Astrology Basics 1 - Glyphs - Signs and what they mean - Zodiac and Planets
Nowadays everyone knows their SunSign.
Most people also
know which other signs they like, which signs they get along
with, and which signs they do not like. You hear things like - I am
a Gemini, my boyfriend is a Libra, my best friend is is a Leo and I do
not get along with Capricorns-. Sounds familiar? People are
referring to the zodiac sign their Sun was in when they were born.
In reality all the zodiac signs are there when we are born. We
give more importance to the sunsign because it is where the Sun - our
star, the nucleus of our solar system, the bringer of life - is at
birth. But that would mean there are only 12 types of
people in the world. Although people of the same sunsign have a
similar make up, they can behave very differently to any given
situation. This is because although the essential self is of the
same energy quality, the way they react (the moon), they way they think
(mercury), the way they feel (venus), the way they act (mars), the way
they seek opportunity and growth (jupiter), the way they structure
(saturn) are all in different signs. It is the combination of all
these energies that is mapped on the birth chart.
It can be quite daunting to understand a birth chart. Look at the
sample chart.
You see a circle full of squiggly signs with
some lines going across it. What does it all mean? Astrology is a
language, to read that language you need to know its alphabet. The
symbols or glyphs in astrology represent the 12 zodiac signs; the
luminaries - the sun and the moon; the inner planets - mercury, venus
and mars; the outer planets jupiter , saturn, uranus, neptune,
pluto. There are also symbols for the asteroids, and for specific points in space
such as the dragon's nodes but we will deal with these later.
Try to familiarise yourself with the symbols and what they represent.
Firstly our Solar System, the Sun, Moon and planets each represent a faculty in our being.
Sun - the Essential Self, the Real life force, the nucleus of being
Moon - The reactive self, the habit forming Self, the Reflection, The comfort Zone
Mercury - the intelligence, understanding and communication, the logical self
Venus - the emotions, feelings, love, sociability
Mars - Drive, the way energy is applied, assertive qualities, action
Jupiter - Attitude to opportunity and growth, the planet of luck
Saturn - The way we structure and contain, our boundaries
Uranus - the way we renovate and restructure
Neptune - the way we dream and express higher emotions
Pluto - the way we transform
Each of the planets reside in a zodiac sign. The zodiac signs
represent different types of energy. This energy influences the
function of that planet.
The following is a list of the zodiac signs with a few words that describe the energy that colours each sign.
Aries - pioneering, wanting to be first, initiating, impulsive and active.
Taurus - warm, amiable, robust, stocky, rooted, prolific and productive
Gemini - dualistic, creative, playful, young at heart, inquisitive, adaptable
Cancer - deeply sensitive, protection seeking, emotional, sensual
Leo - authoritative, pride, courageous, dramatic
Virgo - intuitive logic, scrutiny, quest for perfection, anxious detachment from feelings
Libra - seeking equilibrium, sentimental, sincere, poise, a need to please
Scorpio - secretive, self-protective, tenacious, mysterious, seeking essence
Sagittarius - adventurous, enthusiastic, optimistic, idealistic
Capricorn - ambitious, practical, realistic, fortitude, endurance
Aquarius - innovative, individualistic, tactful, resolute, friendly, unconventional
Pisces - ambivalent, receptive, indecisive, vague, undefined, mediator
The next task is to combine the planets with different signs and see
how they differ.
For example, lets imagine 2 men, both have
Sun in Aries ,
so their essential self is initiating, pioneering, wanting to be
first, impulsive and active.
Both these men are married and their wife is insisting they clear out the garage from the junk they collected over the years to make space for the new car they have just bought. Both men are excited about the new car and want to make space for it.
Now one man has Mars in Capricorn and
the other had Mars in Cancer .
Mars represents the drive for action, the way we apply our energy. How do
these men apply their energy to the task at hand - clearing the
garage... ?
Whereas the man with Mars in Capricorn can
apply his energy practically, realistically and will keep at it
until he gets the job done,
the man with Mars in Cancer will
apply his energy sensitively and emotionally, he'll probably not want
to throw away 'old memories', he'd be sentimental about things he'd
forgotten he had and gets bogged down by his emotions.
Look at your Birth Chart to identify each planet and what sign it resides
in. Combine the function of that planet with the energy of the
zodiac sign it is in. Does the energy flow easily with that function or
does it seem blocked? Do this for each of the luminaries (Sun and Moon) and the planets.
We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. That is what makes us
human. There is no such thing as a perfect chart. By understanding our
strengths we know what we can be optimistic about. Acknowledging our
weaknesses is the first step towards improving ourselves.
In the next step we'll look at the zodiac signs more in detail.
Each sign belongs to a modality and an element.
There are 3 modalities (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable) and 4 elements (Fire, Earth, Water, Air).
There are 4 zodiac signs for each modality and 3 zodiac signs for each element.
The modalities are the mode in which the energy functions.
Cardinal energy is an initiator, it pushes outwards, it functions in the world which it sees around it and tries to establish itself outside its source.
Fixed energy concentrates inwards, it collects and looks for stability within.
Mutable energy is the catalyst, it works in both directions, and is on the move between in and out all the time.
Cardinal Signs are the signs at the beginning of each season - the initiators
Aries Cancer Libra Capricorn
Fixed Signs are the signs in the middle of the season - the stabilisers
Taurus Leo Scorpio Aquarius
Mutable Signs are the sign that end the season - the agents of change
Gemini Virgo Sagitarrius Pisces
Next we will look at the The 4 Elements - Fire, Earth, Water and Air.
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