A BRIEF HISTORY

People have been trying to make sense out of this world we live in for quite some time. Astrology is one of the more fascinating and enduring products of this quest. It links the natural environment with our personal feelings, events in our lives, and even our good or bad luck. If you accept the premise that each of us is just part of a bigger whole, you can't help but wonder what you could do to improve your chances. Astrologers think the first step is to figure out what's going on.
Long before written records were kept, and before television or bright lights obscured the view, people used to watch the sky. Then, as now, if you spent night after night with this form of entertainment, you'd see that some of the little white dots seem to travel across a pattern that holds relatively still. The recognizable clusters of stars were given names, after deities or other images they brought to mind. They form a framework against which you can chart the movement of the planets, sun and moon. In astrological folklore the constellations, or signs, are not considered to have a direct impact on us by themselves. The characteristics of each sign are triggered by the temporary location of a more portable sphere, such as the moon, in that area of the sky.
The Greek historian Solon is said to have estimated that astronomical observations and calculations had begun nine thousand years before his time. That was about eleven thousand years ago. We don't know the evidence on which he based this information, but it correlates roughly with the time we think hunters and gatherers started forming into agrarian communities in the Tigris/Euphrates valley, in the middle east. Stone age markings on bone have been found that seem to indicate people were keeping track of lunar cycles as early as 32,000 years ago. And, if people had developed symbols to write this information down, they probably had noticed the phenomenon much earlier.
It was quite a bit later, however, somewhere around 3000 B.C., that the first known recorded calendar was devised. The Sumerians based it on another of their inventions, the 360 degree circle. They divided the year into twelve months, each with its own deity and accompanying symbol. The four main spheres of nature were heaven, air, earth and water. By "heaven" they meant the bright heavenly bodies. Those categories have been passed down through the folklore as fire, air, earth and water.
Thirty-six bright stars and constellations were initially named, as markers for plotting the movement of the sun, moon, and planets along what appeared to be their path in the sky. Twelve of those have survived as the signs of the zodiac.
The Sumerian deities, of which there were thousands, ruled every aspect of life. The were manifested through rainfall, the growth of vegetation, and the movements of the planets, the sun and the moon. Everything was considered to be related. Astrology back then included the studies of astronomy, psychology, theology, warfare, farming, and mathematics. The separation between the various disciplines is actually quite recent, stemming from around the industrial revolution, and may be only temporary.
Astrological computations and stories were passed down through the Egyptian Dynasties and the Greek and Roman empires, and modified along the way. Apparently the Egyptians took their studies seriously, and used astrological charts to help them make all their major decisions. The Greeks and Romans adopted the practice, although they seemed to hold it with a lighter hand. They also personified each planet and sign with the names of their own gods and goddesses.
Hipparchus, a Greek astrologer (190-120 B.C.), is regarded as the founder of observational astronomy. He had an observatory on the island of Rhodes, and through his work there he discovered that the constellations, thought to be fixed in the sky, actually seem to change position too.
As astronomer Percy Seymour explains in Astrology, the Evidence of Science, an even earlier Greek astrologer, Eudoxus (409-356 B.C.), had written a book called The Phaenomena, in which he described the constellations of the zodiac. As mentioned previously, the constellations are groups of stars that have been given names. They form the background, called the zodiac, to help identify the locations of the sun, moon, and planets. The constellation that is rising in the east freezes the picture for a specific moment, and that's what is drawn in an astrological chart.
Apparently Eudoxus said that the spring equinox (when night and day are of equal length, around March 21) was on the first degree of Aries. Hipparchus, however, had seen that the constellation behind the sun on the spring equinox wasn't 0 degrees Aries at all.
Percy Seymour explains that only from the equator is it possible to see all the constellations. From any other point in the northern hemisphere we can't see the ones near the south pole, and vice versa. It's difficult to see them at any rate, since climatic conditions (rain, clouds, etc.) often obscure the view. To make matters even worse, the light of the sun hides everything behind it for most of the daylight hours. Since Hipparchus's observatory on Rhodes was closer to the equator than Eudoxus had been, he had a better view. It seems, however, that he was the only one actually looking!
Seymour writes that W.D. Ovenden, then of Glasgow University, studied a poem on Eudoxus' work written by Aratus (315-250 b.c.), which is the only known record of Eudoxus' data. Ovenden estimated that the conditions described by Aratus existed in the sky around 2,000 B.C., give or take 200 years. That means that Eudoxus was not basing the placement of the constellations on his own observations, but on information that was observed about 16,000 years before he was born! Ovenden further surmised that Eudoxus was using information generated by observations that took place on the island of Minos. The Minoan culture, which was considered the first great European civilization, was destroyed by volcanic explosion about 1450 B.C!
Hipparchus had stumbled upon the phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes. The part of the sky that was behind the spring equinox had changed. Although he didn't understand why, we now know that it's because the earth wobbles on its axis. A straight line running through the middle of the earth would draw an imaginary cone in space, completing the figure in about 25,800 years.
The Sumerians (assimilated by the Babylonians around 1950 B.C.) had the ability, through mathematical computations, to predict the positions of the moon and the five closest planets, without having to actually see them. Once it had become possible to determine their positions mathematically, it seems that ancient astrologers stopped doing it the hard way. The Babylonians or Minoans may actually have been aware of the fact that the sky slowly changed behind the planets. The information does not appear to influence local predictions, but rather flavors an entire 2,000-year epoch.
