Astrology rests on the idea that the Sun’s influence is a decisive factor in each of our lives. Horoscopes are cast according to a person’s date of birth and depend on the Sun’s entry into one of the twelve divisions of the zodiac.
You don’t have to be an astrologer to benefit from this ancient art. Astrology is, in its own way, a meeting point of science and spirituality.
Long ago, astrology dealt mainly with matters of survival. Today it is a genuinely useful tool for personal growth and for finding a sense of fulfilment.
Some laypeople lump every kind of occult practice together with astrology, assuming that anyone who dabbles in the occult automatically becomes an astrologer. The truth is quite different. Astrology is probably the most specialised and technical branch of the esoteric arts, calling for mathematical aptitude and precise, deductive reasoning.
Many gifted scholars working in other areas of parapsychology have concluded that they could never be astrologers. Conversely, many astrologers have no interest in other kinds of hidden knowledge.
Today astrology is a discipline in its own right.
The origins of astrology have never been pinned down precisely. Most historians agree that it arose in Mesopotamia, in the lands of the Babylonian empire, some 6,000 years ago. By 3000 BC, Babylonian priest-astrologers were already drawing up horoscopes. They built them according to a complex zodiacal and planetary system that still forms the basis of an astrologer’s work today. The priests spent centuries discovering and establishing connections between planetary configurations and the corresponding events in the life of their communities. Using statistics, they identified the patterns that most often linked the movements of the heavenly bodies with the directions in which the lives of individuals and societies unfolded.
Jewish tribes later carried this knowledge to Egypt, where the Egyptians continued to develop it. The Greeks also contributed to the growth of astrology, followed by the Romans, who, as they conquered Europe, probably planted this branch of knowledge there along the way.
In Europe, astrology survived even the difficult Middle Ages, when any knowledge that did not agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church was destroyed.
The pagans of northern Europe built astronomical observatories. One such observatory was Stonehenge, raised around 5,600 years ago, probably at about the same time as the Babylonians were at work.
In South America, too, a sophisticated astrological system was in use, as the conquistadors recorded before they brought about the destruction of the Aztec, Inca and Maya cultures.
In the Far East, chiefly in China and India, astrology has flourished undisturbed for thousands of years.
A great deal of misunderstanding and many false judgements have grown up around astrology. Of all the branches of hidden knowledge, astrology deserves to be called a science, and for a time it was indeed recognised as one and taught at many universities.
The basic system of measurement – the astrological chart, or horoscope – is essentially the same the world over. It is drawn up from standardised astronomical data taken from tables that give the exact positions of the planets at midnight each day in Greenwich, England.
Once a horoscope has been calculated correctly, the most important question is interpretation. With the basic information in hand, a sensitive, thoughtful astrologer can give the interpretative side of the work a deeply philosophical direction.
An astrological prediction differs from the predictions of people with psychic gifts. Too many astrologers let their imagination run wild, rendering a person’s horoscope worthless.
Astrology can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, your potential and the obstacles that will stand in your way. It can warn you of events you had no idea were coming. Forewarned in good time, you can treat such warnings as useful guidance and escape a strange twist of fate not only unscathed but in better shape, ready to make the most of the positive side of the prediction.
The zodiac signs and their characteristics have relatively little to do with astrology proper. They are general descriptions of human character types. Sun signs are the most simplified area of astrology. Knowledge of them is the most widespread, yet they are merely a starting point. The twelve signs of the zodiac make up the astrological year.
Your zodiac sign symbolises the position of the Sun at the moment you were born. Each sign is credited with certain characteristic traits, which may or may not apply to you. Your character and personality are illustrated in far more detail by the positions of all the planets, not just the Sun – and by the aspects, that is, the angles the planets form with one another.
The birth chart, on the other hand, is the hallmark of precise astrology. It is a personal chart drawn up by a competent astrologer from the exact details of your birth (date, hour, minute and place of birth).
The birth charts of two people can be compared, revealing their points of harmony and similarity as well as whatever may prove difficult in the relationship. This kind of analysis is called synastry.
A fortune teller’s tool
Astrology, from which horoscopes are made, is regarded as the most popular form of divination, even though it is an exceptionally difficult art that demands a great deal of knowledge.
Since the dawn of history, humanity has looked to the sky in search of the gods. People were convinced that the gods lived in the vault of heaven. From the stars they could read certain signs and symbols and foresee the future of a country or a community.
