What is Neptune in Astrology and its transit in 2020
For thousands of years, astrologers and astronomers believed that Saturn was orbiting on the edge the universe, since it was the furthest planet that is visible to the naked eye. Traditional Astrology only used planets from Sun to Saturn to cast a natal chart. Uranus wasn't discovered until 1781, and 65 years later in 1846, Neptune was finally observed by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle. Looking like a shining sapphire, Neptune is a beautiful blue planet through the astronomical telescope. Neptune’s discovery further validated the truth that the universe is limitless after knowing the existence of Uranus. The “boundary” and “Limit” themed Saturn is no longer the end of our cosmos.
Neptune is so enigmatically blue that it looks like a planet covered with ocean water. The first archytype astrologers created with Neptune is its Greek counterpart Poseidon, the God of ocean and earthquakes. We cannot help picturing the great ocean of the collective unconscious and dreams, which may bring forth psychic tremors and sweep us into the mystical realm of Poseidon. Interestingly in modern astrology, Neptune is the planet that rules the astrological sign Pisces, the two ocean fish swiming in the opposite direction. It is the sign of idealism, dreams and imagination, and it appears strongly in the horoscope of artists, musicians and dancers. Neptune is like the boundless ocean. It dissolves the thousands of years limitation Saturn had set for us into its cosmic water. In Astrology, Neptune is the ultimate symbol of losing oneself in order to merge with the universe. In Astrology, Venus as the love planet rules Libra (the sign of relationships) and is exalted Pisces. There is some logic behind it if we look closer—-Libra is the love between two individuals; Pisces, ruled by Neptune, is the universal love and sacrifice we make with the cosmos. In its positive form, Neptune is also the planet of spirituality, the experience of sacred dimension and the supernatual realm. Two years after Neptune was discovered, a series of spiritualist movements started in the western world, such as transcendentalism, Bahai faith, and the establishment of the influential new age secret society Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Neptune is imaginative, sensitive and compassionate. On an astrological natal chart, whatever planet is forming an important aspect with Neptune, it is “dissolved” and “merged” by it into a spiritual and idealistic realm. Since the Sun symbolises our ego and will, people born with Sun conjunct Neptune may glamorise their role in the world and they dream to be something special. Usually they have an idol in mind that is a hero or a successful person, and they wish to become him/her. I had a male client who was a crossfit athelet. He has Sun conjunct Netptune in his horoscope. He once told me that he has always had a dream in his mind about the future him in 10 years, 20 years...and how he conquers everyone else and becomes the hero he admires (in his situation, he was specifically talking about the world champion of crossfit). Sometimes he would go into a light trance of imaging himself shining on the world stage. This is a very typical Sun-Neptune conjunction expression. Since they are dreamers and idealists, they are encouraged by their dreams to strive for the best, meanwhile they also do sometimes face disappointment with the hardcore reality.
Strong Neptune influenced people also tend to seek out some added dimension (spiritual, artistic, or some kind of quest for higher meaning) in their lives. This could be about their personal growth, relationships or home life. They don’t have to be all spiritual, but there is a feeling in them sensing something is higher up there than a physical and tangible world they live in. An attraction to spiritual and metaphysical subjects is usually characteristic of these people.
In Greek mythology, there is a famous story about the couple Ariadne and Dionysus, who were both identified by many mythologists and astrologers as the second archytype of Neptune. Ariadne, the victimised wife of King Minos was abandoned on the island of Naxos by Theseus after she blindly fell in love and helped him to kill the minotaur. Her passionate mourning and weeping was so intense that it attracted Dionysus, who eventually saved her and married her. In my experience working with clients, I have noticed that people who are born with Venus in conjunction with Neptune are very idealistic and dreamy in love, sometimes to the point that they forget who they are and tend to idolise their love interests. Natives, both men and women who have a strong Neptunian Venus (Venus in strong aspect with Neptune, or Venus in Pisces) often embody such elements of Ariadne myth. They are passionate lovers, and from time to time they blindly dream about the beautiful future and idealise their partner as the perfect one, but later fall victim to romantic illusions. I had a female client in Hong Kong who fell in love with a man living in San Francisco. Later she gave up all her career and friendships in order to move to San Francisco to be with her man, wishing that she would have all she wanted. The relationship ended only less than a year and she was disillusioned by the reality of life in a foreign land and woke up from her love dreams. In the subsequent reading session she told me several times she hid in the bathroom to cry and felt sorry for herself. Like Ariadne on Naxos, we see there is a certain amount of romantic hysteria as well. Neptune brings dreams and idealisms to us, but if we cannot balance it well, it becomes illusions and love hallucinations.
Another historical fact that is also interesting to notice is that around the same time in 1846 when Neptune was discovered , two other major global incidents took place. The first was the widespread use of anaesthesia in medical science. In 1844, Nitrous Oxide was the first anaesthesia officially used in medical treatment. The second important happening was the Opium War between United Kingdom and China in 1842, which symbolised the ending of the 2000 years of feudal era, and the beginning of semi-colonial and semi-feudal era for China. Note that there are some interesting correlations. Both anaesthesia and opium are drugs to make us lose our sensation and awareness. This is a true reflection of Neptune, the planet that was discovered around the same time in human history. Neptune could work just like a drug, transporting us to a realm beyond the ordinary, a true ecstatic state that may indeed be achieved through drugs or alcohol. Interestingly, Dionysus is known as the Greek God of wine and ecstasy, which again brings us back to the Ariadne story, the illusive Neptunian type of love.
Neptune is not all bad, because it also brings us talents and gifts. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I noticed that a lot of famous actors and artists have strong Neptune themes in their natal chart. We know that both Sun and Neptune are related to theatre and drama. The Sun is the identification of the shining ego. It illuminates eveything in the middle of our solar system, just like the leading actor on the centre of the stage; while Neptune dissolves our identity, carrying us into the imaginative narrative of the play. Leslie Cheung, the late famous Hong Kong actor, during his production of “Farewell My Concubine” in 1992 was having a once-a-lifetime Neptune transit (trine natal Sun and Jupiter). The harmonious transit aspect reflects him searching for himself (his Sun) through playing the role Dieyi Cheng (his transiting Neptune). The director of the movie Kaige Chen once said in an interview, “…I understood Leslie must have injected his complete personal sentiment and feeling into that character, thus allowing his performance to reach that boundary. It was precisely from that look of his that told us in full the issues of infatuation and betrayal that we wanted to tell in Farewell To My Concubine."
