ABOUT ASTROLOGY


Astrology sticks to the old saying, as it happens in the heavens, so it happens on the Earth.
The ancients, watching the sky, came to conclusion that that there was a relationship between certain celestial events, such as eclipses and similar occurrences, and certain events on the Earth. In the beginning there were no personal horoscopes – the horoscope of the ruler was mostly concerned with what the future holds for the country, and that is why so much attention was given to the analysis of the same.

First birth charts, in the form we know today, were created at first only in the Renaissance. With the advancement and the democratization of the entire society and the focus on the humane values did the astrology bloom, but not for long. The eighteenth century was the time of great scientific discoveries that proclaimed astrology as non-scientific because it could not explain how it functions in a ‘scientific’ way. The interest for the astrology has surged during the latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and it at that time that astrology as we know it today is born. Astrology increasingly relies on psychology and, for what it is worth, we can say that it’s greatest use lies in its therapeutic value. Its offering that we treasure the most is the ability for self-discovery – by learning about ourselves we become more enlightened and lead us closer to living our lives to their fullest.
Of course, that does not mean that the traditional roots of astrology are disregarded. Besides locating and defining our inner processes, it will also present the trends for future developments. So, it can show us what are our options regarding our professional development, emotional states, and the status of our health.
In that sense, there have already been developed special branches of astrology such as medical astrology, mundane astrology, horary astrology, etc.

ASROLOGICAL ELEMENTS

NATURALLY, EVERY BIRTH OR, RATHER, BAPTISM IS OF FIRE.
Fire is the first element – the first sigh of Zodiac, Aries, is a fire sign.
The second sign is an earth sign – Taurus – the fire had to be given shape and form appropriate to earthly realities.
The next element is air – the third sign, related to communication and speech, typical characteristics of the third Zodiac sign, Gemini.
And at the end, water, the fourth element, found in Cancer, the fourth sign, has given us emotions and bound us together with mutually unbreakable ties.

Just as everything has a beginning, life, and the end, so in astrology there are three qualities – cardinal, fixed, and mutable.
Cardinal quality is the quality of initiative, cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, and as you can see, they rule the beginning of each season.
To keep things as they really are we need the fixed quality which maintains the stability, security, and persistence – as seen in signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
And, in the end, there is mutable quality which comes with the end of the seasons. Mutable signs are adaptable, ingenious, and they are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
The zodiac signs were named after the constellations of the same names.
There are twelve of them, just as there are twelve months in the year, and twelve apostles.
Besides, twelve is a multiple of three and four, that is, four elements and three qualities.
To understand astrology, we need to understand the symbols it is based on – one of the best definitions of astrology is that it is the language of the symbols.

PLANETS

Astrology is based on cycles, that is, Western astrology is based on the movement of the Sun along the ecliptic.
Just as everything around us in the nature gets born, grows, and dies, so do the planetary cycles mark the phases of  birth, growth, and death in our lives.
The fastest planet is the Moon. Lunar cycle is about 28 days – it equivalent to the cycle of menstruation, and the change of tides. The Moon in astrology has a special role – it is the symbol of emotions and instinctive reactions and it speaks about our primary needs and the relationship with our mother. It is the most active during the first three years of life. It is at that time that we are like sponges – we absorb everything that happens around us and that is why the psychologists warn about the significance of that period for the development of the child and the entire personality.
   
Mercury, the follower of the Sun, needs 88 days to go around the Zodiac. We use Mercury to communicate, and it is like Hermes, the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, the planet that connects different parts of hour personalities, the planet through which we establish contacts with our surroundings.
Mercury provides us with information that interests us, so it is mostly active from the fourth year of our life until the puberty. That is logical when we keep in mind that this planet is neutral by nature, so in a sense, it is genderless.

Venus, often hailed as the goddess of love, also does not separate much from the Sun while traveling though Zodiac – for that trip it needs 225 days. Venus, of course, shows in our horoscope what we like and what we dislike, especially in the area of love- It speaks about our value system and esthetics. Its rule is the strongest during the adolescence, between the ages of 14 to 21.

Sun, the center of our planetary system, goes around the Zodiac in 365 days. It is the indicator of our true nature. Regardless of anything else, the Sun, it is us. It represents our individuality and creativity – so the solar period of our life is between 22 and 41, the period when we can accomplish the most.

The cycle of Mars is about two years. We can say that Mars is our sword – we use it to fight for our goals, to defend our ‘territory’ and our personality. We use it to prove ourselves to the others. The period of Mars is between 42 to 56 – the period when most people increase their sphere of influence and when they realize their ambitions.
The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, and Mars are called personal planets. Why? Considering the speed of their movement, every moment they are in a different part of the Zodiac and they make each moment special, and different, so, naturally, they have a similar effect on the birth chart. They are called personal because they represent the basic psychological functions of personality.
The second groups of planets – social planets – are Jupiter and Saturn. They are called social planets because they represent a kind of a bridge between an individual and society. Their cycles are longer than those of personal planets – Jupiter’s cycle is 12 years, and Saturn’s is 29 years.

Jupiter is the planet that is considered beneficial, the planet that brings good luck. In any case, those who are under its protection are lucky in life, but due to that they can fall in the trap of laziness and sloth. In astrology Jupiter represents all that we believe in, our morality, what moves and motivates us. It stays in each sign for about a year, and it rules the period of life between 57 and 68 years of age.

