15 Steps - A Beginner's Guide to Astrology

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#15 What is it?

The first question you probably want to ask is "what exactly is astrology?" Put simply, astrology is "the study of the correlation between celestial and earthly events". Astrologers believe that the movements and positions of the planets and stars affect our daily lives.



#14 Which House?

When you hear the word "houses", you might think of a traditional home with a roof, doors and windows, but when it comes to astrology, "houses" means something quite different! They are the 12 sections of your natal (or birth) chart which represent the 12 different "arenas" of your life. These houses are formed by dividing the astrology wheel into 12 sections.



#13 Face the Elements

An important step when beginning to learn about astrology, is to focus on understanding each sign of the zodiac, as well as their archetypal energy. Another key term to learn is "triplicities", which is based on the classical elements of fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), air (Gemini, Aquarius, Libra) and water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces), as well as the star signs which belong to each element.



#12 Here Comes the Sun

The Sun is a particularly influential body in terms of astrology, and it represents a person's hopes and dreams for the future. The Sun also corresponds to principles such as willpower, courage, creativity, purpose, growth, one's sense of uniqueness, authority, the father and the ruler. The Sun's glyph represents potential, whereas the Sun's circle represents completeness.



#11 To the Moon

The Moon also has important meaning in astrology, and it corresponds to principles such as: protective instinct, the home environment, our sense of 'belonging', eating patterns, attitudes to the past, the imagination and women, in particular the mother. While the Sun is connected to action, the Moon is connected to reaction.



#10 Earthquakes Too?

Another key aspect to astrology, is that the practice does not only involve people! Charts can also be drawn up and mapped out for countries, companies, events and natural disasters - if it has a start date, a time, and a place, then an astrological chart can be made for it in order to understand it more!



#9 Watch for Angles

Another important aspect of the planets is that they 'angle' one another, and when this happens (depending on the angle) it means that the planets will react in a certain manner, therefore creating implications for each of the star signs. The four major angles include: 60 degrees apart (Sextile), 90 degrees apart (Square), 120 degrees apart (Trine) and 180 degrees apart (Opposition). The planets can also conjoin, which means their qualities merge together.



#8 Piecing it Together

There are four angles of the chart, and these are known as the Ascendant, Imum Coeli, Descendant and Midheaven. When a planet connects with them, it has a profound impact upon our lives. Of these four, two are particularly important - The Ascendant shows our personality in a way so intimate that only ourselves or those closest to us will recognise, and the Midheaven shows our professional direction in life.



#7 Tracking Birth

The natal chart, commonly referred to as a birth chart, records the date, time, and place of birth. Everyone's chart is unique however, because even though two people are born on the same day or place, the earth is continuously revolving, and therefore each person will have a different relationship to the energies and planets surrounding them.



#6 Studying the Skies

Astrology involves a lot of work on behalf of the astrologer, and not all of it is easy! Astrologers track the orbits of each planet around the Solar System and then they track these movements onto a chart. Each planet is looked at individually, and through many years of practice and study, astrologers learn how people born with planets in different signs and houses will react and how this impacts upon their personality.



#5 Wheels are Turning

What is a horoscope wheel you ask? It is a clock that turns nearly 360 degrees in one day, just like a normal clock that tells the time. The 'hands' of the horoscope clock slowly tick their way through each of the 12 zodiac signs, and therefore the focus on each of the signs brings with it different implications for each throughout the day. Simple, right?



#4 Same, but Different...

We know what you're thinking - astrology seems so much easier when you read your horoscope in the magazines! That type of 'astrology' was invented in 1930 as more of a form of entertainment in newspapers and magazines. Astrologers claim that it is an overly simplistic form of astrology that often gets things very wrong! Proper Western astrology is way more complex than that...



#3 Crystal Ball?

Contrary to what some may think, the practice of astrology does not involve crystal balls or "picking a card". If your intentions for learning astrology are to see into the future, predict events, or anything else that doesn't involve self-realization, then we hate to say it, but you will be wasting your time!



#2 Out of this World

Since astrology places a great importance on the planets, it is also important that you learn about each one, as well as what they each represent. As planets pass through each of our 12 houses, they impact differently on the aspect of our life that correspond to that houses.



#1 Chart It!

So, you feel confident and curious enough to start calculating and drawing up your own charts? The best place to start as a beginner to astrology would be to make use of the free chart calculators and services on websites such as Astro.com or The Constellation Chamber. If you're especially serious about your astrology endeavors, our best advice is to find yourself a mentor who can share his or her knowledge with you.