Hemisphere

Definition

A hemisphere of a chart is one of the four halves drawn by the horizon and the meridian axes. The horizon line splits the chart into an upper and a lower half; the meridian splits it into an eastern and a western half. Looking at which hemispheres carry the most planets gives a fast read of where the life tends to direct its attention: outward or inward, self-initiated or other-led.

In context

A chart that gathers most of its planets above the horizon usually describes a life that plays out in the public domain: visible work, social context, recognition. A chart that gathers them below the horizon describes a life that processes more privately. The east-west split adds a second axis: eastern emphasis tends to read as self-driven, western emphasis as relationally driven. The hemisphere reading is a first sketch, not a verdict.

To go deeper

The hemisphere reading uses the chart's four cardinal points:

• Ascendant: eastern horizon, sunrise side.
• Descendant: western horizon, sunset side.
• Midheaven: upper meridian, highest point.
• Imum Coeli: lower meridian, deepest point.