The signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo. Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
Aries is the first sign and Pisces is the last sign.
Planets
The seven visible planets traditionally used in astrology are; the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
The three outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto cannot be seen without a telescope (although some young eyes claim they can see Uranus), but these three are not part of the traditional or classical planets of astrology.
Sign Rulership
Each sign has a planet that rules the sign known as the planetary ruler.
Aries is ruled by Mars.
Taurus is ruled by Venus.
Gemini is ruled by Mercury.
Cancer is ruled by the Moon.
Leo is ruled by the Sun.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury.
Libra is ruled by Venus.
Scorpio is ruled by Mars.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter.
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn.
Aquarius is ruled by Saturn.
Pisces is ruled by Jupiter.
Above is simply a list with apparently no clear reason behind it. Students have to learn the rulerships.
But there is some method in the madness and these signs rulerships are based on the seasons.
Where astrology evolved in the northern hemisphere (southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the middle east) the warmest months of the year are July and August.
They were seen as the best time and the start of Leo (zero degrees Leo) as the pivotal day.
They gave the rulership of Leo to the Sun and the ruler of Cancer to the Moon. The Sun and the Moon are the two dominant bodies in the sky.
Adjacent to Cancer and Leo are the two signs allocated to Mercury (the next planet from the Sun). Gemini and Virgo are ruled by Mercury.
Next up is Venus and she rules Taurus and Libra both adjacent to Mercury’s signs but one sign further out.
Mars gets rulership of the two signs of Aries and Scorpio. Mars is the next planet out from the Sun.
Next are Jupiter’s two signs of Pisces and Sagittarius both next to Mars’ signs.
Saturn has Aquarius and Capricorn both signs farthest from zero Leo and Saturn is the planet at the limit of our visible planets.
Sign Rulership diagram
I hope the above diagram explains from where rulerships originally came.
Does it make a difference to your readings? Well, probably not but the richness of the history can be interesting in itself.
Each sign has a planet that rules the sign known as the planetary ruler.
Chess is a board game of strategy. It makes you think. There are six different types chess piece and each one has it’s own moves.
The board is a black and white grid of eight by eight squares and you face your opponent with the white square at you right hand.
I believe every child from the age of five onwards should be playing chess after dinner each night for half an hour before watching TV.
The King
The king can only move one square at a time and capturing the king is the target of the whole game. He has little defense from the rest of the board and relies on his close family and people to care for him.
Typically a king inherits his destiny from his family.
The planet that suggests the king is the Moon and emotions and responses are often ingrained and inherited.
The Queen
The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. She can cover three times as much ground as the bishop, knight and rook. For sheer style, influence and power the planet indicated has to be the Sun.
Opponents who only have their queen left on the board can easily win the game against a selection of other pieces, such is her power and reach.
The Bishops x 2
The two bishops (one on the black squares and one on white) move diagonally across the board. This angular movement can allow others to breach their line if they are on the other color.
Bishops are placed closest to the King and Queen on the board and so suggest Mercury and Venus because Mercury is closest to the Sun and Venus is closest to the Moon.
I was tempted to go with Jupiter and the religious connotations.
The Rooks x 2
These are the backbone defense pieces and can move horizontally and vertically without others crossing through their line unlike the bishop (see below). The rooks suggest Mars for warriors and battlements and Saturn for boundaries like castle walls.
Rooks also have a classy move called castleing where, if there are no pieces between the king and the rook, and they both have not been played yet, the two can be moved two spaces sideways.
The Knights x 2
Knights ride horses and the piece is in the shape of a horse’s head so we immediately think of Sagittarius and therefore Jupiter.
They move in an “L” shape and can jump over other pieces on the board. Knights typically travel far and wide and have crusades and quests similar to Jupiter.
The Pawns x 8
The eight pawns can only move forward one space at a time unless it is their very first move when two spaces are allowed. If a pawn can reach the other side of the board the player can choose to have one of their removed pieces replaced by that pawn as a reward for making it through.
Generally the pawns run interference and are background to the main story, so here we have them symbolized through the outers (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) and any other planet that is not well placed in the chart.
