Knowing the placement of natal planets in the signs is only part of the astrological puzzle. A crucial yet often overlooked dimension of chart interpretation comes from understanding the houses in the signs.

Your natal chart is divided into twelve ‘houses’ or segments. Each house represents a different aspect of your personality, attitudes or areas of life. Each house is ruled by a planet and sign that corresponds to its meaning.

For example the first house, also known as the Ascendant, is ruled by Mars and the sign Aries. Therefore it is the place in the chart that informs us about our identities and energy, physical appearance and how we express our individuality in the world. It is a house of first impressions as well.

Yet if you know from viewing your astrological chart on 12andus that your first house is in the sign of Scorpio, that deepens your understanding of this house. Your first impressions may be deceiving because you leave so much a mystery to be revealed in time or not at all.

If you want to understand your approach to romance and relationships it helps to understand the planets and signs in your first house because this tells you how others perceive you at first, yet you won’t want to stop there.

You will also learn about the partners you tend to attract by looking at your seventh house. The 7th house is all about partnerships and the energy that complements yours. It may also tell you what you project onto your partners.

If your seventh house is in Aquarius then it tells you that although you want people to understand you and connect with you on an intimate level, this is also difficult because you are full of surprises and crave independence.

You can also look to your fifth house to learn about how you flirt and pursue pleasure. If Sagittarius is there it reinforces the desire for freedom that your 7th house Aquarius showed you and adds also the awareness that you may encounter numerous potential partners or casual affairs. You may enjoy flirting but also keeping a distance. You may be passionate but not easily settle down.

In contrast if you are interested in understanding your potential for career success you would want to look at your tenth house which indicates your potential career and public image, yet you will also gain information from your sixth house which reveals your attitude about daily work and mundane details that have to be addressed in order to reach the potential of your tenth house career.

You may also check the sign of the third house to understand how communication and mindset are helping or hurting your chances, and look at the potential from the ninth house which reveals how higher education and pursuit of wisdom can help you succeed.

You can learn more about how each house and sign combination shapes your personality and life in the "Birth Chart's Readings" box of the Reports page.