If you’re into astrology, you’ve definitely heard of the term “cusp birth,” which refers to a birthdate that falls on the border between two sun signs’ date ranges. What does it mean to be born on the cusp of two zodiac signs, though? Some people who were born on the beginning or last day of a zodiac sign’s season claim to be a mix of the two, but is this actually true?
Finally, when it comes to astrology’s cusp signs, here’s the verdict: they don’t exist. The concept of “cusp signs” is a common astrological myth. Because the sun can’t be in two places at once, a planet can only be in one place in the zodiac at a time, you can only have one solar sign. Please accept my apologies for bursting any cusp-claimers’ bubbles! However, if you were born on the “cusp” of two zodiac signs, there are a few things to consider, as this placement can make things a little more tricky.
In This Article...
Are there any house cusps?
The zodiac signs and houses both move around the horoscope in an anticlockwise fashion. The house cusp is the line that marks the transition from one house to the next. The Ascendant, for example, is the cusp of the first house, while the Descendant is the cusp of the seventh, the Medium Coeli is the cusp of the tenth, and the Imum Coeli is the cusp of the fourth.
In astrology, what do cusps mean?
A cusp (from the Latin meaning spear or point) is an imaginary line in astrology that connects two consecutive zodiac signs or houses in the horoscope.
The Sun can straddle the cusp as it passes across the sky because the solar disc has a diameter of approximately half a degree. When this happens at the time of birth, a person is said to be “born on the cusp,” and some believe that the features of both signs influence their lives. For instance, if a person was born while the Sun (by tradition, the point at the center of the Solar disc) was at 29 degrees, 50 minutes Gemini, he was said to be born on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer. Even though the center of the Solar disc was in Gemini, much of the disc was in Cancer.
Despite the fact that the term “cusp” is widely used to describe the sign boundaries, not all astrologers agree that an object may ever be included in more than one sign.
Many people just examine the placement of the Sun’s center, which must be wholly in one sign, and would simply refer to the natal Sun in the case as being in Gemini.
If late degrees of Gemini have a Cancer-like personality, they would explain it as the nature of that section of Gemini rather than a spillover effect from the following sign.
Can you have two zodiac signs?
No, not at all. People born on the zodiac cusp are unique individuals whose date of birth combines the energy and attributes of two distinct signs together, forming a separate astrological personality with blended qualities, rather than formally being born under two signs.
What makes cusps unique?
A cusp is an imaginary line that connects two consecutive zodiac signs or houses in the horoscope. When a person’s birthday falls on the day the sun moves from one zodiac to the next, they are referred to as a cusp.
These people have traits from both zodiac signs, which has an impact on their overall personality. A cusp of Aquarius and Capricorn, for example, is not the same as a cusp of Pisces and Aries. Here’s a rundown of how they differ from the other zodiac signs.
(Read: We Looked at Your Horoscopes to See How 2017 Will Play Out So You Don’t Have To!)
(Read: How To Become A Better Person By Understanding The Demonic Traits Of Each Zodiac Sign)
Is it possible for a planet to have two houses?
This topic deals with scenarios when a planet may be in the second or third house, depending on whether Placidus, Porphyry, Koch, Equal, or another method of dividing the circle into 12 parts is used. In other words, what does it imply if Uranus is in the 5th house in one system and the 6th in another?
This is actually a pretty regular occurrence, due to misinterpretations of signage and a large disparity in the size of houses depending on where we were born. Astrologers will notice that when we get further away from the equator, the size of the quadrants skews quite a little. As a result, many people on Earth live in homes that deviate from the optimal width of 28-32 degrees.
As a result, our Sun may be in the 8th house according to one house system, but in the 9th according to another. The question of how a planet acts when it is in one or more houses may be simply answered by looking at what causes the occurrence so that we can deduce probable interpretations when we see it in a birth chart.
Let’s start by looking at the many meanings of planets, houses, and cusps. From our innermost sensitivity and feelings (the Moon) to the farthest transpersonal transforming forces beyond our control, the planets represent our core functions, or “lights,” of personality (Pluto). Cusps (where a house begins and ends) are the margins of where the homes contact each other, and houses are the areas of our experience in the outer world.
So, what do we make of the different connotations of a planet falling on a house’s cusp? Furthermore, how can we interpret planetary influence when the cusps vary from one house to the next due to different house systems in use, shifting the planet from one house to the next?
One of the first things I learned was that the time of birth determines just the Ascendant-Descendant and Midheaven-Nadir axes. The rest of the house cusps are determined by whether we divide quadrants using a space-based system, a time-based system, or a space-time system. (A thorough examination of all feasible house division systems is beyond the scope of this article and would tire the majority of readers.)