On your astrology journey there are many avenues of knowledge to wander down. Once you have the first twelve months of study under your belt, where it is all about the signs, houses, planets and aspects, continuing to study astrology opens up like a fan into a whole new world.
I often relate learning astrology to the medical profession where, everyone is a doctor (who knows the basics and can save your life) but some of them continue into speciality fields such as dermatology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology.
The analogy here is that all astrologers can interpret your chart (and most are very competent) but some continue to learn new techniques and gain more knowledge even if it is simple small pieces that can be used to tweak their readings and become more detailed in their interpretations.
To my mind using the Gauquelin sectors fall into the “nice to have” skills of any astrologer.
Two Gauquelin Sectors
There are two Gauquelin sectors in every chart. They span a section of the zodiac which is different for every chart.
There is your Ascendant Gauquelin sector and your Midheaven Gauquelin sector.
Not every chart has planets in the Gauquelin Sectors, but if your chart does then those planets are important both in natal interpretation and forecasting work.
A French husband and wife team Michel and Francois Gauquelin originally set out to disprove astrology and ended up creating the most in-depth proof for astrology. Their most famous research is known as The Mars Effect.
Briefly, they checked hundreds of charts to see if a particular planet was prominent, or on the ascendant or Midheaven, of people who had the same job.
How to find your Gauquelin Sectors
The Gauquelin sectors cover ten degrees of the zodiac on both sides of your ascendant and your Midheaven for a total of twenty degrees each and forty degrees in all. Both sectors together cover one ninth of the 360 wheel.
Example 1: Say your Ascendant is at 15 Gemini then your ascendant Gauquelin sector spans from 5 to 25 Gemini.
Example 2: Say your Midheaven is at 2 Aries then you Midheaven Gauquelin sector is between 22 Pisces and 12 Aries.
Planets in your Gauquelin sectors are usually in the first, twelfth, ninth and tenth houses.
Planets in a conjunction aspect (orb 8) to your Ascendant and Midheaven are automatically in your Gauquelin sectors.
Interpretation for your Ascendant Gauquelin sector
Shows howothers see you through the urges of the planet
Can be a rising planet
Prominent planet
High profile planet
Strong planet (may be the strongest in the chart)
Interpretation for you Midheaven Gauquelin sector
Indicates how the world sees you through the urges of the planet
This planet may be the most elevated planet
Can be conjunct the Midheaven
When applying to the Midheaven it is stronger
Suggests a career in line with the nature of the planet
If there is more than one planet in these sensitive areas of your chart they have to be interpreted in a blended way as they will all influence you from their position in the Gauquelin sectors of your chart.
David Perkins • Nice article, Alison…! Also really liked the in depth biography on Gauquelin, good work…! Just so you know, a library friend in Berlin managed to track down and is sending me one of the last few known remaining books by Krafft, which Gauquelin once said was THE book that go him started going in the statistical application of astrology:
Krafft, K.E. (1939). Traité d’astro-biologie. Paris: Legrand V. Porchet.
I’ll let you know what’s discovered when I read it. Also, if I may add a few things to assist your article, one being that all graphs presented in an article should be explained:
The diagram you are using to illustrate your article is the original plot graph of Gauqelin’s study on elite French athletes, with this one being the representation of all of their Mars positions (the more athletes that have Mars in a certain house position, the further the plot travels from the center). As we can see, and this is statistically verified, there is significantly MORE Mars positions in the 9th and 12th houses, and of interest too, MOST of these Mars positions occurred at 12 degrees before the ascendent AND the mid-heaven!
Now even though his statistics were tested for their VALIDITY and RELIABILITY, and held up, they were still rejected by the Belgian Committee PARA. Sad, sad, sad, we are often rejected when we are ahead of our time, aren’t we?
Also, what the Biography Article in your link to Gauqelin did not describe fully, is that when he finally got the French Committee for the Study of Paranormal Phenomena to replicate his study in 1982, they actually ALTERED the protocols of the study, choosing just over 1,000 athletes at random out of a control group of 10,000 (allowing for non-champions to be in the mix), when in fact the original intend of his study was to analyze the ELITE athletes of France…
What a shame, he should of come here to the states or to India where the astrological societies are a bit more fair.
