Mindful Heart Astrology: Understanding the Natal Chart

In previous articles we have introduced the first quarter of the Zodiac, representing three signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini), three houses (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd), and three ruling planets (Mars, Venus, Mercury). At this juncture, it may be helpful to provide an overview of the main elements present in the natal chart.

To cast a chart, one needs to know the date, time and place of birth. The resulting natal chart, therefore, represents a snapshot of the heavens at the moment the individual was born. It is by understanding this snapshot that we are better able to engage and move through the seasons and cycles of life with awareness and purpose. To build our understanding, it is important to develop some knowledge of the fundamental chart components.

Basically, the Horoscope, is comprised of ten planets plotted on the Zodiacal wheel (according to the birth data) which is divided into twelve houses, and consisting of twelve signs. In a “natural chart” the first house begins with Aries, the first sign in the zodiac, and runs through to the sign of Pisces in the twelfth house. However, in actuality the starting point of the Horoscope is the Ascendant (ASC), or the cusp of the 1^st House. The sign that appears on the cusp is known as the “Rising Sign”, the constellation which appeared on the horizon at the exact moment of birth. This key point is determined by the exact time of birth and is critical in establishing the placement of each planet in the chart, including the house in which reside, and the sign on the cusp of each house in the chart. The Rising Sign is considered, by many Astrologers, to have the same or even greater significance than the Sun Sign.

Since the 1^st House is reflective of how we show up in the world, it is often more visible or readily identifiable than one’s Sun sign. There are a number of ways to obtain your time of birth, including chart rectification which can be performed by some experienced and advanced Astrologers. In the event you don’t have the birth time and do not want to pursue chart rectification, there is still a great deal of information that can be gleaned from your Sun and Moon signs, as well as the planets and the signs they are in, and the aspects (angles) between the planets themselves.

Regardless of the sign which appears on the cusp of each house, the area of life represented by that house is always the same. It is the sign though, which flavours the expression of each of those areas of life, particularly when one of the planets resides in that house.

In previous articles we have referenced Houses 1, 2, and 3. These are considered to be the Houses of “Personal Identity”. You may recall the 1^st House relates to self-image and reflects things such as physical body and personality temperament. The 2^nd House relates to money and self-worth including our material possessions, our attitude towards money, and basic life values. The 3^rd House is all about communication and the way we think, our thought process, early learning and natural communication skills. When laid out in this order of 1, 2, 3, its relatively easy to see how each “natural house” reflects qualities of the signs of Aries, Taurus and Gemini.  Consider your own chart and how your Personal Identity is reflected by the signs on the cusp of each of these houses.

We will review the remaining houses (4 through 12) in futures posts as we make our way through the full zodiac. In the meantime, you can refer to the chart below for a “quick reference” about the Houses, their characteristics and the sign they are associated with.  I hope you find this useful.