When the observation that Eudoxus used was made, around 2,000 B.C., the spring equinox was at 0 degrees Aries. By the time of Hipparchus, it had apparently moved to nearer 0 degrees Pisces. Now, in 1991, it is just entering Aquarius. Each of these phases is known as a great year, or "Age," to astrologers, and is marked by the characteristics of the sign on the eastern horizon at the spring equinox, and of the sign directly across the zodiac (in opposition, or polarity).
The constellation marking each Age is supposedly indicative of thinking patterns that symbolize an entire era. The method of dubbing the spring equinox as 0 degrees Aries, however, is still used by astronomers as well as astrologers.
As mentioned before, the constellations themselves do not appear to have any impact on the individual. It is the location of the planets, sun and moon in relationship to the earth, and to each other, that is important. So, locating 0 degrees Aries at the vernal (spring) equinox works to give us a relatively stable format upon which to plot the movement of the orbs. Likewise, the summer solstice, the longest day, marks 0 degrees Cancer; the autumnal equinox is 0 degrees Libra, and the winter solstice is always at 0 degrees Capricorn.
Before going on, however, let's investigate further the events that marked the beginning of the Age of Pisces.
In the Bible, we learn the story of the three Wise Men, astrologers who predicted that a star would signal the birth of a great king. They may have been aware of the phenomenon now called the precession of the equinoxes, and that the Age of Pisces was beginning. Michelsen and Simms explain the situation, in their Search for the Christmas Star, in this way:
In both Babylonian and Jewish astrology, a conjunction of the two slowest-moving planets known at that time was associated with the passing of power from one supernatural deity to another. Pisces was the constellation of the new age, and was a sign that was also associated with the Jewish people. . . . this would have given a message to astrologers that this could be a time for the birth of the long-prophesied Messiah, and that this new "king" would be born among the Jews.
This implies the wise men, skilled astrologers, were watching for a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces. Jupiter is the sign of the great benefactor, and is associated with the birth of kings. Saturn suggests a lesson learned through difficult experience which leads to great success, and it is also the sign associated with the Jews. Pisces is the sign of the healer, of hope and of faith. The astrologers might have concluded that a child born at this time would have special powers for healing, as well as great strength for doing good in spite of severe difficulties, and would become king of the Jews.
There are several charts offered to mark Jesus' birth, each with it's own accompanying argument. Apparently there were several notable phenomenon that took place in the sky around then. That would not have been the year 0, however, or even -1. The scholar who established the year 0 A.D. apparently made an error in his calculations. The Gospel of Matthew tells of Herod's attempts to destroy the newborn Jesus by ordering the slaughter of all male infants under the age of two. Yet, Herod died at the time of a lunar eclipse in April of 4 B.C. For this, and other reasons, most scholars place the time of Christ's birth at around 7 B.C.
In that year there were three conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter, all in the constellation of Pisces. Only one, however, placed Jupiter on the eastern horizon at the moment the sun was setting in the west. Michelsen and Simms explain:
One of the principal astrological positions used by Babylonian astrologers was that of acronychal rising. When a planet was at this position, it was considered to have its maximum influence on world events.
This is the time when the planet is rising in the east just as the sun is setting in the west. "So important was this phenomenon that the acronychal risings of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were calculated for many decades into the future so that they could be used for predictions." This could also explain the term "in the east," which Matthew described as the direction in which the astrologers saw the star.
Percy Seymour concurs with this choice, and argues that it is substantiated by the work of Michel Gaugellin. Astrological tradition has it that the rising sign is actually more important than the sun sign, and that the planet closest to the eastern horizon rules, or dominates, the chart. Gaugellin found that great politicians, statesmen, and leaders, had a greater-than-average incidence of Jupiter rising. Seymour also points out that this configuration would place Jupiter, Saturn, the Earth and the Sun in a straight line, which he feels could "cause an increase in solar activity, which in turn would have amplified the direct tidal influence of Jupiter on the magnetic field of Earth."
Interestingly enough, this configuration happened not in December, but on September 15th! The date of December 25th was chosen to mark Christ's birth, and was actually an ancient celebration of the passage of winter. The shortest day of the year is on the 21st of December, and by the 25th the days are becoming noticeably longer, assuring that spring will, indeed, come again.
If Christ was actually born in September, His Sun was in Virgo. In the old way of speaking, astrologically, he would be said to have therefore been born of the Virgin. He is, however, considered to be the perfect man for the age of Pisces! He was born just about the time that constellation was becoming visible at the vernal equinox, marking the beginning of that Age.
Although it is the sign of the hero, Aries is also a very competitive and self-centered. Pisces is much more apt to consider another person's feelings. Pisces will give away whatever they have: valuables, time, even an advantage, so that someone else can benefit from it. They will be absolutely rigid, however, about what they consider to be morally and spiritually right. Although we may not have learned these lessons, it's possible that they were the ones the Age of Pisces was supposed to have taught us.
The Wise Men seem to have known about something that was going on in the sky, that they considered important enough to motivate a journey of hundreds of miles. Their destination was the town of Bethlehem, which was not much more than an insignificant dot on the landscape. Seymour argues that it was their belief in Jesus's special status that first made Mary aware of His destiny. Whether she already knew or not, their visit would have validated her faith in Him, and even confirmed, through her, Jesus's own sense of who He was.
It may also be possible that Jesus believed His suffering and death would free people from then on, from the fear of dying. His can be seen as a symbolic sacrifice to end all sacrifices, because from then on any person who believed in Him would have eternal life. If so, His act of heroism is particularly appropriate to mark the transition between the Age of Aries and the Age of Pisces.
The Magi are acknowledged to this day by the Roman Catholic church as being the first gentiles to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the King and Savior. Early Christians had mixed feelings about astrology, though. Some felt it was useful, others thought it was at best a fraud and at worst the work of evil spirits.
