I have a terrible time wrapping my mind around the intangible. Fortune Teller Hocus Pocus isn't for me. I am - on the other hand - very interested in observing how people in history evaluated or measured their surroundings to better understand their world.
So, today, I am going to explore horoscopic astrology. We'll see if I can't map my destiny :)
The following is not an original article and not in my own words. It is a journey of my readings copied & pasted here for you to follow...
(The following excerpts were taken from Wikipedia.com)
Horoscopic astrology is a form of astrology that uses a horoscope, a visual representation of the heavens, for a specific moment in time in order to interpret the inherent meaning underlying the alignment of the planets at that moment. The idea is that the placement of the planets at any given moment in time reflects the nature of that moment and especially anything that is born then, and this can be analyzed using the chart and a variety of rules for interpreting the 'language' or symbols therein...
... The most prevalent application of horoscopic astrology is to use it to analyze the birth charts of individuals in order to read character, psychological traits, and, to some extent, destiny.
...Natal astrology, also known as Genethliacal astrology, is the system of astrology based upon the concept that each individual's personality or path in life can be determined by constructing a natal chart for the exact date, time, and location of a person's birth. Natal astrology can be found both in Eastern and Western traditions.
... a natal chart is a stylized map of the universe with the "native" (the individual or subject to be studied) at the center. It is calculated for the exact time and location of the native's birth for the purposes of gaining insight into the native's personality and potential. Commonly used alternative names for the natal chart include birth chart, horoscope, natus, nativity, radix, geniture and genethliac chart, among others. The chart shows the positions of the sun, moon, planets, and potentially other celestial objects, all referred to as the native's "planets," within the frames of references defined by the astrological signs and houses.
...The accurate birth time (generally agreed upon as the first breath or intake of air) and location are deemed necessary by astrologers for the calculation of the exact degree of the signs that are rising, setting, culminating up, and culminating down, known respectively the ascendant (or "rising sign"), descendant, medium coeli (or "midheaven"), and imum coeli (or "lower midheaven"). These degrees, also known as the angles, are essential for mapping the positions of the native's twelve houses.Well. I was born on December 30th, 1982 at approximately 3:00 in the afternoon at Beaver Medical Center in Beaver, Pennsylvania. I found a website that could create my natal chart. http://www.psychicscience.org/astrochart.aspx
Your birth chart will give a detailed interpretation of your temperament and character, based on the astrological positions (including symbolic degrees) of the planets, Ascendant, Midheaven, North and South Nodes, Part of Fortune and asteroids. Major and minor aspects are also calculated.This is what my natal chart looks like:
Signs: Capricorn"we achieve"
December 21 - January 19
3rd Earth sign - 4th Cardinal sign (winter solstice) - FeminineIn analogy with Saturn, her ruler, and the 10th HouseCapricorn governs the knees, the bones and the skin.Her colour is black, or grey, green or brown, her stone is the jade, her day is Saturday, her professions are politician, researcher, jurist, scientist, engineer, administrator...If your sign is Capricorn or your Ascendant is Capricorn: you are serious, cold, disciplined, patient, focused, thoughtful, ambitious, indomitable, cautious, lucid, persistent, provident, steady, introverted, stern, wilful, hard-working, responsible, persevering, honest, realistic, loyal, reserved, resolute, moralistic, quiet, rigorous, attached and reliable. But you may also be curt, withdrawn, calculating, petty, cruel, unpleasant, ruthless, selfish, dull, rigid, slow or sceptical.Some traditional associations with Capricorn: Countries: India, Mexico, Afghanistan, Macedonia, Thrace, the Yugoslavian coast, the Orkneys and Shetland Islands, Albania, Bulgaria, Saxony. Cities: Delhi, Oxford, Brussels, Mexico, Port-Saïd, Gent, Constance, Mecklenburg, all the administrative centres of capital cities. Animals: goats, pigs and animals with split hooves. Food: meat, potatoes, barley, beets, spinach, medlars, onions, quinces, flour and starchy food in general. Herbs and aromatics: indian hemp, comfreys, centaureas, hemlocks, henbanes. Flowers and plants: ivies, wild pansies, amaranths, pansies. Trees: pines, willows, flowering ashes, aspens, poplars, alders. Stones, Metals and Salts: turquoises, amethysts, silver, lead, calcium phosphate, calcium fluorine.
