Let's get real, and a wee bit honest, ok? You're likely here because you're ready to tackle this thing called astrology.
If you’re new to the stars, astrology basics for beginners often start with the Big Three: your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, each revealing a core layer of your personality.
And in this guide, I'll cover the Big Three, but more importantly, I'll share with you what makes astrology what it is, and how you can start reading your birth chart.
Ready? Great! Get your notebook out and your fave silly pen or marker, and start taking notes.
Table of Contents
What Is Astrology?
Astrology is an ancient practice that connects our lives with the positions of the planets and stars at the moment we’re born.
If you’re new to astrology, think of it as a personal GPS, giving insight into your strengths, patterns, and how you connect with others.
Astrology can also be considered a tool, a language of sorts, that gives us humans a way to understand ourselves in a non-biased way.
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What Is a Birth Chart?
The first thing you learn about astrology, is this thing called the birth chart (also called a natal chart) which stands out as the heart of self-understanding.
The birth cart is calculated based on the exact date, time, and place you were born. Imagine it as your personal snapshot of the sky the moment you entered the world.
Without a birth chart, most of astrology stays on the surface. With it, things get personal and that's where real insight lives and where the bad TikTok memes begin. 😉
Your birth chart can indicate:
- Your natural gifts
- Patterns in relationships
- The best times to act or reflect
- Where you feel at home or out of place
- and so much more!
Most astrology newbies, only know of their “star” sign, not realizing there's multiple players involved in astrology.
Your birth chart includes 10 planets, all 12 Zodiac signs, 12 astrological houses, the 4 angles, and lines, aka astrological aspects.
And the combo of those 5 things make you unique! Sure, you may have a birth chart twin out there in the world, but at the end of the day, you're a unique star 🙌
Astrology Basics For Beginners
Now, let's get into the meat of things. There are five key pieces that structure every chart: Zodiac signs, Planets, Houses, Angles, and Aspects.
Each brings a different type of insight, from personality patterns to life themes.
1. Zodiac Signs: Your Astrological DNA
The Zodiac Signs are the first symbols most of us meet in astrology, and what most of society sees as the whole of astrology.
You likely know your “star” sign, aka your Sun Sign, and didn't realize there was more to it. Each birthday, you celebrate your Sun Sign, because that's when the Sun has returned to the place it was when you were born.
And…. as I mentioned before, there are 12 zodiac signs and your chart contains all of them. And each sign acts as a “personality filter” that colors how each planet in your chart expresses itself.
Every Zodiac sign brings distinct strengths, quirks, and energy.
For more insights on what the Zodiac signs are about, check out this complete guide to zodiac sign meanings that I created for the newbies.
2. Ten Planets With Their Own Mission
In your birth chart, you will notice 10 glyphs or symbols that represents each planet.
And each planet's location in a natal chart tells you what Zodiac sign it's in, and what astrological house it sits in.
Think of the ten planets as the WHAT in your life, the Zodiac signs tell you HOW that energy is being expressed by the planets. And the houses, tell you WHERE in your life that planet's energy is focused.
Like the Zodiac signs, each planet has a role in astrology:
- Sun: Your core identity and purpose.
- Moon: Emotions, comfort, and what feels like home.
- Mercury: How you think and communicate.
- Venus: Love style, what you value, and attraction.
- Mars: Your drive, willpower, and how you express anger.
- Jupiter: How you grow, what brings you luck, and your personal beliefs.
- Saturn: Where you face challenges, build discipline, and learn life’s big lessons.
- Uranus: How you break the mold, seek freedom, and bring sudden change.
- Neptune: Your dreams, imagination, and how you connect to the unseen or spiritual.
- Pluto: Where you hold deep power, transform, and face intense personal evolution.
In your birth chart, these cosmic influences shape your day-to-day habits, needs, and how you maneuver in life.
The planets can also tell you about your life events, themes and cycles.
3. Twelve Houses of Astrology
The next big thing to learn is the houses. Think of the houses as rooms in a house, each representing a different life area.
For example, the 2nd house is about money, values and self-worth. Whereas the 8th house is about shared resources, intimacy and transformation.
Your planets landing in certain houses tells you where in life their energy plays out the strongest.
For example, I have Mars in 12th House, which tells me I need solo time in order to recuperate. Perhaps you have Venus in the 7th house? That tells me that there's a focus on love and relationships in your life.
