What Is Astrology? A Beginner's Guide

May 2024 · 10 minute read

If you still feel out of the loop when you hear terms like Mercury retrograde or natal chart, then you've come to the right place. Hey, don't feel bad — it's perfectly normal to ask yourself, "What is astrology?" Even professional astrologers continue to learn and practice the art throughout their lives.

Here, we break down the key building blocks of astrology to help you understand the language of the sky — and help you keep up the next time your friend brings up their crush's zodiac sign at brunch.

What Is Astrology?

"Astrology is the study of the connection between celestial activity ... and earthly events," said April Elliott Kent, my mentor and author of The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology: Everything from Zodiac Signs to Prediction, Made Easy and Entertaining. "Those who practice astrology are called astrologers."

Earthly events include career, relationship, and wellness insights in your weekly or monthly horoscope — which explain how the planets' current movements are affecting you based on where the planets were when you were born.

Pros also use astrology to explain (or even predict) current events, social trends, and financial markets. We can also take an in-depth look at your personality or your compatibility with others based on your personal astrology — aka your birth chart.

What the Planets Mean

Getty Images / Christoph Hetzmannseder

Each celestial body in our solar system serves a purpose in astrology.

In your personal astrology (more on that in a moment), each planet or luminary offers insight into different pieces of your personality and life. You might also hear that from July 23 to August 22, the sun is in Leo — a fire sign symbolized by the Lion, offering up more confidence and fueling bold action.

Here's the basic symbolism for each of the main planets, luminaries, and points in the sky:

Sun: Confidence, self-image, self-esteem, sense of self, and identity

Moon: Emotions, sense of safety, security, values, and intuition

Mercury: Communication, information-gathering, and research

Venus: Love and beauty, passion, relationships, pleasure, art, and money

Mars: Action, energy, sexual expression, and courage

Jupiter: Luck and abundance

Saturn: Rules, limitations, boundaries, and discipline

Uranus: Change, rebellion, breakthroughs, and sudden events

Pluto: Transformation, death, rebirth, and power

North & South Nodes: These mathematical points on a chart are always opposite one another. The north node represents the karmic path you're meant to move toward in this life. The south node is what you're already well-versed in, perhaps as a result of early or past life experience.

Rising sign/ascendant: The sign that was ascending on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth is considered your rising or ascendant. It speaks to the image you project out into the world, and it offers insight into the skills, talents, and strategies you might adopt to make your way in life.

Some astrologers also use Chiron, a comet that orbits between Saturn and Uranus, the dwarf planet Ceres, and asteroids like Pallas, Vesta, and Juno.

The 12 Zodiac Signs

The zodiac is divided into 12 equal signs that comprise parts of a pie, so to speak: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Planets and luminaries spend time in each of the signs, which is why we'll say something like, "The moon is in Libra today" or "Mars was in Capricorn when I was born."

Each of the 12 signs has unique traits, desires, and M.O.s, if you will. A few must-knows on each:

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

The cardinal fire sign's dynamism, impulsivity, and appetite for victory make them exciting, fun, courageous, and fearless. They're your rockstar lawyer, teammate, the politician you would drop everything to canvas for, and the best friend who will go to bat for you time and again.

More on Aries here

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

The fixed earth sign's resolute character, pragmatism, patience, and love of luxury make them loyal, loving, and soothing to be around. They're your favorite chef, Netflix and chill companion, or friend who plans the most memorable spa day (even if it just entails throwing on a luxe face mask and sipping rosé at home).

More on Taurus here

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

Curious, enthusiastic, clever, and friendly, you can count on the mutable air sign to bring excitement, animated conversation, and fun-loving, lively energy to the table. Data, research, and discussing the top trending news stories are like a go-to sugar fix for Geminis.

More on Gemini here

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

The cardinal water sign is known for being nurturing, sensitive, self-protective, and security-seeking. They're also loving and display a goofy, ingratiating sense of humor. They tend to prioritize — and occasionally twist themselves into knots — to make most people in their life feel even slightly more comfortable and secure.

More on Cancer here

Leo (July 23 - August 22)

The fixed fire sign is full of life and positivity, commanding the spotlight in a way that's sure to entertain, engage, and inspire others. Independent-minded and fun to be around, you can rely on Leos to help you see the bright side of any situation and feel ready to take on the world.

