Lunar Living Astrology

Discovering Hemispheres and Quadrants

Part 1

In astrology, Hemisphere and Quadrant are different terms with similar concepts. In western astrology, we use a round circle divided up into twelve pie-like slices known as the houses. Divided by the cadent cusps, the hemisphere encompasses one half of the chart, six houses/signs and the quadrant encompasses three houses/signs. The hemispheres of the chart takes on the same directions as the earth's hemispheres; north, south, east and west. The objective with this piece is to explain how to look for these sections in your chart and garner additional information if there is a preponderance of planets contained in a quadrant or hemisphere.

Let's start with the horizon because this is where many people trip up from the onset. On the typical chart, the Ascendant (the rising) appears to our left. If we imagine that the chart is a round clock, the 9:00 point is the Ascendant. The horizon starts at 9:00 and extends straight across the face of the chart to the 3:00 position. The 9:00 point is the east (where the Sun rises) while the 3:00 position is the west (where the Sun sets). The east being the Ascendant (rising) while the west is the Descendant. Hoping I have not lost you yet. Although my examples below use the natural wheel to demonstrate the sectors, the Ascendant could be any of the twelve signs and it is dependant upon the time of day that the individual was born.

Now we are ready to scope out the hemispheres. When people look at the chart, they instinctively refer to the tenth house cusp as the northern hemisphere. Wrong! The northern half of the chart is actually at the bottom. * I know, now you are really confused! You see, as the Sun rises in the east, it would move through the twelfth, eleventh, tenth, ninth, etc. houses before setting on the Descendant. The southern hemisphere of the chart includes the tenth house (the MC [Medium Coeli] or Midheaven). The northern hemisphere located at the bottom of the chart contains the fourth house (the IC [Imum Coeli] or Nadir). Not to confuse the issue, but imum coeli is Latin for the lower heavens and medium coeli is the middle heavens. So the Sun rises over the southern hemisphere through the middle heavens of the tenth house. Daytime births will be revealed by the Sun's location in the seventh to twelfth houses. Nighttime births will have the Sun in the first through sixth houses. The Nadir and Midheaven divide the chart for the eastern and western hemispheres. * Note - there is an exception when the chart has been cast for a southern latitude location. Read the information at the bottom of this piece.



Each hemisphere has its own influence on our charts. In a nutshell, the northern hemisphere is the introverted emphasis and the southern hemisphere is the extroverted. The eastern hemisphere is the individual's drive while the western hemisphere is the individual's push. What you quickly notice is that the hemisphere encompasses the entire half of the chart (six houses).

For preponderance or emphasis in a hemisphere, the individual needs eight or more planets located in one hemisphere. The influence of that sector is likely to be a noticeable characteristic in that individual's life. To assist in determining the hemisphere, the houses are listed. For the purposes of this explanation, we are not including the node points or asteroids in the total number of planet placements.

Houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 Northern Hemisphere: The Me and Self processes in life. Self evolution is the primary goal for this individual with emotional fulfillment from the inside out. Strives to balance creativity with reliance in an introverted mode. Famous people with northern hemisphere emphasis: Ben Affleck, Morgan Fairchild, Mel Gibson, Don Johnson, Pamela Anderson, Leonardo DiCaprio. Houses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 Southern Hemisphere: The social and other people processes in life. This individual tends to value the opinions of others to the disregard of his own opinions. Similar to NH, strives to balance creativity and reliance through others in an extroverted mode. Famous people with southern hemisphere emphasis: Harrison Ford, David Bowie, Penny Marshall, Jodie Foster, Angelina Jolie, Prince Harry.

Houses 10, 11, 12, 1, 2 & 3 Eastern Hemisphere: The individual is typically self-reliant and motivated. Considerable drive and force. Just as comfortable working with others as doing a project alone. Strives to balance self with others. Famous people with eastern hemisphere emphasis: Steve Martin, Robert DeNiro, Nicolas Cage, Sally Field, Donald Trump, Michael Jackson. Houses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 Western Hemisphere: The ultimate team player possibly to the point of losing a sense of self. May lose connections with individuality in efforts to compromise. Tends to need others to motivate him before initiating action. Similar to the EH, strives to balance others with self. Famous people with western hemisphere emphasis: Henry Winkler, Clint Eastwood, Aretha Franklin, Raquel Welch, Halle Berry, Prince William, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscella Presley.

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As you notice, this covers a lot of territory and it is not uncommon to have a hemispheric emphasis in the individual chart.

Let's move on to Part 2 to learn about quadrants.

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* [Exception] When the chart is cast for locations south of the equator, the hemispheres are flipped. Some astrologers, but not all, will adjust for the house placements through the hemispheres. Needless to say, the information above may not be applicable for charts created with a south latitude location.

© 2005 J McCaul, Lunar Living Astrology - All rights reserved. Do not copy without author's permission