Why is astrology so complex? From horoscope sign to the multifaceted energy cocktail of the birth chart

All those who have scratched beneath the surface of astrology have seen that astrology is a highly multidimensional language - with its planets and other celestial bodies, aspects, houses, not to mention signs and constellations.

There are countless astrological systems: Western, Vedic, Mayan, and so on. There is geocentric and heliocentric astrology, different house systems, and an endless variety of charts and methods for interpreting the energies of the times past, present or future.

The toolkit is so vast that no astrologer could ever master everything, and thus each astrologer’s astrology is to some extent a unique mix of individual choices about what tools to use, what not to use, what feels like it brings a valid perspective, and what doesn’t resonate personally.

My own approach includes both the tropical zodiac used in standard Western astrology and the living sky (or true sky) perspective that incorporates the constellations. When comparing birth charts from these systems, the comparison easily begins with feeling into individual planetary placements, wondering about which system gives a more accurate-feeling answer to the question of “what is my Sun sign?” (More about the layers that these represent in a later blog.)

What is actually relevant is that the overall chart and its “energy cocktail” shape how specific, individual energies come alive in us - which facets of them are emphasized, and how the details influence the overall “big picture impression of the artwork” that each of us is.

And this, in turn, affects whether a certain energy feels familiar or not.

For example, if someone’s birth chart contains both strong Leo and Capricorn energy, they may influence each other’s expression: the principles that unite them - such as principles, high standards, integrity, trust, acting on behalf of one’s people - may be what most clearly show through. This is very different from, say, a strong Leo-Gemini combination, which might lean towards being much more talkative, social, curious, and generally outgoing.

Even this is just a simplified example, because in reality all 12 astrological energies are active within us.

Astrological energies are all multidimensional, and ultimately, we all contain them all

The horoscope signs aka zodiac signs aka 12 astrological energies are broad, highly multidimensional archetypal energies - far richer than the pop culture astrology stereotypes that, for example, Gemini is a gossip, Leo wants to be the center of attention, or Virgo is a perfectionist.

The more widely and deeply one understands each energy, the better one can grasp its underlying motivation, and the easier it becomes to sense its different facets within oneself and one’s life. As well as ultimately, to channel them into a desired direction.

Every energy has both more balanced and less balanced expressions, higher- and lower-consciousness manifestations. No astrological energy is inherently better or worse than another; each can be expressed on a low vibration, a high vibration, or anywhere in between. Gemini, for instance, can be a childlike question-asker, an indecisive gossip, or a highly refined energy representing the sacred union of feminine and masculine.

A birth chart alone never tells us at which level a person is expressing their energies. Especially the more life experience we’ve gained, the more probable that life’s challenges and phases have offered opportunities for growth… and depending on how one has engaged with them, a person at fifty may think, feel, and behave very differently than they did at twenty.

So what does an “astrological energy” actually mean?

An astrological energy consists of a zodiac sign, the corresponding constellation, ruling planet(s), and a house.

As a rule of thumb, we can say that:

✨ Planets represent parts or sides of the individual, for example Mercury represents our mental and logical function, how we think and communicate.

✨ Zodiac signs represent ways of using energy: ways of acting/feeling/thinking, etc. To this we can add that constellations represent a deeper soul level of motivations and an especially internal experience behind external events.

✨ Houses in a chart represent the areas of life in which the planets operate, in the manner symbolized by the signs and constellations.

All signs and constellations, with their energies, exist within all of us in some form: each one appears somewhere in our birth chart, in some house, i.e., in some area of life. We all also have all the same houses and same planets in our charts. In the end, we all draw from the same collective “source material soup” of which each of us is simply a unique blend. It comes down to differences in emphasis, and which energies awaken at which times in each of us.

If, for example, someone has Mercury in the 6th house in the sign of Scorpio, which is in the constellation of Libra, we could begin building an interpretation like this: the person is most likely interested in themes of wellbeing and health (6th house), these themes are central in their thinking, and they may communicate about them a lot to others - perhaps even work in these areas, and possibly with their hands (Mercury). They approach these things in a way that seeks to get to the deep root causes (the sign of Scorpio), with the aim of harmony and balance (the constellation of Libra). And this is how we proceed with each individual factor, from which we can weave a highly interesting and multidimensional network - or mix a unique energy cocktail!

The birth chart’s energy cocktail - a unique work of art

Our personal energy cocktail is shaped especially by:

✨ The placements of individual planets in signs, constellations, and houses, as described above;

✨ Their contacts, or aspects, to other celestial bodies and the larger aspect patterns they form which describe the inner relationships between different parts of us; and

✨ Planets or other celestial bodies located on the chart angles (the rising sign = ascendant ASC, imum coeli IC, descendant DS, or medium coeli MC), which can even overshadow the energy of the sign or constellation on that angle, and which influence the person in a very holistic way.

For example, if Saturn is conjunct the ascendant, it brings a certain seriousness and realism to the filter between the person and the world, giving a specific tone to the whole chart regardless of the sign or constellation placements.

On the other hand, if the Moon - which expresses our inner world and emotions - is in aspect with Pluto, this brings themes of depth and intensity into the emotional realm, no matter how “light” the Moon’s sign or constellation placement might otherwise be. In interpreting the natal Moon, one must also consider the birth moon phase, which adds more fiery, airy, watery, or dry qualities to how the Moon is expressed and experienced. (If you’d like to know more about this, check out my earlier blog post Do you know what your personal lunar phase is?)

In lived experience, we must also take into account that different times, moments, and periods, as well as different places and different people, awaken different sides of us in different ways - something various astrological methods explore.

Phew, is your head spinning yet?! 😵‍💫 It’s truly no wonder that a chart interpretation needs to be built piece by piece. And of course, we astrologers try our best to help form a clear overall picture from all these parts of the birth chart. A single interpretation can never include everything, of course, and we continue learning new things about ourselves and each other throughout our entire lives. Astrology becomes more valuable the more deeply one understands it, and I truly wish it onto as many people as possible, to benefit from it as an interpretive, symbolic language of individual and collective human life - the language of our own inner compass.

The layered experience described by different astrological systems

In the energy cocktail described above, when comparing the two systems I use, the only differences are the sign placements versus the constellation placements. This is because the planets’ house and angle placements, as well as their mutual contacts (aspects), remain the same regardless of if we are interpreting with the tropical zodiac or living sky constellations. And this brings us to the topic of layered inner parts.

The more one studies astrology, the more its multidimensionality and layered nature reveal themselves.

At first, one might learn that the birth chart is far broader and more complex than just the Sun sign, that there are also, for example, the Moon sign and the rising sign. There are many components, and the relationships between them are also part of the whole. All of this can still be observed within the Western tropical zodiac in a rather engineering-like way, with clear boundaries and categorizing methods. The astrology aligned with the living sky then blurs these precise boundaries and brings into the discussion that every single component of our chart has several layers, some more mundane, some more profound. More about these in the next blog!

Wishing you a multidimensional weekend,

Saila

P.S. Curious to take a look at your birth chart based on the living sky?

You’re warmly welcome to a reading where we work with both your living sky birth chart and your birth chart based on the tropical zodiac of “normal Western astrology”.

🧭 Birth chart reading - living sky astrology / Western astrology comparison zooms in and out between the big picture and the individual details and layers within you and your life - both in the earthly realm and more soul-level consciousness!