Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > Entertainment

Love, Career, Legacy: What Your Birth Chart Can Tell You About Your Life

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

I once asked my aunt to break down Taylor Swift’s astrological birth chart for fun, and to say that my mind was blown is an understatement. As someone who grew up watching my aunt reading people’s birth charts for a living, I have always been a believer and been fascinated by it. 

In astrology, the asteroid, Fama, represents fame and public image. Taylor Swift’s astro birth chart has her Fama in the sign of Capricorn that represents maturity, which explains why she has been getting more famous as she gets older. Her Fama is also in the 9th degree — or the sagittarius degree — that represents travel and worldwide connections, which reflects her global fame.

Accessing Your Birth Chart

A quick and generic breakdown of your birth chart can be accessed through the Snapchat astrology feature where it breaks down what each planet says about you. To access your full birth chart, the astro birth charts generated by Astro-Chart are good visualization tools with clear labels. You’ll need to enter your birthdate, birthplace, and birth time for a precise chart. To read your own chart, you need to consider the planets and their corresponding signs and houses. From here, your unique interpretation of a birth chart should follow this formula: Planet + Sign + House = Interpretation

The first step to reading your chart is to pick a planet that represents an aspect of you. Below is a list of the major planets on a simple birth chart.

  • Sun: Your basic identity—motivations, needs, and individuality.
  • Moon: Your emotions, subconscious, and instincts.
  • Mercury: Your words and communication
  • Venus: Your values, love, and beauty
  • Mars: Your ambition, actions, and power
  • Jupiter: Your success, mental growth

Next, you want to understand how the planet’s function is influenced by its zodiac sign placement. The sign describes how that aspect of you will manifest, express, and experience in real life. Below is a list of what each sign placement represents.

  • Aries: fiery, aggressive, and dominant
  • Taurus: stable, artistic, and focused
  • Gemini: lively, energetic, social, and fast
  • Cancer: sensitive, receptive, and loyal
  • Leo: radiant, charming, and powerful
  • Virgo: grounded, modest, and logical
  • Libra: fluid, persuasive, harmonious
  • Scorpio: passionate, mysterious, and hypnotic
  • Sagittarius: spontaneous, passionate, and optimistic
  • Capricorn: reserved, disciplined, and determined
  • Aquarius: analytical, firm, and independent
  • Pisces: emotional, imaginative, and adaptable

Finally, you want to look at which area of life does it impact directly. Below is a list of what each house number represents.

  • 1st: Self, physical appearance, and general temperament
  • 2nd: Possessions, finances, values
  • 3rd: Communication, transportation, and local community
  • 4th: Home, family, and domestic relationships
  • 5th: Pleasure, creativity, and romance
  • 6th: Health, wellness, and daily routines
  • 7th: Partnerships in professional, social, and romantic settings
  • 8th: Transformation and complexities
  • 9th: Travel, philosophy, and higher education
  • 10th: Social status, popularity, public image
  • 11th: Friendship, humanitarian pursuits, and networks
  • 12th: Spirituality, unconscious, intuition
Big 3 Astrology?width=1024&height=1024&fit=cover&auto=webp
Her Campus Media

Example Interpretations

By combining the three elements of an interpretation, you can figure out many things about yourself. Here are some examples of how the three elements of the equation might come together: Planet + Sign + House

  • Sun in Aquarius of 11th house: An independent individual whose identity is founded upon their idealistic hope for their future humanitarian efforts.
  • Moon in Aries of 12th house: Highly intuitive individual whose “gut feeling” performs best when having to make quick decisions under pressure.
  • Mercury in Gemini of 11th house: Intelligent individuals who form bonds, make friends, and communicate their thoughts effectively.

Other Key Points on Your Charts

In astrology, the ascendant, or rising sign, and the midheaven, or Medium Coeli, are two key points on an astrology chart. The ascendant represents how people see you, while the midheaven represents career, public image, and reputation. 

  • Ascendant: Your mask. How you present yourself to others and your approach to life. 
  • Midheaven: ​Your reputation. Our visible achievements in the eyes of society. 

Just like Taylor Swift’s midheaven perfectly aligns with where currently is in her life, we can know by locating the MC sign on our birth chart. Below is a detailed list of Midheaven + Sign combinations for you to figure out people’s general consensus about you.

