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This is our growing collection of astrology FAQs. If you have a question which you think should be added here, why not try submitting it through our Ask an Astrologer page?Q. Astrology is all just about sun signs, isn't it? I know I'm a Libra, what else is there to know? A. Astrology is most definitely not just about sun signs. The sun is an important factor in any natal chart, but there are hundreds of other variables to take into account. The popularity of 'sun signs' arose because of the sun's steady, predictable movement - the sign into which the sun falls on any given day is just about the only thing it is easy for a lay-person to see without calculation. Clearly, however, there are only 12 signs of the zodiac, so one twelfth of all humanity is 'a Libra' etc. Making generalisations so vast can only ever be symbolic, it is not really what astrology is about. Popular horoscopes, where an astrologer makes daily or weekly predictions for each sun sign, are harmless fun and can be very accurate if your sun happens to be right in the middle of your particular sign (see later question), but for most of us can never be anything more than 'background' information. Q. What are the other variables in astrology apart from the sun sign, then? A. In terms of assessing personality, which is what most people think of when they think 'astrology' the most important tool is the natal chart. This is the 'map' of the heavens as they were at the exact moment and place of that individual's birth. First of all the astrologer will calculate the Ascendant and the Midheaven (which degree of which sign was rising in the east at the moment of birth, and directly overhead, respectively). These two points form the basis of any natal chart, and incidentally the Ascendant sign is usually a more important influence on the personality than the sun sign. The degree of the Ascendant changes every four minutes, and varies according to where on earth the birth took place. The astrologer will calculate the exact position (i.e. to the degree and minute, not just which sign) of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto and plot them onto the chart. Other astronomical points and bodies such as the Moon's north and south nodes, asteroids, Arabic parts and others are sometimes included. Next the astrologer calculates the positions of twelve 'houses' which divide the natal chart into twelve distinct areas of concern - these are also unique to the time and place of birth. He or she will also calculate the angular distance in the zodiac between each pair of planets and some points - specific angular distances, called 'aspects' are meaningful in interpretation. Only when all of this information has been assembled and plotted onto the natal chart wheel can we begin to draw reliable conclusions about the personality of the owner of this chart. Even then, the relative strengths and weaknesses of all of this - often conflicting - information has to be synthesised into a coherent whole. Q. 'I have no idea what on earth to do with my life. Here's my birth data - can you tell me what to do?' A. Nobody can tell you what to do with your life, and no reputable astrologer would ever claim to be able to do so. By studying your astrological chart, we can gain an insight into your talents, and see in which areas your life there is harmony and in which there is discord. We can also study the upcoming planetary trends in your life and advise you on times that might be full of opportunity or full or potential problems. However, your own free will and your desire to make the most of your life far outweigh the instructions any astrologer can give you. We can guide you, but we cannot and should not make the decisions for you. Q. 'I was born on a day when the Sun changed sign. How do I find out what sign my Sun is in?' A. If you know your time of birth, it is a straightforward matter for an astrologer to calculate the position of your Sun and see which sign it is in. However, you can do this yourself - there is no great mystery to it. If you can get hold of an astrological software programme, you can easily calculate your whole natal chart - this would be valuable to you, as your Sun sign is only a tiny part of the real picture. Alternatively, if you can get hold of an ephemeris, which is a book that lists the positions of the planets either at noon or at midnight on each and every day, you can look up the position of your sun manually by calculating the difference between the Sun's position at noon GMT on that day and it's position at your time and place of birth. Q. Which Sun Signs are compatible with mine? A. It is often believed that people of one sun sign are compatible - or not - with those of certain other sun signs. There is a broad truth in this, but I cannot emphasise enough that this is only a generality - your compatibility - or not - with another individual can only really be assessed through detailed analysis of the many and complex interactions between your two complete natal charts - not just your sun signs. As a very rough guide, it is often true that people with suns in the same element (earth, water, air, fire) tend to get along more easily. For instance, it is popularly thought that a Leo sun sign would get along better with a Sagittarius sun sign (both fire) than with a Cancer sun sign (fire and water). This can be true. On the other hand, just to illustrate how dangerous it is to jump to conclusions like that, it can also be true that the two (in this case) fire signs will absolutely hate one another, always competing to be the centre of attention and suffering from large ego clashes. The fire and water combination, for instance, contrary to popular belief, can be very effective. Fire ignites