Astrology 101: Understand Yourself & Your Life Path
- Reilly A.
- Jun 3
- 6 min read
What Is a Birth Chart?
The birth chart shows where the planets were at the time of your birth. Theoretically, the placement of the planets and their relationship to each other can predict events in your life and aspects of your personality. I say theoretically because I encourage you to practice, learn, and collect data of your own to come to your own conclusions.
Today, I’m going to introduce you to some of the preliminary concepts of reading your own chart—but please know this will be akin to dipping your toe into the ocean. There’s so much more to learn.
The 12 Houses
The birth chart is split into twelve different parts that indicate different people and areas of your life. These are called the twelve houses. Each house governs a specific domain of life—like relationships, career, or home.
The planets in the houses can tell you key things about how those areas of your life will go.Example: Venus—the planet of harmony and relationships—in the seventh house signifies a happy marriage, unless aspected by a malefic like Saturn or Mars.
Step 1: Find Your Ascendant (Rising Sign)
To pull up your birth chart:
Go to astro-seek.com
Enter your birth info (make sure your birth time is accurate)
Click “Extended Settings”
Select Whole Sign Houses
Now look for the line on the left side of the circle labeled ASC—this is your Ascendant or Rising Sign. It marks the beginning of the 1st house and is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon when you were born.
What Does the Rising Sign Represent?
The rising sign is the helm of the ship—where the chart is steered from. It represents:
Your physical body and appearance
Your character and identity
How you move through the world
Your unconscious tendencies
Your natural gifts
Examples:
Gemini Rising: Communication, curiosity, speed, adaptability
Scorpio Rising: Depth, intensity, emotional transformation
Taurus Rising: Beauty, stability, nature, comfort
Your rising sign reveals your life’s core themes.
How Your Rising Sign Affects Appearance
The sign on the ascendant, and any planets in the 1st house, can influence your body and physical appearance.
Examples:
Saturn-ruled (Capricorn, Aquarius): Thin, tall, serious demeanor
Venus-ruled (Taurus, Libra): Attractive, symmetrical features, soft body
Jupiter-ruled (Sagittarius, Pisces): Larger frame, warm presence
Moon-ruled (Cancer): Round face, expressive eyes, prominent chest
Scorpio Rising: Intense gaze, magnetic aura
Step 2: Find the Planet That Rules Your Rising Sign
Each sign is ruled by a planet. That planet is called the chart ruler and gives clues about your life direction.
Traditional Rulerships:
Aries, Scorpio → Mars
Taurus, Libra → Venus
Gemini, Virgo → Mercury
Cancer → Moon
Leo → Sun
Sagittarius, Pisces → Jupiter
Capricorn, Aquarius → Saturn
Step 3: Locate Your Chart Ruler in the Birth Chart
Find the planet that rules your rising sign and look at:
Which sign it’s in
Which house it’s in
The house and sign of your chart ruler reveal key themes in your life.
Examples:
Chart ruler in the 4th house: Home, family, privacy are core themes
In the 5th house: Creativity, children, self-expression are central
In the 9th house: Travel, philosophy, higher learning define you
In the 11th house: Friends, networks, collective goals shape your purpose
Famous examples:
Kylie Jenner: Saturn in the 4th = privacy, family legacy
Beyoncé: Mars in the 5th = creativity, performance, power
Step 4: Determine Your Chart Sect (Day or Night Birth)
The sect of your chart affects which planets support or challenge you the most.
How to find it:
If the Sun is above the horizon (houses 7–12), you were born during the day.
If the Sun is below the horizon (houses 1–6), you were born at night.
Day Chart vs. Night Chart
If You Were Born During the Day:
Jupiter is your most beneficial planet
Mars is your most challenging planet
If You Were Born at Night:
Venus is your most beneficial planet
Saturn is your most challenging planet
Advanced Technique: Layer the Meanings
Once you know:
Your rising sign
The ruler of your rising sign and its placement
Whether you were born during the day or night
Where Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn are in your chart
You can begin to combine the meanings:
Take the planet (e.g., Saturn),
Add the sign it’s in,
And the house it's in,
Then blend those themes.
This will give you deeper insight into not only your own personality and purpose—but also how different people and areas of life show up for you.
The Planets in Astrology
Now that you understand your rising sign, chart ruler, and chart sect, let’s get to know the planets. These are the key archetypes in astrology—each one represents different energies, people, and themes. As I go through each, look for where they fall in your chart (sign and house), and combine that with what you’ve already learned.
