This 18th century Icelandic manuscript drawing shows the twelve astrological houses with signs for the locations of the planets, the Sun, and the Moon.

By Michelle Lea McCann

Last issue, we explored key appointments to each sign in astrology: the masculine and feminine polarities, the elemental aspects of each sign, and each sign’s specific quality. This issue addresses the twelve houses and the significance of cusps.

As the zodiacal wheel goes around the earth in one year, the date the sun enters each sign may vary a little to allow for the north and southern hemispheres. You may have noticed these discrepancies listed in periodicals. To know exactly what date the suns enters a sign, one should consult an ephemeris, which is an astrologer’s almanac listing the exact planetary positions for each day of that year.

For 2008, the sun enters Aries, March 20; Taurus, April 19; Gemini, May 20; Cancer, June 20; Leo, July 22; Virgo, August 22; Libra, Sept 22; Scorpio, October 22; Sagittarius, November 22; Capricorn, December 21; Aquarius, January 20; and Pisces, February 19.

A cusper may embody characteristics of the sign prior to the cusp (Latin for point) or after, by about five days. A cusper may feel strongly influenced one way or the other and, depending on the position of the moon and other planets, behave as one or the other sign. For example, I was born January 26th; so I am a wild and crazy Aquarius-with the sobriety of a Capricorn! In other words, I may feel guilty for my Aquarian antics but my Virgo-cusp-Libra moon has me feeling either way…half of the time…maybe. It’s all so very simple, it’s complicated! Some astrologers say a cusp can be up to ten days either way, a big slice of the thirty degrees in each sign, or house.

The twelve houses of Astrology are existential arenas that form a map of one’s personality. The houses are also subject to the cusp influence.

Here’s how the houses stack up. The first house is the house of the Self, the most powerful of all, symbolizing you-your mannerisms, style, disposition and temperament. The natural ruler of the first house is the first sign, Aries. The second house, of possessions, is naturally ruled by Taurus. The third house is one of communication and Gemini is the natural ruler. The fourth house, ruled by Cancer, represents home. The fifth house represents creativity, its natural ruler being Leo. Virgo rules the sixth house, of service; the seventh house, partnership, claims Libra as natural ruler. Scorpio naturally rules the eighth house, representing death and regeneration. The ninth house, of mental exploration, is naturally ruled by Sagittarius. Capricorn rules the tenth house, of career or public standing. Aquarius rules the eleventh house, representative of friends, hopes and wishes. Finally, the twelfth house, ruled by Pisces, is associated with secrets, institutions and self-undoing.

The ascendant or rising sign is the astrological sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact minute of your birth. It falls between the first and second house like a doorman. The ascendant is the outer world’s probable first impression of you. It is a perfect blend of the sun sign and the self.

Without the exact time of birth, it’s hard to get a true natal chart. A psychic astrologer may be the only way to discover your ascendant. A skilled, seasoned astrologer may be able to find it by way of rectification, determining birth hour by using the hours at which major life-events occurred as guide points. The ascendant was once considered to be the most important part of a person’s chart, as the mask of outward appearances, the part most easily and naturally shown to others.

Next month we will explore the ascendants and the characteristics of each.

Love and Light to all.