Astrology: finding the true meaning…

When most of us think of astrology, we think about our natal sign and not much else. Do you know what some of the major influences are though, that define these Zodiac signs.

First and foremost is the Sun. It is the center of all life and represents a person’s personality and spirit. It is the planetary ruler of the sign Leo.

The Moon, on the other hand, gives us our Soul. The Moon is the ruling planet of the Zodiac sign Cancer. It is very much associated with the mother and with maternal instincts. In Chinese astrology, the Moon represents Yin, while the Sun represents Yang.

Horoscope matching as per vedic astrology
Match horoscopes as per norms of Vedic astrology. Determine compatibility of temperaments, strength of the marital bond, progeny, financial prosperity, mutual love, sexual compatibility and the possibility of a successful marriage as per Vedic astrology.

Mercury rules over Gemini and Virgo. It is the planet of the mind and of communication. In other words, it is the planet of the idea and the means to communicate the idea.

The planet Venus rules over Taurus and Libra. Venus is associated with characteristics and principles of harmony and beauty. It is of course, concerned with love. It is also concerned with the pleasure we derive from personal possessions.

Mars is the ruling planet for the dynamic Aries, and to some astrologers, Scorpio, although modern astrologers now determine that Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio. Mars is the planet that is concerned with the things you want, and how you go about getting those things.

Jupiter is associated with pleasure and enjoyment. It is the ruler of Sagittarius and is also associated with principles of growth, religion and higher education.

Saturn is the ruling planet of Capricorn and is associated with principles such as reality and restrictions, boundaries and rules. Saturn was traditionally the ruler of Aquarius until the discovery of the planet Uranus.

Neptune is the ruling planet of Pisces and is associated with deception, illusions, spirituality and psychic phenomena.

The planet Pluto is the ruling planet of Scorpio and is associated with the concept of transformation.

In astrology, your natal chart (sometimes called your birth-chart) is a graph that shows the positions of the planets and astrological houses in the sky at the moment of your birth. Your natal chart is much more detailed and accurate than your horoscope. A popular horoscope considers only the position of the Sun, whereas your natal chart includes hundreds of pieces of data. Mark Twain once said: The difference between a good word and the right word is like the difference between fire and firefly. Similarly, your popular horoscope may hold some hints of truth, but your natal chart tells us the real story of your natural personality.

Analyzing the planetary positions and relationships in your natal chart affords a remarkably profound and revealing glimpse into your natural character, with its inherent strengths and weaknesses. Among other things, your natal chart will tell you:

A) what type of partner and relationship you seek and will be best matched with,
B) what type of job or career your natural strengths and weaknesses are best suited for, and
C) obstacles that need to be overcome in your life.

Most importantly, your natal chart will help you to understand your desires, motivations, and why you are the way that you are.

For a natal chart to be accurate, we must know the exact positions of the stars at the exact moment of your birth. Since the houses of the zodiac revolve one degree every four minutes, an accurate time of birth is necessary to determine your Ascendant sign and some planetary
aspects.

Although you can generate a natal chart without these highly time-sensitive positions included, to have a more accurate chart that is generated with an exact time and place of birth.

What’s your astrological sign. Everyone knows what his or her sign is. Even if you’re not a believer that the position of the planets at the exact time of your birth is an indicator of your personality and can determine events that happen to your throughout your lifetime, you’ve certainly met someone who does believe. At the very least, it’s harmless club conversation, a way to get to know someone. But is there something to it. Are horoscopes just hocus pocus. Or do they truly predict the course of events in your life.

Astrology is one of the earliest sciences known to human history. There are astrological records that originated in Babylon in 1645 BCE. Other cultures, such as Egyptian and Greek developed timekeeping and calendar methodologies. From the time man began to observe and track the world around him, he’s also contemplated his own relationship to the earth, stars, planets and elements around him. Astrology may have one way that earliest civilizations helped define their place in the cosmos. They perceived it as being greater than themselves; not something to be conquered, but to be understood.

While in modern times astrology is seen as new age and not as credible as sciences like astrophysics or chemistry, at one time it was as credible a science as any other. Astronomers like Galileo and Copernicus were also practicing astrologers. With the evolution of more quantitative sciences, astrology’s influence and position began to diminish. It enjoyed a resurgence in the 1930’s with the birth of England’s Princess Margaret. The London Sunday-Express ran her astrological profile, and that event was the origin of the modern daily horoscope in the newspapers.

Everyone who’s read a really good astrological profile of himself has to admit there are some uncanny coincidences. Can we really pretend we’re so knowledgeable of the universe that we can reject the discipline of astrology.

Maybe Shakespeare had something there when he wrote in Hamlet, “There are more things on heaven and earth Horatio than are dream’t of in your philosophy.”

Skeptics of Astrology often say that horoscope readings are so general they could apply to anyone; and that people will look for what they want to see and ignore what doesn’t seem true for them, thus deluding themselves that the horoscope is accurate.

This skepticism would most likely be eliminated if the skeptic actually looked at a real horoscope done by a competent professional astrologer, using his unique time and place of birth. But in this second part of the series, we’ll look at an example of how a skeptic of Astrology can come to a false conclusion and go on saying that Astrology is bunk or fake to others – by NOT using a real horoscope to prove his point.

Although astrology will always have its skeptics, they should consider some of the following before making up their minds.

• Astrology probably gave birth to Astronomy. There is nothing supernatural about casting a horoscope, most of it is done according to precise astronomical and mathematical principles.

• Many famous scientists have been into Astrology:  Tyco Brahe, Karl Jung, Kepler, Huxley, and Copernicus. Many others remain anonymous.

• Astrologers do not necessarily believe in fate. They believe the stars impel not compel.

• There are 10,000 practicing paid Astrologers and millions of horoscope followers. There are hundreds of books on the topic. Only 10 percent of Americans believe there can’t be anything to it.

• Many astrologers believe in a natural synchronicity between the stars and events. Other countries place even more value in it.

• It is an undisputed scientific fact that the planets have a measurable magnetic, gravitational and electromagnetic influence on the earth. Most people agree that bizarre behavior tends to peak on full moons.

• Astrology is not limited to natal astrology. There is also electional, horary, mundane, medical, meteorological, Chinese 12 year and millennial.

The vast majority of those who look at their own chart (not just a newspaper column) find uncannily accurate hits.