What is ASTROLOGY?
Astrology is the study of how the planets affect us here on Earth. Everything in the universe is energy. Words, actions and thoughts are included. The tangible and the intangible.
The study of Astrology is of the movements and relative positions having an influence on human beings and the natural world. It is a practice that uses the positions of the heavenly bodies such as the Sun, Moon, Planets and constellations. Astrology attempts to predict how the events of the future might unfold.
Thinking of Astrology from a practical perspective, reminds me of forecasting and economics whereby predicting and coming up with a best guess, based on data from both current and historical information to create the best hypothesis on what is going to happen.
The idea that planetary bodies in the sky’s solar system can provide a look into the future has fascinated civilization for a very long time.
Astrology is a method, a predicter of the everyday mundane events that makes the assumption that the celestial bodies of the planets and the stars. Based on arbitrary combinations of the constellations. (Sun, moon, and stars)
In its simplest explanation, Astrology is the study of how the Planets affect us here on Earth.
The astrology chart itself is actually a schematic: a graph that shows people’s “inner wiring”.
The wiring in each of us is different. It’s not “good” or “bad”, it’s just wired the way we are wired. Your birth chart provides a picture of the inner wiring you were born with, but what you do with that wiring is up to you.
When you can objectively see the patterns of your own behavior, you can make adjustments for more efficient results and better performance. When any miswiring is corrected, the results in a more smoothly operating life (first internally, and then externally). By having a clear picture of your inner wiring, you can become aware of the built in “glitches” and you can choose not to continue behaviors that aren’t working for you.
We all have tendencies that lead to inappropriate behavior and feelings of isolation and unhappiness. The trick is to discover our own glitches and empower ourselves to avoid them.
With this objective knowledge we are no longer operating in the dark, not understanding why life keeps giving us feedback that makes us unhappy. Life is too short to walk around blindfolded.
3 Main types of Astrology
Western (Tropical)
Vedic
Chinese
WESTERN ASTROLOGY/ TROPICAL
Western astrology is based on date and time of birth, with 12 symbols or signs used to communicate a specific meaning. Here are the key elements that define Western astrology
The Greeks and the Babylonians are credited for bringing astrology to the forefront, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. The sun was considered the center of the solar system and therefore they believed that it’s relationship with the Earth was vital to understand. It is the Western/tropical Zodiac that measures the approximate distances and closeness of the Sun to the Earths “tropics”. Everybody knows where the equator, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle are. The equator swings around Earth's belly. The Arctic Circle swings around the top of Earth, near Santa, and the Antarctic Circle, of course, is closer to the penguins of the South Pole.
A tropic is based on where the Sun was stationed based on each calendar day, 2,000+ years ago, i.e — the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The tropic of Cancer is a circle of LATITUDE located approximately 23.5 degrees NORTH of the equator. The tropic of Capricorn is a circle of LATITUDE located approximately 23.5 degree SOUTH of the equator.
There are 12 Western signs: the Ram, Bull, Twins, Crab, Lion, Virgin, Scales, Scorpion, Centaur, Sea-Goat, Water Bearer, and Fish.
The 12 signs (one for each month of the year) are based on constellations’ positions relative to the earth. These constellations were named according to Greek mythology. It’s believed that those born in the same month have similar traits.
The Western astrological calendar is like a normal calendar year that is based on the Earth’s orbit around the sun
Western zodiac star signs are also known as sun signs. A zodiac sign is a symbol that represents personality, emotions and motivations. In astrology, the New year begins in the Spring during the Vernal equinox, When there are equal parts day and night for one day. unlike our New Year in January, who was ordained by a Roman Emperor, who made January the beginning of the calendar year, that had nothing to do with Astrology. Aries is considered the first sign and the other proceed in consecutive order.
Constellations and planets play the biggest role the planets play a big role In Western astrology. It’s believed that they symbolize rudimentary motivations in the human psyche. The moon and it placement and cycle is also a key factor in Western astrology. The two moon nodes are the North/ ascending node and the South/descending node.
There are 7 Classical planets that Astrologers call the 7 Personal and Social planets, as it is believed that they represent human drive. These personal planets are: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars. The Social planets are: Jupiter and Saturn.
There are four elements identified in the Western system and each astrological sign is associated with one of them. Water signs are compelled by emotion, earth signs are practical, fire signs are spontaneous, and air signs are cerebral.
VEDIC
The Sanskrit word for Vedic astrology, or Hindu astrology, is jyotiṣa, loosely translating to "light/heavenly body," and the modality seems to have first appeared in the Rigveda, an ancient Indian text (though some assert it's been around since 10,000 B.C.). Jyotish is an accepted science and, for many, is part of their lifestyle.
In its earliest days, Vedic astrology was used to determine important dates for sacrifices and rituals. Over time it became increasingly personalized; people started studying its planetary movements in an effort to understand their own destiny.
