Hemispheres

Hemispheres. The chart can be divided into halves, called hemispheres, and the way the planets are spread across them describes a person's broad orientation to life. The horizon line splits the chart into an upper and a lower half, and the meridian splits it into a left and a right half. The upper or southern hemisphere, above the horizon, is the public side of life, while the lower or northern hemisphere is the private side. A person with most planets above the horizon tends to be outwardly engaged and visible, while one with most below is more inward and personal. The eastern or left half, around the Ascendant, leans toward self-direction and independence, while the western or right half, around the Descendant, leans toward relationship and responding to others. When a clear majority of planets gathers in one hemisphere, that emphasis colors the whole personality. A strongly eastern chart suggests a self-starter who shapes their own circumstances, while a strongly western one suggests a person whose life unfolds through others. Reading the hemispheres gives a quick first impression of a chart before the finer details are examined.