Basic Chart Interpretation: Joan Quigley

Note: On what would have been her 93rd birthday, we look at the chart of Joan Quigley. Joan Quigley rose to fame in the 1980's after it was revealed that she was the Astrologer for then President Ronald Reagan and was responsible for many decisions that he made pertaining to travel, foreign policy, and domestic affairs. She is said to have put the "...teflon in the Teflon Presidency." She is the author of two books. They are Astrology for Adults and What Does Joan Say? Joan passed away on October 23rd, 2014

Joan Quigley

April 10^th, 1927 4:17 PM

Kansas City, MO

The Haves 

• Strong in Fire- confident, passionate, assertive, bold, impulsive, active, independent, eager 
• Strong in Mutable- versatile, adaptable, scattered, flaky, un-reliable, easily bored. 

The Have Nots

• Weak in Air- scattered, disconnected, uncommunicative, indifferent, foolish. 
• Weak in Cardinal – methodical, less spontaneous, avoids action, needs prodding by others to initiation or finish projects. 

Chart Emphasis

• Third Quadrant- You’re learning to become more aware of others apart from your own identity. You want a partnership and shared experiences. 
• Western Hemisphere- Many planets in this section of the chart indicates a person who is a follower rather than a leader, he or she requires someone or something else to motivate or prod them into action.
• Southern Hemisphere- Many planets in this section of the chart indicates a person who is social, extroverted, he or she enjoys being out in the world and in the public eye. 

The Ascendant

Virgo- You are logical, practical and analytical. You have an eye for detail but often fail to see the big picture. You thrive on structure and routine. You can be a workaholic who does the jobs that others are unwilling to do. You’re expected to be humble and of service to others.

Chart Ruler 

Mercury in the 7^th House- Your life is oriented towards partnership and competition. The first thing people notice about you is your desire for a relationship. You change your appearance and outer behavior to suit your partner. Your outer behavior serves other people, you are a people pleaser and so you often find yourself playing the role of the peacekeeper or mediator. 

THE PLANETS

The Personal Planets

These are the faster moving planets which are closer to earth and represent the essence of our personalities as individuals. 

The Sun   - The urge to express our individuality, to create, or where we "shine".

Aries – 8^th House: The Sun is said to be exalted in Aries meaning that it is most powerful in this position. You are assertive, strong, intense, and energetic. You love to be an initiator and to set trends, however, you’re not always good about finishing what you start. You enjoy the excitement of the challenge and once that is gone, you lose interest easily. The only thing you like more than a good mystery is solving a good mystery. You have deep, penetrating insights which can be attributed to your gift of psychism. You are driven by an urge to co-mingle with other people. Although you have great talent for finances and the managing of money, you can often be impulsive and make rash decisions. 

The Moon  - The urge to feel secure, to nurture and be nurtured.

Leo – 12^th House: You have a flair for theater and the dramatic and are accustomed to expressing yourself in over the top ways. You are playful, affectionate and loyal. People enjoy being around you and you often find that you are the center of attention. As much as you enjoy the attention and interest of others, however, you really just want to be alone so you can reflect and meditate.  In this respect, you may often feel that you are playing a part for the entertainment and enjoyment of others. You are often guided by your intuition and an inner knowing and are moved to sacrifice your needs in order to show compassion and empathy to others. 

Mercury    - The urge to think and communicate with others.

Pisces – 7^th House: Mercury is said to be in detriment in Pisces, meaning its power is somewhat diminished and you’ll have to work harder to access its gifts. Nonetheless, you are highly intuitive and often trust your psychic faculties over logic and reason even if it doesn’t make sense at the time.  You can often be a dreamer and have visions of future events.  However, your dreams and visions can sometimes take a back seat to intellectualism and can represent a form of escapism for you. You enjoy working with other people in a one-on-one setting or partnership, especially anyone with whom you share a mental rapport. Without that rapport, other people may quickly lose your interest or you could be argumentative to the point that you chase them away. A career in counseling, law or marketing would be ideal for you. 