It survived Europe's Dark Ages, as did many other forms of science and philosophy, through the work of Arabian scholars. Albumasur (805-885) wrote Introductorium in Astronomiam, wherein he claimed that "only by observing the great diversity of planetary motions can we comprehend the unnumbered varieties of change in this world." His book found its way to Europe and the beginning of the Middle Ages, and helped ignite a new interest in both astrology and astronomy.
St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-74), perhaps the greatest of all Christian theologians, also commented on the profession. He advised that, so long as it did not include necromancy, astrology was worthy of intellectual study. He said that it could, moreover, be seen as complementing the recognized Church doctrine, particularly in its view of the universe.
Necromancy, the act of calling up the spirits of dead people to predict the future or exert an influence in the lives of living people, is not a regular part of the astrologer's skills, although some have undoubtedly used it. Witchcraft, talking with spirits, alchemy and extra-sensory perceptions are all completely different studies, and are not included in the astrologer's standard training. Astrology is only the study of the movements of the planets, sun and moon, and the computations and stories that accompany each orb and sign, in an attempt to discover a predictable influence on earth-bound beings and events. Asking the dead to help is cheating.
St. Thomas Aquinas's approval did help again establish astrology as a respected branch of learning, and major British and European universities included it in their curriculum. It was again considered a honorable profession, and practitioners served as advisors to religious as well as secular leaders. Many of the latter were students of the art themselves. For example, it's rumored that Pope Sixtus IV (1414-84) was able to draw up and interpret horoscopes on his own.
Until about the late 16th Century, it was quite common for educated people to compile and use astrological charts to plan their daily activities, and to give themselves an advantage in their business and romantic dealings. Chaucer (1340-1400) made many references to astrologers. In his Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath said, "Myn ascendant was Taur, and Mars therinne. Allas, allas, that ever love was sinne!" This is a reference to the lusty proclivity of Taurus, the most sensual of all the signs. Mars signifies aggression, which means this woman took it upon herself to provide for her basic needs, and did heartily enjoy the task!
Moving right along, we come to Nicolai Copernicus (1473-1543) a Slav born in Polish Prussia. He greatly increased the accuracy of charts by providing better computations, and formulating tables to help locate the positions of the planets, sun and moon. He apparently suspected that the sun was holding still and the planets were moving around it. He is known to have studied the work of Pythagoras (569-470 B.C.) to whom he attributed the theory. Neither men were able to prove it, though.
Returning to the arts, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) used astrological jargon and concepts throughout his plays. His references would have been easily understood by his audiences, who were generally familiar with all the signs and their characteristics. He didn't seem to take the subject very seriously, for the most part, although the characters in his plays who are the most critical of astrology are the villains. In King Lear, he has the bastard Edmund go into quite a tirade on the matter.
This is the excellent foppery of the world, that when we are sick in fortune--often the surfeits of our own behavior--we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars, as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves and treachers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars and adulterers by an enforc'd obedience of planetary influence, and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. An admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition on the charge of a star! My father compounded with my mother under the Dragon's tail, and my nativity was under Ursa Major, so that it follows I am rough and lecherous. Tut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenl'est star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing.
Perhaps unknowingly, Edmund is also providing an excellent example of the concept of free will. And, he is right! To blame the planets for our misfortunes is missing the point. Astrology is better used to locate problem areas and to assist in overcoming them, just like any good therapy. It doesn't make any more sense to blame the stars than it does to blame one's ethnic heritage, or one's height above the planet in stocking feet. Although all may be factors the individual has to deal with, the choices are still made by each person, who is the unique sum total of all the parts.
A contemporary of Shakespeare's, Lord John Napier (1550-1617), was a renowned mathematician as well as an astrologer. He devised the table of logarithms to make it easier to figure out how far a planet travels in a specific length of time, and astrologers as well as other scientists have been greatly in his debt ever since. His tables are used to this day to manually calculate a chart.
Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), a Dane, was the most distinguished and accurate star-gazer since Hipparchus, 1,700 years earlier. Through the patronage of King Frederic, he was able to set up a laboratory and devote his full time to the study. He believed "no theories ought to be indulged in until preparations had been made by the accumulation of accurate observations." To further that end he designed new instruments, made exhaustive calculations, and prepared the most accurate tables to that date. He was even able to correct the work of Copernicus. He also produced astrological charts, and advised the king with their assistance.
Johann Kepler (1571-1630) was Brahe's student, and furthered his work considerably. From the information Brahe had accumulated, Kepler was able to disprove Plato's idea of uniform circular motions of the planets, which had been the standard assumption for hundreds of years. He determined that the planets have an elliptical, not circular, motion, and that they revolve around the sun.
This was shattering news to the astrological community, as well as the religious establishment of the day. Not only did it threaten to disrupt the way charts had been drawn for centuries, but it seemed to imply that we were not at the center of God's plan. It did not, however, make the interpretation of charts any less (or more) reliable. Actually, a chart is still drawn with the earth in the center, just as it has been from the beginning. (The earth is represented by the point in the middle where all the lines intersect.) It's valid, because astrologers are concerned with the positions of the planets in relationship to life here on earth. If we were drawing a chart for somebody born on Mars, then Mars would be in the middle and Earth's position would be charted into one of the houses.
Back to Kepler, he apparently did believe astrology had merit, and that we might be affected by what goes on in outer space. He said, "Man is made from the elements, and absorbs them as much as food or drink, from which it follows that man must also, like the elements, be subject to the influence of the planets." He also felt that man was not bound by this relationship, but that God had given him the aptitude to be able to conquer the extra-terrestrial influences.
