3 Astrology Overvw

8/11/2019 3 Astrology Overvw

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Overview of Astrology

In astrology, the planets are like voices within us as we act out the dramas of our

lives. They represent the various human drives we have in common, although weexpress them in our own individual ways (according to other factors mentioned below).

These drives are to:

Sun be, stand apart as an individual, shine, create, lead, execute, integrate

Moon secure, nest, nurture and be nurtured, bond, be part of a family or tribe

Mercury communicate, express, connect, listen, understand, learn, think

Venus value, appreciate, attract or gravitate to whats attractive, socialize

Mars survive, compete, act, do, accelerate, defend or go on the offensive

Jupiter expand, grow, make progress, reach out, adventure, take risksSaturn define, organize, plan, target, mature, control, be responsible & accountable

Uranus march to ones own drummer, experiment, shock, awaken, rebel, intuit

Neptune believe, dream, imagine, pray, heal, psychically receive, escape, rest

Pluto reproduce, renew, transform, unload, let go, dig underneath, dominate

The Sun and Moon are not truly planets. Theyre technically called luminaries or

the lights. The Sun is our star, and the Moon is earths satellite. The Sun doesnt

actually move; we revolve around it, just as the Moon revolves around us. It looks likethe Sun moves from our vantage point, in two ways. As the earth rotates on its axis,

making a complete spin in 24 hours, the Sun appears to rise in the east and set in the

west, disappearing from the view of a particular place on the earth. Additionally, as

the earth revolves around the Sun, it appears to us that the Sun is near various

constellations (mostly named for animals) in the belt we call the zodiac (notice how

the word zodiachas the same root as the word zoo). These stars form a backdrop for

our seasons and for the movement of the all the planets. We say the planets move

through the zodiac signs or that a planet is in a sign (e.g., my Sun is in Libra or myVenus is in Scorpio).

Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun in predictable cycles. Earths cycle is one

year (by definition). Since Mercury and Venus are between the earth and the Sun,

their orbits are quicker (about 1/3 and 5/8 of earths year, respectively). The other

planets orbits are beyond earths orbit and longer than our year: Mars (2 earth

years), Jupiter (12), Saturn (30), Uranus (42), Neptune (164) and Pluto (248). The

Moon moves through all 12 signs in a month (the word month shares a root with theword moon). The various planets move through the signs at their own rates, creating

cycles within cycles. The exact configuration of a particular moment is not repeated

for thousands and thousands of years! Each persons special blend is unique, shared


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only by someone at born the same moment (astral twin).

You might think of the planets and signs like cards in suits and each person has a

distinct hand dealt to him or her. You might have pairs, a straight or a flush. You

might have a lot of trump cards. Or you could get a bad hand. You cant change the

deal, but you can learn to play your hand better or maybe even just bluff! By

understanding what tendencies you have thanks to the planets positions at your birth,you can make better informed decisions, capitalize on your strengths and learn to

shore up your weaknesses or avoid your pitfalls. You can work with the power of your

planets or succumb to their paths of least resistance, according to your free will.

So you see astrology does not lump people into 12 groups; it shows how each person

shares some traits with other people and ways in which each of us is an individual. The

12 signs show ways of behaving or of expressing the planets voices. Anyone can tap

into any of these approaches, though most of us are inclined to specialize in just afew):

Ariesassertive, competitive, impatient

Tauruspersistent, patient, slow & steady

Geminiflexible, communicative, mindful

Cancerprotective, nurturing, securing

Leoplayful, creative, executive

Virgocautious, discerning, serving

Librabalancing, relating, mediatingScorpiomanipulative, transformative

Sagittariusinspiring, informing, multitasking

Capricorn consolidating, organizing, planning

Aquariussocial, experimenting, humanitarian

Piscessacrificing, healing, helpful

Some planets move quite slowly through the zodiac, hanging out in a particular sign for

many years, creating mini-generations, for example:Pluto in Leo (1939-1956) - will power, creativity, manipulation, need to let go of ego

