Horoscope Symbols & Their Meanings

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The Planets

The word planet comes from the Greek for wanderer and describes the objects that moved relative to the constellations which marked out the backdrop of the night sky. Traditionally this includes the sun and moon, as they too moved. Planets describe energies as indicated below.

Symbol	Name	Rules	Description
	Sun	Leo	Will, light of the life, ego, masculine
	Moon	Cancer	Feeling, emotional response, feminine, women, the mother, nurture, family, homeland
	Mercury	Gemini/Virgo	Mind, thinking and communication process, nervous system,
	Venus	Taurus/Libra	Love, beauty, money, bonding. attraction, harmony, social grace
	Mars	Aries	Survival energy, drive, action, starting, impulse, anger vigor, heat, fever, accidents
	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Expansion, philosophy, learning, religion, travel, social consciousness
	Saturn	Capricorn	Structure, responsibility, restriction, reality, limitation, career, authority, father, time, age
	Uranus	Aquarius	Individuality, freedom, independence, brotherhood, invention, inspiration, negitavely: disruption
	Neptune	Pisces	Intuition, spirituality, psychic, mystical, negitavely: confusion, illusion, deception, drugs & alcohol
	Pluto	Scorpio	Power and willpower, occult, sexuality, death, regeneration, rebirth, communion, negitavely: obsession

Other Points

Asc	Ascendent		Point of self and impact, impression on the world. Personality, physical appearance. 1st house cusp
MC	Midheaven		Career public honor, status, life direction
	North Node		Positive karmic encounters and past ties.
	South Node		Negative karmic encounters and past ties.

 

The Signs

The signs indicate areas of the sky which pass by as the earth rotates.
A sign's character is added to a planet or house which is in that sign.

Symbol	Name	Description	Element	Triplicity
	Aries	Beginnings, raw energy, willful, pioneering, assertive, enthusiasic, impatient, frank, vital	Fire	Cardinal
	Taurus	Stable, constant, persistant, acquiring, deliberative, earthy, sensual	Earth	Fixed
	Gemini	Mental, data gathering, communicative, curious, quick changing	Air	Mutable
	Cancer	Nurturing, mothering, need for emotional security, belonging, homeland	Water	Cardinal
	Leo	Confident self-expression, need for recognition & admiration of others, persistent, stubborn, arrogant.	Fire	Fixed
	Virgo	Precise, submissive, efficient, analyzing, critical, attention to detail, perfectly or not at all.	Earth	Mutable
	Libra	Intimate relationship, beauty, harmony, social,	Air	Cardinal
	Scorpio	Power, transformation, death and rebirth, intensity, secretive, detective, sexuality	Water	Fixed
	Sagittarius	Learning to understand in a larger context, freedom, philosophy, religion, athletic	Fire	Mutable
	Capricorn	Responsibility, practical, effective achievement, authority, what is real, important, acceptable.	Earth	Cardinal
	Aquarius	Associations, group good, freedom, fairness, advancement.	Air	Fixed
	Pisces	Ethereal, receptive, intuitive rather than reality based; self can be lost in the transcendant or the illusory.	Water	Mutable

14 28 indicates the Sun at 14 degrees 28 minutes of Sagittarius

The Astrological Houses

The houses are areas of the heavens relative to a particular place on earth, eg. the first house is the area just below the eastern horizon and the tenth house would be the area east of the point just overhead. The seventh house would be the area just above the western horizon.

House	Area of Life
1	Persona, physical appearance, personality, physical body, vitality
2	Possessions, money, values, wealth, attitudes toward money, wealth, possessions, attachment
3	Everyday mind, communication, brothers, sisters, neighbors and neighborhood, short travel,
4	Home, a parent (frequently mother), community, nation, forebears, real estate, last half of life
5	Children, creativity, play, creative self-expression, romance, gambling, speculation, investment
6	Health, work, service, servitude, servants, co-workers, pets and small animals
7	Partners, spouse, marriage, the public, open enemies, lawsuits, counseling relationships
8	Joint finances, sex, other peoples' money, taxes, inheritance, death, rebirth
9	Higher mind, philosophy, religion, the law, long journeys, higher teaching
10	Career, profession, social status, public honor, reputation, authority, employers, a parent (frequently father)
11	Friends, social circle, hopes, wishes, ambitions, groups and associations
12	Unconsious, secrets, self-undoing, secret enemies, hospitals, confinement, sacrifice, karma,

 

The Aspects

Just like vector energies in physics, the angular relationship between planets can change the way they interact. Some angles indicate a more tense or difficult interaction, some are flowing or easy and some are neutral and merely focus or highlight the energies. Energies which combine easily or are positive can be positive, even in tense aspect, while incompatible planets can indicate tension or difficulty even in an easy aspect.

Symbol	Aspect	Angle	Description	E/D
	Conjunct	0º	At the same point in space; union or focus of energies. Effect depends on the nature of the planets or forces involved.	Neutral
	Sextile	60º	Work well together. The energies combine well but require energy, focus or work to reap the benefit.	Ease
	Square	90º	Energies at cross-purposes. Dynamic tension between the forces requires focus and growth for resolution. When resolution is acheived, much focused energy can be directed. Often associated with one's challenges and achievments.	Tension
	Trine	120º	Flows well together. Ease even without effort. Talents and strengths.	Ease
	Opposition	180º	Focus in contrast, native is placed in between the forces so this can be partnership, cooperation and balance or polarity, strife, conflict, pulled in two directions at once. It can also be both.	Neutral or Tension

Minor Aspects

	Semi-Square	45º	Unstable, like a square but less intense. Particularly noticable at the midpoint of a square	Tension
	Inconjuct	150º	Tension, lack of harmonious combination.

indicates Mercury is conjuct Jupiter. reads as Saturn opposed the Moon.