Venus  -  The urge to love and be loved.

Taurus – 9^th House: Venus is at home in Taurus so it is strong here. You enjoy the comforts and luxuries of life including having money, sensual pleasures, and beautiful things. Most of all you value safety and security and so you will seek out a romantic partner in life who can afford you these things. Rather than chasing someone, you prefer to be chased yourself and when you are pursued in the way you like you can be most romantic and affectionate. When your needs are provided, you are a loyal partner. It is likely that, if you marry, you will marry someone from a culture different from your own who is well educated.  You need a partner who can give you the freedom to explore mentally in the form of studying new ideas, thoughts, and beliefs as well as physically in the form of foreign travel.  

Mars - The urge to take action.

Gemini – 10^th House: You are driven by the pursuit of knowledge. You want all the little details, the facts, the figures, the gossip, and other trivial tidbits of any matter and you usually get all the information that you are after. You are witty, intelligent, and curious. You are stimulated by intellectual conversation and are well versed in many subjects. In fact, you can talk to just about anyone about almost anything. You are a hard worker who craves social status and recognition of your efforts. Highly competitive and determined to have fame, and are prepared to do whatever is necessary to reach the top. With Gemini in the 10^th house, it is possible that you will have two jobs. You could succeed as a writer, public speaker, a marketing expert, or in public relations.

The Social Planets

These planets are further from the earth and the last one that can be seen with the naked eye. They represent themes with which we are confronted with in life but which rise above the individual experience. 

Jupiter  -  The Urge to grow and expand.

Pisces – 7^th House: You are gifted with creativity and your experiences in life inform your inspiration. You can be described as a lover of all people and have profound and powerful occult powers You have a great deal of compassion and empathy for others and often look to assuage their suffering. When it all gets to be too much you practice self-care by withdrawing into yourself to recharge through meditation and inner reflection. In life, you may marry a person of great means who is a good provider and who is helpful and supportive of you and you endeavors in life.  You may also find that business affairs are financially benefitted by partnerships. However, you should be wary of anyone who might attempt to take adventive of your generous nature. 

Saturn    -  The urge for order and structure.

Sagittarius- 4^th House: You want to make a profound contribution to the world and you have a clear set of ethical guidelines by which you live your life and conduct your affairs. This may be attributed to your love of travel and education which exposes you to new ideas, people, and places. You will always be moved to do what you think is right and won’t hesitate to fight for the underdog. At a young age, it is likely that you had to take responsibility for the running of your home and household affairs. Your parents may have been overbearing and strict, or possible emotionally distant in some way. As such, you run an efficient, orderly, and disciplined household. You are seen as an authority at home and your family depends of you for order and discipline. At some point you may have to take on the role of the caretaker of your parents.

The Generational Planets

These planets are the slowest moving and furthest out planets in our solar system. They cannot be seen with the naked eye. They represent the experiences of and effect generations of individuals.

Uranus   -  The Urge to rebel and have more freedom

Aries – 8^th House: You were born into a generation of people concerned about originality, freedom, and a pioneering spirit. Your generation can run the spectrum from being excellent leaders on the forefront of education, information, and technology to impulsive, violent, fanatics who favor action without forethought.  In the 8^th house, Uranus can indicate unusual choice in partners or unconventional sexual desires. You enjoy exploring the unknown, the forbidden, the taboo. As such you may harbor an interest in metaphysical matters and have strong psychic abilities.  In life, you may find that money comes and goes for you unexpectedly such as through inheritance, taxes, or partnerships. 

Neptune  - The urge to escape the mundane.

Leo – 12^th House:  You were born into a generation of people who are known for both their charismatic personalities and their idealistic views about love, romance, and the dramatic arts. They are often motivated by pleasure. In the 12^th house, Neptune grants a superior intuitive faculty. You are naturally gifted with occult power and are interested in metaphysical beliefs and activities such as the mind power, meditation, and visualization. You may find that you often have dreams or visions that later come to pass. You are most happy and satisfied when you can spend time in environments of a mystical or spiritual nature. You should be wary of a tendency towards escapist activities brought on by mental or spiritual confusion.  

