Astrology draws in millions with its promises of understanding the self through celestial influences. This ancient practice offers insights into personality and future events using the cosmos as a guide. But how exactly do astrologers work?
The Allure and Mystery of Astrology
The Enduring Appeal of Astrology: A Global Phenomenon
For centuries, people from diverse cultures have sought answers in the stars. Astrology provides a framework for understanding personal experiences, making it a beloved aspect of many lives. From daily horoscopes in the newspaper to deep astrological readings, it persists as a global phenomenon.
Beyond Zodiac Signs: A Deeper Dive into Astrological Practice
Many associate astrology solely with zodiac signs, like Aries or Scorpio. However, it's much deeper. Astrologers study complex charts and celestial movements to interpret individual lives. This complexity enhances astrology's allure, attracting those eager to discover more about themselves.
What to Expect From This Guide
In this guide, we will explore how astrologers operate, from understanding birth charts to ethical considerations. By the end, you'll appreciate the complexity and beauty of astrology.
Understanding the Birth Chart: Your Astrological Blueprint
Birth charts serve as unique maps of the heavens at the time of one’s birth. They provide crucial insights about personality and life paths.
The Planets and Their Significance: Celestial Influences on Personality
Each planet represents different aspects of life. For example:
- Sun: Core personality
- Moon: Emotions and instincts
- Mercury: Communication style
Houses and Their Interpretations: Areas of Life Revealed
The birth chart consists of twelve houses. Each house symbolizes a different life area:
- 1st House: Self-image
- 2nd House: Finances
- 7th House: Relationships
Aspects: The Interplay of Planetary Energies
Aspects are angles formed between planets. They can reveal how different energies interact. For instance, a harmonious aspect might indicate ease, while a challenging aspect could point to conflicts.
Interpreting Planetary Positions: Deciphering the Cosmic Code
Astrologers decode planetary positions to provide insights.
Sun Sign vs. Rising Sign: Understanding the Difference and Importance
Your Sun sign reflects core traits, while your Rising sign indicates how you appear to others. Both are key to understanding oneself.
Moon Sign and Its Emotional Landscape: Uncovering Inner Self
The Moon sign reveals emotional responses and needs. It offers a glimpse into your inner world, helping explain why you feel a certain way.
The Role of Aspects: Harmonious and Challenging Interactions
Aspects affect how planetary energies blend. Positive interactions encourage growth, while challenging ones may create tension in life.
Astrological Techniques and Methods
What They See in a Horoscope Chart
At first blush, it seems doubtful that the arrangement heavenly bodies at birth could describe much of anything about an individual life. How Astrologers Works
But astrologers believe that a well-read horoscope chart can help people understand their own temperament, compulsions, motivations and gifts. And while no one has yet explained why it works, here’s a little insight about how astrology works. How Astrologers Works
Planets Symbolize Parts of the Personality
The horoscope chart is a map of the skies as seen from the time and place of birth, arranged as five concentric circles showing the relationships between different heavenly bodies. The pulse of the chart is the third circle in, containing the ten “planets,” which in astrology include Sun, Moon and Pluto, but not Earth. How is astrology so accurate?
The planets symbolize different parts of the personality: emotional connection, ambition, security, boundaries, abundance, sex drive, spirituality, learning and communication style and so forth. For example, everyone has an internal drive to “be someone,” represented by the Sun in the horoscope chart; emotional needs, symbolized by the Moon; and security needs, represented by Saturn. Astrologys refine their understanding of an individual’s planets by looking at the zodiac signs. How is astrology so accurate?
Zodiac Signs Influence the Planets’ Functions
The ring of brightly-colored symbols on the outer perimeter of the chart above is the zodiac wheel: the constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini and so on. Each sign has a special flavor that influences how the planets act when they’re “in” one sign or another, from the perspective here on Earth. How is astrology so accurate?
For example, people born with the Sun in Cancer will usually be interested in establishing safety and security, while a Sagittarius Sun is often driven toward adventure and risk. People born with Mercury in Aries may speak more rashly than those with Mercury in Capricorn. People with the Moon in Leo are warm and magnetic; those with Aquarius Moons are cooler, more analytical.
Aspect Lines Show Motivation and Drive
The red, blue and green lines that crisscross the inner circle in the chart above are called “aspect lines.” They show the approximate angular relationship between pairs of planets and describe how different planetary energies relate internally. For example, in the accompanying chart, the long red line shows the red Saturn symbol near the bottom of the chart “in opposition to” (i.e., 180 degrees away from) Venus, the female symbol near the top.
[wiki]Saturn[/wiki] represents the physical body, boundaries, rules and security; Virgo gives it a cautious, stoic and detail-oriented flavor. So this person will likely be attentive to physical health, able to persist in and perfect, say, a diet or exercise routine. But [wiki]Venus[/wiki] represents an individual’s way of perceiving beauty, harmony and balance; it is the principle of love and sensual pleasure; it is spontaneous. Pisces makes it compassionate, malleable and imaginative.
The opposition aspect between these two planets means the “chart native” will likely experience an internal struggle between his need for caution and boundaries, on one hand, and his need for spontaneous, compassionate love on the other.
Planets Express Themselves in the Houses
The outermost circle of the horoscope chart is indicated by letters and numbers: AC, 2, 3, IC, 5, 6, etc. These “houses” of the horoscope are determined by mathematical calculations based on the birth place.
The houses signify in which areas of life the planets – flavored by zodiac signs; driven by aspect lines – are most likely to find traction, to be expressed as energy, action, habit or experience. Each house represents a different sphere of life. For example the fourth house represents home, family, ancestors, tradition, memory and security, while the tenth house symbolizes aspiration, ambition, individual development and fulfillment of the self.
So in the accompanying example, with Saturn in the 4th house (IC), the person’s sense of security arises from messages received from the family; security was a value, habit and expectation surrounding the child from early in life. On the other hand, Venus in the 10th house (MC) has a more aspirational sensibility – it is a quality the person needs to pursue individually, in order to feel truly fulfilled in this lifetime. Helping the client recognize and reconcile these competing drives is just one job of the astrologer.
Astrology Works through a Synthesis of Chart Elements
Astrology is much more than the sun sign predictions in newspapers and magazines. It is a valid tool for full-scale psychological assessment and assistance. But it must be used knowledgeably, synthesizing all the elements of a single chart, including planets, zodiac signs, aspect lines and houses. Without this kind of synthesis, the astrologer risks providing a piecemeal interpretation and missing the major themes of personality that can most help the client.
Source:
- Diploma Course in Astrological Counselling, Published by Astrological Psychology Institute (UK): England
