LAWS
The laws of astrology are the foundations and rules that are essential to know before doing readings. These laws help us to understand the signs, planets, houses and the relationship between them all.
Modality & Elements
Zodiac signs can be categorized in a manner which makes each of them unique. As there are 12 zodiac signs, they all belong to one of the 3 modalities and one of the 4 elements, which are as follows:
The 4 elements:
The 3 modalities:
Zodiac Signs and each of their elements and modalities:
Fire | Active, initiative, extroverted, energetic, brave, passionate. | |
Earth | Practical, grounded, stable, determined, cautious | |
Air | Social, versatile, thinkers, idealistic, superficial, outgoing | |
Water | Emotional, intuitive, imaginative, sensitive, empathetic |
Cardinal | Beginning of a new season, leadership, beginning |
Fixed | Middle of the season, unwavering, resolute |
Mutable | End of a season, open-mindedness, changeable |
Rulership
Each zodiac sign is ruled by one of the 7 traditional planets/luminaries. See each of the planets and which zodiac sign(s) they rule.
Fun facts:
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The luminaries (sun & moon) rule one sign each.
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Each of the planets & lumaries (counted as one) creates a pattern in the zodiac wheel chart, as seen on the following image.
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Other than the luminaries, the planets from the bottom to the top are all sorted by their distance from the Sun.
Sun | Leo | |
Moon | Cancer | |
Mercury | Gemini, Virgo | |
Venus | Taurus, Libra | |
Mars | Aries, Scorpio | |
Jupiter | Sagittarius, Pisces | |
Saturn | Capricorn, Aquarius |
Planets in houses and signs
Houses: Joys & co-signs
A planet’s joy is the house where it shines at its absolute best. A co‑sign is where it feels at home. But if you’re choosing between the two, joys carry the greater power; they reveal a planet’s highest expression.
Signs: Exaltation & domicile
Similarly to joys and co-signs, a planet does the best of best in its sign of exaltation, while it feels at home in the signs of its domicile, because like its name, it feels most at home there. It's also domiciled in the very same signs it rules.
Planet | Joy | Co-Sign | Exaltation | Domicile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | 4, 11 | Aries | Leo | |
3 | 7 | Taurus | Cancer | |
1 | 6 | Virgo | Gemini, Virgo | |
5 | 5, 12 | Pisces | Taurus, Libra | |
6 | 3, 10 | Capricorn | Aries, Scorpio | |
11 | 2, 9 | Cancer | Sagittarius, Pisces | |
12 | 1, 8 | Libra | Capricorn, Aquarius |
The opposite also applies;
When a planet is in the opposite house of its joy or co-sign, it's considered on the opposite side of the spectrum. So just as good it is in joy, the worse it is in the opposite house of joy.
The same applies for exaltation and domicile. When the planet is in the opposite sign of its exaltation, it's called the planet being in 'fall', and when in the opposite sign of its domicile, it's called 'detriment'.
*As for the opposite houses of joys and co-signs, there are no common words used to describe them.
Joys and co-sign chart:
Exaltation and domicile chart:
