Introduction to Astrology: Natural and Birth Charts

When sorting though all the astrology information, I think of reading an astrology chart as looking at a kaleidoscope of images. There are planets, houses and signs arranged in a unique configuration that describes this one individual or situation.

Why is it a kaleidoscope? There is a basic pattern in astrology called the “Natural Chart.” Who knows when or where an individual may actually have been born with such a thing, but it defines the natural combinations and rulerships of a chart.

Here’s how it works. In my opinion, the planets have to be the starting point. They are:

• Sun
• Moon
• Mercury
• Venus
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto

For definitions of their qualities, see Signs and Planets. You will see that each planet imparts it’s flavor to a sign. For instance, Mars gives it’s flavor to the sign, Aries. In the natural chart, Mars would be placed in the sign of Aries. We say that Mars is it’s ruler.

From there, we look at the natural house. For an explanation of houses, see Astrological Houses. The natural house of Mars and Aries is the first house and it has the distinct flavor of both.

In either of the reference pages, Signs and Planets or Astrological Houses you will see the rulerships defined. So, what happens if we shift the wheel a bit? The natural ruler of the Sun is Leo but suppose that you are an Aries. It’s still a Sun and has the solar energy of pride, dignity and playfulness but now it’s in the sign of Aries. That means that it’s proudly or playfully assertive, risk-taking and impulsive. The “colors” of the kaleidoscope are now overlaying each other in a slightly different way, Aries overlaying the Sun.

Let’s turn the wheel a bit more. What if in your birth chart your Sun is in Aries in the 9^th House? Well, in the natural chart, Jupiter rules the 9^th House. So your Sun in Aries now shows that it is interested or expresses itself best through travel, teaching, publishing or philosophical matters. It certainly has defined things a great deal more hasn’t it? Each planet needs to be defined in this fashion in order to grasp it’s full meaning.

Now, what about the houses? Some of your houses will come up empty of planets. Let’s say that your 10^th House is empty. Does this mean that you have no career or ambition? Not hardly. That’s when we look back to the signs. Each house has a sign attached to it. Let’s say that our friend with the Aries Sun above has Taurus on the 10^th House. We look to the ruler of Taurus which is Venus. Where is their Venus and what’s going on with it? We see that Venus is in the 8^th House, in the sign of Pisces. Pisces has a lot to do with images and the 8^th house relates to sex, so what is this person’s occupation? Remember that Venus rules their house of career and their Sun is in the 9^th House of publishing. Have you guessed yet? They publish erotic art.

Have fun exploring the various pages offered through the astrology information and educational articles!