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<1st Week>

Class 1What is Astrology?

Class 2What's Out There?

<2nd Week>

Class 3What's Out There? Part 2

Class 4How do Astrologers Interpret this stuff?

<3rd Week>

Class 5What is a Natal Chart?

Class 6Houses

<4th Week>

Class 7Zodiac Signs on the Cusps

Class 8Practice Determining Sign and House Placements

<5th Week>

Class 9Aspects

Class 10 The Aspect Grid <6th Week>

Class 11 The Meanings of Signs, Houses, and Planets

Class 12 Interpreting the Birth chart (Introduction)

<7th Week>

Class 13 Analyzing the Strongest Aspects, Part I

Class 14 Analyzing the Strongest Aspects, Part II

<8th Week>

Class 15 Analyzing the Chart of Another Famous Person

Class 16 Outer versus Inner Planets

<9th Week>

Class 17 The Asc and MC

Class 18 The Moon's Nodes

<10th Week>

Class 19 Other Aspects (Trines, Sextiles, Quincunxes), Part I

Class 20 Other Aspects (Trines, Sextiles, Quincunxes), Part II

<11th Week>

Class 21 Test (today's class is a test only) Class 22 The Rising Sign, Part I

<12th Week>

Class 23 The Rising Sign, Part II

Class 24 Element Balance

<13th Week>

Class 25 Zodiac Sign Rulerships

Class 26 Natural Zodiac Sign of a House

<14th Week>

Class 27 House Systems

Class 28 Analyzing Relationships: The BiWheel

<15th Week>

Class 29 Analyzing Relationships: Other Factors Class 30 The Composite Chart

<16th Week>

Class 31 Astrology in Transition: the Draconic Chart and New Insights into the Composite Chart

Class 32 The Composite Chart: its relationship to angles between the charts, and comparing it to the Natal Chart <17th Week> Class 33 Forecasting with Transits Class 34 Forecasting with Secondary Progressions

<18th Week> Class 35 Another Look at Progressions Class 36 Forecasting with Solar and Lunar Returns

<19th Week> Class 37 Scientific Versus - article by Glenn Perry Class 38 Modern Techniques: Midpoints

<20th Week> Class 39 Harmonics, Part 1: The Navamsa Chart Class 40 Harmonics, Part 2: Aspects are a Fraction of a Circle!

<21st Week> Class 41 Harmonics, Part 3: Applying Harmonic Astrology Class 42 Other Techniques: Arabic Parts, Fixed Stars, Asteroids, Parallels of Declination, Degree Meanings, Ancient Methods, and Heliocentric Astrology.

<22nd Week> Class 43 Astrology as Symbolic Language or as an Energy Process Class 44 Re-visiting the Basics: Interpretations of the Planets

<23rd Week> Class 45 Re-visiting the Basics: Interpretation of the Zodiac Signs Class 46 The Draconic Chart, Gems, and Colors

<24th Week> Class 47 Relocation Astrology

What is Astrology? Class 1

Today we will: 1. Define what astrology is. 2. Answer the question "Is astrology a science?"

WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?

Astrology is the study of correlations of celestial events with behavior on earth, particularly correlations which cannot be explained by gravitation, magnetism, or other forces that are well-established in physics or other sciences.

A "celestial event" is any event in the sky. For example, the Sun rising is a celestial event, or any two planets appearing in the same place in the sky is a celestial event. The celestial event can involve any celestial body, whether it be the Sun, Moon, a planet, an asteroid, comet, star, black hole, quasar, or other celestial object. The celestial event may also not involve any physical body at all, such as when, for example, the Moon's North Node (as we shall find out later, the Moon's North Node is not a physical object) is on the eastern horizon. The eastern horizon is, of course, simply where the sky meets the horizon of the earth in the easterly direction, and therefore is also not a physical body like a planet or star.

Some people mention that the Moon's position affects the tides of the ocean, as an example of an astrological influence, but the correlation of ocean tides with the Moon's position can be explained by gravitation so it is not really astrological in that the rules used by astrologers generally cannot be explained by gravitation or other forces known in the sciences.

Astrology has been used by virtually every advanced civilization for thousands of years, but it has almost always been very controversial as well. Today, skepticism about astrology is as strong as ever, and there are many good reasons for this. Astrology has its roots in ancient times when less scientific methods were employed and superstition was rampant in many of these civilizations. The only exposure that many people have had to astrology is the sun sign columns in the newspaper or a glamorous psychic astrologer on television. Thus, it is hardly surprising that astrology is generally not accepted as a legitimate and valid field of inquiry by academia. Resistance to astrology in academia is strong. The Kepler program and other fine work being done in the field of astrology today will hopefully open the eyes of many people to a valuable tool that is being overlooked.

Some people confuse astrology with astronomy. Astronomy is the science that studies celestial phenomena physically. All objects in the sky are studied in terms of their constitution, position, history, etc. Astronomy, of course, is a science and no one disputes its validity. Astrology goes a step beyond astronomy by making correlations of celestial phenomena with events on earth, and these correlations are not of a nature that can be easily explained by traditional scientific concepts. Astrology is highly controversial, and currently (as of 1998; this may change in the near future) an accredited college degree is not available in astrology, which exemplifies the fact that astrology is currently not well- received in most academic circles.

Note that no one has proven how astrology works. There are many different views on how or why astrology might work, but there is not single conclusive answer that has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of all astrologers. Astrology is the study of the correlation between celestial phenomena and behavior on earth but why should this correlation exist? There are many possible answers and I will not go into those now. Note that the lack of a clear explanation of why the correlation should exist, or the fact that the existence of such a correlation seems absurd to many scientists and non-scientists alike, does not in itself make astrology unscientific. Scientists can analyze correlations and perfect their ability to predict based on these correlations without knowing why the correlation exists. Experts in scientific methodology emphasize that science ultimately is about making observations and theories help us understand the observations. The ability to predict that an apple will fall to the ground if dropped is a scientifically verifiable statement and it does not require the theory of gravitation to make it more scientific. However, the theory of gravitation allows us to understand not only why the apple falls to the ground, but also a myriad other phenomena such as why planets revolve around the Sun and the Moon revolves around the Earth. The power of a scientific theory is that it expands our ability to make predictions about other phenomena, but the lack of good theories does not make a replicable experiment less scientific.

IS ASTROLOGY A SCIENCE?

Much of astrology sounds like superstition. For example, most astrologers believe that Mars is a planet of aggression and if you were born when Mars was rising, setting, or over your head ("culminating" is the more technical astronomical term for "over your head") when you were born, then you have the characteristics of Mars: aggressive and ambitious. In addition to sounding superstitious, there is no way to explain such an influence. Does this mean that astrology is not a science?

The answer to this question is hotly debated. Even some astrologers prefer to look at astrology as a cosmic art rather than a mundane science.

Interestingly, the scientific method, contrary to popular opinion and even the opinion of some self-proclaimed scientists, has nothing to do with "common sense". Science is founded on the scientific method, and the scientific method requires only that rigorous procedures be employed to verify that the observed phenomenon is "real", not an artifact of other influences ("extraneous variables" is the term used by scientists). Much of modern physics, in fact, does not make "common sense". The discoveries of Albert Einstein and other 20th century scientists have destroyed the "common sense" science that developed through the 18th and 19th centuries. Modern physics postulates a vast number of concepts which sound absurd to common sense, but they are indisputably scientific because they are congruent with observations made using the rigorous procedure of the scientific method.

Therefore, the fact that astrology does not make common sense or cannot be explained by known physical laws does not disqualify it as a science. What would disqualify astrology as a science would be repeated failure to validate any of its precepts in scientific studies. But scientific studies by John Addey, John Nelson, Ann Parker, Theodore Landscheidt, Mark Urban-Lurain, the Gauquelins, and many others have already validated some astrological influences. These studies cannot be officially declared to be scientific proof, however, because a study must first meet the criteria required by the scientific method: peer review and replication of the results are required before being considered to be scientific validation. A study must be published in a recognized scientific journal to ensure that the study has been conducted properly. Also, a well-designed study typically requires huge amounts of time and money to fund. Astrology today is caught in a chicken-and-egg dilemma: Because the funding and support is not available, the studies have not been validated and published in major scientific journals. However, some of the studies are very impressive. The following is a list of books that contain very impressive research in astrology:

"Astrology and Alcoholism" by Ann E. Parker

"Cosmic Cybernetics" by Theodor Landscheidt

"Astrology As Science, a Statistical Approach" by Mark Urban-Lurain

The book "Recent Advances in " by Geoffrey Dean has an extensive summary of a great deal of research done in astrology. Dean's conclusion is that almost all of the research was not done with sufficient scientific rigor to be completely conclusive.

As part of your studies in Avalon Lessons, we do NOT expect you to read the books listed above! In the advanced lessons we will discuss some of the material in these books in more detail. We are mentioning these books at this time simply to document the basis for the statements made above.

Because astrology is the study of the correlation of celestial phenomena with behavior on earth and both the astronomical phenomena and the behavior on earth can be measured very precisely and clearly, astrology is very amenable to scientific research. For example, a researcher can study the correlation of planetary positions with well-defined behavior or characteristics such as accidents, alcoholism, or medical problems such as diabetes, heart problems, etc. There are some very significant technical challenges that arise in conducting astrological research, such as how to establish control groups in the experiment. I will not discuss these subtle and technical issues of research in any detail now but suffice it to say that in some countries during some periods of time more babies are born just before sunrise, and more babies are born in the spring than at other times of the year. Because people are not born randomly throughout the year or throughout the day, and planets do not move at steady speeds from the earth's point of view, the researcher must be very careful to make sure that the control group of the experiment or the assumption about how often the celestial event would occur by chance is correct. While these challenges to astrological research are not insignificant, they do require great care on the part of the researcher. Another issue to consider is this: although scientific research can be done in astrology, some astrologers, like Glenn Perry, for example, believe that research in astrology needs to be more complex or qualitative in nature than most traditional research studies. According to this view, astrology works in a very holistic and complex manner, and simple research studies are too fragmented and limited to produce results of any great importance. Many astrologers also believe that astrology does not work by cause-and-effect influences but rather by a non-mechanical means. Some astrologers would also argue that astrology's purpose is to reveal meaning and significance to our lives, not to describe phenomena. According to this view a human being is more than a conglomerate of mechanical processes, and astrology can feed the soul of a person, and from this perspective, whether astrology can be validated scientifically is irrelevant and unimportant. Some astrologers view astrology more as a language rather than as a science. As you can see there are many varying viewpoints on astrology's relationship to science!

To answer the question "Is astrology a science?", the answer that I would give (although as explained in the previous paragraph, not everyone would agree) is "almost" or "not yet". Sometimes a discovery in science is made in a single "Eureka" moment, but other times the data slowly and gradually supports the theory until at last a clear and definitive discovery is made. The studies in the books listed above, and in other books, are extremely promising, but by strict scientific standards probably cannot be considered yet to be validation of astrology.

FINAL CONCLUSION:

Opinions about whether astrology is a science vary, even among experts in scientific methodology as well as experts in astrology. I think that to answer this question, we must first carefully define what astrology is and what a science is. Astrology is a correlation of celestial events with behavior and characteristics of things on earth, especially those that cannot be explained by current scientific theories. A science is a field that has been validated by experiments and research that adhere to the tenets of the scientific method, and have been published in qualified journals. Publication is important because this ensures that the research was conducted correctly, with appropriate experimental controls, statistical analysis, etc. Since astrology has been virtually ignored by accepted scientific journals, it is my opinion that astrology does not qualify as a science currently, but when such research is done, it will, in time, produce statistically significant results and then astrology will be a science. It may seem odd that something cannot be a science one day and then the next day it is, but science is not only an objective phenomenon, it is also the inquiry of human beings into an area, adhering rigorously to the scientific method. Many astrologers believe that astrology will one day join the ranks of the other sciences because the work of researchers mentioned above and other researchers are very impressive and only need to be replicated and expanded upon in rigorous (and therefore usually expensive!) scientific studies. Some astrologers believe that astrology requires more emphasis on qualitative techniques and more complex forms of analysis rather than simple statistical quantitative analyses. According to this view, astrology can advance as a science but it will require a radically different kind of scientific approach than is traditionally taken in order to make great strides, and also that "soft science" techniques are not necessarily inferior, and in fact can sometimes produce more useful results than "hard science" techniques.

