Astrology is very much a language of symbols. In the language of astrology, your natal chart serves as a map of the potentials you bring into this life and your own personal style of expressing them. I think of Astrology as "the notes I wrote to myself before I forgot". Astrology even has it's own "shorthand" symbols -- called Glyphs -- for each of the Planets, Signs of the Zodiac, Houses, Nodes of the Moon, and Aspects.
The Planets
The Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and the Planets each represent an Archetypal energy, a process, a set of principles.
Signs of the Zodiac
The twelve Signs of the Zodiac each represents specific energy patterns, or modes, of expression.
Houses
The twelve Houses each represent a certain field of experience.
Nodes of the Moon
The Nodes of the Moon are the two points in space where the orbit of the Moon intersects the path of the Sun.
The North
Node shows where (indicated by the House it is located in) and how (indicated
by the Sign it is in) you seek to find your soul's purpose.
The South
Node shows the well developed skills and talents you brought with you into this
life.
The North Node represents where your soul beckons you to grow, and the South Node represents the skills and talents of the past that can assist you in that growth.
Aspects
Planets are said to be in Aspect when they are at certain distances from each other: Their energies relate to or modify each other in specific ways (related to the number of degrees of the angle of the aspect). This relationship tells you where work is needed or can be accomplished. The type of aspect tells you the kind of relationship these Planets have with each other.
