Astrology Basics

Natal astrology is done by freeze-framing the solar system at the moment of your birth, from the perspective of your birth place. This creates a circular map that looks like a pie sliced into twelve pieces. It shows where every heavenly body we’re capable of seeing was located when you arrived. Basically, it’s your astrological tool kit, and it can’t be replicated more than once in thousands of years. This is why we astrologers are so darn insistent about the need for you to either dig your birth certificate out of that box of ancient paperwork in the back of your closet or get a copy of it from the county clerk’s office where you were born. Natal astrology, as interpreted by a professional astrologer, is done exactly and precisely for you and no one else. It shows your inherent traits, talents, and challenges. Comparing the planets’ current positions to their positions in your birth chart allows astrologers to help you understand the celestial trends at work in your life—and most importantly, how you can put each astrological energy to a positive, productive use.

Let’s take a look at the four main components of every astrology chart.

Planets

The planets represent the needs or urges we all experience once we hop off the Evolutionary Express and take up residence inside a human body. For example, the Sun is your urge to shine and be creative, the Moon is your need to express emotions, Mercury is in charge of how you communicate and navigate, and Venus is all about who and what you love—and more importantly, how you love.

Signs

The sign a planet occupies is like a costume or uniform. It describes how you’ll go about acting on your needs and urges. If you have Venus in fiery, impulsive Aries, for example, and you’re attracted to a complete stranger across the room, you won’t wait for them to come to you. You’ll walk over and introduce yourself the second the urge strikes you. Venus in intense, sexy Scorpio, however? Well, that’s a different story. In this case, you’ll keep looking at a prospective beloved until they finally give in, cross the room, and beg you to explain why you’ve been staring at them for the past couple of hours.

Houses

The houses represent the different sides of our personalities that emerge in different life situations. For example, think of how very different you act when you’re with an authority figure as opposed to how you act with a lover or when you’re with your BFF.

Aspects

The aspects describe the distance from one planet to another in a geometric angle. If you were born when Mercury was 90 degrees from Jupiter, for example, this aspect is called a square. Each unique angular relationship causes the planets involved to interact differently.

Meet the Planets

The planets represent energy sources. The Sun is our source of creativity, the Moon is our emotional warehouse, and Venus describes who and what we love and are attracted to—not to mention why and how we go about getting it and keeping it.

Sun

The Sun is the head honcho in your chart. It represents your life’s mission—what will give you joy, keep you young, and never fail to arouse your curiosity. Oddly enough, you weren’t born knowing the qualities of the sign the Sun was in when you were born. You’re here to learn the traits, talents, and characteristics of the sign you chose—and rest assured, each of the twelve is its own marvelous adventure! Since the Sun is the Big Boss, all of the other planets, including the Moon, are the Sun’s staff, all there to help the boss by helping you master your particular area of expertise. Back in the day, the words from a song in a recruitment commercial struck me as a perfect way to describe our Sun’s quest: “Be all that you can be. Keep on reaching. Keep on growing. Find your future.” The accompanying music was energizing, robust, and exciting, full of anticipation and eagerness. When you feel enthused, motivated, and stimulated, that’s your Sun letting you know you’re on the right path.

Moon

If you want to understand this lovely silver orb, go outside when the Moon is nice and full, find yourself a comfy perch, sit still, and have a nice long look at her. The Moon inspires us to dream, wish, and sigh,

Signs of the Zodiac

The sign a planet is “wearing” really says it all. It’s the costume an actor wears that helps them act out the role they’re playing. It’s the style, manner, or approach you’ll use in each life department—whether you’re being creative on a canvas, gushing over a new lover, or applying for a management position. Each of the signs belongs to an element, a quality, and a gender, as follows.

Elements

The four elements—fire, earth, air, and water—describe a sign’s aims. Fire signs are spiritual, impulsive energies. Earth signs are tightly connected to the material plane. Air signs are cerebral, intellectual creatures, and water signs rule the emotional side of life.