What's Out There? Part I Class 2

Before we start today's lesson, let's first take a short quiz on the material presented in the last lesson to see if you remember the ideas and concepts that were presented.

A score of 70% or better means that you understand the material and are ready to proceed with this lesson.

Today we will learn: 1. A little astronomy.

2. What the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars look like from the viewpoint of a person on earth

3. All planets rise and set, in similar fashion to the Sun.

4. An astronomical view of the astrological houses.

As we discussed in the previous class, astrology is a correlation of celestial events with behavior on earth. Here is a listing of some of the kinds of things that can be correlated:

Celestial phenomenon Behavior or Characteristics on earth

1. A planet is forming a particular 1. A person wins the lottery. with another planet. 2. A dog is hit by a car. 2. A planet is in a section of the 3. A person loses their keys. sky known as a zodiac sign. 4. It is a rainy day. 3. A planet is in a section of the 5. An earthquake occurs. sky known as a house. 6. Jim and Sally get married. 4. One planet is halfway between two other planets.

As you can see from the above list, the behavior on earth does not necessarily need to be human behavior. Behavior of any animal and even behavior of inanimate things, such as geological events and weather conditions are analyzed in astrology.

We are familiar with the behaviors on earth. We all know what a rainy day is or what an earthquake is. However, we may not be as familiar with the other side of the correlation: how celestial bodies move in the sky and what celestial phenomena are important to astrologers.

SOME BASIC ASTRONOMY

As we all know from elementary and high school, we live on a planet called Earth, which is revolving around a star called the Sun, and the Earth is the third planet from the Sun. [Click here to see a diagram of our solar system]

This is how our earth looks if we were in a space ship or floating around in outer space looking at our planet from a distance. But how do the planets look from our point of view? Your point of view can dramatically change how something appears. For example, if you are standing on railroad tracks and a train is approaching, you can see only the front of the train and the train appears to get larger and larger as it approaches, but viewed from a distance you can see the entire train, and you can clearly see how fast it is moving.

Interestingly, many of us have a better understanding of how planets look from the point of view of a spaceship in outer space, even though we have never been in a spaceship, than we do of how the planets move in the sky from our position on Earth!

There is one celestial body that all of us are very familiar with: the Sun! We all know that it rises in the East and sets in the West and it takes about 24 hours for the Sun to make its journey around the Earth. We also know (if we haven't forgotten everything we learned in elementary school and high school!) that the daily movement of the Sun across the sky is actually caused by the Earth spinning on its axis every 24 hours. We are all victims of a massive optical illusion! The Sun appears to be revolving around us, but in fact we on Earth are revolving around the Sun, and the Sun's movement around the sky is caused by the earth rotating on its axis.

Most astrology is based on how the planets appear from our point of view on earth (geocentric perspective) rather than from the point of view of someone in a space ship above earth or from the point of view of the Sun (heliocentric perspective).

All of us are familiar with the daily movement of the Sun but are you familiar with the movement of the other planets? Test your knowledge by reading the following questions and then clicking on the "Answer" button to see if you know the answers to these questions. It is best to answer each question before reading the next question. QUIZ ON BASIC ASTRONOMY <------Click here to test yourself

From answering the questions in this quiz, you now know that all planets and most stars rise and set about once a day. Actually, there are some rare exceptions to this rule. If you live near the North Pole or South Pole, a planet can circle around the horizon, staying either slightly above or below the horizon. People who live near the North or South Pole are very familiar with this phenomenon; the Sun will not set for many months, and during the other half of the year the Sun will not rise for many months! During the time that the Sun does not set, it also does not rise very far away from the horizon; it circulates around you not very far above the horizon.

Why is all of this rising and setting stuff important in astrology? Because astrologers divide the sky into 12 sections called houses. The houses are numbered from 1 to 12 and the planets travel backwards through the houses each day.

When the Sun rises in the morning it enters the end of the 12th house, [Click here to see the illustration of this] and 2 hours later it leaves the 12th house and enters the end of the 11th house. [Click to see illustration]

About every 2 hours the Sun moves into a new house. After 6 hours the Sun is "culminating", that is it is about 12 noon when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. At this point the Sun leaves the 10th house and enters the end of the 9th house.

[Click to see this illustration]

[Click here for illustration] "A boy is looking at the sunset. The sun, of course, is just above the western horizon, at sunset. What house is it in?" [Answer]

On a typical day the Sun rises at about 6 AM. Of course, as you know, in summer the Sun rises earlier than this and in winter it rises later. Suppose that the Sun rises at 6 AM and sets at 6 PM. Then the Sun will travel through the houses at these times: The Sun is in the 12th house from 6AM to 8AM, the 11th house from 8AM to 10AM, the 10th house from 10AM to 12 noon, the 9th house from 12 noon to 2 PM, the 8th house from 2 PM to 4 PM, and so on until it reaches the 1st house from 4 AM to 6 AM on the morning of the next day.

What's Out There Part II Class 3

Today we will learn: 1. What aspects in astrology are, and also that all planets from a person's point of view on earth, lie in a circle, which is why astrologers can refer to the distance between any 2 planets in terms of the number of degrees, 0 to 360, that separate them. 2. Zodiac signs are a division of the sky in 12 equal sections of 30 degrees each. 3. There are 2 zodiacs, the tropical zodiac and the sidereal zodiac. REVIEW: Yesterday we learned that all planets, like the Sun, rise and set each day, and the time from one rising to the next is about 24 hours. Astrologers divide the sky into 12 sections so it takes about 2 hours for a planet to travel through a house.

THERE ARE 3 FUNDAMENTAL ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA THAT ASTROLOGERS ANALYZE: HOUSES, ZODIAC SIGNS, AND ASPECTS. Yesterday we learned what a house is (we have not yet learned how astrologers interpret houses; we have only learned what a house is). Each of the houses, according to astrologers affects a different part of a person's life. We will learn more about how astrologers interpret houses in a future lesson. Right now I want to explain 2 other celestial phenomena that astrologers analyze: zodiac signs and aspects. We will take a look at these today, and tomorrow we will start to see how astrologers assemble this information together to make their interpretations.

WHAT IS AN ASPECT?

Before I can explain what an aspect is, we need to review some astronomical facts. As we discussed earlier this week, the planets, including the earth, revolve around the Sun. All of the planets revolve in approximately the same plane around the Sun.

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The solar system looks similar to this: The solar system does NOT look like this:

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A "plane" in geometry is similar to a table top, floor, or ceiling. It is a flat surface. The planets revolve around the Sun in almost the same plane.

As we discussed earlier this week, changing our view point can dramatically change what something looks like. The moving train looks very different when viewed from the side as opposed to when it is viewed from the front. The planets viewed from outside the solar system are seen to be revolving around the Sun in almost the same plane. What does this do to our view of the planets from our normal position standing on the surface of the earth? It causes all of the planets to appear in a circle. If the planets were not revolving in the same plane, then the planets would appear in every direction, but because they are in the same plane, they appear to be in a circle from a person's point of view.

The fact that the planets lie in a circle makes life a lot easier for astrologers! We can simply discuss where the planet exists on the circle. If we want to talk about how far apart the planets are we can simply talk about how many degrees apart they are. Just to make sure you have the idea, let me make an analogy: Imagine that there are 3 people are walking in circles around the same point, and each person is walking in a circle at a different distance from the center, as shown in the illustration to the left. The green person in the illustration is walking in the innermost circle, the blue person is in the middle circle, and red person is in the outermost circle. Suppose that the blue person is wondering how far apart the red person and green person are from each other. He could, of course, measure the distance with a ruler, but he can also talk about the angle between them.

As shown on the illustration to the right, the green person and red person are 90 degrees apart from the blue person's point of view. The 3 people in this illustration are walking in a path that is very similar to the path of the planets around the Sun. The green person, for example, could be Venus (which has a path closer to the Sun than the Earth's path), the blue person the earth, and the red person can represent Mars (which has a path farther away from the Sun than the Earth's path. From the point of view of a person living on planet Earth, Venus and Mars are 90 degrees apart. The angles between the planets are constantly changing of course, as the planets revolve around the Sun. Certain angles are "critical"; they cause the 2 planets to interact with each other. An angle of 90 degrees is one of these critical angles and it is called a square aspect. We will discuss aspects in more detail in future classes, so if this is a little difficult to follow right now, don't worry because we will discuss this in greater detail soon.

WHAT ARE ZODIAC SIGNS?

Because the planets from a person's point of view lie in a circle, we can pick a starting point in the circle and talk about how many degrees the planet is from this starting point. This would be a convenient way to talk about precisely where the planet is.

For example, going back to our example of 3 people walking in a circle around the same point, the blue person may decide that the direction where the green person is in the illustration above is the starting point, and he measures in a counter-clockwise direction. The green person is at the starting point, which we can call zero. The red person is located 90 degrees from the green person if we measure in a clockwise direction, which is equal to 270 degrees measured in a counter-clockwise direction.

Two starting points are particularly popular among astrologers. Perhaps the most obvious starting point would be a fixed star (in astronomy and astrology, we refer to the stars as "fixed stars" to make it clear that we specifically mean the stars that make up the constellations, and we are not using the word stars in a looser and more general sense to include planets, the Sun, and Moon, etc). Using a fixed star as the starting point is very simple and convenient.

This is exactly what some astrologers use and the measurement based on using a fixed star as a starting point is called the sidereal zodiac. In a manner similar to the division of the sky into 12 houses, the 360 degrees of the sidereal zodiac is divided into 12 sections of 30 degrees each. Each 30 degree section is given a name, and these names are the familiar names of the zodiac signs that you are no doubt familiar with: , , , etc. You have heard about zodiac signs before but now you know what they are! They are 30 degree divisions of the circle that the planets travel in from a person's point of view on earth. Any planet that is from 0 degrees to 30 degrees from the starting point is in Aries, if it is from 30 degrees to 60 degrees away it is in Taurus, 60 degrees to 90 degrees is Gemini, and so on.

Houses and zodiac signs are very similar. Both houses and signs divide the sky into 12 pieces. Houses divide the sky into 12 pieces starting with the horizon, and the sidereal zodiac divides the sky into 12 pieces starting with a fixed star. (There is another kind of zodiac known as the tropical zodiac which we will discuss below).

When someone says "I am a " we obviously cannot translate this literally because "Leo" means "Lion" and obviously the person is not a lion! What this statement means is that the Sun at the time the person was born was in the 30 degree section of the sky that is from 120 degrees to 150 degrees from the starting point (Leo is the 5th sign of the zodiac and starts at 120 degrees).

What fixed star is used as the starting point of the zodiac and why? Unfortunately, astrologers who use the sidereal zodiac are not in complete agreement about what star to use. In the 20th century research into ancient astrology has revealed many interesting details and many astrologers use these recent studies to base their understanding of precisely where the sidereal zodiac begins. But this gets us into a very advanced subject that we will leave for much later.

