Do not be afraid to ask question before deciding to commit to any given Astrologer. I personally have had clients who have sent me a list of questions about myself and my practice. I encourage this.I hope this article has enlightened you to the wonders of Astrology. Some of you may be encouraged to have your charts read, others may even decide to study this fascinating empowering craft and become an Astrologer.
Astrology Explained
What is Astrology and what can it do for me?
I first became familiar with Astrology through the Sun sign columns published in magazines. My heart pumped with anticipation as I opened the Star Sign page, hoping to find a promise that love and luck would be coming my way.
The star signs just scratch the surface of this momentous, mysterious craft of Astrology. The deeper we look into Astrology, the more we realize how complex and fascinating this amazing this craft is. As we unfold layer after layer the correlations between the cosmos and life on Earth are revealed.
The term ‘Star Sign’ came about due to the fact that the Sun is the most visible star, the epicentre of our galaxy. It is even visible at night, as it is reflected off the Moon. From time gone back we natives (the place and time when you were born, that gives you ownership of a unique birthchart) wait with anticipation for the Sun’s appearance as he rises from the eastern horizon, heralding a new day. The Sun is the vital force necessary for survival of our planet. It feeds energy and growth into every creature and plant. In one year it will journey through the twelve Zodiac signs in the 360 degree Zodiac circle. Whichever sign the Sun is traveling through at the time of our birth, will become our “Sun sign”.
This sign will describe the role the Sun plays in our chart. It is the most visible planet in the Nativity or birth chart, so the sign it is in describes our ego. The Sun Sign columns pander to our ego and there is nothing more rewarding than having ones ego stroked. As the Sun is our vital force these columns have access to a generic understanding of the energy and health it provides us. If only it were so simple! When a person is born, the very minute they take their first breath, their map of life is set. Our birth chart can be likened to a snap shot of the heavens taken from above and recorded onto a map.
Not only do we have a Sun sign representing our egos but we have a sign for each planet in our charts. The Moon sign describes our needs, the Mercury sign indicates the way we communicate and desirable Venus has a sign as well. Our Mars sign tells us all about how we take action and manage our tempers, while our Jupiter sign describe our higher potential and growth. The Saturn sign in our charts keeps us focused and in place.Each planet that is visible has a sign in our charts and this sign describes how we work with that particular planet or asteroid in our everyday life.
This Map also known as the Nativity or more commonly our Birth Chart contains the information that will help the us get a full understand of who we are, the type of people we will attract and the wonderful individual journey this life brings.
As this map is a picture of the heavens, “as above so below”, it should come as no surprise that our birth charts contain all twelve Zodiac signs, as well as all the Planets and other exciting heavenly bodies.
It is fascinating to know we are all twelve signs. I can remember clearly with horror as student that I had Capricorn in my chart, I did not like Capricorns and now I too have a Capricorn area in my life, like we all do! No!!! How did that happen! That sign that you really don’t like is a sign in your chart that can describe an area in your life that is challenging. In my Chart it was the area of large groups of people. I am somewhat of a recluse, so this is an area I am not comfortable with. The Birth Chart is our map and can map out all areas in your life. Like a map we start off with a foundation. In Astrology this foundation is the houses. Houses are a way to divide the space surrounding our birthplace into sections of space seen from the place on Earth where we were born.
There are twelve houses, beginning at the point where the eastern horizon is at birth. This point marks the beginning of the first house that is the native, his body, health and manner towards others. It is what the native will expose to others, both his personality and looks.
When an Astrologer prepares to read a natal chart, he or she is going to need a structure to approach the reading of that horoscope. Astrologers need a reliable entrance into the natal chart and the key to this doorway is the Ascendant which is the beginning of the first house.
The Sun ascends from the eastern horizon and this is why we use this point as the entrance to the chart. Whatever sign is on the eastern horizon at birth will describe the first house of the native.
The sign rising is very important as everybody is aware of their body, its limitations and strengths. To understand how important bodies are, just ask anyone to forgo their dinner and you will find out how they are ruled by their body very quickly. The Ascendant and rising sign are one and the same; following this we get the second house which is the foundation for resources and self-worth, the sign on the cusp (beginning) of that house describes the native’s money and worth. This is the house an Astrologer will look at if questions about money arise.
