17
Demystifying Astrology: How To Make Heads Or Tails Of A Planet In A Sign, In A House, With Aspects
Astrology for beginners
Know anyone who wants to learn astrology? See all beginner posts
How granular should you get with quality of a sign in combo with a planet/angle and the house? How do you weigh all that stuff in your interpretation?
Really good question, difficult to answer but I’ll try.
First you should never lose sight of the sign a planet is placed in, even if you’ve got some problem with the sign. This is very common. “Hey! I don’t want to be a Virgo. I’ve got Pluto there and blah, blah, blah, so really I am not a Virgo, I am a….”
That’s a load of crap. If your Sun is in Virgo, you are going to have to serve, make others look good, fix messes and so forth so this is the first thing to consider.
Next take the house. If the Virgo Sun is in the 1st house, the person is a leader. The Sun in Virgo in the 1st, is a do-gooding leader, see? A person who can rally the troops, organize a blood drive and so forth.
As another example, put the Virgo sun in the 8th house and you have psych or a trauma nurse. 11th house, Virgo? Maybe this person does the books for their astrology club or the like. In all cases not that service is involved.
Next you should consider the aspects. If Jupiter trines that Virgo Sun, the ego (Sun) is expanded (Jupiter). So now you have a confident Virgo, working in whatever arena.
If Pluto is conjunct the Virgo Sun? Virgo on steroids… powerful Virgo.
If Mars squares the Virgo Sun? Angry, energized Virgo.
You get the idea.
Now tell us about your Sun, it’s sign, it’s house and it’s aspects…
Know anyone who wants to learn astrology? See all beginner posts
35 Responses to “Demystifying Astrology: How To Make Heads Or Tails Of A Planet In A Sign, In A House, With Aspects”
Thanks! This really clears up some stuff! My sun is in Leo, in the 6th house, conjunct Moon, square Uranus, trine Neptune, and Sextile Pluto.
Sun in Taurus, 5th House.
-square Saturn/Leo in 8th
-trine Moon/Cap in 1st
-opposed Uranus/MC in Scorpio
-…biquintile Pluto/10th. (I don’t know anything about minor aspects)
The way I see this play out is that I love to play and have fun, I enjoy the company of children, and art is a crucial ingredient to my happiness and sense of Self (5th House stuff).
But I can be way too serious and during Saturn transits become really, really depressed (square Saturn in the 8th) if I don’t feel free to be myself and do my own thing (Uranus).
Trine Capricorn Moon in the 1st: I usually adopt these expectations myself without anyone asking to do it…
Thanks for the opportunity Elsa. You’re a gem and a half!
Leo sun in the 10th.
Trine Neptune in the 2nd.
Sextile Pluto in the 12th.
I should be some kind of leader, spokesperson, writer……..
I haven’t found my nitch yet though =(
Sun in Cancer, 3rd house. Conjunct Mercury, trine Uranus, square Pluto, sextile Saturn. I’ve always had issues with thinking too much and being very serious, and am now teaching myself to be a little lighter.
i just realized that Sun/Saturn/Uranus are in a T-square. I guess this is why the Uranus/Saturn opposition feels weirdly comfortable for me?
Okay before I say about me, I want to ask another question. How do you use the *ruler* of such and such to modify the interpretation? So how does the position of Mercury in the chart play into this Virgo’s personality?
Sun in Aries (12th) trine Uranus in Scorpio (8) square Midheaven (Capricorn)
I feel alive when I (innovatively) serve a purpose greater than myself.
Wow… I just realize I really am heading towards that direction 
YAY!
Oh… of course of course… Aries… I have to take action… perhaps pioneer something…
I love these Beginner posts!
My Sun is in Scorpio at the IC (in the 4th house), conjunct Mercury in Scorp in the 3rd. Both oppose Saturn at the MC (in the 9th).
I have a Master’s in depth psychotherapy (helped tremendously by Moon conjunct Pluto).
I love astrology because it’s a coherent symbol system that gets at the depths of our psyches.
My continual childhood refrain was, “I want to have a deep, philosophical conversation!” Grown-ups laughed at me, and kids were puzzled by me.
And, yeah, it took me a long time to find the bright side of this opposition.
Pisces Sun in the 10th/9th house…
+ Trine Gemini Ascendant
+ Conjunct Pisces Midheaven
+ Square 12th/1st House Gemini Moon
+ Opposite 4th House Virgo Mars
+ Opposite 4th House Virgo Jupiter
+ Square 6th House Scorpio Uranus
Sun in Libra conjunct Jupiter, 9th house, at the end of my stellium there. Opposite retrograde Saturn in Taurus, square Mars and Ascendant in Capricorn, trine Moon in Aquarius.
