Quadrant
From Astrowiki-en
Each horoscope is divided by the Ascendant/Descendant and Medium Coeli/Imum Coeli axes into four quadrants. Each quadrant encompasses three houses, the first one being cardinal, the second fixed (succedent)and the third mutable (cadent) (see also Quality). The quadrants usually differ in size, their exact size depending on the place and time of birth. In Central Europe (around 50 degrees latitude), the quadrants are the same size when the Ascendant is in the second half of Virgo or first half of Libra and in the opposing signs of Pisces and Aries. The horoscope is divided into quadrants irrespective of the house system used because the four axes are fixed and independent of the house system.
Like the houses, the quadrants are counted in an anticlockwise direction: Houses one to three form the first quadrant, four to six the second, seven to nine the third and ten to twelve the fourth quadrant.
Each quadrant has a different quality which arises from the division of the horoscope by the two main axes. The eastern hemisphere of the horoscope is the personal hemisphere, the western hemisphere is the Relationship hemisphere. The top hemisphere, or diurnal hemisphere, represents the outer world, the bottom hemisphere, or nocturnal hemisphere, the inner world. To sum up, the first quadrant stands for the personal inner, the second for the relationship inner, the third relationship outer and the fourth personal outer.
The first quadrant represents themes which the self seeks to express directly. These themes are particularly apparent and cannot (or only with great effort) be suppressed. The first quadrant is the most apparent to the outside world. The planetary energies in this quadrant actively shape the personality.
The second quadrant is concerned with contact with others on an inner emotional level. This segment is therefore often described as the "soul quadrant". It represents themes an individual wishes to share with others in order to promote inner development.
The third quadrant is concerned with direct contact with the outer world. It shows the kind of expectations a person has for relationships and how these can be realised in difficult times. It also stands for official contacts with others in society such as contracts. The third quadrant also expresses what has been learnt and integrated in the first two quadrants.
In the fourth quadrant, personal themes are expressed with the intention of influencing the public sphere. This quadrant goes beyond the development of personal potential as in the first quadrant. Personal insight is translated into the wish to influence the wider society. The fourth quadrant symbolises themes of a collective nature as opposed to the subjective qualities of the first quadrant. In order to be able to do this, the challenges of the first quadrant must first of all be met, otherwise the tasks faced in the fourth quadrant will remain unclear and ambiguous.