Though he was appointed Imperial Astronomer, that job was no longer as profitable as it had been for his predecessor. In fact, he seems to have been compelled to make his living by casting and reading horoscopes, a time-consuming practice that can require extensive interaction with the client. He would apparently rather have been doing research full time, since he complained, "for a hundred years past, this wise mother (astronomy) could not have lived without the help of her foolish daughter (astrology)."
Galileo Galilei, an Italian contemporary of Kepler's (1564-1642) was also an astrologer. In 1609 he developed one of the first telescopes ever used, and with it discovered spots on the Sun, hills and valleys on the Moon, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn's rings. He was interrogated and placed under house arrest by the Inquisition for his support of Kepler's theory that the earth revolved around the sun, but not for his astrological studies.
In 1687, Isaac Newton published the Principia Mathematica. In it, he verified the "law of universal gravitation:
Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force varying inversely as the square of the distance between them and directly as the product of the masses of the two particles.
This discovery enabled him to explain the flattening of the Earth's poles and the tilt of the Earth, and hence the cause of the procession of equinoxes observed by Hipparchus centuries earlier. It also was further proof of an interrelationship between all things in the universe.
The new "Rationalist" movement, however, was in the process of distancing scientific thought from all religious and intuitive cognizance, and the rift has been significant. Astrology suffered a decline in esteem that endured until at least the mid-nineteenth century. Only recently is there an indication that the study may regain its respectability. Although that lofty state has not been firmly achieved yet, in spite of the help of Nancy Reagan, astrologers predict that it will come soon.
In February of 1962 there was a massive collection of planets in the sign of Aquarius, known to be the free-thinker and problem-solver. This may have marked the beginning of the transition into the Age of Aquarius. Although, at that time, the sun at the vernal equinox would still have had the constellation Pisces in the background, by 1988 the sun would have been seen against the constellation of Aquarius on 21 March. Therefore, the Age of Aquarius has only just begun.
If the predictions hold true, the next two thousand years will be a period when astrology, as well as other studies curiously lumped together as "occult," will again receive serious consideration and respect. One day it may even seem ridiculous that people have been willing to discard such ancient and vast bodies of knowledge as impossible, just because they were temporarily (or permanently) unexplainable through what are considered normal scientific measurements. The paranormal will become a respected area of study, and increasingly utilized source of information.
British astronomer Percy Seymour has recently come up with a theory that might help bridge the gap. He is looking for scientific reasons for astrological phenomenon, and using astrological principles to predict scientifically ascertainable events! He is also running into opposition from the scientific community that he said is reminiscent of the bigotry he experienced as a mulatto child growing up in South Africa. Some of his colleagues are apparently disregarding his theory before they have even read it, in their "knee-jerk" condemnation of his entire area of study.
Luckily for Seymour, and for all of us, he is already well established as an astronomer. He is a Fellow if the Royal Astronomical Society, and principal lecturer in astronomy at the Plymouth Polytechnic Institute in southwest England, and also Director of the college's William Day Planetarium. As a graduate student, he helped establish the existence of magnetic fields in the Milky Way. His book Adventures with Astronomy teaches children how to make telescopes, and his text Cosmic Magnetism has been called a valiant attempt to explain magnetism to the layman.
His most recent book, however, Astrology: The Evidence of Science, is the one causing all the controversy. Seymour's theory is that astrology may be explained by the magnetic activity of the sun, and magnetic fields in space, in relationship to the motion of the planets. He suggests that such forces could be transmitted to the earth via solar winds. He asserts that the sun is literally boiling with magnetism, producing sun spots and solar flares that influence all kinds of things on earth, from the activities of bacteria to the migration of birds.
Seymour also says that the planets pull and tug at the magnetic fields around earth, especially as they fall into patterns, clump together, or square off in opposition. He suggests that these patterns might even be responsible for the reversal of the sun's magnetic field, which happens roughly every eleven years, and is marked by the beginning of a new sunspot cycle.
This suggests a correlation between changes in the magnetic field of the sun and the angles astrologers find significant, i.e. oppositions (180 degrees), squares (90 degrees) and conjunctions (0 degrees). Seymour theorizes that he may be able to predict the next period of peak solar magnetic activity (the sunspot maximum), by using the predictable positions of the planets as a guide. Since no one has been able to do this yet, if he can, he will greatly assist in re-integrating astrology with astronomy.
That would certainly be helpful, all things considered. The sciences and the intuitional and psychological studies need to work together, not fight. In astrological folklore, if you can learn from the person who annoys you the most, you will begin to access your own greatest potential. The main problem with those who would debunk astrology is that they close down the learning process. That's even more tragic when they are the very ones who could help the most. We need more scientists, not fewer, working on this project!
We may be at the point when we need to either evolve further, as a human race, or become extinct. In that case, we need to develop all our resources. Rather than negating this ancient study out-of-hand, it seems much more intelligent to try and figure out why it works. Or, if that's too hard, at least to be open-minded enough to consider the possibility that it does. It's just possible that there's more going on in the universe than we fully comprehend, yet. Which brings us right back to the questions in the minds of the people who began this study, thousands of years ago.

COMPILING A CHART
If you were out in a boat at sea and wanted to find your location, you'd look through a sextant until you found a star you could identify. Through another part of the instrument, you'd locate the horizon (where the sea meets the sky). A sextant is made so that you can determine the angle between the horizon, the star, and the point where you're standing. By doing this with two different stars, you get two different angles. Then, by looking up the positions of the stars for that time in books called ephemerides, and doing a few mathematical computations, you can determine where you are at an exact moment.