Mercury represents communication, logical and rational mind, intellectual skills. Earth is its element, it is cold and dry, and it rules Virgo and Gemini, is in exaltation with Virgo, and is in analogy with the arms, hands, nervous system.
It represents tradesmen, lawyers, messengers; the age of Mercury goes from 8 or10 years old to about 15..Temperament : Nervous
Characterology : Emotive, non Active and Primary type or Non-Emotive, Active and Primary, Nervous or Sanguine type.
Mercury in Capricorn
Mercury describes my relations, my communication skills and the way I relate to the external world. However, other astrological elements also influence these areas. The sign Mercury occupies is significant only if Mercury is part of your planetary dominants. In my chart, Mercury is in Capricorn. My friendships are as solid as stone. The deepness of my exchanges is what matters above all and the quality of my relationships prevails over quantity. I assimilate new concepts slowly because I need the time to judge them and analyze them before I accept them. I strive to keep my clear-sightedness on the alert in all circumstances. My strength lies in my self-protection power and the ability to remain distant. The only danger is that my contacts may lack spontaneity.Mercury in House VIII
With Mercury in the 8th House, I play around with crises, love, and death. To lose my friends, my values, my marks, or my life: I prefer to approach these issues with derision and to laugh them off, just to see, just for fun. This configuration predisposes me to play Russian roulette and to have daredevil components. My relationships go through a roller coaster. I relate to the world in a cutting and curt way. I never know my friends better than once the crisis has subsided. My very peculiar sense of humor is gladly acknowledged : in some cases cold, otherwise black, and at times almost cynical. In my opinion, the most serious events can be ridiculed, because this is how one can really protect oneself against life vagaries.Mercury Dominant
If Mercury is part of your natal chart's planetary dominants, in astrology, you are said to be a Mercurian: the tradition points out the importance of communication. From idle but enriching chatters to the observation gift, such a dominant endows me with a wide range of expression. Human beings have one thousand facets and one thousand masks they wear according to circumstances and the fortunes of the game of life. I take the role of an observer, avid for novelties, discoveries, and surprises. Everything catches my attention and becomes an opportunity for new encounters, relationships, and learning. The world amazes me, amuses me, and stimulates my curiosity. Because the most important thing is to discover, and because I consider that each new situation is packed with potentialities, I try to fill the gaps in my knowledge. Although my open-mindedness may scatter my centers of interest, it also enables me to carefully avoid sticking to only one immutable and rigid view. The slightest sign enables me to perceive the other side of the coin, as well as the infinite complexity of people and of situations. On the human plane, I seek the dialogue and the information without which I know that I am not able to fully grasp the nature of my interlocutor. This keen interest in the Unknown sharpens my inter-relational skills. All these qualities are traditionally associated with Mercury.
Interpretation of the 28° Capricorn symbolic degree
"At the edge of a pond, a beautiful statue lies in the grass." (Janduz version)
Loyal, creative, and contemplative character endowed with poetic and artistic gifts. One enjoys the simple pleasures offered by nature and finds in its beauties an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Success can be achieved in any artistic discipline, in law, or in medicine. Should the natal chart concur, this degree indicates sojourns in the countryside or in the mountain for health reasons.
Venus represents the way one loves, relationships, sharing, affectivity, seductive ability. Her element is the Air, she is moist, rules Taurus and Libra, is in exaltation in Pisces and is in analogy with the kidneys, the venous system, the bladder, the neck.She represents the artists, tradesmen, occupations linked to beauty and charm; the age of Venus goes from 15 to about 25 years old.Temperament : Sanguine and Lymphatic
Characterology : Emotive, non Active and Primary type or Emotive, non Active and Secondary type.