Now, here is a real surprise (at least if you are completely new to astrology): the sidereal zodiac is NOT the most commonly used zodiac in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and some other parts of the world: the tropical zodiac is used. The tropical zodiac is based on a starting point that is more abstract than using a fixed star as a starting point. To attempt to even describe the starting point of the tropical zodiac is a little complex right now, but I will give you a definition just in case you are curious: the starting point of the tropical zodiac is the intersection of the ecliptic plane and celestial equator. I told you that it would be complex!!! Don't worry if that sounds completely incomprehensible. We will get a better idea of what the tropical zodiac is in advanced level classes. For now, however, we do not need be concerned with these technical details. What is most important to understand right now is that the 12 zodiac signs are similar to the 12 houses in that both of them are divisions of the sky into 12 sections. We can pick out a starting point on the circle, and refer to a planet's position by how many degrees, from 0 to 360, the planet is from the starting point. One final point about zodiacs: the sidereal zodiac is used by some astrologers, and in some parts of the world, most notably India, it is more commonly used than the tropical zodiac. In advanced classes we will learn more about the sidereal zodiac and how it compares to the tropical zodiac, but for the rest of this semester we will be working almost exclusively with the tropical zodiac.

Note that the information we are presenting is astrological theory as commonly practiced in the western world (North and South America, Europe, Australia, etc.) in contemporary times. Astrology has been practiced for thousands of years in virtually every civilization and culture and the number of theories and ideas is vast. For example, in some forms of ancient astrology, and 8-house system was used instead of the 12-house system that we use today. I will not repeat this caveat in every lesson because I do not want to bore you by repeating the same information over and over again! The vast wealth of ideas in astrology can overwhelm the student, and this is why the structured approach to learning that we present in Avalon Lessons can be extremely helpful to the student.

How Do Astrologers Interpret this Stuff? Class 4

REVIEW: In our first 3 days we learned that astrology is a correlation of celestial events with the behavior and characteristics of things on earth. We also learned that astrologers talk about the planets being in houses, in zodiac signs, and in aspect to each other. We learned that most astrology is done from the person's point of view on earth (geocentric).

Before we start today's lesson, let's first take a short quiz on the material presented in the last 2 lessons to see if you remember the ideas and concepts that were presented.

A score of 70% or better means that you understand the material and are ready to proceed with this lesson.

Today we will: Learn 3 basic fundamentals of how astrologers interpret astrological phenomena: 1. Each planet has an astrological meaning. 2. The planet's meaning is colored by the signs and houses it is in. 3. Planetary influences mix together when there is an aspect between two planets.

We will also:

4. Learn various philosophical approaches, issues, and problems that astrologers are involved in. 5. Summarize the most important things to retain from today's lesson.

How do astrologers use the houses, signs, and aspects to make their interpretations? Here is how it works:

1. EACH PLANET INFLUENCES A DIFFERENT PART OF LIFE:

Each planet affects a different part of life. Mercury affects how one thinks and communicates. Venus affects our aesthetic sense, what we think is beautiful and attractive and has some influence over our romantic nature. It is as if each planet is a magnet that structures a different aspect of our lives. You know that magnets can attract and repel iron but have no effect on wood or rubber. Imagine a different kind of magnet that attracts and repels wood but not other materials. The planets, as used in astrology, are like this. It is as if each planet structures and influences a different part of us. 2. THE SIGNS AND HOUSES "COLOR" THE INFLUENCE OF THE PLANET:

A light that shines through green glass can have a much more pleasant feeling for us than the same light that shines through a red glass. Just as the colored glass colors the light, zodiac signs and houses color the influence of the planet. Some astrologers put more emphasis on the meaning of the zodiac sign and house more than others. Some astrologers make the influence of zodiac signs and houses the foundation of their interpretation while other astrologers put very little emphasis on them.

Here is an example of how zodiac signs color the meaning of a planet: Mercury affects how we think and communicate, and the zodiac sign gives a fiery, impulsive quality. Therefore Mercury in Aries inclines a person to blurt out things before carefully measuring their words, and to make spontaneous, impulsive decisions. Taurus, on the other hand, gives a deliberate, steady, and stubborn quality, so a person with Mercury in Taurus is very much the opposite, carefully analyzing a situation before making a decision. Each sign has its advantages and disadvantages.

Houses work in a similar manner. For example, the 3rd house focuses one's attention on tangible things in one's immediate environment while the 9th houses focuses one' attention on broader, more philosophical issues. Mercury in the 9th house makes one more inclined to broad issues like philosophy, religion, politics, education, and travel, while Mercury in the 3rd house gives an interest in solving puzzles, clear communication, etc.

Please note that we do not actually know how or why astrology works! There is a difference between using a concept as an aid to interpreting a chart, and proposing the concept is the actual mechanism by which astrology works. In the previous paragraphs we are not proposing that the planets actually are like magnets controlling different aspects of a person's life; we are stating that viewing the planets as analogous to magnets is useful for learning how to interpret a chart. Similarly, our image of zodiac signs and houses as colored glass giving color, tone, and quality to a planet does not imply that this is actually how zodiac signs work. We do not know how they work. We are saying that this view of their influence will help you better understand astrology and help you interpret a birth chart accurately. This may seem like a subtle distinction, but it is a very important distinction. Developing a model because it assists our ability to analyze, apply, and utilize data without regard to whether the model is actually true, but rather using it simply because it is helpful and useful to us, is, in fact, a common practice in the had sciences, like physics, as well as the soft sciences like psychology and sociology. (A "soft science" is one that is difficult to apply the scientific method to, while a "hard science" is one that is more amenable to analysis using the scientific method).

3. PLANETARY INFLUENCES MIX TOGETHER WHEN AN ASPECT IS FORMED:

In addition to the "coloring" of the planetary influences by the signs and houses, astrologers analyze the angles between the planets. When two planets are 90 degrees apart, for example, the energies of the 2 planets mix together. Note again that we actually do not know how astrology works, so whether there are planetary energies at all is debatable, but the image given here of planetary energies mixing is nevertheless a good one for helping understand how astrologers interpret a birth chart. We do not have empirical data showing that planetary energies are at work, but it is useful concept to use when interpreting astrological influences and applying these influences to consultations with clients.

When 2 planets are 90 degrees apart, the 2 planets mix together in a challenging, motivating, and stressful manner. For example, Mercury affects how we think and communicate and Jupiter expands whatever it touches. When Mercury is 90 degrees from Jupiter, it can create a need to think about large issues, such as philosophy, politics, or world conditions. It may also create a need to communicate big ideas to a large audience.

If the 2 planets are 120 degrees apart, then the 2 planets mix together in a smoother, more harmonious and less motivating manner than the 90-degree aspect. If Mercury is 120 degrees from Jupiter it can give a person an aptitude for understanding general concepts and a talent for knowing how to reach a large number of people, but there is not as much of a sense of urgency or importance attached to this as there is with the 90 degree angle.

Angular distances that cause the two planets to mix together have names. The 90 degree angle is known as the square aspect and the 120 degree angle is known as the trine aspect. When Mercury is 90 degrees from Jupiter, one can say that "Mercury squares Jupiter", and when Mercury is 120 degrees from Jupiter, one can say that "Mercury trines Jupiter".

There are many other important aspects, but we will not detail these now. Our main goal today is to give a clearer picture of how an astrologer interprets astronomical phenomena. Astrologers analyze how the houses and signs modify the influence of the planet, and they interpret aspects to see how the planetary influences mix together.

4. PHILOSOPHICAL ASSUMPTIONS, ETC.:

We do not know how astrology works. Those of us who study astrology know that it works, and as discussed in the first class, there is good scientific support for some ideas in astrology, although the lack of publication in respected scientific journals can be viewed as a lack of absolute conclusive proof.

Astrologers have developed various ways of visualizing and explaining astrological influences. For example, in the first section above I made an analogy to magnets when explaining that each planet influences a different part of life. Some astrologers may be offended by this analogy because they may believe that astrology does not work by any kind of physical force (since there is no proof of how astrology works, one is free to devise any theory that one wants as to how astrology works). I used the analogy to magnets simply because I think it helps to make the concept clear, helps one to better interpret the birth chart, and also it may inspire some creative thinking. Do not, however, mistake the use of analogies, such as the analogy to magnets, as a definitive actual explanation of how things work.

When introducing the concept of aspects, I gave the image of the planetary energies mixing. I also pointed out that we do not know whether there are actually energies involved. Many astrologers refer to planetary energies because it has proven useful for them in their astrological practice. Other astrologers find the reference to astrological energies distasteful. In future lessons, there I may make reference to planetary energies or other similar concept, without specifically pointing out that the concept is being used for convenience or because it is useful, even though it has not been proven to actually work.

Referring to planetary energies is fairly common in modern , and it is consistent with the philosophical approach of many astrologers practicing today, particularly in North America, South America, and Europe. A great many astrologers today view astrological influences as a kind of energy available to a person, a resource, gift, inclination to a problem or pressure upon the person. Modern astrologers generally agree that a person should not fight or transcend these influences but rather perfect their ability to express these energies so that they can be the best that they can possibly be. We do not know precisely how or why astrology works but it is evident to many modern astrologers that one of astrology's greatest gifts to humanity is a way of understanding what motives are at work in our lives and help us decide on the best possible path to utilize the resources available to us. For example, a person who is 7 feet tall and is very coordinated and strong may want to consider playing basketball professionally whereas a person who is 5 feet tall and not well-coordinated may well play basketball for fun, relaxation, or exercise, but would be foolish to work towards becoming a professional basketball player; it is not impossible that he could succeed, but it is nearly impossible and works against the natural forces at work. Throughout the material presented in Avalon Lessons, the philosophical perspective that astrology can be used as a tool to better direct one's life and better understand the forces at work in one's life will be maintained.

Some astrologers are much more factual and fatalistic in outlook. We hope in the future to expand Avalon Lessons offerings to include subjects from astrologers of various persuasions, but presently the great majority of the material is rooted in the modern western philosophy and practice of astrology.

In addition to issues of philosophical assumptions when practicing astrology, there is also the issue of choosing among the many, many dozens or hundreds of techniques and variations of techniques that are available! Astrology, like mathematics, music, and many other disciplines is an endless adventure! It seems as if there are an endless number of ideas, concepts, and analytical methods used in astrology, and beginning students often get lost in a sea of information. In Avalon Lessons we will learn the techniques that are most well agreed upon, and where necessary we will avoid subjects that can distract us get us involved in a tangle of competing ideas. At the same time, we will try to let you know when there are alternative concepts and ideas that we have chosen to leave for future lessons so you know that the information you are receiving is not the only viewpoint held among astrologers today. As you will see, by following this approach you will be able to use astrology to better understand people after only one semester of classes, and at the same time have some grasp of what alternative approaches are available that we have not covered in detail in this introductory course.

Mastering the precise meaning of each planet and how the zodiac signs, houses and aspects affect the way in which the planet functions are the fundamentals that most astrologers use. Astrologers will tell you that even after many, many years of studying astrology and consulting people, they continue to learn new subtleties of how a particular planet in a sign or house operates. One never stops learning new ways in which the astrological influence can manifest and ways one can best channel the astrological influence. The great bulk of the rest of this semester's work will be mastering these fundamentals. Over the next few weeks we will learn the details of what each planet means astrologically, specifically how each sign and house modifies the meaning of the planet, and how the planetary influences mix together in aspects.

What is a Natal Chart? Class 5

Today we will learn: 1. The Natal Chart is a map of where the planets are when a project begins. 2. The project is "imprinted" with the astrological influences at the moment it begins. 3. A natal chart for a person is done for the moment a person is born. 4. A listing of the glyphs of the planets and zodiac signs is given, and these glyphs, and the order of the zodiac signs, should be memorized.

We are ready to learn another important rule in astrology: The time at which a project begins is imprinted with the astrological influences at that moment. Like many astrological rules, we do not know why this rule is true. It is handed down from ancient times, astrologers use it, and it works. Why it works remains a mystery.

Astrologers draw a diagram or picture of the planets at the time an activity begins and this diagram is called the natal chart or birth chart.

