Astrology Myths
Most people only know about astrology from the horoscope columns they used to read in newspapers and magazines. The thing is, those forecasts are for entertainment purposes only and should never be taken seriously. If they seem even remotely accurate, rest assured it is only by coincidence, because those columns have almost no bearing on the legitimate practice of astrology. This has also led to a fair few misconceptions about astrology, which is what we will talk about in this week's blog.
Let’s start by looking at the history of astrology and astronomy. Astrology has been around since the Mesopotamian period, around the 3rd millennium BC, and is a complex art and science which applies symbolic meaning to astronomical information. While astronomers map the stars and planets in the sky, astrologers apply meaning to those positions. Originally, astrology and astronomy were one and the same.
Ancient civilisations are well known for developing and using astrology. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy was the first ever to write an astrology book. He tried to predict the positions of celestial bodies relative to each other and the earth through knowledge of their orbital motions, putting together the work of Greek, Babylonian and Egyptian astrology. During his time, astrology was a part of astronomy. Later, astronomy became an exact science and astrology remained a part of theology.
Baghdad and Damascus were known as centres of astrology and astronomy. The Arabs were pioneers in astronomy before the advent of Islam. The Babylonians were the first to name the days of the week after the Sun, Moon, and planets. They were also the first to set out the twelve houses of the horoscope. It is thought that some of the astrological signs of the zodiac originated in Egypt.
In India, astrology was one of the six disciplines of Vedanga. The Hindus believed that human fortune or misfortune in life is due to karma, and karma is believed to be influenced by the movements of the planets. In Modern India, astrology is used to determine the future and improve life. It is used to make decisions about marriage, starting a new business, or moving into a new house.
Then we have Chinese Astrology which emphasises the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water. The zodiac signs used by Chinese Astrology are different from other forms of astrology because it was isolated from Western civilisations for a long time, and Chinese Astrology was unknown to the Western world.
Nowadays, Western astrologers use the ancient positions of the constellations while Sidereal (Vedic or Hindu) astrologers use current astronomical positions. The two systems are very different but work equally well.
Astrology is a great tool for understanding yourself. The word itself comes from the Greek words Astro meaning stars, and Logica meaning to study. The idea is that information about the future or a person's personality can be discovered by examining the alignment of stars, planets, moons and comets. Astrology attempts to interpret the influence of these celestial bodies on human affairs. As Hermes Trismegistus is quoted as saying “As above, so below”, meaning that what is happening in the skies is reflected here on Earth.
If the first (and possibly only) astrology you were exposed to came from a horoscope column in a newspaper, then you probably started with a belief that astrology is fake. I mean a twelfth of the population are not all alike or going through the exact same thing as predicted in a horoscope.
But what exactly is a horoscope? It’s an astrological forecast, a chart cast for a moment in time that shows the position of all the planets at that precise time, date and location. When a chart is cast for the time someone is born, it is called a Natal Chart, or more commonly, a Birth Chart. It is a snapshot of the heavens at the moment you were born.
The horoscopes we see in newspapers, magazines or online are superficial. They group everyone into the 12 signs of the zodiac which has led to two misconceptions. The first is that your Sun sign is your entire personality, and the other is the claim that “I was born on the cusp of two signs”.
When we see a horoscope, it will list the 12 signs with the birth dates that fall in that sign. People call this their “Star Sign”, which again is not an accurate description. Your birth chart is a lot more complex than that. It is split into 12 sections, each one called a house that represents different areas of your life, and maps where all of the planets were when you were born. Your Sun Sign, the position of the Sun when you were born, represents your ego, while the Moon is your emotions and your Rising Sign is your outward personality. There are also planets to show how you communicate and love. Your birth chart will show your strengths and the areas you will feel challenged.
Each natal chart is as unique to the person as their fingerprint. It is so much more than just a star sign shared by a twelfth of the world.
When you go to check your horoscope, you will look for the sign that includes your birthday. It might list Virgo as the 23rd August to the 22nd September. If your birthday is the 22nd September, you will assume you are a Virgo and read that sign. This year, the Sun will move into Libra on the 22nd September, and so you would be a Libra, not a Virgo. Many people born around the time that the Sun changes sign, consider themselves to be born on the cusp and a mix of the two signs. No. You are either one sign or the other. The Sun, or any of the other planets, cannot be in two signs at the same time.