Venus in Capricorn
Venus describes my affective life. On the day of my birth, she is found in Capricorn. I am a fragile and sensitive person and I give the priority to the deepness of my feelings and the steadiness of my relationships. My senses do not respond to all forms of stimulation. My affective life has a cautious, reserved, moderate and … intense nature. I forget my feelings slowly. I distrust love at first sight. Like faithfulness, love must be earned. Nothing is readily given in this area. My sensitivity is deep but discreet, intense but concealed and inclines me to caution: frivolous loves do not interest me. I value sentimental attachments based on total and mutual trust. I know the cost of misunderstandings and delusions and I never commit myself thoughtlessly. Modesty is a quality in some cases. But why do I hide my feelings so often? As I protect myself too much, as I want to avoid being hurt, I may get locked up in an ivory tower and I may miss passionate loves. I may uselessly complicate situations: life together is simpler than I may think. I must learn to trust it. With time, I will be at my best.Venus in House VIII
Venus expresses her characteristics through the 8th House values. I leave to other people peaceful love stories, and smooth adventures devoid of passion and tears. My affectivity is well-adapted to crises, thrills, wounds, and healings. It is probable that, more or less consciously, I create some degree of tension within my couple's life. Love grows on contrasts, transformations, and self-questionings. My ideal? To die out of love! My sexual drive is powerful and demanding.Venus Dominant
If Venus is part of your natal chart's planetary dominants, in astrology, you are said to be a Venusian: I am a sensual and emotional person particularly receptive to the natural likes and dislikes aroused by my contact with people. I am prone to frequent instinctive aversions and true passions which are exclusively driven by the feeling of love. The heart has its reasons, which reason knows nothing of... My balance is based on the richness of my affective life. Without love, the Venusian is resourceless, lost, and deprived of any reason for living. I have an obvious and strong will to charm and to arouse the attachments without which I cannot properly function. Every area of my life is thus marked by my affectivity. The danger is that I may "be taken in" by charm. In such cases, I would prefer to keep my emotions under better control. Thus, hyper-sensitivity has its own inconveniences. Nevertheless, better than anyone else, I know how to play with feelings and attractions. Although I am sometimes caught in the traps of an over sensitive emotionalism, feelings remain my best assets in many circumstances. There is another aspect to the Venusian dominant. According to the Tradition, this planet rules the Arts, and I am endowed with some degree of artistic dispositions, ranging from good to excellent.
Interpretation of the 22° Capricorn symbolic degree
"As she pulls a man by the hand, a blindfolded woman knocks down the table on which their romantic dinner is served." (Janduz version)
Impulsive, sensual, and weak character. One uses one's intellectual and financial resources with the sole objective to fulfil one's passions and whims. So-called friends take advantage of one's carelessness and disappear as soon as money becomes scarce. In few cases, this degree describes a fatality which wreaks havoc in the home, and a possible suicide.
Lilith or the Dark Moon (True Lilith here) represents the uncrossable threshold, taboos, the individual's provocative and fascinating side, including on a sexual level. She symbolizes violence and "untameability", the radical and deep-seated refusal to submit. The keywords for Lilith can be sterility, sadism, perversity, castration, sadomasochism, eroticism, orgasm, forbidden fantasies, marginality, cruelty; redemption, illumination, rebelliousness... Lilith's opposite point is called Priapus; it is the Lunar perigee, the position where the Moon is closest to the Earth. It symbolizes man's primitive nature, the horror hidden in our deepest self; masochism, extreme sensuality, impulsiveness, irrationality and excess. Physically speaking, the Dark Moon is the focal point unoccupied by the Earth: it is not a concrete body but a mathematical point.Interpretation of the 15° Capricorn symbolic degree
"A horse rider fully controls his beautiful mount. On the background, another man is about to fall off a horse at full gallop." (Janduz version)
Withdrawn, patient, and adventurous character. If one is willing to control one's taste for dangerous undertakings, one can achieve success in horse breeding, training, or trade. The gift for taming can also be very well expressed in child-rearing practices. This degree warns that recklessness brings about downfall and sometimes, violent death.
