Rae Orion - Astrology For Dummies

For those people whose Sun signs and rising signs are identical, the surface and the substance are the same. For everyone else, what you see isn’t necessarily what you get.

Consider the artist Vincent Van Gogh. With Cancer rising, his emotional sensitivity was obvious. We can see it even now in the wary expression (and bandaged ear) of his many self-portraits. But his extreme vulnerability was only part of his nature. Beneath the insecurity, he was an Aries, restless, competitive, and courageous. His pioneering, energetic nature is clearly visible in the confident, quick brushstrokes, churning colors, and wild vigor of his groundbreaking canvases.

If you have a copy of your chart, it’s easy to figure out your Ascendant: it’s the sign at the nine o’clock spot on the wheel. If you don’t have your chart, you can get one by going to one of the websites listed in Chapter 2and entering your birth data as instructed. And if you don’t have a reliable birth time? Don’t worry about it. Even without a correct Ascendant, your birth chart is a map of your deepest self, and it offers whole continents of information to be explored.

Whether you’re a workaholic Virgo or a spiritually inclined Pisces, you still have to deal with money, work, health, siblings, and everything else that’s part of life. Those areas are described by the houses . The houses slice the sky into 12 parts, beginning with the Ascendant and the first house. Their meanings are described in Table 1-6.

Just as every chart includes all the planets, every horoscope has all 12 houses. Not every house will be occupied by a planet. But every house will have a sign on the cusp, or beginning of the house, that describes your approach to the concerns of that house. For instance, if Taurus is on the cusp of your sixth house of health and work, you are likely to be dependable, productive, and patient on the job, even if that house is empty. You’re a hard worker. And one more thing: you’d probably enjoy having a dog.

The word cusp is used in two ways in astrology. When astrologers refer to the cusp of a house, they are talking about the gateway to that house, the place where it begins. When people say they were born “on the cusp,” they usually mean that their birthday falls at the end of one sign or the start of another, and they’re not sure what sign is theirs, an issue I discuss in the nearby sidebar “Questlove on the cusp.”

Now you’ve got the basics. Together, the signs, planets, and houses make up the basic vocabulary of astrology. There’s more. (There’s always more.) But for now, you have everything you need to begin the excavation of your chart. If you don’t have a copy of it, the next chapter will tell you how to remedy that situation.

TABLE 1-6Houses and Their Significance

Take the case of Ahmir Khalib Thompson, aka Questlove, the Grammy-winning drummer and co-founder of The Roots, the hip-hop house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . He is a DJ, a record producer, an entrepreneurial foodie, an author, an adjunct professor, and more. But what’s his sign? He was born on January 20, 1971, time unknown. And therein lies the problem. Is he a goal-oriented, disciplined Capricorn, a sign known for its work ethic, or a rebellious, iconoclastic Aquarian? He can’t be both … or can he?

If he was born before 12:13 p.m., he’s a Capricorn, which would certainly explain his ambition and productivity. If he was born after 12:13, he’s a freedom-loving, highly individual Aquarian.

So which is it? The variety of his accomplishments, musical and otherwise, and his interest in collaboration argue in favor of Aquarius. Compared to Capricorn, Aquarius is quirkier and more individualistic, the sign of the maverick and the avant-garde. On paper, it sounds hipper and more creative. I suspect the man himself might prefer it.

On the other hand, he did not come to music as a form of rebellion. On the contrary, music was, in his phrase, the “family business.” (His father was a well-known doo-wop singer.) He came to it as a responsible Capricorn, not a rebellious Aquarian. An indefatigable worker, he has built his brand with care, touring relentlessly and aligning himself with established institutions such as The Tonight Show and New York University.

So what’s his sign? In the absence of a complete birth certificate, a clarifying word from his mother, or a rectification by an astrologer who specializes in that technique, only he can decide which sign sounds more like the person he knows himself to be.

If your situation is similar, the same holds true for you. Astrologers will tell you that your Sun is in one sign or the other, not both. That’s true. But there are other planets, and they also bring something to the party. Questlove has Mercury in Capricorn and the North Node of the Moon in Aquarius. Even without the Sun, he has a touch of both signs. So where is his Sun? In his heart of hearts, he probably knows.

Chapter 2

IN THIS CHAPTER

Creating your chart the old-fashioned way

Assembling your birth information

Getting your chart online for free