Astrology Uncovered

Whether you swear by it or scoff at it, love it or hate it – everyone has picked up a newspaper, and read their horoscope at some point in their lives

What the average horoscope reader often doesn’t stop to think about is how those tiny nuggets of wisdom got onto the page – there’s an entire process, history, and method behind a horoscope. It’s all part of a bigger practice – called astrology. It takes years of study, hard work, and practice to understand the art and learn how to read star patterns and natal charts.

History of Astrology

Astrology has been around for thousands of years, with its earliest roots found in the Babylonian era, in 1645 BC. Horoscopes have been around for quite some time too – the first record of a horoscope dates back 410BC.

Astrology is a science involving the sun, star signs, planets, and other astrological bodies and how they relate to certain meanings. According to astrologers, each planet in our solar system has a different energy that subconsciously affects us. In order to understand the deeper meaning of these feelings and energies, we turn to astrology.

Understanding Astrology – And how to use it

Roderick Benns, a journalist-turned-astrologer with 25 years of experience in the science, believes astrology can be a very enriching aspect of one’s life.

“The great gift of astrology is that it helps you understand the nature of [planetary] cycles,” he says, “and when you understand – and can read – cycles, you are empowered to seek the right change at the right time, or you’re able to deal with setbacks because you realize the cyclical nature of life”.

To better explain these cycles, we can look at a current example. Saturn has been in Virgo since 2007. This means if you’re a Virgo (born between August 23-September 22) like I am, you might be experiencing depression or sadness for no ‘real’ reason. Saturn will remain in Virgo until July of 2010, and, according to Durham College Astrology Instructor Joan Ann Evelyn, when it leaves things should get better for those born to that star sign. Evelyn believes that understanding astrology, the planets, and how they work can be very helpful to many people, as “it gives you knowledge and insight you can’t get anywhere else”.

Astrology can help someone understand their personality better and provide a deeper understanding of relationships, financial matters, educational profiles – or really any issue you can imagine!

My Birth Chart

Donna Van Toen, a respected and certified Toronto astrologer, agrees with Evelyn, and believes that an astrologer can help an individual by giving them “another view of themselves”. For instance, she explains, a client might come to her to ask about a certain relationship and whether or not it’s right for them. Often, Van Toen says, the person knows deep down something might not be quite right, but through use of their birth chart they can confirm their gut feelings, or get a deeper understanding of why something just feels wrong. “[Astrology] gives us an objective second opinion”, she says.

A birth chart is calculated using your date of birth, time of birth, and birthplace. Once an astrologer has that information, they can provide an in-depth understanding of your personality. There are 12 different ‘houses’ on a birth chart, and which planet or astrological body is located in each has a significant meaning in regards to ones personality and life. No two birth charts are exactly the same, and are as different as an individual’s fingerprints or DNA. There are a number of great websites that will figure out and create your birth chart for you free of charge.

Interpreting Your Horoscope

The astrological sign we look for when we read our horoscope is called the ‘sun sign’. According to Evelyn, those horoscopes are only 100% applicable to those born in the morning. “Specifically,” she says, “those born between 6 and 8am”.

If you were born in this time, it means both your sun sign (which is calculated using only your date of birth) and your rising sign (which is calculated using your time of birth) are the same. If you were not one of the lucky few to be born in the early morning, than in order to truly benefit from your horoscope you need to find out what your rising sign is, and read both your sun sign and rising sign horoscopes and interpret them together.

Studying Astrology and Further Learning

Still interested in learning more about astrology? There are a number of great classes you can take to study astrology – either for leisure, or to become a certified astrologer yourself. Van Toen even runs a conference every year, called ‘State Of The Art‘, or ‘SOTA’, which is designed for astrologers and those interested in astrology to attend and learn more. Currently, approximately 100-150 people attend annually.

Although Benns, Van Toen, and Evelyn all study different fields of astrology, they do have one thing in common. Each one found astrology “by accident”. “I never planned to do this professionally,” said Evelyn, “But here I am!”

Van Toen recounts a similar experience: “I think it chose me,” she said, “rather than me choosing it. It wasn’t like I set out to do this.”

She calls astrology an “enriching” experience, and all three recommend if your interest has been piqued – you should consider learning more… as you might just find it enriches your life as well.