Pluto  - The urge for transformation and change

Cancer – 11^th House: You were born into a generation of people concerned with transforming traditional values surrounding home, family, and domestic affairs. Women won the right to vote in August of 1920 and this decade was a time of political and sexual freedom for women. In fact, the “Flappers” are considered the first generation of independent women and they passed this spirit of independence down to their children. In the 11^th house, Pluto indicates that you have friends who are powerful and have the ability to change the world in a profound way.  You may gravitate towards secret groups or societies that have humanitarian ambitions. They may seek to improve the world through science, reason, and technology of some kind.  

Other Considerations

Chiron   - The urge to heal our wounds

Taurus – 9^th House: Your wound revolves around feelings of not having enough stability and security in life.  For you, security means having money and the finer things in life. The more money you have the more secure you feel. You yearn for financial freedom and independence and may tend to struggle with holding on to your money because of a tendency to spend it on things of value such as expensive art or jewelry or on sensual pleasures and experiences such as rare wine, or dining out at exclusive restaurants, and trying to have the best of everything.  

For you healing comes by pushing past your personal boundaries and freeing yourself to explore foreign people, places, ideas, beliefs, and philosophies.  In this way you gain new experiences and ideas that help you to learn to shift your beliefs and ideas about safety and security into something that bring you less fear and more confidence. 

North Node  - The Path to Growth  

Cancer – 11^th House: You were born with an ambitious, disciplined, and controlling nature. You are a hard worker who readily and easily accepts responsibility for the purpose of gaining status and recognition in life. You have the gift of knowing how to socialize with those who can advance your career and show them a good time.  You may have a tendency to becoming romantically involved with authority figures such as bosses or mentors who can help you in your rise to the top.  

For you, the path to growth involves pursuing domestic affairs of home and family. In this lifetime you are to release the cold, conservative ambition for power and glory and embrace compassion, empathy, and the nurturing of self and others.  A social conscience is what is needed in order to achieve true soul-evolvement in this lifetime. For this reason, it is important that you align yourself with groups with humanitarian ideals and goals.

Tightest Aspects.

Aspects represent the relationships between two planets. The tighter the aspect the stronger it will be felt in a person’s life or character. 

Tightest Soft Aspect

Soft aspects are considered easy. They represent strengths you are born with and which will help you achieve your goals in life. 

Mercury in the 7^th House Sextile Venus in the 9^th- Your ability to effectively communicate with your partners (of a business or romantic nature) support your love of travel, philosophy, higher education, and religion. Your social talents and skills are of superior quality and you get along with most people because you are pleasant to be around.  You are careful not to offend others, unless it is absolutely necessary and when the occasion calls for it you get your point across skillfully and tactfully. You are able to learn a great deal about the things you are interested in by your close interactions with various people. 

Tightest Hard Aspect 

Hard aspects are considered more difficult and they represent flaws in your character and the potential for growth. 

Uranus in the 8^th House Square the North Node in the 11^th House: Your desire to explore the unknown, the taboo, and the forbidden is at odds with your urge to grow as a person through exercising empathy and compassion for others. Your urge to rebel in life is applied towards your sexual relationships in which you like to experiment and deviate from the norm. This creates tension in your life and distracts you from the urge to step outside your comfort zone and see other people not as a means to satisfy your sexual urges but rather as beings worthy of compassion and nurturing.

Prepared By

Carolina Dean

twoheadedastrology

Chart Interpretation Made Easy

Chart Interpretation Made Easy 

Well maybe not easy, but definitely easier. Chart interpretation is probably one of the hardest aspects of Astrology for the new student to master. Many seem to labor under the belief that they have to memorize the meanings of the all 10 planets in each of the 12 signs and the 12 houses. While this is not impossible, it isn't necessary either.  

