The Secret about Cusps
Cusp signs don’t exist… at least not in the way you think.
If you’ve never heard of a cusp sign before, it is described as the transition period from one sign to another. So, for example, the last days of Cancer season that bleed into the first days of Leo season would be considered a “cusp”. People often believe that because they were born during this timeframe, they possess the traits of both signs.
It is possible to possess the characteristics of both signs, but it is not the cusp that is causing it. A “cusp” is just a term used to represent the end of one sign and the beginning of another. So what gives? Why do you feel like both signs? Here are a few reasons that may cause this.
REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE BOTH SIGNS
You may have a planet in that other sign. This is by far the most common reason why people pick up traits of the sign next door. Typically, the planet is either Mercury or Venus because of its proximity to the Sun, but it could also potentially be the other ones as well.
The planet may be prominent in your birth chart. For example, let’s say you were born at the end of Aries season, and you feel like more of a Taurus. Venus rules Taurus, and she represents aesthetics and attraction. If Venus were prominent in your chart, you would also possess these Venusian qualities. You still would be an Aries, but because Venus is strong in your chart, it will alter how your Aries Sun manifests. There are plenty of methods used to determine if a planet is strong in your chart, such as exaltation, if it’s on an angle, the aspects it is making to other planets, etc. But for simplicity’s sake, I will spare the details on what that all means. If you are curious, feel free to ask questions, and I’ll gladly answer them!
The other sign is your rising sign. Although this is less probable than the other two reasons, it would explain why you feel like both signs. Contrary to popular belief, the Rising sign, aka the Ascendant, is the most important sign in your birth chart. Not only does the Rising sign represent who you are physically and mentally, but it is also the most crucial factor when reading your birth chart. Without the Rising sign, important information will be omitted, and the birth chart reading may feel empty. If the next sign happened to be your rising sign, it is reasonable (and totally understandable) to feel like it, too.
If none of these reasons resonated with you, let me know! I’ll be more than happy to take a peek at your chart.
Now that we’ve gotten that portion out of the way, let’s get into why cusp signs don’t really work.
CUSP SIGNS RUIN BIRTH CHART READINGS
Saying that a planet is in two signs would also mean that a planet is in two houses. Lemme explain. Let’s say that you are at your friend Becca’s house. Becca’s house has an Addams Family type of vibe. Dark walls, dark furniture, dark decor - you get the picture. Your friend Lizzy lives next door. Lizzy prefers bright, loud colors, so her house is designed in all hot pink. Because you are inside Becca’s house, you cannot simultaneously be inside Lizzy’s house. You could walk next door to get to Lizzy, but once you’ve made it to Lizzy’s, you are no longer inside Becca’s house.
Birth Chart
This is a birth chart. On the inner circle, you see the numbers 1-12. Those are the different houses. The symbols that you see in those houses are different planets, asteroids, etc.
This same concept goes for astrology. In astrology, there are 12 houses, and they each have different significations. Whatever house a planet resides in determines how that area of life is colored for that individual. For example, let's say that someone’s Sun sign is in the 8th house of “taboo topics”. A way this could manifest is that the person’s father was a mortician. This would be vastly different from someone who has the Sun in the 9th house of “long-distance travel”. This person could experience an overseas journey that significantly impacted their life. If someone were to support the belief in cusps, these two meanings would get blended. They’d have to delineate it as, “Your father may be a mortician, or maybe you also go on a long journey”. Not only that, but they would have to follow the same logic for the other 9 planets as well - not just the Sun sign. This would ultimately lead to confusion and a poor experience with the reading. The only time a cusp is helpful is when it’s being used to describe a transition period. If it’s implemented during a horoscope or birth chart reading, there’s a chance that time and money are being wasted.
If you have more questions, feel free to ask them! I hope this was helpful, and thank you for being here.
Lastly, if you happened to read the post's subtitle, I have a confession:
I am not a Capricorn/Aquarius hybrid.
I’m not even a Capricorn.
Or an Aquarius…
…
Lol
Till next time,
Nefertiti <3
