Western astrology

Astrology
Astrologyproject.svg
Background
History of astrology
History of astronomy
Astrology and astronomy
Traditions
Babylonian astrology
Arab & Persian astrology
Chinese astrology
Egyptian astrology
Hellenistic astrology
Hindu astrology
Muslim astrology
Western astrology
Sidereal astrology
Tropical astrology
More...
Branches of
horoscopic astrology
Natal astrology
Electional astrology
Horary astrology
Mundane astrology
More...
Categories
Astrologers
Astrological texts
Astrological writers
Astrology Portal

Western astrology is the system of astrology most popular in Western countries. Western astrology was founded by Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos in the 2nd century AD, and forms a continuation of Hellenistic astrology and ultimately Babylonian astrology.

Western astrology is largely horoscopic, that is, it is largely based on the construction of a horoscope for an exact moment, such as a person's birth, in which various cosmic bodies are said to have an influence. In modern Western sun sign astrology, only the location of the Sun is considered.

During the Dark Ages in Europe, knowledge of astrology was lost along with much other learning. It was revived and extended by Arab and Persian scholars and reimported into Europe in the Middle Ages. In medieval Europe, important political and military decisions were often made in consultation with astrologers. Nowadays, believers in astrology use it primarily for making personal decisions or attaining information about an individual through natal astrology. Today, astrology has become distinct from astronomy and mainstream scientists in general dismiss astrology as a form of pseudoscience.

Contents

The Zodiac

Main article: Zodiac

The zodiac is the belt or band of constellations through which the Sun, Moon, and planets move on their journey across the sky. Astrologers noted these constellations and so attached a particular significance to them. Over time they developed the system of twelve signs of the zodiac, based on twelve of the constellations through which the sun passes throughout the year, those constellations that are "Enlightened by the mind". Most western astrologers use the tropical zodiac beginning with the sign of Aries at the Northern hemisphere Vernal Equinox always on or around March 21 of each year. The Western Zodiac is drawn based on the Earth's relationship to fixed, designated positions in the sky, and the Earth's seasons. The Sidereal Zodiac is drawn based on the Earth's position in relation to the constellations, and follows their movements in the sky. Due to a phenomenon called precession of the equinoxes (where the Earth's axis slowly rotates like a spinning top in a 25,700 year cycle), there is a slow shift in the correspondence between Earth's seasons (and calendar) and the constellations of the zodiac. Thus, the tropical zodiac corresponds with the position of the earth in relation to fixed positions the sky (Western Astrology), while the sidereal zodiac is drawn based on the position in relation to the constellations (sidereal zodiac).

The twelve signs

In modern Western astrology the signs of the zodiac are believed to represent twelve basic personality types or characteristic modes of expression. The twelve signs are divided into four elements fire, earth, air and water. Fire and air signs are considered masculine, while water and earth signs are considered feminine[1]. The twelve signs are also divided into three qualities, Cardinal, mutable and fixed.[2]

Sign Dates
Aries.svg Aries (The Ram) March 21 to April 20.
Taurus.svg Taurus (The Bull) April 21 to May 20.
Gemini.svg Gemini (The Twins) May 21 to June 21.
Cancer.png Cancer (The Crab) June 22 to July 22.
Leo.svg Leo (The Lion) July 23 to August 22.
Virgo.svg Virgo (The Virgin) August 23 to September 22.
Libra.svg Libra (The Scales) September 23 to October 22.
Scorpio.svg Scorpio (The Scorpion) October 23 to November 22.
Sagittarius.svg Sagittarius (The Archer) November 23 to December 21.
Capricorn.svg Capricorn (The Sea-goat) December 22 to January 20.
Aquarius.svg Aquarius (The Water Bearer) January 21 to February 19.
Pisces.svg Pisces (The Fish) February 20 to March 20.

Zodiac sign for an individual depends on the placement of planets and the ascendant in that sign. If a person has nothing placed in a particular sign, that sign will play no active role in their personality. On the other hand a person with, for example, both the sun and moon in Cancer, will strongly display the characteristics of that sign in their make up.

Sun-sign astrology

Newspapers often print astrology columns which purport to provide guidance on what might occur in a day in relation to the sign of the zodiac that included the sun when the person was born. Astrologers refer to this as the "sun sign", but it is often commonly called the "star sign". These predictions are vague or general; so much so that even practising astrologers consider them of little to no value. Experiments have shown that when people are shown a newspaper horoscope for their own sign along with a newspaper horoscope for a different sign, they judge them to be equally accurate on the average. Professional astrologers claim that a more complete, personalized horoscope is more effective, but critics claim that this is not the case (see external link to "The AstroTest" below).

