Birth Chart basics : The 2 Wheels & Planets
image : 2 wheels of a Sidereal chart
Astrology is comparable to a type of language. Language has rules and technicalities but can also be used to express and describe less defined realms of the soul. Think of poetry, song, recounting dreams or describing feelings. The language of Sidereal astrology is used to express a philosophical and energetic paradigm of connection to the cosmos and evolutionary flow of the soul. It uses symbols because symbols can convey a hundred words with one glyph.
earth and The sun’s path
When we look at our solar system from outer space we see that Earth and the planets all orbit around the Sun.
The planets all orbit on a similar plane.
But our experience on Earth is that,
the Sun moves around the Earth, around us.
Creating day and night.
The path the Sun makes across the sky is called the ‘ecliptic’.
The planets all follow a similar path across the sky as they all orbit on a similar plane.
The planets sometimes appear to move in both directions due to the rotation of the Earth on its own axis as it orbits the Sun.
These are the 2 circles of an astrological chart.
Inner circle : Earth
Outer circle : The Sky Path ; The Sun’s path across the sky that the planets loosely follow.
time on earth – The inner Circle
Let’s elaborate on the inner circle representing Earth.
It is divided into 12 equal parts like a clock.
This represents ‘earth time’ or how we organize (our) time on Earth.
There are 12 hours of day, 12 hours of night and 12 months of a solar (Gregorian) year.
These 12 divisions are known in astrology as the ‘houses’.
They are the areas in our life WHERE things happen in our earthly experience.
(During a reading, no need to remember what each house means unless you want to.
Leave it to the Astrologer to translate and mention the meanings as many times as necessary.)
The houses are numbered 1-12 in an anti-clockwise direction. But sometimes they can be read clockwise as well.
The sky path – The outer circle
Now let’s elaborate on the outer circle representing the Sky Path.
Stars and constellations fill the sky.
Only some constellations are positioned on the ‘ecliptic’, the Sun’s path in the sky.
These constellations are the zodiac constellations.
They make up the outer wheel, the ‘Sky Path’. The outer wheel expands beyond ‘earth time’ into cycles of, soul and collective evolution, sidereal (star) and cosmic time.
Sidereal Astrology respects the natural size variations of the zodiac constellations and includes the 13th zodiac sign, Ophiucus which lies in the direction of the Galactic Center.
The zodiac constellations are known as the ‘signs’.
The signs describe our experiences and HOW events may take place. The signs are representative of the energetic star qualities of each constellation as well as a reflection of the collective archetypes of the human psyche. Psyche means the soul, spirit and mind.
The outer wheel can be elaborated on more, but we are keeping it simple for the purpose of this passage. There are a few more objects and placements on the outer wheel which are important in chart reading. For example, particularly bright stars near the ecliptic like Sirius and the Pleiades may play an important roll in your personal chart.
The two wheels; the Earth and the Sky Path create the astrological arena.
The position of the inner wheel stays the same for everyone. The
position of the outer wheel changes depending on when and where you were born.
Sidereal Astrology includes the ‘precession of the equinox’ in it’s calculations of the position of the outer wheel. ( More on that soon. Link to passage here).
You are connected to the whole Earth and the whole Sky!
You will resonate with most of or all of the signs and houses on some level. We all share similar areas of life and we are all exposed to the sky.
But sometimes, that general expansive perspective is not the most helpful for growth and personalized insight.
So how do we focus in on what is unique and specific to you?
the planets
Enter the Sun, Moon, planets, comets and asteroids. These bring focus and guide direction and attention in the chart.
Like shining a flashlight in the immense potential of your being. They show us WHAT we are looking for and at.
Planets have ‘qualities’ or ‘personalities’. These qualities reflect and represent qualities within us and the collective consciousness.
The Sun and stars create light. Planets and moons are like big rocks in space.
They do not create light, yet we see them in the sky because they reflect the light of the Sun and stars.
They absorb, focus, reflect and direct energy and/or intention. Their specific positions in a chart (what sign and house they are in) determines and defines how certain qualities are being expressed.
photo : Venus (NASA)
the PLanetary Aspects
The planets don’t float around alone and in isolation. They have specific placements and interact with each other in a significant way. In astrology we call the significant
interactions of the planets ‘aspects’. The aspects are the dynamics of a chart, the interconnections that ‘tie’ the entire chart together and express the unique patterns. As if ‘weaving’ in a narrative or sacred grid that is unique to you.
A short recap : The planets show us WHAT (part of you) we are looking at. The houses show us WHERE in life things are taking place. The signs show us HOW events are unfolding as well as offer advice on HOW to act. The aspects express the interconnections and unique patterns.
A crystal Grid Metaphor
Imagine the sky as a massive – multidimensional – moving crystal grid in space. The rocks are the planets, their locations are the houses, the grid structure are the aspects, the intention or psyche and starlight energy that infuse each rock are the signs.
A birth chart is a snapshot of this multidimensional crystal grid at the moment of your first breath. Reading a birth chart is like uncovering the structure of your unique cosmic crystal grid and the journey you can take to harness it’s potential through a paradigm of cosmic connection, soul evolution and life purpose aligned with the stars.
