Create your astral theme

A Complete Guide to Understanding the 12 Houses and Planets

The astral theme is a celestial map specific to each person, it represents the position of the planets at the precise moment of our birth. Your astral theme is a powerful tool for personal development that allows us to know ourselves better, explore our potential and find answers to the big questions of life. Learning to read our own astral theme is a fascinating adventure that opens the door to a better understanding of ourselves .

In this article, I will explain to you  :

• Steps to create your own birth chart,
• The meaning of the 12 astrological houses ,
• The role of the planets in these houses,
• Practical advice for using your astral theme in your personal journey.

 

Step 1: What you need to establish your astrological chart

To create your astral theme, it is essential to gather three pieces of information:

1. Your date of birth

Your date of birth helps determine the exact position of the planets in the zodiac on the day you were born. Each planet, from the Sun to Pluto ¹ , is constantly moving across the sky, passing through the 12 astrological signs at different speeds. For example, the Sun takes about a month to travel through a sign, while the Moon changes signs every two to three days.

• Impact : The date fixes the general positioning of the stars, such as your sun sign , which corresponds to the position of the Sun, as well as other fundamental aspects of the birth chart. Without this information, it would be impossible to draw a sky map.

2. Your exact time of birth (to the nearest minute)

The time of birth is crucial because it determines the Ascendant and the position of the astrological houses in the birth chart. The houses represent specific areas of life (family, career, relationships, etc.), and their placement changes approximately every two hours due to the rotation of the Earth.

• Impact : Even a small variation in the time can change your Ascendant (which reflects your outward personality and the first impression you give off) as well as the placement of the houses. For example, a birth at 2:00 p.m. or 2:15 p.m. could move your 1st House from a Fire sign (energy, spontaneity) to an Earth sign (pragmatism, stability).
• Why it's crucial : Without an exact time, the chart would be incomplete or imprecise, because the houses directly influence concrete aspects of your life, such as career, relationships, or even personal aspirations.

3. Your place of birth

The place of birth allows us to calculate the position of the stars in relation to the longitude and latitude of the place where you were born. Since the Earth is in constant rotation, the perspective from your place of birth directly influences the orientation of the astral chart.

• Impact : The location accurately determines the placement of the houses and the Ascendant. For example, two people born at the same time and date, but in distant cities (e.g. Paris and Tokyo), will have different astrological charts due to the different position of the horizon in these places.

These three data combined make it possible to obtain a precise "photograph" of the sky at the time of your birth, as it was seen from your place of birth. This sky map is unique and reflects your strengths, your challenges, your potential as well as the broad outlines of your destiny.

 

Step 2: Understand the key elements of a birth chart

An astral theme is based on three main elements  :

1. The planets  : They symbolize energies in motion (your desires, emotions, thoughts, etc.).
2. Zodiac signs  : They inform you about how these energies are expressed.
3. Astrological houses  : They indicate the areas of life where these energies manifest.

The 12 Astrological Houses : Meaning and Interpetation

Houses represent different areas of your life. Each house is associated with an astrological sign and possibly contains planets, which influence its energy.

House 1: The Ascendant and the deep “I”

• Meaning  : Represents your appearance, your outward personality, and how you present yourself to the world.
• Influential planet  : If a planet is in House 1, it will mark you deeply (for example, Mars in House 1 makes you energetic and dynamic).

House 2: Resources and Finances

• Meaning  : Your relationship with money, material possessions and your natural talents.
• Influential planet  : Venus here favors a love of beautiful things and an ease in attracting abundance.

House 3: Communication and close surroundings

• Meaning  : Your communication style, your relationships with your siblings and neighbors.
• Influential planet  : Mercury here gives you great intellectual vivacity and a gift for writing.

House 4: Roots and family

• Meaning  : Your home, your origins, and your need for emotional security.
• Influential planet  : The Moon here emphasizes emotions related to childhood.

House 5: Creativity and pleasures

• Meaning  : Your artistic expression, your hobbies, and even children.
• Influential planet  : The Sun in the 5th House can indicate great creative ability and a need to be in the spotlight.

House 6: Work and health

• Meaning  : Your daily life, your relationship to work, and your lifestyle.
• Influential planet  : Saturn here pushes you toward rigor, but can also reveal health challenges.

