An Intro Guide to Astrology

This email is LONG and may get cutoff in your inbox. Read the online version here

I love Astrology.

I use my Star Guide Master Astrologist ChatGPT Prompt (get it here) to guide me based on my astrology every single morning. I base my work, exercise, creative work, and more on what the GPT tells me.

I align my daily lifestyle with the stars. It helps me decide to do yoga, go for a walk, or run. It helps me decide if I should go to the coffee shop, sit on my balcony, or cozy up inside. It helps me decide if I should build backend, explore new ideas, or build a project.

Aligning my life with the stars has been wonderful…

But I don’t know what any of it really means.

I’m a Libra. I’ll tell some people that and they’ll say “Ohhh that definitely makes sense!” But I don’t know enough about the signs, the planets, and the houses to know what any of this means.

While I have slowly learned over time, I’m going to learn by teaching — Right now in this email.

So here you’ll learn (or refresh on) the signs, the planets, the houses, and how they correlate.

What is a Zodiac?

The Zodiac is the apparent path the sun takes around the celestial sphere.

The celestial sphere is basically a “map” surrounding Earth. It’s a map of where things are projected in space relative to how we see it on Earth.

On the Zodiac, the Sun travels through 12 different constellations. These 12 constellations are the 12 Astrology Signs.

Your Star Sign is the constellation the Sun was in when you were born.

When you get into more intricate Astrology, the location and exact minute of your birth matter so you can find the degrees the Sun is at on the Zodiac (the Zodiac is measured by degrees in a 360º circle).

That’s the ultra-basics on how Astrology exists in the first place. Now we can introduce the Star Signs themselves. Then get into the modalities, elements, and planets after we’re familiar with the signs.

Before we get into the Signs, I prompt you to get your Astrology Chart from this site.

It’s free and you don’t have to sign up. You may not understand the chart at first but it’s all about to be broken down. Keep your chart handy to refer back to.

The 12 Star Signs

First we must get an unknown truth out of the way:

The New Year starts on the Spring Equinox (When the Sun crosses the celestial body. Day time and night time are approximately the same length)

It has always been this way throughout history because it was a time of growth, fresh beginnings, and a blank slate (similarly to how we treat January 1st now, but on the Spring Equinox it the feelings align with the real-world seasons).

The Astrological calendar aligns with the New Year starting on the Spring Equinox.

The Spring Equinox is usually March 20th or 21st every year. Aligning with when the Sun is in Aries:

(Don’t worry if you don’t understand this all. This is just an introduction and you can refer back to it throughout the rest of the reading)

♈︎ Aries: March 21st - April 19th
Modality: Cardinal
Element: Fire
Ruler: Mars
Traits: Bold, competitive, impulsive, passionate, leadership-driven, quick to act
Constellation: Ram

(all of these images are AI-generated because I wanted them to be cool. I’m double-checking them, but they may not be 100% accurate.

♉︎ Taurus — April 20th - May 20th
Modality — Fixed
Element — Earth
Ruler — Venus
Traits — Steady, loyal, comfort-loving, stubborn, sensual, values beauty & security
Constellation: Bull

♊︎ Gemini: May 21st - June 20th
Modality: Mutable
Element: Air
Ruler: Mercury
Traits: Curious, witty, social, mentally agile, scattered, loves variety
Constellation: Twins

♋︎ Cancer: June 21st - July 22nd
Modality: Cardinal
Element: Water
Ruler: Moon
Traits: Nurturing, emotional, home- and family-oriented, protective, intuitive
Constellation: Crab

♌︎ Leo: July 23rd - August 22nd
Modality: Fixed
Element: Fire
Ruler: Sun
Traits: Confident, dramatic, loyal, leadership-minded, attention-loving, warm
Constellation: Lion

♍︎ Virgo: August 23rd - Septermber 22nd
Modality: Mutable
Element: Earth
Ruler: Mercury
Traits: Analytical, detail-oriented, practical, modest, health-conscious, service-driven
Constellation: Virgin

♎︎ Libra: September 23rd - October 22nd
Modality: Cardinal
Element: Air
Ruler: Venus
Traits: Charming, balanced, indecisive, peace-seeking, idealistic, diplomatic
Constellation: Scales

