This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.

Reading your birth chart (or others’ birth charts) can feel like a full-time job. If it feels overwhelming, look no further! I will direct you through a basic guide to reading your birth chart, particularly how to read birth chart houses and planet associations. I hope this will help you, but there are a lot of apps/websites like CoStar and CafeAstrology that can help you find your chart easier!

If you’d like to generate your birth chart, you need three important pieces of information: your birth date, birth time, and the location of your birth (this helps find your rising sign). Your birth chart is a picture of where all of the planets were located at the time of your birth – pretty cool, right? There are three important pieces of the natal chart: the zodiac signs, the planets, and the houses. “Houses” are generally representative of the planet’s energy and sign, and how they show up in your life – this is where you can gain some “futuristic” intel, if you will. Houses tend to be confusing, so I’ll help you through them, towards the end.

First, let’s go through the different zodiac signs and their associations! Of course, a person shouldn’t be confined or defined by their zodiac sign, take what resonates, and leave what doesn’t.

Zodiac Signs

FIRE

• Aries – competitive, impatient, charismatic,
• Sagittarius – independent, free-spirited, curious
• Leo – confident, loyal, vain

EARTH

• Taurus – dependable, appreciative, grounded
• Virgo – analytical, detail-oriented, overthinker
• Capricorn – hardworking, practical, ambitious

AIR

• Gemini – curious, often referred to as “two-faced”, communicative
• Libra – balance, harmony, fairness
• Aquarius – progressive, independent, creative

WATER

• Cancer – emotional, intuitive, nurturing
• Scorpio – controlling, passionate, resourceful 
• Pisces – creative, compassionate, romantic

These are just a few personality traits associated with the signs, but if none of this resonates, there’s a lot that I left out! Don’t worry, if you don’t resonate with this, you may find out why when I discuss the planetary associations. For example, I’m a Leo/Virgo Sun cusper, and they consistently find themselves fighting around in my brain!

Planetary Associations

If you’ve ever heard somebody say “I’m a __ Sun, ___ Moon, and ___ Rising,” this all has to do with the houses and the planets and is referred to as the “Big Three!” Each planet has its archetypal energy, and represents what you enjoy, and what drives you – planets rule signs, which are energetic filters. Let’s go through their associations in simple terms!

INNER

• Sun – Identity and ego, the basic identity.
• Moon – Rules emotions and memories. How you react/reflect to experienced events.
• Mercury – Communication and intellect. How you relate to/perceive things or people.
• Venus – Romance, aesthetics, and confidence. 
• Mars – Desires and passion. Your actions around these desires.

OUTER

• Jupiter – Travel, exploration, and abundance. How you integrate yourself and personal growth.
• Saturn – Discipline and maturity, especially around work, structure, and personal responsibilities.
• Uranus – Rebellion and growth, your ability to learn and grow through breakthroughs (or downs).
• Neptune – Spirituality, idealism, and imagination.
• Pluto – Personal evolution, rebirth, and capacity for change and inner growth.

NODES

• The North “True” Node – The “destiny” or what we are moving towards in our life.
• The South Node – Represents what we’re leaving behind from past lives.

Now that we’ve got the signs and their associations, as well as the planetary energies, we can finally move on to the houses. Then, we can piece it all together!

The Houses

So… how do you find your houses? First, find your ascendant (or, rising sign). If you already know your sign, great! If not, it helps to have a visual of your birth chart in front of you. The Ascendant is representative of your character, so you might find yourself relating to your rising sign a bit more!

Pretend the Zodiac wheel is representative of a clock, your ascendent is found at 9 o’clock, and its horizontal line defines your first house! We read the chart counterclockwise (reading down and around), so 6 o’clock would be your fourth house, 3 o’clock is your seventh (the halfway point), and 12 o’clock would be your tenth. The opposite point of your rising is known as your descendant sign, which is known to affect your relationships!

If you’re confused, don’t worry! It took me so long to understand, and do this for other people without a true visual. Again, it does help to have a visual with you!

Now that I’ve explained how to read birth chart houses, let’s go through what all 12 represent. They contain a wealth of information, and represent a significant sub-section of your life!

• The 1st House – The “rising” sign. It represents your identity, attitude, what people first notice about it, and the way we present ourselves. These planets have a huge influence on your personality. It can also be representative of your physical appearance!
• The 2nd House – Represents financial security, our relationship to money, and our overall relationship to our emotional well-being and self-worth. This could point to how you approach working and earning a living, as well as what you need to feel safe and protected. 
• The 3rd House – Communication, and relationships with others (like friends, local communities, siblings, etc.). Also represents self-expression, learning style, and transportation. It can point to how you express yourself out loud and how you engage in discussion!
• The 4th House – Relationships to home and family (both living and deceased), your background and childhood, and your emotions that stem from these relationships and experiences. It can help you make sense of your relationship with your parents, or even how you’ll be as a parent.
• The 5th House – Risk-taking, pleasure (both personal and romantic), fun, and hobbies. It can also represent your relationship with children, the need to explore your creative side, and how you express playfulness/creativity in your life.
• The 6th House – Health and physical well-being, through your daily habits and wellness activities. Could also point to relationships with your work friends and employees. Pay attention to how you’re spending your time, and how to care for your mental/physical/emotional being.

• The 7th House – While the 5th house represents casual relationship building, the 7th house represents committed relationships, and what is needed in a long-term partner/spouse. It can also represent closing deals in your work life, or signing contracts in your personal life.
• The 8th House – Sex, transformation, spiritual growth, intuition, rebirth, healing, and even certain injuries can be found in this house. This can help you make sense of how you struggle with the heavier parts of life, and how to take the most advantage of “re-inventing” yourself.
• The 9th House – Focuses on exploration, adventure, and travel (especially long-distance travel, or long-term emotional journeys). These journeys can be physical or metaphorical! Depending on its placement, it can point to how you absorb information and how you find inspiration.
• The 10th House – Public/social image and status, achievements and career ambitions, and aspirations all come together in this house. How do you go after your greatest ambitions? This house can provide some intel as to achieving these things and how to improve on this!
• The 11th House – Showcases friendships and social lives, as well as charitable aspirations and hopes. It could represent when/if your dreams are coming true! Persons with some planets in this house may feel compelled to give to their community and nurture deep connections to friends.
• The 12th House – Represents mental health, secrets, hidden emotions, and our subconsciousness. This can provide information about your “shadow self” and may help guide you through shadow work and take a deeper look at your emotional truths. 

Whew! That’s a lot of information!! I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you too much, and I’ve been able to help guide you through this journey of getting to know yourself better, and maybe even others!

What do you think of this comprehensive list? Let us know in the comments below, and I wish you the best of luck on your journey!! Blessed be!

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