Astrological Birth Chart study for beginners.

[Oriole]

I used a free on-line service to get my birth chart wheel.

I started reading things up on translating the information about it, and am amazed at certain discoveries. I know very little about astrology, but I am a quick learner, and this could be an easier journey when shared with others, right?

So! Would anyone like to get their own chart as well, and we could learn together how to read them? It seems like there are plently of websites that offer that service for free.

The first lesson I had for myself last night is The 12 Houses...

When you look at the wheel - it's split in 12 sections, or 12 houses. Each section represents something different (health, relationships, childhood, etc.), and depending on the planets you have in a each house at the time of your birth - it carries different meanings for you.

So, I'm thinking the next step for me would be to learn what exactly each house reveals for me, by interpreting the planets that appear there.

Anyone would like to jump in with me?
It's always more fun to do this kind of study when there is someone elsethere learning along side with you!

[sky*hawk]

Oh this sounds like fun! Is there a certain site you trust over another? I had my chart done by a real person - well, actually she used some really expensive software to do it. This lesson you speak of... what website is it?

[E.V. Lowi]

Subbing.

[Oriole]

My chart

This site was recommended in Tracy's article, and that's where I got mine.

Then I searched on-line for "12 Houses", and found different sources all saying the same thing. I took notes, and I'll share what I learned. You can find this on wikipedia, as well as independent sites. Here are the notes I took!

**********

The First House - HOUSE OF SELF it corresponds to first impressions, how people see you, your physical appearance, general outlook, aggression, motivation, your life beginnings, initiatives.

The planets in this house will affect those areas of life.

**********
The First House for me: I have the MOON and MERCURY there. My first house is pointing mostly to VIRGO.

I have no idea what it means yet

What I'm going to research tonight:

#1. I'm a little bit confused, since I am a LEO, but my first house points to VIRGO. Why? Maybe because I was born at the very end of Leo cycle?

#2. What does it mean to have MOON and MERCURY in your first house?

#3. There are these red and blue lines forming geometrical shapes on the chart, and I think they represent movement of the planets. I see a lot of hose paths crossing my FIRST HOUSE. I would like to find out what that means.

**********

I'll be back to see how everyone else is doing. Get your charts and look at at the planets located in your first house.

[Purple Sage]

This looks like fun! I'll be back.

[Theia]

Hi. I'd like to join. But I'm not a beginner. But I astrology. I don't get to discuss astro very often, and it is one of my most favorite things to discuss.

So, how can I help?

I will say that astrodienst is my fave place for creating new charts. You can store up to 100 in your free account, IIRC. And there are so many options as you learn more.

For basic beginning stuff there is this and this. These sites have good stuff that is easy to understand.

A book that really helped me in the beginning was Love Signs, by Linda Goodman. What was helpful was such a small portion of this big book. It was in the very back where she goes into the elements, modalities and and stuff. Like understanding how fire potentially interacts with earth. It's kinda basic knowledge of science, fire can scorch earth, but not destroy it. Earth poured on a fire can snuff out it's life. So learning that really helped me understand relationships within our own charts as well as with others. I'm sure there are other resources for learning that though. That was just what I had when I started out.

Oriole - I'll go look at your chart to help answer your questions. I saw this on "new posts" and got all excited and jumped to respond without really reading.

[Purple Sage]

My Chart Just thought I'd post a pic of my chart, too.

I don't have much time to post right now, but I think I can help a little with this question:

#1. I'm a little bit confused, since I am a LEO, but my first house points to VIRGO. Why? Maybe because I was born at the very end of Leo cycle?

Virgo is your "rising sign" because it's the sign that was on the horizon at the moment you were born. That's where your 1st house is. Your sun sign can be in any house depending on where the sign is in the sky at the precise time you were born - it doesn't have to be in the 1st house. My sun sign (Capricorn) is in my 4th house, and I'm also a Virgo rising like you.

