A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Astrology
Throughout history people have looked to the sky for direction. Whether it was ancient Babylonians who believed that the movements of the planets were the gods writing in the sky or ancient Egyptians who watched the star Sirius to track the seasonal flooding of the Nile, humans have had an endless fascination with our connection to the cosmos. Over time, meaning was attached to movements of these heavenly bodies. Initially, this meaning was predictory, fate-based and used mainly as a tool for divination and by kings, priests, physicians or those of privilege. There was great value in the information astrology provided.
Today, the word astrology makes many people think of cheesy predictions in newspaper horoscopes, smoky back rooms, velvet curtains and crystal balls. Historically speaking there is obvious relevance to some of these presuppositions; yet there has been an important evolution in the field of astrology, which reflects a new paradigm, mirroring the evolution of our collective consciousness. Modern astrology has left the back rooms of fate and fear-based predictions and has entered the forefront of self-actualization, self-understanding and transformation.
The basic science of astrology is based on birth time, date and location. From this data a specific astrology chart is created. Quite literally, an astrology chart is a snapshot of the sky, which captures the exact location of the sun, moon and planets at the exact time and location of the birth. A proficient astrologer can then observe placements and angles created by these celestial bodies to ascertain specific meaning unique to that individual. There are many types of astrology charts, with the most popular being a natal or birth chart. A birth chart is a visual representation of our whole personality. It is a fingerprint of our psyche which can reveal and better understand the specific blocks, sensitivities, life patterns, and cycles we are meant to learn through. Likewise, and perhaps more importantly, our birth chart also reveals the tools and resources available to us in the form of possibilities, directions and choices. A birth chart is the framework for our unique life experience; a divinely inspired personal road map reflecting our personal dance between fate and destiny. Astrology can map out the cards we have been dealt in this game called life (fate), but it is entirely up to us how to play those cards (destiny); how we play the cards has the ability to change the whole game.
Astrology then, is less about defining who we are and more about understanding and exploring who we are meant to become. For example, your sun sign, (the sign the sun was in when you were born) is not who you are but who you are becoming. If your sun sign is Cancer, you are “cancering” your way through this life, with all the challenges and gifts that offers. It suggests Cancer sun signs are learning to navigate the world through the heart, using feelings, healthy nurturing and empathy. Thus, they are likely going to experience all shades of that learning- the shadow and the light. If you are an Aries, you are learning all about what it means to be authentically you by claiming space in this world and navigating the spectrum of aggression and assertion to do it. Your sun sign is just one small piece of who you are, of course. To get a much more detailed understanding of the self and life path, one must look at the birth chart in its entirety. (For more, listen to the Holistic Health Hour Podcast, “The Real Meaning of your Sun Sign”)
I found astrology when I was studying psychology. Many great psychological thinkers, most notably Carl Gustav Jung, utilized (and still utilize) the science of astrology. Why? Because astrology can tackle the big questions: fears, life patterns, relationships, history and habits can be unearthed, understood and then transformed. Life’s purpose and potential can be explored and validated. In essence, it is a tool for making sense of the complex inner world where soul meets body. That interplay, that space between the inner world and the outer, much like the earth and the sky, is where growth happens and allows us to evolve, heal and transform. That space is the terrain of astrology.
(Want to hear more about astrology? Listen to the Holistic Health Podcast, “Understanding Astrology”.)