The seventh house is opposite to the first house and will describe the native’s partner as well as the type of people, other than family, that the native will deal with. The most public house found at the top of the chart is the tenth house of career and Mother.
We give this house to the mother, as it is our mothers that expose us to the public and push us into focusing on a career. The father is our mother’s partner and he is given the fourth house of the nativity, opposite to the mother. The father’s role is more hidden, as he is always away working to put a roof over our heads. The home he builds is also described by the sign on the cusp of the fourth house.
So we can see that every area in the native’s life is in their birth chart. The signs on the cusps of the houses will describe everything that we need to know about ourselves as well as every area of our lives.
It is the job of the Astrologer to answer the client’s questions and to have the ability to guide them along the correct path. This housing and sign system is certainly a means that Astrologers use to find the answers.
There is another very important layer to bring to the nativity and that is the planets. They are celestial bodies that have an influence on people and events on earth, from earthquakes to nurturing rain as well as storms.
In a birth chart the planets are the main actors, the sign they are in describes the role they have come to play. The houses they reside in will indicate the platform from which they act.
Saturn is a planet of structure and authority. If it is in the first house the Astrologer will pick up the fact that this person will have a structured personality and feels comfortable with facts. If Saturn is in the sign of Taurus which describes security and practicality, the client will find structure through practical means by themselves, not through others. Each house, planet and sign has a very specific role to play in the nativity of a client. Through commitment and study the Astrologer brings the birth chart to life and will see it as an active living map.
Some clients fear this ability Astrologers have in interpreting charts. They worry about what we can see. Let me put your fears to rest, we see potential; where the potential is lacking we can advise how to activate it.
As an Astrologer it is our job to know how to interpret this map and through interpretation, bring it alive for our clients. Once the chart is understood and all the players are doing what they should, we learn that there is yet another layer that can have a profound effect on the native. These are the Transits.
Transits come along and trigger events in the life of the native. Transits are the planets that orbit around us every second of the day. If any one of these transiting planets connects with a planet in the birth chart, something related to the transiting planet and the one in the client’s nativity will activate.
There are good connections and bad ones. These transits push us and in some cases kick us into action, so they are necessity if we are to learn the art of life.
Astrologers will study the motion of the planets, the time spent in houses as well as the signs and how this affects their clients. The astrologers even know when things will happen.
Space is always moving and time is never still. Astrologers study the movement of the planets around the birth chart. As the native ages the chart changes each year, bringing about subtle and sometimes not so subtle shifts in the original birth chart, so another layer of colour is added to life.
Astrology is the study of time and place. Many a client will ask a question: for example- “Will this marriage happen and if so when?” With the correct birth time, progression of the clients chart, as well as a clear knowledge of where to look in the chart, the Astrologer can work out if the marriage will in fact happen and if so when.
One of the roles of the Astrologer is to help clients find the correct time for events. We know where the transiting planets are and what these planets are capable of doing. We know when it is safe to sign a document or buy a new car. We understand the behaviour of the planets at any given time.
If only President Zuma had consulted with an astrologer before setting the date for the state of nation address, he could have prevented such an epic failure. The planet Mercury which is the natural ruler of communication was in a bad state and not moving at all as it was stationary on that day. Cell phones, communicative tools were jammed, opposition parties all vied to be heard, but could not get a word in edgeways because of the chaos. That is what a transiting planet can do.
This is our role, so this is what we do. We have the ability to find the correct time for an event. We guide you away from decisions that could be destructive. We advise you of opportunities and good times, we steer you away from harmful paths and empower you with strengths that you were not aware you had.
Astrology helps you to be you and to accept yourself for who you are. There are no flaws in a character. They are all challenges to make you into the person your charts show that you are supposed to be. An Astrologer can help you understand yourself and show you through your chart that it is “ok to be you”.When you decide that it is the right time to consult with an Astrologer it is wise to find the correct Astrologer. Research carefully. With Google’s help you can find out who is genuine and who is a charlatan. Find an Astrologer who is qualified and known amongst their peers.
If the Astrologer has a blog or website it will list their strengths and give you some insight to whom they are and what type of Astrology they practice. Are they publishing articles or posting on the media, do they give talks? These questions are important as it is these qualities you need to look for in an Astrologer.