Again, nice article, looking forward to reading more of your work…
David
Alison Price • Thanks Lin and David for your comments.
David I would be interested to hear more when you get the Krafft book in your hands. I find the Gauquelin sectors very interesting, but at the same time somewhat elusive.
The link to the bio in my post is actually a third party bio (time) and clearly, David, if you have more information I will link back to you in future. I appreciate your thoughtful response here.
Getting your act together as a professional astrologer takes time and effort.
If you are a dabbler and have no interest is going pro that is fine.
But, if you are considering stepping up your astrological business or, tuning what you have built so far into something great, here are some ideas on what you need to get in place to become a successful astrologer.
Note: I refer to her but clearly it can refer to him as well.
A successful astrologer
A successful astrologer works on charts regularly. She looks at new charts, interprets and forecasts every week. She does not let a month slip past without analyzing a chart. She has charts lined up for interpretation.
A successful astrologer has many income streams sourced from a broad output base including; client consultations, lectures, teaching, podcasts, writing horoscopes etc. She does not depend on client consultations alone for her livelihood.
A successful astrologer knows how to be easy going. She is keen to work and collaborate with other astrologers in her community.
A successful astrologer knows how to press herself to appeal to different clients. She is not a one-trick pony.
A successful astrologer markets herself well, truthfully and consistently. She is always tending her platform and knows what works for her.
A successful astrologer is easily found by Google and makes sure her website, Facebook or Twitter accounts have current and relevant content. Her site does not have stale, six months old and out-of-date material.
A successful astrologer prices her services in the correct range, that is, she charges in the sweet spot at the intersection of her ability and experience.
A successful astrologer has a network of contacts that help her promote her business, she interfaces effectively and regularly with them.
A successful astrologer has a focus for her work and knows her speciality inside out. She is not a Jack (or Jill) of all trades and master of none.
A successful astrologer develops presentations, courses and workshops that pay her well for her time and expertise. She has lecture outlines ready when invited to speak at a conference and gets her information to the organizers promptly. She is considered one of the “easy astrologers” to work with and she is not a prima-donna.
A successful astrologer knows when it is time to call in the experts. She has a list of related specialists to whom she can and does refer her clients if necessary.
A successful astrologer knows her message, remains in her truth and stays on track within her niche. She doesn’t try to be all things to all people.
This is a transcript of Alison Price being interviewed.
Alison Price, moved to Vancouver in September 2012, and attended the Guild the first time, just in time for our AGM in October. Long story short, she was elected president for the group. Alison and I chatted both on the phone and via email about who she is and what she loves about being a professional astrologer. To begin with, Alison is a double Leo with a Scorpio Moon, and like every Leo knew her Sun sign early.
Her favourite topic in astrology is children’s charts; parents come to her to find out what educational route would suit their child the best. Along the way another major group of clients were women seeking advice about conception and fertility. As a rule, Alison, stated she was their last resort after having exhausted the main stream medical advice. That part of her practice began to grow exponentially about a decade ago, so she decided that she needed to find the tools to help her clients.
During our conversation it became apparent, that the reason she continues to work as an astrologer is because she firmly believes astrology can help her clients lead the life they were mean to have opposed to the one others around them expect them to lead.
Anne: How did astrology become your career?
Alison: My interest in astrology was piqued when I was at school in a dry and dusty geography class we were working on the solar system and the teacher alluded to the influences the planets have on each of us and through a reading she did of the sun signs from an astrology book she had.
I felt I was exactly as my sun sign had depicted and I began reading more on the subject. I took my first astrology class at the age of twenty and that was it, I was hooked on astrology, and have not looked back. I began reading for friends and family and then had to slake my thirst for understanding by challenging myself to interpret for other, strangers and people referred to me by those who knew me.
My first astrology teacher always said “Don’t give it away, take compensation for every reading, even if it is a cup of coffee. If you don’t value your work no one else will either.” that is how I started professionally and it grew from there.
Anne: Why do you keep at it?
Alison: For me astrology is an all encompassing subject that permeates my life. I love the patterns formed in the chart by the aspects and the complexities that form which are different for each person.
