Astrology An Introduction - How To Understand Ourselves Better
By Sacha Tarkovsky

Astrology is not a modern invention dating back only a few years, it dates back as far as recorded history and has fascinated man ever since.

Astrology is essentially about the interaction between the Planets, the various Signs of the zodiac and how they shape our personalities.

The relationships between all these inputs and their interactions are based on mathematics, and Astrology is the study of these mathematical cycles.

The forces between the planets involved in Astrology can be summed up in one word: Gravity.

The Sun has the greatest gravity and the strongest effect in Astrology, followed by the Moon. The other Planets are not true satellites of the Earth like the Moon, but, their gravity still affects the Earth.

The Sun controls the Earth's motion and the Moon controls its tides, but the other Planets have their own effects on the Earth and on the people who live under their influence - This is the basic theory behind Astrology.

Astrology can be understood as a philosophy that helps to explain life, rather than a type of mysticism that can be used as a predictive tool.

Instead of focusing on what the Planets do to us, we can understand ourselves better based on planetary indications. Astrology binds all of us together:

We are all faced with planetary interactions in some shape or form, and we are all part of these planetary cycles.

The Horoscope and Its Uses

The horoscope is a map that is shown as a two dimensional chart. It shows the position of the Sun, the Moon, and planets at the exact moment of your birth. The planets are frozen in their position at this precise time. The horoscope is sometimes referred to therefore as the birth chart or the natal chart.

A correct interpretation of your birth position can reveal much about your personality.

Horoscopes are not predictive as stated, they do not suggest that your life has already been decided. You of course have freedom of choice in life, but your horoscope does reflect your natural inclinations in relation to your personality traits.

An understanding of these can therefore shed light on the lessons you can learn from life, the issues you face, and the problems that you need to confront and solve.

It merely shows as an abstract formula - The personality you are born with.

The use that you make of your personality traits, will, depend upon you and the actions you decide to take.

Astrology can provide you with a greater understanding of your life, but it doesn't provide clear cut answers to all problems which you may have to confront.

However, obtaining information about your horoscope may give you some insights and understanding into the reasons why you behave the way you do and how you can adapt and change your behavior, to lead a happier life and more fulfilling life.

You can of course, also study other people’s horoscopes to gain a greater understanding of their personalities and understand why they act and behave the way that they do.

Horoscope’s in conclusion allows you to more clearly understand and accept your personality and do the best you can with your natural attributes.

Just as importantly, it can help you understand the motivations and actions of others that influence your life.

How Does a Horoscope Work?

As we have seen the horoscope is a "psychological map" which shows certain patterns of our personalities.

In order to be able to make sense of this map, we need to know how it is made up.

Your astrological chart, or horoscope as stated , is drawn from calculations based upon your exact date, time, and place of birth.

Every element of the horoscope, is expressed symbolically. Each symbol in the chart represents a celestial body, sign, house or aspect.

Your chart can be analyzed and the patterns and factors which influence your personality can be revealed.

The mathematical processes involved in formulating horoscopes have been translated into computer programs today and are easy for anyone to interpret.

An astrologer however, still needs to know how to complete the calculation, even if they have been used a computer.

Your horoscope is a map of the heavens at the time of your birth, and is usually drawn as an Earth-centered (or, geocentric) map showing the planetary positions as seen from your place of birth. Some astrologers also draw Sun-centered (or, heliocentric) maps.

The geocentric premise, however, is that since you were born on the Earth, and the focus is on you, an Earth-centered map reveals a lot about your personality and motivation. The 360-degree circle upon which this chart is drawn represents you as a complete person.

Picture a line dissecting the circle into top and bottom halves. This line represents the horizon at the time and place you were born, the planets, the Sun, and Moon are then drawn in circle.

Those bodies falling above the line were above the horizon when you were born, those below the line are the opposite, they were below the horizon when you were born.

The circle is then divided into twelve segments, called houses; the first house falls just below the horizon line on the left side of the chart.

The twelve signs of the zodiac lie on the dividing lines, or cusps, on the border of each of the houses.

The sign on the left horizon are called the ascendant ,or your rising sign. This changes about every two hours, so time of birth is extremely important!

Symbols for the Sun, Moon, and planets then all appear upon the chart, as do those for the Nodes of the Moon, asteroids etc. Some of the houses in your chart may be empty, but each house is connected to a planetary influence, even if it does not contain a planet.

The above then gives you a complete overview of your personality, your strengths and weaknesses and your natural direction in life. Discover What Astrology Can Do For You.

An astrology report reveals who we are, where we come from and what our main strengths and weaknesses are. Astrology can also help us understand what is expected from and what we can achieve in this lifetime.

Gaining a greater insight about ourselves, can help us to change our direction in life and as a consequence lead a more fulfilling and happier life.

For more on astrology

And other alternative thoughts to gain a greater understanding of oursleves visit:

http://www.net-planet.org/newage.html