Astrology was spread chiefly by the ancient Egyptians and later by the Greeks and Romans. Nevertheless, the most ancient astrology is said to go back to the Atlanteans. Even then, in the zodiacal age of Gemini and later of Aries, people studied the sky and recorded their observations.
The ancient Egyptians were so precise in their calculations that they already knew of the planets lying beyond Saturn – Uranus, Neptune and Pluto – which were only discovered within the last two hundred years. The Egyptians also assumed the existence of one more planet between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus; in 1977 a small planet named Chiron was found in exactly that region. As you can see, their knowledge was remarkably broad and accurate.
Astrology became a highly sought-after field of knowledge, used by rulers and great figures and, in time, by ordinary people. Throughout its history it has had its ups and downs.
Before the fourteenth century it was widespread and respected, but during the Church’s struggle against paganism, magic, the Devil and witchcraft it was discredited. It was unearthed again at the beginning of the nineteenth century by occultists, who studied it and put it to use.
Today anyone can read about astrology, and especially about the signs of the zodiac. Almost everyone knows which sign they were born under. You can find extensive descriptions of your sign and of the decan in which you were born. Yet this knowledge will be general, not very specific, and sometimes it simply won’t ring true.
That is why it is worth having an individual birth chart drawn up, in which an astrologer uses your date, place and exact time of birth to determine your predispositions, talents, weaknesses and, more or less, your future.
Natal astrology seeks to determine a person’s future fate according to the state of the heavens at the moment of their birth.
Besides natal astrology, there are other branches of this secret art. Some astrologers specialise in finding favourable or unfavourable months for particular undertakings – political, military, romantic, medical or commercial.
Casting a horoscope is easier today, because there are tables giving the exact positions of the planets and stars at any given moment, so divination depends solely on the skill of interpretation.
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
Astrology has 12 signs of the zodiac: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. They are divided into four groups:
Group I, the FIRE group: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Group II, the AIR group: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Group III, the EARTH group: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
Group IV, the WATER group: Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio.
If you imagine what might happen when you mix, say, the fire group with water, or water with earth, you will understand why people relate to one another in such different ways.
Some groups get along well together.
FIRE gets on best with air and earth.
AIR gets on best with fire, but also with the other signs.
WATER gets on best with air and earth.
- TAURUS (21 April – 20 May)
Day: FRIDAY
People born under this sign are very brave and cautious, yet also self-assured. They are intelligent and at the same time hungry for power. They have an excellent memory. They are very courteous and tolerant, which is why they are welcome in any company.
Taurus women are blessed with great courage and energy. They are very jealous and talkative. They make model wives, devoted to their family and home.
Taurus men are brave and bold, and very enterprising. They are also known for their generosity. In marriage, the Taurus man is the most faithful husband of all the signs.
A match between Taurus and Leo should be ideal. A union of Taurus and Cancer is also a happy one.
- CAPRICORN (21 December – 19 January)
Lucky day: SATURDAY
People born under this sign are resolute and ambitious. In conversation they are friendly and chatty. They are trustworthy and discreet. They often attach great importance to appearances. Almost nothing is impossible for them.
Capricorn women are capable, loyal and likeable. They love order, especially at home. They do, however, lack gentleness, tenderness and intuition.
Capricorn men are practical people, though selfish and fond of their comforts. Ambitious in business, they are often stubborn and conservative.
The best match for Capricorn is another Capricorn.
- AQUARIUS (20 January – 18 February)
Lucky gem: AMETHYST
People born under this sign are sincere, open, calm and good-natured. They have a wide range of interests. Aquarians rarely lose their temper. They like titles and use them often. They also like to know what others think of them. They frequently ask for advice but never take it.
Aquarius women are hard-working, thrifty and resourceful. Their interests are very wide-ranging.
Aquarius men are gentle souls. They are very sociable and make ideal husbands.
A union of two Aquarians is one of the most perfect of all.
- ARIES (21 March – 20 April)
Day: TUESDAY
People born under this sign are brave, noble and trustworthy. They have an excellent memory. They are welcome in their circle of friends. They like to be in charge.
Aries women are beautiful, witty, resourceful and very hard-working. They pay great attention to their clothes. When fortune smiles on them, they can become far too extravagant.
Aries men are changeable and impulsive, yet they stand by their decisions. Women find them very attractive.
A match between Aries and Leo is very harmonious, as is one between Aries and Sagittarius.