If you are unsure what sign you are, then the best way to check is to have your chart cast. You can do this for free here or you can book a reading with me using the button at the bottom of this blog.
Two other myths around astrology are that it predicts the future and that astrologers are just fortune-tellers. Astrology cannot be used to predict an event, only the possibility of an event occurring, or a good time for a particular type of event to take place. We can look at the associations of a planet and the sign it is in, look at past events that happened when that planet was previously in that sign, and make an educated guess, based on current circumstances, about events that are likely to happen. That doesn’t mean they will.
So if you are reading your horoscope and treating it as gospel and then getting upset when things didn’t happen as predicted, that’s not astrology’s fault. Also, I’m pretty confident you are reading it wrong. Most people will read their horoscope from their Sun Sign when actually you should be reading it from your Rising Sign, as this is the most personal point in your chart, and in the Whole house system, determines which sign will rule each house.
In my blog posts for the New and Full Moons, I include personal horoscopes. These are based on the whole house system and the area of your birth chart that the moon will be in, based on your Rising Sign. And just because I told you this New Moon was the best time to get a new job, that doesn’t mean you have to. Astrology is a guide and free will rules everything. We can use horoscopes to help us make decisions on the best time to do something, based on the flow of the energy. But you can still decide not to act on that.
Equally, if your horoscope says you will meet the love of your life, you will still have to do something for that to happen. They aren’t just going to magically knock on your door because it was written in the stars.
I have also seen and heard people associate astrology with witchcraft or Satanism. Astrology is a science based on years of research and historical teachings. It is not a form of magic or a religion. Nor is it affiliated or associated with any religion or with satanism or with any specific belief system. You can believe in and participate in any religion you choose and still practice astrology.
There are also two planets in astrology which have a very bad reputation. This stems from “doom and gloom” astrology which I do not support. If you are always looking for bad things to happen, then they will. Astrology is neither positive nor negative, it is neutral and can be used as a guide.
The first of these is poor old Mercury, and in particular, Mercury Retrograde. Some people view all Mercury Retrogrades as a period of chaos and disaster. Let’s be realistic here. If you are the sort of person who always loses their keys or has tech problems, that’s not Mercury’s fault, that’s on you. Mercury Retrograde, or in fact any planet's retrograde, is a second chance at something you have already done. It is a time to slow down, to review, research and plan.
We can look at the planet to see what is associated with it. Mercury is the planet of communication, trade and transport, among other things. We can then look at the sign to see how these things are likely to show up, and then consult our own natal chart to see what area it will be happening in. Again, this is then a guide. You chose whether to act on that information or not.
The other planet is Saturn who is often viewed as the source of all evil. I personally witnessed someone having a panic attack because they had a Saturn Return coming up and they honestly thought their world was about to end.
Don’t get me wrong, Saturn is the planet of harsh reality and will show you the lessons you need to learn this lifetime. It is also a solid, secure, mature and strategic planet. It is all about planning, rules and regulations. It is also the planet of karma. But without all of this, we would have chaos, uncertainty and anarchy.
Your first Saturn Return occurs when you are around 29 to 31 years old. Saturn tests us, it challenges us, and now that it has passed through every house in your birth chart, you know what you are made of and how resilient you are. This is when we truly become an adult and we know who we are.
Saturn is a great teacher and when your second Saturn Return occurs at around the age of 58, you know what life is about. You are the master now and will have a feeling of accomplishment.
Some life lessons are harder to learn than others. And when we are in the thick of it, it can seem like we are never going to make it through. Circumstances and events can seem like the worst disasters ever. How could this happen to me? But when it is over, we come out stronger, we are forever changed and whatever ended has left space for something better.
Astrology is about symbolism and has nothing to do with any alleged physical energy emanating from a planet, moon, or star. Astrology is only a guide, a map of the potential in your life. However, no two people born at the exact same time and place will have the exact same life. The very nature of astrology speaks to your exercise of "free will" and the many choices and options you have for how you live your life.
I hope you have found this week’s blog interesting. If you would like to dive further into your own natal chart, then please book a reading using the button below. I would love to guide you through your chart.
