Astro Cheat Sheet

Astrology Cheat Sheet

Perhaps, that's not an attractive title for my post for an astrology cheat sheet, but I got your attention, right?

When we visit the commerical astrology sites too much focus falls on the Sun Signs, and not enough focus falls on the houses and other planets and the more complex aspects of astrology.  I don't believe in predictive or fortune-telling astrology, but focus on the transformative power of planets in our natal charts and the current planetary transits.

Besides, transits carry many themes depending on the configurations in a chart, and when you get into astrology over your head, like diving into a deep pool of water when you don't know how to swim, and we have the progressions to consider.  Have you ever learned about yods? Ah, but we are getting ahead of ourselves, with the exception of professional astrologers who might go a bit rabid over yods in a chart--what psychological issues lurk in those yods?

So let's start at the beginning with the planets, houses, and other basics.

Planets

First here are a description of the 10 planets and Chiron and their attributes:

Sun (Ego, identity, creativity, our center, strength, courage, warmth)

Moon (Inner self, intuition, reflection, mothers and mothering, emotions, how we express emotions)

Mercury (Communication verbal & written, short distance travel, relationships with siblings, hands, dexterity)

Venus (Women planet, balance, justice, the earth, ecology, flirtation, attraction, beauty, earthy physicality). Venus rules what we value both intrinsic and material values. Venus represents what and how we attract and for the Law of Attraction uses, this is a powerful planet for manifestation depending on the sign it falls in.

Mars (Men, war, anger, aggression, but also drive, ambition, warrior spirit, courage). Mars represents what we desire and the drive we have to obtain that desire. Along with Pluto, Mars represents our sexuality, but mainly our sexual drives and how we pursue a sexual partner. Despite the men are from Mars and Women are from Venus philosophy, men and women have both Venus and Mars energy and we all require to balance the yin with the yang.
 

Jupiter (Expansion, exuberance, enthusiasm, idealism, spirituality, luck). Jupiter is known as a great benefactor, but Jupiter also represents teachers of higher learning, or spiritual teachers. A strong Jupiter placement in a chart could represent travel, teaching at a university, going into a legal profession and a sense of a joy for life. Jupiter like Uranus wants lots of freedom and room to roam.

Saturn (Discipline, structure, the container which holds an astrological sign energy, fathers and fathering, authority, business & financial institutions, career). Saturn represents another type of teacher--the stern one who marks us for life. Any situation developed during a strong Saturn phase possesses an eternal quality (long-lasting). Saturn retards what it touches such as with the case of a late bloomer and a strong Saturn type does not usually see his or her life taking off to after age 50.

Uranus (Lightening, the unexpected, rebellion, riots, surprises, shakeups, strikes, the Aquarian spirit). When we hear of a strong Uranus transit, expect a major shake up in your personal life and in the world.

Chiron (asteroid) (The wounded healer, childhood wounds of the emotional kind). The Chiron Return happens around 50 years of age and we learn to accept wounds we can't fully heal and use the wisdom gained to teach others.

Neptune (Dreams, prisons, institutions, dissolution, spirituality, Oneness, Unity Consciousness, movies, music, sound healing). Neptune rules smoke, vapor, addiction, alcohol, as well as, cinema, music, photography, dance, and other performing arts. It's the place where we completely lose ourselves either to addiction or spiritual ascension.

Pluto (Transformation, sex, death, taxes, radiation, x-rays, nuclear energy, Hades, psychology, soul mates of the deepest kind)

The planets Sun through Mars are personal planets and these planets move quickly through a chart.

Jupiter and Saturn are transpersonal planets.  This means that you feel them on a personal level, but they also have lasting effects on events that happen within a year or 2 1/2 years of the planets’ transits.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are outer planets with universal effects.  These are slow moving planets that shape generations and are used as generational markers.  For instance the baby boomers are the Pluto in Leo generation, and Pluto in Virgo marks generation X.

Sun Signs 

(I’m using Steven Forrest’s archetypes for the sign, but you can make up your own.  I did).

Aries (Warrior, pioneer, daredevil, survivor), element is fire, cardinal energy

Taurus (Earth spirit, the silent one, the musician, I add farmer, builder), element is earth, fixed energy

Gemini (Journalist, witness, storyteller, teacher, I add, public speaker, radio announcer, reporter, PR Director), element is air, mutable energy

Cancer (Mother, healer, invisible man or woman, I add chef, homemaker, gardener), element is water, cardinal energy

Leo (King, performer, child, I add comedien, movie star), element is fire, fixed energy

Virgo (Servant, martyr, perfectionist, analyst, I add nun, saint, and monk), element is earth, mutable energy

Libra (Lover, artist, peacemaker, I add troubadour, party hostess, decorator), element is air, cardinal energy

Scorpio (Detective, hypnotist, sorcerer, I add, shaman, psychologist and alchemist), element is water, fixed energy

Sagittarius (Gypsy, student, philosopher, I add, university professor, world traveler, pilgrim), element is fire, mutable energy

Capricorn (Hermit, father, prime minister, I add banker, chiropractor, architect), element is earth, cardinal energy

Aquarius (Genius, revolutionary, exile, scientist, truth sayer, I add inventor, software engineer), element is air, fixed energy

Pisces (Mystic, dreamer, face dancer, poet, I add spiritualist, spiritual coach), element is water, mutable energy

 Houses  

(Do you want to come over to my house? Says Aries)

First house is the personality and body house.  This house is marked by the rising or ascension sign and mainly focuses on your personal appearance and how you identify with yourself.  This house is ruled by Aries.

Second house creativity, talent and personal resources (has clues of how to make a living). This house is ruled by Taurus.

Third house is communication, short distance travel, and siblings. This house is ruled by Gemini.

Fourth house represents domestic issues, home & mother.  Ruler is Cancer.

Fifth house represents fun, the performing arts, flirtation, dating, and love affairs.  Ruler is Leo.

Sixth house represents health routines, health, duty, service, and pets.  Ruler is Virgo.

Seventh house represents marriage, legal partnerships, and balance. Ruler is Libra.

Eighth house represents sex, death, soul mates, rebirth, kundulini, psychology and secrets.  Ruler is Scorpio.

Ninth house represents (The law, attorneys, long distance travel, foreign countries and cultures.  Ruler is Sagittarius.

Tenth house represents father, authority, career, ambition, financial institutions and structure.  Ruler is Capricorn. (Liz Greene refers to this house as representing the mother and not the father.  This works too).

Eleventh house represents colleagues (as opposed to friends which is in the 5th house), networks, and community.  Ruler is Aquarius.

Twelfth house represents prisons, insane asylums, addiction, dreams, spirituality, escapism, dissolution, illusions, movies, and music.  Ruler is Pisces.

Please note that themes for the houses and planets differ in my pediatric astrology chart readings.  

Aspects

Flowing: Trine, sextile and some conjunctions 
Challenging: Squares, oppositions, yods and some conjunctions such as Venus conjunct Uranus or Saturn conjunct Saturn