Self: Personality, centering, passion, and direction come from Sagittarius in the 1st house. This gives a need for exploration, seeking, and perspective in how the bearer of this chart finds their passion, clarity, and direction in life. The landmark here is the overall landscape—a Sagittarius rising chart gives the bearer a landscape of being a foreigner, or in a more mundane sense, in a realm of constant seeking and boundary pushing.

Home/Family: What helps this chart find its footing, foundations, and security is through Piscean themes of art, spirituality, and mysticism. They might like a home that feels like a sanctuary and may have ancestry that is/was particularly artistic or inspiring. If the spiritual/mystical vibe of their nest has a foreign or exotic flair, all the better with the Sagittarius lens fixed in this chart’s authenticity. The landmark here is a home that feels healing.

Relationships: With Gemini on the opposite horizon to their own outlook, lightheartedness, curiosity, and intelligence may be things they look for in others as a balance point to their Sagittarius big-picture Self. How they harmonize and relate, while maybe hard to see in themselves, can be mirrored to them showing their versatility and wit in keeping the scales balanced. The landmark here is relationships and partnerships with others who are witty, or intellectuals, or younger than them, or need movement, or are communicative. The Sagittarius overlay that might be infused is a partner who is willing to globetrot with them.

Career: With Virgo at the summit of the Sagittarius chart, there is focus and dedication in their life around mastering refinement and technique. Virgo can give them positions in writing, editing, clergy, something to do with a honed/practiced skill (artisan, musician, athlete), production, ecology, duty/service-bound fields, or anything requiring systems or organization. With a Sagittarius lens affixed, publishing might house their writing/editing capabilities, a professor related to any of the above is a nice fit, production that has global implications or connected to narrative, or refined skills that allow them to reach the world. The landmark here is a profession that allows their masterful refinement to influence seekers, give perspective, or reach into global spaces.

*One note: sometimes the summit and bottom of the chart (home/IC and career/MC) will peak in the sign before or after the zodiacal peak, adding a little something different to the landscape. For example, I know one Sagittarius rising whose IC/home point is in Aries and their MC/career point is in Libra. I would add some Aries influence to the home sector and Libra influence to the career, but still keep the Pisces and Virgo influences as well.

From here, you can look up the different house meanings and sign meanings and fill in the blanks about how each concoction might give a flavor to the chart you are deciphering, gaining greater awareness of its particular world and orientation in life. I tend to add a pinch of rising sign influence in every house of the chart to stay true to the overall landscape of their world.

CHART RULER | Director: With Sagittarius as the rising sign, we know that Jupiter is the planet that rules this sign. This is the chart’s overall director. In the chart we’ve been chipping away at, Jupiter is in Cancer in its 8th house. The director of this chart wants to tell a story (lead a life) that is mysterious, haunting, and intimate. This director will lead the bearer of the chart to examine the psyche, dig into the underbelly of life, dabble in the occult, and unearth power dynamics. Jupiter can be a Professor, Explorer, or Storyteller, so the approach here is a life steered toward gaining perspective through what’s under the surface. In Cancer (Jupiter’s sign of exaltation, nourishing its want for expansion), there is a connection to finding what’s nourishing, what’s subconscious, what’s imaginative in the underbelly of life—The Professor, in unearthed ancient ruins, with a backpack containing journals and food. This is our director. Have fun playing with the imagery here.

SUN | The Star: While the director decides the story being told, the Star brings the story to life. It gets to be the face of the story. The Sun in this chart is in Virgo in the 10th house. A side note: the way I read charts is yes, this chart bearer is a Virgo, but beyond that, they are a Virgo who lives in the world of a Sagittarius, and is always placed in positions of responsibility, like a Capricorn, due to being a 10th house Virgo (ever wonder why you might know ten Aquarians but they all seem to display their Aquarius-ness very differently? This is one of many reasons—but a big one).

Our star is a professional Virgo, a Virgo who is constantly mastering the ability to refine, hone skills, produce, and systemize. In a Sagittarius world, they refine, practice, produce, and systemize stories, higher education, region and philosophy, anything global, anything with a cultural flair. Their director is putting them in a story that is mysterious and psychological, but also soulful and deep. This will inform how they hone in on who they are as a star. This professional Virgo star, in a Sagittarius world, with what sounds like an archeologist director, might be cast in the role of a professional writer doing research abroad at an ancient site with ancestral ties. They suddenly get sucked into a world of intrigue, gaining access to all sorts of secrets, past and present, historical context, and dangerous, powerful, liaisons.

