When you first start studying astrology, you might be startled to learn that math is one of its essential tenets. The circular natal chart is scaled using degrees, same like how you calculated circles in geometry class. But exactly how does this relate to astrology?
Find the cusp, or start of the sign that the point is in, to read the degrees of any point in an astrology chart. Of that sign, this is zero. Each mark in the sign indicates one as you move counterclockwise around it. Mars could be said to be in the fifth degree of Aries if it is five marks from the sign’s beginning.
In This Article...
A natal chart has how many degrees in it?
Have you ever viewed your horoscope and questioned the significance of all those odd degrees and minutes? You’re not alone, after all!
Learning the principles behind a birth chart is one of the most challenging aspects of studying astrology at first. In fact, check at your own birth chart before continuing to read this post so you can understand what we’re talking about as we break it down into degrees and minutes.
The degree circle and minute sign commonly cause math averse people to start sweating. You don’t need to worry; this is not advanced calculus. In fact, no matter whose birth chart you’re holding after reading this succinct tutorial, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at in terms of degrees and minutes.
With a FREE tailored report, learn what’s on your birth chart. Get a customized report for an in-depth examination of YOUR birth chart.
Let’s start with decans
Let’s start by explaining how many degrees the horoscope wheel contains. There are 12 signs in the zodiac, as we all know, however you might not be aware that each sign is made up of 30 degrees. There are three sets of decans that make up each zodiac sign, and each set of decans can be up to 30 degrees.
Any sign’s first decan spans the hours, minutes, and seconds from 0 to 9 degrees. After 59 minutes and 59 seconds, the second decan rises from 10 degrees to 19 degrees. In the third decan, the temperature rises 59 minutes and 59 seconds from 20 to 29 degrees. No matter what sign you’re observing, this is true. Also take note that although there are 60 minutes in each degree, we don’t utilize them as a benchmark. Instead, the timer counts down from 0 (the first minute) to 59 minutes (which is really the 60th minute).
The mysterious number 360 is obtained by multiplying 12 by 30. You may be confident that the horoscope you are holding has 360 degrees, whoever wrote it. All rules apply!
These 360 degrees are a fantastic representation of one 24-hour day. As a result, a full birth chart will depict the motion of one 24-hour day on Earth.
Even more intriguing significance emerges when you delve deeper into each sign’s 30 degrees. In a birth chart, some degrees are seen to have more significance than others. Common names for these degrees include critical degrees.
The key degrees are 0, 13, and 26 for the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn). They are 8-9 degrees and 21-22 degrees for the Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). They are 4 and 17 degrees for the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces). Do any of these degrees in your chart correspond to a planet or sensitive angle? If so, you can anticipate that aspect of your life receiving more attention.
Working with anaretic degrees
Furthermore, due to the karmic nature of being at the beginning of the sign, 0 degrees of any sign is seen as a critical degree. According to legend, whichever planet or point is at 0 degrees will be beginning to acquire lessons associated with that point. In contrast, a planet or point is said to be anaretic if it is at 29 degrees of any sign and represents the karmic completeness of that planet or point’s energy.
If a person has multiple planets or angles in their birth chart at the Anaretic Degree, it’s conceivable that they have a very old soul. There could also be a sense of urgency or a need to complete something connected to the energies of that planet or those locations.
What occurs when a planet is at 29 degrees and 59 minutes, then? This was demonstrated by the birth of Prince George. He was born while the Sun was at 29 degrees and 59 minutes in the final degree of the sign of Cancer. The Sun would have entered 0 degrees Leo if he had been born a little later.
Leo and Cancer have extremely distinct energies! This is why it’s crucial to be familiar with a planet or point’s degrees and minutes combined. It aids in establishing the actual astrological location of a planet or point. A planet is still in that sign if it is at 29 degrees 59 minutes of any other sign. not to mention to such a point.
What does one degree in astrology mean?
As I mentioned before, the Sun travels through one zodiac sign for exactly one month and thirty days. Sun will so finish its 30-degree zodiac sign in 30 days. It will thus traverse one degree per day. Thus, if a person is born on April 19, the Sun will be at 5 degrees of Aries.
What do the angles in a birth chart represent?
The highest point in our chartsand the most visibleis the 10th house angle. Contrarily, the 4th house is the lowest in the horoscope and hidden from view. We find comfort and a place to lay our heads at night there. It is our natural home. A planet close to one of these angles in your natal chart will have a greater impact on your personality and way of living.
Free access to your birth chart’s unique angles Find out more about the specific angles in YOUR birth chart right away.
Transits to these angles tell your story
Transits to the 4th or 10th house are equally as important as transits to the first and seventh houses. They describe the possibility of moving or going through a shift in your family’s dynamic. Additionally, your career milestones and status changes will be predicted by this transit.
