Astrology: What's It Any Good For?

Astrology— I say. Now listen to the audible sound of eyes rolling dramatically in very logical and educated heads of people who dismiss the very notion of such a foolish topic. Why, yes…Astrology.

We might as well bite the bullet now before we go any further; if you’re looking for some simple, clear-cut explanation or theory proving beyond a doubt that the position of planets in space cause the events on earth…well, my friend, you’re welcome to stay, but you might as well google the whole chicken and egg dilemma, and get back to me when you’ve figured it out. If, however, you’re simply looking to understand astrology a bit better and want to get a cursory overview of what it’s all about and what its actually good for –this is the right place for you.

Most of us grow up and end up having at least a faint idea of what astrology deals with. Whether that means you’re aware of your horoscope after having read a monthly spread in a teen magazine or having been corrected by your teacher to talk about ast-ro-no-my…not astrology –you know, the science, not the garbage—you knew something, and usually that knowledge was accompanied by a heavy stigma of it being silly games and riddles. Nevertheless, etymology wise, according to the Oxford English Dictionary AST-RO-LO-GY, the word, has its roots in Latin (astrologia) and Greek (ἀστρολογία), and essentially works out to mean the study of stars. In fact, the OED notes that the Greeks did not differentiate between astrology and astronomy, but both works could be used as synonyms meaning “the science of celestial objects”(‘astrology, n.’).

Unfortunately, the way astrology gets talked about nowadays makes it seem like the entire thing is a big new nonsense fad for teenage girls and ditsy young airheads to obsess over (we can just carefully sneak past the notion of how everything predominantly enjoyed by young women gets labelled as nonsense). The current general consensus within the scientific community tends to do naught to dispel the stigma of astrology being some type of pseudo-science lacking any reputable credibility. Its existence is acknowledged, but the practice as a science very much discredited.

In reality, the bad rep astrology gets, couldn’t be further from the truth; fist of all, astrology is neither new or a fad. According to Yasmin Boland, the author of Astrology Made Easy (Boland, 2016) astrology has been practiced as and organized system as early as the second millennium BCE by the Babylonians. In his article Mesopotamian Astrology (Monroe, 2019) Willis Monroe delves into the rich practice of astrology within the Babylonian context and points out that much like the Greeks, the Babylonians made little to no distinction between astrologers and astronomers as both were equally likely to be able to predict the appearance of a certain planet or celestial happening. Boland and Monroe both note that there are valid arguments suggesting that the practice of astrology could well have emerged even earlier than recorded material exists, as Monroe puts it “In the modern urban setting, it is hard to appreciate the vastness and visual complexity of the night sky. Prior to the rapid onset of light pollution, it was an almost universal source of study (Monroe, 2019)”.

So, astrology’s been around for a while, clearly that means it’s got something to offer. The reasonable question you might be asking is, what good does knowing where a planet will be do for anyone? The way Boland explains astrology is by calling it an investigation into how the positions of celestial bodies correlate with the things that are happening in our lives here on planet earth (Boland, 2016). As scientists will tell you, correlation doth not indicate causation, which brings us to the delightful dilemma of the chicken and the egg, and the pressure point within astrology that keeps skeptics on their toes. How do we know if the cosmic cycles cause events? Couldn’t it be just as plausible that they simply reflect events? And these are absolutely valid questions.

I like to think of it like this, astrologers have had from the time of the empire of Babylonia to this day to gaze at the sky and study the environments and effects planetary movements cause. The widely accepted interpretations of the meanings associated to specific planets and their movements weren’t whipped up in one night. It’s not like someone just woke up one day and decided “Hey, we should say the full moon means there’s a good chance of frogs falling from the sky”. The shaping of meaning within astrology has been painstakingly slow and relied on constant study of the skies above us. In a way the mantra of science as a self-correcting practice applies here as well. Not to mention that as with many things, I do believe that when it comes to astrology, the beauty of it is truly in the eye of the beholder. I know—I know—What a vague and mystifying blanket statement. Let me try to elaborate; in its very essence, astrology is mystical and mysterious—but so are a lot of things that are considered completely legitimate practices (cough*religion*cough*). There is no one person who can unequivocally explain how astrology precisely works, there’s no direct formula to refer to. But in a way astrology is, ironically enough, pretty down to earth as far as mystical practices go.

In its early days, as both Bolan and Monroe remark, the aim of astrology was, through understanding the, appearances, brightness, and position of celestial bodies, to predict an array of things from mundane weather patterns to interpreting messages from the gods. Nowadays we have more efficient ways to figure out whether it’s going to rain or shine, and with the religious diversity of today, we cannot even agree on which gods—if any—exist, let alone devote the time to look for hidden messages they may or may have not sent through the cosmos. And yet, here we are, thousands of years later, discussing astrology. Clearly the practice must have something to offer for it to have survived through the massive changes humanity as a collective has faced. So, the appropriate question most people probably face, when looking into astrology, is –what is it good for?