I believe I can help people see their potentials and find the path in their lives that their chart is showing. If you are true to you natal chart potential you are living a fuller and more satisfying life.
Most of my clients are forty plus women who have reached a crossroads either because the kids have left home or their partner has moved on for whatever reason. Women at this stage are after asking themselves “Is that it? Is there nothing more to my life?” and it is at this point that they find me.
We explore what they really should be doing instead of spending all their days working for someone else, cooking and cleaning and just being “Mum” to young people who clearly can stand on their own feet. Women at this stage of their lives are at a turning point and it is important that they stand facing the right way so as to get the most from their lives. It is my job to show them options and possibilities displayed in their chart.
Anne: What’s most rewarding about being an astrologer?
Alison: I believe the best thing about being an astrologer occurs when clients and students get it. When they begin too see other possibilities (as shown by their chart) that they may not have considered about their lives.
This often results in them finding a creative path in their life that transcends the day-to-day grind on which many folk are trapped. Astrology offers possibilities for exploration of talents and interests in each natal chart that if the person takes these roads it will result in him or her having a satisfied life, because they are living their life in line with their birth chart.
Anne: What fascinates you the most?
Alison: I like the visual image that the chart presents with all the aspect lines and the weighting of the chart by planet position in the quadrants. I always use full color charts and I spend quite a bit of time simply meditating on the client’s natal chart image. I find the circle or wheel of the chart is almost like a mandala for contemplation.
Anne: What do you find are the challenges to doing astrology full-time/for a living?
Alison: By far and away time management is the most challenging thing about doing astrology full time. Each client requires intensive chart preparation work and time for a thorough understanding of the message in the chart. I also need to pause for reflection before I consult with my clients.
At the same time I like to keep up with current astrological thinking and I try to read all the trade periodicals and eNewsletters each issue. I also buy at least one new astrology book every month.
Anne: How has learning about your chart changed/improved your life?
Alison: I would like to say that it has given me a better understanding of humanity and of the varied people out there. To some extent it has been a humbling experience.
I grew up in a family dominated by Pisces parents and siblings. I think they were overwhelmed by my outgoing nature and found me difficult to understand. Leo is not necessarily bossy but they simply want to inspire others, and if that means suggesting ways that friends or family can improve their attitudes and life path then Leo will tell them. It can come over as dictatorial but that is not the true drive for Leo as they do not want to lead but to organize others.
My chart sports a Leo ascendant, Mercury, Uranus and Sun. So what you see is what you get. I also have three planets in Scorpio and this influence in my chart expresses itself in my life by allowing me to understand my clients and their deeper and darker motivations.
Anne: What do you find is the most challenging aspect in your chart?
Alison: I had to give this some thought, but I think it is the Sun conjoined Uranus less than one degree but not partile. This conjunction in my first house gives others the impression I am unpredictable and don’t fit in (as an astrologer this is par for the course) but is also is reflected in my immigrant status that I have had most of my life.
Probably the most challenging part of my chart is the perception others have of Leo’s in general, and that the solar ruled are immediately pigeonholed into the drama queen slot and a “Let them eat cake” attitude in the vein of Marie Antoinette. There was an article in TMA last year titled “The Offstage Leo” which thoroughly explores the Lion’s sign and promotes a better understanding by the other signs.
Anne: Why did you choose conception charts as your presentation for the Guild?
Alison: My interest in conception astrology grew slowly over the years. Twenty years ago you never heard of these requests and even ten years ago they were few and far between. Over the past decade I have been approached by many clients who were struggling to fall pregnant. This was often the first pregnancy and sometimes they wanted to have a second child.
It was a side of my business that grew from a need (women wanting to conceive) that need filling (conception astrology reports). I began to help a few women here and there but then it blossomed to become a good quarter of my practice.
Because you don’t need to meet the client face-to-face it is a great product to have as an online service. Now the majority of my conception clients do not reside in Canada but are spread through the world. Bear in mind that conception astrology is a very private thing indeed. Many of my female clients do not let their husbands know of the consultation either.
Anne: Children’s charts…
Alison: I do a lot of work with children’s astrology. The parent starts out as my client for a general astrology consultation and then moves onto their child’s charts. It often starts at the birth of a new born and grows with the child.