In 2020, Neptune will be moving back and forth between 16° and 21° of Pisces. This is going to be an important year for those of you who have Sun, Moon or Ascendant sign in between those degrees especially in Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius. Since Moon sign and ascendant sign change very fast and more irregularly, do check them with a professional astrologer. Here I have put the Sun sign interaction with Neptune description below for your reference.
|
Birthday 5th~11th |
March |
September |
June |
December |
July |
November |
May |
|
Sun sign |
Pisces |
Virgo |
Gemini |
Sagittarius |
Cancer |
Scorpio |
Tarus |
|
Aspect |
conjunction (0°) |
opposition (180°) |
square (90°) |
square (90°) |
trine (120°) |
trine (120°) |
sextile (60°) |
The above 8 signs are majorly influenced by this year’s neptune transit. The other 4 signs (Libra, Aries, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius) are not forming major aspects with transit Neptune, so they are less affected unless the native has major Neptune influence in solar return chart or secondary progression chart (We won't delve into these things yet, so don't worry if you don't know what a return chart or a progression chart is.)
For those of you whose birthdays do fall into the above chart, know that whatever aspect Neptune will form with your natal Sun, you may experience a “wandering” into the ethereal realm of the cosmos. Since the Sun symbolises our ego and identity, when it touches Neptune, we might temporarily feel confused with who we are and what we want to be. There could also be hesitation in our general direction since we don’t know where we are heading. In a positive light, especially with trine and sextile aspect, we will feel intuitive, psychic and a heightened six sense. There is a blessing from the universe on them called "the universe has a better plan than our own's, and it will make things work out naturally". A lot of people also develop their interests in astrology, tarot, reiki and other types of spiritual practice during this life time transit. We also become more compassionate and sympathetic towards the people around, and less concerned with our personal gain and benefit. For example, during this transit, if you have Pisces(ruled by Neptune) on the 7th house cusp(rules commitment and partnerships), you could make some important compromises for your loved one this year; if Pisces is on your 5th house(rules children), there might be personal sacrifices for children. Once the transit finishes, you will become more clear and have a better understanding about what you truely need at a much more profound soul level.
Neptune will dissolve everything and make us surrender to the infinite cosmos. The best way to work with Neptune is to trust. Let it take you to the vast Neptunian ocean for a swim. The eternal waves guide you towards your true path.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
2020 Feburary/March Mercury Retrograde
In ancient mythology, the powers of language, logical thinking and communication are personified by an intelligent, quicksilver deity, who taught human beings how to read, write, navigate and calculate. This mysterious Roman God Mercury, also known as Hermes in ancient Greece, symbolises our fundamental capacity to think, as well as the planning and organising faculty that allow us to identify and categorise the myriad components of the chaotic natural world. On the psychological level, Mercury reflects the unique function of the human mind. Mercury is also a patron of merchants and money. In fact, the word “Merchant” itself comes from Mercury, the god of buying and selling. Another important role Mercury plays in the myth is that he is also a guide of souls. He is the only God who could transcend the three layers of the world—the heaven, the mortal world and the underworld—guiding souls back and forth to Pluto(Hades). Thus he symbolises the mind’s unconscious psyche. Either as a shrewd and lively merchant God, or as a soul carrier lingering inside and outside the profound dark water, he embodies the principles of communication between human beings (our daily communication with each other), as well as between an individual and its invisible inner realm(self-reflection).
In Astrology, Mercury rules the mental air sign Gemini(curiosity and daily communication) and practical earth sign Virgo (details and refinement of information). When Mercury is in a specific sign, it expresses its characteristics through our communication.In the future chapters, we will dig deeper and more detailed about the different qualities Mercury carries in different signs. Just to give some examples, people born with Mercury in Leo are expressive, dramatic and tend to have strong creative thinking; while Mercury in Scorpio tends to give the natives the exceptional skill of research and investigation.
Many of us have heard of the phrase "Mercury Retrograde". We know retrograde means to move backwards. People who are interested in astronomy know that every planet in our Solar System travels in the same direction in its journey around the Sun, and none of them actually pause or turn back in the opposite direction. So the question is: What does it really mean when we say Mercury is in “retrograde”?
It is true that planets in the solar system are moving in the same direction around the Sun, but it is based on the vantage point of the Sun as well. This means that if you are looking at all the planets from the Sun, they never retrograde. However, if you look at them from earth, they way they seem to move is quite different. The planets in our Solar System all orbit the Sun at varying speeds if we observe them from the earth. The outer planets — Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — all take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth, while Venus and Mercury take shorter time. Since their orbits are larger or smaller, the Earth often laps these planets in its journey around the Sun. When the Earth overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to travel backward; while when the faster planets (Mercury and Venus) lap us, they “retrograde”.
So in fact, retrograde is not in absolute terms, it is a visual illusion. Also note that except for the Sun and the Moon, every planet in the solar system retrogrades from time to time. Mercury is just one of them.
As we mentioned earlier, Mercury rules all forms of communication, logical thinking, travel, and connections. The success of business partnerships, creative projects and interpersonal relationships all require effective communication. When Mercury is retrograde, the energy could set us one step back in our everyday exchanges. Since old days, Astrologers have recommended that we ease off starting new projects, signing contracts, initiating tasks, and building new relationships. If traveling, it’s a good idea to give yourself extra time, just in case plans “change”. I have had many clients telling them that during Mercury retrograde, they have difficulties concentrating and being productive. There is a sense of “air-headed” feeling. I have also noticed that during Mercury retrograde, we tend to see more traffic accidents, transportation problems and flights delay (as Mercury rules travel as well). During the past 6 months (2019) in Hong Kong, the two peaks of social upheavals both happened during Mercury retrograde: protesters paralysing HK international airport in August, as well as the gruesome battle against the police in Polytechnic University in November. Mercury retrograde tends to bring misunderstanding and temporary pause in things that we want to push forward. Roads are blocked, business are affected, and we could even feel very much “stuck in a rut”.
