Quadrants

Quadrants. The two axes that divide the chart into hemispheres also cross to form four quarters, called quadrants. Each quadrant covers three houses and blends the qualities of the two hemispheres it sits in, giving a more detailed picture than the hemispheres alone of where a person's energy is concentrated. The first quadrant, houses one to three, is personal and concerned with developing the self. The second, houses four to six, is private and concerned with foundations, security, and skills. The third, houses seven to nine, is relational and outward-looking. The fourth, houses ten to twelve, is public and collective. A cluster of planets in one quadrant shows which broad phase of experience a person emphasizes. A chart weighted toward the first quadrant suggests a focus on building the self, while a fourth-quadrant emphasis suggests a life oriented toward the wider world and contribution. Like the hemispheres, the quadrants are read early in the process, offering a sense of a chart's center of gravity before the individual placements are studied in depth.