A breakdown of astrology basics for beginners
ASPECTS IN MODERN ASTROLOGY
Aspects are an important part of modern astrology. As the planets move in their elongated orbits around the Sun, they form various angular relationships with one another, using the Sun (or Earth) as the center. These are called Aspects. The most popular aspects result from dividing the circle by numbers like 1,2,3,4, resulting in aspects such as the conjunction (0 degrees), opposition (180 degrees), trine (120 degrees), square (90 degrees), and so forth. When two planets form an aspect with one another, their energies and natures are said to combine and work in harmony or discord. For example, when two planets are exactly on opposite sides of the Sun (earth), they are in opposition. The most popular aspects can be divided into three main categories:
1. Emphatic aspects: The emphatic aspects are those that emphasize or align two planetary energies with one another. Conjunction (0 degrees)-When two planets at the same point in the zodiac are said to be in conjunctions. Their natures are fused or blended into one.Opposition (180 degrees)-Two planets at opposite sides of the zodiac. The energies are in alignment with each other. They can pull together or apart, depending upon the nature of the planets involved.
2. Hard aspects: Square (90 degrees) and semi-square (45 degrees). These represent challenges, obstacles, and substance. They provide the substance of our life. Too many can block or obstruct the life flow, yet too few can cause life to be weak or thin.
3. Soft aspects: Trine (120 degrees) and sextile (60 degrees). The soft aspects bring ease, clarity, and vision to our lives. We can see, grasp, and understand what is happening. Too few of the soft aspects means we don't know what we are doing or what is happening in our lives, while too many soft aspects make for a life that runs cool, is overly mental, and lacking in substance.
When an aspect is exact, it has its greatest impact. Yet, the effect of most aspects can be felt for some time before and after the moment when it is exact. The range within which an aspect is in operation is called its 'orb of influence', or simply its orb. An orb of one or two degrees of arc on either side of the exact aspect is considered a close or tight orb, while an orb of 10 degrees is loose. Also worthy of consideration when looking at aspects are the planets involved. Aspects to the Sun and Moon are most important, followed by the planetary aspects involving Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. If your natal chart has an accurate birth time, then aspects to the chart angles (ascendant and midheaven) are also important. The particular combination can make a difference. Aspects between planets such as Saturn and Mars are obviously more potentially explosive then the same aspect between Venus and Jupiter. QUALITIES OF ASTROLOGY The 12 signs of the Zodiac are separated into 3 qualities which are Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. By studying the combination of different planets, the three different qualities and the elements of a person’s sign, astrologers can also draw a complete personality profile of a subject. Cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Enterprising and outgoing. Fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Resistant to change. Mutable: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. Adaptable and changeable. Each sign of the same quality expresses its quality differently. For example, Aries and Cancer are both Cardinals, but Aries is of Fire and Cancer of Water. Therefore, both Aries and Cancer show signs of enterprising, but Aries will show an initial enthusiasm towards enterprising in the beginning whereas Cancer will steadily show the quality through emotions. The Ascendant And Midheaven In Your Birth Chart The Ascendant in a birth chart is known as the rising sign. It is the starting point of the first house in a chart. Contrary to the standard horoscope analysis in the newspaper, where the personality of a person is based on the Sun Sign (the sign where the sun is), astrologers usually put emphasis on the characteristics of the first House, or Ascendant, to project a personality profile. On the birth chart, the Midheaven is the point where the sun is found midday. The sign where the Midheaven is found not only has a strong bearing on the subject's outward expression of oneself in one's world, lifestyle, choice of career, attitude, but also in events that the subject has no direct control. The Midheaven represents ego, and the characteristics that are associated with the sign in which the Midheaven is found, are expressed in an external manner. The Chart Wheel In Astrology The Chart Wheel is a map of the space surrounding us at the time of our birth. The wheel is divided into 12 sections called Houses. Planets in the heavens are placed on the Chart Wheel in the houses that correspond to where they actually are in the sky at birth. In the Chart Wheel, the planets are placed in their Zodiac positions. The Zodiac stretches in a circle through all 360 degrees of the surrounding sky, and this circle is divided into sections of 30 degrees, which make up the 12 signs. Planet positions are measured within signs by degrees, minutes, and seconds of circular arc. Each degree contains 60 minutes of arc and each minute of arc contains 60 seconds of arc. The Chart Wheel is divided into 12 sections called Houses. The houses are numbered from 1 to 12. The pie-like lines that divide one house from the next are called house cusps. Keep in mind that our Earth makes a complete turn on its axis once in 24 hours. The Chart Wheel represents the space surrounding where we were born. It is as if we were standing outside with the sky above us (upper part of chart) and the Earth beneath our feet (lower hemisphere). As the Earth turns, it brings each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac to any part of the wheel once in 24 hours, a new degree of the zodiac every 4 minutes. Progressions In Modern Astrology
Progressions contain the primary timing for your development and growth and show how you evolve and grow. They are generally felt internally. You may make external changes based on them, but they are like the unfolding of your astrological DNA. The timing for all of these changes is very personal, based solely on your own chart. Because evolution is slow, these are slow changes. Your progress chart is different from your birth chart in that it moves each planet by its amount of daily travel for each year of life after the person is born. Progressions show how you evolve and develop over time. The Natal Chart
The Natal Chart is a map of your life. It’s like if you were able to take a photo at the time of your birth of the planets and of the universe stopped in time. Once developed this ‘photo’ is what the universe has to say about who you are and what you may become. The seeds of the future are always shown in the present, but can we read them? This is what the study of astrology is about, reading the signs of the times and listening to what they have to say about us, now and in the future.
A Natal Chart is made from your month, day, year, time of birth (am/pm), city and state of birth. With this information your Natal Chart can determine your personality, the person you are and who you will become! The Sun, Moon and Rising form your personality, it's like a pyramid, Sun on top and Moon and Rising at each bottom end. There is a treasure chest of information in a Natal Chart!
The planets will not be in the same place at the time of your birth again for another 25,000 years, there are no two personalities the same in the world!