We’ll obtain a variety of points that mark the cusps of the houses depending on which system(s) we choose. Some are relatively close to one another, whereas others produce different indications on various dwellings than others (though never more than one sign apart except in very high latitudes.) We all have all of the signs in our charts, and if the cusps are in the very early or very late degrees of a sign, at least two houses will usually have two different signs on their cusps. (If we were born in extreme North or South latitude, it may have three possible signals on its cusp.)
For example, depending on which house division system I use, I have Leo rising with late Virgo or early Libra in the 3rd house, late Pisces or early Aries in the 9th house. I’ve seen cusp spans as broad as 20 degrees involving two signs in charts I’ve studied, and much wider at extreme latitudes. It’s easy to understand how this could lead to confusion about what rules the house and how to filter through the numerous influences of planets straddling two houses.
Why is it vital to know which house(s) a planet affects? Well, it can help us comprehend why we have certain significant lessons to learn from one place and not another, in addition to showing us our areas of self-realization through various experiences related with those houses.
If a planet is firmly placed in one house, it reveals our inner “light” lessons related to occurrences in that house. Because a planet on a cusp location is involved in both houses rather than simply one, it is triggered as either an entry or exit energy in our lessons.
However, if it is in a degree that places it in one house in one system and an adjacent house in another, the planetary function is concerned with how those nearby houses interact. Rather than being in one or the other, it is in both at the same time.
When I originally calculated my chart, I discovered that my Saturn is in the 3rd house if I follow the Placidus house method. However, it is in the second house if I use other systems like Porphyry or Equal. That got me thinking: which home does my Saturn reside in?
When I read the writings, I realized that I have parts of both perspectives in my life. Saturn in the second, as well as Saturn in the third, are both characters I can identify with. So I started looking into the deeper meanings of the houses, and came up with a system that has worked for me for many years and satisfies the majority of my clients who are perplexed as to why certain things in their lives appear to be contradictory, or why they have major life experiences that are similar but occurred in different areas of their lives.
Simply said, when I look at charts, I employ two (or even three) house division schemes simultaneously. This provides me a degree of separation between houses, a zone where the two houses touch and overlap to some amount, just like the sections of our life do. The spread is determined by the difference between the two systems that produces the largest outcome.
As a result, the zone between my second and third houses spans 28 Virgo (Placidus) to 11 Libra (Equal). Anything that passes through that zone has an effect on both households and combines those two aspects of my life. Because that is true for my second and third houses, the zone between my eighth and ninth houses also encompasses the area between 28 Pisces and 11 Aries. Other zones exist between residences, some bigger, others narrower, depending on a variety of factors.
When a planet is in the zone where two houses intersect, its function is learned in both places and has an affect in both. We must discover how those places interrelate through the lessons and attributes of that planet, not just because we have a part of us that is more identified with one area than others.
To use a musical example, the frets on a guitar neck are not required for playing the instrument. A note is a note, however there are zones where you can go into locations that highlight the minor distinctions between the complete notes by sliding up or down the string.
As we progress from A to A-sharp to B-flat and B, we see both obvious and subtle differences. Similarly, as we progress from 2nd house experiences to 3rd house experiences, we notice both visible and subtle variations.
Taking this technique makes it easier to explain apparent discrepancies in planetary birth positions, as well as progressions and transits. It can also explain why, after many years in one of our homes, a slow-moving planet begins to affect the neighboring location while still exerting influence in the old area, and over time appears to bind those portions of our lives together in a series of lessons.
(From pieces first published in March 2006 and then again in February 2010)
How can you tell whether your home is on the verge of being demolished?
Consider the chart wheel to be a large ribbon with all 12 signs of the zodiac lining the interior like wallpaper dots.
The twelve house cusps are affixed to the center of the circle like hands on a clock, each pointing to a specific dot, or degree, on the wallpaper. If you were born with 15 degrees of Sagittarius rising in your horoscope, the first house is ruled by Sagittarius “The hand was pointing to the middle of the Sagittarius constellation. If you were born near the equator, you were born in the second house “The third house would be in the center of Capricorn, the third house in the middle of Aquarius, and so on.
The catch: Depending on which home system you choose and how far north or south you were born on the equator, things can go a little weird. Some homes are rather huge, while others are quite little. If Sagittarius is on the cusps of both your first and second homes, Capricorn is skipped entirely, and Aquarius is on the cusp of your third house. This is referred to as an interception. Capricorn is still present; however, all 30 degrees of the sign are buried in the second house, with no clock hand pointing in their direction. The sign on the house cusp conducts the public relations, while the intercepted sign works behind the scenes.