An astrologer does the same thing, only backwards. We first find the exact time and place of birth, and then we look in books that give us the planets' positions, do a little math, and figure out where things were in the sky at that time. Initially, astrologers had to physically see where the planets were located in order to draw up a chart, although they've used mathematically compiled tables of locations for quite some time. Now, however, computers do the work with less error, in just a matter of minutes!
The circle of the zodiac, or astrological chart, represents the heavens, with the earth being the spot in the middle. The point due west (at the left) is actually the sign on the eastern horizon. To understand, you have to imagine you're standing on the earth--the dot where all the lines intersect.
The Ascendant is at least as important as the positions of the Sun and Moon in reading a chart. It also determines where to place the other lines that cut the circle into twelve pie-pieces. These are the "houses," each with a sign on the cusp (dividing line).
Each "house" represents a certain area of life. Although each is actually much more complex, they basically break down as follows:
1: ego, self-analysis
2: money and land
3: education and siblings
4: home and family
5: love affairs and adolescents
6: service to others
7: partnerships and beauty
8: life, death, secrets, and other people's money
9: travel, philosophy and publications
10: career, area of greatest success
11: friends and creative solutions
12: spirituality, faith, and institutions
Each house (pie-piece) is ruled (dominated) by the sign on its left edge. That means, for example, if you have Scorpio on the cusp of the second house, you'll probably gain through inheritance, or have some other secret (and plentiful) source of income.
Sometimes the same sign rules two houses and another sign doesn't get an edge at all. (This happens more often the farther north or south you get on the globe.) The sign ruling each house also influences the planets that are in that house. Each planet has its own characteristics, which are modified by the sign it's in, the house it's in, and its mathematical relationship to the other planets. So, if Mars is in Scorpio in your second house, with Scorpio on the cusp, and it's squared to Jupiter in Leo, you'll have a strong urge to grab other people's money, but it will be blocked by your own sense of decency and fair play. Or, you'll find a game to play that allows you to win other people's money in an honorable, although private, manner. (Mars = aggression; Jupiter = luck; Leo = fair play; Scorpio = other people's money and secrets; squared = block, or lesson to be learned).
The aspects, or the angles between the different planets, are very important. A difference of 30o is supposed to be mildly beneficial, 60o is very beneficial, 45o is upsetting and 90o is a difficulty or barrier. Planets at 180o are opposed, and can actually be attractive to each other.
The three equally dominant parts of any chart are the positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the Ascendant, and the signs that are on their cusps. People who were born when the Sun was within 5o of the next sign should consider both, with the coming one slightly stronger. When the Sun is divided this way, the influence of the Moon and Ascendant signs are considered to be even more important. The sign at the top of the chart, the Midheaven (Medium Coeli), is considered by some to be very important too. That area of the chart is supposed to indicate the individual's career and greatest success.
The ascending sign changes completely every two hours. The Moon takes two to three days to get through a sign, and the Sun stays in one for almost a month. You can see why it's so important to know the exact time of birth, because the Ascendant changes 1o every 4 minutes, and its position also determines the positions of the Houses all the way around the chart. Charts figured for a.m. and p.m. on the same day and in the same location, for example, are completely different.
Since all the planets are continually moving, and at different rates, the same configurations can't repeat for at least 26,000 years. You can have an astral twin though, somebody who has the same chart you do. That's even more uncommon than having a fraternal twin (who, incidentally, aren't always astral twins).
As you can see, the time is very important when setting up a chart. Things can change considerably in only a few minutes; quite often they will in an hour or two. If you have your chart done and find that it doesn't sound like you, check the time of birth first. Then check the exact latitude and longitude. The reading of your accurate natal chart will leave you feeling that somehow, you have been described almost uncomfortably precisely.

PREDICTIONS
To do predictions, the astrologer compares where the planets are now to the natal chart, or where they were when the subject was born. A "progression" of the natal chart is also used, with each day in the ephemeris equating to a year in the person's life. So, if you're thirty years old, your progressed chart is for thirty days from your actual birth. This implies that the person goes through phases in life. If the sun has progressed from Aries into Taurus, for example, the person will be much less spontaneous, and more interested in financial security, than when he or she was younger.
The position of each of the planets and the moon is also progressed. For example, the moon changes signs through this method approximately every two to three years. Since the moon sign is an indicator of love and romance, this would suggest that people have a tendency to change their romantic preferences every couple of years. Consequently, a stable relationship has to be based on something more than whether a couple agrees on everything, or even whether they like each other at all. Both those conditions would be in a constant state of flux, even if the two people were born with the moon in the same sign.
Then the natal chart, and the progressed chart, are compared to a chart of where everything is today, or for the date in question. As you can see, this can get very complicated. For example, if you want to know when to make an investment, you should compare your natal chart, your progressed chart, and the chart of the time of incorporation of the business in which you want to invest, plus it's progressed chart! Then you'd look for a day in the future when strong growth was indicated, such as one with the moon in Scorpio. You'd have to compare everything else on that day to all the other charts, though, in order to make sure you weren't going to be lucky in one area and unlucky in another. You don't want to pick a date when the business does fine, by growing strongly with your money, but leaves you behind in the dust!
So you can see, this is a complicated game. When Jupiter, in the sky now, transits your natal Jupiter, for example, you'll be lucky. Money will come your way. That would be a good time to buy a lottery ticket. And when Saturn transits your natal Saturn (called your Saturn return), you get a test. That's when you find out how well you've learned the lessons life has dished out to you up to that point. If you've been an open-minded and diligent scholar, and have learned from your mistakes, your Saturn return marks the beginning of your period of greatest success. If you've continually avoided facing up to your problems, however, you're in for a very rough time. You may have the feeling you're repeating the same painful thing that happened before. In astrology, like with karma, whatever lessons you don't complete the first time will come back, again and again, until they're mastered, no matter how long it takes. So, you still can't escape personal responsibility, or having to use your own good judgment!

