subject: Absolutely Psychic - Astro Chart Part 44 [print this page] Life continues after the birth momentLife continues after the birth moment. Astrologers
watch the planets (as they continue on in the sky after a
birth) move through the houses of the natal chart. Their
movement is counterclockwise: from the upper hemisphere
(houses 7-12), across the ascendant (1st house cusp), into
the lower hemisphere (houses 1-6), and on around.
In the chart wheel, the planets are placed in their
zodiac positions. The zodiac stretches in a circle through
all 360 degrees of the surrounding sky, and this circle is
divided into sections of 30 degrees -- the familiar 12
signs. Planet positions are measured within signs by
degrees, minutes, and seconds of circular arc. Each degree
contains 60 minutes of arc and each minute of arc contains
60 seconds of arc. For example, I might tell you that my
Moon (Moon at birth) is in the sign Leo (5th sign). More
exactly it is in the 01st degree of Leo. It is actually at
01 degree and 28 minutes of the sign Leo.
The chart wheel is usually divided into 12 sections
called houses. The houses are numbered (counterclockwise)
from 1 to 12. The pie-like lines that divide one house from
the next are called house cusps. For example, the cusp of
the 1st house is the horizontal line on the left-hand
(east) side of the wheel.
Keep in mind that our Earth makes a complete turn on
its axis once in 24 hours. The chart wheel represents the
space surrounding where we were born. It is as if we were
standing outside with the sky above us (upper part of
chart) and the Earth beneath our feet (lower hemisphere).
As the Earth turns, it brings each of the 360 degrees of
the zodiac overhead (or to any part of the wheel) once in
24 hours -- a new degree of the zodiac every four minutes
or so.
As you can see, the symbols for the planets have been
placed in the part of the sky (the house) in which they
were at the time of your birth. For example, if you were
born in the daytime, then the symbol for the Sun will be
somewhere in the upper half of the wheel. If you were born
at noon, the sun would be almost right overhead or at the
top of the chart, while if you were born at midnight it
would be at the bottom (4th house) of the chart.
The wheel is also seen as two hemispheres -- a top and
a bottom. The upper part of the chart (houses 7-12)
represents that part of the sky that was overhead and above
the horizon at the time of our birth. It has to do with our
participation in the world of thoughts, ideas, ideals,
planning, and public service. Here we see our interaction
with others, joint finances, career development, shared
philosophies, and group endeavors. The lower hemisphere
(houses 1-6) marks that part of the heavens that we have
under us -- and cannot see -- below the horizon and on the
other side of the Earth from us. It has more to do with
personal issues -- myself, my money, my home, my job, etc.
-- and it outlines our subjective experiences..
The Wheel of Houses
The chart wheel or mandala of 12 houses can be seen as
a circle, or cycle, with each house leading to the next
house, and so on, in a counterclockwise direction. Let's
start at the very top of the wheel -- the MC and the cusp
of the 10th house.
10th House. The 10th house at the peak of the chart,
the point of the crystallization of self into the world at
large. Here we give back to the world our specialized
