To read a natal chart can be a daunting task because you are trying to interpret all of the interpenetrating dynamics among all of the planets, aspects, and houses so that it makes sense. I always start with the Sun, Moon and Ascendant signs because I believe these are the 3 most important points in your chart. You can just focus on these three points and come up with 85 % of the information the person needs for understanding themselves.
The Moon shows your emotional needs and how you go about fulfilling those needs. For example, an Aries moon needs to lead; a Taurus moon needs material security. Gemini Moon needs to communicate. We all must be sure that these needs are satisfied before we can proceed with the rest of our lives and fulfill the promise of the Sun Sign. There is a phrase used by astrologers called “Wallowing in your Moon” which means to spend most of your life satisfying the moon’s emotional needs and not living out the positive aspects of your Sun. The moon is very similar to the personal unconscious in Jungian Psychology.
As we grow, we develop what Carl Jung called a Persona which is the face we show the world, our mask, It is symbolized by the ascendant (rising sign). A problem that can develop with the persona is that you can get too identified with it and think you are the persona. Your chart describes the role you will play in this life and the ascendant describes the costume you will wear.
The Sun represents our core identity and what you are to become. You are not born embodying your Sun sign, you have to earn that sign and mature into it. The Sun indicates the Self, it is what you are trying to embody or integrate into this lifetime. You will notice that as you get older, you become more and more your Sun sign.
Your sacred contract in this life is to keep refining the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant and use them in the most positive way possible. One of the ways to understand the energy of a sign is to know the corresponding myth that describes that sign. These myths are teaching stories because they reveal the positive and the negative aspects of the character in the myth and show their psychological and spiritual growth over time.
Another way to understand the energy of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant is to look at whether or not they are introverted or extroverted signs. Fire and Air signs are extroverted and Water and Earth signs are introverted. Some of us have an introverted rising sign so that others do not approach us easily to make contact and friendships, but our Sun may be in an extroverted sign and we feel lonely and want more relationships. Or, conversely, if our ascendant is an extroverted sign and the Sun is introverted, we bring in people and may feel invaded because we want more time alone.
The Moon sign is the inner self and not easily seen by others. So sometimes if you have a tough Moon (for example, Taurus or Capricorn) and a cooperative ascendant (for example, Pisces or Libra), others may try to dominate you because you look very easy to push around and then they are surprised when you push back.
Also, looking at the elements of the three points of the chart; earth, air, fire or water and whether they are cardinal fixed or mutable reveals a lot. Water signs are deep, emotional signs; Earth signs are efficient and like to deal with reality and concrete facts. Air signs love abstract thought, theories and ideas. Fire signs are intuitive and believe in fantastic possibilities.
Cardinal signs have outgoing, radiant dynamic energy. Fixed signs have concentrated energy and mutable signs have energy that breaks up forms and distributes it.
Knowing the three main points in your chart and those close to you can go a long way to helping you communicate, connect and understand yourself and others.
Janet Kane