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SIGNS
Each sign is subdivided into categories: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, and sub-categories: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable, in twelve distinct combinations.
The Fire signs, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, are usually out in front. They're aggressive, outspoken, enthusiastic and good natured. They talk like they're successful, whether or not they actually are, and motivate themselves and others.
The Earth signs, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, are practical, realistic, thrifty, and often end up rather affluent. These are the people who get things done, even if they have to do it four or five times the hard way first.
The Air signs, Aquarius, Libra and Gemini, like to look at things from all possible angles, argue about it, write it all down, and then change their minds. They are the poets, the intellectuals, and the gadflies.
The Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, are emotional, moody, secretive and cuddly. They act more from intuition than logic, and are very sensitive to the care and feeding of plants, small animals, and little children.
Cardinal signs, Cancer, Capricorn, Libra and Aries, are spontaneous. They act quickly, without thinking first, which gets them out of almost as much trouble as it gets them into. They can usually be found right in the middle of the excitement, because they started it.
Fixed signs, Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius, are premeditative. They think things over carefully and don't like sudden changes. They wait for what they want, work for it, and are not surprised when they get it.
Mutable signs, Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo and Gemini, are malleable. They don't like to make commitments, preferring to be free to change their minds, and their addresses, without notice. They are very aware of other people's feelings, opinions and demands; sometimes providing for them and sometimes rebelling.
The Air signs are considered to be compatible with one another and with the Fire signs; the Earth go with the Water. Since everybody has so many different signs, it would be foolish to decide whether you like another person or not, based on the relationship between your Sun sign and theirs. Having your Moons in the same sign, for example, indicates a willingness to share your private lives with each other, and may suggest romantic involvement.
So, each person is a unique combination of complimentary and contradictory personality characteristics, some that get along together and some that don't. By studying astrology, you can hopefully learn to understand yourself a little better, and learn to understand other people in the process.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANETS
In astrology, an individual is not a "blank slate," to be molded into a person by his environment and heredity. He comes to the game as an identifiable combination of definite characteristics, strengths, preferences and sensitivities. Just as the environment is influential on him, he (or she) strongly influences his or her surroundings, from the very beginning.
The sign on the Ascendant, or eastern horizon, shows how you relate to strangers and gives you a tendency toward certain physical characteristics. Your moon sign is your quiet, personal, intimate side. Lovers who share moon signs have a compatibility that can't be fully understood by outsiders, and might not show on the surface at all.
The location of the sun shows the strength of the character, and permeates the chart. It might not dominate the individual, though. It's quite possible that other signs will more aggressive. The moon and ascendant might both be in the same sign, and exert a stronger combined influence on the personality. Or, you might have a large clump of planets in one sign, overwhelming everything else.
The sign at the top of the chart indicates the career path that will bring out the individual's talents best, and enhance the ability to achieve their own particular kind of greatness. It is in this area of the chart that French statistician Gaugelin has made some fascinating discoveries. His research seems to show, for one example, that great athletes have Mars at the top of their charts, in either the ninth or tenth houses. His work is generating a great deal of controversy and study in both scientific and astrological communities. Some astrologers have attempted to duplicate his research and come up with findings that were inconclusive, while others have been able to support his theories with their data.
The folklore is, however, that the sign where Mars was at birth shows how the person handles aggression. If it's in Aries, the character is spontaneous, outspoken, and charges gleefully into combat. If it's in Libra, the person is a lover, not a fighter, and gets control over situations in a very different manner.
The location of Venus in a chart tells about your romantic side, and your sensitivities (or lack of them). A person with Venus in Pisces will crumple at a snide remark. He will have a hard time getting along with a person who has Mars in Gemini, and who uses her wit like a rapier. On the other hand, if those two could manage to learn from each other, each would become a more (or less) sensitive person, and could profit by the relationship. Mercury represents the mind, and its sign will help explain where your thoughts wander, as well as your ability to express yourself. Jupiter signals strength, good luck, and abundance. Saturn is the stern teacher. It's location pinpoints a problem area, and the source of your greatest success.
Uranus is a wild card--sometimes bringing excitement, sometimes chaos--but always a change and always interesting! The location of Neptune shows how you deal with the invisible and hidden things in life--like religious, philosophy, and your own hopes and dreams.
Pluto is an explosion! It stands for completion and new beginning--the end of one thing and the birth of something new. Its position in your chart is shared by your entire generation, and shows how you'll wage war, make peace, and change the world.
Can the positions of the planets at your birth really tell about things as far-flung as the way you'll make love, or your fortune, or your biggest mistakes? People for hundreds and thousands of years have kicked that question around. Welcome to the game!

NEWSPAPER SUN-SIGN ASTROLOGY
As you have now learned, every person has a complicated assortment of signs, whose significance is affected by their location and their relationships to everything else in the chart. Every little thing has it's own story, and it's the combination of all these individual stories that makes up the astrological reading.
That's why newspaper sun-sign columns can never be more than partially accurate. To get the most out of them, you need to know at least the locations of your sun, moon, and ascendant. Read those and take an average, to assess your prospects for that day. Actually, your own feelings are your best indicators. You can tell if the writer is any good or not, by the correlation between the advice and your own attitude!
Incidentally, many astrological writers may not be astrologers at all. Editors sometimes assign the column to people who don't know the first thing about the subject, or even hold it in very high regard. So, if your newspaper's column isn't making sense, maybe it's because the person who's writing it doesn't have the faintest idea what he or she is talking about.