Want to know more? Here's a more in-depth guide on the 12 astrology houses and their meaning.
4. The Angles, such as the Rising Sign
The next thing to cover and answer is what is a Rising Sign?
The Rising Sign, and the 3 other angles in your birth chart are calculated based on your exact birth time and location, and they mark the crosspoints of the horizon and meridian at the moment you were born.
The angles are: the Rising Sign (Ascendant), the IC (Imum Coeli), the Descendant, and the MC (Midheaven).
These 4 points anchor your chart and represent major themes like identity, home life, relationships, and your public path. The Rising Sign, in particular, shows how you meet the world and is key to understanding how others perceive you.
5. Aspects, aka The Lines In Your Birth Chart
Now we get into the more complicated part of astrology: aspects.
Aspects are the angles and connections between planets in your birth chart. They show how different parts of you interact… like your thoughts, emotions, drive, and more.
In most birth charts, aspects appear as blue lines (usually harmonious), red lines (typically challenging), and green lines (often minor or quirky), or a mix of all three.
Think of them as conversations between different parts of yourself. They can be supportive, tense, or somewhere in between.
The meaning of astrology aspects in your chart reveals how your inner energies cooperate or conflict and how that dynamic shapes your life experiences.
So, that covers the core 5 buckets of what makes a birth chart, now, let's get into how to explore your chart.
How to Start Exploring Your Chart
If you’re ready to peek at what makes you “you,” here’s a simple path to exploring your birth chart:
1. Generate Your Birth Chart – First order of business is to gather your birth date, exact birth time, and location. I know… I know… an exact birth time is a hard thing to find at times.
Have no fear though, I have a solution, you can follow my instructions on how to read your birth chart without a time.
Now that you have your info, head over to Astro.com and generate your chart with Whole Sign houses.
2. Find Your Big Three: Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs — Knowing your Big 3 is a great place to start as a beginner. Understanding those core 3 natal placements, even if they're the same, can bring so much clarity to your world.
The Rising, or Ascendant, is generally indicated as either AC or Asc in your birth chart. Remember, each of these placements sits within a Zodiac sign and a house.
Your Rising sign, for the most part, will be in the 1st House of Self.
3. Stick With The 3 Signs For Now — When you see your birth chart, it’s tempting to try to understand everything at once. I always suggest starting small and focusing on these things:
- Look at the Zodiac signs your Sun, Moon, and Rising are in
- Notice which houses these three land in
Need help with this task? Then head over to my post on Sun, Moon and Rising sign meanings for more details.
4. Then ask yourself these questions:
- How do I express myself outwardly versus how I feel inwardly? This helps you to understand your Sun vs. your Moon.
- How do others perceive me compared to how I perceive myself? This question invites you to understand your Rising sign
- Where do I feel most “myself,” and what situations challenge that sense of self? This encourages a more integrated view of the Big Three: noticing when your Sun (ego), Moon (emotions), and Ascendant (persona) are aligned or in conflict.
Get to know your Big 3 in a Big WAY….
Honestly, once you have somewhat of a solid understanding of those 3 items, you'll be more prepared to go further into your birth chart.
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Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
Alright, now that you have the basics in hand, let me give you some tips on the common birth chart reading mistakes many beginners get tripped up on.
- Don't tackle the whole chart at once, that will only lead to frustration for you
- Ignoring the Zodiac Signs that have no planet with it, is no bueno. Learn the entire zodiac so you can learn your houses more easily.
- Don't make any predictions for yourself or others until you fully understand the basics: Zodiac, houses and planets
- There's no need to rush in your studies, go slow and take your time in learning this new language
- And, last but not least, are you taking notes? or just hoping your brain will remember everything? Take notes!
And as a newbie, don't forget that there's many misconceptions and astrology myths beginners should ignore.
What’s Next?
And we've come to the end of this story… wah wah 😉 Your next order of business is to grab my self-discovery birth chart freebie so you can keep the momentum flowing!
Then, drop me a comment, and let me know your Big Three. Mine are: Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Pisces Rising. I'm a water and air baby. You?
And if you're seeking more support in your journey, check out my monthly membership: Unveiled Path Circle. That's where I share more in-depth guides, mini-courses, and monthly calls to help you decode your birth chart.
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