Zip Dobyns took a meticulous look at birth charts and thought, “Oh, there’s got to be a way to make this all a bit more straightforward?” Thus, she devised the Astrological Alphabet, a method to connect various elements such as zodiac signs, planets, and houses by using numbers. Take the number 5, for instance; it’s linked to the Sun, Leo vibes and the fifth house energy. While she connected zodiac signs, planets, and houses to create a structured framework for astrology, she did not suggest that they should be used interchangeably or seen as identical.

This approach involves identifying similar astrological symbols that convey the same messages, thus highlighting major life themes that might hold particular significance for an individual. Astrology, as a sophisticated and ancient system, often uses symbols and archetypes to represent various aspects of human existence and experience. These symbols are associated with different astrological bodies, signs, houses, and aspects in an astrological birth chart. By examining these symbols collectively and identifying patterns that repeat across different placements, one can gain deeper insights into the overarching themes that shape their life journey.

“Hey, every time I look at my astrological map, there’s this recurring theme of adventure and exploration. It’s like Jupiter is saying, ‘Go out there and explore!” And then, I realize, “Wait a second, my Sagittarius Sun, my Jupiter in the Ninth House, and Sun trine Jupiter aspect are all saying the same thing!” That’s when the penny drops, – I’ve stumbled upon a major life theme related to the number 9.

By grouping these related symbols under one big umbrella, a person can gain a clearer perspective on the dominant astrological themes that consistently influence their experiences. This holistic view allows them to better understand the underlying currents shaping their life path and choices. 

The Astrological Alphabet and the Controversy It Sparked

The traditionalists, these astrological old-school hats are like, “Hold up! What’s this Alphabet thing all about? This isn’t how we’ve been reading the stars for centuries!” Yes, these old dogs are barking pretty loud. They’re all up in arms, saying that this Alphabet business is messing with the very fabric of astrology. They’re throwing shade, claiming that there’s no natural connection between those astrological houses and signs.

“Oh, no correlation between astrological houses and signs, they say. Planets cozying up to zodiac signs? Bollocks!” They’re clutching their charts like bibles, shouting, “Hey, that’s not how we’ve done it for ages! “They’re all like, “You can’t just mix ‘n match signs and planets willy-nilly, that’s against the sacred rules!” It’s like they’ve taken a time machine straight from the Middle Ages and plopped themselves down in the modern day. They’re all, “Oh, this planet doesn’t go with that zodiac sign,” and “Mercury retrograde is an omen of doom!”

Then, there’s this one doubter, he’s going on about how the houses and signs aren’t meant to be together. But guess what? Mr. Doubter, the one who was all up in arms about the Alphabet? Well, he’s singing a different tune when it comes to to astrologer Charles Carter. He’s doing the ol’ two-step of approval, giving Carter’s astrology a thumbs-up. He’s like, “Yeah, man, this Carter bloke knows how to swing it while keeping it real with the astro-traditions.” However, there’s a twist in the stars! Carter mixes up signs and houses as well, as evident from a thorough reading of his books.

I shall deal chiefly with Leo rising and Sun in Leo, but I mention that some of the most Leo people I know have heavy stresses on the 5th house and next to nothing in the sign. It used to be said that sign was character and the house the field in which it is expressed, but frankly this is wrong. It is, in my view, a major mistake. The lady who interviewed me on television recently struck me as one of the most Leo persons imaginable. But her chart showed nothing but Neptune in that sign: however, she had Sun, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in the 5th, with Mars close to the cusp. You may imagine that Mercury conjunction Jupiter, with Capricorn rising, and with this satellitium in the 5th, made her one of the most self-confident persons imaginable. She insisted on announcing me as “President Emeritus of the Astrological Lodge of the Theosophical Society” although she didn’t know what “Emeritus” means and also asked me what “theosophical” signified. She said the title sounded so fine! If that isn’t Leo, I don’t know what is! By Charles Carter

Liz Greene, a prominent astrologer and author, explored this subject in her influential book titled “Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil,” where her interpretation is intertwined with the idea of “sign = house. Greene emphasizes that Saturn’s house position within a birth chart is a focal point of its influence, shaping a person’s experiences and lessons in a specific realm of life. She draws parallels between the energies of the zodiac sign and the corresponding astrological house. 

Liz, she’s got this wild thought: signs and houses, they’re very similar, cut from the same cloth.

Astrologer Karen Hamaker-Zondag introduces a thought-provoking counterpoint, urging practitioners to explore the multifaceted nature of astrological houses. She’s saying, “Hey, you know those houses? They’re not just about what’s happening outside – they’re like windows into your soul!” From Hamaker-Zondag’s perspective, the astrological houses serve as chambers within a person’s psychological landscape. Each house influencing not only external experiences but also inner thoughts, feelings, and reactions. 

It is one of the peculiarities of our Western culture and of accidental way of thinking that we locate everything outside ourselves, and treat events as independent on or ‘occasionally dependent on’ what is going on in psyche…This thinking has found expression in astrology in the dogma that the houses represent circumstances and events and that the only use of the houses is to help us discover what external factors will confront us…Here is where the astrological houses gain new significance. It is no longer the interpretation of circumstances that is important but the understanding of the relationship between these circumstances and the underlying psychological factors…In the astrological concept of house lie both the ‘idea’ as a psychological factor, and the external imposition of form and circumstances, and it should be noted that it is psychic material which gives shape to the physical material, and therefore has priority. The houses are traditionally taken to represent the circumstances and situations which will enter into the life of the individual. Modern psychological opinion has advanced the viewpoint that there is a significant relationship between events outside the individual and his psychological makeup. Now, the houses as indicators of circumstances are also the representatives of areas in the human psyche. Psychological Astrology: A Synthesis of Jungian Psychology and Astrology