♏︎ Scorpio: October 23rd - November 21st
Modality: Fixed
Element: Water
Ruler: Pluto (modern), Mars (traditional)
Traits: Intense, powerful, emotional, secretive, loyal, transformative
Constellation: Scorpion

♐︎ Sagittarius: November 22nd - December 21st
Modality: Mutable
Element: Fire
Ruler: Jupiter
Traits: Adventurous, philosophical, blunt, optimistic, freedom-seeking, visionary
Constellation: Archer

♑︎ Capricorn: December 22nd - January 19th
Modality: Cardinal
Element: Earth
Ruler: Saturn
Traits: Ambitious, responsible, structured, serious, disciplined, long-term focused
Constellation: Sea-Goat

♒︎ Aquarius: January 20th - February 18th
Modality: Fixed
Element: Air
Ruler: Uranus (modern), Saturn (traditional)
Traits: Innovative, rebellious, future-thinking, detached, humanitarian, eccentric
Constellation: Water-Bearer

♓︎ Pisces: February 19th - March 20th
Modality: Mutable
Element: Water
Ruler: Neptune (modern), Jupiter (traditional)
Traits: Dreamy, empathic, imaginative, artistic, escapist, deeply intuitive
Constellation: Fish

The 4 Elements & Modality:

As you’ve seen in the breakdown, each sign correlates with one of the Four Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, & Water.

The Fire signs include: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius
Think of Fiery traits: Passion, inspiration, confidence, action

The Earth signs include: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Think of Grounding traits: Stability, practicality, focus

The Air signs include: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
Think of Brainy traits: Thought, communication, logic, ideas

The Water signs include: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces
Think of Hearty traits: Emotion, intuition, depth, empathy

There are also three kinds of Modalities. Modalities are how energy is expressed. The three Modalities are:

Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
They are initiators, bold, willing to take quick action. Cardinal marks the beginning of the seasons (Aries = Spring, Cancer = Summer, etc). These signs initiate the new season.

Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
They are stable, focused, steady, and enduring. Fixed are in the middle of the season, and they endure until the end.

Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
They are adaptable, flexible, and ready for change. Mutable are at the end of the season and they change and adapt into the new season. 

There’s an interesting connection about the 4 Elements & Modalities: Each of the 4 Elements have a sign representing the three different Modalities. See the picture below:

It’s all a pattern:
The 4 Elements are a pattern of four.
The 3 Modalities are a pattern of three.

Because each Element has a sign representing each of the three modalities, the signs express the Element in different ways:

(The italic shows the connection between Modalities. The bold shows the connection between Elements. The underline shows the connection between signs.

Fire
Aries represents Cardinal — Initiates passion with force
Leo represents Fixed — Sustains passion with identity and pride
Sagittarius represents Mutable — Expands passion into belief and meaning.

Earth
Taurus represents Fixed — Holds onto material and sensual comforts
Virgo represents Mutable — Refines matter through precision and service
Capricorn represents Cardinal — Builds form through ambition and order

Air
Gemini represents Mutable — Gathers and exchanges ideas
Libra represents Cardinal — Initiates balance and communication in relationships
Aquarius represents Fixed — Holds mental ideals for innovation and rebellion

Water
Cancer represents Cardinal — Initiates emotional bonds (family, home)
Scorpio represents Fixed — Holds deep emotional intensity and secrets
Pisces represents Mutable — Dissolves boundaries into oneness and compassion

The Planets (and the Houses)

Similar to the Signs, the Planets (including the Sun and the Moon) also have distinct meanings.

They are a force or a function within you. Think of them as energy centers for what they represent.

This is a 3-Part system (similar to the Sign, Element, and Modality).

The 3 Parts are the Sign, the Planet, and the House.

This system connects similarly to how the Signs, Elements, and Modalities connect together — Just this system is more nuanced.

The Planets represent different areas of life: (they are not all planets, it will be explained).

In case you didn’t know, your “sign” is actually your Sun Sign. Planets are determined just like your Sun Sign: The constellation was the planet in at the time of your birth.

• ⨀ The Sun is your core essence and how it shines. (think Core of the sun and the sun shining)

• ☽ The Moon is your emotional and inner self. This is how you feel safe and nurtured.

• ASC Rising / Ascending is your perception, how others perceive you ,and your mannerisms. (Rising sign is determined by which constellation was “rising” in the East at the time of your birth)

• ☿ Mercury is communication, thinking, learning, and understanding

• ♀ Venus (feminine) is love, beauty, attraction, and connection

• Earth is not included because we’re on Earth lol

• ♂Mars (masculine) is action, drive, and desire.

• ♃ Jupiter is growth, abundance, belief, and wisdom.

• ♄ Saturn is discipline, structure, time, and mastery.

• ♅ Uranus is innovation, rebellion, change, and freedom

• ♆ Neptune is dreams, spirituality, and mysticism

• ♇ Pluto is power and transformation, and death and rebirth

• MC Midheaven is your public persona, career, and life aspirations. (Midheaven is determined by the highest point in your chart. The Midheaven rests right at the beginning of your 10th House)

• ⚷ Chiron is an asteroid that represents pain, wounds, and healing

• ☊ North Node is your destiny, lessons, and the path your soul takes for growth. (North Node is determined by where the Moon’s ecliptic path crosses the Northern Hemisphere.)

• ☋ South Node is your past life, karma, what you’re moving on from, and what you are naturally gifted at. (It is the complete opposite of your North Node)

Your Planets are all determined by what sign the planet is in at the time of your birth.

Then all of your planets fall into a House numbered 1-12. The Houses all represent different areas of life. The Signs and the Houses then connect because the Sign tells you what, and the House tells you how.

The Houses on your chart start with your Rising Sign: Wherever your Rising Sign is marks the beginning of your 1st House. From there, it counts up 1 through 12, moving counter-clockwise around your chart.

As I said, the 12 Houses represent an area of life. Here’s the breakdown:

Now here’s where it all connects:

A Planet is in both a Sign and a House.

Your Planet is the type of energy.
Your Sign is the way the energy is expressed.
Your House is where the energy applies in your life.

The above is KEY to understanding Astrology at a deep level.

You may have an empty house with no Planets in it. This isn’t a bad thing.

An empty house doesn’t mean that it lacks importance. Things will still happen in that house. It is still active during your life.

Empty Houses are still ruled by a sign. My 7th House is Empty but my 7th House Begins in Aries. Aries is ruled by Mars (as mentioned earlier when we broke down the signs) so Aries and Mars has a lot of input into my 7th House.

Some believe empty houses to be areas of complete openness because there’s no past (karmic) energy behind it previously.

There’s one more important part:

The Planets move (obviously)

Where the planets align in your chart is only where they were at the exact time of your birth. They’re always moving. The Sun (and all the Planets) still move across the Zodiac constantly. This is when astrology is applied to day-to-day or month-to-month life.

Real-Time Astrology (and application)

Because the planets are always moving, you can use their current locations to get guidance for specific times.

The Sun:
The Sun has monthly energy cycles (because it takes roughly 30 days for it to move from one sign into the next)

When the Sun is in a sign, it enhances that Sign’s energy even more (especially if it activates one of your Houses too).

The Moon:
The Moon changes signs the fastest. Roughly every 2.5 days it sees a new sign.

It can affect your intuition, emotions, and moods quite easily on a daily scale. The moon goes through a simple 4-Phase cycle:

1) New Moon — New beginnings
2) First Quarter — Action and challenge
3) Full Moon — Climax, release, illumination
4) Last Quarter — Closure and reflection.

This cycle is similar to that of a fiction book story.

The Planets:

The further away a planet from the sun, the longer it takes for them to transition signs. The inner planets are more personal and changes signs more often.

Mercury transitions signs every 2-3 weeks
Venus transitions every 4-5 weeks
Mars transitions every 6-7 weeks.

Jupiter transitions every year
Saturn transitions every 2.5 years
Uranus transitions every 7 years
Neptune transitions every 14 years
Pluto transitions every 15-30 years (Pluto’s orbit is weird)

Even if they take a long time, all movements matter because of the angle of the transition. (this is where my Star Guide Master Astrologist ChatGPT Prompt comes in realllyyy handy)

The degree that a planet is intersecting the Zodiac (and the Sign) is important for learning about Real-Time Astrology.

On the website you generated your chart, scroll down and you can see the exact degrees. There are 5 important types of Aspects. Aspects are the important angle numbers.

