Zodiac

What It Means If You Have A Stellium In Your Natal Chart, According To Astrology

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stellium in birth chart

It's rare that someone completely identifies with all aspects of their Sun sign (the sign most of us think of when we talk about our zodiac sign). That's because each of our unique natal charts are far more complex than any one particular placement, and we are influenced by a unique mix and combination of factors that make us who we are.

And if you're someone who tends to look at horoscopes relating to a particular zodiac sign and often finds yourself thinking, "That is so me," it's possible you have stellium (also known as a satellitium) in your birth chart that plays a larger role in your life than you may yet know.

What does a stellium mean in astrology?

The short answer is that a stellium is a grouping of three or more planets under one particular zodiac sign within your natal chart.

Your natal chart is basically a map showing the placements of all signs, constellations and planets, including the Sun and the Moon, in the sky at the exact time and location of your birth. If someone has a stellium in their chart, it means three or more planets (or four if the Sun or Moon are included) were in conjunction with one another under one zodiac sign or astrological house.

For example, if your Sun sign is Capricorn, but your Moon, Venus and Mars signs are in Cancer, you have a Cancer stellium in your birth chart.

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Your personality is made up of a bundle of traits and characteristics; however, there may be one trait that really seems to dominate them all. Perhaps you are undeniably shy, super-competitive, or endlessly creative.

Having a stellium present in your astrological chart means you might be more powerfully influenced throughout your life by the aspects of that particular sign, even if it is not the same as your Sun, Moon or Rising signs.

How does a stellium in your natal chart affect you?

Having three planets in a single sign or astrological house essentially means you are likely to possess intensified energy governed by the characteristics and traits of that house or sign.

Stelliums can make certain qualities more pronounced or distinct within your personality, or they may mean that certain circumstances in your life seems to revolve around a particular theme or lesson.

A stellium may also mean that your Sun sign, typically the sign that determines your most dominant traits, is less defined or more subdued in relation to your life than it might be otherwise.

How exactly this all manifests depends on what zodiac house the stellium is in, which planets are in the stellium, and whether you have more than one stellium in your natal chart. Each of the planets involved rule different aspects of life, which can alter how your sign is expressed.

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How rare is a stellium?

Not everyone will find a stellium in their chart, but it is also not the most unlikely thing to come across.

Certain outer planets, like Jupiter and Saturn, which have slow cycles, remain close to one another for several years, allowing them to enter the same sign from time to time. The Moon completes a cycle every month and therefore can easily coincide with Jupiter and Saturn or other planet combinations in one house.

Mercury and Venus are never much more than one sign away from the Sun and are therefore the most likely to end up in the same house or sign at one time or another.

With all that being said, it is certainly possible that you have at least one three-sign stellium in your birth chart.

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How to find out if you have a stellium in your birth chart

If you want to find out if you have a stellium, you must first get a hold of your birth chart. If you know your exact time, date, and place of birth, you can look up your birth chart using a free online calculator.

Your chart will tell you exactly where each planet was at the time of your birth. If there you find three or more planets in the same sign, there is your stellium.

Be sure to do some research into this sign and the planets involved in order to know exactly how your stellium is expressed.

Everyone wants to know themselves better and, honestly, it’s easier said than done. However, those who know they have a stellium in their natal chart can use that information to understand themselves in a deeper way.

If you have always found it difficult to relate to the traits of your zodiac sign, figuring out that you have a stellium can help you make sense of yourself and your world.

It’s worth a try, anyway.

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Shannon Ullman is an editor for Red Ventures and a frequent contributor to YourTango. Her work has been published on Elite Daily, Huffington Post, The Culture Trip, TravelPulse, Philadelphia Weekly, The Daily Graphic, and more. Visit her website for more.