Photo: Arun Clarke / Unsplash
Cover Photo: Arun Clarke / Unsplash

Familiarise yourself with the basic terminology for your next horoscope reading

So you finally downloaded that horoscope app, but don’t know what any of it means—you’ve come to the right place. From your big three to the twelve houses and a few other key elements that affect your horoscope, here’s a brief explainer of the basic astrology terms you need to know:

See also: Tatler’s Monthly Horoscope: April 2022

Your Zodiac Sign

Determined by the position of the sun at the moment you were born, your zodiac sign can be one of twelve possible identities: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, or Pisces. These twelve signs are based on the constellations that rule different parts of the sky, each typified by distinct character traits, worldviews, talents, etc. In essence, your zodiac sign represents your primary identity.

Each zodiac sign is also categorised under the four elements (fire, earth, water, air) and three modalities (cardinal, fixed, and mutable), which help highlight the similarities between different signs. For example, air signs like Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are said to be “intellectual, communicative and spontaneous,” and as a mutable sign, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are supposedly adaptable and whimsical.

See also: How to Know if You're Being Gaslighted: 5 Telltale Signs

The Big Three: Sun, Moon, Rising

Your zodiac sign is also known as your sun sign and is just one of the many placements on your birth chart. The other two placements considered to be most integral to your personality are your moon and rising (or ascendant) signs.

While your sun sign represents a more holistic overview of your identity, your moon sign speaks more to your emotions and your inner self—it is inward-facing, and likely more subconscious. As its name suggests, your moon sign is determined by the position of the moon at the time you were born.

On the other hand, your rising sign is based on the sign “on the horizon at the time of birth.” As the third of the big three, your rising sign also significantly influences your personality and often explains your social traits as it is outward-facing; the characteristics typical of your rising sign may be what people first notice about you.

Your rising placement is also important because it dictates the layout of your birth chart’s house system—more on that, later.

See also: How to Be a Better Leader According to the 5 Love Languages

Other Celestial Points

Tatler Asia
Photo: Pixel Parker / Unsplash
Above Photo: Pixel Parker / Unsplash

Apart from your sun, moon, and rising signs, your natal chart also indicates these placements:

  • Mercury: communication and intellect
  • Venus: love, desire, romance
  • Mars: aggression, sex, ambitions
  • Jupiter: philosophy and fortune
  • Saturn: responsibility, fears, discipline
  • Uranus: rebellion and innovation
  • Neptune: inspiration, imagination, fantasy 
  • Pluto: transformation, control, obsession

Like your big three, your signs for these placements depend on the position of each celestial point when you were born.

Each of these celestial points (including the sun and moon, but excluding the “rising” element) also rules over a specific sign. For instance, mars rules over Aries, which explains the passionate and fiery typification of Aries signs. Similarly, those with Mars in Aries are said to be especially determined.

See also: What's Your Apology Language?

Houses

As mentioned, your rising sign dictates the layout of your house system. The zodiac system is composed of twelve houses that focus on different aspects of life, from faith to money and even career:

  1. Self-image, identity
  2. Material possessions, finances
  3. Communication, familial relationships
  4. Basic securities, home
  5. Pleasure, creativity
  6. Productivity, routine, health
  7. Relationships (partnerships)
  8. Sex, transformation, debt
  9. Philosophy, culture, travel
  10. Career, reputation
  11. Social, friendly relationships 
  12. Fantasies, “the unconscious”

Just as your rising sign is found in your first house, the placements of other celestial points (e.g. sun, venus) are also found in other houses. These offer another layer of understanding—for example, the house of the sun represents a key area that could even be your life purpose. It is also important to note that you may have many placements in one house, and conversely, some of your houses may be empty.

See also: Do you Prefer a Calm or Exciting Life? A Study Shows the Split was 75-25

Your Horoscope

In addition to these nuances, the current position, rotation, or phases of the sun, moon, etc. will affect your horoscope. Moon phases, the position of the sun (e.g. the sun entering Capricorn), and planets in retrograde are just a handful of the changes that can affect your personal mood, focus, and relationships. Mercury retrograde has become especially notorious as it is associated with communication problems and lasts for about three weeks.

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