astrology.web.net

Astrology is not matching one’s birthday with a column in your local paper to see what your week will look like (a form typically referred to as ‘sun sign astrology’). It is a cross-cultural and collaborative effort that began with the wonder of star gazing in early civilizations. Astrology is a theory, and a very complicated and expansive one at that! In its most basic form it is a theory that posits a dynamic relationship between archetypes that are represented by heavenly bodies and affairs on earth. In order to accomplish this study astrologers cast charts, which are basically a geocentric map of the heavens (a map that posits the earth at the centre of the universe). Given the dynamic nature of the heavens and the earth, charts vary wildly from time to time and place to place. To create an astrological chart one must start with an exact location (i.e., longitude and latitude), and an exact time (down to the minute, including factors such as timezone and daylight savings time), and a decent astrology program (or, one could cast a chart by hand… a process that takes hours and involves having some mathematical tables at your disposal). Of course, it is important to stress that there are at least three popular, large and distinct forms of astrology: Western astrology (the one that most of my readers are probably familiar with), Indian/Vedic astrology, and Asian astrology. While Western and Indian/Vedic have a common ancestry and thus some commonalities, Asian astrology operates on any entirely different systems (e.g., different constellations, forms of casting charts, etc.). While I have taken interest in all three of these forms over the course of the last 15 years, I will pay more attention to Western astrology throughout this blog. I am currently reading a book by Richard Tarnas who nicely outlines three major activities of astrology, and which I think nicely accounts for most astrological thought and writing: natal chart interpretation, personal transits and world transits. Natal chart interpretation is a type of activity whereby one examines the heavens as they were at exactly the time of one’s birth. Personal transits refers to a type of activity whereby one examines planets as they impact the natal chart over the lifespan. And finally, world transits refers to dynamic planetary aspects as they impact world activity (e.g., culture, politics, war, etc.). In my experience in the astrological community (i.e., personal discussions, internet sites, textbooks, etc.), these three activities are a central approach for most astrologers. Most sites seem devoted almost entirely to one form of activity or another. I, for one, see little point in starting a blog that continues this approach of focusing on one or two of these activities (given the abundance online and my own personal approach to the subject). Thus, it will be rare that I examine a particular natal chart interpretation, consequent personal transits or world transits in this blog. My interest in astrology is to approach it as a theory, a beautiful cosmological theory of self, wed and bound to classical graeco-roman myth, that is both historically and cross-culturally interesting, and can be applied to all facets of the human experience. Simply, the focus of this blog will be: astrology and the human experience. Thus, my approach is more along the lines of 'existential astrology' or 'phenomenological astrology'. I hope to include a wide range of topics, styles and formats within these blogs that reflect my own experience of being human. If this sounds intriguing to you then you have come to the right place! I welcome you and eagerly await your feedback. Thank you for joining me on my journey to understanding. If you are interested but would like to know more about the basics of astrology please stay posted for my section entitled ‘astrology basics’. However, please keep a couple of things in mind: my ‘astrology basics’ post will reflect many of my own variations and adaptations to astrological theory (thus, not exactly what you may expect to find in a beginner’s book to the subject), and, an understanding of astrological basics will often be assumed in my daily blogs. Finally, I will try address my variations and adaptations to astrological theory early in this blog in order to add clarity to my current position. If you’re wondering whether you’re still in Kansas and you’re trying to click your heels follow my section of ‘links’ where I will try to include links to sites that provide typical, popular and direct information about the three major aforementioned activities (natal chart interpretations, personal transits, and world transits).