Massage - Reiki - Astrology

The Sun - Identity/Purpose

The Moon - Emotional/Security style

Ascendant - Physical Body/Image

The "Big 3" represent the core parts of your natal chart, or the biggest "pieces of the pie," when it comes to integrating what energies they rule and how this can be interpreted. If you do not know your ascendant or your moon sign, you will be amazed at how identifiable this info can be when reading your chart. Get comfortable with the nature of your Sun, Moon and Ascendant and gain clarity on what makes you notably unique to those who share your same Sun sign. 

Groupings of three or more planets together in one sign are referred to as "Stelliums." The closer the planets are grouped together, and the more planets that are paired together near conjunction, the more powerful their energies are usually felt and expressed. Stelliums amplify the expression and importance of the sign they are in, the planets involved, and the house they reside. It is easy to notice a Stellium when you look at a chart, especially with four or more planets huddled together, and sometimes there can be two different Stelliums in one chart, depending on planetary alignment. The different assortment of planets involved in one of the twelve different signs will create a unique mixture of energies to pay close attention to and integrate into the life of the chart native.

The Physical body and personality will be greatly effected by planets in the first house. Characteristics and temperament of planets can be seen correlating to body shape and attitude, and the ascendant sign energy often gives off much of your first impression style to others. Calculated by using the constellation sign in the sky looking at the eastern horizon at the time you were born, this key component of your chart is why exact time of day for your birth is so important. All twelve houses will be positioned based off the ascendant, or rising sign, and any planetary bodies located in or near it will play a significant importance.

Determining the chart "Sect" which confirms if it is a day or night chart, can be useful for many reasons. Notably, with some Hellenistic astrology techniques. One popular of these techniques is with an approach using day charts to elect Jupiter and Mars to exude more importance, and in night charts electing Venus and Saturn to exude more importance. Be sure to check the placement of the Sun in the northern or southern hemisphere to determine if its a day or night chart. If the Sun is on the northern hemisphere of the chart, its a day chart, and if its in the southern hemisphere, its a night chart. This may get tricky at dawn or dusk. Building off these contrasting principles, using Venus and Jupiter, the key benefic (soft) planets, and Mars and Saturn, the key malefic (hard) planets, can help to open up to many striking identifiable connections and impressions, based off the life experience and personality of the chart native. Not knowing your birth time, but knowing if you were born at day or night, could also help to narrow down important factors for a chart with no exact birth time, like determining your Rising or Moon Sign. Many people do not even know what time they were born!

Establishing the percentage makeup of the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and the three modes; Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable, within the planets contained in the chart, based off the signs they are placed in, can give useful representation of personality type and potential behavior for the chart native. Understanding how these components correlate and are applied based off your chart makeup are some of the most fundamental principles used in astrology. Knowing that a chart is lacking or dominating in one element or mode, or that the elements are evenly distributed amongst them, will undoubtedly effect the persona of the native, and this type of analysis is crucial for the self discovery and interpersonal relationship skill development that can be gained from astrology. If most of your planets are in Earth signs, for example, this will be expressed much different than it would in a chart dominant in Air sign placement, or a chart that has even distribution of planets in all four elements, You may have your Sun placed in an element that is overshadowed by many planets in signs of other elements, which can be revealing to much of the inner contrast in identity many face, uncertain why this may be. Get comfortable with the relationships between the energies of the Elements and Modes, and which signs they correlate with, and you too will begin your path as an astrologer!

Two or more planets connecting with angles at the same degree are known as "Par-tial" aspects. These planets will be "perfecting" their aspects at the exact peak of energetic expression. These aspects are bold in their power and can be especially significant with inner and outer planets connecting with all the different potential aspects on the same number degree. This is especially powerful with planets paired together in a conjunction.  If you have never looked at the fine print and searched for exact degree connections between planets and key chart points, this can show new levels of power and character in your natal chart you may have never realized. Some charts contain no partial aspects, and, more rarely, some contain many partial aspects.

Certain patterns will appear within the aspects represented with the different colored lines usually in the center of your chart, connecting planets visually with different special shapes, They are often times very strongly expressed configurations of planets with aspects and also at times some are rarely seen. A Grand Cross, Grand Trine, Grand Sextile, T-Square, Mystic Rectangle, Thor's Hammer, Kite, and Yod are all uniquely configured aspects that visually and energetically have their own style of feel and expression. Further, the placement of planets within these aspect patterns may be much different from chart to chart, individualizing the complexity of the energies involved. This may be one of the most literal ways to get a feel for the energy composition of the chart, with how the aspect lines are seen between the planets. Often times one key planet in the shape plays particular importance in unlocking the power of the others involved, and getting familiar with the natures of all the chart patterns will help you to shape your own life using your chart.