the passion and energy that water sometimes lacks, whilst water calms the excesses of fire and softens its over-ardent energy. The truth is that some people get along and some do not - and the reasons for this lie far deeper in the natal chart than the sun sign. Q. Can you recommend a good book on astrology for beginners? A. There are many good beginners books on astrology, but some do tend to rely heavily on a sort of 'cookbook' attitude, telling you what the various combinations of planets and signs mean, rather than teaching you why. Two that certainly don't fall into this trap are 'Modern Textbook of Astrology' by Margaret E. Hone, which is a standard first text in many astrology schools, and 'Parker's Astrology' by Derek and Julia Parker which is an excellent all-round reference book. Q. Where can I find scientific research on astrology? A. Again, a good book is probably the easiest answer, although specialist libraries and some major city libraries may carry copies of recent scientific works. Two books which thoroughly sum up current thinking are 'Scientific Basis of Astrology' by Percy Seymour and 'The Astrology File' by Gunter Sachs. Q. I have seen people born within days/hours of one another whose lives have been totally different - how come? Also, how come twins born moments apart can have such different personalities? A. Even a few moments difference in the time of birth, or no difference in time but a different place of birth, can change a natal chart significantly. Because of the speed of movement of the faster bodies such as the Moon, and the fact that the degree of the Ascendant (and therefore the divisions of the houses) changes roughly every four minutes, people who just happen to share the same birthday will obviously have quite different charts. Since the Earth is the only planet which makes a trip around the sun exactly once a year (which is how we measure our years, after all!), all of the other planets will be in quite different positions on the same day in a different year. If two charts really are identical, from two people born at exactly the same time (not twins born a few moments apart) in exactly the same place (which is incredibly rare) the ways in which the factors within the chart are expressed will vary from person to person. Some people operate on a material level, for instance, whilst others are more spiritually inclined. The same chart can be expressed on many different levels, as the natal chart does not show 'fate' or 'destiny' as such. The individual concerned always has their free will, and it is the exercise of this free will that determines how the influences indicated within a chart will express themselves. Q. What is the meaning of the term 'Age of Aquarius'? A. Due to the precession of the equinoxes (see relevant question), the vernal equinox enters a new sign in the sidereal zodiac about every 2160 years. Currently, at the vernal equinox, the Sun is in the sign of Pisces, so this is the Age of Pisces. The sun will not actually appear in Aquarius during the vernal equinox until the year 2377. Some astrologer believe, however, that as the Sun gets nearer and nearer to the Aquarius cusp we will begin to see some of the effects of this age - hence the 'dawning of the Age of Aquarius'. Although popular with the public, many astrologers dismiss the relevance of astrological 'ages', due to disputes over the validity of the ways in which these 'ages' are calculated. Q. How does astrology work? What physical mechanism is there for the planets to influence me down here on earth? A. If I knew the answer to that question, I would be a rich woman! As yet, we do not know specifically 'how' astrology works. There are at least two differing schools of thought, one quite esoteric in nature and the other more practical, but both, as yet, equally unproven. The first explanation is a principle similar to 'synchronicity', an acasual connecting principal proposed by Carl Jung. Simply put, the general idea here is that events on earth of a specific nature co-incide with astronomical events of a similar nature (according to the symbolic significance of the celestial bodies). This is where the astrological saying 'As above...so Below' comes from. Astrologers believe that celestial and earthly events are mutually reflective and inter-penetrating. It is not a case of cause and effect - celestial events don't cause anything, but merely reflect what is ALSO happening on earth. This is of course still hypothetical and a complicated and not widely understood theory. The second school of thought is that there are (as yet) unknown forces or energies emanating from the planets which affect life on earth. The once proposed theory of gravitational pull has been pretty much discounted due to the huge distances involved between ourselves and the more distant planets, but the fact remains that there is biological evidence showing a harmony between celestial rhythms and biological rhythms - one only has to consider the effect of the moon on the tides, on the female menstrual cycle, and, some say, on mental illness. Changes in patterns of solar radiation are also known to have biological effects on earth. Clearly much more research and funding is needed if we are ever to discover more concrete evidence about 'how' astrology works. Q. So if we don't know 'how' astrology works, how can we be so sure that it does? A. It is evidence from experience and from research that convinces astrologers that astrology does indeed 'work'. The rich descriptive theory that has evolved over thousands of years provides for a deep understanding of human nature and the capacity for prediction of the type of circumstances which will prevail during specific time periods. As with most areas of inquiry, the correct explanatory theory to