Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered how some people can read the future in them?
From celebrities to President Ronald Reagan, many have taken advice from the craft of astrology. Read on to find out how you can learn from the stars too!
What is astrology?
What is the definition of astrology? How does astrology work in general? The basics of astrology focus on reading how the sun, moon, and planets can influence people and events differently based on their position in the sky.
The planets can also influence each other based on where they are in the sky relative to each other–the angles planets make to each other are called aspects, and they can change the meaning of a planet’s position significantly.
The zodiac signs are divided into different categories based on what element they are aligned with, whether their energy is masculine or feminine, and whether they are idea-people, disciplined follow-through people, or flexible change-seekers. This last category is called a sign’s modality. Cardinal signs lead, fixed signs follow through, and mutable signs seek change.
Putting together the effects of signs, heavenly bodies, and the celestial houses can create highly nuanced profiles of people, events, or relationships. This can help people to understand the larger cosmic forces at work in even the smallest parts of their everyday lives.
Mundane Astrology
Mundane astrology has to do with how astrology affects the world of the mundane, which is to say the everyday world.
This branch uses the sun, moon, and planets to identify influences on world events, weather patterns, and other big-picture developments that could be important for those living through them.
Interrogatory Astrology
Interrogatory astrology focuses on an individual’s questions about their own life and their path in the world.
This is different from natal astrology because it is more concerned with how people can navigate the world rather than with people’s personalities.
Natal Astrology
Natal astrology first of all uses the birth chart to read an individual’s personality, then uses transits to analyze how the birth chart will cause them to respond to later events.
Natal astrology and interrogatory astrology have a lot in common in that they have to do with how the individual can use the stars to their advantage.
Is Astrology a Science?
Astrology does use some of the same tools as astronomy to study the movements of the planets; however, astrologists are not scientists.
The way astrologers study the moon and the planets is not based on empirical evidence, but rather on a spiritual, emotional truth. In short, the discipline of astrology is based on energy patterns, not on what the National Science Foundation might be concerned with.
How Was Astrology Discovered?
Astrology has been around for thousands of years, but was primarily developed by cultures like Greece, India, and China. Every culture has its own astrology tradition, though!
While different cultures have different ways of doing birth charts, explaining the signs, and studying astrology in general, there are important commonalities–like the stars and planets being studied, for instance! Astrologers look up at the same stars, no matter where they are.
Is Astrology Significant?
The significance of astrology can be interpreted in different ways. Ultimately, the way you engage with astrology is up to you–if you put energy into understanding it, it will become significant in your life.
In more direct terms, the answer is that astrology is significant due to the guidance it can give people–even if each person gains a different kind of significance from astrology.
How Does Astrology Work?
In many ways, it is similar to feng shui, but without the astrologer being able to move the stars around to achieve a more beneficial effect! A birth chart (or the chart of the sky right now) has a balance just like the objects in a room, and that can tell an astrologer a lot about how people will be affected by those energies.
The positions between bodies in the sky, and how those positions affect each other, can tell an astrologer whether it is a good day for starting a project, a day one might fall in love, and many other cosmic insights.
Can Astrology Predict The Future?
It may not tell the future for sure, but it can provide a road map to the energies people will be navigating, which can be useful!
What Are Astrological Houses?
The houses in astrology have to do with the locations in the sky that the planets occupy. This can change based on where people are in the world.
For instance, a person born in New York might have different houses in their chart than someone born at the same time in California.
What Do Planets Do in Astrology?
When it comes to the planets, astrologers chart their position in the sky, specifically the zodiac signs they are moving through. We could define astrology loosely as the study of what signs different celestial bodies are positioned in from our point of view here on Earth.
A planet typically rules a particular area of life, and the zodiac sign that planet is in has an effect on how that area of life’s energy is flowing. A person’s sun sign is the zodiac sign the sun was moving through on the day of their birth.
What Does an Astrologer Do?
If you’re wondering about astrologers, an astrologer definition is someone who is particularly skilled at the study of astrology and giving readings for other people.
Someone who doesn’t know much about their chart can go have their chart astrologically analyzed by an astrologer to find out what they can expect from a new year or what psychological struggles they might need to work on in their lifetimes.
Do Astrologers Have Special Gifts?
Astrologers sometimes feel a psychic connection to the universe, and some do work as mediums as well. However, many astrologers don’t feel they have any special gifts, but rather are driven by the love and interest they feel for astrology.
Astrology is a fascinating discipline to study, even though you can’t get a degree in it somewhere like Brown University. Thankfully, one doesn’t have to have a special gift to become knowledgeable or skilled at it!
What Is a Horoscope?
How do horoscopes work? Well, they may not predict specific events in the future, but they can shed light on the general energy flows of a particular day, month, or year.
When you go into a situation knowing the ways you are being impacted by the moon and planets, you will be prepared for the possibility that communications could be muddled, or that you could be more emotional that day. People have free will outside of astrology, but it can inform us!
Are Zodiac Signs Truly Significant to Our Lives?
You may ask, does my sun sign really have that much significance to my life? Well, yes and no. The sun sign is a person’s most basic personality, but there are many other influences on a person’s natal chart.
For one thing, a person’s Mercury determines how they communicate, and a person’s Venus influences how they love. Some people come off very differently than their sun sign would suggest because of these influences!
What Is a Birth Chart?
The astrological profile of a person is like a star map, showing how the night sky looked when that person was born.
The person’s sun sign, whether they were born on a new moon, and all the other facts about astrology that have to do with a person’s life are contained in this birth chart.
What Can Astrology Be Used for?
Astrology can be used for helping people figure out their path in life, or for helping a person understand themselves better.
This might not change any of the actual problems in their lives, but it could definitely give them a new way of thinking about the problem. That could then lead them to know themselves better and cope with their circumstances in a way that helps them reach a better place.
Can I Learn Astrology?
You can learn astrology just like you can learn just about any new-age practice of spirituality! Explaining astrology might take a while since there’s so much to learn, but once you get the hang of it you can jump in as easily as you would to crystal healing.
Is Learning Astrology Difficult?
Learning astrology isn’t especially difficult, since people who get into it are generally pretty interested in it already. Just follow your passion and you’ll find it’s easy to become an expert!
Recap: What Is Astrology?
Astrology is the study of how the stars influence the world and our lives. While it doesn’t tell us for sure whether or not we’ll get that promotion or whether our crush likes us back, it’s a lot of fun and can help us understand ourselves!
Final Takeaway on Astrology Basics
We hope that our guide on astrology has helped you learn many interesting facts about astrology. If you’re interested in learning more about astrology, click around our other pieces on different aspects of the craft.
Plus, you can also leave questions and comments below! What do you think about astrology?
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