Astrology for Beginners Part 1 Introductio n All

Astrology for Beginners: Part 1 Introductio n All text © copyright Charles Jameson 2015 astrologyschool. net

Welcome! • Astrology is a vast subject, so today we’ll be just covering some of the essentials. • Aims for today: – Give you a general understanding of astrology as a way of seeing the world, and help you to ‘think astrologically. ’ – Provide you with specific ways of looking at a natal horoscope and be able to make a few meaningful interpretations. – Show you how to use a free online tool to create your own natal horoscope, based on the time and place of your birth.

Approximate schedule for today 10. 45 – Part 1: Introduction 11: 15 – Part 2: Planets 12: 15 – Part 3: Planetary combinations 12: 30 – Lunch break 1: 00 – Part 4: Signs (of the zodiac) 2: 00 – Part 5: Looking at example horoscopes 2: 30 – Part 6: Creating your own horoscope 3: 00 – Part 7: Houses (of the horoscope) – time permitting 3: 30 – Finish up

What is astrology? • Astrology is the study of the correlation between events in the heavens and life on Earth. • It is one of the oldest organised bodies of knowledge in the world, and has been practiced by many cultures for thousands of years. • In the West, astrology was once considered by academics and the elite as a serious and important area of knowledge. • The ‘scientific revolution’ in the late 17 th century changed all that. • Modern science (and religion) has largely rejected astrology as heretical and/or ‘superstitious nonsense’ …

Why learn astrology? • Astrology shows you that there is more to life (i. e. a bigger picture) than meets the eye. • It confirms other dimensions: spiritual, metaphysical, magical. • It is important in herbalism, making talismans, kabbalah, alchemy, (natural) magic and possibly tarot. • Astrology can help you learn more about yourself, about other people, and the world in general. • Astrology is ancient and cosmic universal wisdom, accessible to all and written in the stars, not some external authority or dogma.

Astrology and life • Up until the late 17 th century, astrology was widely respected, e. g. in medical circles, as an intellectual pursuit. • It was considered ‘normal’ that our lives had some correlation with celestial events (not in terms of ‘fate’). • It was considered normal that pretty much everything had an astrological correspondence, every plant, object, part of the body, etc was ‘governed’ by a planet or could be described in astrological terminology. • This was part of the great ‘chain of being’ • For instance, Culpeper says that mint was governed by Venus, so mint harvesting, planting, etc should be done on a Friday (Freya’s day), Venus’s day, at a Venus hour.

Types of Western Astrology • Natal – the study of an individual’s horoscope or birth chart, looking to understand our uniqueness and how that plays out during the course of our lives. Medical is a branch of natal. • Electional – Choosing an astrologically favourable moment to do something (start a business, plant a crop, etc) • Horary – Ask a question, get an answer – no birth data required! The horoscope is set for the time of the question, and it will reveal the answer. A bit like Tarot. • Mundane – The astrology of nations, corporations. Looking at how the planetary transits affect particular countries (e. g. fall of Berlin Wall).

Astrological approaches • Traditional – astrology as practiced prior to about 1900 in all it’s glory, before it was simplified. • Modern – astrology after 1900 – Jung, archetypes, emphasis on myths, free will. • Many modern astrologers are shifting focus to back to some of the traditional ideas, thanks to new translations of original texts, and personal computers (which speed up the horoscope calculations) • My astrological approach is a mix of about 70% traditional, 30% modern.

What is a ‘horoscope’? • It’s a diagram, a representation of the positions of the planets etc for a particular location and time on Earth. • A ‘natal’ horoscope is the horoscope for an individual, based on their time of birth. A horoscope is sometimes referred to as a ‘chart’. HORIZON EAST • You can use astrology software to create a horoscope – UNDER THE I’ll demonstrate how to do EARTH that later, using a free web tool. • Here’s an example of a horoscope… ‘RISING SIGN’ or ‘ASCENDANT’