The exact moment that a project begins is sometimes unclear or unknown. However, sometimes it is very clear. For example, suppose that you are interested in knowing what will happen at a major athletic event. The game begins at a very definite moment so a birth chart for the game can be made. The moment that a person signs a contract and the moment that one signs the documents to purchase a car or home, for example, can be used to make birth charts to determine how the home or car will work out for a person. Until the moment you sign the papers of ownership, you do not legally own the house or car. Once you sign, you are the owner so the time of signing is clearly the point at which the purchase is made. A marriage is generally regarded as starting when both people have said "I do" because theoretically at any moment up to that statement the marriage has not begun and once stated, the commitment by both people has been made. When does a person's life begin? Perhaps you can consider it to be at the time of conception, but astrologers generally recognize the first breath as the moment when the person's life as an independent, self-functioning entity begins. There is some debate among astrologers as to whether birth is when the baby's body appears or when the first breath is made. The majority opinion seems to be first breath. Usually a baby begins to breathe almost immediately after being born into the world, so the time of birth is fairly unambiguous. It appears not to matter how the baby was born, whether by a Caesarian operation, or whether labor was induced, or influenced in any other way.

Analyzing birth charts is not the only analytical method available to astrologers! Some astrologers, for example, study historical cycles by analyzing the influence of planets moving through zodiac signs or forming different aspects over time, without referring to birth charts. However, the interpretation of birth charts does make up the bulk of work for many astrologers, and we will focus on the interpretation of birth charts of people throughout the rest of this semester.

To calculate a birth chart, the birth date, birth time, and place of birth must be known. Before the advent of the home computer most astrologers calculated the birth chart by referring to tables in books and making various manual calculations. The two main books used by astrologers before the use of computers were an ephemeris and a table of houses. An ephemeris is a book that contains daily listings of where each of the planets is located. A table of houses is used to find where each of the houses begins. The astrologer also has to perform some computations to get the positions; it is not quite as simple as just looking them up and reading the positions directly out of the books.

Some astrologers still feel that the student of astrology should know how to calculate a birth chart the old-fashioned way, but frankly I think that the tedious process of calculating charts manually has been made obsolete by computer programs. An astrologer should know how to look in an ephemeris to read the positions of the planets, and we will learn this in future classes, but the much more tedious process of calculating a chart manually is (in my opinion) no longer important.

Two things are needed from a person (or event) to calculate the birth chart: the time and place of the birth. Generally people know their date of birth, but the time may have to be obtained from hospital records, a baby book, or government records. Without the birth time, a partial astrological analysis can be done, but a precise birth time is needed for a complete astrological analysis. For the great majority of astrological work, the town or city is required. The country or county is not sufficiently accurate for a complete analysis. On the other hand, the precise hospital or street the person was born on is generally not required; the town or city of birth is sufficient.

From the time and place of birth the natal chart can be calculated. The very first step in calculating the birth chart is to determine the latitude and longitude of the place, and also the time zone and whether daylight savings time was observed. The latitude and longitude of birth can usually be easily obtained from an atlas. However, the time zone and daylight savings time present a formidable problem! Observance of daylight savings time is extremely complicated during some time periods in some countries. For example, in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's in the United States, observance of daylight savings time was extremely complicated in some states: neighboring counties in the same state very frequently did not observe daylight savings time during the same years! Observance of daylight savings time was not even always consistent throughout the county! The complexity of daylight savings time is not restricted to some states in the United States during these years; many countries are equally complex, and obtaining records of precisely when and where daylight savings time was observed can be a laborious and complex project. Generally speaking, governments do not maintain nice, neat compilations of daylight savings time regulations. Countries also change their laws regarding daylight savings time, so the tables must be constantly upgraded. To calculate a chart manually, then, a person needs an ephemeris, a table of houses, an atlas or other reference book that gives the latitude and longitude of cities, and a book that has daylight savings time and time zone information. There are books written especially for astrologers that include the latitude and longitude, time zone, and daylight savings time information together in one book. Calculating a chart by hand is also sometimes done with the aid of a calculator or other aids like logarithm tables but these are not absolutely necessary. The Kepler program has very current, thoroughly researched daylight savings time data for the entire world, so the chore of determining daylight savings time, time zones, and looking up the latitude and longitude of a town has been eliminated. Many of our customers throughout the world keep us notified of changes in observance of daylight savings time when it changes, and we are updating our tables accordingly. We are very grateful to the many people who have assisted in assembling this data, and we especially want to recognize AstroCommunications Services for generously and graciously working jointly with us to make it possible for us to provide the most accurate data possible. With the aid of the time zone and daylight savings time tables built into the Kepler program or available from AstroCommunications Services, the time zone and daylight savings time information is accurate over 99% of the time, but there are time periods in some regions where absolute certainty regarding time zones has simply not been firmly established yet.

Astrology is the study of a correlation of celestial phenomena with behavior on earth. Obviously the celestial phenomena must be measured accurately in order to make the correlation. Probably the single most important cause of inaccuracies in determining the position of the celestial phenomena is incorrect birth data; the birth time is not correct. Many astrologers have found that written records (hospital records, government records, baby book) are accurate more often than the memory of people present at the birth, including the mother. Probably the second most important cause of inaccuracies in chart calculations is incorrect daylight savings time information, and sometimes also incorrect time zone information. Thus, the importance of having accurate time zone and daylight savings time can hardly be exaggerated.

Over the next few weeks, we will begin to learn to read and interpret the natal chart wheel. On the left you see a chart wheel. At first, it looks like a confusing conglomeration of symbols. Our first step in making some sense of the chart wheel is to learn what the symbols in the wheel represent. Here is a list of the glyphs in the chart wheel: Zodiac Signs and their Degrees The Planet Symbols: Aries q (0 to 30 degrees) Sun a Taurus w (30 to 60 degrees) Moon s Gemini e (60 to 90 degrees) Mercury d r (90 to 120 degrees) Venus f Leo t (120 to 150 degrees) Mars g y (150 to 180 degrees) Jupiter h u (180 to 210 degrees) Saturn j i (210 to 240 degrees) Uranus k o (240 to 270 degrees) Neptune l p (270 to 300 degrees) Pluto ; [ (300 to 360 degrees) ] (330 to 360 degree

You should memorize these glyphs, and also the order of the zodiac signs. The degrees of each zodiac sign are also given in the listing above. It is not necessary to memorize these degree areas at this time, but I have listed them because it is helpful to remember that the zodiac signs are names applied to 30 degree sections of the circle. In future lessons we will be converting from zodiac positions to degree positions and vice versa. For example, suppose John's Sun is at 28 degrees of Sagittarius and his Moon is at 10 degrees Pisces and you want to know how many degrees apart the 2 planets are. One way to calculate this is to convert the position to degrees, and then subtract the difference: the Sun's position of 28 degrees Sagittarius is 268 degrees and the Moon's position of 10 degrees Pisces is 340 degrees, 340 minus 268 = 72, so the angle is 72 degrees. (We shall find out in a future lesson that 72 degrees is a significant angle and is known as the quintile aspect). It is not necessary to memorize the degrees occupied by each zodiac sign, but you should be able to figure out the degrees occupied by each sign if necessary by listing the planets in order from Aries to Pisces and allocating 30 degrees to each zodiac sign, and then use this to calculate the distance between two planets. In other words, you do not need to memorize that Capricorn starts at 270 degrees and ends at 300 degrees, but you should be able to re-create the table above to determine this. Memorize the symbols of the planets and zodiac signs by the next class.

The Natal Chart Wheel: Houses Class 6

REVIEW: In the previous lesson we learned that a great deal, but not all, of astrological analysis involves interpreting natal charts. The natal chart is a representation of the planetary positions at the time and place the project begins. The most studied "project" is people, and birth charts of people are based on the date and time of birth. We also learned the glyphs of the planets and signs.

Before we start today's lesson, let's first take a short quiz on the material presented in the last 2 lessons to see if you remember the ideas and concepts that were presented. A score of 70% or better means that you understand the material and are ready to proceed with this lesson.

Today we will learn: 1. A natal chart is actually a picture of the sky if you face south. 2. Houses vary in size. Unlike signs they are not precisely 30 degrees in length. 3. There are different house systems. 4. The Asc and MC axes are most important and most house systems agree on their position.

The birth chart of a person is a representation of where the planets were when the person was born. Where the planets are depends on the direction you are facing. For example, if I face east when the Sun rises, then the Sun is directly in front of me. If I face south, then the rising Sun is to my left, and if I face north, then the rising sun is to my right. The birth chart is a representation of where the planets are if you are facing south. Here is something you should do now: turn yourself to face south. When you do this, in what direction is east? East is to your left. Because the birth chart is a representation of where the planets are when you face south, east is on the left side of the birth chart. West is on the right side of the chart. Now we will review some ideas we present in an earlier lesson, and expand upon those ideas: If a person is born at noon, the sun will be approximately overhead, near the top of the chart, and for a person born at midnight the sun will be approximately beneath the person near the bottom of the chart. The diagram below shows the sun's approximate position at noon, sunset, and midnight.

Note that the planets move backwards through the houses during their daily movement through the houses. This may seem strange, but this is in fact how the houses are arranged. A planet enters the end of a house and travels backwards to the beginning of the house. The beginning of a house is known as the house . The diagram on the left shows in red the beginning of two houses, the first house and 9th house, or, in other words, where the 3rd and 9th house cusps are. Of course one house begins where another house ends. For example, the 1st house cusp is the beginning of the first house and the end of the 12th house, and the 9th house cusp is the beginning of the 9th house and the end of the 8th house. Because all planets, not just the Sun, move backwards through the houses at the speed of one house in about 2 hours, an accurate birth time is required in order to interpret the planets in the houses. For example, suppose a person believes that he is born at about 7 AM but in fact he was born at 11 AM, which is of course 4 hours later. The planets will have moved to houses earlier (remember that the planets move backwards through the houses so a birth 4 hours later moves the planets 2 houses earlier).

Let's review a few points about houses to make sure that you understand this material:

Suppose that you were born at 9 PM and an astrologer calculates your chart, and the chart shows that you have the Sun in the 11th house. What do you know about this chart? [Answer]

What house should the Sun be in? [Answer] Can you think of a reason why the astrologer calculated your Sun to be in the 11th house instead of the 5th house?

[Answer]

Estimating the Sun's placement in a house according to the birth time gives only a very crude approximation of where it should be. The Sun does not rise at exactly 6 AM, for example. As you know, it rises at different times of the year, and at different times depending on your location. In very northern latitudes, the Sun may rise as early as 4 AM and set at 9 PM or even later in the summer. However, it does give a rough approximation.

Note that houses, unlike zodiac signs are not precisely 30 degrees in length! They can vary in length by a large amount; a house as small as 15 degrees or as large as 45 degrees in size is not extremely unusual!

Why houses vary in size is a subject that would get us into a fairly lengthy discussion of astronomy, but the following information may give you a hint as to why the houses vary in size: the planets do not usually rise at the precise east point and they do not set at the precise west point. As you may have noticed, the Sun rises much farther to the south in winter and also sets much farther to the south. In summer the sun rises and sets much farther to the north. (If you haven't noticed this, then maybe you should go out at sunrise and sunset and observe where the sun rises and sets throughout the year, and you will see for yourself that this is true). Imagine that it is almost full moon and the sun is rising in the middle of winter. As we just discussed, the sun rises in a south-east direction in winter. Now suppose that the Moon is visible just above the western horizon just as the Sun is rising. This is certainly possible, by the way, when in the monthly cycle it is just past Full Moon. Where will the Moon be? Of course, it is in the west because it is setting, but will it be in the northwest, southwest, or directly west? The answer is that it will be in the northwest. In fact, not just the Moon, but any planet that is setting at this time will set in the northwest because the path of the planets when the Sun rises in winter is from southeast to northwest. The path changes during the day and by sunset it has reversed to be from northeast to southwest, and consequently the Sun sets in the southwest. Now let's go back to the situation of the sun rising in the southeast in winter and the moon setting in the northwest: Suppose another planet is overhead. You might think that if one planet is overhead, another is rising and another is setting, then the planet that is overhead is 90 degrees from each, but it is not. If you live in a fairly northern latitude, such as Chicago, London, or even Jacksonville, Florida, the planets do not actually reach the point overhead; they are always a little to the south, and the distance from the planet that is overhead to the rising sun is shorter than the distance to the setting Moon in our hypothetical situation.

