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I am a huge fan of astrology. My fascination with the subject started early in life and I am still learning. This subject is so vast I will always be learning. I am not an astrologer, but in my years of following the subject and studying it, I have come to appreciate its value as a guide for evaluating the energy of any specific period, much like an energetic weather forecast. In addition, I have found value in being aware of astrological influences more specifically as they relate to my life, as what I have found to be an accurate indicator of basic tendencies, in what areas of life challenges might be faced, and life phases. And my love of myth and archetypes just fuels this fire as astrology is deeply intertwined with these stories, and a valuable means to deepening our understanding of the energies at play.
My view of astrology is a barometer of greater energies at play in our lives. Just as we know all things are made of energy in our world, and we know that the seasons will change and spring brings a different energy than summer than does winter, planetary movements bring a certain energy of their own. Night brings a different energy than day and morning a different energy than evening. We know that the moon controls the tides, and that our bodies are 75% water, so would we then accept that the moon could have an effect on us? Do you feel differently around the new moon than the full moon? Many people report more energy and sleeplessness in the 3 days leading up to a full moon. There have been studies exploring the link between the full moon and an increase in crime. The study of astrology is thousands of years old and there are two different schools. Jyotish or Vedic astrology differs from western astrology in that the position of the planets in the sky are calculated differently, and the mythology follows the Vedic tradition rather than the predominantly Greek mythology most of us are accustomed to in astrology. Both are valid and can provide us with useful information for examining our lives. I have a much better understanding of western astrology than Jyotish, so I will be referring to that in my writings. In general, the birth or natal chart is a map of the sky at the moment you were born. On the eastern horizon is your ascendant. The ascendant line is the beginning of your “rising sign” and this determines where the houses fall in your chart. There are twelve signs that we are familiar with from the constellations in the sky – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Out of a 360 degree circle, then each sign is 30 degrees. In addition there are the twelve houses, also each 30 degrees. The ascendant’s placement in the sky based on time, date and location of birth determines where the first house will begin. The ascendant line is always the beginning of the first house, which represents the identity of the self, but the moment of birth determines its placement in the signs which “flavors” it, so to speak. Each of the twelve houses represents an area of life, and following them in order represents a journey of sorts. The houses and their areas of life are as follows:
Then there are the planetary placements in each sign and house based on the time of birth. Each planet rules one or more signs and houses. As you probably know, certain characteristics are assigned to each astrological sign, and an area of life as listed above is assigned to each house. The planets are assigned specific attributes as well, and combining these meanings and how they are relating to each other in a natal chart and at any given time is how interpretations of the energies are made. According to the authors Jan Spiller and Karen McCoy in the book Spiritual Astrology, the planets represent the ten basic internal urges we experience as humans, with an urge being defined as the desire to express or experience a specific energy; the signs represent the way in which you are predispositioned to expressing that urge or the way in which you need to express that urge; and the houses represent the area of life in which you would experience the energy of the expression represented by the planet and sign. The natal chart gives a road map of the individual’s tendencies and where one may find roadblocks in life or exceed. As planets move through the signs, we can get an idea of what energies might be at play for everyone. Looking to your own chart to see what house they are falling in will show you what area of life a certain energy might be at play. Planets move at different speeds through signs and houses based on how close they are to the earth. We start with the sun (yes a star and yes we are revolving around it but for astrological purposes we begin here) and then go moon, mercury, Venus, mars, Jupiter. These are the personal planets. Most of us are familiar with how the sun moves through the signs – that’s the standard horoscopes that you would read online or in the paper – the sun sign. The moon represents emotions and moves much more quickly, moving through a sign every couple of days. Mercury is also fairly quick-moving, the God of Communication, and so on and so forth until we get to Saturn. Saturn is like a bridge between the closer, faster moving “personal planets” and the outer planets Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Saturn takes a little over two years, on average, to transit each 30 degree sign and house. The outer lying planets take much longer as they are farther out from earth and as they roll through each house of one’s birth chart can represent significant life phases. And here’s my point. Astrology can be a wonderful tool for self-examination and understanding greater energies at play in your life. There is no need for it to be the end-all-be-all and taken as a concrete forecast for what’s happening in your life. I believe it can be a very useful as a jumping off point to become aware of patterns you may be running unconsciously or flowing with certain energies that are manifesting themselves in your daily life. More often than not you already have some awareness of these things, but astrology can bring it to the forefront of your consciousness for more in depth evaluation so you are consciously working with what’s at play. In the book, Astology Karma & Transformation, Stephen Arroyo says, “Astrology, by providing us with a blueprint of our attachments, problems, talents, and mental tendencies, offers us a way – an initial step – of not only realizing in a specific sense exactly what our karma is and helping us to work with these confrontations within and without, but also a way of beginning to rise above and gain a perspective on this karma.” He also states, “The (astrological) chart…shows our mind patterns, our past conditioning, the mental impressions and….The chart shows what we are now because of what we have thought and done in the past. These age-old, deeply-entrenched patterns are not easily changed….It is not a simple matter to change powerful habit patterns merely through the application of a bit of old-fashioned ‘will power’….And the attempt to rationalize one’s conflicts and spiritual crises out of existence will only dam the flow of the life energies for a short while, quickly followed by a torrential release of power that starkly reveals the shallowness of pseudo-spiritual escapism….Those habits are not going to fade away overnight following a short positive-thinking pep-talk. These life forces must be accepted, acknowledged, and paid due attention.” In hypnotherapy, one of my main goals is guiding clients to uncovering their own deeply held and entrenched beliefs that are influencing their mind patterns and thoughts, which are in turn influencing their behavior and therefore their experience in this world. When someone identifies something in their life they would like to change, many times we can find at the root a thinking pattern based on a belief that is no longer serving them and then take steps to make changes on the inside, starting with beliefs and thinking patterns that will later reflect in a different experience in their lives. Astrology can be just one of the tools one can use to help shed light on your tendencies and patterns in life, helping to bring about understanding of oneself and provoking self-examination in order to provide a stepping stone on the path to creating the life you want consciously. Comments are closed.
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Kasey Ford, Soul-Aligned Love & Life Mentor to Women
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