Most Astrologers use a keyword system and learn to string them together to form the basis of their interpretations upon which they expand based on their knowledge and experience in Astrology. So the first thing the notice astrologer needs to do is begin a collection of keywords and phrases associated with the Planets, Signs, and Astrological Houses.  I highly recommend Keywords for Astrology by Hanjo Banzhaf and Anna Haebler. 

We will use the example of the Sun in Libra and the 11th house. 

• The Sun-  (I AM) the urge to express our individuality, to create and "shine".  Keywords- Authority, Confidence, Creative Power, Ego, Father, Hope, Vitality, Potential, Dignity, Joy, Generosity, Extravagance, Pride, Individuality, Recognition. 
• Libra- (I BALANCE) Marriage, agreements, partnerships. Keywords- Relationship, Pleaser, Fair-Minded, Diplomat, Idealistic, Impartial, Considerate, Neutral, Indecisive, Flirtatious, Good Taste.
• The Eleventh House is aligned with Aquarius and is ruled by Uranus. It is associated with groups of people such as friends and associations, networking, social justice.  Originality, sudden unexpected events, invention, surprises, and all things futuristic. 

Armed with our keywords, we can then apply the following method which I developed myself as I struggled to learn Astrology. First take a sheet of paper and divide it into four boxes, two on top and two on the bottom and label each box like so. 

Next, in the top right box write down the Planet in the Sign, including the Sign Ruler; and in the top left box write down the Planet in the House. For example:

Now using your keywords, interpret the Planet in the Sign in the top left box and the Planet in the House in the top right box. For example:

Next, you read over the information in the first two boxes and then using a process of free-association you blend the meanings of these placements together. Don't give it too much thought, just let your intuition guide you. 

Finally, in the last box you will edit and refine what you write in the third box to form your final interpretation. 

And there you have your interpretation! With a little practice...well alot of practice, you'll be able to interpret planets in signs and houses like a professional. Now you can try this procedure with all the planets in your chart before moving on to other considerations such as Chiron, the North Node, House Rulers, Essential Dignity,  and Aspects. 

Carolina Dean 

Links:

Free Birth Chart 

House Rulers in Astrology

What is a House Ruler?

There are 12 houses in Astrology which correspond to various areas of life or specific activities. These often line up with the 12 signs. In addition to the 12 houses, and the 12 signs, there are also 10 planets which move through them at various speeds With 12 houses, 12 signs, and 10 planets there are many combinations and they can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. Generally speaking the planets, signs and houses are interpreted in a specific way.

• Planets represent what is happening.
• Signs represent how it is happening.
• Houses represent where it is happening. 

For example, let's break down Venus in Scorpio and the 6th House. 

Venus + Scorpio + 6th House

                                         I love + passion and intensity + health and work

A person who has Venus in Scorpio and the 6th house could have a passionate desire to be healthy. They may want to be healthy, not only for the sake of health but also to be attractive and desirable. Venus is in detriment in Scorpio (meaning that is it weakened and has to work harder to fulfill it's urge) and Venus can sometimes be lazy so this person may also not always follow through with what they need to be healthy, attractive, and desirable. This can be a point of frustration for them.

To determine what planet rules a certain house, you look to the sign aligned with that house in the particular chart you are delineating. The planet that rules that sign, is also the planet that rules that house. The signs and the planets that rule them are as follows:

• Aries- Mars
• Taurus- Venus
• Gemini- Mercury
• Cancer- The Moon
• Leo- The Sun
• Virgo- Mercury
• Libra- Venus
• Scorpio- Mars / Pluto 
• Sagittarius- Jupiter 
• Capricorn- Saturn 
• Aquarius- Saturn / Uranus 
• Pisces- Jupiter / Neptune

Interpreting House Rulers

The planets are constantly moving and their relationship to the specific sign(s) they rule remains the same. For example, the Sun will always rule Leo, Mars will always rule Aries, etc. However, since the houses the planets occupy often change based on the ascendant, the houses which the planets rule often change as well. For instance, if Mercury is in the 5th house in a chart and Virgo is in 7th house, it is said that the ruler of the 7th house is in the 5th house.