Western sidereal astrology

There are two camps of thought among western astrologers about the "starting point", 0 degrees Aries, in the zodiac. Sidereal astrology believes that the starting point is at a particular fixed position in the background of stars, while tropical astrology (which is adopted by the majority of Western astrologers) believes that the starting point is when the position of the Sun against the background of stars coincides with the Northern hemisphere vernal equinox (i.e. when the Sun position against the heavens crosses over from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere) each year.

As the Earth spins on its axis, it "wobbles" like a top, causing the vernal equinox to move gradually backwards against the star background, (a phenomenon known as the Precession of the equinoxes) at a rate of about 30 degrees (one Zodiacal sign length) every 2,160 years. Thus the two zodiacs would be aligned only once every 26,000 years and were aligned about 2,000 years ago when the zodiac was originally established.

This phenomenon gives us the conceptual basis for the Age of Aquarius, whose "dawning" coincides with the movement of the vernal equinox across the cusp from Pisces to Aquarius in the star background.

The planets

In modern Western astrology the planets represent basic drives or impulses in the human psyche. These planets differ from the definition of a planet in astronomy in that the sun, moon, and recently, Pluto and Ceres (considered as dwarf planets in astronomy), are all considered to be planets for the purposes of astrology. Each planet is also said to be the ruler of one or two zodiac signs, on the basis of a similarity or sympathy between planet and sign. The three modern planets have each been assigned rulership of a zodiac sign by astrologers and Ceres has been suggested as the ruler of Taurus or Virgo. The eleven planets used in astrology are as follows:[3]

Classical planets

These are the seven heavenly bodies known to the ancients and are believed to represent the seven basic drives in every individual (the sun and moon, also known as 'the lights', are included in this assessment alongside the planets). Astrologers call Mercury, Venus and Mars the 'personal planets', as they represent the most immediate drives. The 'lights' symbolise respectively the existential and sensitive fundamentals of the individuality. Jupiter and Saturn, until very recently the two furthest planets, represent aspects of the individual functioning as part of society.

Modern planets

These are the planets discovered in modern times, which have since been assigned meanings by Western astrologers.

The moon's nodes

Also important in astrology are the moon's nodes.[7] The nodes are where the moon's path crosses the ecliptic. The North, or Ascending Node marks the place where the moon crosses from South to North (or ascends), while the South, or Descending Node marks where the moon crosses from North to South (or descends). While Lunar nodes are not considered by Western astrologers to be as important a factor as each of the planets, they are thought to mark sensitive areas that are worth taking into account.

The horoscope

Western astrology is based mainly upon the construction of a horoscope , which is a map or chart of the heavens at a particular moment. The moment chosen is the beginning of the existence of the subject of the horoscope, as it is believed that the subject will carry with it the pattern of the heavens from that moment throughout its life. The most common form of horoscope is the natal chart based on the moment of a person's birth; though in theory a horoscope can be drawn up for the beginning of anything, from a business enterprise to the foundation of a nation state.

The Thema Mundi

Interpretation

In Western horoscopic astrology the interpretation of a horoscope is governed by:

Some astrologers also use the position of various mathematical points such as the Arabic parts.

The primary angles

There are four primary angles in the horoscope (though the cusps of the houses are often included as important angles by some astrologers).

The ascendant is generally considered the most important and personalized angle in the horoscope by the vast majority of astrologers. It signifies a person's awakening consciousness, in the same way that the Sun's appearance on the eastern horizon signifies the dawn of a new day.[8] Due to the fact that the ascendant is specific to a particular time and place, it signifies the individual environment and conditioning that a person receives during their upbringing, and also the circumstances of their childhood. For this reason, the ascendant is also concerned with how a person has learned to present him or herself to the world, especially in public and in impersonal situations.[9]

The opposite point to the ascendant in the west is the descendant , which denotes how a person reacts in their relationships with others. It also show the kind of person we are likely to be attracted to, and our ability to form romantic attachments. In most house systems the descendant lies on the cusp of the 7th house of the horoscope.

The opposite point to the midheaven is known as the imum coeli. For astrologers the nadir or IC traditionally indicates the circumstances at the beginning and end of a person's life, their parents and the parental home, and their own domestic life. In quadrant house systems it lies on the cusp of the 4th house of the horoscope.