Qualities

The three qualities—cardinal, fixed, and mutable—describe a sign’s energy. Cardinal signs are tailor-made for beginnings. Fixed energies are solid, just as they sound, and are quite determined to finish what they start. Mutable energies are flexible and accommodating but can also be scattered or unstable.

Genders

The genders—masculine and feminine—describe whether the energy attracts (feminine) or pursues (masculine) what it wants.

The Twelve Signs

Here’s a quick rundown of the twelve zodiac signs.

Aries

Aries planets are hotheads. They’re built from go-getter cardinal energy and fast-acting fire. Needless to say, Aries energy is impatient, energetic, and oh-so-willing to try anything once.

Taurus

Taurus planets are aptly represented by the symbol of the bull. They’re earth creatures, very tightly connected to the material plane, and fixed— which means they’re pretty much immovable when they don’t want to act.

Sequence Sign Glyph Ruling Planet Symbol

1 Aries a Mars Ram

2 Taurus b Venus Bull

3 Gemini c Mercury Twins

4 Cancer d Moon Crab

5 Leo e Sun Lion

6 Virgo f Mercury Virgin

7 Libra g Venus Scales

8 Scorpio h Pluto Scorpion

9 Sagittarius i Jupiter Archer

10 Capricorn j Saturn Goat

11 Aquarius k Uranus Water Bearer

12 Pisces l Neptune Fish

Gemini

As an intellectual air sign that’s mutable and interested in anything new, Gemini energy is eternally curious—and quite easily distracted. Gemini planets live in the moment and are expert multitaskers.

Cancer

Cancer is a water sign that runs on its emotions, and since it’s also part of the cardinal family, it’s packed with the kind of start-up energy that’s perfect for raising a family and building a home.

Leo

This determined, fixed sign is part of the fire family. As fires go, think of Leo planets as bonfires of energy—and just try to tear your eyes away. Leo’s symbol is the lion, and it’s no accident. Leo planets care very much about their familial pride—and about their personal pride.

Virgo

Virgo is mutable and therefore easily able to switch channels when necessary. It’s part of the earth family and connected to the material world (like Taurus). Virgo energy loves to work, organize, and sort, but most of all, to fix what’s broken.

Libra

This communicative air sign runs on high. It’s cardinal, so when it comes to making connections, Libra is second to none. Libra planets are people pleasers and the honorary cruise directors of the zodiac, and are as charming and accommodating as the day is long.

Scorpio

Scorpio is of the water element and a highly emotional creature. Scorpio energy is fixed, too, so feelings are tough to shake and obsessions are easy to come by. Planets in this sign are devoted and determined and can be absolutely relentless.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius has all the fire of Aries and Leo but, due to its mutable nature, tends to be distracted, spreading its energy among projects and interests. Think of Sagittarius energy as a series of red-hot brush fires, firing up and dying down and firing up again in a new location.

Capricorn

As the third earth sign, Capricorn is concerned with reality and practicality, complete with all the rules and regulations it takes to build and maintain a life here on Planet Number Three. Capricorn energy takes charge and assumes responsibility quite easily.

Aquarius

The last of the three communicative air signs, Aquarius prefers mingling and interacting with a group via friendships. Freedom-loving Aquarius energy won’t be restricted—not for long, anyway—and is willing to return the favor, in any and all relationships.

Pisces

Watery Pisces runs on its emotions—and even more so on its intuition, which is second to none. This mutable, flexible sign is aptly represented by the constant fluctuating movements of its symbol, the two fish.

Aspects

Astrological aspects describe the relationships between planets and important points in a horoscope chart. Basically, they’re the mathematical angles that measure the distance between two or more planets. Planets in square aspect are 90 degrees apart, planets in opposition are 180 degrees apart, and so forth. Each of these aspect relationships seems to link energies in a very different way. For example, if two planets are in square aspect, think of what you know about “squaring off,” and you’ll understand exactly how they’re interacting. Think of aspects as a way of describing the type of conversation going on between celestial bodies. Here’s a brief description of the five major aspects.

