tea and daylight

Rising/Ascendant: also your 1st house. just as important as your sun sign. the face you wear in public, your first impression. influences fashion style (along with Venus) and mannerisms as well as personality. this is how strangers see you. your rising sign manifests as the first personality traits you exhibit. it eventually blends with the traits your sun sign endows you with, and that acts as a shell for your moon sign (outside layer: rising, inner layer: sun, deep inner layer: moon).

Sun: your ego, the broad strokes of your personality, who you are. the side of you that is seen by acquaintances. rules Leo.

Moon: just as important as sun. your instinctual self, your inner emotions, the unconscious side of your personality. the place comfort, peace, childhood memories, anger, hate, jealousy, and fear may be found. even if you don't relate to your Sun sign, you will almost always resonate completely with your Moon sign. the side of you that is typically seen by only close friends and relatives. rules Cancer.

Mercury: your center for communication, reason, intellect, awareness. mercury can influence if you're extravert or introvert (or ambivert - in the middle), how you study, what your handwriting looks like, if you enjoy reading and writing, if public speaking is easy or difficult for you. a natal retrograde mercury can indicate issues with outward communication and learning, though it may also bestow you with a great propensity for introspection. rules Gemini and Virgo.

Venus: influences how you love, how you act in relationships, where you find beauty. contributes to your own personal style. represents sensuality (Taurus, ruled by Venus, is one of the most sensual signs), culture, romance, beauty, social appeal (Libra, ruled by Venus, is one of the most socially charming signs). in a man's chart, influences what kind of person you're attracted to. rules Taurus and Libra.

Mars: your animal instinct. how you approach sexual encounters, how you fight, why you fight, how you go after your goals. influences whether you're aggressive or passive, detached or intense. gives you energy, both negative (rage) and positive (passion). how enemies and sexual partners see you. in a woman's chart, influences what kind of person you're attracted to. a natal retrograde mars can mean that one must turn inwards for motivation rather than send their energy outwards into the world to achieve their goals. (example: Sigmund Freud was born with a retrograde Libra mars. he spent his life studying what went on internally to create the motives and sexualities of others.) rules Aries.

Jupiter: associated with luck, good fortune, optimism. can influence how you view new people, cultures, ideas, and passions. the planet one should look to when deciding whether or not to go with fate (as opposed to going your own way, relying only on yourself). rules Sagittarius.

Saturn: represents restrictions, limitations, authority. the parent figure of the planets, throws challenges your way to make you more responsible. shows you where you need to apply determination and willpower the most. this could be in a financial, material, or spiritual area. seen as the force balancing out Jupiter. rules Capricorn.

Uranus: represents change, innovation, technology, discovery, general progression. represents enlightenment, ingenuity. an entire generation can fall under the same Uranus sign due to how slowly it moves. most Millennials have a Capricorn Uranus, while most Generation Z (the group after Millennials) kids have an Aquarius Uranus. this is why you'll see a lot of Millennials working hard the way their parents worked hard...going to school and working lots of jobs, while their younger siblings take alternative education routes, push for social change, push out inventions and humanitarian programs (think Ahmed Mohamed, Malala Yousafzai). opposes your natal sun at about age 40, hence the mid-life crisis. your Uranus sign will tell you where you defy the rules, break traditions, refuse to follow. rules Aquarius.

Neptune: represents illusion, fantasy, dreams, visions, imagination. works mostly in the spiritual realm. can push you towards mysticism, magic, the occult, experimental drugs, delusion, deception, guilt if its influence is strong enough. also can add compassion, sensitivity, and a marked love for the arts (especially music) to a person. can soften the hard edges found elsewhere in your chart. another generational planet. rules Pisces.

Pluto: represents transformation, challenge, death, renewal. brings hidden/secret information to light, changing everything. often considered to rule the masses more than the individual. throws challenges your way to force you to change, to make you stronger. Pluto pushes for self-empowerment. the ends justify the means to Pluto when it comes to this. rules Scorpio.