There are many different types of astrology, and the stars hold many different answers on how to live the best life possible. There’s Vedic astrology, Incan astrology, Mayan astrology, Chinese astrology, and the list goes on… Most people in the Western world refer to tropical astrology as “astrology”, so that’s what I’ll be talking about right now. In essence, it’s your first impression! Your rising sign is often totally unrelated to your sun sign, which is the reason why many people’s first impressions of others are incorrect.The Basics of Astrology Explained: What the Stars Can Teach Us About OurselvesĪlmost every human civilization since the beginning of time has turned to the sky for answers to life’s most persistent questions:Īstrology is the ancient science of interpreting the relationship between the physical world, the spiritual world, and the cosmos to answer all of these questions and more. Your rising sign is your projected self the one you send out into the world. Your rising sign is the zodiac sign that was ascending on the horizon at the time of your birth- it’s not a planet, but rather a broad cosmic movement. Think of the Sun as “action” and the moon as “reaction” in your chart.
Your moon sign also plays a role in your “shadow” side, which presents itself when you’re feeling disempowered. The Moon is a representation of your emotional self, and is a good indicator of how we act when we’re feeling emotionally stimulated in any capacity (good or bad). This is why, when you read your horoscope in the newspaper or your favorite online style site (wink wink), you’re reading about this bright, bold, illuminating planet and how it shines on you. If someone were to broadly sum up your personality, they would capture the essence of your Sun sign. The Sun embodies your whole self and who you are in general. Below, find out exactly what each of these placements indicate and how they affect your life and inner self. With these three natal chart aspects, you can unlock a whole new level of self-understanding. For example, if someone has their natal moon in Aries, it means that their moon qualities (see below) are particularly enhanced in a fiery, passionate way. Each of the signs has a specific energy or vibe, and when a planet and sign combine, they help form our character.
Your sun, moon, and rising sign (to be explained further below) will all fall into one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. These are the placements that are most important to learn when you’re just starting out with astrology. Call your mama!ĭon’t be stunned by all the planet names and symbols- just look for your sun sign, moon sign, and rising (or ascendant ) sign. Note: To learn your rising sign, you’ll need to know the exact time of your birth. This groovy site spits out your birth chart with the click of a couple buttons (because astrology really boils down to some complicated math that most of us witches just don’t want to bother with).
The first step to accessing your birth chart is to enter your birthdate, birth location and birth time into a chart generator like Cafe Astrology. I’ll give you some context on how to get this information, what it means and how to put it all together. Since having helpful astrological peers and elders was essential for my growth as a baby witch, I thought I’d return some of that love and teach you guys how to interpret three of the most important placements in your astrological chart. “The Sun is where ? Who’s a Capricorn? What the hell is an ascendant ?” Figuring out how to read your birth chart can be daunting, to say the very least. When chatting with your wise witchy friends, your hula-hooping hippie cousins, or New-Agey elders, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed by the amount of astrology talk getting thrown your way.