SUN RULER | The Coach: Adding in the ruler of the Sun shows an extra influence over the Sun—how they make choices in their leading role. With Virgo ruled by Mercury, we look to the Messenger planet as the acting coach. Mercury is in Leo in the 9th house in this chart. The 9th house is Sagittarius’ natural house, so there is immediate affinity here for throwing the solar light into perspective-seeking and globe-trotting. In Leo, the coach is helping Virgo to be more confident, playful, warm, and commanding. Virgo is naturally reserved (in this case, maybe a snobby, elitist writer), but this coach pushes Virgo to be more gregarious with creativity and to take up space. In the 9th house, this coach pushes on the 10th house cautiousness and seriousness, asking Virgo to take more risks, to get out of their comfort zones, and to rely on wisdom. I like this coach for this particular Virgo. Without this coach, this Virgo could be a tidy and cool creature.

MOON | The Mother: How might this professional Virgo in a globe-trotting, psychological, ancestral story care for themselves? How will they care about what they are doing and give mood and atmosphere to their role? The Moon can show us how we mother ourselves and life. In this chart, we have a Taurus moon. A pleasure-loving, beauty-molding, material-hoarding pragmatist. This Virgo wants long-savored meals, the best wine, massages, sculptures, and perfume to fill their environment. In the 6th house, they need a lifestyle and work that feel slow and pleasurable. This Virgo might have daily routines that incorporate beauty and pleasure. This is how they take care of themselves and how they care about life and others in general. Adding this into the mix, this professional Virgo star is cast in a role where they seem to hover around and attract environments that are beautiful and productive, valuable and refined, and indulgent but with pragmatic thoughtfulness.

We also know from the first step in this process that there is a powerful pull toward wanting or needing the Moon to be particularly strong, being part of the handle of the bucket shape of this chart. This adds extra emphasis that if this Moon isn’t given what it needs, this whole story/chart will feel weak. We might assume that the person with this chart emphasizes an atmosphere, or mood, of beautiful living. As the movie plays out, make sure the sets, costumes, and activities capture a sensual and refined Taurus 6th house mood.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: While all planets are important and serve valuable roles, the others beyond this point will tend to be supporting characters in the chart. Go through each planet and make a little profile for them. If you want to get into more intermediate-level interpretations, remember that each planet rules a zodiac sign or two. Add this to the mix. Just how we found the chart ruler, Jupiter as ruler of Sagittarius, find the planetary ruler of each house and see how that planet directs something about the story playing out for that category of the chart. If this doesn’t make sense, circle back when you’ve got an intermediate level of understanding.

CONJUNCT: This communication happens when two planets are near the same degree of the zodiac. It’s like a conference where they meet face-to-face and create agendas for how they want to work together. The sign they meet in will flavor that agenda beyond their typical chemistry. In a chart, the house the meeting falls in will further flavor that agenda. In appearance, there isn’t a line that pings across the chart to show this connection. The two planets are close enough that we can see they are meeting.

In the chart we’ve been digesting, the closest conjunction is between Mercury and Ceres, the Messenger and the Producer. This is a meeting of the minds to bring a lot of communication around what needs maturity and flourishing. Together, these two archetypes can make an informed decision about what needs learning routines, community organization, and communicative skills. In this chart, we’ve got this meeting happening in the 9th house. Let’s say we want to learn something philosophical (being the higher learning house) through practice and mentorship. With this meeting happening in Leo, we can further deduce that this might be getting a university-level degree in the performing arts, leadership, or in something recreational or creative. Ceres wants us to be useful, so I would lean toward high-level training and learning around how to be a mature leader.

SEXTILE: The aspect is considered easy or positive, so is a blue line. Since sextiles are approximately 60° between planets, we know that the shorter blue lines are the textiles (versus trines being roughly 120° apart). In this chart, one sextile I see is between Venus and Neptune. I find it matters if it’s a separating or approaching aspect since the conjunction is the seed; separating means just heading out the door, and approaching means almost back from the journey the seed created. In this case, the slower planet is Neptune, so we note whether Venus is moving away from or toward Neptune. The planets move around the zodiac counter-clockwise, so we can see that Venus is approaching Neptune.

The chemistry of Neptune and Venus is artful, with both planets connected by that thread—Venus loves design and symmetry, while Neptune loves composition and art. Let's say they want to bring harmonious art to this chart. With Neptune in Sagittarius being the anchor point, maybe the chart bearer wants to feel personally ethereally beautiful—how they dress and act. Venus is trining from Libra in the 11th house. A real-world boost is being sent to Venus to help it get back to Neptune. Maybe a helping hand, maybe resources, maybe wisdom. In Libra, this might be a relationship that mirrors to them what last things they need to understand about what beauty is in a more meaningful way. In the 11th house, possibly a friend is helping them to see limitations they’re adhering to that don’t exist.

