Astrology Basics: What, How, Where, and How They Relate
Building Blocks of a Birth Chart
- Planets = What — the core drives and functions (identity, emotions, mind, love, action, growth, discipline, change, dreams, power).
- Signs = How — the style, tone, and archetype that color those drives (e.g., direct like Aries, grounded like Taurus, curious like Gemini).
- Houses = Where — the life arenas where those drives play out (self, money, communication, home, creativity, work, partnership, etc.).
- Aspects = How They Relate — the angles between planets, showing whether energies cooperate, challenge, or transform one another.
What Are the Planets?
行星 describe the core drives and “What” is acting in the chart. They are the active characters in the story, expressing themselves through the signs (How), operating within the houses (Where), and interacting through aspects (How They Relate). A common reading sequence is: Planet → Sign → House → Aspect.
Personal Planets (Self & Daily Life)
Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars
Social Planets (Growth & Responsibility)
Jupiter, Saturn
Outer Planets (Generational & Transformative)
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
- 太阳 — Identity, vitality, will, direction; “Who I am and what I aim to become.”
- 月亮 — Emotions, instincts, needs, comfort; “How I feel safe and nurtured.”
- 汞 — Thinking, learning, communication, movement; “How I process and express.”
- 金星 — Love, values, beauty, relationships, pleasure; “What I love and attract.”
- 火星 — Action, desire, courage, drive; “How I assert and take initiative.”
- 木星 — Growth, luck, wisdom, expansion; “Where I find opportunities and meaning.”
- 土星 — Discipline, limits, structure, responsibility; “Where I must mature and commit.”
- 天王星 — Innovation, freedom, sudden change; “Where I break free and reinvent.”
- 海王星 — Imagination, dreams, spirituality, compassion; “Where boundaries blur and inspiration flows.”
- 冥王星 — Power, depth, shadow, transformation; “Where I must face change and rebirth.”
What Are the Signs?
The twelve 十二星座 describe the archetypal styles through which planetary energy is expressed. They shape temperament, motivations, and behavior. Each sign carries both positive traits to cultivate and challenging traits to refine, giving us a vocabulary for the many ways human nature is expressed.
What Are the Houses?
The twelve 房屋 represent different arenas of life where planetary energy plays out. While planets show what is acting and signs show 如何, houses reveal 在哪里 this influence is felt—whether in self-identity, relationships, career, or spirituality. Understanding houses grounds astrology in lived experience.
What Are Aspects?
方面 are the angular relationships between planets. They describe how planetary drives interact—whether they cooperate harmoniously, challenge each other, or demand transformation. In practice, aspects reveal the chemistry between different parts of the psyche.
黄道十二宫中的行星
4 Angles in Zodiac Signs
- ☉ 太阳
- ☽ 月亮
- ☿ 水星
- ♀ 金星
- ♂ 火星
- ♃ 木星
- ♄ 土星
- ♅ 天王星
- ♆ 海王星
- ♇ 冥王星