What this means is that the activities of the 7th house will serve the urge of the 5th house. That is you may need a partner or some kind of partnership in order to fulfill your own sense of creativity. For example, let’s say that you want to work in comedy you might find greater success as part of team (like Abbot and Costello) rather than a solo act.

This may seem a little complicated. A good way to use rulers of X house in Y house is to look for empty houses in a chart. For example, if you have no planets in Pisces and the 5th house, then find where Neptune is transiting in the chart. If Neptune is in the 2nd house then you would interpret Neptune (I dream) in the second house (money and material matters) as having idealistic ideas about money, you may be very freehearted with your money or make money through creative ways. Next, apply that interpretation back to the 5th house meaning that you may experience some kind of idealism in the expression of your own creativity such as through art, music, hobbies, or whatever you do for fun.

Ruler of the Chart

The Chart Ruler or Ruler of the Chart is the planet which rules the Sign on the Ascendant in any given chart and it's interpretation is given a little more weight that other planets. For example, if you have Taurus on the Ascendant, this means that Venus is the Ruler of your Chart. The Chart Ruler is interpreted the same way as described above.

For instance, as in the example above with Taurus on the Ascendant let us say that Venus (your Chart Ruler) is in the 11th house. In this case the Ruler of the 1st house is said to be in the 11th house. What this means is that the activities of the 1st house (outer behavior, persona, ego) serve the agenda of the 11th house (friends, groups, ideals, humanitarianism)

Again, let's break this down for ease of interpretation

Ruler of the 1st House in the 11th House

I create my persona, appearance, and outer behavior through friends and groups.

You might say that your outer persona is created through your involvement with social or humanitarian causes or people who hold the same or similar interests as you. Your relationship with others determines how you act, behave, or present yourself to others. You feel more like yourself when you are share a common goal with others. For this reason you may find that in life you are oriented towards more working in groups. These are just a few interpretation of the ruler of the 1st house in the 11 house.

Here's a handy chart to help you interpret your chart rulers

	RULER OF THE X HOUSE		IN THE Y HOUSE
1	persona, image, and appearance	1	self, outlook, persona, outward behavior, individuality
2	financial stability, personal values, possessions	2	money, material things, values, possessions, & sense of self-worth
3	thought processes, communication, & self-awareness	3	conscious mind, short journeys, communication, and how you learn
4	family ties, culture, and tradition	4	home, roots, traditions, subconscious, property, early life conditions
5	creativity, pleasure, hobbies, and children	5	self-expression, creativity, pleasure, what you love, hobbies, talents, need for attention.
6	daily habits, routines, and health	6	employment, work, co-workers, health, hygiene, service to others
7	relationships, cooperation, & agreements	7	marriage, agreements, partnerships, relationships, close associates, open enemies, contracts
8	passion, intensity, sex, & shared resources	8	sex, death, birth, transformation, shared resources, spirituality
9	higher education, travel, & meeting different people	9	higher education, ethics, travel, foreign people and places
10	reputation, achievements, & desire for recognition	10	career, ambition, profession, public reputation, status, responsibilities, authority figures
11	friends, associations, and connections	11	hopes, dreams, wishes, ideals, goals, associates, groups, friends
12	solitude, escapism, and meditation	12	subconscious, unseen or hidden matters, secrets, fears, hidden enemies, spirituality, withdrawal

If you desire, you can go through your whole chart and interpret the house rulers for all 12 houses in your chart. This will add a new dimensions to your chart interpretation. What is your Chart Ruler and what does this say about your personality?


Carolina Dean

Delineating a Natal Chart Part Two

In part one of this of blog post, I gave a method of delineating a birth, or natal chart. Before reading any further you may want to go back and read that post again. 

