Characteristics of the Zodiac Signs Explained

It is very possible that you have already read the characteristics of the Zodiac signs and do not identify with all those that are attributed to yours. It's natural. The astral personality of each one of us is the result of multiple cosmic influences and not just the Sun sign - what we hear about often.

The Zodiac was created as an instrument for measuring time. Later, it was involved in personality classification or attempts to predict the future. The signs were linked to deities and myths that created a link in relation to human behavior and motivations. Despite the antiquity of this system, many archetypes are still current, as they were inspired by the essence of nature and human aspirations.

Characteristics of the Zodiac Signs and the Birth Chart

Your Sun sign corresponds to your essence. It represents what you are, how you feel, how you experience your emotions and express yourself on a deeper, more intimate level. In the astrological chart, the twelve Houses show, in a simplified way, the position of the planets and how the energy of each one of them governs the different areas of your life.

It is based on this information that we know our Sun sign and all the other influences of our astrological personality. However, the characteristics of the Zodiac signs were defined through a set of notions and each person is unique, even when born under the same sign. Perhaps for this reason, it sometimes can identify with characteristics of other signs other than your sun sign.

The Ascendant Sign shows us how we are, the position of the Moon governs emotions and how we deal with our affective life. Mercury involves communication and so on.

General Traits of the Astrological Personality of the Signs

To know your astrological personality, you need to make an astrological or birth chart and, based on its interpretation, explore all facets of your personality and how they are influenced by each of the stars and planets considered in Astrology.

The sign known to most of us and on which we read in the horoscope every day or week, coincides with the position that the Sun occupied in our astrological chart at the time of our birth - it is called the Sun sign. This represents our inner “I”, our “Ego”. Generally speaking, it conveys our essence, what we really are.

• Aries - Enthusiasm, joviality, action, positive extroversion towards life.
• Taurus - Routine, emotional and material security, practicality, great beauty for love, sensual lover and lover of luxury.
• Gemini - Speed ​​of reasoning, freedom of expression, duality, positivity.
• Cancer - Mood swings, sympathy, strong emotions, imagination, intuition.
• Leo - Brilliant personality, confidence, sensitive, desire for creation, creativity.
• Virgo - Hardworking, critical, concerned, great intellectual potential.
• Libra - Impartiality, diplomacy, great sense of justice, indecision.
• Scorpio - Great physical and emotional energy, ardent love, passionate, positivity.
• Sagittarius - Versatility, physical strength, energy, body and mind work as one.
• Capricorn - Traditional, great sense of humor, practical, outgoing, direct, common sense.
• Aquarius - Individualistic, friendly, fascinating personality, mysterious air, need for privacy.
• Pisces - Maximum expression potential, gentle, inspirational, sensitive, emotional, critical. 

How is the Astrological Chart Defined and how it Relates to the Characteristics of the Zodiac Signs

The birth chart is defined according to the date, time and geographic coordinates of the place of birth. In addition to the position of the sun sign, the birth chart indicates the position of:

• The planets;
• The Houses;
• The Midheaven (which tells you what you most identify with in life and the characteristics of your personality that it strives to show);
• The Bottom of the Sky or IC (which symbolizes its roots and is strongly related to the 4th House and the themes it governs);
• The Ascendant Sign;
• The Descendant Sign (which corresponds to the 7th House, the domain of relationships), and of many other astral features that help to draw the astrological profile.

The Ascendant corresponds to the “persona”, to the basis of the personality, it shows how it adapts to its environment and the way it is seen by others and that it may not always correspond to our “I”, the person we are inside. The Ascendant is the starting point for interpreting a map.

Planets next to the Ascendant can show you how you are behaving or feeling. If Mercury is present and in conjunction with the Ascendant, its mood may be more logical. If it is Venus, it might feel more romantic. If Saturn is in its Ascendant it may be in a serious or depressed mood. Jupiter encourages optimism and so on.

The position of the Moon on the chart is equally relevant to the astral personality, as it represents emotions, intuition and your social image. In a reading of your astrological chart, the position of the Moon represents action and symbolizes what has passed and what is yet to come. If the Moon is not in a relevant position on your map, or even absent, it means you are at a dead end.

The Mercury position helps to understand how we communicate, how we express our ideas. The astral personality is the set of all these planetary influences considering the position of all the planets and all the signs that characterize each of the areas of our personality and our life.

The most popular variant of Astrology is based on the Sun sign, which uses only one element, that is, the sign occupied by the Sun at the time of a person's birth. This is what appears in newspapers and magazines.

Influence of Planets on the Personality of Signs

• Sun - Defines your sun sign, the way you are in life and how you recharge your energy.
• Ascendant Sign - Tells you how you stand out in the world through your personal style.
• Moon - Gives clues about your affective and emotional formation.
• Mercury - Reveals how you put your intelligence and learning capacity to use.
• Venus - Studies relationships, what attracts you to other people and what makes them feel attracted to you.
• Mars - Dedicated to the strength of conquest, challenges and personal struggles.
• Jupiter - Represents the ideals that move you towards achieving your goals.
• Lunar Nodes - Clarify what you bring to this life and what your life purpose is.
• Planetary Aspects - Reveal how the stars in your astrological chart show your personality and suggest possible obstacles in your life.

Changes to the Birth Chart

Throughout life, as we age and our birth chart "matures" with us, the Ascendant and Midheaven may shift from one sign to another. Therefore, for those who believe in and are guided by their map, they feel the need to do it with a certain amount of regularity. Only then can you know the position of the cosmic energies at that given moment. As long as the time of birth is absolutely correct (a four-minute error represents a 12-month difference in a chart's progression), the periods during which the Ascendant and Midheaven change signs, mark the key years of your life.

Runes and Their Meanings and How to Use Them for Divination