the major angles.

(note: I wrote the bulk of this post back in july, i don't know why it's just been hanging out in drafts for so long!)

Birth charts are sectioned off into twelve houses. However, four of these houses represent the four major angles. They are: the Ascendant (aka Rising Sign, which you can see on the left of the chart). The next point is the IC (imum coeli), which is on the bottom. The third major angle is the Descendant, on the right. And, finally, on the top of the chart is the MC, or midheaven.

Ascendant: cusp (start of) the first house. The first sign/house in the zodiac is Aries, but your ascendant of course depends on all of your birth information, which you can figure out here. The ascendant represents how you react with people, your outward appearance. your automatic responses with dealing with others. For example, with Libra rising, your automatic response is likely to be polite and pleasant with others (unless they give you reason not to be, of course, and the rest of your chart supports this! ;) ), and also making sure that you look at least halfway decent before leaving your home will be important as well. Planets in any of the houses also influence how are automatically respond in those particular areas of life.

The IC is at the bottom of your chart, and marks the start of the fourth house. The fourth house in the zodiac on it's own is Cancer, and no matter what sign you have in your fourth house, it represents your home life, childhood, and is ruled by the moon. I view the IC also as the dream place in your chart- where a part of your subconscious lurks. (Okay, "lurks" sounds kind of dramatic, but you know what I mean).

The descendant marks the start of your seventh house, which is all about relationships, romantic and otherwise. Relating. In the zodiac, the seventh house is ruled by Libra, but whichever sign and planets you have here will give you clues about how you are in relationships, what's important to you, and any challenges you may face. I think it can also indicate how you communicate within relationships, and any tendencies.

And now, the MC, or midheaven. Right at the top of the chart. This is similar to the Ascendant, in that it portrays a bit of how others see you. The difference is that the MC represents your public persona- your reputation, how you are seen in your career and/or community. The MC also marks the start of your tenth house (see here for more info), which rules career, responsibility, and ambition. (You can read more of what I've written on the tenth house here.)

I'd like to write about the other eight houses at some point too, but thought this was a good starting point. I highly encourage looking up your chart, seeing what you have in these houses, and googling them (for ex., "first house gemini," "saturn in the seventh house"- I've gotten a ton of info that way), or of course you can look it up in a book if you have the access, or ask for input by leaving me a comment or emailing me at the.earth.and.stars@gmail.com

Thanks for reading. :)

old orchard beach, maine.

introverts and extroverts and the continuum

I'm reading this book, called Raising Your Spirited Child (by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka), which is a good read for me since not only do I have a spirited child, I am also a grown-up one, and although I'm only a couple chapters in I've been able to glean some insight into the psychology of young'ns, and some good strategies for dealing with some of the more *challenging* aspects. The reason I say all this is, there was a section on introverts vs. extroverts, and it got me thinking about the continuum I remember learning about back in my college days... how it's not really one vs. the other, but a line, and where you fall on it. And where you land on it can change with situation, etc. One major point in the book was how introverts draw their energy from spending time alone, while those more on the extrovert side draw their energy from spending time with other people- talking, whatever. What do you need to recharge?

I switch back and forth. I'm farther on the introverted side, for sure, but there are often times when I feel energized from hanging out with awesome people- although, I usually need  a break after, to relax. :) And how does this relate to astrology? Well, my chart has Libra rising, which is the sign of partnerships and relating in general,  so I do have a very social side to my personality. However, it is in the first house of the self (the first sign of the zodiac is Aries). Since I have Libra rising, I have Aries on the other side, the descendant, which rules the 7th house, relationships and partnerships (the seventh house of the zodiac is Libra). They are switched! So I think it makes sense why I vacillate between wanting to be around others frequently, to just wanting... to be alone. Quiet. Etc. It's a seesaw, back and forth, between Aries and Libra, and the balance, or perhaps the imbalance, between them.

What do you need to feel recharged?

This post may not be super relevant for many of you, but this was just on my mind and I decided to blog about it. ;)

close up shot of a hippie van i saw.