It is not necessary to completely grasp all of the details of this explanation in the previous paragraph of why the houses vary in size, but hopefully this does give you some feeling for why the houses vary in length. It is important that you know the following facts: the sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest in winter. In summer: the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest. Also, you should remember that the path of the planets does not "cut across" the sky in a "nice" fashion cutting the east and west in perfect halves. Instead, the path of the planets typically starts in the southeast or northeast, and does not come directly overhead, but instead arcs a little closer to the horizon. The exact path of the planets depends on the time of day, time of year, and the geographic latitude in which you are located, so consequently it is not a simple matter to determine precisely where it is at any given time in any location. The result of this lack of symmetry in the way that the path of the planets divides the eastern and western sky causes the houses to be unequal in size. (It is not essential that you grasp completely how this happens or to understand completely why the path of the planets does not symmetrically divide the east and west sides of the sky, but given that it does, it should make some intuitive sense that as a result the 10th house cusp is not equidistant from the first and seventh house cusps, and consequently the houses are not of equal size.

As discussed above, houses are not precisely 30 degrees in length. Even though this is true, some astrologers prefer to draw the chart wheel as if each house was equal in size similar to the illustrations above. Other astrologers, on the other hand, prefer to draw the house cusp lines in the wheel so that each house is represented in its actual size. Such a chart wheel will look similar to the one shown on the left. In the illustration on the left we have made the following house cusps bold: the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th house cusps. The house cusps are regarded by the great majority of astrologers as being more important than the other house cusps. These 4 house cusps are also known as the angles or the angular house cusps. Note that the word angle also means the distance between 2 points, so it is an ambiguous word and you can tell from the context what a person is referring to. The house cusps which are not angular (the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th cusps) are sometimes referred to as the intermediate house cusps. Each of the angular cusps also has another name: the first house cusp is also known as the , and the 10th house cusp is also known as the MC. (MC is an abbreviation of the Latin term Medium Coeli.). The 7th house cusp is also known as the Descendant and the 4th house cusp is also known as the IC (from the Latin Immum Coeli). The angular house cusps can be very precisely and clearly determined astronomically and there is no ambiguity about how to determine their positions, but the intermediate cusps are, unfortunately, not so well-defined. It is unclear, for example, precisely where the 11th and 12h house cusps should be placed. One intuitively appealing idea is to place the 11th and 12th house cusps equally spaced between the MC and the Ascendant so that the 10th, 11th, and 12th houses are equal in size. However, astrologers generally do not use this method, and there are many competing theories about how to calculate the positions of the intermediate cusps. Astrologers simply do not agree about where the intermediate cusps are. Most house systems are named after a person that devised the formulae for calculating these cusps. Perhaps the most popular house systems in western astrology are the Placidus house system and the Koch house system. Other house systems are the following: Campanus, Equal, Meridian, Morinus, Porphyry, Regiomantanus, and Topocentric. Each of these house systems uses a different set of mathematical formulae to calculate where the house cusps are, and consequently each of these house systems calculates the positions of the intermediate cusps differently. Consequently, according to one house system a person might have the Sun near the end of a house, for example near the end of the 5th house, while another house system would place the Sun at the beginning of the 6th house.

The Natal Chart Wheel: Zodiac Signs on the House Cusps Class 7

Today we will: 1. Review and expand our understanding of tropical zodiac signs versus sidereal zodiac signs versus constellations. 2. Learn how to read the zodiac sign positions on the house cusps, and the zodiac positions of the planets in the houses in a chart wheel.

Many words in the English language have multiple meanings. For example, "light" can mean "the opposite of heavy" or it can mean "the opposite of dark". Sometimes the various meanings of a word are related and sometimes they are not. The term zodiac sign can refer to one of 3 distinctly different, but related, things. For example, "Gemini" can refer to any of the following 3 different things:

1: There is a constellation (group of stars) in the sky named Gemini.

2: There is the sidereal zodiac sign Gemini which is approximately in the same place in the sky as the constellation Gemini, but it is only approximately in the same place, and the discrepancy in some cases is quite large. Each sidereal zodiac sign is precisely 30 degrees in length, while the constellations with the names of the zodiac vary in size from much smaller than 30 degrees to much larger.

3: There is the tropical zodiac sign Gemini, which, like the sidereal zodiac sign Gemini, is precisely 30 degrees in length. However, the tropical zodiac sign, unlike the sidereal zodiac sign, is not in approximately the same place in the sky as the constellation Gemini. The tropical zodiac signs drift very slowly apart from the sidereal zodiac signs. The tropical zodiac sign Gemini currently is approximately where the sidereal zodiac sign and constellation of Taurus is! (This will be explained in detail below).

The constellations are almost never used in astrology. The fixed stars that make up the constellations are used. For example, there is a star in the constellation of Leo named Regulus and some astrologers do use Regulus in their chart interpretations, but astrologers do not incorporate the meaning of the constellation Leo into the interpretation. Some astrologers do use the sidereal zodiac which, as mentioned above, is very roughly in the same position in the sky as the constellations of the same name, but even astrologers who use the sidereal zodiac are not interpreting the constellations.

We mentioned in an earlier lesson that we will be using primarily tropical astrology in Avalon Lessons. In the explanation below, however, we will begin our discussion by referring to constellations because the constellations are more concrete and easier to relate to. After discussing constellations, we can transfer what we learn to the sidereal and tropical zodiacs.

When the sun rises in the morning it is, of course, on the eastern horizon. A few hours before sunrise you will be able to see the constellations in the sky but by sunrise the brightness of the sun has overpowered the light of the stars and made them invisible. Imagine that the constellations are still visible at sunrise, and suppose that the constellation Libra is on the horizon as well. As mentioned above, the sidereal zodiac sign is approximately in the same place in the sky as the constellation Libra, the primary difference being that the sidereal zodiac sign is precisely 30 degrees in length, and the constellation may be much larger or smaller than this. Because Libra (the constellation Libra, and probably also the sidereal zodiac sign of Libra) is on the Ascendant, we will put the glyph for Libra (u) on the Ascendant, along with the glyph of the Sun, (a) (which is also rising.)

[Click here to see an illustration of this]

To be more precise, we will specify what part of the constellation is rising. Although the constellation is not precisely 30 degrees in length, there is the sidereal zodiac sign of Libra which is in about the same part of the sky, and we will specify which degree of the sidereal zodiac sign, from 0 to 29 degrees is raising. We can be even more specific: each degree consists of 60 minutes, so if the Sun is 9 1/2 degrees into the sign of Libra it as at 9 degrees, 30 minutes of Libra, which can also be written as 9} 30' of Libra. Many astrologers also notate this in this way: 9 u 30

[Click here to see an illustration of the wheel with the precise rising degree shown]

We can also specify the exact position of the Sun. Suppose that the Sun has just risen, or in other words is slightly above the horizon. Let's put the Sun 2} above the horizon, or in other words at 7} u 30'.

[Click here to see an illustration].

The above explanation was put in terms of constellations and the sidereal zodiac only because constellations are visible and tangible and easier to talk about than tropical zodiac signs, but the same concepts work for tropical zodiac signs as well.

Let's look at another example. Suppose we calculate a chart for a person, who was born at 1:25 PM, and the Ascendant position is 12 o 22 and the Sun position is 3 y 20, as shown in the illustration to the left. The Sun is in the 9th house, which is exactly what we expect, as the Sun would typically be in the 9th house between about 12 noon and 2 PM. Are you beginning to get comfortable looking at the chart wheel now? Remember that 12 o 22 means that the Ascendant is at 12 degrees and 22 minutes of Sagittarius. If the Ascendant position is 10 degrees of Sagittarius, then this means that the Ascendant is 1/3 through the sign of Sagittarius (there are 30 degrees in a sign, and 10 divided by 30 = 1/3). If the Ascendant position is 15 degrees of Sagittarius, the Ascendant is halfway through the sign of Sagittarius, At 12 degrees, 22 minutes, as we have in this example, the Ascendant is between 1/2 and 1/3 through the sign of Sagittarius.

The Sun in this chart is in early Virgo, more precisely about 3 degrees of Virgo. When you look at the chart wheel, you should be able to immediately recognize that the Sun is in the early part of Virgo and it is in the 9th house. If this is not obvious to you, study this wheel until this is clear to you. Question: Is the Sun closer to 4 y 00 or closer to 3 y 00? Answer: 3 y 00, because the sun is at 3 y 20, and 20' is about 1/3 through the degree, and thus closer to 3 y 00 than 4 y 00.

Now we will put all of the house cusp positions in the chart wheel, as shown on the illustration to the left. The Ascendant is, of course, 12 o 22, as discussed earlier. Notice that the second house cusp position is 16 p 37. If the first house was precisely 30} in length, then the second house cusp position would be 12 p 22, but the first house is a little larger than 30} By subtracting 12 (the number of degrees on the Ascendant) from 16 (the number of degrees of the second house cusp), we can see that the first house is about 34 degrees in length (34}15', to be more precise). An astrologer can look at this chart and immediately see that the first house is 34 degrees in size, and you should be able to quickly determine this as well. Once you have the zodiac signs completely memorized, you know that p is the symbol of Capricorn, and o is the symbol of Sagittarius, and Capricorn immediately follows Sagittarius in the zodiac; therefore, if the second cusp degree was the same as the Ascendant degree, they would be 30 degrees apart in distance, but the second house cusp is at 16 degrees, and the Ascendant is at 12 degrees, so the distance is about 34 degrees. Similarly, the second house is about 40 degrees in length: the third cusp at 26 degrees of Aquarius, and Aquarius is the sign that follows Capricorn, but the third cusp is 10 degrees later than the 10th cusp (26 minus 16 = 10), so the size of the second house is 40 degrees. The third house presents a new situation: The sign that follows Aquarius is Pisces, but Pisces is not on the 4th cusp. Pisces is "skipped over" and Aries is on the 4th house cusp. Because a house can be larger than 30 degrees, it is possible for the end of one zodiac sign to be on one cusp (as it is in this case, the end of Aquarius is on the 3rd house cusp), then and entire sign is in the house (in this case, Pisces), and the beginning of the following sign is on the next cusp (in this case, early Aries is at the beginning of the 4th house cusp). This situation is known as an intercepted sign, and we can say that Pisces is intercepted in the 3rd house. If you look carefully at the wheel, you will notice the symbol of Pisces on the outer edge of the 3rd house, which shows that it is intercepted in the 3rd house.

On the left is a complete chart wheel. All of the house cusps are shown and all of the planets are in the wheel. If you have not yet memorized the glyphs of the planets and signs, you may wish to go back to Class 5 to review these glyphs before the next lesson. In the following classes we will be discussing the chart wheel in detail, and if you have not memorized the astrological glyphs, it will slow down your ability to grasp the material being presented. There are many variations in how a chart wheel is drawn. In Class 6 we mentioned that some astrologers prefer to have each house drawn according to its actual size rather than the equally sized houses shown in the illustration to the left.