The houses

The horoscope is divided by astrologers into twelve portions called the houses. The houses of the horoscope are interpreted as being twelve different spheres of life or activity. There are various ways of calculating the houses in the horoscope or birth chart. However, there is no dispute about their meanings, and the twelve houses [10]

Many modern astrologers assume that the houses relate to their corresponding signs, i.e. that the first house has a natural affinity with the first sign, Aries, and so on.

Aspects

The aspects are the angles the planets make to each other in the horoscope, and also to the ascendant, midheaven, descendant and nadir. The aspects are measured by the angular distance along the ecliptic in degrees and minutes of celestial longitude between two points, as viewed from the earth.[11] They indicate focal points in the horoscope where the energies involved are given extra emphasis. The more exact the angle, the more powerful the aspect, although an allowance of a few degrees each side of the aspect called an orb is allowed for interpretation. The following are the aspects in order of importance [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Myrna Lofthus, A spiritual approach to astrology, p.8, CRCS Publications, Sebastopol, CA 1983.
  2. ↑ Robert Pelletier & Leonard Cataldo, Be Your Own Astrologer, pp. 24–33, Pan Books Ltd, London 1984; Maritha Pottenger, Astro Essentials, pp. 31–36, ACS Publications San Diego, 1991.
  3. ↑ Sasha Fenton, Understanding Astrology, pp. 106–15, Aquarian Press, London, 1991; Maritha Pottinger, Ibid, pp. 11–17, 1991.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Signs description
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Planet description
  6. ↑ An analysis of the Taurus archetype
  7. ↑ Derek and Julia Parker, The New Compleat Astrologer p. 149, Crescent Books, New York, 1990.
  8. ↑ Jeff Mayo, Teach Yourself Astrology p. 71, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1991.
  9. ↑ Sasha Fenton, Rising Signs, pp. 13–14, The Aquarian Press, London, 1989.
  10. ↑ Sasha Fenton, Ibid, pp. 117–8, 1991.
  11. ↑ Jeff Mayo, Ibid p. 97, 1991.
  12. ↑ Robert Pelletier and Leonard Cataldo, Ibid, pp. 57–60, 1984; Sasha Fenton, Ibid, pp. 137-9, 1991.

External links

Astrology
History of astrology
History of astrology  · Astrology and astronomy  · History of astronomy (Ancient astronomy)  · Musica universalis
Astrologyproject.svg
Astrologers
Astrologers by nationality  · List of astrologers
Traditions, types, branches, and systems
Astrology by tradition: Babylonian astrology, Burmese astrology, Celtic astrology, Chinese astrology, Christian astrology (Magi), Egyptian astrology, German astrology (Cosmobiology, Hamburg School of Astrology, Huber School of Astrology, Rosicrucianism, Uranian astrology, etc), Hellenistic astrology, Hindu astrology (Nadi astrology), Jewish astrology (Hebrew astrology, Kabbalistic astrology), Mesoamerican astrology (Aztec astrology, Mayan astrology), Persian and Arab astrology (Islamic astrology), Sri Lankan Astrology (Sinhalese Astrology), Tibetan astrology, Vietnamese astrology, Western astrology  · Astrology by type: Agricultural astrology, Electional astrology, Esoteric astrology (Alchemy and astrology, Chiromancy and astrology, Geomancy and astrology, Numerology and astrology, Physiognomy and astrology, Tarot divination and astrology, Evolutionary astrology, Financial astrology, Harmonic astrology, Heliocentric astrology, Horary astrology, Horoscopic astrology, Judicial astrology, Katarchic astrology, Locational astrology (Astrocartography), Medical astrology, Medieval astrology, Meteorological astrology, Mundane astrology (Political astrology), Natal astrology (Natal chart), Psychological astrology, Sidereal astrology, Sun sign astrology, Tropical astrology
Miscellaneous astrological topics
Archaeoastronomy  · Astrological Ages  · Astrological aspects  · Astrological signs  · Astrological symbols  · Astrological texts  · Astrology and the classical elements  · Chronobiology  · Cultural influence of astrology  · Ephemeris  · Planets in astrology  · Technical factors of astrology  · Zodiac  · See also: Astrology Portal
Western zodiac
Elements
Fire · Earth · Air · Water
Qualities
Cardinal · Fixed · Mutable
Nature
Positive · Negative