WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?
Astrology is the science of how the planets affect our lives here on earth. On a gross level, most of us feel happier when the sun is shining than when it is cloudy; the moon affects the tides and the menstrual cycle. These are the more obvious signs of influence, but astrologers seek to observe, study and interpret the movement of all the planets and their inter-relationships so as better to understand the human psyche.
THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY
For as far back as archeologists can trace, people have found meaning in the movement of the planets. The theories of the Chaldeans, Babylonians and Sumerians influenced later societies and there are references to astrology in the Bible, in Greek and Roman scientific treatises and in the work of classical Indian and Chinese philosophers. In western society, right up until the late seventeenth century, astronomers and astrologers worked together to understand the complexities of the sky. In the Middle Ages, an astronomer was necessarily an astrologer and throughout Europe, court astrologers would draw up charts to determine the best time to wage war, to crown kings, to make treaties. It was only with the advent of scientific method in the early eighteenth century that astrology was forced underground by the prevailing sway of rational humanism. Only in the last twenty or thirty years has this ancient and subtle science been brought again into the public domain.
WHAT ASTROLOGY CAN DO
Astrology is not a cure-all: it cannot tell you how to live your life, nor can it say for certain what will happen. It can, however, chart patterns in a person's life and thereby suggest likely outcomes - or ways in which a person might deal with the difficulties on the horizon. As such, it is an exceptionally powerful tool, through which we are able better to understand ourselves - what brings our passions to the surface, what inspires us, why we react in the way we do. It can also help us to realise our potential, by highlighting those areas of our lives where we might develop ourselves and where we might hold back. Beyond the analysis of character, astrology can show the ways in which the future might unfold, and how we might best deal with this unfolding. It can suggest the best times for setting up a business or for making a change in one's life; some astrologers, who specialise in medical matters, can indicate the possible ways in which a disease might be treated.
What astrology is. What astrology is not.
Astrology is the study of timing and cycles through planetary movements and other cosmic events.
What astrology can and cannot do
Astrology is an ancient discipline that when used properly functions beautifully as a key for the deeper understanding of human behaviours, limitations, and potentials. Astrology must never be seen as the magic answer to anything or be rejected as superstitious hogwash. Both are shortsighted.
The difference between astrology and fortune telling
A real professional astrologer will never claim to be able to predict their client's future. Skilled astrologers speak of potentials and likelihoods, but never in absolute terms. Any who do should be avoided at all costs as they deprive the client of his or her rightful experiences and processes of living.
The Signs of The Zodiac
The historical archetypes of each of the twelve astrological signs offer much illumination and understanding of human personality.
The Astrological Meanings of The Planets in Our Solar System
Each of the planets in our solar system as well as the Sun, and the Moon, have distinctive astrological meanings and functions. These meanings and functions are intensified or diluted by the zodiacal sign position of a given planet in the context of a particular astrology chart.
Understanding the Sections (Houses) of The Astrology Chart
Each of the twelve wedges of the astrology chart has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from the other eleven. Each of these sections is called a "house". The most prominent celestial body in any person's astrology chart is the Sun because it symbolizes the core identity and primary conciousness of that person.
The Sun, The Moon, and The Ascendant
Basic personality can be determined from the sign positions of the sun, moon, and ascendant (rising) in the chart.
The Elements, Modalities, and Genders
There are four astrological elements; fire, earth air and water. And there are three modalities; cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Each of the twelve astrological signs represents it's own unique combination of these and is either masculine or feminine.