House 7: Relationships and Marriage

• Meaning  : Your relationship with partnerships, whether romantic or professional.
• Influential planet  : Venus here favors harmonious relationships, while Mars can bring tensions.

House 8: Transformations and the unconscious

• Meaning  : Sexuality, inheritances, and the great transformations of life.
• Influential planet  : Pluto here accentuates periods of intense renewal.

House 9: Travel and spirituality

• Meaning  : Mind expansion, philosophy, higher education and travel.
• Influential planet  : Jupiter here favors a quest for meaning and an openness to the world.

House 10: Career and recognition

• Meaning  : Your ambition, your social status, and your vocation.
• Influential planets  : Mars here gives you ambition, while Saturn favors successes obtained through effort.

House 11: Friendships and collective projects

• Meaning  : Your relationship to groups, to the community, and your long-term dreams.
• Influential planet  : Uranus here favors original ideas and connections with inspiring people.

House 12: The unconscious and deep spirituality

• Meaning  : Secrets, trials, but also your connection with the beyond.
• Influential planets  : Neptune here makes you particularly intuitive, but sometimes subject to illusions.

Planets and their role in your birth chart

Each planet represents a specific energy  :

• Sun : your identity and vitality
• Moon : Your emotions and your inner world
• Mercury : Your Intellect and Communication
• Venus : Your Love and Values
• Mars : Your Energy and Motivation
• Jupiter : Your Luck and Growth
• Saturn : Your Responsibilities and Limitations
• Uranus : your originality and your need for change
• Neptune : Your Intuition and Spirituality
• Pluto : Your Power of Transformation

 

Step 3: Interpret your birth chart

Once you have your chart established, it is time to explore the different elements that make it up. For a better understanding, it is easier to know how to visualize your astral chart.

1. Analyze your Sun, Moon and Ascendant

• The Sun represents your essence, your ego and your vitality. It is often symbolized by a circle with a dot in the center ( ☉ ). In your chart, it indicates the astrological sign that governs your fundamental personality,
• The Moon , symbol of your emotions and inner world, is represented by a crescent ( ☽ ). Its location in a sign and a house gives indications about your emotional needs,
• The Ascendant , often marked on the left edge of the circle, is the sign that was rising on the horizon at the time of your birth. It influences your appearance, your style, and the way you present yourself to the world.

In an astral theme, these three elements form a symbolic triangle:

• The Sun for your “inner self”.
• The Moon for your “emotional self.”
• The Ascendant for your “outer self”.

2. Observe the houses where the planets are located

Astrological houses are like "compartments" that govern different areas of your life, from your career (House 10) to your relationships (House 7) to your family (House 4). Planets located in a house make this sphere of life particularly active.

Visually :

• Imagine your birth chart as a circle divided into 12 equal parts, much like a clock. Each section represents a house.
• The planets are placed in these houses according to their position in the sky at your birth. For example, if Mars is in your 5th House (hobbies, creativity, children), it could indicate intense creative energy or a strong passion for artistic pursuits.

3. Study the aspects between the planets

Aspects are lines that connect the planets together on your chart. They represent the relationships between different planetary energies:

• Harmonious aspects (trines or sextiles): They symbolize smooth energy flows and natural talents.
• Tense aspects (squares or oppositions): They reveal challenges to overcome or tensions to balance.

Visually :

• Aspects are represented by lines drawn inside the circle of the astral chart.
• Blue lines generally indicate harmonious aspects, while red lines signal more tense aspects.

For example, a trine between the Moon and Venus might reveal great artistic sensitivity, while a square between Mars and Saturn might signal difficulty in reconciling ambition and patience.

 

 

Getting familiar with astrological symbols

To go further, it is useful to recognize the symbols associated with the planets, signs and aspects. This makes reading the theme more intuitive. For example:

• ☉ Sun
• ☽ Moon
• ♂ Mars
• ♀ Venus
• △ Trigon
• □ Square

 

Creating your birth chart is an exciting adventure that can transform your vision of yourself and your life. By understanding the 12 astrological houses , the planets , and their interactions, you can find answers to your deep questions and guide your choices in an informed manner. Whether for your personal development or simply out of curiosity, astrology is a tool of infinite richness.

 

📖 Read the article on the Drawing of the 12 houses

¹ Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. However, in astrology, Pluto retains a central place and is considered a planet in its own right. It represents powerful themes such as transformation, rebirth, power, and destruction.