Astro Girls Astrology Horoscopes

Central to Astrology are horoscopes – the relationships of the celestial bodies in our Universe. And, central to horoscopes are the relationships and compatibility of those heavenly bodies we might bump into on Earth.

And “bumping” is what we Earthlings are doing more and more in this “Age of Aquarius”. Whether this new age “dawned” in 1957 with our first steps into space, the awakenings of the 60s, or the millennium in 2000; it is indeed an age of community, socialization and sharing as we’ve never known before.

Astrology consists of a set of assumptions about human behavior together with rules that relate these assumptions to observable events.

A simple example might be, if a person has Saturn on the ascendant, this would predict that the function symbolized by this planet would be a noticeable feature of his personality.

This is based on the assumptions that the ascendant is a conspicuous element of personality, and planets conjunct the ascendant will be prominent in the person’s appearance and behavior. Since Saturn has an empirical definition, e.g., Saturn represents the process to organize and is associated with orderly, serious behavior geared toward satisfying the need for structure and control, how do these concepts match up with actual observation of this person’s behavior? Does this person, in fact, appear to be orderly, serious, structured, if so then, this may be considered a valid assumption.

Astrology represents a theory complete with motivational drives, psychological faculties with empirical definitions, systematically related assumptions, and a capacity for generating predictions that are empirically verifiable.

Every planet, sign, and house is implicated in the personality, thereby showing how multidimensional and integrative a theory astrology is.

There are three main schools of astrology, “Western” with which most of us are more or less familiar, “Vedic” also known as Indian or Hindu and Chinese which is in a class by itself.

The primary difference between the Western and the Vedic is how they divide and view the Ecliptic or the band of the Zodiac.

The Vedic system, more astronomically accurate, uses the actual constellations in the sky (the “Sidereal Zodiac”) and the relationships between the Earth and the stars to divide the zodiac.

The Western system is based on the “Tropical Zodiac”, a more mathmatical formula, with the Sun determining the boundaries of the zodiac. Marking the position of the Sun on the first day of spring (the Vernal Equinox) the constellations are each given a 30 degree section of the sky.

The Philosophies of Astrology

The philosophies of the disciplines are also different. The Vedic system is concerned more with Karma and your acts in relationship to your job, family, health and the other situations in your life.

The Western system perhaps more materialistic and “intellectual” emphasizes the mind and psychology: what you think about, your psychological disposition and how you relate to people. To simplify to an extreme, Vedic astrology describes what you do, Western describes what you think.

Chinese horoscopes are based on the year of one’s birth using a 60 year cycle and, as such, are not properly astrological. The Chinese form is more closely associated with the Eastern philosophy of harmony, Yin Yang, I Ching, destiny and fate.

Astrology Then

Certainly, humans have always marveled at the heavens, and it’s probable that the Sumerian of ancient Babylon (map) first developed the general principle, which was and is still accepted, that events in the heavens have analogies on Earth, eg., the unexpected appearance of a comet across the orderly Zodiac was a portent of “dis-aster” (bad star).

Ancient peoples initially perceived the planets as gods who ruled over the various processes of nature, much as a king ruled over his subjects. The conceived relationship between celestial and terrestrial events was linear, dualistic, and hierarchical: a superior power had dominion over an inferior one. While later and deeper forms of astrological philosophy recognized that macrocosm and microcosm were actually inter penetrating and thus their relationship was not linear or dualistic, this view declined with the collapse of the Hellenistic culture in the third century.

A simpler model prevailed during the medieval period and persisted in one form or another right up to the second half of the twentieth century. Human beings were perceived as fated recipients of cosmic forces that could be propitiated but not denied./p>

The Bible recounts the “Greatest Story Ever Told” with three “Wise Men” following their star. They may have been ridiculed by their family and friends, at the time, as they embarked upon an unknown journey with little more than their faith and a knowledge of heaven.

Astrology Now

For many millions, a casual reading of their horoscopes is a daily practice. They may not fail to check a compatibility chart for a new acquaintance (especially a potential mate), or how the stars are lining up on that new job or adventure.

Inevitably, everyone’s horoscope will contain contradictions, and as a result certain interpretations may seem difficult to reconcile. However, this may still be an accurate reflection of the individual, as people (surprise, surprise) do experience conflicting desires and beliefs in their lives.

Why Astrology?

It’s possible to repress, block, develop and to change our lives. An understanding of your “signs” may help clarify issues in your life and encourage you to master rather than be a victim of circumstances.

The established opinion of the scientific community is that astrology is superstition, with no actual predictive ability, however, many scientists of the world today are themselves actively engaged in searching the stars for the secrets and meaning of life.

“And, there will be signs in Heaven”.

Whichever side of the debate you find yourself, it may be important to remember that this is not “augury” or fortunetelling, but wonderfully great fun. And, that we can all (without guilt) enjoy the incredibly delicious coincidences and seeming contradictions that is life.

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