account for the structure of this descriptive theory awaits discovery. It is perhaps worth remembering, however, that many great discoveries were known about in theory for hundreds, even thousands of years before they could be 'proven'. Even in fairly recent history the theory of tectonic plates beneath the earth's crust was discounted and scorned before it could eventually be proven. Just because we cannot 'prove' something does not necessarily render it invalid. All that most astrologers ask is that you try astrology for yourself, under the guidance of a trained professional, and make up your own mind. Q. How are 'horoscopes' worked out? A. Although astrologers writing horoscope sun sign columns obviously cannot make their predictions entirely applicable to each and every individual reader, they do use accepted astrological techniques. Let's see how an astrologer would construct the sun sign horoscope for, say, Virgo, for a particular week. First of all, they have to make the assumption that the Sun is roughly in the middle of this sign. Then they will look to see if any planets are making aspects to the Sun during the week in question, and these aspects are then interpreted. If your Sun happens to be in the middle of Virgo, then these aspects may well be highly relevant to you. If your Sun falls at the beginning or end of Virgo, they may be totally useless. In addition, if your Sun is not in the middle, there may be other aspects being made in your own personal chart, some of which could even be exactly opposite in effect to the ones the horoscope astrologer has pinpointed. The horoscope writer will then also set up 'houses', by assuming that Virgo is the first house, Libra the second and so forth, and they then examine whether any important planets fall into the various houses. An interpretation of your own natal chart, of course, is calculated precisely to your own individual date, place and time of birth, and the house and sign positions therefore rarely coincide with the horoscope astrologer's sun sign houses and generalities. Sun sign columns work best for people who's sun falls in the middle of their sun sign, who also happen to have several other planets in the middle of their respective signs and who's Ascendant (first house cusp) is at roughly zero degrees of the same sign as their Sun. Such people do of course exist, but are rare. For the rest of us, horoscopes can best be looked at as providing a background 'flavour' to the way your week might go - perhaps the best way to view them is as harmless entertainment. Q. I notice that I need to know the time zone used in the place I was born, and also the longitude and latitude of this place in order to erect a natal chart. How can I find out this information? A. If you are having your chart professionally calculated, you will only need to tell the astrologer the place of birth, and they will take care of the calculations - although if the place is a tiny hamlet or somewhere with an obscure time zone it will obviously be helpful if you can point them in the right direction. If you are erecting the natal chart yourself, you will probably already have come across reference books that can tell you this information. Any reasonable sized library should have international atlas references which can help you, and most will also have reference books indicating time zones. Care is needed, however, if you suspect you were born during a time when a non-standard time was in use - 'war time' was observed (differently) in many countries during WWII for instance, and Daylight Savings Time has been observed rather erratically in many countries, including the UK. For this information you need a reference book such as 'Time Changes in the World' by Doris Chase Doane. For UK information you can consult the Greenwich Observatory. Q. I do not know the time of day I was born. Is there any way of finding out? A. Many countries (but sadly not the UK) record the time of birth on birth certificates. Alternatively, you can always try contacting the hospital where you were born - although understandably they may give a low priority to your request. Don't forget to ask parents and other relatives who may have written the time down somewhere. Q. If, having tried all those things I still can't find the time of birth, does that mean that I can't have my natal chart calculated? A. No, not at all. There is an astrological technique called 'rectification' through which an astrologer can sometimes work backwards to arrive a likely birth time for you. This works through you providing the astrologer with dates of significant events in your life (marriage, births of children, deaths of loved ones, accidents, house moves and so forth) - the astrologer will then look at the planetary activity on those dates, compare it to your natal chart calculated for noon and try to back-track to find the 'best fit'. This is, however, a time-consuming - and therefore usually expensive - process. If rectification is not possible or desirable, a considerable amount of information can still be gleaned from the natal chart. The position of the Moon, which moves about 13 degrees within 24 hours, will be inaccurate, the Ascendant Sign will be unknown (and therefore the house divisions will also be unknown). However, the aspects between the planets will be roughly accurate, and the sign positions of the planets (except perhaps the Moon) will be correct. From this information a good assessment of the natal chart can be made, although it will necessarily be less accurate than it would have been with a birth time. Q. When astrologers say the Sun is in Aries, it's not really in the constellation of Aries at all. Doesn't that disprove the whole thing? A. The phenomenon referred to here is called 'Precession of the Equinoxes'. A