🌙 WHAT IS ASTROLOGY? ☀️
Written by Zach Champ
Outer Space has captivated humans since the beginning of time. We have always gazed in wonder up at the nighttime sky in awe of the Moon, planets, and stars. During the day we have always appreciated the warmth and light of the Sun, and our earliest ancestors worshipped these celestial bodies as Gods and Goddesses. The power and influence of these heavenly objects on our culture and society are profound. Is it possible that the Stars, Planets, and Moon can have a more direct influence on us as individuals?
Photo Courtesy via Unsplash.com
WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?
Astrology is the ancient divinatory system used to interpret how the proximity and alignment of celestial bodies like the moon, sun, and planets influences every aspect of our lives. You may have heard of Astrology AND Astronomy. Just what exactly are the differences between these two bodies of knowledge? Well, Astronomy is the scientific study of space and celestial objects using tools like telescopes and satellites whereas Astrology is the mystical study and application of space and celestial objects in relation to people and the influence of these forces on our individual lives. Many people feel that Astrology is disproven by Astronomy or that the two systems are irreconcilable, but that’s not true at all! In fact, it is very likely we will see science starting to prove Astrological concepts in the near future as we learn more about space, the stars, and the planets.
People constantly ask “Is Astrology real?”. Well, of course, it’s real! Astrology is a cultural practice found all over the world and even going back to ancient times. Astrological ideas influenced history and society for thousands of years, and still do today. Is it possible for celestial bodies like the Sun, the Moon, and the planets to affect things on Earth? Absolutely! Scientific knowledge has already proven and explored how all aspects of life on Earth are influenced by the Sun and Moon, and even other planets! Photosynthesis for plants is driven by the Sun’s light, the Moon controls the ebb and flow of the tides, and many chemicals and rare minerals on Earth are the results of meteor and asteroids from outer-space colliding and depositing their contents here on our planet. Why is it hard to believe that the effects of these celestial bodies impact us in more intimate and discrete ways?
Photo Courtesy via Unsplash
In order to understand just how astrological energies, compel and influence us, you have to understand that Astrology is driven by the Hermetic principle of As Above, So Below. The idea behind this Hermetic Law is “That which Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing.” This idea is based on the presumption that everything in the Universe is interconnected, and that the actions of one thing can have causal implications for other distantly associated things. In other words, the actions of the heavens such as the orbit of the Planets, Moon, and Sun can have a cascading influence down here on Earth.
HOW ASTROLOGY IS USED?
There are several ways Astrology is applied to help the individual understand their internal composition and personality.
- The Zodiac: What exactly is the Zodiac? The Zodiac is an important piece of the nighttime sky, forming a band that stretches across the Galactic Ecliptic and which contains all the constellations of stars familiar to us back home on Earth. Each constellation in the Zodiac represents a succession of symbolic signs that divide the ecliptic plane into 30° segments. The constellations in successional order are Aries (The Ram), Taurus (The Bull), Gemini (The Twins), Cancer (The Crab), Leo (The Lion), Virgo (The Virgin), Libra (The Scales), Scorpio (The Scorpion), Sagittarius (The Archer), Capricorn (The Goat), Aquarius (The Water Carrier), Pisces (The Fish).
- Horoscopes: Horoscopes are determined by the position of the Sun within the Zodiac at the time of the person’s birth. This is known as the Sun Sign or what people commonly refer to as their Zodiacal Sign. Each constellation is associated with certain individual qualities and personality traits. Your Sun Sign represents which Constellation’s qualities you inherit. Understanding the peculiarities of each constellation is important as it is believed that daily life, love, and relationships, career and money, as well as general health can all be influenced by these.
- Natal (Birth) Charts: A natal chart is a tool used in Astrology for determining what a person’s life path is, and what characteristics their personality is most likely to possess based off of planetary and celestial influences. It essentially is a map of all the positions of the Planets, Stars, and Moon in relation to the Sun at the time of an individual’s birth. Natal Astrology is universal to almost all cultural systems of Astrology practiced including Western Astrology, Chinese Astrology, and Vedic Astrology. A well-constructed Natal chart will take into account a person’s date of birth, the place of their birth, and will calculate the exact distance between these birth locations and the positions of the Planets, Moon, and Sun, as well as other heavenly bodies. Understanding the positioning of all these aspects in relation to the individual can help an Astrologer understand the personality, life path, and other characteristics of an individual.
An example of a birth chart...
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTROLOGY?
There are several great resources for learning more about Astrology on the internet. At American Gypsy Herbalist we like to tap into the expertise and knowledge of our friend Appalachian Astrologer for all our Astro needs! Appalachian Astrologer runs a well written and extremely informative blog on Astrology that covers how the heavens influence not just our disposition and lives, but even our health, luck, and career success! With almost 30 years of experience practicing and applying Astrology to everyday life problems, Appalachian Astrologer provides wisdom unlike no other!
To learn more about Appalachian Astrologer, and the art and science of Astrology, visit our friend on FB or their website listed below: