What is Astrology?
When we look to the sky on a clear night we see billions of bright spots of light, the Milky Way, the Cosmos. Some of the lights are stars, some asteroids, some planets. It is strange to think that these celestial bodies so far away can have an impact on our lives here on Earth, but they do.
Astrology is the study of these celestial bodies, their patterns, relationships to each other, and to us. Astrologers believe that the planets have a fundamental connection to specific archetypes which parallel human existence, and that the patterns formed by the planets in the heavens bear a meaningful correspondence to the patterns of human affairs on Earth. Sue Tompkins, astrologer and author of The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook, says that “some form of Astrology has been practiced in all cultures since civilization began. The roots of Western astrology date back at least several thousand years before Christ and to an area which embraces modern-day Iraq, parts of Syria, and Turkey.”
Most people generally believe that the subject of astrology is primarily about the signs of the zodiac. While the signs are an important part of the study of astrology they are only one facet. Focusing on your sun sign i.e. I am an Aries or I am a Capricorn, is a very limited way to look at astrology and is why when you check your horoscope online or in the Sunday paper, some things apply and some do not. Your sun sign is a vital part of your astrological map, but to know the full story of “you” we have to look at all the planets, their corresponding signs and the houses in which they fall.
In actuality, basic western astrology encompasses the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune plus the Sun, the Moon, and Pluto (we refer to them all as planets to make the terminology easier), the zodiac signs, and the houses of the zodiac. Each of the planets exudes a different archetypal energy that represents an element of your personality, rules specific signs of the zodiac and, depending on its location in your natal chart, influences different parts of your life experience.
The planets move against the backdrop of the zodiac wheel which is the outer circle of the chart. The zodiac signs; Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc. give the planets their flavoring, and tells us how they will express themselves in our lives. You can think of the planets as verbs and the zodiac sign as adverbs or the planets as actors and the zodiac signs the costumes they wear. Where the planets are located in your chart, tells us where the interface will be acted out.
When an astrologer maps the location of the planets based on your birth date, time and place it reveals information about you that can be helpful to your life path and the decisions that you will face along the way. According to Steven Forrest in his book on Sun Signs, “Each of these planets represents energies in you, drives in you, needs in you. And they come together to produce this completely unique map that reflects who you are and why you’re here in this world.”
When discussing Astrology, the question often arises regarding fate or free will. If Astrology truly works and the details of a natal chart give insight into our character; what we value, our manner of communicating, our family situation, and even the type of partner we will choose, are we destined to live out that life or are we free to live any life we might choose? The answer to that question is actually Yes and No!
Sue Tompkins refers to the natal chart as a map of your potential (your soul’s intentions for this life time) prepared for a particular moment in time – your birth time. Every person is born with a unique map that shows how we might evolve in this lifetime. However, the map and its possibilities are not infinite. There is a perimeter within which we must work to fulfill our potential. The perimeter is fate.
Just like a road map, the natal chart shows various intersections and alternatives that you can use to get to your soul’s intended destination. Each time you approach one of these intersections you make a choice. As you make that choice, you are still working within the perimeter of your natal chart, but depending on the direction you choose, you have changed the outcome of a particular circumstance. In this case, you can consider the choice at the intersection, free will.
An important thing to keep in mind is that we do not exist within a vacuum. We are all at the mercy of a much larger fate – the destiny of our country, our continent, and the planet itself. Choices that are made for us by our governments/rulers, employers, parents when we are younger, and the collective consciousness all affect the map and the choices you make within it.