[racheepoo]

Astrodienst is the best for charts, I totally agree! I'm not exactly a beginner, either, but I love studies of this sort.

Can we post pictures of our charts here...that way everyone could see exactly what we're talking about when we say "houses", aspects, etc.

I think before the house conversation, it's helpful to know your sun, moon, and rising sign, but that's just how I like to start.

Sun--how others see you
Moon--inner emotions
Rising--car that drives your sun around

[Theia]

Originally Posted by Oriole

My chart

This site was recommended in Tracy's article, and that's where I got mine.

Then I searched on-line for "12 Houses", and found different sources all saying the same thing. I took notes, and I'll share what I learned. You can find this on wikipedia, as well as independent sites. Here are the notes I took!

**********

The First House - HOUSE OF SELF it corresponds to first impressions, how people see you, your physical appearance, general outlook, aggression, motivation, your life beginnings, initiatives.

The planets in this house will affect those areas of life.

**********
The First House for me: I have the MOON and MERCURY there. My first house is pointing mostly to VIRGO.

I have no idea what it means yet

What I'm going to research tonight:

#1. I'm a little bit confused, since I am a LEO, but my first house points to VIRGO. Why? Maybe because I was born at the very end of Leo cycle?

Your Sun is in Leo, in your 12th house. Virgo is your Rising Sign or Ascendant. The Ascendant is based on the moment of our birth, and without getting into how the earth wobbles, loosely means the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth. The ASC changes every two hours. Where it starts, the cusp of your 1st house, is what determines where all the other planets in there current locations will fall within your chart. The ASC is sometimes described as the mask we show the world, how people we have just met perceive us, or we wish them to perceive us that way.]


#2. What does it mean to have MOON and MERCURY in your first house?

Your 1H is Virgo which is ruled by Mercury. So that's a good placement for Mercury. The Moon is tied to our emotions, and mercury to expression, so you probably express yourself and how you're feeling quite well. Now add that to Virgo characteristics, Virgo is generally reserved, analytical and even a bit shy. Virgo's like to work behind the scenes and not bring a lot of attention to themselves. Based only on that (your Leo Sun excluded ) you are probably reserved when you first meet someone, quiet but well spoken. You are probably empathic and able to pick up on others emotions easily, maybe sometimes to easily for your own comfort. This type of placement could cause a Virgo individual digestive stress, as Virgo rules the stomach. eta: digestive stress due to empath ability and taking on others emotions and worries. Just wanted to clarify that.

#3. There are these red and blue lines forming geometrical shapes on the chart, and I think they represent movement of the planets. I see a lot of hose paths crossing my FIRST HOUSE. I would like to find out what that means.

Those lines are called "aspect lines" and they point to different relationships (aka aspects) between planets within your chart. Red lines indicate a stressful aspect, and blue lines indicate a relationship of cooperation. If you look in the lower left hand corner of your chart you see another chart with shapes in red and blue. That is showing the aspects within your chart. As aspect is defined by the number of degree's between two points or planets. So a red square (90degrees) is an aspect called a "square", a blue triangle (120d) is called a "trine". A blue single circle with a line (8degrees or less (sometimes up to 10)) is a "conjunction" (your Merc and Moon), and in red two circles joined by a single line (180d) is an "opposition". Oh, and a blue star formed by 3 intersecting lines (60d) is a "sextile". There are others too, but the ones listed are the basic and generally given more weight than the other aspects that are considered more minor.

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I'll be back to see how everyone else is doing. Get your charts and look at at the planets located in your first house.

Yippie! I love to discuss astrology. And if anything I wrote is flat out wrong, that's fine. I tried to stick to the basics of the questions asked. And if I'm wrong I'd love to know cuz it will help me in my learning too.

[mysticmomma]

I like it. My first house is empty!! What's that mean?

[Theia]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

I like it. My first house is empty!! What's that mean?