In order to really prepare a daily prediction, a horoscope has to be computed for each day and location. All the planets and their relationships must be considered, along with their relationships to each of the sun signs. Even then, you will only wind up with a generalized overview of that day. To find out how an individual will react to the celestial influences, the astrologer really needs to compare the complete natal chart of the person to the chart for the day and location in question. That's the only way to assess the conditions on the individual's moon sign, ascendant, and all the other planets.
To make things even more complicated, the person isn't considered to be astrologically the same as they were at birth. Astrologers progress the natal chart, through a series of mathematical computations, to the present day. That's how they come up with the idea that although a person was born with the sun in Libra, by the time she's middle-aged it has progressed into Scorpio or even Sagittarius. When you include the progressions, you should get astrological verification of what you already knew--that the very thing that sent you into a rage ten years ago might be passed off lightly today. A person's life goes through phases, and those can be charted too.
Coming up with a prediction is a time-consuming process, so it's no wonder journalists have been known to skip it and simply make something up. That's really cheating, though, and could even be considered fraud. There's no point in playing the game at all if you're not going to play by the rules. Besides, you also cheat the reader or listener out of the value to be gained through this fascinating study!
So, when you read sun-sign predictions, understand that they are only going to give you a general idea of how the day will be, for one narrow part of your personality.

FILLERS OR SIDEBARS:
PTOLEMY
About two hundred years after the death of Hipparchus, and at least a hundred years after the birth of Christ, Claudius Ptolemy, an astrologer from Alexandria (AD 120-180), catalogued 300 new stars and explained the refraction of light. He wrote that he was sure the positions of the planets affected the weather, "and other earthly things." In his Tetrabiblos, he recorded a wealth of astrological information, including an explanation of how to compute a chart. He wrote down the characteristics of each planet, house and sign, probably reporting on well-established myths. His descriptions of the attributes of the signs, houses, and planets, have been essentially maintained to this day. That is especially interesting because astrologers do not necessarily study Ptolomy. Many of them study the people around them first, and use text books only as a reference to support what they learn through observation. In order for the myth to survive that a person with the sun in Leo is confident and playful, for example, people must have re-discover those characteristics in their Leonine friends throughout the ages.
CARDINAL, FIXED, AND MUTABLE
Cardinal signs are spontaneous (Cancer, Aries, Libra and Capricorn). Fixed signs are deliberative (Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio). And Mutable signs will go either way, depending on the circumstances (Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo and Gemini).

MAYAN ASTROLOGY
In pre-Columbian America, the Mayans also developed a circular calendar, and divided the year into 365 days. They cast horoscopes too, which were used not only for making bureaucratic decisions, but also to determine an individual's life path. When a baby was five days old, his or her horoscope was cast to determine his future. The child would be classified as a soldier, priest, civil servant or sacrificial victim. Since a chart can't really tell if somebody should live or die, it can only be supposed that everyone not suited for one of the three former occupations was honored with the latter. Although charts are still used to help make career choices, they are thankfully not usually life-threatening!
ARISTOTLE
The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was also an astrologer, who believed that the motions of the planets affected life on earth. His view of the Universe, with the earth in the center and everything revolving around it, was considered to be scientific truth for almost 2,000 years.
EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES
The equinoxes are the days when dark and light are of equal length, and the solstices are the longest day of the year and the longest night). The vernal equinox marks the beginning of Aries, the summer solstice is 0 degrees of Cancer, the autumnal equinox begins Libra and the winter equinox marks 0 degrees of Capricorn. These signposts are used by astronomers as well as astrologers.

SAMPLE NATAL CHART
In this example, the locations of the planets, sun and moon, have been put into the chart for a specific time and location. As you can see, 10 degrees of Aries is on the left side, in the space that marks the Ascendant. Reading counterclockwise from that point, you can see that the Moon is also in Aries. This suggests a very strong ego, a very independent character, and possibly even a hot temper.
Taurus is on the cusp of the second house, which implies a financially secure basis. However, Uranus is in this part of the chart, in Gemini. Uranus is unpredictable, and Gemini is very imaginative. This character will achieve financial security through some unusual means, possibly having to do with writing. (Gemini is the sign of communication.)
The third is the house of education. Mars and Saturn are both here, and both indicate difficulties. This would lead us to believe that the person is wildly independent (Mars) concerning what she will learn (third house = education). It also looks like she only trusts experience (Saturn), and will probably continuing her education into old age (also Saturn).
Although Mars and Saturn are both indicators of bad luck, this person is saved by their relationships with other planets in the chart. Mars, at 21 degrees of Gemini, is trine the Sun at 20 degrees of Libra, which is very good luck. This gives the person confidence, especially in an argument. They are both also beneficially aspected to Jupiter, in 22 degrees of Leo, which means she usually wins (Jupiter = good luck), and if she doesn't, she loses graciously.
The fourth is the house of home and family. Although Cancer is on this cusp, there is no activity within the house. This indicates a nurturing capability, but an absence of children in the home.
The fifth house also has Cancer on the cusp (this chart is for a high latitude, which caused this irregularity). This house is packed, but with Leo! Jupiter in Leo means luck in love, and self-confidence. The Moon's North Node in Leo is an indicator of the direction this life is taking spiritually, and in this case it's toward leadership. Pluto is completion and new beginning, and its position here indicates a creative personality. Since Cancer, the Mother, is on the cusp of this house, the fifth, of love affairs and children, the individual will be lucky in her relationship with her children and with her mate.