Conjunction

When two planets are within a few degrees of each other, they’re joined at the hip. The conjunction is often called the aspect of “fusion,” since the energies involved always act together.

Sextile

Planets in sextile are linked by a 60-degree angle, creating an exciting, stimulating astrological “conversation.” These planets encourage, arouse, and excite each other.

Square

The square aspect is created by linking energies in a 90-degree angle— which tends to be testy and sometimes irritating but always actionoriented.

Trine

The trine is the “lazy” aspect. When planets are in this 120-degree angle, they get along so well that they often aren’t motivated to do much. Trines make things easy—too easy, at times—but they’re also known for being quite lucky.

Opposition

Oppositions exist between planets that are literally opposite one another. Think about seesaws and playing tug of war, and you’ll understand how these energies get along. Sure, it can be a power struggle at times, but balance is the key.

2024 at a Glance

Look at the lineup of planets as the new year gets off to a rollicking start. On the first day of the new year, Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods, turns direct in Sagittarius, setting the stage for the 2024 Mercury retrograde periods that will occupy fire signs. On April 1, Mercury turns retrograde in innovative Aries through April 25, a time when you may wish to postpone plans to initiate exciting new projects. Although the Mercury retrograde period that occurs in August starts out with the planet in early Virgo, Mercury spends most of its time in effervescent Leo. The final Mercury retrograde starts on November 25 in Sagittarius and returns to direct motion on December 15.

The rambunctious planet Uranus, which has been retrograde in Taurus since August 28, 2023, is hoping to get feisty when it turns direct on January 27. Uranus streaks along on its disruptive mission until September 1, when it hiccups loudly and backs up in retrograde motion until January 30, 2025, sending those born between May 8 and 18 into discovery mode as they look for answers to determine what went wrong in their usually reliable worlds. Other fixed signs that feel the impact of this Uranus transit include members of Aquarius, Leo, and Scorpio with planets at 19–27 degrees. Pluto is another planet that bears watching this year as it nears completion of its journey in Capricorn, the sign it has occupied since 2008. This slow-moving planet enters Aquarius on January 20, the same day the Sun enters Aquarius, giving those born on that day a personality sparked by spontaneity, humanity, and deep introspection. Pluto advances only two degrees into Aquarius before it stations to move retrograde on May 2. It backs up into Capricorn on September 1 and resumes direct motion on October 11 in the last degree of Capricorn. Pluto finally finishes its tour of Capricorn and embraces Aquarius for good on November 19, staying in this sign through March 2043.

Another planet that is going full blast is Saturn in Pisces, which entered this sign in March 2023 with plans to revolutionize our spiritual world, awaken our intuition, and lead us away from confusing mental patterns. This year, Saturn occupies 3–19 degrees of Pisces, going retrograde on June 29 and resuming direct motion on November 15. Neptune, which is also in Pisces, starts out the year at 25 degrees and turns retrograde on July 2 in the last degree of Pisces, moving forward again on December 7. Members of Pisces born between March 14 and 19 feel the strongest impact from transiting Neptune in 2024 as it slides toward its final leg in Pisces that began in 2011 and then scratches the surface of a brief teaser in Aries in spring of 2025.

Jupiter travels through luxurious Taurus until May 25, when it moves into curious Gemini, taking on multiple interests and enjoying the adventures until October 9, when it makes its first retrograde station of the cycle at 21 degrees. By touching the Suns of two-thirds of the Gemini population, Jupiter spreads its wings and adds numerous experiences to the resumes and life experiences of those born under the sign of communication. This year, Mars makes waves by turning retrograde in entrepreneurial Leo on December 6. Schedules are bound to be disrupted by erratic energy patterns. In 2024, four eclipses grace the heavens: a Lunar Eclipse and a Solar Eclipse in Libra on March 25 and October 2, respectively, and a Solar Eclipse in Aries on April 8, with the final Lunar Eclipse of the year in Pisces on September 17. Check your birth chart to determine the location of each eclipse, noting the proximity of any natal planets to eclipse activity. If present, that house could become a zone of intensity or surprises in 2024.