SQUARE: More challenging aspects (square and opposition) show up with red lines. The square is the shorter of the two red lines. In this chart, we see a Venus-Mars square. Again, we want to know if this is a separating square or an approaching square. Is the mission of these two planets entering a new world or starting a return journey? Because Mars is the slower of the two planets, we ask if Venus is moving away from or toward Mars. In this case, Venus is moving toward Mars. The mission, when it comes to Venus and Mars’ chemistry, is how a more devoted and committed love meets passion and impulse—committing our hearts to what authentically lights us up.

With Venus returning to Mars after a journey to understand this, there is a challenge of needing to bring something back to the table that it has found and newly understood. At this return journey phase, we can feel like threads of the past are chasing us. It’s like a final test to show us that we’ve learned what we think we’ve learned. An opportunity to show ourselves that we can act in alignment with what we now know. This helps us to integrate our learning more deeply. This square is between Libra and Capricorn. Venus is learning to act more cooperatively and diplomatically than it’s used to to reach a solid, long-lasting passionate love that Mars is promising. Venus in the 11th house versus Mars in the 2nd house could mean a torque: Venus is envisioning the future of this chemistry while Mars is standing in the value and pleasure of what is. Venus wants to bring a quality that is more free to a more black and white quality she senses Mars is stuck in.

TRINE: We look for the longer blue lines for trines. In this chart, Mercury and Neptune have a nice trine. With Neptune being the slower planet, we ask if Mercury is separating or approaching Neptune. In this case, Mercury is approaching Neptune, on its way back, having just come out of the opposition’s heart of the tension energy. The chemistry between Neptune and Mercury is a bit hard to pin down. Mercury is a busy planet, weaving all sorts of threads as the planet of the mind. It can be hard to get clarity of mind as it is. We add Neptune, prone to fantasy and illusion, and we can get some real illusionary thinking and magical realism going on—beautiful in some ways and a bit slippery in others. Because we’ve already had the opposition, we’re in better shape. These two have confronted some of the more nebulous things they can get caught up in. With the approaching trine, what’s wanted versus what was intended is starting to be found: glorious purpose, wholeness, and perfection.

Neptune is in Sagittarius, and Mercury is in Sagittarius’ natural 9th house. This already brings affinity and getting on the same page. Mercury is in Leo, a fire sign that gets on swimmingly with Sagittarius, bringing leadership to its vision. Neptune in the first house is the anchor point. There is something very personal going on in terms of establishing direction, authenticity, and passion. Mercury is tuning its mind in the 9th house to the needs of Sagittarius—think big, think philosophically, think global. Leo brings command, warmth, and creative flair to a sometimes rugged Sagittarius. My sense is that a fantastical motivation has found aim, purpose, and use. There is something bigger guiding Mercury’s mind and Neptune’s art, allowing truth to guide things rather than either one of their own slippery agendas.

OPPOSITION: We look for the longer red lines with oppositions (squares being the other red lines are 90° versus 180°). The lines that go directly across the chart are the lines of opposition. Let’s decipher the Jupiter-Mars opposition since Jupiter is the chart ruler. Real tension comes into play with oppositions. We can see something as ‘other’, the opponent, with oppositions. But we also get to see where we are projecting, confront what’s held power over us, and overcome our toughest issues. Oppositions can help us step into maturity and a capacity to find balance and harmony.

With Jupiter in Cancer and Mars in Capricorn, the Professor wants depth, familiarity, and soul, while the Warrior wants status, structure, and accumulation. In general, Jupiter and Mars can have alright chemistry. Jupiter wants expansion and Mars has drive. This can be like attaching a motor to a grand aim—finding the motivation to write that book, take that expedition, defend a perspective. In opposition, not so much. There’s a standoff. Mars wants to give drive to career in Capricorn, but Jupiter has its big vision set on something historical and foundational (but not necessarily lucrative).

What they both need is to see that they want the same thing, and by giving and taking a bit, each side of the table can bring something that ultimately creates a better outcome—a more balanced and elegant possibility. Both signs want security. Cancer wants foundational security and Capricorn wants worldly security. If the ground beneath us isn’t stable, we can’t reach, and if we only work on our roots and never branch upward and outward, we don’t bring produced growth that returns to feed the foundations. Maybe Jupiter can allow Mars to exploit something about its soulful vision—make a book about its journey to dig up ancestral histories that’s more commercial than it would want.

Mars in the 2nd house wants to know the personal value of its output, and Jupiter in the 8th wants to know how the depths it explores will empower in a shared way. A balance needs to be struck, in that writing this book in a more timeless, empowering way, versus pure commercial bait, could give the book lasting power, and over time, actually produce a lot more wealth, personally and in what it empowers in shared ways.

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the basics of reading an astrology chart, jump over to the ‘Time & Space’ section to learn how charts are affected in interesting ways by transits, eclipses, returns, and progressions. We are always learning, changing, and evolving!