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What Is Astrology?
Astrology is both an art form and a science—the “science of possibilities.” It deals with the effects that the planets (including the Sun and the Moon) have on humans. The interaction between planets and a person born at a given time has been set into a system that explains, with accuracy, their potential. A birth chart, or horoscope, is a personal road map that provides clear-cut and compelling explanations for the challenges a person can face.
Astrology has withstood the test of time and, as a result, has embodied and undertaken the delineation of human nature. The configuration of symbols and signs in a birth chart can help to time and understand events in your life. It provides insight into relationships, family, career, and, most importantly, the potentials and limitations of an individual.
Astrology deals with both mental and physical maturation. It holds the key to correcting attitudes that affect your life. The objective of studying and understanding astrology is to provide and produce self-awareness. It is challenging to attain complete self-awareness, but the rewards bring harmony and balance into our lives. Awareness of ourselves ultimately enhances our objectivity about life and how we relate to and interact with others. Astrology is an excellent diagnostic tool that can assist us in achieving the desired objectivity.
THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY
The history of astrology is as old as the history of man. The need to relate to the cosmos was common to all ancient civilizations. Some bits and pieces of artifacts that predate recorded history were used in rituals to worship the heavenly bodies. Early man needed to place himself within the context of the vast universe. He was a tireless observer who was aware of his vulnerability.
The high priest or priestess was the selected person who would devote his or her life to the study and practice of this knowledge. It was serious business, as the entire culture depended on such a person, such as the Native American medicine man.
The genesis of astrology is unknown, but all cultures claim it. The I Ching of the Chinese has astrology based on Moon cycles. The Kabbalah represents the work of the Jewish mystics. Egypt left monuments to its astrological practices, as have the Islamic world and the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. Even Europe collected and held astrological knowledge in high position, clear to the Middle Ages.
Astrology, as a mystical science, represents the development of the human psyche. This body of knowledge grows and changes as the human being undergoes his evolution. The notion that astrology is a religion has led many to fear and misunderstand this excellent diagnostic tool. Astrology has coexisted with the dogmatic faiths for centuries without difficulty. The Torah does not deny the Kabbalah but confirms it. The I Ching doesn’t contradict the Tao but enhances it.
The political/religious developments throughout Europe during and after the Middle Ages sent astrology underground. The great astrologer and clairvoyant Michel de Nostradamus wrote his prophecies in metaphoric quatrains, using a language that combined Latin and old French, as a subterfuge to avoid being accused of heresy by the church. This was when the infamous side of astrology was born. This powerful tool became used as a weapon. This knowledge gave an advantage to those who used it for personal gain. During World War II, Adolf Hitler employed astrologers in hopes of outsmarting the Allies; little did he know the Allies were using astrologers to outflank him. This selfish motive backfired, since “service to others” is a prepossession that an astrologer does not violate.
The introduction of psychiatry into modern culture relegated astrology to being a “poor relation.” Psychiatrists have studied human nature and, in so doing, have coined a language that has expanded the definitions of planets and circumstances found in a chart. One cannot help but see the approaching union between these two sciences.
Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss psychologist and student of Sigmund Freud, took astrology seriously. He philosophically separated from Freud as he studied the subject and pursued psychology on a separate and independent level. He believed in synchronicity, which is the concept that certain events on Earth, both global and personal, coincide in time with similar planetary relations in astronomy. Jung coined the terms collective unconscious and archetypes, which also describe the purpose and significance of astrology. Michel Gauquelin, a French psychologist and statistician, studied and wrote of how the positions of the planets in a birth chart reflected the personality and profession of an individual.
The contributions to astrology are endless. This ancient body of knowledge is vast and, when properly used, can provide an insight into the personality like no other tool. In the Aquarian Age, the quest is to discover our authentic personalities, not just live with the ones constructed for us. It is a time for enlightenment so that we may avoid the mistakes of the past.
PREDESTINATION VERSUS FREE WILL
The discussion of predestination versus free will has a long history. The school of thought that states that we are wholly responsible for our actions cannot explain the many occurrences that are out of context in our lives. The study of an astrological chart directs and points out the objectives and goals of our lives. It is quite easy to foresee or experience a transit—a planet that triggers another planet restricts us to that phase or lesson. The response can occur at three levels, depending on one’s spiritual development: at the physical level, with all its apparent manifestations; at the emotional level, subjecting oneself to psychic traumas; or at the theoretical level, where one can, through love and patience, transcend the growing pains experienced.
When this knowledge is placed within the framework of a natal chart, the planets and the signs in their given houses deliver an inevitable lesson. The empty houses represent free will. How free? The opportunity to use empty houses is important, particularly when part of a T-square. In that configuration, there will be leakage, wasted energy, or perhaps an opportunity to untangle the difficulties of such a hard aspect.
Astrology accepts the concept that we choose our parents, our economic level, our race, and in our collective unconscious, the knowledge of past lives. This “package” of choices helps to advance our souls. Sometimes we must also go back in order to undo past mistakes. By doing so, we progress to the next level of development.
