The “Big 3” are a great place to begin interpreting your birth chart. It helps to first have an understanding of the 12 signs and houses, which we covered in the first course. This way, you can consider how the energies of the sign and house influence these components of your chart. 

The Big 3 are your Sun, Moon, and Rising. These are the components of your chart which make up the core of your personality in a very basic sense. While the other components of the chart add depth and details, these 3 components give us the basic essence of the individual.

When interpreting the Big 3, you can use the following keywords found in the following tables to construct interpretive sentences. Use the space provided on your worksheet to write these interpretations down.

Example: Sun in the 8th house in Sagittarius Interpretation: “I express myself philosophically, spontaneously, and independently in my sexuality, in the way I reinvent myself, in my deep psyche, and in the ways I transform over the course of my life.”

Component	Keywords
Sun	Self-expression, self, vitality
Moon	Response, intuition, emotion, instinct
Rising/Ascendant	Appearance and personality, psychological motivation

Below you will find a table of signs and their associated keywords. Use these keywords to help you construct interpretive sentences about your Sun and Moon. 

See example on page 1.

Sign	Keywords
Aries	Assertively, urgently, daringly, selfishly
Taurus	Persistently, possessively, permanently
Gemini	Communicatively, talkatively, restlessly, adaptably
Cancer	Protectively, sensitively, moodily, shrewdly, sympathetically
Leo	Creatively, impressively, moodily, affably, vibrantly, confidently
Virgo	Critically, analytically, meticulously, diligently
Libra	Harmoniously, sociably, fairly, incisively, intellectually, resentfully
Scorpio	Intensely, passionately, jealously, magnetically, deeply
Sagittarius	Philosophically, freely, exploratively, spontaneously, independently
Capricorn	Prudently, calculatedly, resourcefully, ambitiously, pessimistically, patiently
Aquarius	Independently, humanely, eccentrically, uniquely
Pisces	Impressionably, compassionately, gently, imaginatively, deceitfully

Below you will find a table of houses and their associated keywords. Use these keywords to help you construct interpretive sentences about your Sun and Moon.

See example on page 1.

House	House Keywords/Life Area
1	Appearance and personality, psychological motivation; Ascendant is the sign on the “door” to this house
2	Possessions, feelings, values
3	Written and verbal communication, short-distance travel, siblings and other close family (not parents)
4	Mother, childhood, immediate family, foundation, home, roots
5	Children, creativity, enjoyment, fulfillment, romance, sexual vitality
6	Work, health, condition of body and mind, routines, diet, exercise
7	Committed partnership/one-to-one relationships, marriage, interpersonal bonds, negotiation, balance
8	Deep psyche, death, occult, regeneration, other people’s money/resources, sexuality
9	Higher education, philosophy, expansion, long-distance travel, religion, truths, morals
10	Father, discipline, reputation, career/legacy, social status
11	Friends, social circles, community, higher ideals/aspirations
12	Seclusion, dreams, escapism, shamanism, sorrow, loss, subconscious

Below you will find a chart of Rising signs, the corresponding motivations for this Rising and the chart rulership. Please note that because the outer planets were not discovered until many, many years after the advent of astrology, some signs have ancient and modern rulership listed. Use this table to write a sentence about your rising sign.

Example: Gemini rising: I am motivated by my curiosity, excitement, and desire to understand.

Rising Sign	Motivation	Chart Ruler
Aries	Victory, winning, asserting the will	Mars
Taurus	Acquisition, comfort, peace, pleasure	Venus
Gemini	Curiosity, understanding, questioning, excitement	Mercury
Cancer	Caring for and cherishing others, imagination, sensitivity	Moon
Leo	Ego, confidence, art, performing, being admired	Sun
Virgo	Order, intellectual understanding, caution, security, details	Mercury
Libra	Harmony, balance, peace, partnership, connection, beauty	Venus
Scorpio	Obsession, intensity, depth, understanding mysteries, transformation	Ancient: MarsModern: Pluto
Sagittarius	Restlessness, conquering challenges, optimism, adventures, knowledge, expansion, freedom	Jupiter
Capricorn	Peace, order, determination, status, ethics, structure, discipline	Saturn
Aquarius	Independence, holding boundaries, self-knowledge, varied hobbies and interests, self-preservation, defying limitation	Ancient: Saturn Modern: Uranus
Pisces	Romance, sentiment, offering support in the form of empathy and kindness, escape from reality	Ancient: Jupiter Modern: Neptune