A house can become potent and important – a House of Power – in different ways: if it contains the Sun, the Moon or the ‘ruler’ of your chart; if it contains more than one planet; or if the ruler of that house is receiving unusual stimulation from other planets.
1st House: Personal Image and Sensual Delights
2nd House: Money/Finance
3rd House: Communication and Intellectual Interests
4th House: Home and Family
5th House: Children, Fun, Games, Creativity, Speculations and Love Affairs
6th House: Health and Work
7th House: Love, Marriage and Social Activities
8th House: Transformation and Regeneration
9th House: Religion, Foreign Travel, Higher Education and Philosophy
10th House: Career
11th House: Friends, Group Activities and Fondest Wishes
12th House: Spirituality
Karma
Karma is the law of cause and effect which governs all phenomena. We are all where we find ourselves because of karma – because of actions we have performed in the past. The universe is such a balanced instrument that any act immediately sets corrective forces into motion – karma.
Long-term Planets
The planets that take a long time to move through a sign show the long-term trends in a given area of life. They are important for forecasting the prolonged view of things. Because these planets stay in one sign for so long, there are periods in the year when the faster-moving (short-term) planets will join them, further activating and enhancing the importance of a given house.
Jupiter: stays in a sign for about 1 year
Saturn: 2½ years
Uranus: 7 years
Neptune: 14 years
Pluto: 15 to 30 years
Lunar
Relating to the Moon. See also ‘Phases of the Moon’, below.
Natal
Literally means ‘birth’. In astrology this term is used to distinguish between planetary positions that occurred at the time of a person’s birth (natal) and those that are current (transiting). For example, Natal Sun refers to where the Sun was when you were born; transiting Sun refers to where the Sun’s position is currently at any given moment – which usually doesn’t coincide with your birth, or Natal, Sun.
Out of Bounds
The planets move through the zodiac at various angles relative to the celestial equator (if you were to draw an imaginary extension of the Earth’s equator out into the universe, you would have an illustration of this celestial equator). The Sun – being the most dominant and powerful influence in the Solar system – is the measure astrologers use as a standard. The Sun never goes more than approximately 23 degrees north or south of the celestial equator. At the winter solstice the Sun reaches its maximum southern angle of orbit (declination); at the summer solstice it reaches its maximum northern angle. Any time a planet exceeds this Solar boundary – and occasionally planets do – it is said to be ‘out of bounds’. This means that the planet exceeds or trespasses into strange territory – beyond the limits allowed by the Sun, the Ruler of the Solar system. The planet in this condition becomes more emphasized and exceeds its authority, becoming an important influence in the forecast.
Phases of the Moon
After the full Moon, the Moon seems to shrink in size (as perceived from the Earth), gradually growing smaller until it is virtually invisible to the naked eye – at the time of the next new Moon. This is called the waning Moon phase, or the waning Moon.
After the new Moon, the Moon gradually gets bigger in size (as perceived from the Earth) until it reaches its maximum size at the time of the full Moon. This period is called the waxing Moon phase, or waxing Moon.
Retrogrades
The planets move around the Sun at different speeds. Mercury and Venus move much faster than the Earth, while Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move more slowly. Thus there are times when, relative to the Earth, the planets appear to be going backwards. In reality they are always going forward, but relative to our vantage point on Earth they seem to go backwards through the zodiac for a period of time. This is called ‘retrograde’ motion and tends to weaken the normal influence of a given planet.
Short-term Planets
The fast-moving planets move so quickly through a sign that their effects are generally of a short-term nature. They reflect the immediate, day-to-day trends in a horoscope.
Moon: stays in a sign for only 2½ days
Mercury: 20 to 30 days
Sun: 30 days
Venus: approximately 1 month
Mars: approximately 2 months
T-square
A T-square differs from a Grand Square in that it is not a complete square. If you look at the pattern in a chart it appears as ‘half a complete square’, resembling the T-square tools used by architects and designers. If you cut a complete square in half, diagonally, you have a T-square. Many astrologers consider this more stressful than a Grand Square, as it creates tension that is difficult to resolve. T-squares bring learning experiences.
Transits
This refers to the movements or motions of the planets at any given time. Astrologers use the word ‘transit’ to make the distinction between a birth or Natal planet (see ‘Natal’, above) and the planet’s current movement in the heavens. For example, if at your birth Saturn was in the sign of Cancer in your 8th house, but is now moving through your 3rd house, it is said to be ‘transiting’ your 3rd house. Transits are one of the main tools with which astrologers forecast trends.
Virgo
THE VIRGIN
Birthdays from
22nd August to
22nd September
Personality Profile
VIRGO AT A GLANCE
Element: Earth
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Career Planet: Mercury
Love Planet: Neptune
Money Planet: Venus
Planet of Home and Family Life: Jupiter
Planet of Health and Work: Uranus
Planet of Pleasure: Saturn
Planet of Sexuality: Mars
Colours: earth tones, ochre, orange, yellow
Colour that promotes love, romance and social harmony: aqua blue
Colour that promotes earning power: jade green
Gems: agate, hyacinth
Metal: quicksilver
Scents: lavender, lilac, lily of the valley, storax
Quality: mutable (= flexibility)
Quality most needed for balance; a broader perspective
Strongest virtues: mental agility, analytical skills, ability to pay attention to detail, healing powers
Deepest needs: to be useful and productive
Characteristic to avoid: destructive criticism
Signs of greatest overall compatibility: Taurus, Capricorn
Signs