You have other areas of your life that are emphasized. There are more houses than planets so everyone has empty houses. But it still plays its role. To analyze you would put together the characteristics of the first house along with the sign on your ascendant to analyze it in the most basic manner. If you want to take it a step further you can find the ruler of the ASC sign and find what house and what sign it is in and that will add another layer of interpretation.

[sky*hawk]

I'm having a hard time getting a picture of my birth chart up???

But my sun is in Aries in the 8th house
Moon- Pisces in the 7th
Asc - Virgo


i have no planets in the 1st house. Wonder what that means????

[Oriole]

Wow, Theia and Purple Sage thank you very much!

Purple Sage,

Here is what I make out form your chart:

SUN: Capricorn
MOON: Saggitarius
RISING: Virgo

Your First House (of Self): I see Pluto in there. By the way, the main chunk of your first house seems to be in LIBRA, rather than VIRGO, am I correct?

* at this point, I don't know what any of this means, I just can identify symbols

However, I did use one of the sites you suggested to read about Pluto. It says that Pluto has much to do with power struggle and control. Since it's in the house of self for you, I would assume that you might have difficulties with being controlling and almost obsessive when it comes to yourself, not so much with others. Maybe a perfectionist? It also says, that Pluto points to the house where one searches for truth and life meaning, so I'm assuming that you look to yourself more than external sources to decide what's right and wrong. I guess the picture I'm getting is a person who relies on herself to solve problems and make decisions.

If I'm way off - please let me know. I might not be taking into consideration how it interacts with other things in the chart. When I say I'm a beginner - I REALLY mean it.

[sky*hawk]

Originally Posted by Theia

You have other areas of your life that are emphasized. There are more houses than planets so everyone has empty houses. But it still plays its role. To analyze you would put together the characteristics of the first house along with the sign on your ascendant to analyze it in the most basic manner. If you want to take it a step further you can find the ruler of the ASC sign and find what house and what sign it is in and that will add another layer of interpretation.

Oh Sorry!! I didn't refresh and mysticmomma already posted that question...

[Theia]

Originally Posted by sky*hawk

Oh Sorry!! I didn't refresh and mysticmomma already posted that question...

NP, we cross-posted anyway.

[sky*hawk]

Can someone help me get my chart posted? I tried to save it to Shutterfly but it seems that it has to be a JPEG but the chart is not a JPEG?? Sorry, I'm somewhat of a computer idiot!

[rainbowmoon]

I'll join! yay!

I have a good astrology book somewhere too..need to dig it out. It's like a workbook..(I think it's called -"The Everything Astrology Book")

I am a student numerologist and read tarot too btw!


what sites/books are you mamas using?

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by Oriole

My chart

This site was recommended in Tracy's article, and that's where I got mine.

Then I searched on-line for "12 Houses", and found different sources all saying the same thing. I took notes, and I'll share what I learned. You can find this on wikipedia, as well as independent sites. Here are the notes I took!

**********

I learned about astrology back in my teens. I rented every book on the subject from the public and high school libraries and even used several ephemeris to cast my own chart. Now it's just easier to go to www.alabe.com to have a chart made real fast.

[Oriole]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

I like it. My first house is empty!! What's that mean?

Dunno, but I have five empty houses (5,6,7,8,&10).

[Oriole]

DUH!
I just got to this link, if you click on the planet, it not only provides general information about that planet, but also gives you a link to what does it mean to have that planet in each house!

So...
In my First House I have Mercury and Moon, I looked them up and it even explains what it means to have them in conjunction. It says I'm shy at first, but I am quite a talker once you get me going, almost prone to gossip as I'm too curious(um, true ) Rather in touch with my feelings, I sort them too much (not sure that's true?), I am not very good with heavy emotional stuff (true, I much rely on DP in this area). It said I am restless and adaptable, that I'm good with change, I see everything new it as an adventure (true true true!!). There is a lot of talk of emotional sensitivity, being impressionable and biased due to emotions involved.


Overall, 95% of the description is very recognizable.