It's related to other ancient Indian practices including yoga and Ayurveda, and similar to Western astrology, it "offers us a guide or road map to a better understanding of our physical, emotional, spiritual, and even monetary experiences," McDonough says.
Another interesting distinction is that modern Western astrology has become more psychologically oriented, where Vedic astrology is based upon one’s individual karma according to McDonough.
Vedic astrology also tends to provide insight into personal dharma, or life path, and reveal our innate gifts and challenges. "It can help us better understand our relationships with our family, friends, and life partners. Having this fundamental understanding really helps to ease and relieve stress and our emotional ups and downs," she says.
Vedic astrology has a different approach to retrogrades, sun signs, and rising signs. The two modalities also have a different take on what a retrograde planet actually mean and what some of the planetary aspects represent.
"All planets in Western astrology share the same type of aspect, such as a square, trine, sextile, or opposition," McDonough notes. "Vedic astrology utilizes special aspects—each planet has a specific aspect or set of aspects, along with different strengths that are applied to that specific aspect." Vedic astrology also considers your rising sign to be more important than your sun sign.
Vedic astrology (aka “Jyotish”), literally means “the science of light.” Vedic science comes from the Vedas, one of the oldest spiritual scriptures of India dating back to approximately 1,500-2,000 BCE. Vedic astrologers have a great reputation not only for their spiritual knowledge but for their ability to accurately make astonishing predictions. Here’s a closer look at the Vedic practice as it’s quite different from Western and Chinese astrology.
First of all, it should be known that the “Daily Horoscope” section usually found online and in newspapers has nothing to do with Vedic astrology.
Not only do those sections adhere to Western astrological interpretations, which are different from the Vedic system, they also pay attention to only one small aspect of its practice, thereby creating vague and generalized predictions.
The primary difference between Vedic and Western astrologers comes down to how they view the constellations.
Looking up from Earth, the sun and planets trace a path along the sky, moving against a backdrop of constellations, or patterns of stars which make up the various astrological signs, like Taurus, Aries, Pisces, etc. When the sun or a particular planet moves in front of a particular pattern of stars, it is said to be in the astrological sign those stars represent. Thus, the ecliptic path the planets take as they pass in front of the twelve signs of astrology is called the zodiac.
About 2,000 years ago, both Western and Vedic astrology followed the planets along this ecliptic path to create horoscopes and make predictions.
But as the Earth spins on its axis, it actually experiences a wobble, known as precession. This wobble tilts the Earth, also tilting its ecliptic plane. As a full wobble takes 26,000 years to complete, the ecliptic plane shifts about 1 degree every 72 years.
The ecliptic plane has shifted enough in the last 2,000 years that the position of the sun and planets in relation to the signs no longer matches that of the old ecliptic plane.
Vedic astrology takes precession into account and therefore calculates horoscopes based on the updated ecliptic path. Western astrology, however, sticks to the old path, which is more symbolic as opposed to astronomically accurate.
As described in the Vedas, everyone and everything is under the control of time.By its influence, individuals are pulled inevitably through various stages of existence, before they eventually die and are pushed on to the next life, the condition of which is determined by their accumulated karma.
According to modern science, time and space are interconnected to create the fabric in which we exist known as space-time. Large objects, such as planets, affect this fabric, influencing everything around them.
In the book “The Astrology of the Seers,” David Frawley says:
“What we call the planets are no more than points of light in a vast energy network, connected intricately by subtle lines of force, linking the entire solar system into a single organism. Though the planets appear like small points of light in the distance, their energy fields are present on Earth, and they are responsible for many of the formations of the Earth life and of our own bodies and minds.” Simply put, as life is played out on the field of time, the planets are like referees, maintaining order.
Our future is determined by two things, according to the Vedas: destiny and free will. Destiny refers to the various situations we encounter in life, while free will is how we react to them through thought and action. How we react creates further karma, which then determines the future set of situations we will be destined to face. In other words, our destiny is created by our free will.
The Vedas recognize four goals of human life, dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.Dharma can be basically defined as the mode of conduct most conducive for one’s spiritual growth. Fulfilling dharma, brings meaning, purpose, and honor to a person’s life.
Kama translates literally as “desire,” and refers to the need for sensory and emotional happiness. All beings, in some way or another, are seekers of joy, and should pursue such joy without harming themselves, or others.
Artha, though translating as “goal” or “purpose,” is more specifically related to the acquisition of wealth or sense of security. In order to experience the happiness of attaining one’s goals, a person must have the necessary resources of wealth in order to do so.
The final goal, moksha, means “liberation,” and relates to people’s spiritual development until their eventual freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Vedic astrology is the map of our karma. It allows us to more precisely understand our own nature and destiny in order to navigate our lives in fulfilling these four goals. Ultimately, however, it’s about helping us in our spiritual development to achieve the final goal of moksha. By studying our horoscopes, we can better comprehend what energies are affecting us, and how we can best respond to those energies, often with spiritual practices like chanting or ritual worship, to help us in our spiritual growth.