Another variation in chart wheels that is common is whether to to present the position of planets on the right side of the chart wheel in "out-to-in" direction or in "left-to-right" direction. For example, in the chart wheel to the left, the position of Pluto is displayed as "45' e 27} ;" rather than "; 27} e 45'". In this "out-to-in" format, the planet glyph is always on the outer edge and the degrees are just inside the planet so you read the planet position from the outside edge towards the center. If the planet is on the right side of the wheel, you are therefore reading from right to left, and a planet at the bottom of the wheel is read from bottom to top. Other astrologers prefer to always have the planet position read from left to right, or top to bottom. Because some astrologers prefer a planet on the right side of the wheel to be read from left to right, and others prefer right to left, it is important to make clear which number indicates the degrees and which number indicates the minutes. Usually this is done by including the degree symbol (}) next to the degrees and the minutes symbol (') next to the minutes. Some astrologers like to have the degrees in a larger size than the minutes to help distinguish them. The Kepler program allows you to select all of these variations.

Practice Determining Sign and House Placement (Class 8)

Today we will: Practice reading the chart wheel to make sure that you can determine the house and zodiac sign placements of the planets. You can determine what house a planet is in very easily. Simply look at the section of the wheel that it is placed in. Each house is numbered from 1 to 12 near the center of the circle. Test yourself by answering the following questions:

What house is the Sun in? [Answer] What Sign is the Sun in? [Answer]

Moon [answer] Moon [answer]

Mercury [answer] Mercury [answer]

Venus [answer] Venus [answer]

Mars [answer] Mars [answer]

Jupiter [answer] Jupiter [answer]

Saturn [answer] Saturn [answer]

Uranus [answer] Uranus [answer] Neptune [answer] Neptune [answer]

Pluto [answer] Pluto [answer]

What is the precise position of Mercury? [answer]

What is the precise position of Saturn? [answer]

If you answered the above questions correctly, then you know how to determine the sign and house position of planets. Now let's make sure you know what the house cusp positions are:

What is the position of the first house cusp? [answer]

Third [answer]

Fourth [answer]

Seventh [answer]

Twelfth [answer]

Practice looking at the positions of planets until you can instantly recognize the symbols of the planets and zodiac signs. You should be able, for example, be able to look at the position of Venus in the chart wheel above and see that it is in the 8th house, without needing to read the light blue "8" towards the inner part of the wheel. You should also be able to see that Venus is at 10 degrees of Leo, and it should be obvious to you that 10 degrees is 1/3 through the zodiac sign. Mastering the material in the next classes will be much easier if you have first become very adept at recognizing the astrological symbols, and recognizing planetary positions and house positions in the chart wheel.

Aspects (Class 9)

Today we will learn: 1. How to calculate the angle between two planets by converting zodiac positions to 360- degree positions.

2. What an orb is

3. What the major aspects and minor aspects are, and the glyphs for the major aspects.

4. How to locate major aspects by counting the number of zodiac signs between the planets. REVIEW: We mentioned in an earlier lesson that three basic things that astrologers look at are signs, houses and aspects. Now you know how to look at a chart wheel to see the signs and houses that planets are in. Now let's see how to determine the aspects.

One of the first things you may notice about the chart wheel shown above is that the houses are unequally sized; they are displayed in their actual size rather than with all houses displayed in equal size. The second and eighth houses, for example, are about 40 degrees in size, and therefore larger, than the 5th and 11th houses which are about 22 degrees in size. You should feel comfortable looking at either style of wheel because magazine articles, books, etc. will present charts in both of these styles, although of course you will most likely have a preference for your own work.

Another difference in this wheel and the ones that we looked at in the previous class is that the planets are not displayed in "out-to-in" order. The Moon, for example, is displayed as "s 18w37" rather than "37w18 s". The method that you use is a matter of personal taste; we will use both styles in the Avalon Lessons classes. Because the sample wheels used for illustrations are often very small, like the one above, it can be difficult to see which number refers to the degrees and which number is the minutes but on a larger sized wheel it is more obvious. We are using very small wheels for illustrations so that your computer screen is not taken up almost completely by the chart wheel.

In Class 2 and Class 3 we introduced the idea of aspects; we explained that when planets are separated by a certain distances, they interact with each other. For example, if 2 planets are 90 degrees apart or 120 degrees apart, the influences of the 2 planets blend together. Today we will learn about aspects in much greater detail.

Look at the Sun and Moon in the chart at the top of the screen. The Sun is in the 8th house in the 3rd degree of Virgo (some astrologers may also refer to it as the 3rd degree of Virgo but technically it is the the 3rd degree of Virgo because 0 - 1 degrees is the 1st degree, 1 - 2 degrees is the 2nd degree, and 2 - 3 degrees is the third degree. Another common way to refer to the position is to say that the Sun is in 2 degrees of Vrigo), and the Moon is in the 5th house in the 18 degrees of Taurus. What is the angular distance that separates these 2 planets? There are 2 ways to determine this without the aid of a computer. One method is to convert the planets from zodiac position to degree position and subtract the difference. By referring to the table below, you will see that 0 degrees of Virgo = 150 degrees, and 0 degrees Gemini = 60 degrees. Therefore, the Sun at 2 y 25 is 152}25', and the Moon at 18 w 37 is 48}37'. Subtract 48}37' from 152}25' to obtain 103}48'. This method works fine, but it requires having a table like the one below to refer to, and even with this table, it is difficult to do the calculations quickly in your head.

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Converting zodiac sign position to degree position: 0 Aries = 0 degrees 0 Leo =120 degrees 0 Sagitt=240 degrees

0 Taurus=30 degrees 0 Virgo=150 degrees 0 Capric=270 degrees

0 Gemini=60 degrees 0 Libra=180 degrees 0 Aquari=300 degrees

0 Cancer=90 degrees 0 Scorp=210 degrees 0 Pisces=330 degrees

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The second method for doing the calculation can be easily done by an astrologer without need of paper and pencil, not because astrologers excel in being able to do math better than other people, but because the astrologer has a grasp of relationships between zodiac signs that makes it easy. An astrologer knows that Virgo is 4 signs after Taurus, and each zodiac sign is 30 degrees in length. In this case, the Sun is in 2 degrees of Virgo, and the Moon is in 18 degrees of Taurus, so the Sun is 16 degrees before the Moon (18 minus 2 equals 16), and 4 signs later. Four signs = 120 degrees (30 times 4 equals 120) - 16 degrees equals about 104 degrees, which is approximately the correct value; of course the result is not precisely correct because we have ignored the minutes of arc and rounded off the positions to the nearest degree. The "trick" to this calculation is knowing that Virgo is 4 signs past Taurus. There is a reason why astrologers instantly recognize this. they know the elements of the planets. Let's see what the elements are:

------Cardinal/Fixed/Mutable, and Fire/Earth/Air/Water: Aries = Cardinal Fire Taurus = Fixed Earth Gemini = Mutable Air Cancer = Cardinal Water Leo = Fixed Fire Virgo = Mutable Earth Libra = Cardinal Air Scorpio = Fixed Water Sagittarius= Mutable Fire Capricorn = Cardinal Earth Aquarius = Fixed Air Pisces = Mutable Water ------Each zodiac sign is either cardinal, fixed, or mutable. Fixed signs are persistent and lack flexibility, mutable signs are flexible and lack persistence, and cardinal signs fall in between these 2 extremes. Each zodiac sign is also either fire, earth, air, or water. Fire signs are energetic, earth signs are practical, air signs are mental, and water signs are emotional.

In later lessons we will describe the meanings of the elements in greater detail, and the definitions given above can be misleading. For example, air signs are not necessarily more intelligent than other signs, and fire signs are not necessarily more physically active than other signs. Right now, however, we are not so concerned with the meaning of the elements as we are with how they serve as an aid to calculating angles between planets. Here is the key: 2 planets that are in cardinal signs (and the same degree) square each other. The same is true for fixed and mutable; 2 planets that are in fire signs (and the same degree) trine each other. The same is true for earth, air, and water signs. A square is 90 degrees, and a trine is 120 degrees. An astrologer immediately recognizes that Gemini and Virgo signs are mutable, and therefore they square each other. You must memorize the table of elements given above. (Note: you do NOT need to memorize the table given earlier of conversions of planets to zodiac degrees). For example, you should know that Aquarius is a fixed air sign, or that Virgo is a mutable earth sign, and you should be able to recall this as easily as you can determine that the numbers 4 and 6 are even, or that 5 times 6 equals 30. Just as basic addition and multiplication are basic tools for dealing with numbers, so are the elements fundamental to astrology; even though not all astrologers use elements as major factors in interpreting the chart, they are important for helping notice aspects between planets.

One point of caution: using this "trick" to determine aspects can sometimes cause certain aspects to be overlooked. For example if one planet is in 29 degrees of Taurus and the other is at 1 degree of Virgo, the planets are 92 degrees apart, or in other words very close to being 90 degrees apart, but this fact can easily be overlooked because one planet is at the end of one sign and the other is at the beginning of another. This kind of aspect is known as an out-of-sign aspect because the planets are not in the usual sign relationship to each other. Using a computer program to determine the aspects for you is wonderful because the computer, if properly programmed, will not make these kinds of oversights that humans are prone to!

THE ORB

An angle of 91}10', for example, is close to being 90}. Is it close enough? The answer is yes. The two planets do not need to be precisely 90 degrees apart in distance to be considered to be in square aspect to each other. The variation that is allowed from exact is called the allowable orb. Astrologers vary in their opinion as to what the allowable orb should be, but virtually all astrologers agree that the closer to 90 degrees the aspect is, the stronger and more important it is, and all astrologers agree that a square aspect with an orb of 1 degree or less is very, very important. Most astrologers would agree that a square aspect with even a 2 degree or 3 degree orb is very strong, and many astrologers believe that a square aspect with an orb of 5 or 6 degrees is still strong, and some astrologers allow orbs of up to 10 or 12 degrees. A safe rule to follow is that a square aspect with an orb up to 2 or 3 degrees is very significant and begins to weaken after that. At exactly what point you feel the aspect has weakened so much as to become insignificant varies with each astrologer. In this particular case, there is no doubt: this person has a very significant Sun square Moon aspect. In later classes we will learn how to interpret this aspect and what this aspect means for the person.

MAJOR AND MINOR ASPECTS

We mentioned that an angle of 90 degrees is the square aspect, and we also mentioned that an angle of 120 degrees is the trine aspect. Here is a list of the most important aspects, aspects that virtually every astrologer uses:

It is good to memorize this table:

Conjunction 0 degrees,

Opposition, 180 degrees

Square 90 degrees

Trine 120 degrees

Sextile 60 degrees

Also used by most astrologers are the following 2 aspects:

Semisextile 30 degrees

Quincunx 150 degrees,

Two other aspects used by many astrologers are:

Semisquare 45 degrees,

Sesquiquadrate 135 degrees,

All of the above aspects have glyphs to represent them. They are:

Conjunction z Opposition x Square c Trine b Sextile n Semisextile > Quincunx ? Semisquare m Sesquiquadrate <

Major aspects are used by virtually all astrologers. Minor aspects are not used by some astrologers, but other astrologers feel that the minor aspects are just as important as the major aspects. So opinions on minor aspects vary. All astrologers agree that the Conjunction, Opposition, Square, Trine, and Sextile are Major aspects. Most astrologers also include the Quincunx in their list of major aspects, and some also include the semisextile. The labeling of major and minor aspects varies with different astrologers; some astrologers who utilize an approach known as harmonic astrology make little distinction between major and minor aspects, while other astrologers use only the major aspects listed above.

The most commonly used aspects are multiples of 30 degrees, and they are easier to recognize without the aid of a computer program because, as explained above, an aspect that is a multiple of 30 degrees is in about the same degree of another sign (but note caution above about out-of-sign aspects). Aspects like the semisquare and sesquiquadrate, however, are not multiples of 30 degrees and therefore are more difficult to identify without the aid of a computer program to identify them for you.

