Horoscope Symbols

The horoscope is an image of a part of the universe in the moment we choose to cast.

The horoscope we use to cast has several important elements: signs, planets, aspects and houses. These are called horoscope symbols because each category symbolizes something from our life, as we will see below.

How can something from the sky symbolize or explain something from our life?

That is the big question astrology meets from centuries and there are some answers like Synchronicity in C. G. Jung book, which means that events on Earth and aspects on the sky that symbolize the same thing just happen in the same time with no causal relationship between them. This means just that this kind of events exists and we should be aware of that. In fact, the reality is that in any moment what happens on Earth is an image of the Universe, as the human being in the moment of his birth is an image of the Universe, an image presented in his birth chart.

To understand the horoscope we must understand his important components and what every component symbolize. Let’s see which are the corresponding principles between the sky (world) and the human being, what every component of the horoscope represents in our lives.

Planets in astrology

Planets are the most important elements of the horoscope and symbolize processes attributed to a human being or a group of people. When astrologers say planets, generally they will refer also to the Moon and the Sun, so it is not so strictly as in astronomy. 

The Sun symbolizes the processes by which we present ourselves to the exterior (world), our courage, energy, our power to impose on others.

The Moon symbolizes the processes of nurturing, the way we act with our family, with the close ones, how we act in solitude, our unconscious. 

Mercury shows how we think, Venus shows how we love, Mars shows how we fight and so on, every planet symbolize some processes of us.

One can find a description for every planet here: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.

Signs in astrology

Signs are the most popular symbols in astrology and represent areas on the sky. Commonly people know their sign, which is the sign where the Sun was positioned at the birth.

Signs give a specific kind of behavior, attitude.

Signs interpretation is based on their correspondence with seasons,as Aries is the beginning of Spring, Cancer the beginning of Summer, the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are fixed because they are in the middle of seasons and the whether don’t change, Cancer and Gemini are near the Summer solstice (when the heat is maximum) and this symbolize sociable, friendly, lovely people etc.

One can find a description for every sign here: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Aspects in astrology

Aspects represents the angles which are measured between two points in the chart. We are interested especially by the aspects between planets, and by the aspects of 0, 180, 120, 90, 60, 45 degrees. The degrees of the aspects tell us about the way the two energies of the planets combine. So, aspects show what relation is established between different points of the chart.

How we can find the type of relation symbolized by every aspect? Well, aspects signification is based on their correspondence with numbers, more exactly by the number with which we must divide the circle (360 degrees) to get the aspect. Following this principle we can see that the opposition (180 degree aspect) is signified by number 2, because 180 is 360 divided by 2. So, the square (90 degree aspect) is signified by number 4, because 90 is 360 divided by 4.

Houses in astrology

Houses show which planets are above or below the horizon, which are culminating or setting depending of our position on the Earth. The most important position are the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven and Imum Coeli.

One can find more details about houses here: Houses in astrology.