When I was a kid I used to say I wanted to be a professional student when I grew up. Became a librarian as a reasonable facsimile of same.
Another possible beginner question - what if your conjunction has one planet in one sign and then another planet in another? i.e Sun at 29 degrees virgo conjunct mars/pluto both at 6 degrees Libra. I see how the principles match up but the signs are different.
sun in 11th house libra, sextile uranus
Interpret these things, you guys. Tryyyy.
lotion - Very social, airy Sun you’ve got there!
esptkfkn - pick a house, I’m lost!
Kathy Crabb - who you are is nobodies business!
etc.
I have a 6th house sun in Pisces. That always bummed me out, seemed so borrrring. But honestly, your blog has helped me recognize it’s just who I am and that, really, serving, helping and listening to people is what I am best at and what ultimately fulfills me. I loved waiting tables.
I also have Sun Conjunct Jupiter and Venus (I am waaaay louder, chattier, brash and outgoing than any Pisces I have ever met), opposition Virgo Ascendant, square Gemini Midheaven, square Saturn (ouch), square Mars (ouuuch), trine Pluto, sextile Neptune.
Being unemployed is killing me–financially and emotionally. Unfortunately, I’m at the point in my life where I don’t know what the heck is going on or what I should do with myself.
My sun is pisces in the 9th house. It is opposite my moon in virgo in the 3rd house. My son is conj my mercury in pisces.
I am dreamy, but I am also very practical in many ways.
I love to travel. I love the exotic. I am a lawyer, which is a career for folk with a 9th house sun. I would have made a career of being a student. I loved college.
Sun in Pisces/8th house conjunct Mars & chiron and in fairly tight 8th house 5 body stellium with those 2, plus Saturn & Mercury. Sun is also in opposition to Uranus/2d house & Pluto/3rd house and trine Neptune/4th. I think Pisces is a self-sacrificing sign so I guess I’m supposed to serve/sacrifice myself in some way to psychology or to other people’s resources (8th house.) Maybe I should sign up to be a guinea pig in a research lab! 
Actually, the way this works out for me is I am resentful of the idea that I am supposed to be self-sacrificing in order to realize my sun sign potential. For some reason, that kind of ticks me off! Maybe it’s the Mars conjunction. Anyway, so far I’ve resisted it (and I’m not a young ‘un.) I don’t know about the oppositions except I trashed my career against my will (Uranus/2 house) and now stay dreamily at home (4th house/Neptune.)
Hey Charlotte, to li’l old me that sounds UNboring! Your chart screams Virgo-Pisces axis and Elsa is always writing cool stuff about that (I guess you already got that, just for anyone else reading here) Lots of luck and hugs with the unemployment. My best friend is a Pisces with Virgo rising so you sound pretty ok to me.
2nd house sun in virgo - i love gadgets that make my life easier, for example. also sometimes serve by helping others clarify their values.
sun sq. jupiter - i have overextended myself financially for my kids before. i’m much more likely to spend too much on a gift for somene else than on myself.
sun conj. 1st house uranus - have a “weird” presentation and can be creative. value individuality.
sun conj. pluto - sometimes am more intense than i intend to be towad others.
sun conj. mercury - i present myself forcefully at times.
there are more aspects, but that’s enough for now, i think!
Sun in Libra conjunct Uranus in Scorpio on 4th/5th cusp. I’m the leader in almost every group, but I’m happier if I have a partner. I hate being copied and I hate being compared to anyone else, almost knee-jerk about it. Sometimes I’m repelled by conforming even if the group is something I’d theoretically like to be a part of. I say “theoretically” a lot.
On the house placement - it looks like being a protective (4th) single and liberated (Uranus) mom to my son (5th) is going to be my big job. I also love being in a relationship (Libra) but I like a lot of space and I like to keep it exciting.
Both of these aspects are close but out-of-sign to my Sun (exact to my Uranus):
*Mars trine Sun (lots of confidence but can come off arrogant sometimes)
*Saturn square Sun (drove myself through school to a Ph.D., but insecure about self-worth)
I wish I could boil this down to a few words.
Bossy, unconventionally maternal relationship artist?
My Virgo Sun is in the 8th house, trine Moon/Tau-Jupiter/Gem/5th. Sun square Sagittarius Asc is the closest aspect in my chart, off by 30mins…
Pallas/Cancer/7th is at the Sun/Moon midpoint.