Some astrologers use other aspects as well. For example, many astrologers analyze the quintile aspect, which is 72 degrees, and there are dozens of other aspects that some astrologers use. There is a branch of astrology known as harmonic astrology that analyzes hundreds of aspects!

Tomorrow we will discuss how to read the aspect grid that appears on many of the chart wheel styles that you can produce with the Kepler program. Then we will be ready, at last, to begin interpreting all of this astrological data that you are now familiar with.

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

Reading the Aspect Grid (Class 10)

Today we will learn: 1. How to find aspects in the aspect grid. 2. Different styles of aspect grids that provide varying amounts of detail. 3. How to find aspects drawn as lines between planets in the chart wheel. 4. How colors are used to identify aspects.

As we mentioned in the previous class, experienced astrologers can identify many aspects in the chart wheel simply by looking at the chart wheel, but astrologers who use aspects like the semisquare, sesquiquadrate, quintile, and other less commonly used aspects are not able to quickly determine whether these aspects occur in the chart wheel simply by looking at the chart wheel. Two commonly used aids for identifying these aspects in the chart wheel are aspect grids and aspect lines drawn in the chart wheel. An aspect grid is shown above. In the aspect grid shown above, the red square at the top of the grid indicates that the Sun and Moon are square to each other. [click here to see this illustration]

If you look to the left of this square you will see the glyph for the Moon (s) and if you look all the way down to the bottom underneath the square symbol you will see the glyph for the Sun (a).

Just below the square symbol you see "1/16" in red. The glyph for Venus (f) is to the left and the glyph for the Sun (a) below it, so this is a 1/16 aspect between the Sun and Venus. [Click here to see illustration] A 1/16 aspect is a minor aspect that some astrologers use and some do not use.

Let's look at one more example: the square symbol circled in this illustration shows that Venus (f) is square

Saturn (j). [Click here to see this illustration]

Some astrologers prefer an aspect grid that does not include the less frequently used aspects, often called "minor aspects" by astrologers. Here is an example aspect grid from wheel style HAA. As you can see, this is a smaller, simpler aspect grid that shows the aspects of only the major aspects. Because these aspects all have glyphs, this grid is very compact. Some astrologers do not need an aspect grid at all; the Kepler program has wheel styles that do not contain an aspect grid as well.

While some astrologers want a simple aspect grid or none at all, others want more detail. Here is an aspect grid from wheel style DAA. This aspect grid includes the orb of the aspect. For example, the square at the top of the grid has "1}10' A" beneath the square glyph, which indicates that the orb is 1 degree 10 minutes. The "A" means that the aspect is applying. An applying aspect is an aspect that is becoming more exact. The Moon at 2 degrees of Gemini is 91 degrees before the Sun, and the Moon is faster than the Sun, and at the time that this person was born the orb was decreasing. In other words, the aspect was becoming stronger. If the orb is increasing at the time the person was born, then the aspect is referred to as being separating and on the printout this is designated with the letter "S". Most astrologers do not put a great deal of emphasis on whether an aspect is applying or separating, but some do feel that this is very important. Some astrologers do not use applying versus separating when interpreting natal charts but they do use it for other kinds of work (such as in , an area of astrology we will discuss in a future lesson).

The Kepler program also allows you to select which aspects and what orbs you want to include in the chart wheel. There are many wheel styles included in the program and you can also customize any chart wheel, selecting precisely which aspects and orbs you want to include, and you can also re-design the wheel, putting tables where desired, making the chart wheel larger or smaller, etc. An even more detailed aspect grid is shown here. This aspect grid also includes the angle that separates the two planets. [Click here to see this style of grid] Typically, the angle that separates the two planets is not of great importance except as a calculation needed to determine whether an aspect occurs, so the angle is not included in every wheel style. However, some astrologers find it helpful to have this data notated in the aspect grid. Astrologers like to have the angle listed for various reasons. Some astrologers like to have it because it provides additional data that can lead to new insights or ideas. Every astrologer knows that astrology is incredibly useful and accurate, but there is always a great deal more to learn.

Another useful aid for seeing aspects in a chart wheel is to draw the aspect lines right into the chart wheel. In the chart wheel shown here, there is a red line drawn between the Sun and Moon and the square glyph is on this line, showing that the Sun and Moon are square to each other. This method works well especially when only the major aspects are used, but when many aspects are used there can be a tangle of so many lines that it is difficult to discern which planets are being connected by the lines. The size of the orbs used also has an influence. When large orbs are used, there are more aspects and consequently more aspect lines.

The Kepler program uses red for squares and green for trines. You can customize the colors to suit your taste. Many astrologers use red for squares and green for trines because red conveys the energetic nature of the square and green conveys the soft and easy feeling of the trine. Colors used for other aspects varies. Many astrologers also use green for semisextiles, and red, or a reddish color like violet, for oppositions.

Now that you know how to see what signs and houses the planets are in, and what aspects occur in this chart, we are ready to interpret it.

In our next class we will learn the basic meanings of the planets, zodiac signs, houses, and aspects.

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

The Basic Meanings of the Planets, Zodiac Signs and Houses Class 11

Today we will learn: 1. The basic astrological meanings of the planets, signs, houses and aspects.

It is recommended that you begin memorizing these meanings. It may take several days or even several weeks to have them completely memorized. We recommend that you print this lesson out so that you may quickly refer to it when needed.

In a previous lesson we recommended that you memorize the glyphs of the planets and the zodiac signs. We have some more information that eventually you will need to memorize if you want to advance in astrology. It will be difficult to memorize this much material in a day or even two, but within a week you should try to memorize the following information:

There are many opinions on what the planets actually mean or represent, however, the basic meaning is pretty well agreed upon. Below we have given you some common keywords that are frequently used.

The meanings given are fairly well agreed upon by the great majority of astrologers. Each astrologer puts a little different emphasis or slant on the astrological meaning. For example, some astrologers emphasize Venus as a planet of friendship, some put the emphasis more on art and attraction to beauty, and some emphasize Venus's influence on romantic feelings. In future lessons we will discuss the astrological meanings in greater detail, and we will also point out different points of view on a subject, but many astrologers also emphasize that it is most important to keep it simple! Do not get burdened with subtleties; instead focus on the basics to make sure that you haven't missed the basic meaning of what is going on is what many astrologers emphasize. In any case, learning the basic meanings given in the listings above will provide you very powerful tools for understanding people, as we shall begin to see in the next class

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

Interpreting the Birth Chart: Introduction Class 12

Today we will: Locate the most important aspects within the wheel given above.

We have learned that astrologers interpret a birth chart by interpreting the planets in the signs and houses, and the aspects formed between the planets. We will learn in future lessons that there are actually many kinds of angular relationships between the planets that are used in addition to the aspects we have learned about so far. One of these, for example, is called Arabic parts, and another one is called midpoint structures. Not all astrologers use these other kinds of angular relationships in their chart interpretation, whereas the basic aspects are used by almost all astrologers.

Astrologers vary in their opinion as to how much weight or significance should be given to each astrological factor. Some astrologers rely very heavily on zodiac sign emphasis while others put more emphasis on aspects, for example. Some astrologers put a great deal of emphasis on house placements while others hardly use houses at all. There are also many additional techniques that some astrologers use and some do not, such as declination, heliocentric positions, etc. However, most astrologers also emphasize that it is best to master a few basic techniques rather than flounder in a sea of different theories. Most professional astrologers rely on a handful of techniques that they have found to work, rather than tinker with the thousands of different theories available. Astrologers do agree about some things, in particular there is fairly good agreement regarding the general meaning of the planets, signs, houses, and aspects, and these basics that nearly all astrologers use, and agree upon, are the best starting point.

Some students of astrology find that in their early stages of learning, they are excited by the extraordinary insights that they have into themselves and others, but later become overwhelmed by the huge number of techniques and methods that astrologers use. We will avoid this pitfall by leading you on a path that will enable you to interpret astrological charts with greater and greater precision by sticking to specific methods. We will also point out alternatives along the way without dwelling on them at length so that you can learn to use astrology practically to better understand people.

Also from your experience using the Kepler program you may have found that some of the interpretive reports are much more accurate than others. For example, how do you find the Live Mini Reading and the Sub personality Report (both of these reports use the same astrological theory) as compared to the Cosmo Natal Report? The Live Mini Reading is based on advanced theories in a field of astrology known as harmonic astrology and also using a technique called midpoints, while the Cosmo Natal Report utilizes more traditional theory. Perhaps you find that both reports are accurate and focus in on different sides of the person. In future lessons you will learn in detail the techniques used that make these reports, and you can focus on the methods that you have found to be most accurate. We will also be discussing research studies on various theories and ideas in astrology. This will also help guide your studies and help you participate effectively in the vast and complex world of astrology. Although it is a vast and complex world, we will guide you on a path that will focus on techniques that work so that you can effectively and accurately interpret a birth chart, while at the same time showing you options and variations that you can explore.

Here is the first method of chart interpretation that you will learn:

1. See if there is a strong conjunction, square, or opposition aspect in the chart.

2. If there is, interpret the aspect, combining the meanings of the planets in the signs and houses to give specific and detailed meaning to the aspect.

The aspect represents a basic trait in the person, and the influence of the signs and houses will color and tone the nature of the aspect.

This simple method for interpreting a birth chart is very powerful and will often reveal characteristics and qualities about yourself, family, and friends that you have overlooked or misunderstood! We will demonstrate how to interpret using the charts of famous people. As we progress, you will probably want to try applying the ideas to yourself, friends, and family. Every person has a unique way of learning. You may find that you do not want to spend a great deal of time applying the ideas to charts of people that you know; you would rather proceed with the lessons. On the other hand, you may find that you feel inclined to spend many hours applying what you have learned to charts of people that you know, and it can take a great deal of time to think about how these influences work in the person's life and perhaps asking the person questions to see if the analysis makes sense. If you spend a lot of time doing this, you may not proceed with the lessons at the same speed as you would if you proceeded directly through with the lessons. Do not feel like you are falling behind if this happens to you! You will gain great depth of understanding and insight by applying the ideas to people. Some students find that they learn invaluable gems of knowledge by studying charts of people that they know well and are currently involved with, and asking the person the favor of answering questions about themselves to help them understand how the astrological influences operate in their lives.

Our first rule, given in bold above, is: See if there are strong (3 degree orb or "tighter") conjunctions, oppositions, or squares in the birth chart. A good way to do this is to look for aspects in the aspect grid that are red, or reddish color. You will see that the aspects in red are square aspects (c), conjunctions (z), oppositions (x), semisquares (m), and also 1/16, 3/16, 5/16, and 7/16 aspects. These are the hard aspects. All astrologers agree that conjunctions, oppositions, and squares are very important, and when the orb is small they are extremely important. This is something almost all astrologers agree on and for good reason! These aspects are very powerful!

Looking at the aspect grid and the chart wheel above, we see that there are many aspects in red. Many of these are the 1/16, 3/16, 5/16, and 7/16 aspects, which we will ignore for now. Here is a list of the conjunctions, oppositions, and squares in order of orb, from smallest to largest:

Uranus Opposition Neptune (kxl) 1}07'

Sun Square Moon (acs) 1}10'

Mars Square Asc (gcAsc) 1}15'

Mercury Square Pluto (dc;) 2}30'

Mercury Conjunct MC (dzMC) 2}31'

Pluto Square MC (;cMC) 5}01'

Jupiter Square Neptune (hcl) 6}39'

Jupiter Square Uranus (hck) 7}46'

Moon Conjunct North Node (szA) 9}02'

In this list, there are 3 items that we have not discussed yet the Asc, MC, and North Node. I will explain what these 3 items are soon (in a few weeks). For now, let's eliminate them from our list, which results in the following shorter list: Uranus Opposition Neptune (kxl) 1}07'

Sun Square Moon (acs) 1}10'

Mercury Square Pluto (dc;) 2}30'

Jupiter Square Neptune (hcl) 6}39'

Jupiter Square Uranus (hck) 7}46'

Two of the aspects are very strong, with slightly more than a 1 degree orb, 1 is weaker but still very important with a 2} 30' orb, and the other 2 aspects are much weaker and not nearly as important.

