Birth Chart Basics: The Sun Signs Part II
I don’t know about you guys, but it feels like 2021 is already whipping past me before I could even brace myself to face it. If you’re feeling scattered, or ready to make some life changes but you’re unsure of where to start, check out my blog post about setting achievable + sustainable aspirations for the new year. I hope you find what you’re looking for, and if not, I hope you find the patience to surrender to the unknown and allow 2021 to serve you however it deems necessary. While I’m a believer that we co-create our reality with the universe, I also know we must be willing to slow down and receive (lessons, blessings, opportunities).
Last week, we covered the first half of the Zodiac Signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo). Now it’s time to dive into the Autumnal + Winter signs: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
Birth Charts + the practice of astrology is all about learning the basics and then using that knowledge to make connections between signs, nodes, asteroids, planets, houses, and aspects within the chart + the general cosmos. So far, we’ve covered everything mentioned—excluding aspects and asteroids, but those will come soon I promise! Are you seeing the connection between the Signs and the Planets? Are you waking up to some major a-ha! moments about yourself + your relationships? Are you finding that you’re more patient with others now that you better understand the complexity within us all? Astrology is an insanely powerful tool for understanding insanely abstract + intense parts of ourselves and of our lives.
Now let’s get into the final 6 signs of the Zodiac and learn a little more about what makes being human so damn complicated.
Libra—Harmony
September 23 - October 22
Mode: Cardinal—Autumn
Element: Air
Ruler: Venus
House: 7th
Symbol: The Scales
True to the symbol of the scales, Libra energy is all about finding balance + harmony in self, in life, and in relationship. What is balanced is in true harmony, and a Libra’s eye for all that is harmonious lends them well to careers + hobbies in producing or curating beautiful things.
Libras are the token peace-maker, able to step outside a situation and analyze all sides, ultimately able to identify the best possible solution for all pirates involved. The ‘lover not a fighter’ nature of a Libra can easily fall victim to bending—even breaking—at the whim of others needs, and they must learn how to stand firmly for their own needs.
Libras will also find it easy to skate on the peaceful surface of life, and will need to push themselves to dig deeper + seek hard truths. Peace-making could lead to over-investing in others drama, so pick battles wisely.
Libra, comfy in the 7th house of partnership, will feel naturally inclined + invested in personal relationships. Libra placements in the chart identify where in life we will need to find balance, what we feel is harmonious, and where strong relationships can manifest.
Scorpio—Intensity
October 23 - November 21
Mode: Fixed—Autumn
Element: Water
Ruler: Pluto
House: 8th
Symbol: The Scorpion
Mysteries, cloaked in strong armor, taboo and intense—that’s the external make-up of Scorpion energy. Scorpios dig deep, looking for the juiciest, darkest, most hidden parts of the world, of others, and of themselves.
A Scorpio will easily and covertly uncover all which you wish to keep secret, and they will fiercely guard those secrets behind strong layers of mystery. These fixed water signs are inherently perceived as distant or even intimidating, but Scorpions are simply guarding deeply intense vulnerability.
Keeping strong emotions within, Scorpios utilize the shadow parts of themselves as a catalyst for transformation from the inside out—they’re ruled by Pluto, so you know the vulnerable + cataclysmic energy is strong with them.
A Scorpio’s longing for deep emotional connection and intimacy can lead to some major trust issues—it’s not so easy to gain access to them, but these fixed signs will not abandon whoever they deem worthy of gaining that access.
Scorpio placement in the chart points to where you will need to dig deep, where intense emotion + regeneration will occur, and what your curiosity + taboo appetite will be most interested in uncovering.
Sagittarius—Enthusiasm
November 22 - December 21
Mode: Mutable—Autumn
Element: Fire
Ruler: Jupiter
House: 9th
Symbol: The Archer
Like the expansive + larger-than-life energy of Jupiter, a Sagittarius is here to explore, to manifest, and to seek knowledge that lies far beyond us. A natural go-getter with the optimism to transform any obstacle into an opportunity, Sag energy is truly reserved for visionaries, adventure-seekers, philosophers, class-clowns, and courageous leaders.
Highly sociable and undeniably charming, the Sagittarius will explore any + all experiences, collect all that is important, and come back to teach the rest of us about it. Constant motion, questions, expeditions, and enthusiasm are the fiery arrows with which these archers pierce life with brevity and deadly accuracy—blessed by the ‘lucky star’ of Jupiter.
These archers require freshness, excitement, and most importantly, freedom. A Sag must learn how to interpret + properly follow their laser-focused intuition. Misguided or flakey investments could cause a Sag to be a master-of-none. They need to use their arrows on something worth pinning down and learn to commit to what they’ve caught.
Sag placements in the chart govern where freedom, exploration, and quests for deeper meaning will be required of you.
