Astrology

Astrology is a means for divining the future or the present by examining the influence of star and planet positions on the world, particularly on humans. This examination and interpretation is called a horoscope.

There are two basic types of horoscopes. One is the one you read in the newspaper, and should be regarded as a lot of fun, but not particularly enlightening or truthful. Newspapers have been known to just assign people to write them, regardless of whether they know anything about astrology.

The other type of horoscope is much more serious and much more meaningful. It is often called a natal chart or birth chart, and uses a map or chart of star positions, shown in two dimensions, at the point of your birth. When interpreted properly, it can tell an astrologer a great deal about the querent.

While an astrological chart is revealing, it should never be taken as your fate. It can be used, as in India, to predict the likely compatibility of two people, but not whether they will truly fall in love; it can be used to identify strengths you have in your life, but not how you will use those strengths. Your free will and choice are the most critical elements for how your life is destined to work out.

While each planet and star has something to do with how your life works out through astrology, there are twelve basic houses each person is born into. The beginning of each sign is called the cusp; children born near a cusp probably will have influences from the neighboring astrological sign as well as their own ruling sign.

In order, the signs are:

• Aries, ruled by Mars - focused on health, interpersonal relations, and your appearance

• Taurus, ruled by Venus – focused on materialism, security, and money

• Gemini, ruled by Mercury – focused on mental aptitude, siblings, and childhood

• Cancer, ruled by the Moon – focused on domestic affairs and home life

• Leo, ruled by the Sun – focused on love, procreation, creativity, and luck

• Virgo, ruled by Mercury – focused on work, employment, routines, and hygiene

• Libra, ruled by Venus – focused on marriage and business partners and contracts

• Scorpio, ruled by Pluto – focused on life and death, sex, and the possessions of others

• Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter – focused on religion, philosophy, far travel, and learning

• Capricorn, ruled by Saturn – focused on reputation, social status, fame

• Aquarius, ruled by Uranus – focused on friends, clubs, and associations

• Pisces, ruled by Neptune – focused on the subconscious mind, hidden problems, responsibility

Each of these signs has extended meanings, and each can be influenced by an aspect, or a geometric relationship between two planets. The art of astrology has been developed for thousands of years, so as one might expect the extended meanings, aspects, and divinatory charts get very complex and involved indeed. Eastern traditions have their own forms of astrology, but they are not as different as one might expect them to be. In any case, astrology, like any form of divination, should be respected as a means for understanding yourself but not necessarily as a way to divine the future.