AstroSitusSky almanac
Astrology Guide

Learn to read your chart: planets, signs, houses and aspects

A birth chart looks complicated at first, but it is made of four parts: planets tell you what, signs tell you how, houses tell you where, and aspects show how those parts talk to each other.

This guide lets you read each part on its own. If you don't know your placements yet, calculate your birth chart first, then work through it step by step with the meanings here.

Calculate your birth chart

Where to start

New to astrology? Follow this order. Each step builds on the one before.

  1. Step 1PlanetsThe actors in your chart. Each planet stands for one side of life: the Sun for identity, the Moon for feelings, Venus for love.
  2. Step 2SignsHow the planets behave. The same Venus loves in a hurry in Aries and patiently in Taurus.
  3. Step 3HousesThe stage itself. In which area of life does a planet's energy play out: work, home or relationships?
  4. Step 4Aspects and placementsHow the planets talk to each other, plus the individual meaning of every planet in every sign and house.

Planets

The ten planets are the ten basic needs and drives in a chart. Learn what each one means, which signs it rules and how to read it.

Signs

The twelve signs show the style in which the planets work. Traits of each sign with its element, modality and ruling planet.

Houses

The twelve houses are twelve areas of life, from self and money to family and career. Learn what each house represents and what an empty house means.

All meanings

Pick a planet to see all of its meanings in the signs, in the houses and in aspect to the other planets.

Choose a planet

House rulers

The planet ruling the sign on a house cusp carries that house's affairs into another part of the chart and ties them to other planets. Pick a house: read where its ruler sits, its natal aspects and the transits it receives.

Choose a house

Transits

A transit is a planet in today's sky touching your birth chart: it moves through one of your houses or aspects a natal planet, your Ascendant or Midheaven. Pick a planet to read its passage through the houses and its aspects. Your own transits are in the transit report on My chart.

Choose a transiting planet