More on Leo here

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)

Grounded empaths and lovers of language, knowledge, and being of service to those they love, the mutable earth sign is brimming with helpful information and action steps. They're also one of the first people to offer a shoulder to lean or cry on. As the brainy A-students of the zodiac, Virgos are quick to share what they know to steer the ship in the right direction.

More on Virgo here

Libra (September 22 - October 23)

Harmony-seeking social butterflies whose hearts are drawn to art, music, dance, and connecting with others, the cardinal air sign is on a perpetual mission to make life lighthearted, fun, and fairer. They're the designers of the zodiac, eager to take any messy space and infuse it with beauty, and in cases where the scales of justice are off-kilter, they'll pursue equity.

More on Libra here

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)

The fixed water sign is extremely private, even secretive, about subjects they consider near and dear to their hearts and being intensely sexual (whether or not they're willing to open up about that side of them). They're fiercely magnetic, often managing to effortlessly command the spotlight. Spiritual, wise, and enchanting, you can guarantee that the Scorpios in your life will inspire and empower you to pinpoint and live your truth.

More on Scorpio here

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)

Philosophical, curious, and determined to take the world by storm, the mutable fire sign tends to embrace a YOLO perspective. They're the multi-hyphenate entertainers of the zodiac, coming off as gregarious, lively, and dynamic. They adore soaking up all the knowledge they can, especially about other cultures, distant travel destinations, politics, and social justice.

More on Sagittarius here

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

Industrious, practical, organized, and stable, the cardinal earth sign is constantly inspiring. Their need to put in relentless work to get to the top of the professional mountain extends to their personal lives, as they tend to be ambitious in looking after their health, families, and long-term friendships.

More on Capricorn here

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)

Free-spirited, personable, independent-minded, and humanitarian, the fixed air sign is committed to questioning — and perhaps outright rejecting — the status quo. Their appetite for the community is also inspiring, as is their tendency to question, mull, explore, and experiment.

More on Aquarius here

Pisces (February 19 - March 20)

Romantic, artistic, intensely empathic, and sensitive, the mutable water sign is the obvious creative of the zodiac. When they channel their emotions into their favorite art form, they feel more centered and enlightened. Empathic and probably the most in tune with the metaphysical of any sign, Pisces are some of the most magical people you'll ever come in contact with.

More on Pisces here

What Your Natal (or Birth) Chart Means

When typically asked, "What's your sign?," the most basic answer is the zodiac sign the sun was in when you were born. However, that's just one detail in your larger astrological story. As professional astrologers, we look at a whole chart — which you can think of as a snapshot of the sky when you were born. Your birth chart is informed by month, year, time, and birthplace.

This means even two people born on the same month, day, and year — but at different times and in different locations — will have different charts. That's because all the celestial bodies move at different rates through the signs.

For instance, the moon moves roughly every two and a half days. Depending on its retrograde phases, Mercury can spend anywhere from 15 to 60 days in a sign. If you know the precise time and location you came into the world, you can create an accurate snapshot of the sky at the time of your birth.

From that info, you can cast what's referred to as a natal or birth chart. This illustrates not only what signs the planets and luminaries (the sun and moon) were in when you were born, but other info that offers even more insight into your astrological wiring — like houses, degrees, and aspects.

Other Key Details of Astrology

So you've figured out that your sun is in Cancer, but your moon is in Aquarius, and if you're looking at an actual astrological chart sliced into 12, you'll see the house that each celestial body "resides" in as well.

You might even notice numbers — sun at 13 degrees Cancer, the moon at 25 degrees Aquarius, Mercury at 4 degrees Virgo, and so forth. All of these details will come into play when you're learning how various pieces of your astrological puzzle interact with one another and the planets' current movements.

Houses: Just as there are 12 zodiac signs, there are 12 houses in your chart — each representing a different area of life. When you have that exact birth time, you're able to determine the house in which planets, luminaries, and other features or points in the sky are located in your chart.

Degrees: This is like the exact "address" of each planet within each sign — which comes into play when you're looking at transits or how the astrology of the day, week, or month will affect your chart.

Aspects: This is how the planets interact with one another. For instance, your moon might be just a couple of degrees away from your rising sign. These relationships speak to your personality — as well as your strengths and challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

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