Saturn is in a way, an opposite of Jupiter. We associate Jupiter with optimism, Saturn with pessimism; Jupiter with expansion, Saturn with restriction; Jupiter is traditionally beneficial, Saturn harmful. Saturn is the last planet visible by naked eye from Earth and that is why it is called the Master of karma, the God of time, and similar. It represents all strong, long lived structures and institutions, also all that restricts and scares us. Its cycle of 29 years is very symbolic – it is about that age when we take over first responsibilities, we build our inner point of view. It rules the life between the ages of 68 until physical death.
After the invention of the telescope, we had the opportunity to have a detailed look at the universe around us. So, at the end of 18th century Uranus was discovered, the first of modern planets.

Uranus, along with Neptune and Pluto belongs to the group of so called transpersonal (non-personal) planets, So it represents the ‘superhuman’ aspects of our life. Uranus is tied to the modern age; it rules the electric energy which has had the greatest effect on our civilization. Strong Uranus in the horoscope emphasizes individuality, independence, it gives strong will. It represents all that is unexpected, surprising, ahead of its time. The cycle of Uranus is 84 years.

The second planet in the group of transpersonal planets is Neptune. It has been discovered at the end of the 19th century, coinciding interestingly with the period of Romanticism in art. Neptune is therefore the symbol of greatest ideals, of what we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for – all the intangible, but at the same time important things that are the spice of life. On the other hand, it can represent our illusions and deceptions. It cycle is 165 years long.

Pluto, the last transpersonal planet was discovered in 1930, at the time of the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe, thus heralding destruction. It is one of the functions of Pluto – transformation – which demands symbolic death of old things and ideas in our lives, so that we can rise like Phoenix from its ashes and live in a more complete way. It is connected to the deepest parts of hour psyche – where our personal taboos are hidden, but also our energy reserves. Its cycle is 248 years long.

HOUSES
Here we reach the idea of microcosm and macrocosm, or the idea of what happens in the sky, happens on the earth. The best examples of it are astrological houses. They are the scene upon which all our life dramas and comedies are staged. There are 12 houses in the birth chart, just as there are 12 planets and signs and they represent the 12 different aspects of life, but at the same time they represent the different parts of us.

First house which top is the ascendant or what is widely known as Sunrise sign represents the way that we want present ourselves to the others – with our behavior and physical appearance, but in inwardly it speaks about the ‘I’.

Second house is the area that speaks about our income and management of finances – on a deeper level it indicates our abilities and talents, our self confidence – how assured we are of our own worth is the measure of how much we can exchange it for what is its material equivalent – money.

Third house represents the way in which we communicate with our surroundings, it is the house of transportation and basic education, of brothers and sisters – its core is still communication – how willing are we to learn and truly exchange information with the others.

Fourth house is the least conscious part of the horoscope – it represents the home and the family, as well one of the parents. It also speaks of our psychological intimacy.

Fifth house is the area of creativity and short term emotional relationships. Through the fifth house we express our identity, which distinguishes us from the others and what we therefore want to proudly show. So it is not surprising that the fifth house is the house of children.

Sixth house will let us know about our habits – all the details that make up the life and that our physical health depends on.

Seventh house, which is positioned opposite to the first house, represents our ego, and according to this symbolism, it represents those who approach us – all the people we have close relationships with, not only emotional relationships, but also business relationships. Our relationships are actually extensions of ourselves, but the people we are connected to actually show us the hidden part of us, the one that we are most often not ready to admit to ourselves. Our public enemies belong to the seventh house.

Eighth house is, unlike others, is the house of common values, inheritances – it contains all the repressed psychic content; this is the area of transformation and sexuality.

Ninth house is the house of higher education – after meeting the others (seventh house) and transformations that those encounters caused (eighth house) – we are ready for higher insights. The ninth house represents all that expands our horizons – whether it is education, travel, or religion.

The top part of the horoscope is the tenth house – so accordingly it represents our social and professional position, it represents our highest achievements and set goals – how will we turn what we imagined into reality depends on many things – one of the important factors is how healthy is the root of our horoscope, what is opposite to the tenth house – the fourth house.

Eleventh house will bring us and our equals around a common goal. This is the house of ideals and friendships, of social involvement.

Twelfth house is the last. Therefore, all that we have gone through during the previous phases of development pours into it. So, if it is emphasized in our horoscope we will have a need for solitude because there is so much that affects us that we need to take a break every now and then to rest from all the noise. In twelfth house we are at the same time aware of our connection with and separation from the world that surrounds us. This is the house of mental illness, prisons, hospitals, and other closed institutions. The first rule is: isolate yourself, so that the others should not have to isolate you.

MYTHOLOGY

 
As we can see, astrology relies on  mythology in many things. The planets  have been named after Greek and Roman  mythology. If we were to delve deeper in  the symbolism of the planets, we would  see that their mythological background is  very important as well. Myth formed the  basis of the religion at the time – but they  turned into something much more –  symbols often used history, art, and, of  course, astrology. Planets, or gods, in  Greek mythology ruled the people, and  what astrology offers us is the means to  utilize these symbolic principles represented by the planets and in that way rule ourselves.