Having a temporary hiccup does not mean Mercury retrograde is all evil. During the retrograde time, Mercury wants us to move back spiritually. It provides us with a chance to re-examine various areas of our life which may need a little more work, so that we can move forward with even better momentum later in time. This period is for us to look at things with an analytical approach and fresh perspectives.
Mercury Retrograde is one of the best times to pick up old ideas and bring them back to life—tie up loose ends! Anything you’ve already started in the past such as writing, speaking, and learning are great things to pick up again and focus on during this period. When Mercury is moving backwards, our mind is naturally reworking existing plans and projects (revision, reconsider and reclaim). We may find what we are half way through now come together with renewed energy and in ways you never would’ve expected.
Some clients who have their natal birth chart in hand have asked questions like, “I noticed that Mercury was in retrograde when I born. Is that a bad thing? What does it mean to me?” This is a very interesting question, since Mercury spends three months every year in retrograde motion, in average a quarter of the entire population should be born in this scenario. Furthermore, since Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and other outer plants all have retrograde motion from time to time, most people would have at least one or two planets retrograde, sometimes more than half of the planets are so.
Remember, by no means Mercury retrograde in birth chart shows we are born “confused” or “delayed”.
Planets in retrograde in our natal chart (the map of the stars alignment at the moment of your birth) have very different meaning compared to retrograde in transit. In natal charts they expressive themselves internally instead of through outward energy. There is no “good” or “bad” about it, but purely depending on how we utilise its energy. For example, Mercury is the planet of communication and thinking, therefore when someone was born with Mercury retrograde, their thinking process is more internalised. They are introspective and intuitive. These people are thinkers rather than speakers, even from a young age, they have a stronger tendency to reflect and self-question. They tend to spend a lot of time looking back at events in life to analyse and digest before speak out loud. The retrograde motion is always about “review”. The more retrograde planets someone has, the more they have an internalised focus in life. They may even appear more mature when facing issues since they carry an interesting “review and revision” energy around them. Some of them actually benefit from the three times per year Mercury retrograde time because the it is the moment when transit Mercury goes in the same motion with their natal energy. They feel more in tune with their thoughts and can finally concentrate on their review process.
2020 the first Mercury retrograde day/time(Hong Kong):
• Pre-shadow Period :
February 2 4:32PM ~ February 17 8:54AM
• Actual Retrograde Phase :
February 17 8:55AM ~ March 10 11:48AM (Mercury retrograde in Pisces)
• Post Shadow Period :
March 10 11:49AM ~ March 30 10:45AM
Mercury in Pisces is our strong thinking process through creativity and imagination. Natives who have Mercury in Pisces have extremely acute intuition. During this Piscean Mercury retrograde, our “intuition” and "feelings" could be temporarily off. We might be required to be more grounded and practical with our approach to problems. Check facts, deal with our daily operation meticulously instead of escaping with our dreams and illusions. Paying extra attention to details is particularly critical during this time.
An extra note: What I have experienced is that apart from the actual retrograde phase, the pre and post shadow period are also important. Especially during the post shadow period, Mercury will slowly gain its momentum from the stationary position. Be patient and slowly start your unfinished project.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
26th December 2019 Solar Eclipse in Capricorn~the magical new beginning in you
Throughout history, eclipses have been considered as very powerful phenomena. In the old days, religious and other traditional ceremonies were organised in accordance with the stars, and kings regularly consulted their astrologers to rule their lands accordingly. In fact, eclipses were one of the most significant happenings in predicting broad-scale events. This month, we are welcoming a very powerful eclipse on the 26th. In this article, I would like to discuss how solar eclipses play out in our growth and what we need to do to take advance of its powerful energy.
Everyone knows that a solar eclipse is when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth, thus the Moon blocking the light of the Sun. However solar eclipse does not happen every month even though the Moon does come in between the Sun and the earth each month. This is because the earth's orbit around the sun is not in the same sphere as the Moon's orbit around the Earth. The moon will only cast a shadow somewhere on the earth when the sun/moon conjunction happens within close proximity to one of the lunar nodes. This month on 26th, the Moon will come very close the south node of the moon and it will be a very powerful annular eclipse. (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2019-december-26)
We know that an ordinary new moon signifies a new beginning for each month, it is the starting point for the Moon’s 28 days journey around the earth. Essentially, a new Moon initiates an event that then culminates or takes a step forward with additional information at the full moon. The moon becomes fuller and fuller during the first 14 days of its monthly cycle, so does energy of our life. A solar eclipse, akin to the new moon, is about being refueled, planting new seeds, laying the foundation for new projects, reaching outward and striving toward new experience. The personal solar eclipse is about ego, identity, spirit, and vitality. Starting a new project is especially fortunate when we operate in line wth the new moon to full moon cycle. Solar eclipse makes the new moon energy particularly potent and strong. Some astrologers even say its influence can last from six to twelve months. Having said that, it does not mean that every time there is a solar eclipse then there is something dramatic happening in our life, however by analizing your birth chart, we can see if the eclipse is in conjunction with any of our natal plants (especially Sun, Moon and your chart ruler) or important angles (ascendant and mid-heaven). If there is, then it is wise to put extra attention in the related houses.
This year on the 26th December, the eclipse is in Capricorn, which is the sign of goal-setting, career development and self-control. Making wishes in areas of life to acheive such qualities is especially important. For example, if this solar eclipse is happening in your 1st house on natal chart, it is a time for self-improvement in terms of how we can have more discipline in ourselves—-such as quite smoking and change bad habits. Eclipses show when transformations are coming and encouraging us to take stock of each of these life areas on a regular basis. This is the first place to check for imblanaces or need of adjustments.
Another interesting thing to notice is that this month's solar eclipse is a south node eclipse. South node of the moon is also known as the Dragon Tail, it symbolises our past life and old tendencies. When a powerful solar eclipse happens near the south node, we are required to release the old energy. Letting go of the past, releasing our ego and attachment are critical in order to welcome the new beginning. The previous chapter must be wrapped up. Are you ready to let go of something that has been dragging for a long time? This is the time.