The energy can move from the planets in your birth chart or the present sky to your experiences in actual life on Earth at the angles of a chart. They are places where life’s events can occur. You can see that the angles are crucial from this vantage point. Astrology would never have the chance to come to life without them.
Now look at the angles in your own chart! Purchase your Essential Birth Chart report right away!
What does the astrological sign 23 degrees mean?
Mars is concentrating a lot of energy into this extremely condensed region of the Zodiac, so if you have any planets between 22 and 24, you should be mindful of it. Because Uranus, the planet of electricity, surprise, and lighting, is at degree 23 of Aries, where Mars will station in the coming weeks, this particular degree is extremely engaged.
Mars is the planet of violent action retrograde; although he acts differently, the results can still be disastrous. This week’s news has provided us with two noteworthy instances of this. Jo Cox, the MP who was shot dead on the street yesterday, has Chiron (the wound) in her natal chart at 23 Aries square to Uranus (shock) at 23 Libra. The Orlando shooter Omar Mateen has his Sun at 24 Scorpio and Mars at 23 Aquarius (community).
Meatloaf, a musician, fainted yesterday on stage with transiting Mars Rx conjunct Jupiter (24 Scorpio), the planet of excess, at the top of his chart (in the public eye or “on stage).
There is also much strength in conceding during a Mars Rx. Bernie Sanders has withdrawn his candidacy for president and endorsed Hillary Clinton, but he is advancing his program in the process. His natal chart has Venus at 22 Libra and Mars Rx at 23 Aries. He makes a capable partner. Elizabeth Warren, a senator for the Democratic Party and the left’s ideal choice for the position of vice president, has her North Node exactly on 23 Aries as well. What about Clinton herself, you ask? It’s a turning point for her when the south node is at 23 Scorpio. She will need to change direction and give Sanders and Warren credit, though.
Correction: Bernie Sanders hasn’t abandoned his campaign. More so, Clinton’s lead has become stronger. (As of 20 June. He hasn’t finished contributing to the discussion, that much is certain. He must be regrouping right now. Making sure that real change occurs may be more crucial than actually being president. *****
When used properly, this energy can spark a significant shift in course. US Senator Chris Murphy, who last week engaged in a 14-hour filibuster to clear the way for anti-gun legislation, has Mercury (communications) at 23 Cancer, which is in a straightforward trine to Mars Rx. His speech was aimed to address the worries of cancer while also defending his nation and its youth.
Mars is 24 degrees into its retrograde transit in Scorpio. Mars will turn direct on June 30 after stationing here and reaching the number 23 in a few days. Mars, though, will remain there until July 11. When Mars turns direct in Scorpio, his own sign, a lot of energy could be released.
In addition, Uranus, the planet of shocks, explosions, and electricity, is precisely in the sign of 23 Aries (Mrs Cox was having her Uranus Half-Return). The nurturing asteroid Ceres will shortly join Uranus here for the last week of June.
Chiron (age 25) is trine Mars Rx from the mournful sign of Pisces. Today, there are a lot of tears being shed.
The solstice Full Moon is expected to be especially strong. At sunset, both the Sun and the Moon will be discernible in the sky, regardless of the polarity of communications (29 Gemini-Sagittarius). Although this may herald a verbal conflict (which, as we all know, is currently taking place), it also strongly suggests that now is the time for talk and discourse, as well as for exchanging ideas, listening, and learning new things. Action might go horribly wrong.
You have the chance to quickly manifest that altering energy if your planet is in Cancer or Pisces at 23 degrees. The energy is more dynamic if you have something at 23 Fixed or Cardinal.
What does astrological 0 degrees mean?
Note from the editor: This piece first ran in The Mountain Astrologer in December 2012 and has been reposted with permission.
I’ll be discussing the significance of a sign’s first degree and, in particular, its last degree in this article. I’ve selected three instances where Scorpio, the most mysterious sign, has the Sun at its 29th degree.
The Ingress
A planet is conversing with the planetary ruler of the sign when it is at the very start of that sign, having entered new territory (a new element and mode).
Planets or points near the zero degree of a sign in the natal chart adopt a position that either indulges in or embraces the sign’s extremely pure, undisturbed essence. A planet has a new, unexplored property at this level. Some of the most well-known, first obvious characteristics associated with that sign will be readily apparent in the person’s character, but the actual substance of the sign and the difficulties the planet must face and embrace on its journey are still being unearthed and must still be conquered. Simply put, there is a lot of work to be done and a new language to learn. The planet at position 0 seems quite excited to encounter what it will eventually become as it sets out on this journey.
A planet’s Solar Arc making a direct move into a new sign denotes a “a year of learning that sign and starting to feel its essence In other ways, it serves as a portenta marker, condensing (and intensifying) much of what we might anticipate for the next thirty years into the first twelve months. (1) According to astrologer Fernando Guimaraes, the first degree is similar to a “Operatic overture: an opening that establishes the tone for the rest of the performance.
