What is a Horoscope?

 by Jamie Harrison

A horoscope is a chart that depicts the position of the sun, moon, planets and other celestial bodies at a given time. It is most commonly used to designate a birth chart, or natal chart. 

This is a chart of the positions of the planets at the time a person was born. You may see a horoscope drawn as a circle. This circle represents you. 

A horizontal line through the circle represents the horizon. The planets above the horizon line were visible at the time you were born, while those below the horizon line were not.

Each circle is divided into twelve houses, one for each sign of the zodiac. The first house is always stationed just below the horizon line on the left of your chart. Each line, or cusp, is assigned a sign of the zodiac. 

The planets are recorded in the appropriate house, based on where they appear in the sky, which will affect how that planet plays out in your chart.

The sign on the left horizon of your horoscope is your rising sign. It may also be called your ascendant. This sign changes every two hours, which is why knowing your correct birth time is so significant. The rising sign is very important to your personality and how you face the world.

Each of the planets as well as the sun and moon are important. For example, if a moon is in Libra, it will affect you differently than if it were in Aries. 

Planets can also be clumped together in a single house, depending on how they are moving in the sky. It is possible to be a double Scorpio, for instance, if both your sun and moon are in Scorpio. 

Your chart will have colored lines passing through the center; these lines are known as aspects. They relate to how the planets influence each other in your horoscope.

As you begin to understand how the sun, moon and planets affect you, you will have more insight into your own inner workings. If you need to break a habit, for instance, understanding yourself more thoroughly will help you find the right method to try to be successful.

While a horoscope can't give you any concrete answers, it can help explain why you are the way you are. It may show you some areas in which you have undiscovered talents, or make you aware of certain life lessons you must face.

Your horoscope can guide you through a journey of discovery as you use astrology as a tool to better understand yourself. This can help you make the most of your strengths and be able to deal with your weaknesses more effectively.