If a solar eclipse is happening very close to any of your natal planets, or on a significant angle, we know for sure that a new change is just around the corner. If you don’t have your birth chart yet, you can go on this website and check it in here:
https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/birth-chart-horoscope-online
For example, let’s say someone named Mike was born on 19th November 1982 at 7:05am in Hong Kong. After input the birth information, we find the planets positions for this person on the right side:
Since this month’s solar eclipse is happening at around 4 degrees in Capricorn, you can see it is very close to Mike's natal Moon (3°19’), and we know right away this is a very significant eclipse and there will be strong influence for him. Moon rules our home, sense of security and emotion, the Solar eclipse taking place on top of his natal Moon is bringing a new understanding about what home means, or what they are looking for in order to build their sense of safety. There is also “2” next to it in the chart, this is the house where his/her Moon falls in. There are 12 houses, and they are symbolic of the all the areas that make up human life. The planets and zodiac signs will manifest themselves most strongly in the sphere of life represented by the House in which they fall on your chart and also in the House which they rule. Here we will skip the detailed explanation. You can simply refer to the number on the website. In Mike's chart, the moon falls in the 2nd House. This is his house of Finance. This means that some new focus or understanding would come into the area of how to manage money and how to deal with personal possessions.
Meanwhile, we need find the house that has Cancer on the cusp, since Cancer is ruled by moon. In the above chart, we see Cancer is on the 8th house cusp, so this solar eclipse also brings influences to the native’s 8th house, which is the house of tax, shared possession and partner’s money.
A powerful Capricorn solar eclipse is essentially calling our attention to bring responsiblity, discipline, self-control and integrity into our life. Check your own birth chart and see what house this eclipse is taking place.
Another example regarding how to find out the house.
Amy was born 16th July 1992 at 12:00pm in New York city. Her house alignment:
We can see IC (IC means the 4th house cusp) has Capricorn 9°52’. Since the solar eclipse this month is happening at 4 degrees in Capricorn, it will fall into the house before IC, which is the 3rd house. Then we can refer to the information below related to the 3rd house to find out how this eclipse is influencing her life.
Solar Eclipse in 1st House: Focus and changes may take place in your self-image, physical apprearance and personal popularity.
Solar Eclipse in 2nd House: Focus and changes may take place in finacial status, posessions, and your own value system.
Solar Eclipse in 3rd House: Focus and changes may take place in surround siblings and neighbours as well as community events/involvement. Vehicles are also ruled by the 3rd house so buying a new car or using a new type of transporation is possible.
Solar Eclipse in 4th House: Focus and changes may take place in home life, domestic matters or parental responsiblities.
Solar Eclipse in 5th House: Focus and changes may take place in love, romance, children and recreational activities.
Solar Eclipse in 6th House: Focus and changes may take place in work, daily operation, pet and general health.
Solar Eclipse in 7th House: Focus and changes may take place in business partnerships, marriage or close relationships.
Solar Eclipse in 8th House: Focus and changes may take place in joint finance, resources, tax and debt.
Solar Eclipse in 9th House: Focus and changes may take place in foreign travel, learning and study or legal matters.
Solar Eclipse in 10th House: Focus and changes may take place in career, professional status and public image.
Solar Eclipse in 11th House: Focus and changes may take place in friendships, network and long term planning.
Solar Eclipse in 12th House: Focus and changes may take place in retreat, subconsciousness and self-reflection.
No matter which house the solar eclipse is in, take advantage of its magical power and make the change. Abundance follows.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
Libra, Aquarius, Gemini: the Air cycle of the celestial energy
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology in the 19th Century. He postulated four types of psychological types, named Thinking, Feeling, Sensation and Intuition. This type of categorisation was in fact a rediscovery of typology. Back in the ancient times, Greek Philosopher Plato already defined the four facilities of the soul as intelligence(=thinking), demonstration(=sensation), opinion(=feeling) and imagination(=intuition); Alchemy described the four stages in the alchemical process while Tarot also has fire, water, air and earth the four important suits.
In the previous blogs, we talked about triplicity and the basic function of the water cycle. Libra, Aquarius and Gemini form the air cycle of the celestial realm. In contrast, they are the signs of intellectual thinking and logic. They are the higher functions (some people call it the SUPERIOR function compared to the water cycle) in human psychology. This is by no means saying air signs are better signs, but since superior functions are the ones most identified with consciousness, it is much more reflective and less reactive. Air energy shares far less understanding and commonality with water signs, since they tend to enter a situation through logical thinking instead of emotion and feeling.
If we think about the quality of air, it flows, it moves and it is essential for our breathing. Deep down, air signs are energies bringing in ideas and mental energy, so that we could later manifest them into reality. Air signs are known for being more detached and cerebral compared to water signs. They are excellent at thinking logically and so to achieve a broad overview of their idea. Since water energy is more emotional and attached, people with a lot of water signs on their birth chart prefer to connect with people more personally and through feelings, whereas air energy are more detached and they have a more humanitarian or less personal view in life. Air signs also require extensive freedom of movement in order to express their ideas and individuality, thus they cannot be contained, controlled, just like air cannot be in a stuffy room too long to be fresh.
Because of this detached quality of air sign, while it gives them a very objective view about life, it could also make them emotionally unavailable or “living in their own head”. If air overvalues intellect it can be difficult to live in our physical world.
Libra is the cardinal air sign in the air cycle. The key word for Libra is relationship, social ability and diplomacy. It is the energy to relate to others on a mental level. Like its own symbol being the forever balancing scale, Libra brings justice and fairness as well. In psychological terms, the relationship quality of Libra is outer-directed. It is focusing on melding and combining with other people, thus Libra energy understands situations from all different viewpoints and it tries its best to avoid confrontation and aggressiveness. It is graceful, diplomatic and fair. Some people might think, if Libra cares so much about building relationships, everyone should love Libra then. Well, achievable or not, that is actually always the goal of Libra energy. The problem is that at Libra’s centre is someone who does not feel complete ultimately in themselves. Beneath their brilliance and charm, they could feel a psychic lack, it might be a perfect lover, or a missing best team mate. People who have a lot of planets in Libra tend to be constantly looking for relationships to fill a "hole" in their psychology. I remember I had an old colleague who has ascendant, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter all in Libra. From the first day I knew her, she was all about finding the right person to form romantic relationships with. Some people might ask, if Libra is so relationship and romance prone, why is it not a water sign, since water cycle seems more about feelings and emotion?