The Chart 

The Interpretation

At the time of the native’s birth, the Sun was in Leo, which would be the native’s Sun-Sign. However, many factors go into the delineation of a natal chart and this report doesn’t solely rely on the placement of his Sun but also the placement of the other planets and other factors as well such as aspects, or relationships, between planets. The archetypical Leo is someone who radiates self-confidence and who likes to be the center of attention. The native thinks big, is ambitious, short-tempered, affectionate, and is fond of sports and/or drama. He is sociable, charming and a natural salesman or negotiator. While he is naturally confident and a born leader, he may need some experience in life before he grows into his talents and gifts.

With Aquarius rising, the native presents himself as someone who is independent, fun-loving, original and creative. He is often friendly with others, yet impersonal, preferring to keep them at a distance. As he grows older, the native will shift from seeking out the limelight of being on the center stage of life and will desire to be more modest and avoid any undue attention. With the chart ruler, Uranus, in the 3rd house the native is likely to be versatile, curious, chatty, restless, active, and lighthearted. He is deeply interested in, almost fascinated by, other people and may be prone to “people-watching”. He enjoys small talk with others as a means of studying and understanding human thought and behavior.

With an abundance of planets in his Eastern and Southern hemispheres, the native is a natural leader and self-starter who is self-motivated and ambitious. He is career oriented and seeks fame or recognition for his work without which he may not find satisfaction. The native will do well in any career which will take advantage of his deep desire to uncover hidden truths. The native has an intuitive business acumen and will be able to use his intuition to make money and attract wealth but may find that it often slips through his hands. He is idealistic about money in general and, for him, money often comes and goes easily. The native is often prone to giving his own money to humanitarian causes at the expense of his own wants and needs.

With Mercury in the 8th House, the native has a sharp, analytical mind and a fondness for reading and writing. He has a strong concern for justice and a love of philosophy, religion, and higher education. The native has an intuitive interest in psychology as well as a strong empathy for others. He is blessed with an unconscious understanding of the motivations of others and a desire to help those who are less fortunate. The native has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge from which he forms his moral code or standard by which he defines his life. With Chiron, the wounded healer, in the 2nd house the native has an extreme interest for balance and may struggle with defining his values in general due to a disparity between his ideals and reality. The native must learn to better define his own values and understand that there are other perspectives and that they are as valid as his own.

The native has a sensitive, emotional nature. He is tender-hearted and cannot bear to see anyone or anything hurt or treated poorly. The native has a love of animals and may form deep bonds with pets and other small animals. Drama tugs at his heartstrings and he is apt to cry at the drop of a hat. The native is compassionate, understanding, emphatic and easily hurt. On the plus side, the native has an active imagination but can also get lost in his own daydreams and/or creative process. With the Moon in the 2nd house, the native has a strong need for monetary security in order to have and hold on to a sense of stability. He likes to surround himself with beautiful things and things of value. He may also be deeply touched by music or art. The native is deeply sensitive and romantic. He is both popular and self-confident. Strong, capable and loyal people are often drawn to him. 

The native, in turn, often seeks to know and get close to people are important and influential in order to advance his sense of justice. With Scorpio in the 10th house, he is a revolutionary interested in transformation or reform with a goal of equality for all. The native’s social and romantic involvements are often entwined with his work or career. He will enjoy a harmonious work environment. The native is aggressive in his pursuit of forming relations with others of both a business or personal nature. He enjoys working with others but is also highly competitive. In life, the native will need to learn to exercise more humility, tact, and diplomacy.

The Sun in the 7th house empowers the native through his relationships. The native constantly feels the need to have a partner in life, someone without whom he cannot get by. With Mars opposite his ascendant, he is quite attractive and others will compete for his attention. For him relationships will begin and end quickly. Marriage is important to his success in life. With Venus in the 6th house he may marry a co-worker. His partner is likely to have a dominating personality and will guide him through his own shortcomings and allow him to have more success and attainment in life. 

With the South Node in the first house, the native was born with a tendency towards self-reliance-- depending on himself, his appearance, and personality, at the expense of his relationships. The North Node in the 7th house indicates his soul mission in this life is to find true partnership with others. The dynamic of me vs. we or appearance vs. reality will be a strong theme throughout his life. With an abundance of planets in the 3rd quadrant, the native lives to become more aware of others apart from himself. In life, the native will feel the urge to seek out meaningful relationships.

