How to Learn Astrology at Home

Has it ever occurred to you where it all has started and where it has been heading? It is a rhetorical question, isn’t it? However, at least once in a lifetime, everyone has wondered about this. People who lived thousands of years ago tended to ask the very same question, and that is how they invented astrology. 

Some astrologers will consider it blasphemy when reading that their teaching was invented. Nevertheless, astrology is not recognized as a science, though it is as precise as any other scientific field. Very often, people view it as mere fortune-telling since all they know about it is their zodiac signs and the most they care for is to read through a daily horoscope occasionally, just for fun.

Not many people know that astrology was the field that helped many nations enthrone great kings, create prosperous countries, and even elect Popes. Admittedly, this may sound like a joke if you are just an occasional horoscope reader. However, when you start to dwell on the matter seriously, you will discover so many levels of astrology that you will no longer doubt anything your natal chart has to say. But, we are going to talk about all of these a bit later.

It is unfair how such a great science is left out when it comes to useful fields. That is why we have decided to present a simple but complete guide to the science of astrology. We are going to explain all the critical factors and how they can assist you in life, and you can trust us when we say – they truly can! So, let’s roll!

History 

If you think that astrology is merely a tribute to modern times because people are always thrilled by something magical and mysterious – you are mistaken. This teaching dates back centuries, and not all of its branches are fully discovered yet. Besides, as fast as the modern world changes, so does astrology evolve. Let’s face it, there is a little chance that ancient people had access to all the means we have now. In case you wonder how one can become an astrologer – it takes years of studying and even more years of practice. There are no crystal ball predictions; there are serious calculations and interpretations instead. What is more, no astrologer would claim that he or she has learned it all since it is close to impossible.

Evolution of Astrology

It is common for beginners into the world of celestial bodies to fail in their attempt to see the clear difference between astronomy and astrology. It is a small wonder since not so long ago they were viewed as a single study. They both explore the heavenly bodies; however, while astronomy is all about the precise movements of those bodies, astrology is about trying to decipher what a specific movement represents and how it affects us. 

If you possess some basic knowledge of ancient people’s beliefs, it will be simple to spot a pattern between the celestial bodies and the gods those people believed in during ancient times. It does not take a genius to figure out that in some way our ancestors knew that all the heavenly bodies have an effect on their lives. Due to the lack of means at hand, ancient astrologers couldn’t get far, but these days things have changed, and we should make use of all that is given.

Undoubtedly, modern astrologers do not see planets as gods. Still, they see a pattern and a connection between certain positions and angles the planets create and how they can affect us individually and as groups of people ruled by the same zodiac sign.

Zodiac 

When you hear about the zodiac, the first thing that pops in your head are zodiac signs. However, let’s try and define what the zodiac itself represents. To begin with, during the times when astrology emerged, the map of the sky was slightly different from that we can see now because there is nothing permanent, even the sky. When compared to modern astrologers, ancient people could make a map based on those celestial bodies that could be seen with a naked eye, like the Sun, the Moon, and so on. 

If you are to dive into the science deeper and deeper, you will realize that the way we see the universe changes as Earth orbits the Sun. That orbit path is called the ecliptic, and it passes through a number of constellations – the sidereal zodiac. If we dip into the past as far back as 200 CE, we will see that the Sun was at the begging of the sign of Aries during the spring equinox for the northern hemisphere, and that is where the zodiac begins according to western astrology. It is true that by now, the solar system has shifted, but the northern spring equinox is still to represent the beginning of the tropical zodiac.

Horoscopes 

When most people think about their horoscopes, they imagine an entertaining column in a modern magazine, but this notion is far more complex than that. A horoscope is rather a type of a chart that shows the positions of celestial bodies at the time of birth. You should realize that different time and place requires a different or, more accurately, personal astrology chart to be composed so that it would be 100% precise. 

Of course, it would take astrologers years to learn how to draw an actual map of the sky when it comes to compiling a horoscope of every person. That is why astrologers use symbols known as glyphs instead. If an average person has a look at those glyphs map, they won’t see anything but strange symbols. It takes a real professional astrologer to be able to read those symbols. You can think of astrology as of another foreign language that only a few people can speak fluently.

Signs 

Here is one fact that you may already know – the zodiac is divided into 12 signs. Every sign carries the name of a known constellation, although they do not actually coincide. There might be some confusion with people born under signs bordering one another. As the Sun passes through every sign on a different date every year, people born at the end of one sign and close to the beginning of the other are said to be born on the cusp. In terms of astrology, such people usually combine the traits of both signs, and it is hard to predict precisely which one is prevailing.

Astrological Houses 

Those of you who have seen professionally composed birth charts know that apart from the twelve signs, there are twelve other factors to add up to the preciseness of every prediction. They are twelve houses. Every house is claimed to be responsible for a separate sphere of a person’s life. Be it home, relationships, or communication – all the spheres are covered by houses. For instance, the seventh house describes relationships; the second house focuses on finances, and so on. Also, you would want to learn that every planet acquires a particular shade of meaning depending upon the house it is placed in.

Aspects

If you think that all the above-mentioned load of information is enough already, we are going to tell you about aspects in addition to signs and houses. What do those aspects stand for? You may have already figured it out that the planets affect us in different ways. However, the energy that a single planet produces can interact with that of another planet too. Not always those energies interact with each other in the most positive way. 

All that brings us to the issue of aspects which are the angles the planets form in a person’s birth chart. The angles are usually measured in degrees. There are major and minor aspects, but both categories define the availability or lack of harmony formed by two planet’s energies. At times, they are entirely inharmonious, and a person has to do his or her best to help things work out.

Ascendant

Most people are familiar with the phrase that the first impression can be deceptive. Has it ever bothered you why? You will be surprised, but astrology has the answer to that too. The thing is that apart from your sun sign, there is also a rising sign to differentiate. It is also known as the ascendant. The ascendant, in its turn, is the sign of the zodiac seen on the eastern horizon at the precise moment and place of birth of an individual. The ascendant is always to be found in the first house, and it defines how other people see you. Very often, people put on a mask in front of others, even if doing this unconsciously – that is how you can see the ascendant in work.

Horoscope and Its Interpretation

There are many variations of horoscopes in modern magazines, as well as online, and this may lead you to the opinion that learning astrology and interpreting horoscopes are a piece of cake. However, astrologers who have devoted their lives to decoding the stars know that it may take years until they come with a complete horoscope for a person. As you can see, there are many points to consider, and astrology is such a science that does not allow the mechanism to work well if one part is missing.

Many people do not realize that their horoscope is not only about what is going to happen tomorrow or in a week. Astrology covers all the areas of life starting with your personal traits and ending with your weak points. The latter might seem insignificant, yet in the long run, these may be the points stopping you from becoming happy or successful. Thus, it is safe to say that astrology is a people’s science that is truthful but complex and unfairly underestimated. 

Do you still want to learn astrology at home? We hope you do!