posted December 18, 2004 12:06 PM            

I'm not very good at maths and the actual drawing of the chart so I usually get that off a website, but apart from what sign that person is in each planet and the ascendent, I'm not too sure what each of the other things mean. I have a Parker's astrology book which has told me a bit about the other thing but I can't quite remember what it's called. And the book doesn't say what each individual ascendent in each sign is. I probably just haven't found it, and I also am a little clueless as to find out what a person's houses are. Sorry if I'm wasting people's time here but I really am stupid. I know a passable amount about sun signs but I really want to know about the other aspects of astrology, so if anyone can explain anything to me in laymen's terms I'd be very grateful. Oh, yeah and someone told me a True Node is a North Node but I still have no idea what that means.

posted December 18, 2004 12:34 PM              

First House
This is the House where we meet the world and is known also as the rising sign. It can describe our physical appearance or image and planets in this house are used to communicate something about the individuality of the person. For example, Mercury here would indicate that a person needs to communicate through speech and writing to express their individuality. There is an impulsive quality here, where we just are and are immediately recognised by the sign qualities expressed.

Second House
The Second House is concerned with what we have in terms of material possessions and also our ability to use our special skills and talents to bring our possessions to us. It is the House of sustenance and what we must do to maintain our physical well being. It can also indicate our self esteem and the value we place not only on material things but also ourselves. Are we worth it?

Third House
This House is associate with Gemini and is the area in our lives where we communicate and disseminate information. It is also associated with short journeys and our local environment and siblings. It describes our early education, our schooling and is essentially a social house as it is where we begin to mee the world in social terms.

Fourth House
In my experience this house can be the house of Karma. It is associated with family, culture and traditions handed down through generations and as such can refer to past lives and those who we associate with in this life in order to help us work through our soul's purpose. The family teaches values and behavious which may or may not be appropriate as we grow up and leave the nest. A person with a strong planetary presence here may need to continue the role of perpetuating strong roots in a family situation.

Fifth House
This house is where we experiment with our social skills through interacting with friends and lovers. We learn about ourselves through others' reaction too our behaviour. Here we are encouraged to express our individuality and creativity and learn not to lose our spontaneity and our need for play. So this house also shows hobbies and pastimes and also the results of the most creative act, our children.

Sixth House
This House is associated with work and service to the community. It indicates how we can be part of society and give our skills to it in order society to benefit, not just ourselves. It is also the house associated with health and healing and our ability to maintain our physical systems as a cohesive whole. The work place becomes a macrocosm to our body's microcosm and we need to be aware of each part making a contribution to the wellbeing of the whole.

Seventh House
T his is the house of partnerships and commitment to others through marriage or long term relationships. It is opposite the First House and balances the needs of us as individuals with those we relate to on a permanent basis. We learn compromise and respect for others' individuality which can sometimes take several attempts to achieve! It is also traditionally the house of open enemies, and business partnerships.

Eighth House
This is the House of Scorpio and reminds us that there is one certainty in ife and that is death. It is the house of transformation, endings and beginnings and the ability to regenerate through sex. It is also associated with money and inheritance, and also the partner's money and finances. Our dues to society are shown in this house, through taxation and living by society's laws or dealing with the consequences.

Ninth House
The Ninth House is associated with religion, philosophies and belief systems, as well as higher education as opposed to school education in the Third House. It is where we formulate our code for living, either through our own learning and experience or we can adopt our culture's standards. Of course, this varies according to the different religons around the world and this house recognises the importance of different cultures and overseas travel. The key word is 'expansion'.

Tenth House
This is house is at the top of the chart and consequently refers to our highest ambition, usually seen through our career, which is how we are recognised and categorised by society. It represents the culmination of work and experience to achieve the goals we set ourselves and the authority other people invest in us as a result of all our hard work and achievement. An emphasised tenth house usually indicates a person who reaches the top and is acknowleged for that.

