Your natal horoscope is a snapshot of the
arrangement of the planets at the moment of your birth. The placement of the planets in their
signs and houses captures the essence of you, the possibilities and challenges
that await you throughout your life.
Your Sun sign represents the energy you bring
to your personality. The sign of
your natal Moon indicates your driving need in life. Add to this the sign that was rising at the time of your
birth, known as your Rising Sign or Ascendant, and a picture of you, and how
you are perceived by others, starts to come into focus.
It is vitally important to know your birth
date, place of birth and the exact time of birth in order to capture an
accurate picture of your birth (natal) horoscope. If the exact time of birth is unknown, the horoscope will
not be as accurate or as revealing of your potential.
A complete horoscope will reveal to an
astrologer the placement of the planets in their signs and houses, and thus,
their relationship in aspect to each other.
There are twelve signs of the horoscope, and
each sign is associated with a planet.
In the table below the houses (1-12) indicate the placement of signs and
planets in the natural zodiac, beginning with Aries (ushering in the Spring) in
the first house, and ending with Pisces (the end of Winter) in the 12th
house.
Sign
Planet House Time
of year (approximate)
Aries Mars 1st March
21st to April 21st
Taurus Venus 2nd April
22nd to May 22nd
Gemini Mercury 3rd May
22nd to June 22nd
Cancer Moon 4th June
22nd to July 22nd
Leo Sun 5th July
22nd to August 22nd
Virgo Mercury 6th August
22nd to September 22nd
Libra Venus 7th September
22nd to October 22nd
Scorpio Pluto 8th October
22nd to November 22nd
Sagittarius Jupiter 9th November
22nd to December 22nd
Capricorn Saturn 10th December
22nd to January 22nd
Aquarius Uranus 11th January
22nd to February 22nd
Pisces Neptune 12th February
22nd to March 21st
Your natal horoscope is comprised of 10
planets (the Sun and Moon are considered planets for the purpose of Astrology)
and their placement In the 12 houses.
You most likely will not have planets placed in each of the 12 houses,
but the sign ruling each house will provide information regarding the
respective area of life.
Next time we will focus on the houses,
modalities and elements of each sign.
The Dance of Pluto & Uranus
A very strong aspect that we are all
experiencing is the current relationship between Uranus and Pluto. The aspect is called a square, which
means the planets are 90 degrees apart.
Uranus and Pluto are outer planets, and as such they are very slow moving. You may or may not notice the effects of
this transit immediately, but it will become apparent in retrospect.
The energy of Uranus is like a strike of
lightning. It is sudden and
unexpected. Uranus can be
experienced as a streak of rebellion, or a need to be original, independent or nonconformist. Uranus concerns itself with technology,
humanitarian issues and the occult (astrology). Uranus takes approximately 84 years to make a complete
circle around the 360-degree horoscope.
Pluto was demoted from planetary status by
astronomers in 2006 and it is now considered to be a dwarf planet. Astrologers continue to recognize Pluto
as a planet and its effects in both the natal horoscope and by transit. Pluto takes anywhere from 12 to 35
years to complete its journey through one sign, therefore its effects are
termed generational. That is,
since it can take up to 35 years to transit through one sign, all of those born
in that time period share the same sign placement. For example, Pluto’s transit through Sagittarius lasted from
November of 1995 through November of 2008.
Pluto transits are very powerful. Pluto brings the energy of
transformation. Think of the
Phoenix rising from the ashes, this is Pluto - the never-ending cycle of birth
and death. Pluto also rules such things as
crime, waste, conception, the underworld, and atomic power.
Pluto started its journey through Capricorn
(structure, restriction, big business) in November of 2008, and Uranus entered
Aries (independence, assertion/aggression, leadership) in May of 2010. Can you anticipate what changes may be
brought about in society with these planets in relationship to each other?
Capricorn and Aries are Cardinal signs, and
those who have planets in these signs in their natal horoscope, along with
Libra and Cancer, are likely to feel this Pluto-Uranus square the most. Consult an astrologer to find out how
to prepare yourself to make the best of this long-lasting, change-inducing
transit.
A look back in time is very telling. Uranus and Pluto were last in a 90
degree aspect (square) to each other in April of 1932 to January of 1934.
Prohibition of alcohol In the USA was
abolished in 1933; the same year the US Congress passed the first minimum wage
law (33 cents an hour.) In April
of 1933, Nazi German began persecution of Jews, boycotting Jewish
businesses. In November of 1933,
Spain gave women the right to vote.
From January of 1901 to November of 1902,
Pluto and Uranus were in opposition (180 degrees apart.) In 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie
isolated the radioactive element, radium.
The Australian parliament agreed to female suffrage in July of
1902.
Uranus and Pluto were conjunct (0 degrees
apart) from October of 1965 until June of 1966. During this time there were protests against the Vietnam
conflict, a revival of the movement for women’s liberation, and civil rights
protests in the USA.
The current Pluto-Uranus square was first
exact on June 24, 2012 and there will be five more exact squares, the last of which will be on March 17,
2015.
Around the world there have been numerous
uprisings and rebellions, starting with the Arab Spring, which began in 2010
and is ongoing today. July of 2011
saw the start of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the USA, which is again, an
ongoing movement. Students
protested in London in 2012 against tuition and unemployment of the youth. Anti-austerity protesters also took to
the streets of London in the Fall of 2012.
Hang on tight, we’re in for a wild ride over
the next few years!