Leo is on the sixth house cusp. This is the house of service, and Leo here suggests a strong need to be directive at work. Venus (love) in Virgo (the virgin) suggests that this person has a shy side. However, Virgo is a quick learner, and eager to please. This will be especially noticeable in a work setting. Neptune and Mercury are both in Libra in this house, indicating an ability to understand philosophical concepts and communicate them well. This is a good example of a conjunction. As you can see, Mercury and Neptune are only 0 degrees 10 minutes apart. They are also only 2 degrees into Libra from Virgo, which means they're on the Libra/Virgo cusp. Although the range varies depending on the sign, 2 degrees is close enough. This means they must be considered as having a combination of both signs.
Another interesting thing in this house is the location of Venus in Virgo. It's about 90 degrees from Uranus in Gemini, making a square aspect. That means that this person's imagination can be blocked by her compulsion to do what she feels will please others. This problem will be overcome once she get good enough at her craft.
Libra is on the cusp of the seventh house, that of partnerships. The Sun is in this house, as well as the Part of Fortune. That means this person should have good luck in her relationships. In this case, however, the Ascendant and Moon in Aries are directly opposed to the Sun in Libra. So, this person has an inner conflict. On the one hand the relationship is very important, but on the other the individual will not give up her personal freedom to it. This suggests that a very unique solution must be found. In order for there to be a stable partnership, it will have to include a great deal of autonomy.
Scorpio is on the cusp of the eighth house, that of life, death, and other people's money. Although this person may inherit, it does not appear that would be disruptive. More likely whatever is offered will be accepted, practically unnoticed.
Sagittarius is on the ninth house, that of travel and publication. This placement implies that these areas of life will also be effortless, and fortunate.
Capricorn, however, is on the tenth house. Since this is the position known as the Medium Coeli, it has extra significance. Capricorn here means the individual will have to learn through experience, and will become gradually more and more successful as she grows older.
Capricorn is also on the eleventh house, and indicates that this person's career will involve her friends! They may be far-flung, but once established these relationships will be very stable, and an on-going source of mutual benefit.
Aquarius on the twelfth house, with Pisces intercepted within, gives this person an analytical nature regarding religious and other occult phenomenon. This does not mean, however, that she is not a believer! Pisces in this house indicates that she is perfectly willing to take things on faith, if they can't be explained any other way. She also may rely heavily on day-to-day miracles!

ILLUSTRATIONS
A. BASIC ZODIAC
This diagram shows the houses, Medium Coeli, and Ascendant. The Ascendant is marked by the heart-shaped wedge pointing to the left. This is the sign that is on the eastern horizon, for the moment the chart catches. It is determined by the time and location being charted.
The top of the chart, the Medium Coeli, or Midheaven, is the point directly overhead. This defines the separation between the ninth and tenth houses, both indicators of success. The ninth implies it'll come through good luck; and the tenth usually means it's going to take some hard work.
On this illustration the pie-pieces, called the houses, are numbered. The sequence goes from left to right, counter-clockwise.
The cusps are the divisions between houses. These are established by the latitude and longitude, as well as the exact time being charted. Signs are given to each cusp, just as they are to the first cusp, the Ascendant.
The Earth is located in the center, where all the lines intersect.
B. EARTH'S 23 DEGREE TILT
Original drawing by the author, inspired by an illustration on Parker's p. 66.

C. THE EQUINOXES
Original drawing by the author, inspired by an illustration on Parker's p. 66.
D. 15 SEPTEMBER, 7 B.C.
Possible chart for Jesus Christ. Original drawing by L.C. Black, from information published in Michelson & Simms.
E. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (c. 1225-74)
Drawing by the author inspired by illustration in Parker, p. 25. Appears to be a medieval woodcut, exact date unknown.
F. POPE SIXTUS IV (1414-84)
Drawing by the author of portrait by Titan shown in Parker, p. 24.
G. SHEPHERD TELLING TIME AT NIGHT
Original drawing by L.C. Black of a 15th century woodcut of a shepherd using a rope plumb-line to tell time by the position of a star. Inspired by an illustration in Parker, p. 24.
H. THE WIFE OF BATH
Drawing by the author of a character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Inspired by illustration in Parker, p. 25. Chaucer's dates are though to be 1340-1400; exact date of Canterbury Tales is unknown.
I. KNOWN TO UNKNOWN
Drawing by the author of medieval woodcut found in Parker, p. 25. Specific date of woodcut unknown, too. It symbolizes man's search for understanding outside the realm of the known world. I think this would make a lovely cover or title picture.
J. THE UNIVERSE, AS ARISTOTLE IMAGINED IT
Linda C. Black's original drawing of the Universe, the way Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) thought it looked. This was considered the scientific and religious truth from his time to Kepler's (1571-1630 A.D.). Inspired by an illustration in Seymour's Astrology, the Evidence of Science, p. 66.
K. MORE LIKE THE WAY IT REALLY IS
Another original drawing by the author, inspired by an illustration in Percy Seymour's book cited above, on p. 21. Not to scale.
L. SAMPLE PROGRESSED CHART
Inner circle: Natal Chart.
Second circle: Natal House Cusps.
Third circle: Progressed Natal Chart to Noon, 10-1-91
Fourth circle: Chart for Noon, 10-1-91
Drawn by Linda C. Black. Subject has granted permission to publish.
M. CARDINAL, FIXED AND MUTABLE
Original drawing by Linda C. Black, describing the various qualities of the signs and their natural positions around the chart.
N. SAMPLE NATAL CHART
Original drawing by the author. Subject has granted permission to publish.

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Shakespeare, William (March, 1603). "King Lear," in The Riverside
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