Metaphors that help to explain how Natal Chart Works

Sun is your inner self and your values.

Ascendant is what you appear to people around you. Kind of what they think about you.

You do not identify with either, it is not how it works.

I will make a sandwich metaphor to explain.

Sun and other planets are like filling of the sandwich. Sun is beef, moon is cheese, merc is lettuce, venus is sauce, mars is onions and so on. Since there are 12 signs, there can be 12 types of beef, 12 types of cheese and 12 types of other things.

Natal chart shows you the kind of combination of fillings you got.

From there on ascendant is the bread that holds the sandwich together. Midheaven is the wrapper around it.

So, each planet represents a certain faculty of one's personality and character. Sign in which its placed represent the flavor: alignment of this faculty.

As a Ship and a Crew

I am making another metaphor. This time with a ship and the crew.

First, we divide into two main parts.

Crew

Planets in Sings are the ship's crew:

Sun is like a Captain of the Ship - he makes decisions and directs where ship is going. Captain can be motivated by personal glory, self-interest, faith/ideology or simply loyalty to his superiors. Sun's placement indicates the captain's motivation.

Much the same way person's sun shows person's motivations and by extension values system.

Moon is Petty Officers - they are middlemen between crew and command. Their character determines feel of life on the ship.

For a person it is their feel when they are close to you, but not trying to do anything in particular.

Mercury is 2nd Lieutenant/Navigator - he figures out how to get where Captain wants to get. He manages maps and navigation tools.

For a person it indicates their mental faculties and their way of thinking.

Venus is Signal Officer - he signals ports and other ships.

For a person it indicates the kind of vibe the giveaway when their try to impress you.

Mars also a Boatswain - he runs the deck on day-to-day basis and makes sure crew does what captain wants. A little stretched comparison. I hesitated between helmsman and boatswain.

For a person it indicates how they go about accomplishing things when they decide on something.

Jupiter is Helmsman - He actually steers the ship's direction and decides its speed.

Jupiter is person's optimistic side. What they are like when they feel it's all going well, and we can just go full speed ahead and have fun.

Saturn is Maintenance Officer/Purser/Carpenter - he makes sure ship is in good repair and protects it from damage.

Saturn is pessimistic side. Saturn provisions for rainy day to make sure things do not go wrong.

Uranus is Lieutenants not assigned elsewhere - they help captain command the ship.

Uranus is person's uncompromising side that wants nothing less than perfect. He can be tempered of enabled by captain.

Neptune is Chaplain or other such ideological preacher - he is more important if crew is ideological but could be next to irrelevant.

Neptune is a body of myth the person assumes to be true, irrespectively if he agrees or disagrees with them.

Pluto is Gunner/Marines Captain - he fights the enemies.

Pluto is problem solver. He is called when nothing else works. Last argument of the Kings.

Planet's type/name indicates their role in the crew.

Planet's placements indicate basic character of this particular crew's member and how well they fit the role.

When planet is in the sign it rules, that means the guy is a natural pick for a job, or a stereotypical pick. 

When it is in detriment, then crew member seems at odds with his role or at the very least much unlike of what people normally expect.

Aspects between planets indicate each crew members relationship with other crew members. Trines and Sextiles mean they work with each other smoothly as a team. Hard aspects like square means they do not get along well and do not work together well.

The Ship

Then Angles and houses, they are ship itself and things around it.

Ascendant is the ship's physical characteristics: its type, size, armaments, condition, sturdiness. All people around can see the ship, its large and always present. Everyone can see it.

Ascendant is how people around you see you. What they think you are. What then can always notice about you.

In contrast, only those invited to board can meet the crew. People see the crew only if a crew's member chooses to meet someone.

Immune coeli (Nadir) is the ship's storage and supplies. As well as all parts of the ship that are underwater. They are hidden from view, but important to allow ships to sail.

For a person it is the support system they have.

Descendant is the ship's crew attitude and perception of other ships and people. What do they think about other ships and their crews.

In human terms it is like reversed of the Midheaven. This is what a person assumes about people around them. Because of that they may be more or less inclined to interact with them.

Finally Midheaven is the Ship's renown - that is what people who have never seen it in person, but heard something about it think of the ship. No one have seen flying Dutchman but is reputation is that it is fast.

People it is hearsay reputation about them, that circulates among people around them.