise. Each house is symbolically ruled by (closely associated with) one or more signs and planets. In addition to being ruled by a sign and planet, a house can contain one or more planets, indicated by the presence of a planet’s symbol within the house. The location of planets within the houses is one of the main sources of astrological interpretation, especially when attempting to predict the situations in which a person or event will be most successful. For more information on the houses, see The Houses.
The Aspects
The angle formed by drawing a line from one planet to another is called a planetary aspect, or simply an aspect. Aspects represent the amount of tension between two planets and the underlying symbolic matters associated with those planets. For more information on the aspects, see The Aspects.
The Cusps
The border between two houses is called a cusp. Like each house, sign, and planet, each cusp has its own symbolic astrological significance. The four most important cusps to know are:
- The cusp of the first house: Also known as the ascendant. The zodiac sign that appears on the ascendant, called the rising sign, represents your physical appearance, style, and outward personality.
- The cusp of the fourth house: Called the IC, from the Latin phrase imum coeli, meaning “lowest heavens.” The sign in which the IC falls represents your attitudes toward your foundation—your home, family, and genealogical roots.
- The cusp of the seventh house: Called the descendant. The sign on the descendant represents your attitudes toward your closest associates in life, including marriage and business partners.
- The cusp of the tenth house: Called the midheaven, from the Latin phrase medium coeli (MC), or “middle of the heavens.” The sign on the midheaven represents your attitudes toward the more visible everyday parts of life, including your career and public image.
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