How a cluster of planets in a single house or zodiac sign can influence your life.
Maybe you’ve heard about a stellium but you’re wondering what it is and if you have one in your birth chart.
So what is a stellium?
Call it a cosmic cluster****, if you will. A stellium is defined as three or more planets teamed up in a single zodiac sign or house of a birth or natal chart. Like people pressed together in an elevator, the planets are in close proximity in your chart. They can’t help but feel each other’s energy and must work together (fluidly or awkwardly, depending on the planets) to, yes, elevate you to your karmic destination.
For example, you could have a stellium of Mars, Mercury and Saturn all in the fifth house, which relates to romance, love, and creativity, putting a profound emphasis on these areas of your life. Others may have a stellium in a particular sign, like Virgo, which can bring discipline in an area of life.
Some people have more than one stellium in their birth chart.
How do I know if I have a stellium in my birth chart?
To find out, you can use our free birth chart tool and see where all the planets were in the sky when you were born. For a birth chart, or natal chart as it’s also called, you’ll need to know your time and location of birth, and the city in which you were born. If you don’t know the exact time of your birth, you can use 12 p.m. to get a close approximation to where the planets were when you were born.
If you have three or more planets in one house, you have a stellium!
If you have three or more planets in one zodiac sign, you have a stellium!
And if you don’t have a stellium? Well, that doesn’t make your chart any less special. It just means that you aren’t as intently focused on one particular area of life. Franky, that might even be a relief. No stellium, no cry!
Okay, got it. Now what does it mean if I have a stellium?
A stellium in astrology definitely suggests that your energy will be concentrated in whatever area of your life it lands in. Depending on the zodiac sign and/or house that it’s placed in, you can see where the action takes place.
If you have a stellium in the 10th house, which governs career, you might find that you make work the priority of your life. That said, the planets are involved in the stellium tell the story of how this plays out.
For example, if you have liberated, rebellious Uranus in your tenth house, you may thrive as your own boss with no one breathing down your neck. Saturn in the tenth house can make you a classic CEO or reveal a willingness to push past obstacles in your climb to the top. And yes, sometimes you can have competing energies in one house! For example, if you were born with BOTH wild-child Uranus and conventional Saturn in your tenth house, you will need to balance that free spirit with your boss b!#$% nature.
If you have a stellium in Libra, the sign of relationships, you might find yourself worrying what others think or focusing on partnerships at the expense of your personal goals. Or perhaps you’ll be a master networker who understands that success in business is all about who you know.
People born in the late 80s and early 90s have a Capricorn stellium that includes quite the oddball entourage of planets: stern Saturn, quirky Uranus, and boundary-dissolver Neptune. With the planets in an earth sign (Capricorn), it’s no surprise that issues around climate change, sustainable business practices and financial reform (remember Occupy Wall Street) are huge on the Millennial agenda.
Helpful resources to learn about stelliums
Spotted a stellium in your birth chart and want to know more? We’ve got some resources right here at Astrostyle to show you how these translate to your life:
The ruling planets and their zodiac signs (with links to all the planets)
The 12 houses in astrology (with links to all 12)
A final note about mystifying patterns
If you’ve identified a stellium in your chart, you may find it explains certain mystifying patterns in your life. For example, we have a stellium in Scorpio at the very top of our chart that includes the moon, Venus and Mars. This trio is clustered together in both our ninth house of publishing and our tenth house of career. No wonder we’ve built a public career writing and teaching about the mystical topic of astrology for over 25 years. Hello!
A stellium can cause you to skew heavily in one direction, so, like us, you may need to actively bring balance your life. With all that Scorpio motivation, we can get obsessively focused on work and lose track of time. Sure, it comes in handy for writing daily horoscopes and books, but we’re always happiest when we remember to pull away and make time for self-care, relationships and time with family!