The Sun represents vitality, individuality, will-power and creative energy and honours. For a woman, it also represents her father, and later her husband. The Sun is one of the most important symbols in the birth chart, as much as the Ascendant, then the Moon (a bit less for a man), the ruler of the Ascendant and the fast-moving planets.It's element is fire; it is hot and dry, it governs Leo, is in exaltation in Aries and is in analogy with the heart. It represents the boss, authority, beside the father and the husband ; the age of the Sun goes from 20 years old to about 40, following the Venus age when one is aware of his seductive power.Temperament : Bilious
Characterology : Emotive, Active, Secondary, passionate type.
Sun in Capricorn
Moderation and maturity prevail over fieriness. My nature is thoughtful, stable, reserved and cautious towards all novelties. I feel fragile on the affective plane. Therefore, I protect myself in a closed shell and project an image of solidity and seriousness. A cold manner conceals your affectivity. But a volcano is dormant in your ivory tower… Beneath your apparent phlegm and your will to exhibit an even temper in all circumstances, there is an unfailing determination. Capricorn is very structured. More than anyone, he remains his true self, loyal to his principles, his objectives and his projects. The time required for his ascent does not matter! Tenacity is your sign’s forte. Never give up, maintain the same direction… All this suggests the junior or seasoned administrator, the person capable of handling the most diverse responsibilities, provided he could take the time to grasp their principles. Capricorn is often believed to have a belated destiny and a slow evolution. Without giving too much credit to this thesis – sometimes refuted by facts – we shall admit that the natives of this sign have the capacity to patiently and methodically build their destiny. A blue-chip security, if you manage to avoid the traps of an excessive rigour and inflexibility.Sun in House VII
With the Sun in the 7th House, there is nothing I can achieve without your partner or your model. People around me evaluate my aspirations, and they witness and umpire my deeds. Therefore, I pay much attention to all types of associative life and to people's opinions. My personal fulfillment is achieved through strong and absolute relationships. I never cheat within my couple and in my social life. It is most likely that I tend to copy your partner's image.Sun Dominant
If the Sun is part of your natal chart's planetary dominants, in astrology, you are said to be a Solarian: I loathe pettiness and Machiavellian manoeuvre, and am fond of natural nobleness as well as of direct and honest attitudes. I endeavour to get out of muddled or dark situations as quickly as possible. My need for transparency may lead me to make cut-and-dried judgments such as yes or no, and black or white. However, my honesty commands my entourage's consideration. At times, I come across as authoritarian. It is true that I never want to be thought of the notable absentee, and that I manage to make people pay attention to me, as well as to my plans and my assessments. To this end, the Solarian sometimes develops a great talent for placing himself under the spotlight without missing a single opportunity to arouse interest. Some other Solarians, although more discreet, still manage to be the focus of any debate, even in situations of exclusion. It is your way of being present even though you are actually not there... More than other people, I appreciate the esteem extended to me. It is useless to cheat with me, since in all areas I consider establishing enduring relationships only with those who love me, admire me, respect me, or express some degree of affection to me. My will to straighten out my inter-personal relationships is ymy strength and sometimes, my Achilles' heel. I cannot achieve anything behind the scenes. Therefore, my comportment is marked with heroism, and my stands are devoid of ambiguity, in the sense that my commitments are unfailing, and my rebuffs, final.Interpretation of the 8° Capricorn symbolic degree
"A man falls on the ground near a wayside cross and a broken key." (Janduz version)
Irascible, tactless, and sensual character over-indulging in food, lust, and luxury. No matter how lenient the members of one's entourage are, one's harsh and hurtful manners end up scaring them off. The cross symbolises a tragic destiny, but it may also point towards consolation and hope, provided one is willing to make the necessary effort to control one's base instincts.
There are many more... but create your own natal chart.
http://www.psychicscience.org/astrochart.aspx
http://www.psychicscience.org/astrochart.aspx
