Downloaded Co—Star but have no idea what it means? Interpreting your natal chart 101

A wise man once said that astrology is to girls like video games are to guys. It’s me. I’m the wise man.

If you've downloaded the popular application Co—Star, you already have your chart on hand. And while you may not care about your "big three" (your sun, moon and rising), I promise you that the girl you met at Huey's Knight Club last night does.

For all of you out there who are interested in astrology but don't know where to start, this one's for you.

The elements

Walking through the galaxy, we see that each planet represents a different facet of personality and has a different effect on your chart. There are also four elements that each of the zodiac signs aligns itself with, and three signs that fall within each element.

Water signs are traditionally intuitive, sensitive and feel more intensely than the rest of the zodiac. They're emotional and nurturing, and they tend to base decisions on how they feel rather than on logic and intellect, allowing emotions to rule their life. The signs that follow this pattern in the zodiac include Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the element of fire. Fire signs — Aries, Leo and Sagittarius — tend to be ones of spontaneity, big passions and even bigger dreams.  People that fall under this sign tend to be excitable, impulsive and act without thinking.

Earth signs — Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn — are known for being the most grounded of the zodiac. Their opinions are stable and unwavering, making it hard to get an earth sign to change their mind. Relying on their practicality and conscientiousness, an Earth sign is somebody that you can always count on.

The last element of the zodiac is air. The air signs include Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Signs under this zodiac tend to be light and carefree, intellectual and communicative. While their free-spirited mentality is sure to entertain, air signs do need to be cautious of feeling scattered as they have a tendency to be all over the place.

While each element in the zodiac holds its own values and personality, they all cannot exist without one other. They act as a system of checks and balances, keeping the zodiac and the universe in careful balance. One quite literally cannot exist without the other.

Each sign’s affiliation with their respective element may have a huge effect on your chart, depending on which alignment the planets are in. You may have different planets that are aligned with different signs — someone whose ascendant is in Scorpio is much different than someone whose ascendant is in Aquarius.

Moreover, each planet also represents a different part of your personality: For example, Mercury determines how you communicate while Venus determines how you express your love, what you're attracted to and what you love.

If you want to impress the cool astrology girl, or become her yourself, keep reading to learn what each planet represents:

Ascendant

Your ascendant, or rising sign, is the way you present yourself to people. It's the mask that you put on when you go out into the world. This may not be necessarily reflective of who you actually are as a person but rather who people perceive you to be. Some people claim that your rising sign becomes less relevant with age as we tend not to care as much what people think.

Sun

Your sun sign is probably the sign you are most familiar with and the one you tell people when they ask what your sign is. The sun represents your core and gives insight into your role in life. It provides insight into what your goals and values are in life.

Moon

Your moon sign rules your emotions, mood and feelings. This is most likely the sign that you think of yourself as it is the most intimate of all the planets. This is who you are when you are alone or deeply comfortable with another person.

Venus

Venus is the planet of love. It rules how you love, what you love and how you express your love. It could be said that Venus is the planet of lovers. It gives insight into what qualities you are attracted to and how you connect deepest with your partner.

Mercury

Mercury determines how you communicate, talk, think and process information. It's often referred to as the mind’s planet as it indicates how you learn and perceive the environment around you.

Pluto

Unlike the previous planets, pluto makes a statement more about a generation rather than an individual. Pluto stays in each sign for 30 years. It's a signifier of power and intensity, obsession and control.

Currently, Pluto is in Sagittarius, meaning our generation’s psyche is generally curious, open-minded, optimistic and free-spirited. Sound like the average millennial/Generation Zer to you?

Mars

Mars is the planet that rules aggression. It determines how you assert yourself in situations, deal with conflict and, surprisingly, has a stake in your sex life. Typically, though, it describes your behavior when you're angry.

Neptune

Much like Pluto, Neptune is a generational planet that stays in each sign for approximately 14 years. It rules our dreams and imagination and currently resides in Aquarius, meaning our generation finds inspiration through intellectual pursuits.

Uranus

Uranus stays in each sign for seven years, again, making it a generational planet. Uranus motivates us and examines our innovation and growth as human beings. Uranus is currently in Aquarius, meaning other generations are shocked by the unconventional nature and intellectuality of our generation … okay, boomer.

Jupiter

Jupiter is one of the two social planets. It rules personal philosophy, idealism, optimism and positivity.

Saturn 

The other of the two social planets, Saturn rules our sense of responsibility, our limits and sets our personal boundaries. It also rules our fears and self-doubts.

If you’re interested in learning more about astrology, you can read into your chart insights here. There's a wide variety of information out there regarding the zodiac and its strengths and weaknesses.

Learning your chart may help to provide insight on difficulties you face in life or may provide reasoning for why you behave a certain way. Regardless of how accurate you find it, astrology is a fun trend, and knowing your chart may help provide answers to some of life’s questions and give you some peace of mind.