The answer is that they have very different approach towards relationships. Water signs are more instinctual and they see relationships more often from emotional and personal connection compared to Libra. Libra focuses on the mental stimulation and it observes. Air energy, the verbal directness, doesn’t understand the cloudy underworld of less-articulate water very well. Water's raw, instinctual feelings, in turn, don't want to be met with logical air's accustomed intellectual detachment, since this unsympathetically smacks of indifference. For example, Venus, the love planet in Cancer is saying “I don’t have to verbalise it, if you love me you should be able to feel how I want to be cared for, and that makes me feel loved”, but Venus in an air sign believes that “I love you, but you have to communicate clearly with me about what you want, and I will do it for you.”
|
Element: Air |
Polarity: Masculine |
Quality: Cardinal |
|
Planetary ruler: Venus |
Stone: Opal; Lapis Lazuli |
Metal: Copper |
|
Color: Sea-green |
Phrase: I balance |
Symbol: Scale |
Libra gives us the ability to enter into relationships with others, to compromise and balance our needs with those of another.
In my opinion, Gemini is the most “airy” sign in the air cycle. As the symbol shows two twins interacting with each other, this is the sign of communication, responsiveness and curiosity. Gemini energy does not like to take things for granted and sit still, they are endlessly curious and they have an insatiable appetite for information. They talk, ask, respond, ask again, and talk again. This gives Gemini the sense of excitement and growth.
Because Gemini ’s symbol is two twins, there is a natural sense of duality in it. As we know, communication always involves two parties. This in a great way encourages Gemini to go outward to connect through information exchang. You will never get bored with the Gemini archytype: The best restaurants in town, the latest entertainment information, whatever you ask, Gemini has it under its belt.Because Gemini is the mutable air sign, this also makes Gemini very versatile, persuasive and adaptable. Seeking information and adapt itself in the relentless change of the world is one of the strength it holds. However, the enormous volumn of information could also confuse Gemini because it absorbs things too quickly and too much. Gemini could be restless, jumping from one idea to another and so it portraits instability. Another tendency Gemini tends to have is its indecisiveness. Too much information sometimes makes it more difficult to be focused and decisive.
On the astrological wheel, Gemini is opposite Sagittarius. What is the reason? As we mentioned in the previous blog, Gemini and Sagittarius is a pair of polarity. They conflict each other but also they compliment each other. Sagittarius is the sign of higher knowledge and profound theory. Since Gemini is so quick to grasp an idea and size up a situation, they tend to skim the surface without exploring in depth. Sagittarius also gets inspiration from Gemini because of the curiosity Gemini brings and its thirsts for information, since Sagittarius sometimes could to be a bit “know-it-all”.
|
Element: Air |
Polarity: Masculine |
Quality: Mutable |
|
Planetary ruler: Mercury |
Stone: Beryl/Aquamarine |
Metal: Quicksilver |
|
Color: Yellow |
Phrase: I think |
Symbol: twins |
Gemini gives us the ablity to use words, ideas, concepts and thoughts to communicate with others and make sense of out reality.
As the 11th sign on the Astrology wheel, Aquarius is the sign of future, vision and the world in a large scale. Aquarius loves intellectual independance, unique thinking and objectivity. Even though the image of Aquarius is a little boy carrying a water jar, Aquarius is actually an air sign. Aquarius loves friendships and community, but in a more detached manner. They observe what is going around and contribute their groups with progressive ideas. They dispense wisdom, they are a seeker of knowledge and rational thoughts and this keeps pushing them exploring the world on a large scale.
Since Aquarius is a fixed air sign, they could be very stubborn in their progressive ideas and thoughts. Aquarius is open minded, but once they are fixed on an idea, it is also difficult to change. Because Aquarius loves to observe and seek new information, it also made them more detached compared to water signs. They don't like to pick their favourite, since everything is unique and different in their own way. The best way to attract an Aquarius energy person is to stimlate their mind and appreciate their individuality and eccentricness.
Another beautiful trait of Aquarius is that it cares about humanity a lot. They want to fight for human rights, environmental protection and poverty. Their love is in the wellfare of the group and society as a whole, instead of at a personal level. This doesn't mean they cannot love someone deeply. For example, I had a male client in his late 50s. After his retirement he travelled to Cambodia and saw how people suffer from poverty and landmines problem. He even saw a child die right in front of him due to the landmine explosion. Two years later he made the decision to dedicate his retirement life to helping people in Cambodia to fight the landmines problem. This is a very typical type of Aquarius love. They are the futuristic humanitarians.
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Element: Air |
Polarity: Masculine |
Quality: Fixed |
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Planetary ruler: Saturn and Uranus |
Stone: Sapphire/Garnet |
Metal: Platinum; Uranium |
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Color: Turquoise |
Phrase: I know |
Symbol: the water bearer |
Aquarius give us the ability to question and go beyond the limits of outer authority; the need to know ourselves and establish our individuality and independence.
Air signs are just like their element, it flows freely. It is the essential substance in the world bringing things to life. Without air energy, our world would be a place without logic, without objectivity and without the thirst for information. We breath in the air of knowldge and information to learn our immediate environment(Gemini), we learn to relate and establish relationships(Libra), and finally we pour ourselves into the vast universe with our progressive ideas and humanitaria approach to invent a better future(Aquairus).
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
Cancer, Scorpio Pisces: the WATER cycle of the celestial energy
The water signs are the source of the most primitive and fundamental qualities in the human society. Cancer—the initiator of our emotional world, followed by Scorpio, the one delves into the deep water to discover truths, and pisces, which adapts its merging quality to complete the water circle. Water element is the feeling principle, it is at the bottom of the universe working as the basic function in our psychological and subconscious world.
