Another important element to interpret in an astrological chart, especially Natal Charts, Solar Returns and Progression Charts, is the axis element. There are 6 axes in astrology – six, because the chart is a wheel divided into 12 houses, each house a piece, just like a cake, and the axis involves 2 oppositional signs and houses. Astrology presents us with 64 different options, for in each chart houses fall on different signs. here is a classic example, when houses and signs match:
but most astrology charts present combinations of houses and signs: Libra on the first house, Gemini on 8th house atc.
The astrological axes are only 6, though, and in order to use it in reading you will have to combine their meanings, in case they fall on different houses and signs: that is, when signs don’t match their natural house. The natural position of the houses and signs is as seen at the drawing above, with each sign and house matches the opposition sign and house in the chart wheel:
Houses 1-7 : Aries-Libra
Houses 2-8 : Taurus-Scorpio
Houses 3-9 : Gemini-Sagittarius
Houses 4-10 : Cancer-Capricorn
Houses 5-11 : Leo-Aquarius
Houses 6-12 : Virgo-Pisces
and all matches their natural astrological positions (Aries first, Taurus second atc.)
In an Astrological Chart, we might want to understand the meaning of an axis when interpreting prominent planets, angular points and other elements. for example one can not understand the Nodes (Mean Node and True Node) without understanding the axis they sit on. It is also hard to interpret oppositions without having a sufficient understanding of the axis the opposition partakes.
Meanings of the different Axes in Astrology Chart
The 1-7 axis, or the Aries-Libra axis, is all about I am:
Me, as a person: my needs, ambitions, drives and boundaries, represented by Aries and the 1st house, VS including others in my scheme: significant others and just “others” with their needs, ambitions, drives and boundaries, represented by Libra and the 7th house.
The 2-8 axis, or the Taurus-Scorpio axis, is all about I have:
Talents and abilities I have and how I’m supporting myself, represented by Taurus and 2nd house, VS others’ resources and talents: heritages, inheritances, genes, karma that goes with me everywhere and other legacies I’ve got from home and early family – represented by Scorpio and 8th house.
The 3-9 axis, or the Gemini-Sagittarius axis, is all about I’m aware:
Available Ideas and possibilities i can reach and options my mind can grasp, represented by Gemini and 3rd house, VS expanding my awareness, widening my view and acknowledge possibilities, beliefs, experiences that are “out there” beyond my immediate understanding.
The 4-10 axis or the Cancer-Capricorn axis is all about I generate/get:
Having emotional and personal impact on those i love and using bonding to get things, represented by Cancer and 4th house, VS generating my own means and relying on status to get things, represented by Capricorn and 10th house.
The 5-11 axis or the Leo-Aquarius axis is all about I can/influence:
Do, achieve, become, develop myself and influence others near me, represented by Leo and the 5th house, VS spread my influence further reaching groups of people and make a change in the world, represented by Aquarius and 11th house.
The 6-12 axis or the Virgo-Pisces axis is all about I know:
I know and map the world around me through facts, personal experience and analyses, represented by Virgo and the 6th house, VS I process things intuitively, relying on general truths, common knowledge and others’ experiences and beyond myself experiences of this world, represented by Pisces and 12th house.
How to interpret combined axes in personal charts
Combining 2 elements is the difficult task when doing Astrology reading and charts analysis. for example having somebody’s South Node falling on their 5th house in Sagittarius. In order to interpret the combination of 5th and Sagittarius, to figure their South Node meaning, you will need to combine 5th house axis meaning with Sagittarius axis meaning, like this:
5th house axis is about I can/influence: Do, achieve, become, develop myself and influence others near me. Sagittarius axis is about I’m aware: expanding my awareness, widening my view and acknowledge possibilities, beliefs, experiences that are “out there” beyond my immediate understanding. The combination of the two gives us I influence through awareness or I’m aware through influence. Because we’re interpreting South Node (natural, intuitive skills, strategies and experiences the individual posses) we can conclude that as a child and as a default strategy in life, the Chart’s owner uses their authority over others to gain wider understanding and that major awareness events in their life were connected to their learning their own power over others. We can also conclude that Chart’s owner is familiar with “changing” identities as a mean of gaining more awareness: that is, they are experienced with playing with their image and gaining wider awareness through it . Having in mind other aspects of the chart, this aspect may indicate either a manipulative tendency, a “chameleon” type or the need of others presence (friends, groups) to gain knowledge about my self – that is, a somewhat very friendly person.
We use the same method to interpret the other side of the axis, this time, the True Node: we conclude that having True Node in 11th house and Gemini axis gives us a person who their learned experiences, challenging strategy and main lesson is to learn how to use what they already know in order to contribute others. This may indicate a person who needs to be more aware of their uniqueness and to understand that their experiences in this life are something others can learn from. If the context of the reading is professional, it may tell a career in coaching (if other aspects support) or in lecturing that will be beneficial for the chart’s owner. If the context is spiritual then it tells being more personal in their interactions with other or being more interactive from the first place.
Like everything else in Astrology, things depend very much on other supportive elements and aspects of the chart.
Kabbalistic Feminist Astrology 