7. Scroll down to the list called POSITIONS OF HOUSES. Why is it in red? Because this is the one you need to understand in order to figure out where a new moon falls or a transiting planet is visiting in your natal chart.
The Position of Houses tells you where each house (section) begins and ends in your chart. There are 12 houses and there are 12 signs, and most of you will have a different sign on each house. However, some of you (like me) will have the same sign on more than one house. If you fall into this group, then you have what's known as an "intercepted chart." At some point in the future, I'll talk about the meaning of intercepted charts but not today.
If you have an intercepted chart, there's an additional instruction for you at the end of this section.
Now it's time for you to set up your own horoscope wheel!
8. Look at the horoscope wheel.
(a) There is an outer ring that goes around the entire wheel.
(b) There are 12 houses (sections) separated by dividing lines.
(c) The dividing lines are called house cusps (or cusp for short).
(d) A house cusp is the gateway (entrance) into the house and marks where the house begins.
(e) The house numbers go in a counter-clockwise direction.
(f) This means that every house begins at the cusp (dividing line) that appears before the house number.
This is extremely important because if you screw this up, you screw up the chart. To help ensure you get it right, look at the chart.
The ASCENDANT (rising sign) is the starting point of the 1st house. The 1st house cusp is the line that separates 12 and 1.
The IMUM COELI is the starting point of the 4th house. The 4th house cusp is the line that separates numbers 3 and 4.
The DESCENDANT is the starting point of the 7th house. The 7th house cusp is the line directly below the number 7.
The MIDHEAVEN is the starting point of the 10th house. The 4th house cusp is the line that separates numbers 9 and 10.
Again, the chart is always read in a counter-clockwise direction.
10. You are now going to copy the degree and minutes of each house cusp into the outer ring of the appropriate houses in your personal horoscope. I strongly recommend using the degree and minute symbols for this part, because you are going to be adding this information into the outer ring of the horoscope wheel.
To help you understand this better, I'm going to demonstrate the process. 11. Look below at the Position of Houses for my chart.
(a) As stated above, House I is the Ascendant (rising sign), so I would write "4°51' Gemini" in the outer ring next to the word "Ascendant."
(b) In the outer ring of the next cusp (the dividing line that separates 1 and 2), I would write the information listed next to House 2 (28°16' Gemini).
(c) In the outer ring of the next cusp (the dividing line that separates 2 and 3), I would write the information listed next to House 3 (18°48' Cancer).
(d) In the outer ring of the next cusp, (the dividing line that numbers 3 and 4), I would write the information listed next to House 4 (11° 06' Leo) above the words IMMUM COELI.
(e) In the outer ring at the next cusp (the dividing line that numbers 4 and 5), I would write the information listed next to House 5 (9°43' Virgo).
(f) In the outer ring of the next cusp (the dividing line that the numbers 5 and 6), I would write the information listed next to House 6 (19°26' Libra).
(g) In the outer ring of the next cusp (the dividing line that separates the 6 and 7), I would write the information listed for House 7 (4° 51' Sagittarius) in line with the word DESCENDANT.
And so on.
12. To confirm that you transferred them correctly, when you're finished go back to the ASCENDANT and then look directly across to its opposite point (the DESCENDANT). You should see the exact same degree and minute as the ASCENDANT but in the opposite sign.
If this isn't clear, look at the list below. House 1 is 4°51' Gemini. House 7 is listed as 4°51' Sagittarius. Houses work in pairs and the ends of their respective axis (the line that extends from one end of the chart to the other) should have signs that oppose each other at the same exact degree and minute.
If you're not familiar with the signs, here's a list to help you.
If Aries is on one house cusp, Libra should be on the opposite one. If Taurus is on one house cusp, Scorpio should be on the opposite one.
If Gemini is on one house cusp, Sagittarius should be on the opposite one. If Cancer is on one house cusp, Capricorn should be on the opposite one. If Leo is on one house cusp, Aquarius should be on the opposite one.
If Virgo is on one house cusp, Pisces should be on the opposite one.
If Libra is on one house cusp, Aries should be on the opposite one. If Scorpio is on one house cusp, Taurus should be on the opposite one. If Sagittarius is on one house cusp, Gemini should be on the opposite one. If Capricorn is on one house cusp, Cancer should be on the opposite one. If Aquarius is on one house cusp, Leo should be on the opposite one. If Pisces is on one house cusp, Virgo should be on the opposite one.
If you do not have an intercepted chart, go straight to No. 14.
13. Special Instruction for Intercepted Charts
Since you have duplicated signs, it means there are probably* two houses in your chart (they are opposite each other) that contain all 30 degrees of a zodiac sign (and these signs oppose each other as well). These are known as intercepted signs, and if you have any planets in these signs, they're known as intercepted planets. (*It's possible to have double interceptions.)
To add these intercepted signs to your horoscope wheel:
(a) Look at your Position of Houses list and identify the signs that are missing from it.
For example, if you read my list, you will see that Scorpio and Taurus are missing from it.
(b) Once you've identified them, you need to locate them in the horoscope. Go back to the Position of Houses list and find the first missing sign.
Which house is it in? It's in the house of the sign that precedes it in the list.
For example, the first missing sign in my list is Scorpio. Libra is House 6 and Sagittarius is House 7. Since House 7 begins a new sign (Sagittarius), Scorpio has to be contained in House 6. This means Libra is on the cusp (gateway) of my 6th house and all of Scorpio is contained within it.
You can repeat this process for the second sign, but it isn't necessary. Remember, houses work in pairs, so if Scorpio is missing in my chart, so is Taurus. and if Scorpio is intercepted in my 6th house, then Taurus must be intercepted in my 12th house.
(c) To indicate them in the horoscope, simply write the name of the sign in the middle of the outer ring of the appropriate house.
For example, I would write "Scorpio" in the outer ring of my 6th house and "Taurus" in the outer ring of my 12th house.
14. Congratulations! You just set up your horoscope in language that you understand! |