The Sun ☀️
Rules: Leo
Represents: Eyes, consciousness, life’s work, kingship, fortune, the father
The Sun is the framework of your mind—it shows your consciousness and your sense of purpose. It’s also your public reputation and how you shine in the world.
A Sun in Scorpio might be drawn to mystery and deep psychological exploration.
A Sun in Libra may gravitate toward relationships and balance.
The Sun is also said to represent the father, and its house placement can show something about him.Example: Sun in the 9th = father may be a foreigner or connected to higher education.Sun in the 8th? You might work with other people’s money, investments, or inheritance.
Some say your Sun sign is what you grow into—a life-long journey of embodying your light.
The Moon 🌙
Rules: CancerRepresents: Mother, women, emotions, travels, the body, nurturance, grounding
The Moon rules your internal world—your emotional landscape, how you nurture yourself, and how you experience being in your body.
Moon in Gemini: Communicates emotions, needs mental stimulation.
Moon in Cancer: Nurturing, emotionally driven, home-oriented.
Moon in Scorpio: Intense, secretive, deeply feeling.
Your Moon sign shows your emotional reflexes, and the house it’s in tells you how and where you find emotional nourishment.Example: Moon in the 5th = creativity and pleasure soothe you.Moon in the 6th = you may need structure and routine to feel safe.
If the Moon is next to another planet, it grounds the qualities of that planet into your life.(Example: My Moon is next to Mars, and it grounded some violence into my lived experience.)
Saturn 🪐
Rules: Capricorn, Aquarius
Most difficult planet in night charts
Saturn is cold, dry, and demanding. It rules bones, teeth, time, limits, and structure. It can indicate depression, scarcity, and repression, but it also rewards hard work and resilience.
In ancient astrology, Saturn also indicates queerness—it’s for the outsiders, the disciplined, and the unique.
Saturn people often struggle early in life, but age into their power—especially after 30.
The house Saturn is in may feel like a heavy burden or a deep area of growth.
Examples:
Saturn in the 3rd = issues with siblings, learning, or communication
Saturn in the 10th = career feels delayed or burdensome but eventually rewarding
If you were born during the day, Saturn’s challenges are surmountable.If you were born at night, Saturn may represent the greatest hardship in your life.
Mars 🔥
Rules: Aries, Scorpio
Most difficult planet in day charts
Mars is heat, war, action, force. It rules over violence, severing, conflict, and authority figures (like police, military, etc.). It governs the genitals and represents male energy.
Mars shows:
Where you fight
What drives you
How you pursue what you want
It also shows where you may have experienced sudden or violent events.Example: Mars in the 4th = violence in the home or a father figure in law enforcement.Mars in Leo = assertive self-expression.Mars in Virgo = driven by service, precision, and details.
Venus 💕
Rules: Taurus, Libra
Most positive planet in night charts
Venus is all things soft, magnetic, and beautiful. She rules over love, sex, friendship, pleasure, art, fashion, and money. Venus shows:
What you find beautiful
What you desire
How you relate in partnerships
It also governs precious materials (gold, emeralds), the face, the lips, and the senses.
Examples:
Venus in the 10th = public beauty, fashion career, art-related status (think Kylie Jenner)
Venus in Scorpio = intense, devoted love
Venus in Libra = graceful, social, and fair in relationships
People with strong Venus placements often have refined tastes and may be involved in creative or luxury industries.
Jupiter 🌟
Rules: Sagittarius, Pisces
Most positive planet in day charts
Jupiter is about expansion, blessings, luck, and wisdom. It rules philosophy, politics, freedom, generosity, and sweetness. Jupiter brings growth wherever it lands.
Examples:
Jupiter in the 5th = abundant creativity, children, or joy
Jupiter in the 8th = inheritance, other people’s resources
Jupiter in the 3rd = writing, speaking, and mental gifts
Jupiter shows where you’re blessed and how you can find luck and meaning in life.
Mercury 🧠
Rules: Gemini, VirgoNeutral—takes on the flavor of the planets around it
Mercury governs communication, thought, detail, humor, intelligence, and markets and trade. It represents the mind, voice, and how you learn.
Mercury is associated with androgyny and those who straddle lines between logic and mysticism.
Examples:
Mercury in the 8th = thinks about death, psychology, taboo topics
Mercury in the 12th = intuitive, secretive, poetic thinking
Poorly aspected Mercury = struggles in early education or speech delays
Mercury adapts—it can be witty, anxious, brilliant, or confusing depending on where it lands.
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