  • Aries: Powerful and assertive leaders
  • Taurus: Grounded and mature people who present themselves well
  • Gemini: Funny and smart people who get along with everyone 
  • Cancer: Nurturing and kind hearted people who leave long lasting impressions
  • Leo: Bold and authoritative “it girls” who stand their businesses
  • Virgo: Responsible and organized people who has all of their things in order
  • Libra: Diplomatic and well-mannered people who excels at socializing and networking
  • Sagitarius: Intelligent and versatile people who have success in many different aspects of life
  • Scorpio: Self-motivating and risk-taking leaders who is not afraid to take initiatives
  • Capricorn: Systematic and determined people who are have many people’s respect and support
  • Aquarius: Independent and eccentric people who people never know what to expect from you
  • Pieces: Fluid and laid-back people who is also level-headed and has a magical force

Other Interesting Interpretations and Readings

Now that you know how to read the basics aspects of your birth chart, let’s get into the fun stuff. Astrological birth charts hold significant complexity, and they can get very, very specific! Birth charts offer the potential to illuminate your life’s path, revealing core aspects of your character and potential life trajectories. The chart itself can even offer hints about your future legacy.

On that note, let’s look at some of the more specific things! On one hand, your Venus sign can tell you about the setting at which you will meet your life partner. On the other hand, your moon sign can guide you towards your most fulfilling career path. Below are lists of Planet + House/Sign combinations for you to add your interpretations to.

Venus placements + house numbers: how you will meet your soulmates

  • 1st: When you are doing self-care activities (shopping, bookstore, healing workshops, etc.)
  • 2nd: While you are accumulating possessions (grocery store, real estate open house, car dealership, etc.) 
  • 3rd: When you are running routine activities (daily errands, going for a walk, going to a park)
  • 4th: Through family/relatives, or when you are at your home/second home
  • 5th: When you are doing something you love (gym, hiking, cooking class, etc.)
  • 6th: At workplaces (office, working at coffee shop/library)
  • 7th: Someone you already know (friend, mutual friend, connections)
  • 8th: At a wedding, hospital, funeral (somewhere where big life events happen)
  • 9th: When you are traveling or studying (airport, train, college, higher education, at different state/country)
  • 10th: Through references or blind date setups
  • 11th: Throughs social media, dating apps, or attending to an event 
  • 12th: When you are doing something spiritual (meditation class)

The best career choices for your Moon sign for your highest potential

  • Aries: Best suited to a fast-paced environment where there is pressure to bring creative ideas fast and act quickly. You also need autonomy and independence in your workplace.
  • Taurus: You need security. Avoid jobs that have inconsistent flow on income. You value a lot of stability so that you can enjoy other things in your life.
  • Gemini: You don’t do well in traditional settings. You have the talent to bring up new possibilities and find solutions faster than others. You are best for marketing, advertising, communications, and connecting with people through expression.
  • Cancer: You thrive when you tie your inner experience/culture/past into your work in some way since you seek to feel emotionally connected with your work. Best at nurturing, healing, and comforting.
  • Leo: You have the talent to engage, convince, and rally people and bring out the humor/ease in things. You need a career where you can draw on your personal experiences and identity.
  • Virgo: Productiveness is in your nature. You need to find things that you care deeply about where you can find solutions and improvements to. You also need a place where change can happen and feel that your input is being valued.
  • Libra: Your natural gifts are your interpersonal and conflict resolving skills. Avoid solo environments. You are best at dealing with people, helping others find middle ground, and you manage people very well.
  • Scorpio: You need an environment where you have the capacity to grow and change. You thrive during crises and making high level decisions and dealing with people’s resistance to change.
  • Sagittarius: You constantly try to expand, so you need a place with a clear vision and potential for greater things.
  • Capricorn: You have the ability to work for a very fetching long-term goal even if that means you suffer currently. You need to be in an environment that respects your work ethic. 
  • Aquarius: You need room to experiment and some career that allows you to contribute to humanity, help people come together, and evolve something in some way. Avoid a non-community-based environment. 
  • Pieces: You have visionary and idealistic characteristics. You are the best at seeing the meaning and order in things that traditionally have no order. Find beauty and peace in awful situations.

While astrology may seem complex at first, with a little guidance, you can unlock the secrets written in your birth chart. By understanding the planets, signs, and houses, you can gain valuable insights into your personality, career path, and even your love life. So, why not delve into the fascinating world of astrology and see what your stars have to say?

Katy Tseng an editor for UCSB's chapter of Her Campus. She is a first-year Statistics and Data Science major. Her articles mainly revolves around data-driven observations in pop-culture, fashion, sports, and entertainment. Originally from Taiwan then moved to San Diego, Katy is excited about learning and exploring to expand her horizon. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports, reading, and updating her Pinterest boards.