The placement of the planets within the quadrants and hemispheres will give varying appearances of the chart shape. Splash, Bundle, Bowl, Locomotive, Seesaw, Sling, Bucket, and Splay Charts are the most common chart shapes, as well as the occasional unclassified chart. The influence this may have on the potential energy exertion, especially with the varying key planets in the chart shapes, like with the "lead planet" in locomotive chart or the "singleton" planet in a bucket chart, will give obvious clues to certain planets that will gain extra significance for their expression in the life and personality of the chart native. If you don't know your chart shape, discovering it can allow one to gain a whole new perspective of how a chart looks and functions, in turn deepening self discovery with astrology.

The North and South Nodes of the Moon are incredible power areas in your chart, notably useful for helping shed light on life path and self development. The ecliptic is the plane of the Earth's Orbit around the Sun. The Lunar Nodes are the two points where the moons orbit crosses the ecliptic. The ascending Moon moving into the Northern Ecliptic Hemisphere is the area of the North Node, and the descending Moon moving below the ecliptic into the southern hemisphere is the area of the South Node. Karmic energies from the past life rule the South Node, which is expressed naturally, correlating to the temperament of the sign its placed in and the potential lifestyle from the past life lived by the native of the chart. The North Node is always placed exactly opposite the degree, house and sign of the South Node, and rules the quest in life to learn a new perspective from the opposite style energies of the South Node. Integration of the lessons and energies of the sometimes unnaturally felt environment and style of the North Node and incorporating the demeanor of its sign placement presents the potential for some of the most powerful personal growth and fulfillment capable in life, as well as building new Karma for the next life(s) to live in the future, after that current life's passing. This process of working to grow with your North Node and evolve the soul path experience from the contrasting past soul life lifestyle of the South Node will then help to determine the nature of the North Node placement in the chart of the next life to live on that soul's journey. Instinctually, then, many people often unknowingly seek and are attracted to people, relationships, and situations that embody the sign or element of their North Node placement. These people and instances help one to discover many of the necessary lessons they have karmically manifested into their current life.

A complete Moon Phase of the Moon orbiting around the earth is about one month or approximately 29.5 days. The "New Moon" or first quarter Moon, waxing second quarter Moon, "Full Moon" or third quarter Moon, and waning fourth quarter Moon, represent the growth cycle of life and different levels of emotional intensity you may exhibit based off your Moon placement in your chart. Many people are unaware which phase their moon was in at the time of their birth, as well as what "minor aspects" or aspects to the Moon from other planets they have in their chart. Having a new Moon, when the Sun and Moon join in a conjunction at the same degree in the same sign, the Moon is darkened by the Earth and melds the emotional nature of the Moon's energy into the self and ego energy of the Sun. This will present much differently than having a Full Moon in your chart, where the Moon is brightly illuminated and engulfed by the light of sun at night, Here it is placed in opposition at its farthest placement from the Sun, at the same degree in the opposite sign, creating a highly charged emotional nature. With the Moon being one of the "Big 3" or first important core things to look at when reading a chart, it will be vital in the analysis of the temperament of the Moon and how it will effect the emotional nature of the native in the chart.

The varying orbital paths and speeds of planets moving around the Earth and Sun will sometimes create the optical illusion of planets moving backwards in the sky, as viewed from the Earth, as the Earth moves past them. This "Retrograde" motion has been popularized by the most common retrograde cycle of all the planets in our solar system with the planet Mercury, and the confusion and mishaps that classically result from a "Mercury Retrograde" cycle. Retrograde motion at the time of your birth with any of the major planets will be notably expressed with more strength and intensity, uniquely from planet to planet, and often create inward rather than outward themes of expression within the native throughout life, modifying its power. Stationed planets appear to be not progressing through a constellation in the sky, and are either at the beginning of the retrograde phase, or at the end of the apparent retracing of its path backwards to the conclusion of the retrograde, when the planet is at its peak of the retrograde cycle and closest to the Earth. This "Station Point" placement is considered even more powerful than a standard retrograde placement. Planets stationing with either direct or retrograde motion within a week before or after the time of birth will standout and take on special considerations, especially when involving the inner/personal planets. Planetary speed and direction are important to analyze when considering the temperament of each of the individual planets. The symbol "Rx" next to planets in your chart will tell you which planets are retrograde, and the symbol "S" next to planets in your chart will tell you which are at a station point (more rare). If this is something you have never checked - you had better get moving!

