Order of the Astrological houses and my natal chart and Stellium?

Question

So, the astrological houses/zodiac signs are in order from Aries to Pisces: you first have Aries, then Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

I recently purchased Astrology for Dummies, and I am confused when I read about the planets in different parts of my natal chart, because my natal chart describes:
Virgo is House 12 (It is my Ascendant at 28'58)
Leo is House 11 (Chiron at 11'04 and Mercury at 12'37)
My main sign, (Sun Sign) Cancer, is in House 10 (Sun at 16'43 and Venus at 23'35)
Gemini, my Midheaven, is in House 9 (Midheaven at 28'45)
Taurus is in House 8 (Juno at 25'22 and Mars at 17'23)
Aries is in House 7 (it's an empty house in my chart)
Pisces is House 6 (it is also an empty house)
Aquarius is House 5 (Saturn at 17'12, Retrograde, Ceres at 7'51, Retrograde)
Capricorn is House 4 (True Lilith at 25'31, Fortune at 18'19, Neptune at 17'36, Retrograde, Uranus at 16'00, Retrograde, and True North Node at 0'37)
Sagittarius is House 3 (Pallas at 23'04 Retrograde)
Scorpio is House 2 (Pluto at 20'17 Retrograde, Moon at 6'03)
Libra is House 1 (Vesta at 1'36)

And when I've read the book, I'm just.. I'm confused, when we read about the planets in our chart, do we read it as if in the order of how the zodiac signs are placed, or do we read it how everything in our chart is placed? (Example, "Sun in the tenth house....") I'm just really confused.

I also have another question -- I read about Stelliums, where you have 3 or more planets in a certain part of your chart. Allegedly it makes you more of a driven person or more powerful, I read in Astrology for Dummies. I have multiple aspects in Capricorn, does this mean I have a stellium in Capricorn?

My True North Node is in Capricorn at 0'37
Uranus Retrograde is in Capricorn at 16'00
Neptune Retrograde is in Capricorn at 17'36
Fortune is in Capricorn at 18'19
True Lilith is in Capricorn at 25'31

Answer 1

There are two kinds of charts: the "natural chart" and YOUR chart.

The "natural chart" is not anybody's chart ... it's most useful as a learning tool. To help you learn the order in which the constellations ARE in the sky. But not WHERE they were when YOU were born .. that's why you do your birth chart, to see where everything was when you were born.



The "natural chart" is also good for seeing how things are similar ... Aries, 1st house, and Mars are all similar. Taurus, 2nd house and Venus are all similar.



But you have to look at YOUR chart for YOU. It's a map of where everything was when you were born, as seen from your place of birth. With Sun in the 10th house, Sun was close to approaching the highest point in the sky, the midheaven (the true noon position of the Sun's path). A chart for someone born at about sunrise, will have their Sun rising in the east in the chart ... this is the 1st house cusp/the Ascendant/the Rising sign in the chart. Someone born at sunset, has their Sun setting in the West part of the chart ... the 7th house cusp/the Descendant.



As for signs and houses in YOUR chart. The houses are lines artifically drawn on the sky, dividing it up into 12 areas. If you have 28:58 Virgo Rising (your Ascendant) ... then your 1st house is a Virgo house, because it has Virgo on its cusp. Even though very little of Virgo is actually IN your 1st house, you use the sign that is on the cusp. Even though much of Libra will actually be IN your 1st house, it is still a Virgo house, because Virgo is on the cusp.

And ...

IF Virgo is also on the cusp of your 12th house then your 12th house is also a Virgo house. BUT if Leo is on the cusp of your 12th house, then your 12th house is a Leo house



As for stelliums, they don't make you more driven, nor more powerful. Each planet represents a particular need of yours, a particular part of your personality. IF you have 3 or more planets in a certain sign, then you "do" that sign a lot. You do it better than someone who only has 1 planet, or who has not planets, in that sign. But that also means that you won't be quite as versatile, because 3 or more of your needs are that sign, rather than being spread out among various signs.



Aspects are degrees of separation between planets ... 0 degrees apart, 60 degrees apart, 90 degrees apart, etc. For instance, Uranus at 16 Capricorn would be in a square aspect with any planet that was located between 8 Capricorn and 24 Capricorn.

When two planets/needs are in aspect to each other, this indicates how those two needs interact within you. But this has nothing to do with stelliums ... a planet with lots of aspects connects with many other needs within you. A planet with no aspects gets no support from other parts of your personality, but also no hindrance .. it stands alone and may be difficult to express that need because it doesn't "fit in" with the rest of your personality.



As for stelliums, only use the Sun, Moon, and planets (we call all of these "planets"). Do not use North Node. Do no use Fortuna. Do not use Lilith. You have only two planets in Capricorn, and this is not a stellium. Uranus is conjunct Neptune (an aspect of 0 degrees apart, plus or minus 8 degrees in either directioin). Both of these are also conjunct Fortuna. Neptune is conjunct Lilith, but Uranus is not (it is 9:31 degrees from Lilith, and that is too far, as only 8 degrees are allowed). Your North Node is not in aspect to any of your Capricorn placements.

Answer 2

When reading a chart, a person can start with any planet or placement they wish, regardless of the sign it occupies. The order that the zodiac follows is irrelevant to the analysis of a chart. Naturally certain signs are said to rule certain houses; indicating the affairs these houses govern in the natives life.The sign on a house cusp indicates how a native goes about those affairs.But the signs on the house cusps do not have to follow this order. The calculation of the Ascendant indicates the sign that was rising in the east in the exact time, date and place of the native's birth. This can be any of the 12 accepted zodiac signs.



I usually use a very simple formula for reading a chart.

1. Start with the basics. Look at the overall pattern of the chart? Where are most of the planets etc.

2. Look at the signs on the house cusps and their rulers.

3. Starting with the Sun, interpret the placements of all the planets by sign and house, following their orbital sequence more or less (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, etc.). Usually I take each planet and look at all the aspects it makes as well in this phase.



Example: Sun(Cancer) in the 10th house suggests a native that is very ambitious. Status and recognition are very important to them, as well as establishing a stable home life.

Sun conjunct Venus: The native is cheerful, easy-going and gets along well with superiors, especially female ones. etc...



Writing out your own interpretations is very helpful and enlightening.





A stellium is an aspect pattern that contains three or more planets in the same house, technically in conjunction. A stellium indicates a powerful focal point of energy for the native. The house and sign in which a stellium inhabits suggests the area in which this energy is focused in the chart. In this chart there is no stellium.

Answer 3

It is a stellium making you somewhat rebellious against you family and origins, but it gives you a deeply creative and imaginative nature.