Astrology as a map

An astrology chart is like a road map, and works in a similar way - as a guide to the territory of 'your life'.

This map will tell you how you operate as a person.

An astrologer can help you read it - and understanding the map can give you insights into your own unique, personal character.

It shows how you behave with other people, what your talents and skills are likely to be, and where there are challenges you need to meet.

You can change anything in life by learning more about yourself.

Once you see why you have become the person you are, you can focus on making a better tomorrow – for yourself, your loved ones, and the world.

Better still, astrology can give you the best times to do things – or not to do things – in your life.

A picture of your birth

Astrology is an intuitive art based upon mathematical principles.

It takes a snapshot of the sky as it was at the precise moment of your birth. This is your 'natal chart'.

An astrologer builds up the picture – the 'road map' for your life – by knowing your birthday, time, and place of birth.

It's like a journey you have yet to decide on. You know where you are starting from, and you know that you have certain resources (a motor bike, crash helmet, some sandwiches, money, but no tent and no warm clothes).

But where's the best place to go, and what’s the best way to get there? Once you know what resources were given to you at birth, and where you can meet friends or pick up supplies along the way, you can plan how to improve your life journey.

Before an astrology chart is done, ask parents, relations or get hospital records for the time of your birth.

How astrology works

Most of us know something about the Sun sign we are born under (Pisces, Leo and the rest of the zodiac), and the Sun's very important – it shows how we develop. Yet there's a lot more to astrology than the Sun.

All the planets in our solar system affect us in different ways. For instance, Mercury relates to the way you think and move, and the Moon usually relates to your mother as well as your own emotions.

Additionally, each planet affects everything else in your chart. When two planets are too close for comfort, they can start a war that lasts for years – inwardly and outwardly - or at least until you understand what's going on, and learn to work with them.

As the planets move around the zodiac – forming angles to your natal chart - they bring new stages of experience.

When Saturn squares your Saturn (by transit) at around seven years old, you get big learning challenges, like the seven plus exams at school.

At 14, you get another lot challenges that relate to the earlier ones, and at 21 and 28, you get more challenges from Saturn.

They all relate to new responsibilities. Different aspects bring easy times, and wonderful opportunities that just seem to 'drop out of the sky'.

The Ascendant

The Ascendant (or rising sign) relates to the time you are born, and it changes by one degree every four minutes.

If you were born at 9.05 pm, you might have 8 degrees of Leo on the Ascendant. By 9.10pm, the Ascendant has moved to 9 degrees Leo. You might want to know when you're likely to be promoted in your job, and that difference of just one degree between 8 and 9 Leo could mean waiting a whole year for your promotion.

Together with the 10 'key planets' in your chart - the Sun and Moon, in particular - the Ascendant shows what natural talents you have, how you learn, and what interests you.

The Ascendant will also show whether you’re shy or confident when you first meet people, how healthy you are, and what kind of survival skills you have.

For instance research shows that many doctors and sportsmen have Mars close to the Ascendant.

The time of birth also provides another important point, the Meridian Culminating (MC). This shows what you do – or fail to do - with the skills and talents you’re born with, and these natural abilities are linked to the Ascendant, Sun, Moon, etc.

You may develop your natural gifts in ways that get you a good job or help you to shine publicly in your life. But some people throw away their talents and skills, or simply fail to recognise them.

When the Sun is close to the MC, you’re likely to become well known in public for the work you do, and your father or someone older – like a teacher - might encourage or support you as you strive for recognition.

On the contrary, if the Moon is near the MC, your mother may have a strong influence over the way you appear to others in public. For instance, she might want you to become a famous tennis player.

However, you may feel tennis is just something you’re good at because you enjoy a tough, competitive game. Really, you’d far rather work as a vet with animals in the countryside than become a sporting celebrity.

You'll need to learn how to express your feelings honestly, if you want to take charge of your own life.

Using Astrology

Your astrologer can predict how you currently use the talents and skills you have been born with in your life, your work and relationships, and help you make decisions about how you use them better in the future.

Astrology also indicates how you deal with money, and what gives you a sense of security. Additionally, it shows how you like to have fun – including romance, love, and other partnership matters.

Once your natal chart’s known, an astrologer can make suggestions about what you need to focus on to turn weak points into strengths, and how to change bad habits.

And remember, even if you don’t know the exact time of your birth, it's still possible to get a general idea of what's going on by considering the zodiacal signs that your Sun and other personal planets are in.

Who am I?

This question lies at the heart of everything. If you can accept that you don't know everything, you’ve made the first step to a new kind of future.