If you take a close look at the 12 different signs, there are animal signs such as Cancer(crab), Scorpio(scorpion), Aries(ram); there are also human formed signs such as Aquarius(young boy holding a water jar) and Sagittarius(centaur shooting an arrow). The 3 water sign are all in animal forms—crab, scorpion and fish. This explains why we see water signs as the basic function in human, because emotion is a primal and subcounscious quality for human-beings. It is the first and important quality we are born with and it usually develops on its own. Having said that, the great emotional value that water signs bring to the society is invaluable. It has created theatre, music, poetry, drama, and even the renaissance. It gives us feelings, makes us nurturing, compassionate and empathetic and easy to resonate with others; this sympathetic and responsive nature makes us human. Without water signs energy, our world would become too logical and detached.
Cancer is the start of summer season in northern hemisphere. It is the first sign among the water signs, symbolising the cardinal energy. Cancer is a doer, an initiator and it is enterprising. But it is different from other cardinal signs in that it is using its emotional and intuitive ability to initiate an emotional response, getting people’s trust, influencing people’s heart. It is not as direct and aggressive as Aries and not as intellectual progressive as Libra, since crabs only crawl sideways. They like to observer first. However, Cancer has the most feminine/Yin energy within and it is constantly flowing with emotion—that is also why Cancer is ruled by Moon and it is always moody. Cancer can be caucus and untrusting when it feels insecure. However, once you crack open that crab shell, Cancer can venture out into the world of possibility impress the world with its enterprising cardinal power. Cancer is a mother, nurturing the world with its maternal love to give a baby new life; Cancer is a worrier, protecting its homeland and country with loyal love. However, the “taking action” quality also makes the sign unstable. So here comes the 2nd water sign following Cancer—Scorpio, who is there is finish and complete the water energy.
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Element: Water |
Polarity: Feminine |
Quality: Cardinal |
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Planetary ruler: Moon |
Stone: Moonstone; Pearl |
Metal: Silver |
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Color: Violet/Ice-Blue |
Phrase: I feel |
Symbol: Crab |
Cancer is our ability to provide emotional warmth and security for ourselves and family. To develop the capacity to nurture and be nurtured.
Scorpio is a fixed water sign. Imagine Cancer is like a hot spring bursting warm emotion into the nature, then scorpio is like the deep and dark ocean filled with mystery and secrets. Scorpio is the most misunderstood sign because Scorpio is constantly looking for death and reborn, perishing and transforming. If you look at the scorpio glyph, it is like an “m” with a tail, which delves down and comes up—it is like the energy that is eager to dig into the dirt and to be reborn into the new world. They do not fear death and dark, because they believe truth and essence is always buried deep down in the unseen. This makes Scorpio a fixed sign, brought by the fearless and intensive energy to go into the deep dark ocean. Cancer might be good at initiating, but scorpio is the one who finishes the journey. I have a friend who has both Venus and Mars in Scorpio and you can imagine how deeply he can fall when he is in love. To him, love is not about being passionate at the beginning, but it is about if you can make sacrifices and die for love. They enjoy staying in the underworld where Pluto rules, they want to be consistent and intensive. The water power is maximised in the deep water.
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Element: Water |
Polarity: Feminine |
Quality: Fixed |
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Planetary ruler: Mars and Pluto |
Stone: Topaz; Malachite |
Metal: Steel/Iron |
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Color: Deep red; Black |
Phrase: I transform |
Symbol: Scorpion |
Scorpio is our capacity to transform ourselves into an independent adult, to know my own power and masterself.
Famous American playwright once said, "If you wander around in enough confusion, you will soon find enlghtenment." This brings us to the last water sign Pisces, which is also the last sign in the 12 zodiac signs. Pisces is a mutable sign, just like what it is symbolising, the freely swimming 2 fish in the water. Pisces energy is adaptable and versatile. It changes its forms to be accustomed into its environment easily. If you take a look at the zodiac chart, Pisces is opposite Virgo. Virgo as we know, is the mutable earth sign, it is refined and sophisticated (also it is a human form rather than animal) and has clear boundaries. On the contrary, Pisces merges into everything. It is elusive and fey, influenced by the dreamy and illusionary Neptune. Pisces is mutable so it is extremely susceptible to outside environment. Ancient astrologers called Pisces the sign of Sorrow from Self-Undoing. This explains why when being exposed in a negative environment, Pisces tends to create its own downfall.
Neptune is the God of Ocean and he gives us dreams and illusion. Pisces, who carries such strong energy, creates art, poetry and literature. Because they can absorb impression and emotion from everything around it.
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Element: Water |
Polarity: Feminine |
Quality: Mutable |
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Planetary ruler: Jupiter and Neptune |
Stone: Chrysolite; Amethyst |
Metal: Tin |
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Color: Sea-green |
Phrase: I believe |
Symbol: two fish |
Pisces is our ability to imagine and to inspire and feel unity with all of life.
Pisces ends the 12 signs circle and it when it goes back to Aries, energy is renewed and will come in full circle again. Pisces is a watery completion. We are born as Aries with the out bursting energy to discover the world around us, and eventually we perish in the dark peace with dreams and illusions, and adapt ourselves again to become a part of the great nature.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
The twelve zodiac signs and what they mean in Astrology?
Solar sign(Sun sign) and what it means in Astrology?
In the 5000 years that have passed since the study of astrology was first recorded, the 12 signs of the zodiac have acquired special associations, characterisations and meaning. Ancient Greek philosophers formulated the theories of Man in Microcosm—that is, the human being is a miniature version of the cosmos. This means everything in nature has a parallel in human beings, and thus humankind and the universe are linked together in a system of unrelenting correlations. This is also known as the Hermetic Theory. In keeping with the theory, a vast body of correspondences grew up surrounding the 12 signs of the zodiac. We could see each astrological sign is an archetype, and the 12 signs put together a picture of human beings, our bodies, minds, and emotions, and of the surrounding world in which we live. The 12 zodiac signs are like a unending expansive map, draped on the outskirts of the heaven reflecting different qualities, attributes and tendencies. The 9 astrological planets in the solar system (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are like actors dancing around the 12 zodiac stages, playing their unique roles in our lives.