The answer to that depends entirely on your approach to astrology. If you’re looking to astrology in order to get quick simple answers to the world’s great unanswered questions, the odds are you’ll be left disappointed and confused. However, if you look at practicing astrology as a tool to become more aware of both yourself and the universe around us, chances are you’ll get something out of it. If it helps, you might like to think of it like this. Imagine our universe as a chess board. We know –for certain—that the positions of particular pieces relative to our blue planet, such as the sun and moon, cause tangible effects that we can observe and feel down here on earth; consider the ocean tides and the long dark winters up North. The sun, moon, and earth only take up three slots on this metaphorical chess board; this leaves us with a whole myriad of additional moving pieces –admittedly further away—yet still connected and connecting with the system as a whole. It stands to reason that in the head-achingly big picture of the universe and our human existence, the whole board full of pieces counts. Boland sums it up nicely by stating, “The microcosm is the macrocosm. Everything affects everything (Boland, 2016, p.7)”. Essentially, the point is to be more in tune with everything, including yourself.

This, my friends, is where context comes to play. There is no reason to pretend that we’re not currently living in 2021. In terms of science and knowledge about the physical world, we’ve obviously come a long (LONG) way since the early days of astrology, that is to say, the point of the practice is not to contest the findings or relevance of modern science. The two are not mutually exclusive. They just work for different things—kind of like using herbal remedies for an upset stomach, but antibiotics for a bacterial infection—it’s all about applying the right tool to the right situation. The core of astrology, however, remains the same, as it still works as a tool for divination. At the time ancient Mesopotamian leaders consulted astrology for decisions in highest forms of government (Monroe, 2019), possibly because this was the most fitting tool for it at the time. Modern day astrology, however, might be more applicable for pursuits in self-discovery, guidance, and contemplation on one’s place in the great experience of being.

Before things start getting too lofty, it’s worth stating that as with many forms of divination, astrology also divides into different branches, of which the most common two are Natal Astrology (‘horoscopic astrology’) and Predictive Astrology. Natal astrology is the branch that most people have had some contact with. Most of us know our “horoscope” –meaning we know our Sun sign—but the practice is a bit more complex than that. In Natal Astrology, the idea is to draw a birth chart –a snapshot map of the sky showing the position of planets at the moment a person was born—and the by using the horoscope the aim is to deduce things like an individual’s talents and future challenges. In a nutshell, Natal Astrology is all about understanding ourselves better. Predictive Astrology, on the other hand, focuses on calculating the continuous change of positions, or transits, of the planets around an individual’s birth chart, and from thereon making predictions. (Boland, 2016, pp.7-8).

When I started looking into astrology, I was fascinated with the idea and mystical nature of it all, however, all I really knew was my “horoscope”, which is in Libra. Needless to say, I didn’t quite feel like it resonated with me, never mind told me much about myself. The symbol for the Libra sign being a set of scales, I kept thinking it indicated some sort of balanced quality. Not to call myself out like this, but I think it’s abundantly clear to anyone who’s read any of my previous work—'Balanced’ is not the first adjective I’d choose to describe me. So, I was a little hesitant in diving in deeper to my birth chart. I decided to go forth anyway, because I had started looking into astrology as a more intuitive way for me to keep a calendar (yes, I consulted our most visited ever article by Eveliina Kammonen on Bullet Journaling) and figured ‘what the heck, might as well’. I found myself faced with a much more complicated and detailed weave of information—certainly more helpful than just, “you’re a Libra”.

It turns out you need a bit more than just your date of birth to calculate your birth chart –don’t worry, no real math is actually required—even though nowadays the process is as simple as feeding your information into an astrology birth chart calculator on any given website. The tricky part is actually reading the chart and getting something out of it. Therefore, I will attempt to walk you through a quick crash course on the minimum of moving parts you need to understand in order to start your trip down the rabbit hole that is self discovery through Natal Astrology:

GETTING STARTED:

First things first. If you want to cast a complete birth chart, you’ll need to know your:

1.     Date of birth (this one should be for obvious reasons)

2.     Location of birth, e.g., the coordinates of the nearest big city (this is needed to determine the positions of the planets in relation to your birth location on earth, after all, the night sky does not appear the same everywhere.

3.     Time of birth; the time of day that is (this is not completely necessary, so, don’t worry if you don’t recall it right away—you could always ask your parents, they tend to remember casual information like this—but it is required if you intend to calculate your rising sign (I’ll get to that soon), and it needs to be rather accurate.

ZODIACS:

The Zodiac is mostly known as a list of twelve signs, one for each ‘horoscope’. However, the Zodiac is actually “—an imaginary band in the sky around which the Sun passes in its apparent path across the Earth’s sky [also called the ecliptic] (Boland, 2016, p.5)”. This band is then divided into twelve equal sections, each named after the familiar zodiac signs we know. Not to overcomplicate things, but it is handy to know that each Zodiac sign also represents one of the four key elements *insert The Last Airbender voiceover here*: water, earth, fire, air. These elements associated with each sign attribute certain qualities to them, and with the full birth chart you’ll be able to see which elements your chart is composed of.

