 
"Astrology is a sacred science - take away the sacred and we have nothing.'
"Far from denying free will, traditional astrology is one of the few pathways towards it that are still open in the modern world."
The Real Astrology by John Frawley
Astrology is a form of divination that uses interpretative meanings given to planets, the moon and certain stars as a way of objectively analysing conditions and accurately predicting the future, given any time reference.
The origins of Western astrology remain a secret, buried under the sands of time. The general consensus is that its mysteries were revealed to an ancient people. Clues from the several astrological classics that have survived from Ancient Greek and Roman times and records that have been recovered in present-day Iraq have helped to suggest this. Our modern day astrology is a dilution of this ancient science and in many cases is almost unrecognisable when compared to the traditional forms.
The rules of traditional astrology were adhered to William Lilly, one of the master astrologers of the late 16th Century. He won great acclaim with one of his many remarkable predictions including the Great Fire of London. Fortunately, for modern students of traditional astrology, Lilly penned his knowledge in a book entitled; 'Christian Astrology' which contains fixed rules that give highly accurate, tested results. Unlike the practice today, intuition was never a substitute for a proper foundation in the craft.
With the advent of the Age of Enlightenment during the 18th century science split away from and made a distinction between itself and the traditional belief systems that existed at the time. One of the results of this was the division of astronomy, the study of the properties of stellar bodies, and astrology, the art of divining from these bodies, which had until then been seen as one science.
Character flaws
Astrology deals with the Lesser Mysteries (the workings of the universe). This means it is helpful to those on a spiritual path who do not want to be at the mercy of their lower nature and are willing to correct flaws in their character. Armed with this kind of objective understanding, we cannot help but marvel at the Universe's handiwork. Not only is it beneficently generous in every way, but also life is beautifully arranged to educate us and bring us closer to the reality of who we are, to our Source, to our final maturation. In this way, we can choose the life we want, instead of the one we were given. Birth charts
Today, astrology is concerned mainly with analysing the birth charts of individuals. To this end, the astrologer requires the client's birth date, birth time and birthplace in order to plot exact positions of the planets for that moment and place.
The sign rising on the horizon at the time of birth is known as the ascendant or rising sign. The exact degree of this sign demarcates twelve areas called 'houses', each of which describes areas of activity, ranging from vocational interests, appearance and partnerships to home life and health.
These houses, which each take up 30° of a circle, are set against the background of the circle of twelve zodiacal signs. Once their positions have been calculated, the ten planets (includes the moon) then take up their positions in this clock within a clock. Using these settings the astrologer can then make a reading, for example - finding a water sign, such as Pisces in the house that rules offspring might mean that the individual has many children.
Twins
Because the rising sign moves a degree every four minutes, a new sign may ascend in the birth chart within that time. This is why in some instances twins born only a few minutes apart are not identical and can display quite different characteristics.
The so-called star sign columns in newspapers describe your sun sign alone and are absurd when compared with the subtlety and intricacy of the full birth chart. For instance, your moon sign indicates the extent of your nurturing instincts, while your Mars sign describes the ardour with which you might express those instincts. Finding these two planets well placed in the house of money may see you develop an enviably shrewd talent for investing and earning well. The angles other planets make to your moon and Mars are information as to how easily this will be done or the nature of the obstacles involved.
It's a given in astrology that each moment is unique and, therefore, that each creation is unique. When the birth chart is correctly interpreted, it provides a map of a life - an oracular understanding of the individual's complexion, life path, talents and other conditions.
There is no standard interpretation in modern astrology. Astrologers vary in their abilities, interpretations, interests and knowledge. Some only use seven planets, others emphasise asteroids or employ an unusual house system.
As above, so below
One of the modern fallacies about astrology that abounds is that the moon and other planetary bodies 'influence' or affect us. This ignores astrology's basic tenet: "As above, so below". In other words, what is above reflects or coincides with what is below. Above we have a celestial mirror, a universal clock and a heavenly guide by which to measure our pace, mark seasons and cycles and delineate temperament.
Shakespeare has a character in a play tell us that the fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves. We cannot blame the planets in their orbits for our failings but with knowledge of our strengths and flaws and the tests ahead, we are forewarned and forearmed with the insight necessary to overcome our shortcomings and life's challenges.
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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