The Middle Degrees
The planets or points between 14 and 16 degrees seem to be deeply ingrained in the purpose of that sign. The planet or point is actively involved in the process of progressing while coming up against difficulty and conflict while it is in a cardinal sign. The planet is most stable, robust, and permanent in its mid-fixed degrees, yet it can also become trapped or immobile at times. It is most adaptable and diversified in changeable, but also unstable, dispersed, and subject to fluctuations.
What does the astrological 16th degree mean?
The predicting and natal charts’ middle degrees. A planet appears to be firmly rooted in the purpose of that sign when it is positioned in the middle degrees of the sign, between 14 and 16.
Which planetary degree is optimal?
It is desirable to have the majority of your planets in this degree group because it has a good balance of energy and experience. The elderly and wise people we need in our lives to learn from are represented by the planets at 25 to 29.59 degrees. These are the planets that, through aspect or conjunction, direct the planets in lower degrees.
What in astrology is the 22nd degree?
The assassins’ and the assassinated’s charts both had the 22nd degree of any Zodiac sign active, according to Serbian astrologer Nikola Stojanovic.
According to Stojanovic, the Moon (woman) occupies the 10th house (power, ruler) at the 22nd degree of Cancer in the Indian horoscope. This means that “a woman ruler (the Moon in the 10th house) will be assassinated (22),” according to one interpretation. In fact, Indira Ghandi’s bodyguards killed the Indian prime minister.
Emperor Hirohito of Japan has the Moon (people) at the 22nd degree of Virgo square Pluto in Gemini and Uranus in Sagittarius.
This can be understood to mean that “his people” (the Moon) were killed by a bomb (Uranus) that unleashed “mass disaster” (Pluto).
What does the astrological sign 29 degrees mean?
The following are traditional critical degrees:
degrees of the cardinal signs 0, 13, and 26 (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn)
These are regarded as delicateand occasionally strengtheningpoints. If a natal planet is discovered at a crucial degree, it is believed the it will be highlighted and will have more power in the native’s life as a result of its placement.
Numerous astrologers also see the 0th and 29th degrees of any sign as crucial. Particularly in prediction work, the 0 and 29 degrees are more crisis-oriented locations.
NOTE: Although astrologers refer to the 29th degree as the Anaretic degree, it is actually the 30th degree. It actually refers to a planet or other body that is anywhere between 2900’00 to 2959’59 in the sky.
It can be difficult to make decisions in the area of the personality that the natal planet represents if it is discovered at 29 degrees of any sign, often known as the Anaretic degree. The native may analyze and re-analyse issues one day before acting, then act immediately the next day without thinking things through first! For instance, if Mars is at 29 degrees, the native may create numerous plans of action, stress excessively about the potential actions and other paths to follow, and then spontaneously select a new course of action!
I know a woman who, despite having a lot of beliefs about how to treat relationships properly, rushes into them when Juno is at 29 degrees. A man with 29 degrees of Mercury struggles with life decisions and wavers between saying a lot and not enough.
Along with difficulty making decisions, hesitancy, and rushing into situations without thinking, the 29th degree is also linked to a feeling of urgency. The qualities and associations of the particular sign can feel more urgent because it’s the final degree of the zodiac sign. A general deficiency in this area might also exist; it can be a source of unwise decisions, challenges, crises, or overcompensation.
The anaretic degree is considered to be more of a debilitating position than the previous classic critical degrees, which are regarded to provide the planet or body more strength.
In progressions, the native’s year may be crisis-focused if, for instance, the Sun enters the 29th degree. For instance, if the Sun advances to 29 degrees of Libra, partnerships may feel urgent and in crisis. This eagerness might lead to divorce or hastily entering a new partnership. A significant transformation in the workplace could occur if the Sun advances to 29 degrees of Virgo. Generally speaking, decisions made at the 29th degree can be rash.
We meet more Anaretic degrees of the Moon than we do with other planets and luminaries because the advanced Moon moves the fastest of the planets. We meet 12 Anaretic degrees of progressed Moon every 28 years (or roughly every 2-1/2 years), as the secondary progressed Moon completes a full round of the chart and the signs once every 28 years.
When working with a mom whose child was attending college, I saw that her daughter’s advanced Moon was transiting the ninth house at 29 degrees. Additionally, Uranus was moving into her daughter’s ninth house and was approaching her Sun in a square. I advised the parent to keep a close eye on her daughter at this point since she might be prone to making drastic, rash changes in her course of study or possibly deciding to drop out entirely. In spite of her parents’ advice to the contrary, the daughter actually did leave school and start working. She subsequently came to regret her decision to leave school and went back to complete her degree.
Carol Rushman makes a strong argument for the significance of crucial degrees, including the traditional ones stated at the beginning of this page, in predictive work utilizing the advanced Moon in her book The Art of Predictive Astrology: Forcasting Your Life Events.