Capricorn—Duty
December 22 - January 19
Mode: Cardinal—Winter
Element: Earth
Ruler: Saturn
House: 10th
Symbol: The Goat
Dignity and grit are the Capricorn badges of honor. Ruled by disciplined Saturn, Capricorns know how to get the job done and they have the master plan to achieve sustainable + impressive success.
Capricorns don’t fuck around when it comes to duty, so procrastination or laziness or the burdens of others do little to sway their determination to follow their chosen path. These goats can scale any mountain, no matter the time or effort that it requires.
Caps are resilient, willing to show up every single day and stay committed when the rest of us have thrown in the towel. This drive is no burden for a Cap—they like putting in the work, they find fulfillment in paying their dues, they indulge in the material gains that come from a good life of work.
A Cap knows that the devotion pays off and they value materiality + traditional tokens of authentic success. Loving work + being inexhaustible = easily falling into workaholic hustle or isolation from others + avoidance of emotions that can be drowned out or ignored by the grind. Don’t lose your integrity or your sight of what truly matters in the pursuit of success or reputation.
Capricorn placements in the chart reveal where your ambition, grit, and resilient work ethic will be needed for long-term success.
Aquarius—Rebellion
January 20 - February 18
Mode: Fixed—Winter
Element: Air
Ruler: Uranus
House: 11th
Symbol: The Water-Bearer
Aquarius is a rebel with a cause—a drum hellbent on making up its own beat and determined to spark new flames ahead. This humanitarian spirit flourishes in the fight for a good cause. Tradition and comfort leaves a bad taste in the water-bearers mouth.
This unique, high voltage rebel will come into this life ready to challenge, change, and rebuild that which no longer serves themselves or the collective. Aquarians drive social + political + technological change, and they do so for the greater good of all.
Fiercely protective of independence, for others and for themselves, this sign cannot be tamed or held down. Often detached, because they can be so far ahead on their own path, others may feel they are on another planet entirely—and they are.
The challenge of an Aquarius is to find grounding + practice mindfulness to avoid spacing out of reality entirely.
Aquarian placements in the chart show where innovation, powerful knowledge, passionate fights for change, and community will be most valuable to you.
Pisces—Intuition
February 19 - March 20
Mode: Mutable—Winter
Element: Water
Ruler: Neptune
House: 12th
Symbol: The Fish
Sensitive, empathic, ethereal—A Pisces lives in a world of emotion, in the dreamy nuances of existence, off the material grid entirely. A Pisces will long to transcend, and they feel constrained + uneasy in the confines of the more mundane + trivial aspects of reality.
These fluid signs understand the true meaning of oneness. They innately tap into the collective emotion of the universe. Being this sensitive makes them sponges, easily soaking up the energy—good or bad—of anyone in their sphere of influence.
The most skillful of escape artists, Pisces will often use creativity, substances, relationships, and spirituality to dissolve or detach from real life. This can be beautiful + enlightened or it can result in addiction + substance abuse.
A Pisces strives to serve powers + causes that are greater than themselves, and their mutable energy helps them adapt + evolve through any hardship on their journey to fulfillment. A Pisces will need to find balance, to seek healthy forms of transcendence, and protect their innate vulnerability.
Pisces in the chart shows where you will be most sensitive, impressionable, creative, and in need of some healthy boundary setting.
We did it! Can you believe it? We’ve successfully covered, what I believe to be, the fundamental pieces of beginning our journey toward astrological advancement. Over the past few months, we toured the Houses, we met the inner + outer planets, we unearthed our karmic path by uncovering our north + south nodes, and now we’ve transited all 12 signs of the zodiac. Like any heavenly body, we’ve returned from a challenging + expansive orbit across our solar system and—you guessed it—we’re still back here at square one.
The number one thing I’m learning from studying astrology is, well, that you have to study it—a lot. Luckily, it’s a new year with loads of time to invest ahead of us. I encourage you, and myself, to go back through all of the birth chart basics (linked throughout this post and in the list below). Through memorization + application, this knowledge will be the stable foundation of our astrological (or generally spiritual) development ahead.
Drop me a DM on instagram and let me know what you’ve learned about yourself + others + the universe by getting in to this practice, and if there’s any areas we covered you feel might need deeper exploration on the blog—as an Aquarius, you know I’m willing to dig deeper into this stuff if it means we’ll all benefit + grow from the knowledge shared.
It’s been empowering, and maybe a little daunting, to collect this research and provide it to you all! For the next few weeks, I’ll be returning to my notes and digging deeper into my practice using the resources I’ve listed below. I won’t be gone long though, but I will be returning in February (yay for Aquarius season!) with a new set of birth chart basics to share.
Until then, keep up the good fight for making 2021 a year of magic for you and for the people you value most. Whatever may come our way in this first quarter of the year isn’t anything we can’t handle, especially knowing we made it out of 2020—for the most part, and hopefully for the better.
my birth chart basics series
PODCASTS
BOOKS
Astrology for Real Relationships: Understanding You, Me, and How We All Get Along
Jessica Lanyadoo
Vanessa Montgomery