Carolina Dean 

How to Delineate a Natal Chart Part 1

Let me begin this post by stating that, just like other processes such as cooking, drawing, or skinning cats, there is more than one way to delineate a chart. What follows is what I have developed through my own course of study and what works for me. 

To delineate a chart, means to describe or portray it in a precise manner. So what I am going to show you is the process by which I describe a person based on their natal chart. First we begin with the chart itself. In order to obtain a natal chart you will need to know the date, time and place of birth for the individual concern. Once you have this information, you can plug the data into a free online program such as astro.com Again, each astrologer has their own preferences, I use the whole house system.   

Here is our sample chart before hand. 

Diagraming the Chart 

Once I have the chart in hand, I start the process of diagramming it, that is, setting up the chart in order to write in all my notes. I usually start in the center of the chart and work my way outwards. You can do this in any order that you like and skip any steps that don't speak to you. I, myself, do not always include each step listed below but am including them here for the beginner. 

1. Start by coloring in the signs with their corresponding elemental color (red for fire signs, green for earth signs, yellow for air signs, and blue for water signs). This is helpful when interpreting placements (planets in signs and houses) 
2. Write in the quality for each sign (cardinal, fixed, mutable) 
3. Draw the symbol for the planetary ruler of each sign next to each sign. This helps you to recognize when a planet is in a sign that it rules, or is in mutual reception. 
4. Draw a small circle divided into 4 sections in the top right portion of the page. Make a note of how the planets are dispersed in the chart. 
5. On the lower right side there is a small chart showing the number of planets in the elements and qualities. I usually write the correct number over the planetary symbols and add up the rows and columns. I usually only count the planets and only consider the AC and MC when I need to "break a tie" or shift the balance between plants when they are too even. 
6. In the column listing the planets and signs, determine the essential dignity of each planet. 
7. Divide the front of the page into 11 sections as equally as possible. You will want one section across the top of the page, five sections on the left side of the page and another five on the right side of the page. These sections are for writing your notes about the Ascendant and Chart Ruler (top section) and the ten planets in the signs and houses. 
8. List the planets in the signs and houses in the sections and then write up your initial notes in these spaces. These are just notes and initial impressions that you will expand on when you start to write your delineation. 
9. Flip the page over and then divide it into six sections: 1) Hemispheres and Quadrants 2) Elements and Qualities 3) Chiron 4) the Angular Houses 5) Tightest Aspects* and 6) the North and South Nodes. 
10. When you are done, write your notes about these placements in the spaces that you have created. 

Other things you will want to take into account include empty houses (look to the sign on the house), the Oriental Planet, the Succedent and Cadent Houses, and the Rulers of the Houses as well. When you are done, your pages should look something like this. 

Front View 

Rear View 

Beginning Your Interpretation 

As you write your initial notes your subconscious is already looking for patterns among the data that you are collecting and recording. This information will filter through your subconscious into your consciousness and you will begin to form your own impression about the nature and character of the person who's chart you are interpreting.  

The next step, however, is beginning the process of organizing and refining the data that we have collected. To do this, you will want to divide each piece of data into one of seven sections. They are:

1. Personality and Character 
2. Emotions 
3. Love & Relationships 
4. Home & Childhood 
5. Travel & Higher Ideals 
6. Sex & Sexuality 
7. Work & Career 

You may find it helpful to assign a different color to each of the seven categories and use a highlighter or colored pencil to highlight each individual piece of data with its corresponding color.  Then you will group all the data corresponding to each category/color together in one paragraph.  Finally, you will edit and refine the information that you have collected and gathered together and blend it into a clear, concise astrological interpretation. This process is called astrological synthesis.  

In part two of this subject, I will share with you my final delineation of the chart used in this example. 

Carolina Dean 

* To help determine the tightest aspect at astro.com, go down to the section titled Display and Calculation Options and set the orb to 10 percent. Record the tightest hard aspect and the tightest soft aspect.