Rae Orion - Astrology For Dummies

In fact, astrology was on the cusp of a fantastic blossoming, a Renaissance. The internet was part of it, as was the development of software that anyone could use. But the larger change wasn’t about the method of delivery or the ease of access. It was about expanding the worldview of astrology and reclaiming its history.

Astrologers began to examine traditions outside of western astrology such as Chinese, Meso-American, and Vedic astrology, the astrology of India. Also known as Jyotish, Vedic astrology has been particularly influential. It shares a chunk of its DNA with western astrology but veers off in other directions, using a sidereal zodiac based on the constellations rather than the ecliptic and relying on techniques unknown in western astrology.

Astrologers have also burrowed into the history of western astrology. In a decades-long effort spearheaded by astrologer Robert Hand, Project Hindsight, and the Archive for the Retrieval of Historical Astrological Texts or ARHAT (that being a Buddhist term for a person moving toward enlightenment), astrologers have translated ancient and medieval manuscripts and revived neglected techniques from centuries ago. Initially, this looked like an arcane interest shared by a tiny cadre of scholarly astrologers. But the excitement generated by their pursuit has rippled through the astrological community. Today, there is widespread interest in ancient techniques, particularly those of Hellenistic astrology, which was used through the Roman Empire and is currently undergoing an astonishing revival.

So astrology has changed. In the space of only a few decades, astrology has deepened and broadened, expanded its vocabulary, welcomed new celestial bodies into its cosmos, and incorporated ancient techniques of timing and analysis that most western astrologers knew nothing of — until recently. As unlikely as it seems, everything old is new again.

There are many excellent books about the history of astrology. Here are a few of my favorites:

A History of Western Astrology , Volumes I and II, by Nicholas Campion (Bloomsbury Academic, 2008). A magisterial, scholarly work.

The Secrets of the Vaulted Sky : Astrology and the Art of Prediction by David Berlinkski (Harcourt, Inc., 2003). Entertaining, evocative, and full of attitude.

Astrology: A History by Peter Whitfield (Harry N. Abrams, 2001). Nicely written and, unlike other books on the topic, profusely, gorgeously illustrated.

The Fated Sky: Astrology in History by Benson Bobrick (Simon & Schuster, 2005). Brilliant, fascinating, full of fantastic details. I recommend it without hesitation.

Part 2

IN THIS PART …

Get the scoop on the signs of spring: Aries, Taurus, and Gemini.

Check out the signs of summer: Cancer, Leo, and Virgo.

Contemplate the signs of autumn: Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius.

Wrap up with the signs of winter: Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Chapter 4

IN THIS CHAPTER

Appreciating Aries

Tuning into Taurus

Considering Gemini

When I was in college, I bought my first astrology book in a train station, and by the end of the ride, my understanding of life had been transformed. The book — it was one of many by Zolar, a name used by a succession of astrologers — described the people I knew with uncanny accuracy, based solely on their Sun signs. My parents, my roommate, my so-called boyfriend — all were there, in stunning detail. Later, I learned that every chart also includes the Moon, eight planets, twelve houses, and more. But the core of almost every horoscope is the Sun.

The Sun begins its journey through the signs and the seasons on or about March 20, when it enters Aries. On that day, the Vernal Equinox, day and night are approximately equal. But soon the balance shifts. For three months, the night grows shorter and the day progressively longer as the Sun spins through the signs of spring — the most youthful signs of the zodiac. When the day reaches its maximum length, spring is over. The three signs of spring are:

Aries the Ram (March 20 to April 18), the sign of positive (or yang) cardinal fire. Aries is bold, energetic, youthful, and gifted at setting things into motion.

Taurus the Bull (April 19 to May 20), the sign of negative (or yin) fixed earth. Taurus is tenacious, pragmatic, resourceful, and — in case you thought that earth signs are only about practicality — talented, sensuous, and pleasure-loving.

Gemini the Twins (May 21 to June 20), the sign of positive (or yang) mutable air. Gemini is spontaneous, curious, quick-witted, restless, sociable, and capricious.

If your birthday falls into one of those signs, you are in the right place.

The Sun’s placement in the sky at the moment of your birth determines your sign. If you have any doubt about your Sun sign, perhaps because you were born at the beginning or end of a sign, turn to Chapter 2without delay. It will tell you how to get a free, accurate copy of your birth chart. Once you have that, you’ll know for sure.

Figure 4-1 represents the Sun. In ancient cultures, the Sun always symbolized something big, like life and death. The Incas thought of the Sun as a divine ancestor. The Egyptians and other civilizations considered the Sun a god. The astrological symbol reflects that importance. The outer circle represents infinity, the universe, and your cosmic potential. The dot within it represents your human individuality.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

FIGURE 4-1:The symbol of the Sun.

Each sign has a polarity (positive or negative, yang or yin), an element (fire, earth, air, or water), and a quality or modality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable). For more on those terms, turn to Chapter 1.

As the first sign of the year, Aries the Ram is spirited, straightforward, courageous, enterprising, and filled with vitality. Yours is the sign of new beginnings.

Your planetary ruler is Mars. Named after the Roman god of war, Mars is associated with action, energy, assertiveness, anger, and desire.

The glyph or written symbol of Aries appears in Figure 4-2. It signifies the head of the ram with its fabulously curved horns; a gushing fountain of fresh water; or the eyebrows and nose of a human being — a part of the face that’s well-defined and graceful on a typical Aries.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.