The
Basics of Astrology
Prepared by Rose Glavas
First Published at Suite101.com
What is a Natal Chart?
If you look at the words
'natal chart' you could read them another way 'birth map'
- this may help you understand what is being talked about.
Basically, the natal chart is a map of the sky including
the positions of the planets for the time that you were
born. Where you are born has an impact on what is seen in
the sky, e.g., if two people were born on the same day and
at the same time but in a different city and country, what
is seen overhead would be different. This would mean that
their natal charts showing planetary placements would be
different from each other.
So, the first step in
using astrology is to draw a map of the sky for the moment
a person is born, this map includes all the planets, plus
a few other points of interest such as the horizon and the
middle of the sky directly over the birthplace. The time
of birth is important for detailed work because it affects
the position of the various parts of the chart, in particular
the zodiac sign on the eastern horizon (this gives the Rising
Sign/Ascendant) and position of the point over the birthplace
(this gives the position of the Midheaven).
If the time of birth
is unknown it can be worked out through major life events
by an experienced astrologer who specialises in this branch
of astrology: this is known as rectification. To do this
you would need to give the astrologer as many major life
events as possible such as: marriage; birth of children;
major moves; divorce; death; new business ventures or jobs;
and/or any other significant changes to your life.
Another way of finding
out what time you were born is to contact the hospital you
were born in, in the majority of cases they have this information
recorded on the mother's file. I know this is the case in
Australia but I'm not sure about other countries but it
is still worth a try!
Natal Chart Interpretations.
Once the natal chart
has been prepared, the positions of the planets in different
zodiac signs (ie, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc) can be 'interpreted'.
This is an area that people interested in astrology usually
become a little skeptical about the validity of astrology
because the interpretations can vary greatly from one astrologer
to another. One way to understand these differences in interpretation
is to understand that the planets and other points in the
natal chart are used as symbols: as such, they have quite
a broad ability to represent different qualities depending
on the age, sex, marital status, belief system, etc of the
person whose natal chart is being interpreted.
Interpretation is also
affected by the particular areas of interest of the individual
astrologer. For example, some of the areas of specialisation
include psychological, past-life, medical, child-based,
and the list goes on!
The type of information
gained from the natal chart includes understanding the early
home life, relationship with parents and how these affect
adult relationships.
There are many others
areas that can be looked at in quite a comprehensive way
such as how you are perceived by the people around you,
emotional needs, how you express love and affection, etc.
The information found in the natal chart can also provide
an insight into what talents a person may possess that have
not yet been realised or used to full potential.
Natal charts offer the
benefit of self-understanding which may give a person a
whole new perception of themselves, direction in life and
open up possibilities for new directions in life; both in
the physical and psychological sense.
Forecasting.
Now that I have explained
what a natal chart is, it's time to have a look at a basic
system of forecasting.
One way to understand
what type of information forecasting can provide is to think
of weather forecasting: looking at the general conditions
in a person's life at various times - sunny, cloudy, windy,
etc. Basically, if you knew it was going to be raining on
a particular day, you probably would organise a picnic for
another time. The same applies to using astrology for everyday
life.
There are various ways
to use prepare a forecast, the simplest being transits.
Another word for transits would be movements - this refers
to the movement or transit of planets. If you think of the
natal chart, this is a map of the sky showing the planetary
placements at the time, date and place of birth and does
not change or move. In reality the planets do not stop moving,
but continue their journey around the Sun - these continual
movements of the planets are what are being referred to
when an astrologer talks about transits. The transiting
planets are then looked at in relation to the natal chart.
Forecasting can be
a valuable aid in understanding and making the most of opportunities
coming your way and also in dealing with some of the difficulties
that life can bring.
