Rule number one in astrology - never make a blanket statement about an aspect or and empty house or anything else you see in a chart. If you do, you’re sure to be made a fool eventually. The 7th house is concerned with partnership and marriage but having no planets there does not mean you will not marry, you have simply got to look at the chart as a whole.

Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: There Are No Planets In My 7th House, Does This Mean I Will Never Marry?

This seems too simple but obviously it’s not…

“Do you find connections between the charts of family members? For example, my two sisters and I all had Virgo moons. Two of us had Cancer risings. The other sister had a Virgo rising.

In my husband’s family everyone has different sun signs, but three siblings have Leo risings…”
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology - Are There Connections Between Charts Of Family Members?

moonpluto asks on How Do Oppositions Work:

“What about a chart without oppositions? Or a chart that has only one, for example — compare that with a chart that has many…”

If a chart has no oppositions then it has something else. This is like asking, “What if a person does not have long hair?” That would mean they have short hair or perhaps they are bald or their hair is medium. But I think you mean to ask about oppositions and projecting.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What If A Chart Has No Oppositions?

Because I am so oriented towards relationships, oppositions are by far the most interesting component of astrology. If you get me started I can go on ad infinitum but I will try to be concise:

If a person has an opposition in their chart is is impossible for them to act both sides of it simultaneously. Reason is the energies are opposite each other so this would be akin to being generous and cheap at the same time. It can’t be done!

Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: How Do Oppositions Work?

Circled on the chart pictured is the “ascendant”. To determine the “chart ruler”, or the “ruling planet” check the sign on the ascendant. The planet that rules that sign is your chart ruler.

Aries rising or ascendant = Mars ruled chart
Taurus rising or ascendant = Venus ruled chart

If you don’t know what planet rules what sign you can refresh your memory here: cheat sheet
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What Is The Chart Ruler?

Following up Jilly’s question on Personal Planets / Generational or Outer Planets:

“So if you have a personal planet in a house ruled by a non-personal planet, does that give your personal planet a non-personal flavoring?”

Some would say yes, I would say no but not without offering an explanation and splitting some hairs.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: When Is A Leo Really A Scorpio? Answer Is “Never”

“What are the differences between the outer planets & personal planets?”

The personal planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars aka as your ego, your emotions, your thinking, your tastes and how you get what you want.

The social planets are Jupiter and Saturn; your perspective and your boundary, respectively. The best way I’ve heard this explained is that Saturn represents the skin or the barrier between you and what is OUT THERE.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: Personal Planets? Generational Planets? Whaaaat?

“I have Mars at 28 degrees of Pisces *trine* Uranus at 0 degrees Sagittarius. Since they aren’t in the same element, how would that make a trine act differently?”

This is a really good question. Think of it in terms of dressing or putting an outfit together. There are colors that you know do well together. They blend. That would be the straight trine… it’s a no brainer.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What About Aspects Out Of Sign?

Traditionally, trines and sextiles are considered, “good”, squares and oppositions, “bad” or at the very least, “challenging”. Conjunctions are judged on a case by case basis.

For example, a conjunctions to Jupiter or Venus (considered benefices) are “good”, conjunctions to Saturn or Mars (considered malefic), “bad”.

You have to start somewhere and this is a likely place to start but I would not take this information too literally because the idea there are “no bad aspects” in astrology is actually more than a sign of our politically correct times.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: “How can you tell if your aspects are good ones?”