What influence do these massive chart squares have on my life  and mind? Is there a reason my chart looks like a butcher knife   ? I want to know more about these houses and why my chart has 'clusters' as opposed to a smooth spread of planets?

Moved to the Western astrology reading forum,

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Basic astrology
Now basically your sun sign is your 'core beliefs, values, ego' and Asc is your physical body, mode of expression and mask and persona that we all wear and hide behind, but definitely not what's going on underneath. What's going on underneath is your Sun sign. Moon sign, house placements and aspects describe your emotional and intuitive responses, also describes your view of your mother, as saturn describes your father by sign and house position.

So, think of a glass milk bottle the bottle is your Asc and your sun the milk, but the milk still has to 'come out' through the glass neck of the milk bottle....

Now aspects within a natal chart represent 'facets' of our personality, because we are all multifaceted beings. What these do is 'break down and compartmentalise' these facets into smaller bite size chunks. This does take quite a lot of self analysis and objectivity to 'see yourself' and why you do certain things and behave in certain ways. Actually it can be quite good therapy...

The aspect grid to bottom left shows the mathematical aspects ie: opposition = 180', square =90', trine =120' sextile 60'

Everyone usually has a mixture of aspects and this is quite normal. Squares are challenges and cause internal tension, oppositions are 'other people' opposing you, trines=easy empathy, fall into place, sextiles are opportunities.

Amongst other things, astrology is a wonderful tool for understanding yourself and others better.....enabling us to make better choices in life as we become aware of how our behaviour influences what happens to us through the law of cause and effect. Astrology does not reliably predict the future.......But it can provide an excellent insight into the psychological make-up of people, enabling us to accurately predict their behaviour and it's resultant effects

If you intend to learn about astrology, you will need to begin with a natal chart, it need not necessarily be your own, but many choose to begin this way, in an effort to better understand their own life journey, and purpose. Astrological natal charts are as individual as a persons ‘fingerprints’ depending on where (latitude & longitude) and time of birth. It is important to get your *time of your birth* as this is the most important information.

There are free online Lessons to learn astrology here and other places