How Strong Is The Chart?

The method of chart interpretation that I’ve learned based on a study of a person’s motivation and drive in the material world. In other words, are you able to survive and build your future? Importantly, it has nothing to do with success or ethics. A serial killer, a CEO, or a dictator could all show tremendous motivation and drive to achieve their goals.  

If you’ve read through some of the case studies, you’ll see I start with a general overview that outlines a few important observations to get oriented with the chart. They help me start to form an impression of how motivated this person is, but it’s only the beginning, and a deeper analysis of the chart is needed to reveal more considerations that add or subtract from the initial impression.  

Here are a few to look at in your own chart. 

The sign on the ASC

The sign here gives one of the first clues though its unique combination of polarity, triplicity and quadruplicity. You can read more about those in the Basics section, but typically, a Cardinal sign on the ASC is a good indicator of motivation because they are goal-oriented and continue to gain momentum over time. In contrast, fixed signs are focused on keeping the status quo, which is great for stability but can prevent them from moving forward. Mutable signs help with the flow of information but can lack the consistency to stay with one thing for too long.

 Motivation and drive are also boosted through masculine signs and the fire element. There should be a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm that makes you courageous, independent and a self-starter. If you’re not an Aries ASC however, you can add strength through other considerations.  

 House Distortion

The ideal is one sign on each house cusp which allows you to express all the signs through some area of your life. The issue is that depending on the latitude and time of birth, you may have house distortion in the chart. This means that you have some signs on more than one house cusp and some signs that are “enclosed,” meaning they are not on a house cusp at all. Matters can be “yoked together” in the case of one sign on multiple houses, or difficult to express, in the case of enclosed signs. For example, Gemini on both the 2nd and 3rd houses could show you earn money through education or a career in communications, whereas Sagittarius enclosed in the 9th could mean you have trouble expressing your independence.  

Planets in Angles

The angles of the chart, houses 1, 4, 7, and 10, are considered the most impactful on us because they represent the goals of life. You (1st house) and your partner (7th house) come together to build a shared future (10th house) and home (4th house). Any planet there has 100% impact on how these 4 pieces connect. For example, think of what happens to the possibility of a family and the impact on your future if Saturn in your 7th house delays or prevents marriage, or how your marriage and future are impacted if Jupiter in your 4th house gives you a loving and supportive home life.  

The placement of the Ruler(s) of the ASC by house position and sign.

Say you have Gemini rising, a fun and sociable sign, but not strongly goal-oriented. Now you put Mercury in the steady, mature and Cardinal sign of Capricorn. Suddenly you have an idea that this Gemini is much more serious and has tremendous powers of concentration. This combination would fall in the 6th house and the influence would be directed towards their health, job and sense of service to others. Put Mercury in Sagittarius and the mind becomes more expansive and creative, and in the 7th, it gives the sense of bringing their ideas before the public. And lastly, if you put it in Pisces, this Gemini is much more emotional and may have trouble separating feelings from facts, but in the 10th house, it shows an innate connection to their career and desire to build up their future. It’s important to remember though that the success or failure of the pursuit has more to do with the nature of the planet, aspects and dispositors than just the sign.  

The Sign on the MC and its ruler(s) by sign and house position

After the ASC, the MC is considered the next most important house since it’s connected to our future and the realization of life. And similar to the ASC, you’d want to look at how the sign and planet(s) are related. You’d be looking for the same factors – sign strength, integration and area of life it’s connected to.  

Sharp aspects

Put succinctly, the more exact the aspect, the greater the impact. Sharp aspects involving the cusps of the angular houses and their rulers have the strongest impact on motivation and drive, but again the quality of the influence has more to do with the nature of the planet. 

Conjunctions

A conjunction of 2 or more planets means that their energies are mixed and intensified toward the goals of the house. This can be harmonious or not depending on the nature of the planets.  

The placements of the Sun and Moon by house position and sign.

The Sun is our will, volition, and organizing ability, whereas the Moon is our instincts, memory, and what we crave from life. Think of a powerful placement like the Sun in Aries. In your 10th it can signify success and ambition, and in the 5th creativity and performing, but in your 12th house, it’s light can be hidden and you may have trouble expressing yourself. As another example, the Moon in Scorpio gives you a craving for power and intense emotional connections. In the 1st, it’s a need to express your will over others, in the 11th, emotional connection to groups and organizations and in the 10th, you crave recognition from the public.  

The connection between the Sun and Moon

The relationship the between the Sun and Moon is important because it shows what we crave (the Moon) and how we organize our life to achieve it (the Sun). Ideally you want some type aspect between the Sun & Moon, even if it’s a square or opposition, because if there isn’t a connection, it’s more difficult to satisfy your needs. Even the “easier” aspects aren’t always beneficial though. The conjunction shows you identify with the needs, sextile and trine make it easy for you to work out the needs of the Moon or you can be too passive, a square indicates struggle or a motivating force, and an opposition is avoidance or delay that needs to be overcome.  

What indicators of strength do you have in your own chart? Questions and comments are welcome below.