Contents
Preface
About the book
PART I: THE BASICS OF ASTROLOGY
Chapter 1: What is astrology?
The origins of astrology
The zodiac
How does astrology work?
Branches of astrology
The birth chart, or horoscope
Chapter 2: Your birth chart – the map to your life
Casting your birth chart
Getting to know your birth chart
Identifying the zodiac signs in your chart
Identifying the planets in your chart
Identifying planets in signs in your chart
Identifying the houses in your chart
Identifying your houses’ signs
Your ascendant, or Rising Sign
Chapter 3: Understanding the zodiac signs
The elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water)
Fire, Earth, Air and Water signs
The elements in your chart
The qualities (Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable)
Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable signs
The qualities in your chart
The polarities (yang/yin)
The polarities in your chart
Chapter 4: Getting to know the planets
The inner and outer planets
Generational planets
The meaning of the planets
The Sun
The Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
The positive and negative sides of the planets
Chapter 5: Exploring the zodiac signs
The signs’ ruling planets
The meaning of the signs
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Chapter 6: The angles
The ascendant (Rising Sign)
Signs on the ascendant
The descendant (the Love Line)
Signs on the descendant
The Medium Coeli (the MC, or Career Line)
Signs on the MC
The Imum Coeli (the IC, or Home Line)
Signs on the IC
Chapter 7: The houses
Different ways of looking at your birth chart
Angular, succedent and cadent houses
House cusps
The meaning of the houses
1st house
2nd house
3rd house
4th house
5th house
6th house
7th house
8th house
9th house
10th house
11th house
12th house
A guide to your house rulers
Aries or Aries Rising
Taurus or Taurus Rising
Gemini or Gemini Rising
Cancer or Cancer Rising
Leo or Leo Rising
Virgo or Virgo Rising
Libra or Libra Rising
Scorpio or Scorpio Rising
Sagittarius or Sagittarius Rising
Capricorn or Capricorn Rising
Aquarius or Aquarius Rising
Pisces or Pisces Rising
PART II: GOING DEEPER
Chapter 8: Degrees, aspects and orbs
Identifying the degrees in your chart
Planetary aspects (aka planetary angles)
Conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines and oppositions
The condition of a planet
Interpreting the aspects
Chapter 9: Aspect and chart patterns
Major aspect patterns
The T-square
The Grand Trine
The Yod
The Mystic Rectangle
The Kite
Major chart patterns
See-saw
Tripod/splay
Locomotive
Bucket
Bundle/wedge
Splash
Chapter 10: Retrograde planets
What causes a retrograde?
How do planet retrogrades affect us?
The meaning of retrogrades
Mercury retrograde
Venus retrograde
Mars retrograde
Jupiter retrograde
Saturn retrograde
Uranus retrograde
Neptune retrograde
Pluto retrograde
The three passes of a retrograde
Chapter 11: The Moon’s nodes
Working with the Moon’s nodes
The meaning of the Moon’s nodes
PART III: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Chapter 12: An introduction to chart reading
Taking the birth chart as a whole
Synthesizing a birth chart
Chapter 13: Your astrological cookbook
Reading the planets by sign and house position
The Sun
The Moon
The ascendant (Rising Sign)
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Chapter 14: Love, money and other secrets in your chart
Money
Love
Career, success and fame
Lessons and luck
Travel and adventure
The way you come across to others
Family life
Children
Health
Sex
Creativity
Fears
Making friends
Life purpose
Chapter 15: Predictive astrology
What are predictions?
A note about the Astrological Cookbook
Making predictions with an ephemeris
Predicting with planetary cycles
Conclusion
Glossary
FAQs
Recommended reading
Acknowledgements
About the author
Join the Hay House Family