0º is Conjunction. It is fused energy, blended force, and oneness.
60º is Sextile. It is flow, ease, and opportunity.
90º is Square. It is tension, friction, and growth-through friction
120º is Trine. It is natural harmony and support.
180º is Opposition. It is polarity, push-pull, and dynamics.

There are 12 Signs spread across 360º. Each Sign has 30º.

To calculate Aspects, you must use the Chart. Because Squares are 90º away that means they are 3 signs away from the sign you’re calculating. It helps to look at a chart right now. For example, Libra’s Squares are Capricorn and Cancer.

Then you can use your Chart to find the exact degrees. If your Sun is in 8º Leo and Venus is in 8º Taurus, that’s an exact Square (90º difference). So that would be a connection between the Sun in Leo and Venus in Taurus Square.

Your Chart is fixed. It has fixed planets in fixed signs decided the moment you were born.

The Planets are not fixed and are always moving. You take the moving Planets and see where they intersect with your fixed chart. This is real-time astrology.

The Ages

Astrological Ages are extremely long-term time frames that shape humanity.

An Astrological Age is roughly 2160 years long and represents spiritual and cultural themes for humanity.

Earth wobbles like a spinning top and it changes the point in the sky where the Sun rises (during the Spring Equinox). The wobbling is a cycle that lasts roughly 25920 years. 25,920 divided by 12 (for the 12 signs) is roughly 2160.

After 2160 years, the Sun rises in a different Sign than previously.

It isn’t known exactly where we are in this cycle, but right now in 2025 the Age of Pisces is towards its end and the Age of Aquarius it beginning. And some say that it isn’t a “switch” but it’s more of a gradual switch (similar to a sunrise).

It’s unknown exactly where we are because each Spring Equinox, we start over at 0º Aries. But the Constellations are different sizes and the calendar system isn’t perfectly aligned with Astrology so over thousands of years, the Ages get a little messy.

The Age you are in follows what the Sign describes.

We’re leaving the Age of Pisces (beginning roughly 1AD up until 1900-Present) which was full of religion, spiritually based, hierarchies, hidden truths, and the Fish. In the last 2160 years, we saw a huge religion coming up: Christianity (and think of how the Fish is a symbol of Jesus).

Before the Age of Pisces we had the Age of Aries. Aries is ruled by Mars (masculine) and Aries is a Fire sign. Aries is full of action and drive. Let’s think of what happened from 2000BC up until 1AD. We had huge warrior empires like Babylon, Greece, and Rome. The “Hero” archetype was very masculine in real life and from ancient Mythology around that time.

The Astroligcal Ages have clearly lined up with the times.

Entering the Age of Aquarius, we can look at traits of Aquarius to see what is in store. Themes of Aquarius are technology, decentralization, consciousness, and rebellion. The Age of Aquarius began anywhere from 1900 up until Present. We are in the midst of a great shift. And look at what has been happening — We continuously see the individuals winning and not succumbing to big leaders or businesses. We’re steering away from centralization and we’re decentralizing with Bitcoin, small business, and people moving out of the cities. We’re gaining more advancements in technology than ever before with sustainable living, self-driving cars, and especially AI.

We will be in the Age of Aquarius for our whole lifetimes, but plenty of change is still coming.

After the Age of Aquarius will come the Age of Capricorn, where society can expect to transform once again. Because Capricorn is ambitious, yet responsible, serious, disciplined, and long-term focused, I predict this meaning saving humanity from global threats. This could be living on new planets or space stations, maybe meeting with extra-terrestrials and forming a relationship with them, or a huge fix to a possible AI issue.

That’s what I’ve got on Astrology right now.

This was a ton to digest. I have a couple suggestions for you (I would highly recommend doing these)

• Get your Chart from https://astro-charts.com/tools/new/birth-chart/ if you haven’t yet. The visuals help SO much with understanding. And then it’ll be more personal and meaningful to you

• Copy & Paste this ENTIRE article into ChatGPT. Then at the end write “Please give a summary in bullet points”. These can serve as another voice teaching it to you as well as notes to refer back to.

• Get the ChatGPT Prompt for daily updates. It’s free. You’ll get to connect the dots with everything you just learned AND it’s personalized so you’ll get a deep understanding of both yourself, and astrology as a whole.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email or DM me!