Pluto in Libra (1972-1984) - relationships as a transformative experience, intensity in

love

Neptune in Libra (1942-1956) - idealistic about partners (Cinderella complex),

martyr/savior

Saturn and Neptune together in Libra (1952-1953) - chaos vs. order, manifest visions

Neptune in Sagittarius (1971-1984) high ideals, spirituality, education as saving

graceThere are further sub-generations according to your Saturn sign and Jupiter sign. You

share your Jupiter sign with most people born in the same year, which is the basis of

your Chinese astrology sign. Going inward, it gets more personal. The signs where


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Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Sun and Moon were at your birth define your distinct

unique expression of your generations tendencies.

The Sun and Moon are the most important heavenly bodies; their signs have the most

impact on our lives. People who have the same birthday as you but in a different year

will have the Sun at the same degree of the zodiac circle as you but their Moon sign

will not necessarily be the same.

The rhythm of the interaction between the earth, Sun and Moon forms the Moon

cycle each month. At the New Moon, the Moon passes by the Sun, although we dont

see this because the Suns bright light blocks out the Moon. It increases in size and

rises and sets later and later. A week after the New Moon, the First quarter Moon

looks like a half moon setting in the morning. The halfway point of the cycle is at the

Full Moon, when we see the entire Moons face as it reflects the maximum light of the

Sun back to us. These two are at opposite extremes from our viewpoint then, and theMoon rises as the Sun sets (and vice versa). The next two weeks, the Moon decreases

in size, rising and setting later and later. The Third Quarter Moon appears as the half

moon setting in the afternoon. A week later we have another (invisible) New Moon.

The Moon phase in which youre born* forms a basic imprint for your instinctual

response to life:

New[0-45] begin, initiate, conceive

Crescent[45-90] further, propel, grow

First Quarter[90-135] adjust based on instinct

Gibbous[135-180] accelerate, advocate

Full [180-225] confront, culminate, fulfill

Disseminating[225-270] spread, share, teach

Third Quarter[270-330] adjust based on experience

Balsamic[330-360] complete, thread together, unwind

*To determine the moon phase you were born in, look at your chart and see how farthe Moon is ahead of the Sun. Look for the Moon symbol (it looks like a crescent) and

the Sun (a circle with a dot in the center). Go clockwise from the Moon backwards

through the zodiac back to the Sun. Add up 30 degrees for each sign you count

backwards over, then add the number of degrees of the Moon's position in its sign.

The final number of degrees to add will be 30 minus the degree of the Sun's position,

to show how many more degrees there were in your Sun's sign to the end of that sign.

Find the total you arrived at in the brackets above.

The Sun-Moon interactions show the importance of changes in the positions of the

planets relative to one another. When planets are certain fractions of the sky apart

(called aspects), their drives either reinforce and support one another or they can


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clash. Picture the planetary voices as singing in harmony or hitting discordant notes.

These connections add another layer to the potentials the planets indicate for our

personalities and the circumstances of our lives.

The planets not only represent our inner voices but they can also relate to

circumstances and people we draw into our lives. The sign placements of the planets of

our birth chart can tell us things about our family and social lives. The Sun isrepresentative of your father, the Moon is associated with your mother. Venus can

represent a female love interest while Mars can show a male love influence. Jupiter

indicates teachers, Saturn points to authority figures, and Mercury can be

schoolmates, neighbors, siblings or cousins.

Throughout your life, you play out the dance the planets interwove in the weeks and

months following your birth. Where the planets were when you were 10 days old

indicates circumstances and developments when youre 10 years old, and so on, as eachday represents a year of your life. This system of progressions shows your progress,

or at least changes in your focus and issues. The planets always keep the nature of

their signs at your birth, but they take on additional characteristics as they move into

other signs as a result of these progressions.

As the planets move around the sky (called transits), they change signs and move

around the circle of your chart. They connect for a time to your planets, activating

the tendencies shown by those planets. This is the basis for predictive forecasting

using astrology.

2001-2011 Janet Booth for JanetsPlan-Its.com and AstrologyBooth.com

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3 Astrology Overvw