Wondering how to read your birth chart but don’t know where to start? Look to your five personal planets to begin your astrological study.
The five personal planets, found by using only your birth date, define and express your astrological personality. These placements include your sun, moon, mercury, venus and mars. Each represents a different aspect of your deeper self.
The first and most known placement is your sun. Because there has been an outburst of astrology in the media today, it has become common to know your sun or “zodiac” sign.
With a quick Google search, you can see what sun season you were born in. For example, I was born on September 19, so my sun sign is virgo. Being born in the season of virgo, I am given certain personality traits and characteristics. The traits of your sun sign, however, only make up so much of your personality.
If you were to imagine yourself and personality as a painting, your sun sign would be the broad strokes, style and outline of the painting. If you want to see the details, the smaller aspects and the texture, you must look at your other four personal placements.
Your moon sign, which defines your emotional well-being and internalized self, plays a big role in the deeper, most raw part of your astrological personality. This is an incredibly important placement in your chart, second to that of your sun. This sign represents the part of yourself that you see.
Your moon sign shines the most unconsciously. Your instincts, inner child and your most inner core are expressed here. Because of the unconscious nature of the moon placement, a common theme of this placement is your reaction before you think.
Once you think, however, you should look at your mercury placement. Mercury rules the mind. The way you communicate, understand and see the world around you links back to your mercury placement. This planet is associated with reason, memory and writing.
Wondering how you communicate with a romantic partner? Look to the next planet of venus. Venus, known as the planet of love and pleasure, rules your ability to express affection. Not only does this planet play a huge role in your partners, it also shows your creative and more aesthetic side. The theme of this planet lies in attraction. Most commonly when looking at birth chart compatibility, astrologists look to venus placements.
The final placement of your personal planets is mars. This planet rules your physical energy. Governing boldness, courage and desire, your mars placement decides what stirs your passions. This influence can introduce conflict and frustration because of its origin with the Roman god of war and the aggressive nature of the planet.
So, if you are interested, start studying and understanding these five placements, and let your adventure into astrology begin.