My particular interest group is in the elementary school age group which is astrologically after the transiting Saturn opening square but before the opposition. This group of children are also before their first Jupiter return. Children in this special range are usually in grades one to eight. They are learning fine and gross motor skills and especially the three R’s reading, writing and arithmetic. It is a time when basic learning skills are gained. Almost as if they are learning how to learn, for later.
Difficulties usually appear if the teacher calls the parents in because their child is struggling in class. Astrologically it is often found to be a progressed Mercury stationing retrograde thus creating a year or two of lack of academic progress.
For a child’s consultation I consider the whole chart of course, but more often than not Mercury (the planet of learning and early school) is debilitated in some way. Providing the parents with a heads up about possible difficult school years for their child is a valuable benefit of children’s astrology. Being forewarned is forearmed. Taking action to help their child with perhaps remedial classes of engaging a math tutor after school can help the youngster.
It is important that children in this age group move forward with their learning in elementary school and do not slip through the cracks.
Anne: What type of astrology do you do and why?
Alison: Having explored different types of astrology Vedic, Chinese, Sidereal and Uranian etc. I have settled western tropical astrology. I use both traditional and modern rulers for the signs such as Mars and Pluto for Scorpio as I believe the signs with two rulers (Scorpio, Aquarius and Pisces) work on two levels.
Regarding a Dispositor Tree I always use traditional rulers so Mars rules Scorpio. This came in to play when Pluto transited Scorpio from 1984 to 1995 and it became apparent that during that ten year period only Pluto could ever become the Final Dispositor of any person born during that generation. My children were born at this time so I was closely watching charts for newborns then.
To my mind this was not true (that Pluto could be the only Final Dispositor) and I went back to traditional rulers during that period and discovered that it works much better than using modern rulers when constructing a Dispositor Tree.
This creates the quandary of the recent mutual reception between Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn. I see it as the two planets (Saturn and Pluto) both being disposed by Mars, Saturn in Scorpio by rulership and Pluto in Capricorn by exaltation. I have written more on this subject here: https://www.starzology.com/uranus-square-pluto-both-disposed-by-mars/
I call myself a psychological astrologer as that is how I see the benefit I offer to my clients and students. I love Placidus house cusps and I keep tight orbs and I never allow planets on house cusps to creep into the next house.
Anne:Why do you like Placidus?
Alison: I use Placidus houses firstly because I learned this system initially and secondly because it fits my own chart better. Placidus places Jupiter in my fifth house and I see that as exploration of both children’s and conception astrology and both are fifth house areas of life. If Jupiter was in my fourth house it would incline to a large home and family and this is not the case in my life.
On a research note, I have invested much of my time and effort studying The Oriental Planet and I have a book manuscript in the pipeline which may see the light of day later this year. With oriental planet research I have looked at all the planets and I am now even exploring Eris for those of you who are Aries or Taurus Sun signs.
Anne: Your oriental planet is Mercury from the classical perspective and Uranus from a contemporary one, so which one do you identify with? Why is the planet significant? What would you state about your oriental planet?
Alison: My oriental planet is Uranus. The oriental planet is a significator of two things; your vocational inclination and how you are announced.
Your vocation is defined as what you would do if you did not have to work. This is different than your job (6th house) and your career (10th house). Particularity in the vocation area my original research has shown that your oriental planet makes a Ptolemaic aspect to other planets that indicate you vocation. This shows up as, for instance, all famous composers have Neptune (music) in aspect to their oriental planet and all full-time and well known astrologers having Uranus (astrology) aspecting their oriental planet. This is over and above the average for aspects in general.
How you are announced is shown by your oriental planet as it is the harbinger of the Sun. It rises before the Sun on your birthday and announces the main act, you. For example, with Uranus oriental people say “she’s an astrologer, she’s an immigrant and she is different” because Uranus announces me. It is what people say about you before you enter a room.
Conversely the occidental planet, the planet that sets after the Sun on your birthday, shows what people say about you after you have left a room. It is your lasting impression so perhaps that is something to think about.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to work on this chat, and let’s hope you will put your research topic on our speaker schedule in the next year or two.
