Astrology
5 The idea of gleaning knowledge and insight from the stars is hardly a novel concept, and though it is not universally accepted as a proven science, many put a great deal of faith in what it tells us.
2The main benefit derived from studying astrology is that you start to see profound connections between our physical world and other universal forces. 3There are other ways of taking a peek at cosmic wisdom as well, and these are examined at the end of this chapter.
Basic Concepts of Astrology
4Though the influence of heavenly bodies on our existence is actually quite widespread and can be felt in most aspects of our lives, most people see astrology as a means of predicting personality types and future events based on a person s birth date.
5The fundamental idea is that we are influenced by whatever constellation the sun was in at the precise moment of our birth. 6If the sky is in such an orientation that the sun is in Taurus, then we are considered to be of that sign. 7The constellations make a specific rotation across the calendar year, so we can determine our signs based on the date rather than actually having to gaze through a telescope.
8The year is broken down like this:
i. Aries (March 21 – April 19)
ii. Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
iii. Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
iv. Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
v. Leo (July 23 – August 22)
vi. Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
vii. Libra (September 23 – October 22)
viii. Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
ix. Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
x. Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
xi. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
xii. Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
9In case you were curious, the list always starts with Aries even though it is not the first sign of the calendar year. 10It is always listed first because March 21st is the Spring Equinox, one of two times in the year when night and day are exactly equal; as such it was considered the beginning of the year during the time when astrology was first being developed. 11The convention has stood ever since.
12Most people already know their signs, but if you don't, then take a note of it so you can examine the below list of traits and see how accurate they are. 13If your birth date is right around the cut-off point between two signs (known as the cusp) you will likely exhibit some qualities from both. 14The details of each sign can be lengthy, so consider this a quick snapshot of the most prominent qualities:
i. Aries: independent, ambitious, organised, immature, poor focus or attention span ii. Taurus: quiet, tidy, patient, honest, stubborn, excessively high standards
iii. Gemini: creative, dramatic, adventurous, distracted, has unexpected mood swings
iv. Cancer: active, sensitive, organised, moody, hates to break up a routine
v. Leo: ambitious, charismatic, successful, lazy, dislikes any difficulties in life
vi. Virgo: logical, intelligent, quiet, critical, can be very self-centred
vii. Libra: creative, logical, easy-going, indecisive, doesn t like too much hard work
viii. Scorpio: intense, perfectionist, ambitious, jealous, keeps a cool head no matter what
ix. Sagittarius: talkative, friendly, social, procrastinates, always looking for something new
x. Capricorn: intelligent, organised, impulsive, stubborn, often prefers to be alone
xi. Aquarius: fun, social, adventurous, controlling, can be highly inflexible
xii. Pisces: emotional, sensitive, mysterious, shy, usually looking to the future
As Above, So Below
15This is the underlying principle that has led to the development of astrology. 16Even those who are familiar with astrology may find this to be new information since most don t look too deeply into the origins of the practice.
17This is an esoteric principle that originally came from the Emerald Tablets of Hermes , a lesser- known source of metaphysical knowledge. 18These texts were supposedly written by the Greek god Hermes (specifically Hermes Trismegistus , or Hermes Thrice Great ) . 19These teachings are the basis for the school of Hermeticism, which is a gnostic faith related to theosophy, which is covered in a later chapter of this book. 20There is a line in the tablet that reads as follows:
“That which is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one thing.
211t s usually shortened to: As above, so below . 221n other words, the events in the heavens directly influence the events on Earth. 23So as you see larger patterns and influences above, it will follow that we see the same here on Earth.
Full Birth Charts
24Understanding basic character traits that connect with each sign is only a small aspect of using astrology. 25There is an entire solar system of heavenly bodies casting their influence down upon us, and each one can be mapped from the moment of your birth. 26What was Venus doing when you were born? 27Where was the moon?
28By making a detailed chart of where all the major planetary bodies were at your birth, you can create an extremely in-depth view of your personal qualities as well as what your overall life is fated to be. 29Not only are the positions relative to your birth location important, but also how these bodies relate to one another. 30Two planets that create a 120-degree angle with the Earth will work together with their influence, but those that are at 180 degrees will be out of sync and create tension. 31These relationships are called aspects .
32The concept of houses also plays a large role in astrology. 33The full set of 12 houses is a little too elaborate to outline, but the sky is divided into 12 portions (which are not the same as the heavenly sections made by the 12 Zodiac signs). 34Each house rules an aspect of your life, such as communication, home, health, beliefs, and social standing. 35A complete chart sees the positioning of major planetary bodies within these houses as well as how they relate to each other.
36Needless to say, this isn t something you can master in such a short lesson. 37Starting with basic signs and first learning to understand their qualities and traits is the first step. 38When you re ready for more information, computer software and astrology websites can create a full birth chart for you, as long as you know the time and location (in longitude and latitude) of your birth.
For Divination
39Astrology has a big influence on who you are from birth, but that influence can continue as time passes in your life. 40Depending upon your chart at birth, your life is heavily influenced by certain signs, houses, planets and other heavenly bodies. 41Therefore you can see where each of them are going to be in the future, and map out a rough idea of what kinds of events you may expect to encounter.
42Astrology can also tell you when certain decisions have a higher chance of success. 43For instance, by waiting until Venus is in a different part of your chart, you can increase the likelihood of success if you are hoping to go on a date, and watching for Saturn can help when applying for a job. 44This is where the daily and monthly horoscopes in the newspaper come from.
45Another way of using astrology for divination is the technique of horary astrology, which is much less well known than the concepts so far discussed. 46This practice involves creating a planetary chart at the precise moment you ask a question, and then finding the answer among the locations of the stars, signs and planets. 47The time that you choose to ask the question is what creates the chart, which can add a significant variable to the answers. 48Horary astrology is an obscure art, but still offers up another avenue of research as you dig deeper into the knowledge you can glean from the stars.
Chinese Astrology
49There are many other forms of astrology, besides the Western version discussed above. 50Rather than focus on the moment of birth, the Chinese zodiac works around a 12-year cycle where it is the year of your birth that counts. 51The idea that someone will exhibit certain traits based on their sign is still the same. 52Below is the Chinese zodiac, including some of the birth years for each sign:
1. Rat (1972, 1984, 1996) – charming, intense, social, blunt, ambitious, stubborn
2. Ox (1973, 1985, 1997) – calm, reliable, honest, hard-working, steadfast, materialistic
3. Tiger (1974,1986, 1998) – impulsive, active, flamboyant, generous, impatient, moody
4. Rabbit (1975, 1987, 1999) – gentle, compassionate, sensitive, artistic, self-indulgent, superficial
5. Dragon (1976, 1988, 2000) – courageous, bold, passionate, intelligent, arrogant, demanding
6. Snake (1967, 1977, 1989) – creative, thoughtful, careful, responsible, possessive, suspicious
7. Horse (1966, 1978, 1990) – talkative, popular, flexible, open-minded, arrogant, immature
8. Goat/Ram (1967, 1979, 1991) – honest, shy, artistic, generous, weak-willed, pessimistic
9. Monkey (1968, 1980, 1992) – quick thinking, changeable, sociable, intellectual, reckless, selfish
10. Rooster (1969, 1981, 1993) – tidy, detailed, perfectionist, confident, pompous, critical
11. Dog (1970, 1982, 1994) – loyal, idealistic, practical, affectionate, lazy, worrier
12. Pig (1971, 1983, 1995) – hard-working, dedicated, trusting, honest, naive, self-indulgent
53Each sign is also associated with one of the five Chinese elements, as well as either yin or yang energy. 541t s interesting to see the similarities between these signs and the Western ones. 55For example, the Ox and Taurus seem to have a lot of traits in common, including their animal symbolism. 56There are other cycles involved in Chinese astrology which may result in more than one animal sign influencing your life. 571n any case, this is just a taste of a different system to add to your knowledge.
Numerology
58Closely linked to astrology is the study of numbers, which is far more detailed than it appears at first glance.
59One thing to note about numerology is that it's not a standalone practice. 60You also need numbers from other sources to apply it to. 61You can see meaning in any numbers you come across, as well as in names and words when you convert the letters into numeric equivalents. 62The usual chart is as follows:
63The most common way of applying numerological principles is with your own name. 64Determine what the letters in your name equal, and then add them together to get a final number. 65Numbers with multiple digits are added again to reduce it down to a single digit.
66The personality traits of each number are as follows:
1. 1ndependence, leadership, ambition, creativity, arrogance, impatience
2. Sensitive, harmonious, peaceful, happy, dependent, manipulative
3. Friendly, hopeful, positive, vocal, shallow, extravagant
4. Trustworthy, logical, steadfast, honest, stubborn, narrow-minded
5. Fun, romantic, curious, flexible, irresponsible, flighty
6. Peaceful, family-oriented, trustworthy, compassionate, jealous, possessive
7. Quirky, psychic, introspective, spiritual, remote, disorganised
8. Successful, ambitious, practical, authority, tense, materialistic
9. Tolerant, determined, active, sympathetic, moody, impractical
67For example, if your name is John Smith, each number added together equals 44, which is then added together to form a single digit, in this case, 8. 68Therefore, Mr. Smith is expected to be an ambitious individual who likely thrives in business.
69Unlike the influence of the stars on your birth moment alone (at least in regard to your birth sign), the numbers in your life create an ongoing influence, drawing you towards whatever meaning they hold. 70This is particularly true about your name. 71And since it is the numbers themselves that create the influence, if you were to change your name, you could also change the situation within your life. 72This makes using numbers in your life very different from astrology.
73This is a brief example to give you a taste of numerology. 74Each number has a longer list of meanings and associations that go beyond the personality traits given above. 75You can find hidden information in all aspects of your life through numbers, and there are a huge number of such connections with other esoteric arts, such as Tarot, astrology, the Kabbalah, and even within many aspects of religious scripture.
Different Tools
76The central theme of this section is that we have many other tools at our disposal to consider when learning about the forces and influences that surround us. 77A little additional knowledge can make a lot of seemingly random events start to make sense when looked at holistically. 78From here, you can make more informed decisions towards creating a more satisfying life.