full explanation of this is given here, but in brief: the astronomical constellations are not the same thing as the zodiacal divisions used in astrology, and should not be confused. Astrologers are well aware of the Precession and its effects, but it doesn't prove or disprove anything and is largely irrelevant to the practise of modern astrology. Q. Is astrology an art or a science? A. Well, I suppose the answer to that depends on personal opinion. Until astrology is once again accepted back into mainstream education, the classification of it doesn't really matter and is unlikely to be agreed upon. In some ways it is a science, in as much as it follows a clearly definable set of rules and principles, based upon mathematical and astronomical calculations. In other ways it is an arts subject, in as much as the interpretation of an astrological chart is based upon a rich and symbolic language, and the art of synthesising hundreds of variables into a coherent interpretation is a skill based more upon language and psychology than on science. I personally feel that the best compromise is to call astrology a social science, if it has to have a label at all. Q. Religions tend to frown upon astrology. Is it a religion in itself or anti-religious in some way? A. Not all religions frown upon astrology. Some of the major world faiths fully embrace it. Christianity tends to frown upon astrology, in the main, through a misunderstanding and a lack of comprehension about what astrologers are trying to do. The thought seems to be that astrology must in some way be blasphemous because astrologers 'predict the future' and only God can do that. Reputable astrologers do not 'predict the future' in this way, they merely advise upon forthcoming trends and allow people to use their own free will to do what they will with this information. Astrology is not a religion in itself, and excellent astrologers have come from all over the world, from each of the faiths, or from no faith at all. Astrology neither embraces nor eschews religion, and the religion of those practising it is a personal matter for them. It is perhaps worth remembering that at one time astrologers played an important part in the Christian and Jewish worlds. The Bible is littered with astrological references, and of course it was 'magi' or astrologers who followed the Bethlehem Star. Even the Pope had astrological advisers until comparatively recent times in history, and the back of the Papal throne is decorated with astrological symbolism. The hostility from some parts of the Christian and Jewish religions towards astrology is a misunderstanding based on the mistaken belief that astrology is somehow connected to witchcraft or to 'the Dark Arts'. Religion is no barrier to practise of astrology, and nobody, no matter what their faith, has anything to fear from astrology. Q. What is the difference between progressions and transits? A. Transits are happening to all of us, at the same time. Transits are the real, physical daily planetary movements. When the Moon is cojunct Mars, it's that way for all of us, although how it affects each individual natal chart is unique to each of us. Progressions are not physical' movements at all, rather symbolic calculations used to 'age' a natal chart. Progressions have a subtle and gradual influence in our lives, whereas the influence of a major transit can sometimes appear suddenly and be over quickly. Q. If a child is born prematurely, or late, or by caesarean section, does this affect the baby's astrological make-up? If someone was supposed to have been a Sun sign Taurus but ends up as a Pisces, how does this affect their lives? A. Well, for a start, the sun sign is not the be all and end all of astrology; as explained elsewhere it is but a small part of anyone's total astrological make-up. Therefore being one sun sign instead of another is really neither here nor there. Most astrologers, myself included, believe that a soul itself decides when the moment is right for its birth, be that 'when due' or early, or late. Therefore premature or late births are entirely correct in the astrological scheme of things, and that baby's astrological inheritance is entirely right for him or for her - 'due dates' are for adult convenience only, and really have no bearing on astrology. The issue of spontaneous (as in not induced or surgical) birth versus caesarean or induction is an interesting one. If we take the belief stated above that the child's soul chooses its time of birth, then where does that leave the souls of little ones who are denied that choice? Well, the difference in my experience seems to stem from the reasons behind the surgical birth. If it is an emergency caesarean, as in the birth of my own daughter, where the child may well not have survived without that intervention, then we take that as being the 'right time' for that child's birth, and treat it exactly the same as a spontaneous birth, even if it is very premature, as my daughter's birth was. On the other hand, if the surgical birth is chosen for the convenience of the mother and/or hospital staff then clearly the issue of the soul's choice no longer applies. In this case, it is true that there may be a very slight anomaly in the child's personality, perhaps best described as wearing a shoe that it slightly too big. As most 'elected' surgical births take place quite close to the 'due date' in any case, however, the anomaly is so small as to be insignificant - the differences in the astrological chart the child is born with and that which it might have chosen for itself will be outweighed by the child's life experiences, and he or she will grow up to be entirely comfortable with his or her astrological inheritance after all.
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