In the Placidus house system (alternatively, Koch, amongst others) it happens when a house cusp skips a sign (and therefore the opposing house also misses the opposing sign) you have an intercepted sign.
So basically, a specific axis of your chart (in this case, the cancer-capricorn axis) finds itself “engulfed” by another axis: the one right before the “swallowed” sign (in this case, the gemini-sagittarius axis). Furthermore, the house cusp that should be in the intercepted axis, instead targets the axis after the “swallowed” axis).
It is crucial to mention the closer you are to the poles (north and south), the more likely you are to find interceptions in a chart. If you understand astronomy, it might be easier to understand why. Always remember that astrology looks at the planets and asteroids from a geocentric model perspective.
Because of this, *i personally believe*, meaning YOU DON’T HAVE TO AGREE, that if you were born way up north or south, interceptions are probably not that meaningful in your chart. Simultaneously, i am not an expert and i’m open to different opinions and perspectives if anyone has anything to say or question.
Let’s take the case of this chart: cancer is “swallowed” by the 10th house and the following house “hits” leo instead. Similarly, capricorn is “swallowed” by the 4th house and the 5th house is in aquarius.
The 10th house (or MC, midheaven or medium coeli) represents generally speaking, your personal power, authority, your calling in life, your legacy, how people see you at your best, the energy you embody in your career (not necessarily work), etc.
The 11th house represents what drives you, your dreams, friendships, wealth, your sense of community, amongst other things.
According the this chart:
The 10th house is in gemini, so this area of life should be associated with communication, curiosity, traveling, multi-tasking, inquisitive and exciting mental challenges.
But… cancer is included in this house (because of the interception) so what does that do? Imagine gemini is the leader of the pack and cancer is the child menace that comes in and turns things upside down because they want things done their own way. In summary, there’s a clash of wants and needs. So this gemini MC is accompanied by their little annoying sibling that wants to be chosen and get to do things even though they kinda ruin it.
And then we got a “piece“ of leo in the 10th house. I like to call the 3rd sign in the intercepted house the “mediator”. It’s basically the “voice of reason”. Leo reminds cancer (the intercepted sign) to chill and let gemini do its thing. In other words, because gemini is the 10th house and leo is the 11th house, leo gets cancer to not overpower gemini, if that makes sense.
This sounds kind of confusing, right?
In this case, the 10th house holds influence over 3 signs, and the sign that’s intercepted is trying to “come out” and express itself. This is done in a way that, at first, may be difficult or chaotic, but it is possible.
In the beginning, the person with an interception usually compensates in some other area of their lives in order to find some sort of balance. In the birth chart, this can manifest as having a duplication.
Typically, when there’s an interception somewhere in the chart, there’s also a duplication. This is not a rule and not always the case though. A duplication represents an axis that holds the entirety of a house, in this case, the 12th house.
The virgo-pisces axis is, metaphor-wise, overworking, showing up in both the 11 and 12th areas of life. So these 2 houses show us where the cancer-capricorn “lack” went to instead. A little tiny interpretation *could be* (doesn’t necessarily have to be the case) that this person overgives and doesn’t establish boundaries very well, etc, so as to compensate for the lack of healthy emotional expression and self-love.
Are interceptions “real”?
If you study astrology following for e.g a whole signs system, then no, interceptions don’t even exist; the interpretation made possible by systems like this will be accurate and make sense.
But if you study with the placidus system (or others) they do exist and they can show up in a chart. They provide more details and nuance to your reading and information you’re able to obtain.
Since this is my chart, i can tell you that both whole signs and placidus, i.e considering no interceptions and considering interceptions respectively, are accurate. What i’ve come to realize from my chart and other people’s charts is that interceptions kind of work like a square aspect, the struggle is more internal than external. It’s about doing inner work to restore the balance and learn how to constructively express and access your interception axis.
For e.g my cancer stellium in one system is in the 11th house, which make sense according to what i know about the events that have happened in my life, but the 10th house cancer placements (according to placidus) also make sense, especially when i consider the way i think and feel, like recurring thought patterns, insecurities, emotions i repress.
I tend to overwork myself (virgo-pisces axis) to prove my worth and value, because i think that equals love (cancer-capricorn axis). I am learning that that is wrong, nonetheless when i was younger that was definitely all that i knew and followed.
I think over time people will “fix” their interceptions and find something better and healthier. Overall an interception *in my opinion* kind of works like a square aspect and it shows an internal struggle.
Whole signs will still tell you all you need to know about the events in your life and some tiny details, but non-equal house systems, like placidus, they give you other tiny details and interceptions are one of those.
if you want my advice and if you have an interception, read and learn about your placements according to whole signs and complement it with placidus, since it might give you clues as to what you should work on, especially within yourself.