I soothe the whole family during the holidays. (The rest of them are predominantly fire/water combos, so yeah, I’m the odd one out and quite busy, lol). Growing up - busy retreating into the world of literature…
Once I trust a partner, I spoil him rotten and stand by him - sometimes to my own detriment, of course.
A confy couch and good reading material is as good as a Sunday afternoon gets for me in terms of relaxation - now that I’m single, at least. Otherwise I’d be happy to settle for a cuddling session with elaborations;)
I read pretty much everything under the sun - but especially psychology, murder mysteries, some philosophy and magazines à la National Geographic.
I’m too stable for my own good; I really have to chew things over before I change direction, which I sometimes wish I didn’t have to. On the other hand, I’m serene, which I feel is a blessing most of the time:) And I have very good stamina, as long as there’s food;) Strong legs, too (classic Sag;)But I can’t stand deprivation of food nor sleep; I just cease to function - and this is a major pain in the neck in many of life’s situations.
I come across as too self-reliant, but I’m working on easing up on the pride!;) I need support as much as the next person, but I don’t expect to get it and thus have problems both asking and receiving. 8th house - and SN in Taurus and Saturn in Leo are of no help here, either:p A pattern I must get rid of before too long…:)
An example of the Sun-Asc-Moon/Jupiter interplay:
I’m usually very comfortable in my own skin - but now with T Saturn on my 8th house Sun…:(
Jupiter comes to the rescue as usual, with the following observation: It’s not just sitting presidents who age in dog years - it appears sex deprived thirtysomethings do, too. Ack!;D
This too shall pass:D
Sun in Taurus in 7th, conjunct descendant and Chiron, sextile Jupiter, square Mars, square Juno, quincunx Moon. So…thwarted, angry codependent who doesn’t fit in here. Um, yay?
Elsa,
Sorry…
My natal Sun is 3°22′29 in Pisces, in the 10th house.
My natal Moon is 1°22′00 in Gemini, in the 12th house.
My natal Sun (Pisces) forms aspects to my natal Midheaven (Pisces), Ascendant (Gemini), Moon (Gemini), Mars (Virgo), Jupiter (Virgo), and Uranus (Scorpio).
With the exception of Uranus, all of the points & planets aspecting my Sun are in mutable signs. I guess this makes one well suited for situations that require some sort of adaptation, mutation, blending, compromise, etc…
It also confers an enormous appetite for the gathering and dissemination of information, data, knowledge.
My Gemini ascendant aspecting my Pisces Sun has given me a chameleon’s ability to change my appearance at will.
My Gemini Moon aspecting My Pisces Sun might have something to do with why I always feel so guilty when I finally understand something with my heart instead of just with my head.
Mars and Jupiter in Virgo aspecting my Pisces Sun — I get off on paying attention to detail and am rewarded for doing so with the knowledge that I made life simpler, easier for someone else.
With Uranus in Scorpio aspecting my Sun I tend to feel as though nothing I do is ever worth the effort I put into it, that ultimately only I can judge whether I am worthy or not. It is a very difficult aspect to live with.
hey esptkfkn, I also have Moon at 1+ Gemini in 12th! *waves*
aries/8th, sextile aquarius/6th moon.
i’m invisible. really.
on the infinite cutting edge of something too finely detailed to see.
even for me.
Alright I will give this a try!
Aquarius sun in 11th house (which is already aquarius ruled) so serving through groups?
trine moon - following my sun’s wishes will make me feel good.
conjunct mercury - serving through groups in a very vocal way.
square uranus - erratic/chaotic?
sextile neptune - dreaminess/creativity
trine pluto - strength/willpower
So bringing it all together,
I should be able to serve groups/society in a very strong, vocal, creative, and sometimes chaotic way. And doing this will make me feel good both on the inside and out.
This sounds like a description of someone who’s an activist. Honestly, I feel so lost. I wish I felt a calling, but I don’t.. yet, anyway, I guess. When you have a “calling” it’s usually apparent to you, right?
One thing that has always been an issue for me at the various jobs I’ve had is that at the end of the day I feel dissatisfied if what I am doing doesn’t mean “something” in the large scheme of things.
scorpio sun in the 11th (semi-square venus sag H1)
ROOT LEVEL: my father was a good looking secret agent for a government. a stranger in a strange land (sag).
wider aspects:
sun sq. 2Hjup.aqua big player, cheap ass.
sun trine saturn cancer…life is work, and work is life.they feed each other.