- PISCES (19 February – 20 March)
Day: THURSDAY
Pisces are, as a rule, modest and have little self-confidence. They are often reckless, acting without thinking. They are frequently conservative and devout. They are trustworthy and steadfast in their decisions.
Pisces women are good homemakers. They often lack energy and are generally of delicate health. They are very devoted wives.
Pisces men are suspicious but good-hearted. They are nonetheless good workers and good husbands.
The best match for Pisces is Cancer, followed by Capricorn.
- GEMINI (21 May – 20 June) Ruling planet: MERCURY
Day: WEDNESDAY
People born under this sign are very hard-working, talkative and sociable. They can adapt to any situation.
They adore flattery and praise and are easily swayed by all kinds of influences. They take on too much, and as a result they don’t finish everything. They love spending money.
Gemini women are charming and flirtatious at the same time. They have a keen intellect and many fine qualities. In marriage they are generally faithful.
Gemini men have good hearts. They are prone to suspicion. They often devote themselves to study. They make good, exemplary husbands, provided they find a life partner with a keen intellect.
A union of Gemini and Capricorn is one of the most perfect, followed by Gemini with Libra and with Cancer. CANCER (21 June – 21 July)
Day: MONDAY
People born under the sign of Cancer are pleasant, sociable and patient, and they love peace and quiet. Outwardly cheerful and calm, inwardly they are consumed by anxiety and easily give in to sadness. They are often indecisive and changeable in character.
Cancer women are devoted and loving. They are good wives and mothers who cherish their children. They look for men they can lean on.
Cancer men are modest, pleasant and sociable. At times they can be greedy and quarrelsome. As husbands they are very difficult.
A union of two Cancers is blessed by the stars. A match between Cancer and Scorpio is a happy one.
- LEO (22 July – 21 August)
Day: SUNDAY
People born under this sign are likeable and have a strong influence on those around them. They are lively, ambitious, proud and self-centred. Now and then they have outbursts of anger; they can be hot-headed and violent.
Leo women are sharp-tongued, determined and very stubborn. They are usually very beautiful. In marriage they are good and faithful wives.
Leo men are brave and bold, loyal in friendship and magnanimous, but also proud and obstinate. They adore women. In difficult and dangerous situations they are protected by the universe. In marriage they make exemplary husbands.
A match between Leo and Libra is very successful. A union of two Leos has every prospect of success.
- VIRGO (22 August – 21 September)
Day: WEDNESDAY
These are practical, very hard-working and intelligent people. Learning comes to them very easily. They rarely admit to their mistakes, and they are often wavering and God-fearing.
Virgo women are devout, honest, perceptive and good-natured. In marriage they make good wives.
Virgo men are magnanimous and hungry for power and fame. Pedantry is their trademark. In married life they are caring and conscientious.
A union of two Virgos can be very happy, as can a match between Virgo and Capricorn.
- LIBRA (22 September – 22 October)
Day: FRIDAY
Energetic, highly intelligent and ambitious people, they often build impenetrable walls around themselves. They have little patience, yet rarely fly into a rage.
Libra women are very friendly, cheerful and fun-loving. Often, though, they are suspicious and quarrelsome. They have many admirers. In marriage they take good care of their family.
Libra men are prudent and eloquent, with a pleasant appearance; they like a comfortable life and have a flair for business. They set great store by social graces. In married life they are very happy.
A union of two Libras brings the greatest happiness.
- SCORPIO (23 October – 21 November)
Day: TUESDAY
People born under this sign are generally pleasant and agreeable. They strive for high earnings and love luxury, yet they are thrifty.
They often lose their temper, although by nature they are patient. They rarely admit their mistakes.
Scorpio women are beguiling and burn with a desire for power. In marriage they are exemplary, caring for their husband and family.
Scorpio men are proud and hard-working, often with a tendency to tell untruths. They are secretive, dogged and talkative. They don’t have many friends. In married life they are very difficult. They love their family with genuine devotion.
The best combination for Scorpio is another Scorpio.
- SAGITTARIUS (22 November – 20 December)
Day: THURSDAY
They are hard-working, practical, brave and enterprising, and they like order.
One of the biggest faults of Sagittarians is their outbursts of violent anger over trivial matters.
Sagittarius women are devout, tender-hearted and noble, conceited and very restless. In married life they are loving companions.
Sagittarius men are hard-working, full of temperament and reckless. They are fond of gambling and can squander an entire fortune. In married life they are difficult, because they devote too much time to work.
A match between Sagittarius and Capricorn is very auspicious.
