The Beginner’s Guide to Astrology
If you’ve never delved into the world of astrology, then you may think that it only consists of horoscopes you can find in magazines and newspapers. Astrology, however, is much more complex than simply reading horoscopes. To help you enter the world of astrology, we’ve created a beginner’s guide that includes information about the Zodiac signs, planets, houses, and aspects, as well as how to interpret them. This will give you the information you need to start using astrology to guide your path in life.
The Zodiac Signs
There are twelve Zodiac signs that you are probably already familiar with. Each sign has its own characteristics associated with it, but these can change on a monthly basis, depending on the path of the sun:
- Aries (March 21 – April 20)
- Taurus (April 21 – May 21)
- Gemini (May 22 – June 21)
- Cancer (June 22 – July 22)
- Leo (July 23 – August 23)
- Virgo (August 24 – September 22)
- Libra (September 23 – October 23)
- Scorpio (October 24 – November 22)
- Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21)
- Capricorn (December 22 – January 20)
- Aquarius (January 21 – February 18)
- Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
The air signs are Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini, and these signs lead with their mind and appear aloof. The earth signs, Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo, tend to be stubborn and workaholics, but they are also down-to-earth. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire signs, which means they can become quickly enthused, filled with passion and inspiration, as well as intuitive. Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, are people who tend to have strong emotions and who are sensitive in relationships.
Each sign can be assigned additional categories, such as Yin (feminine and negative) or Yang (masculine and positive), as well as cardinal, fixed, and mutable categories. Understanding the categories that each sign falls into can help you better understand the sign itself.
The star signs are the easiest part of astrology because it is simple to determine which one of the Zodiac signs you fall under simply by checking the sign with your birth day.
Planets
Each one of the planets represents a different part of you, and their path through the sky influences your own path through life. When a planet is in retrograde that means that it appears to be moving backward through the sky. This has a profound affect on your emotions, depending on which planet is in retrograde.
The sun and moon are your personality and basic moods and emotions.
Mercury affects your mind and communication, so during Mercury retrograde, you can experience serious frustration. Communicate under Mercury’s care include obvious ones such as speaking and listening, but also extend to computer codes and travel. The best advice during a Mercury retrograde is to not make any important moves or agreements.
Houses
Simply put, houses are based on the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. The houses themselves are not energies, they are merely places where the energies are most likely to appear. Also known as “fields of experience.” There are twelves houses total, and they manifest internal and external experiences, such as self, money and possessions, status, and the subconscious.
Understanding the different houses will help you to understand how certain experiences will affect your life, as well as how profound the affect will be. To understand your experiences, you must blend the meaning of each planet with the house it’s in, as well as the sign, in order to map out your life and experiences.
Aspects
Aspects can tell you how your signs and energies will interact with each other. When two or more planets are connected, this results in an aspect. Major aspects are the ones you want to pay attention to because they will have the most influence over your sign.
Different patterns in the planets create different results, such as planets that form a conjunction. This is when the energies are blended together and act as one, in a subjective manner.
Learn Astrology for a Happier Life
Learning astrology may seem complicated, but rest assured it is well worth it. Understanding astrology can lead you to a happier, more fruitful life, and will allow you to make important decisions with confidence.