This opportunity for advancement can be disrupted by a personality that changes in midstream. For example, the alcoholic or drug addict may drop out of society and stop his chart, but this only acts as a delay. The individual will come back and repeat that life until he has overcome the action, each time having to face the value of life and living in various modes.
Although a case can be made for predestination, the recognition of free will figures strongly into the equation. Great sadness is suffered when the will is broken. The difficulty that such a person experiences sometimes leads to heights of accomplishment. Yet for another person, it becomes his undoing. In the end, each person must balance his life. He must strike when it is in his power to do so and allow the universe to take over when it is out of his hands.
As noted time and time again within astrological circles, “The stars impel, they do not compel.”
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Elements of Astrology
THE ZODIAC
The Zodiac is a belt of fixed stars that circle Earth. The correlation between these stars, the seasons, and human behavior evolved into the study of astrology.
The Zodiac is comprised of twelve constellations, or signs, each spanning thirty degrees. Each of these signs spans about four weeks per calendar year. The latitude and longitude of the birth chart will determine the number of degrees in a house or the sign that appears in a given house. This backdrop of stars for the travel of the Sun Sign describes its archetype. As in astronomy, the positions of clustered stars define the various constellations seen in the sky and are named for the patterns they make. Each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac reflects its corresponding ancient constellation.
The symbols or glyphs assigned to the constellations have varied points of origin. Egypt, ancient Greece, China, and India have influenced the system that is now used as a shorthand. The study of ancient cultures will enrich the knowledge of the Zodiac, as these constellations and symbols were not born out of a simplistic look at the sky but out of a need in each culture for humans to understand their place in the scheme of creation. As each planet moves through the Zodiac, it travels from sign to sign, taking on a different trait in each placement.
SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
The twelve signs of the Zodiac are:
The signs and their unique characteristics will be covered in detail when we explore the Sun Signs in chapter 4.
THE PLANETS
The field of astrology is influenced by ten planets, including the Sun and the Moon (which are not really planets but, respectively, a star and a satellite of Earth). These planets, their transits, and their relationships to Earth are studied to determine the personalities and potentials of every individual. The planets are basically raw energy. We are affected by such energy in the way we choose to respond to or ignore it.
Since the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars move quickly and are close to each other, they are considered personal planets. These planets take about two years to complete their orbits and have a more personal and noticeable impact on our lives.
Jupiter and Saturn are viewpoint planets. Their orbits span a greater length of time and impact the transition of decades upon our lives.
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are outer, or transpersonal, planets. This group of planets has a more generational rather than personal influence.
The placement of planets in a birth chart and their movement give depth to a horoscope, taking it beyond the analysis of the Sun Sign.
RETROGRADE PLANETS
A retrograde action is a planet slowing down. In contrast to the velocity of Earth, it appears to be going backward. No planet ever goes backward or leaves its orbit. It is always moving forward. The apparent backward motion of a retrograde is simply the loss of velocity. The Sun and Moon never go into retrograde motion.
Retrograde planets represent work that must be achieved in this lifetime because it was not accomplished or reconciled in a past life.
THE HOUSES
As Earth completes one full rotation in a twenty-four-hour day, the whole Zodiac passes over it. As the signs divide the Zodiac into twelve four-week segments of the year, the houses divide it into twelve two-hour periods of the day. The first house, which begins approximately at dawn, rests on the ascendant or eastern horizon. Each house represents a different facet of life as well as personal and public conditions.
First House
The first house cusp represents the first cardinal point. It is the entrance of the ego and deals with the self. When there are planets in this house, it indicates that you must reconcile your ego. If there are no planets there, it indicates that there is no ego problem.
The first house is also the house of your ascendant or rising sign, as well as your ego. It represents your appearance, your best foot forward, and what you project to others. It represents your personality and your outlook. Personal actions, personal instincts—those things that belong to the self are in this first house.
Second House
The second house is personal concepts and ideas. It is also the house of resources. It is the fashion in which you display values and personal obligations, such as earning, spending, and establishing your financial standing.
Third House
The third house is communications. It is also the house of memories. It is also the house associated with learning—either the ability to learn or the misfortune of learning (or mental) difficulties.
This is the house of siblings. It is also the house associated with short-term transportation and local travel.
Fourth House
The fourth house is associated with the soul’s inheritance, family, and the home. It represents nurturing, roots, and, most importantly, our mothers. Your inheritance from your mother enters in the fourth house.
This is also the house of beginning and ending and the entrance of the soul. People with prominent planets in the fourth house deal with real estate and property.
Fifth House
The fifth house is the house of talent and procreation, whether it be children, self-esteem, or creative forces and endeavors. The fifth house is also the house of romance, fun, drama, physical outlets, and self-expression.
Sixth House
The sixth house is the environment. It is also the house of health. Your internal and external environment work together or against each other to impact your health.
Copyright © 1998, 2022 by The Estate of Ada Aubin and June Rifkin