Eleventh House
This is concerned with our special friends and groups of people (not family) with whom we feel a common bond or association. There is a recognition that other people share our ideals and goals for the common good, perhaps through political endeavour or charities. It is where we can create the sort of society we want and not be afraid of change or challenge to tradition.

Twelfth House
This house has been much maligned in the past as its concerns are more to do with our inner world rather than outer achievements. However it can be the House of excellence as it is where we can recognise our true inner selves and act according to our greatest puspose. It may give us cause for doubt and demand that we question who we are, but that is its greatest strength. When we withdraw from the world and find a place of peace and solitude then we are in a position to commune with our higher selves, and planets in the Twelfth show a need for self reflection. Tradtionally it was considered the house of seclusion in hospitals, prisons etc..and the domain of secret enemies, but we are all capable of being our own worst enemy by failing to nurture our needs. It is the house where we return after the maelstrom of interacting with the busy world and can be the source of great inner strength and tranquility.

Annabel Burton . Astrology

And here is where they are:

Nodes:
The North Node is where the Moon crosses the ecliptic going toward the northern hemisphere, and the South Node is where she crosses the ecliptic towards the south.

The Moon’s Nodes nearly always move in retrograde, meaning they travel backwards through the Zodiac. They make a complete circle through the 12 signs every 18 years. The North Node and the South Node are always directly opposite one another in the sky.

When the New Moon and Full Moon happen near the Moon’s Nodes, we get eclipses. That is because the Earth, Sun, and Moon are lined up so precisely that a shadow is cast.

Interpretation
In a karmic sense, the Moon’s Nodes represent lessons to be learned in this Earthly incarnation. These lessons almost always have to do with the way we connect with others. That’s why the Nodes are associated with patterns of relating, and the wisdom to be found within them is often the key to recognizing and healing patterns of relating which stand in the way of our happiness.

The Nodes come in pairs. The North Node is always directly opposite the South Node. If you want to really understand them, it’s wise to study the 12 signs as pairs of opposites— Aries/Libra, Taurus/Scorpio, and so on. Like the yin/yang symbol, each sign contains the shadow of its opposite. For example, every Aries has a secret wish to be loved and accepted, and every Libra has a “gotta be me” side (or an angry side) that comes out no matter how nice she tries to be.

The South Node represents habit patterns from childhood or from past lives. These are comfortable patterns, but they often get in the way of you having the kinds of connections you want with other people. These are especially powerful if you have a planet conjunct the South Node in your chart.

The sign and house placement of the South Node tells where you have a tendency to totally overdo things, working against yourself. There is a longing there, a craving that is very strong. The nature of this longing is shown by the sign of the South Node. For example, in Taurus, the craving is for material security. In Leo, for recognition. In Gemini, for information.

The sign and house of the North Node represent circumstances and activities that usually feel unfamiliar. It’s the “secret shadow” of the South Node sign, and it’s the key to getting that craving met. That’s why the North node reveals an area of massive growth potential in your life. It’s the key to getting energy flowing.

Sometimes in the astrological literature, you will see interpretations that color the North Node as all positive, and the South Node as all negative. Sometimes they suggest that you should strive to move “toward” the North Node and shun the qualities represented by the sign of the South Node. As if that were possible. This is not necessarily a constructive idea. Your South Node indicates an area of massive talent

posted December 19, 2004 08:29 AM            

I think I understand better now, but let me get this straight, when you're looking at the chart drawing for someone, whichever section the little symbol for the North or South Node is on the chart is the way that person's aspect of personality is? Did I understand that clearly enough? Are there any symbols on a chart to represent what a person is in each house-? Oh no, wait, again, do you just see which section each of the planet symbols is and interpret that as what they are like in each house?

posted December 29, 2004 06:02 PM              

My north node is in Aquarius and south is in Leo - so, if I've got this right, this must mean I crave recognition (kind of true) and the Aquarius probably means I avoid it, or am not too bothered about it (very true). I also have Mars in Aquarius, which makes that tendency even stronger.