·       Aries—Fire

·       Taurus—Earth

·       Gemini—Air

·       Cancer—Water

·       Leo—Fire

·       Virgo—Earth

·       Libra—Air

·       Scorpio—Water

·       Sagittarius—Fire

·       Capricorn—Earth

·       Aquarius—Air

·       Pisces—Water

PLANETS:

The planets are, to put it mildly, pretty damn important to astrology. In our chess board analogy, the planets would be the pieces on their fixed paths. In Natal Astrology the idea is to see which zodiac each planet is in at the moment of your birth. The planets are typically divided into two categories; inner and outer planets, the former of which move quicker, and the latter slower. This is relevant, because some planets may vary between people born just a year apart, while others may be the same for people born 14 years apart. The latter are sometimes called generational planets, which I like to think of as astrology’s version of today’s grouping people into Boomers, Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z. Each planet also has assigned meaning and therefore simply knowing one Zodiac sign in your chart will feel like only having access to one piece of a puzzle you’re trying to solve. Much like with puzzles, also in natal astrology, all pieces need to be in place for the big picture to be revealed. Before we go any further, I’m going to note that when talking about planets, astrologers include the Sun and the Moon, though astronomy wise astrologers are very well aware that they are, in fact, not planets. Below you will see a list of inner and outer planets (and the ascendant) and their domains (assigned meaning) explained.

·       INNER PLANETS

·       The Sun = The self; who you are, what you’re here to do, individuality

·       Moon = What you need; emotions, intuition, your subconscious

·       Mercury = Talk; how you communicate, how you connect mentally, how you exchange ideas

·       Mars = Drive; how competitive, determined, brash, and willful you are

·       Venus = love; how you love, express affection. What you find pleasant.

Ascendant:

The ascendant, or rising sign, is the sign that was rising in the East at the moment of your birth relative to your location. It tells how you come across at first impression.

·       OUTER PLANETS

·       Jupiter = luck; how lucky, how adventurous, how optimistic, and open-minded you are.

·       Saturn = solemn; the lessons you must learn, your fears, limits, self-discipline, and responsibility

·       Neptune = spirit; what inspires you, how you inspire others, your psychic ability, relationship to arts

·       Uranus = liberation; where you want to be free, untamed, rash, evolving

·       Pluto =   power; where you are in or desire control, obsessions, power struggles, destructive side, your shadow

HOUSES:

Just to keep things interesting, knowing the signs of the Zodiac is not enough to interpret a birth chart. This is because the twelve slots the Zodiac is divided into are also called the Twelve Houses, which in turn are ruled by a specific sign. In other words, you can imagine the houses as plots on the Zodiac and the signs as homeowners. Which homeowner owns which plot depends on the all-important Rising Sign, as the sign you have for your ascendant, will rule (own) the first house. This then determines the rulers of your next houses as you simply choose the next sign in line from the traditional order (see order above). Each house is associated with a specific area of life, which will be depicted soon in the list below. The point is to combine information from the planets, signs, and houses and try to understand what the combination tells about you. It’s a bit more complex than simply saying “I’m a Libra,” but at least no one can claim that your horoscope isn’t individual.

1. The first house deals with your appearances.

2. The second house deals with what you value and your material wealth

3. The third house deals with communication, trips, and the mind

4. The fourth house deals with home and foundations

5. The fifth house deals with romance and creativity

6. The sixth house deals with your daily routine, health, and your job situation

7. The seventh house deals with partnerships (all types, business, friendship, romantic).

8. The eight house deals with life and death and life’s big mysteries

9. The ninth house deals with broadening your mind, travel and study

10. The tenth house deals with your ambitions and career

11. The eleventh house deals with your friends, social circles, and groups in general

12. House twelve deals with your fears, dreams , and self-sabotage

So, if you made it through all that, you’ll now have a cursory understanding of the principles and all the key players involved in astrology. Though, there is much more to tell, and much more to discover, I hope to have instilled you with the notion of “don’t knock it till you try it”. And if nothing else comes out of it, you’ll at least have some nifty new information to add to your dating profiles, and if you find yourself intrigued, you’ll have the tools to explore astrology further. Just remember, the beauty of it all is in your hands!

Sources Cited:

‘astrology, n.’ (no date) OED Online. Oxford University Press. Available at: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/12267 (Accessed: 24 October 2021).

Boland, Y. (2016) Astrology Made Easy. UK: Hay House UK.

Monroe, M.W. (2019) ‘Mesopotamian astrology’, Religion Compass, 13(6), p. N.PAG-N.PAG. doi:10.1111/rec3.12318.