When we say, “what is your sign?”, what does it really mean? This is the foundamental concept we must understand about solar signs. From our viewpoint here on Earth, the Sun travels around the Earth once each year. Within the space of that year the Sun moves through all 12 signs of the zodiac (in reality, it is the Earth that is orbiting the Sun, but see we are on Earth, it seems it is the Sun that is moving). The Sun will spend approximately one month in each sign, and this sign that the Sun is traveling through at the time of your birth is the so-called “sign” of yours. Each sign would be taking 30 degrees of the Sky, so in total this is a 360 degrees circle. Essentially, the so called "your sign" is about the position of the Sun at the moment of your birth. If a baby was just born, for example today 10th December 2019, their Sun would be positioned in Sagittarius in 17 degrees. Of course all the other planets are also scattered around the zodiac belt. Their Mercury would be in 29 degrees in Scorpio and their Moon would be in Taurus(Moon moves fast so it also depends on the exact time).
The Sun is the only cosmic existence in the solar system that is shining (the Moon also shines too but ultimately it is simply reflecting the light of the Sun). It is the most powerful planet. It gives us life, warmth, energy and vitality. It is the force that sustains us on Earth. So the Sun is the most essential and pervasive influence in our horoscope and in many ways it determine how we "shine" in the world. The position of the Sun in our birth chart governs our individuality, our distinctive style, and our drive to fulfil our goals in life. If you are an Aries solar sign, your individuality will shine through your courage and action; if you are a Libra solar sign, you ten to shine through your quality of diplomacy and relationship building skills.
Other planets in our charts also have their own roles to play. For example, Venus is the symbol of love and beauty, it represents how we want to be loved and our social grace; Mars is the planet of sexual drive and aggression, it is the planet that spurs us into action; and of course the Moon, which symbolises our sense of home and emotional security…Every individual has a unique configuration of the planets positions. You are never the same as anyone else, you are your unique individual. Today we will focus on solar sign first in this chapter.
As a general guideline, you can check the below chart and see where your birthday fits in. However, if you are born on the cusp, please do use some astrological calculation tools online to clarify. For example, in most places on Earth, August 23rd 2019 falls under Leo, however if you were born in Sydney Australia on 23rd August after 8:03pm, the Sun would have already entered Virgo. So do check your accurate zodiac sign based on not only your birthday, but also your birth place and birth time. There are many websites that give free birth chart calculation. One of the websites I use is https://astro-charts.com/tools/new/birthchart/
General Solar Sign guideline:
Virgo: August 24 – September 22
Libra: September 23 – October 23
Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21
Capricorn: December 22 – January 20
Aquarius: January 21 – February 18
Pisces: February 19 - March 20
Aries: March 21 - April 20
Taurus: April 21 – May 21
Gemini: May 22 – June 21
Cancer: June 22 – July 22
Leo: July 23 – August 23
In Astrology, the 12 signs are further divided into several sets of groups based on different qualities. This is when we go a bit deeper about how they are different. The first grouping is based on DUALITY. They are either Masculine or Feminine.
Now it is very important to know that these qualities have nothing to do with our gender or even psychological gender. A Scorpio (Feminine sign) man does not mean he is more feminine than an Aries Man; a Genimi woman also does not mean she is less feminine than a Cancer woman. The duality is about the energy and expression of each sign's archytype. In Astrology, the masculine sign is considered direct and energetic, a feminine sign is receptive and magnetic. The masculine signs are defined as outer-directed and strong through action. The feminine signs are self-contained and strong through inner reserves. If a woman has most her planets and important angles in masculine signs, she could still look feminine and seductive, but when you talk and interact with her, you will feel there are some masculine traits in her, such as not taking things personally, being direct in her speech and less emotional when dealing with daily matters. A man with many plants and angles in feminine signs could also be masculine in his demeanors, but he might be quite receptive, imaginative and sympathetic.
The second way to group the 12 signs is called triplicities. The 12 signs are divided into four groups with different elements-fire, earth, air and water. Signs within the same element share some common/similar qualities. Also note that Fire and Air signs are the masculine signs; water and earth signs are feminine signs. See below picture to find out each element's qualities and traits.
We can also categorise the 12 signs into 3 different modalities. They are called Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable.
Cardinal signs: Aries, Capricorn, Libra and Cancer
Fixed signs: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio
Mutable signs: Sagittarius, Virgo, Gemini and Pisces
These qualities signify the sign’s interaction with the outside world. Cardinal signs are enterprising and outgoing; fixed signs are resistant to change but are perfectos and finishers; whereas mutable signs are versatile and adaptable, and they are excellent at adjusting itself to various circumstances.
After we put them into these categories we can see each sign has a unique duality, triplicity and modality: For example, Aries is a masculine, cardinal fire sign, and Taurus is a feminine fixed earth sign. What does that exactly mean? Being masculine, Aries is active rather than receptive, being fire, it is excitable and energetic; being cardinal, it is outgoing as well as open to new experiences. Taurus is a feminine sign, so it is less an outward active sign compared to Aries, but it is fixed, so it is more consistent and firm in its opinions. Taurus is also more probable to finish a project to the end compared to Aries. Now if you are Aries person, you might argue, "I always finish projects and I stick to the end!" Please bear in mind that here we are not talking about a Taurus solar sign person and an Aries solar sign person, but simply the archetypes of those signs.
If we group all the information above, the 12 signs look like the below chart in the sky:
Finally, I would like to point out the 6 unique pairs out of the 12 signs. Each two signs on an astrological wheel is put into a pair, and they are opposite each other. This is called the oppostion pair. As we see on the wheel above, Aries and Libra are a pair; Taurus and Scorpio are a pair. This is also called “Polarity”. Signs in the same pair share the same duality and modality, but are different in triplicity. These kind of pairs have significant meanings in astrology studies, because they are opposite, but also complimentary(meaning they learn things from each other); they are in conflict, but also in love. In fact, when we are choosing marriage partners; there is a tendency that we either choose the same sign energy, or the opposite energy. As people say, the opposites attract!
So how are those signs opposite each other in their qualities?
Aries <-> Libra
Aries is SELF, Libra is PARTNERSHIP;
Taurus <-> Scorpio
Taurus is PERSONAL POSSESSION; Scorpio is SHARED POSSESSION
Gemini <-> Sagittarius
Gemini is DAILY COMMUNICATION and STREET SMART; Sagittarius is HIGHERKNOWLEDGE and PHILOSOPHY
Cancer <-> Capricorn
Cancer is HOME and DOMESTIC LIFE; Capricorn is CAREER and PUBLIC LIFE.