The placement of the Sun near other planets combines the energy of those other planets with the strong presence of Sun energy. Identifying the typical nature of the planets conjunct the Sun will be important, as their energy will be blended with the Sun's energy and power. As if to shine the Sun's light through an additional lens to the natives personality makeup, which is then colored and textured with the sign placement energy, and then also with any other aspects from elsewhere in the chart to the Sun. Conjunctions within 1-7 degree apart may still occur between two planets in two different signs, on the edge of house cusps in two different houses, further individualizing the complex nature of our self composition, and defining who we are yet another step deeper.

A planet approaching another is considered "applying" planetary motion and is typically a build up of energy that peaks at perfection when the planet makes an exact degree alignment with another planetary body or key point in your chart. In contrast, after an applying aspect perfects and a planet moves onward the planetary motion is said to be "separating" and expresses with more of a waning style of intensity that has already peaked and may be the more gentle version of the same the aspect in comparison of the two. determining whether key points and planets involve applying or separating aspects, especially aspects close to partial degree, can give yet another representation of the character and identity of the chart native. 

The distance between two aspecting planets is referred to as their degree of "Orb". The tighter the Orb, the closer to exact degree connection the aspect will be with its counter part(s), and the stronger or louder the aspect will express. The looser the Orb, the weaker or quieter the aspects will be expressed. Identify tightness of Orb and you will gain a more in depth look into the nature of the dialog between the planets in your chart. 7 degree range of Orb for the inner planets and 5 degree range of Orb for outer planets before they are shown in the center of the chart with a certain colored line to represent the type of aspect it is based off the angle of degree it is placed is a common default setting for presenting aspects within a chart. This can be customized for many different sized Orbs for various reasons with interpretation. Typically, the tighter the Orb, the thicker the lines are presented, and the looser the Orb, the thinner the lines will be shown in your chart. Once again, take notice of aspects near or at exact degree placements. These partial aspects will be expressed as some of the strongest characteristics to be aware of at their tightest degree Orb, especially when involving key rulership planets or when being triggered by aspects from transiting planets to your natal chart.

The Traditional Astrology concept in regards to planetary rulership with signs is a fascinating system in astrology referred to as the "Essential Dignities". The multilayered approach can become extremely advanced, yet at the same time be a very simple application, especially as you become more familiar with the inherent attitude of signs placed with the unique function of each planet. Domicile Planetary Rulership, planets in Exaltation or Fall, Triplicity Rulers, and the planets placed in the varying Bounds of each house are some of the more popular approaches when using the Essential Dignities. These concepts can take you down some serious rabbit holes, and some are arguably significant for general readings and others vital applications for routine use. The key is to identify a planet's comfortability or lack there of within the sign it is located in. This will help narrow down the varying significance of each planet in your chart, helping to show you which planets you can count on for reliability that will show up for you most in life and which ones may struggle to function optimally and tend to be less reliable or consistent in their translations of energy. For many astrologers, this is using the basic understandings of the elements and modes of the signs and taking this to the next level by comparing the compatibilities they have when paired with the different planet's functionality. Know your essential dignities, and you will be taking your chart reading beyond the beginners level, opening up many new doors of deep inner discovery.

The House planets are located in can tell you a lot about the environment that the planet resides in and give clues to the mission it may need to fulfill within the life of the native. A planet will alter and influence the environment of the house it is in and in turn the house will effect the focus of the planets within it. This is undoubtedly at the core of interpretive astrology and is important for gaining much useful insight in chart readings. Slow moving outer planets will only travel through the twelve houses gradually over long periods of time, and planets like Pluto may only cover a few houses in a lifetime! Understanding the inherent power here can become useful when breaking down the broader life themes of the chart, especially when incorporating transiting to natal chart analysis.

Smaller rocky objects orbiting around the sun are called "Asteroids". Some of the most recognized and used asteroids in astrology today include: Pallas, Hygeia, Vesta, Eris, Juno, Astrea, and Ceres, with Ceres being the largest in size and granddaddy of them all, exceeding the size of the planet Mercury. These asteroids all carry their own role and energetic contribution to your chart makeup. This can certainly be considered an important extension to the more commonly developed initial perception of your chart, which normally includes only the consideration of the major planets. Much smaller in size, though, than most of the major planets, are the asteroids,  Joined by millions of other orbiting asteroid bodies within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and all of which having a rocky  or metallic makeup. The asteroids also can be positioned much farther in inclination away from the ecliptic. Considering the influence of the asteroids can be exciting for someone who knows their chart well and has never given this a look! This can be a little overwhelming for beginners, yet still fun and worth investigating. These major asteroids will aspect your chart just like planets do, and also be aspected by transiting planetary alignments the same. The asteroids are yet another fascinating and powerful component to take into account when reading your chart, and this can be new inspiration to explore.