MY dynamic sun (how my energy plays out): i am a team player 11H. i work well in organizations.
sun ssq.venus-it has always been fundamental for me to fit in and feel liked, be apart of a group. even too much. i tend to take on a group mentality, and then feel shocked or confused if someone is acting too much in their own best interest at work(very childish of me). oh, and i adore my father.
(sun sq.jup2H)-i have always been non-attached to possessions & am learning that not everyone is way, ANDcan actually be offended by this attitude! plays out: small/funny level: my husband is a man-bull with a twin mind- and cancer moon- and becomes hurt and MAD! when i cook and give away food- he wants to hoard it all for himself… shadow side: i give my sisters in law everything for their children, toys,clothes- top of the line in perfect condition- without any problem & never expecting anything in return. there is def. resentment and one sister in law told me that she did not want to do christmas presents b/c i gave her enough. (so my daughter gets the shaft on a 10$ toy b/c i gave you too much) ???!!!
sun trine saturn- i have always worked, since i was 12. even while 9 months pregnant i was doing something (albiet small)- i love teaching. i set and meet goals. i make lists and am thrilled when i tic them off. i easily support my husband in his every endevour(sat cancer 7H). we are a team, but he comes first. i will transform this energy slowly, and create a business for myself- when the time is right.
sorry so long!!!!
Sun Leo house 2
semi square Libra moon end of house 3
square Scorpio Neptune house 5
semi sextile Virgo Pluto house 3
Asperger’s
To tell me I can’t create is to tell me I can’t have air. Small talk, clerical work, schedules destroy me.
The moon in my chart is more influential than the sun, I think.
‘When you have a “calling” it’s usually apparent to you, right?’
I don’t know. I’m not sure I agree with this, because I felt a ‘calling’ to be a nurse, until I had to spend a lengthy time at the hospital with a person in critical care.
I had a calling to do palliative care, until I worked at a hospice for the terminally ill and had my heart wrenched sideways too many times and realized how depressed it made me.
I had a calling to do massage work, until I started and would dream about my clients all. night. long.
Perhaps I’ll do these things, but not until I learn what I need to learn to draw a boundary between myself and the person in need of care.
Sorry, just my two bits. I am called to by an artist, but I think I’ll also be called to be a waitress to pay my rent this summer.
Leo sun/7th, trine Neptune but opposed to Aquarius ascendant and square Midheaven. Ugh.
Pisces moon/2nd, trine Mars and Midheaven, but square Neptune.
I have always believed myself to be an artist, to create things, but I find myself simultaneously knowing I can do it but also just not doing it. I’m smart and I’m capable and whenever I do things other people think I’m wonderful, but I feel so … blocked.
i also have ascendant (libra) opposed sun (pisces) square midheaven (cancer)
… often felt blocked from actualizing my creativity/true self…
some of the other aspects, as i’m understanding them now:
Pisces sun conjunct moon in 6th…
teacher…..helping students access inner feelings/creativity…art teacher for many years
alternating with elementary classroom teaching
Sun semi-sextile mercury in aquarius 4th unexpected dialogues have opened doors in my life/career and dramatically changed the home front
Sun semi-sextile venus in aries 8th - ….. rose colored glasses knocked off… jumping in (aries)….holding on ( 8th- intensity) to Piscean delusions…big risks in love w/both good and bad outcomes
Sun sextile Jupiter in aquarius in 4th expanding my career and home base – teaching overseas for 20 years
Sun sextile Saturn in capricorn in 4th
“if you want to dance…you’ve got to pay the band”….. ….not as easy as it looks
Aries Sun in the 5th house conjunct mercury and square Cappy Moon in the 2nd house. My life is one big dilemma about my need for self-expression and my strong drive for security.
Get A Consultation
I'm available for consultations! You can schedule a consultation by phone or a consultation by email. You can also read what clients have to say about my consultations. Thanks, I look forward to working with you. :) - Elsa P
More
Recent Blog Comments
- ol'd: This is acting in my 12th house... Leonine 12th house, imagi...
- Mari: Sheer class and poise She was the only and best thing about ...
- Mari: Thank you for that! I also looking forward to the continued ...
- Mokihana: I've loved this song for as long as it has been around. Now...
- Elsa: On the reanimation theme, it makes me think of the soldier's...
- Lucy: Out a window?! The Pisces part of me is like EW THAT'S GROSS...
- Lupa: SaDiablo, I think either way you have to walk away but the o...
Recent Board Posts
Gemini sun in the 12th house sextile Aries saturn in 10th house and trine Libra mars in 6th house.