Leo <-> Aquarius
Leo is PERSONAL PLEASURE and CREATIVITY; Aquarius is COMMUNITY/FRIENDSHIP and IDEALISM ON A LARGE SCALE
Virgo <-> Pisces
Virgo is DETAILS AND SELF IMPROVEMENT; Pisces is DREAMS and SELF DELUSION.
If you have many planets in Aries, you could be very much attracted to Libra energy individuals, because their sense of diplomacy and social grace is something you might not naturally possess, thus there comes the attraction; if you are a very typical Cancerian, you might find people who have strong traits of Capricorn very attractive, because they possess the qualities such as determination and ambitiousness. Again, here we are not saying if you are a Cancer then you will only like Capricorn solar sign people. These are simply all archetypes, or you can see them as energy or qualities that people carry. Part of the fascination of Astrology is in its complexity and intricacy. The various associations and symbolism surrounding the 12 signs are part of that rich tapestry draped from the heaven. No two astrological signs are alike. Each one is different and unique. Each holds clues to who we are and the things and places to which we are drawn. In the following chapters, I will discuss more about the 12 zodiac signs individually and what it means when our Sun sits in them.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
What is Astrology and How does it help us?
The universe, or in particular from human's eyes, the night sky was completely unknown in the old days. So people projected their fantasies into it---this is somehow the origin of Astrology. So in a way, Astrology is the accumulated fantasy and imagination being projected into the night sky and thus it is a reflection of our deep mind and subconsciousness. So when we are doing an Astrology analysis, what we are doing in fact is that we are analysing our "fantasies and dreams" through stars, which develops deep insights in our subconscious mind. Astrology is deep down psychology, but wears a fantasy or mythical coat on the outside.
There is no doubt that what we see, touch and understand is a small fraction of the universe, which created everything from scratch. Meanwhile, everything existing in the universe operates by the universe' rules. Life itself is the same. Our fate is, at least, partially written in the stars.
Some people might argue, how the hell is one's fate, even just partially, written in the stars? This is maybe what we could call the universal regularities. Even thousands years ago, people believed the movement of the planets and stars had some correlation with our lives, and thus we depended on the observation of the stars to decide when to do planting, when to do harvesting, when rivers might flood and even when the demise of the King could happen. It is this fantasy night sky above we have been observing, gave us guidance the clues. We found laws in it, and we worked together.
World famous psychologist Jordan B. Peterson said "Astrology is astronomy in its nascent form; just like alchemy is chemistry in its nascent form.", which is very true. Astrology has its theories just like any type of science, but it is also a type of intuitive study. The retrograde of Mercury, or the Saturn return has no direct effect on us if we try to use what we already know as physical science to explain; however since everything in the world is under the universe, the invisible law that the Universe has upon us has guided our ancestors throughout history. There is something embedded in our subconscious mind that is maybe not directed, but more reflected by the stars. This means the planets, sun, and moon do not cause things to happen to us. Rather, it is all happening in sync. Rather than “cause & effect,” what goes on in the heaven is descriptive of what is going on down here. It’s as if the heaven is a cosmic mirror of what we experience down here in time. As astrologers, we observe and take full advantage of the information revealed, using it to reach our full potential. That is the beauty that has been observed over thousands of years. As above, so below.
19th Centruy Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who founded modern analytical psychology, also said,
"Astrology would be a large scale example of synchroism, if it had at its disposal thoroughly tested findings. But at least there are some facts adequately tested and fortified by a wealth of statistics which make the astrological problem seem workthy of philosophical investigation. It is assured of recognition of psychology, without further restrictions, because astrology represents the summation of all the psychological knowledge of antiquity."
So does it mean that everything is pre-destined and we don't have willpower to change? Of course not.
Astrology is not a theory to determine how we WILL live our lives, but more of a study to analyse our tendencies so that we could have more focus and clarity in terms of how to OPTIMISE what we have been given in order to improve and learn our lessons. This is also why sometimes I don't particularly agree with some motivational speakers when they try to push an idea or quality to the audience. Everyone's life lesson is different and everyone's gift and challenges also differ. For example, courage and determination are great attributes. But is you life about learning these qualities so that you can become successful, or is it opposite, meaning you must learn objectivity, humbleness and must cultivate a sense of group/partnership to find happiness? Astrology is a very useful tool to guide us through this self analysis for the purpose of reflection and improvement.
In predictive Astrology, we also use different technics such as TRANSIT and SECONDARY PROGRESSION to predict certain important turning points in life. Natal birth chart (the alignment of the stars at the moment you were born) reveals your root and what you have brought to this life time; the predictive chart would give us more practical information year by year, month by month for some of the critical moments. In my personal experience, Secondary Progression technic is very accurate in predicting the moment we meet someone important--a husband/wife, our best friend, or any soul level connection person. Combining both natal and predictive charts will give us a more holistic view of what to look forward to as well as what to focus in the near future.
For people who don't know much about Astrology, please do allow me to point out one common misunderstanding about it. We all have seen “Astrology Column” in magazines: “xxx will happen this week if you are an Ares; xxx will not happen next month if you are a Virgo.” In the most critical terms, this is called false Astrology. As we could imagine, there are 7.5 billion people on earth, since there are 12 zodiac signs, each sign would be shared by roughly 600 million people. How could these 600 million people experience the same situation in the same month? It is obviously not making sense, even to astrologers. Real astrology is a very intricate study about the relationships, alignments and positions between 8 different planets (or more if we include fixed stars and asteroid stars) as well as how those stars are interacting with the position of the earth at the time someone is born. This first of all includes where the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto(Yes, we are not excluding Pluto in Astrology!) are; and where someone is born on the earth and what time this person is born (to decide the eastern horizon ascendant line, we will go in to details in the future chapters)…Even with the same planet in the same sign, there could be completely different results. For example, you and your friend might be both Leo, but you two could have nothing in common. Why? Does your friend share the same Moon sign with you? What about Venus and Mars? Even if you two were born on the same day (this could mean you two have most planets in the same signs), do you have two different rising signs? If you read some magazines and felt the astrology column does not resonate with you at all, don’t worry. In the future blogs I will teach you everything that you need to know about basic astrology and how to take advantage of it to improve ourselves.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