That's enough for one class. In our next class we will interpret these aspects, and also I will reveal who this person is.

Analyzing the Strongest Aspects, Part I Class 13

Today we will: 1. Interpret one aspect in this chart (Uranus Opposition Neptune) 2. Emphasize using a systematic and simple method to interpret the chart. 3. Discuss issues of how astrological aspects affect a person, and how to use this information.

In the previous class we determined that the most important aspects (that is, the conjunctions, squares, and oppositions) in this person's chart are:

Uranus Opposition Neptune (kxl) 1}07'

Sun Square Moon (acs) 1}10'

Mercury Square Pluto (dc;) 2}30'

Jupiter Square Neptune (hcl) 6}39'

Jupiter Square Uranus (hck) 7}46'

Two aspects have an orb of slightly more than a 1 degree orb, so these 2 aspects are very important. Let's interpret the first one, Uranus Opposition Neptune. The birth chart we are studying is that of Mother Teresa.

Here are the interpretations for Uranus, Neptune, and the Opposition aspect that were presented in Class 11: Uranus: Unstable, spontaneous, impulsive, innovative, undisciplined. Neptune: Imaginative, idealistic, dreamer, childish, artistic, fantasy, receptivity. Opposition: Mix with "polarity" me-and-you, me-and-society. Tension.

Combining these definitions together we come up with something like this:

This person has a need to express their unstable, spontaneous, innovative imagination, fantasy, and idealism with others, to communicate or relate these interests to others. Coloring the meaning with the signs and houses that the planets are in. Uranus is in Capricorn in the 2nd house. Neptune is in Cancer in the 8th house. Here are the descriptions of these influences:

Capricorn: Methodical, follows a plan. Practical, objective, responsible, realistic, dry. 2nd house: Attitude towards possessions, body, and belongings.

Cancer: Moody, protective, emotional, security-conscious, emotionally attached. 8th house: Money, investments, business, sharing, death of friends or oneself.

Uranus is in Capricorn in the 2nd house. How would Uranus be toned by being in Capricorn? Capricorn causes Uranus to be not as "wild" as usual. Capricorn "tames" the Uranian energy. One of the words given above for Uranus is "unstable" and one of the words for Capricorn is "methodical", almost direct opposites. Uranus's spontaneity and innovation will be applied in a methodical, mature way; this person's reform spirit is likely to follow more traditional lines or be directed at traditional institutions or government, which are Capricornian in quality. Uranus's placement in the second house indicates that the reform spirit will be targeted at issues of economics and money. The 8th house placement of Neptune also shows that the Uranus-Neptune aspect is oriented towards issues of economics. Neptune in Cancer indicates that this person's idealism and fantasies are very personal and emotional.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

We now have this interpretation: an idealistic reformer who wants to bring changes to the economic conditions of others. This is precisely what Mother Teresa did for 70 years (she was born in 1910, and began her work in the Catholic Church at 18 years of age around 1928). Actually, her work is not so much directly involved with reforming the economy as it is in helping the economically and socially disadvantaged. The interpretation has come very close to describing precisely who Mother Teresa is, although the interpretation as given could apply to a number of different kinds of activities, such as a person involved in economic theory rather than personal assistance to others.

At this point I want to mention several key issues in developing the above interpretation: Many other possible interpretations can be given. For example, Uranus is unstable and the 2nd house rules one's possessions, resources, and assets, so one possible interpretation for Uranus in the 2nd house is unstable (Uranus) finances (2nd house). The 8th house is said to rule many things, including sexuality, mysticism, business affairs, and death. Neptune in the 8th house can be interpreted as mystical sensitivity, sexual fantasies, or speculation in business. With so many choices, the student (or professional!) can become confused or leave so many options open that one can make sense of any astrological factor.

There are many schools of astrology and many approaches. I want you to be aware of the choices, but I also don't want you to become overwhelmed by a sea of ideas. Instead, I will focus on a specific approach and set of interpretations, so that you can make solid and steady progress, and perfect your ability to interpret astrology charts. At a later date you can branch out to master other approaches if you wish.

There are books that describe zodiac signs or the astrological meaning of planets in great detail, elucidating subtle nuances of meaning and ways in which they function. These books can be a great boon to your study of astrology, but they can also cause you to lose focus and meander through a maze of different interpretations and observations. I cannot emphasize enough that it is best to follow a simple, direct analytical method, and avoid introducing a great deal of complexity into the interpretation. Some astrologers believe this advice is not only good for the beginner, but even the advanced student and professional. For many classes we will use only the extremely short interpretations in Class 11 so that we can focus on a good method for integrating the information into a coherent interpretation. Once you have mastered the procedure for obtaining a coherent interpretation, we can learn the astrological meanings of the signs, houses, and aspects in greater detail, and learn other techniques as well.

I recommend using the modern psychological approach to astrology, where you visualize the chart as a diagram of energy patterns being channeled through the person. The astrology chart is like a wiring diagram. In the above paragraphs I used the word "rules" as in "the 8th house is said to rule many things, including sexuality, mysticism, . . .". I think the word "rules" in astrology often connotes a different attitude towards the birth chart, viewing the astrological factors as guardians of certain areas of our life, and in a subtle way can confuse or twist the meaning of the astrological influence. Rather than view the astrological influence as a controlling influence that rules over aspects of our life, many astrologers today view the astrological influence as a force that pushes us in certain directions, and gives us talents and proclivities for certain areas. This more modern view is the one that I will use in our classes because I think it is more constructive, useful, helpful, and more accurate.

Note that not all astrologers agree with this modern psychological approach to astrology, and their interpretations are more definitive and absolute, more fatalistic, leave less room for the person to use free will and creativity to work with the energies; this view is common in older astrology texts and much ancient astrology, and is more widespread among practitioners of Vedic astrology, for example, than among western-style astrologers. However, there are many, many exceptions to this rule so do not assume that every practitioner of Vedic astrology, for example, is more fatalistic in their approach to astrology. I also recommend NOT digressing into various other possible interpretations. For now stick to the simple meanings that were given in Class 11; there is a temptation to want to mix more and more ideas into the interpretation but often this causes you to simply justify what you already know about the person by projecting it onto the chart wheel. Avoid this pitfall by allowing the chart to inform you about the person rather than projecting what you want to see on the chart. By following strict rules for the meanings of the astrological factors and how to combine them together, you will allow the astrological chart to reveal new information and insights to you. At the same time, you can make notes on possible new ideas and approaches that you can gradually work into your chart analysis.

By following these rules, you would not reach conclusions regarding Mother Teresa's chart such as "her finances are unstable", "she is very psychic", etc. I am not arguing that these statements are untrue, and I do not want to make an argument about what system of astrological interpretation is more accurate. However, I want to make an argument that if you do not follow a systematic approach to interpretation, you will fail to have a simple, coherent way of interpreting the chart, and you will confuse yourself with so many possible meanings that you miss the simple basic meaning of the astrological influence.

CHANNELING THE ENERGY OF THE CHART POSITIVELY

Here is an extremely important point about how to use the information you obtain from the birth chart: the astrology chart is like a road map; it is like a wiring diagram that shows how energy is trying to flow through the person. Successful people who feel good about their position in life have attuned themselves to this energy flow, and they have found creative ways to maximize the positive potential of the energy. The astrology chart is like a palette of paints. You are the painter, and you utilize these paints to create your life. Mother Teresa is expressing her Uranus opposition Neptune energy every day in a very powerful and direct way. She is not avoiding the challenge that she is faced with; she is meeting the challenge every day.

In the next class we will analyze the other four major aspects in Mother Teresa's chart.

Analyzing the Strongest Aspects part II Class 14

Today we will: Interpret Sun Square Moon and Mercury Square Pluto:

REVIEW: In the previous class we interpreted the Uranus opposition Neptune aspect. Here is the list of aspects that we identified:

Uranus Opposition Neptune (kxl) 1}07'

Sun Square Moon (acs) 1}10' Mercury Square Pluto (dc;) 2}30'

Jupiter Square Neptune (hcl) 6}39'

Jupiter Square Uranus (hck) 7}46'

The Sun Square Moon aspect is the next one in the list. The meanings of the Sun, the square aspect, and the Moon are:

Sun: Basic character, who you are. Square: Struggle, need to overcome, make a change. Moon: Moods, home, domestic nature, nurturing qualities. The Sun and Moon are the most powerful planets in the birth chart. (Of course, the Sun and Moon are not planets at all; the Sun is a star, a huge mass of burning gases, and the Moon of course revolves around the Earth, but in astrology we often refer to them as planets). The Sun and Moon represent the basic identity and conscious part of a person (Sun), and the intuitive, emotional, more subconscious part (Moon). When these 2 basic parts of the person are in square aspect to each other, then the person is a very motivated person driven to make big changes. Mother Teresa's basic identity, who she fundamentally is, is in conflict with her inner feelings. She needs to resolve this tension and strive to bring her inner feelings in alignment with her situation in the world. This dynamic will be in effect throughout her entire lifetime. She expresses this struggle on a very grand scale; every day she brings comfort, care, and concern (positive attributes of the Moon) to the daily life of people who need it desperately. The square aspect is a dynamic and challenging aspect: it motivates the person to do something; it does not allow the person sit back and watch; it forces the person to get involved. People with strong square aspects face major challenges that they must face. With Sun square Moon in her chart, Mother Teresa has clear and present challenges; she sees the incongruity and misalignment of energies in the life around her, and she works to make life whole again.

Let's see what some of the authors of our interpretive reports say about Sun square Moon:.

You often feel that you are at cross purposes with yourself, for your conscious intentions and desires conflict with your subconscious emotional needs and drives. You are pulled in two different directions. You have difficulty satisfying both your need to be an individual and your need for caring relationships and a sense of belonging. Also, you send out mixed messages so people don't always know how to respond to you or know what you really want, thus creating confusion or conflict in close relationships. - Gina Ronco (Merlin)

Your energy and vitality fluctuate. You are driven to accomplish but forward progress is frustrated until your inner self-dissatisfaction is resolved. Getting a clear picture of your direction in life requires you to make some-short term sacrifices in order to make long- term gains. - Bob Mulligan (Indra) You can become a star by resolving the conflict that exists between your feelings and your will. Put another way, your own actions do not always contribute to your own security. Seek reconciliation. Specifically, reconcile tensions between professional and personal factors in your life.

Take steps to cut back on wild mood swings and emotional extremes. To cut back on difficulties between you and the people you deal with, be more giving than receiving, more compromising than stubborn and more humble than arrogant.

- Adze Mixxe (AstroInsight)

Notice how each of the 3 authors derives a meaning for this aspect based on the key meanings of the Sun, Moon, and the square aspect. There is some similarity in the interpretations. But there are also some differences, based on each astrologer's understanding of the planets at work and their experience in observing people with these aspects.

Gina Ronco's observation that the person sends mixed messages might be related to the fact that Mother Teresa had a tough, no-nonsense exterior, and yet demonstrated extraordinary compassion through her actions. She came across as unsentimental and down-to-earth, and yet she worked for the lowest and most needy people. She was a complex person, and this may be an expression of the Sun square Moon in her chart. Bob Mulligan's and Adze Mixxe's mention of making sacrifices to reconcile her inner conflict also might be involved in the great sacrifices that she did make in order to bring life into alignment with her inner convictions and sensitivity.

The next step in our interpretation is to flavor the basic meaning of the aspect with the signs and houses occupied by the two planets:

Sun in Virgo and in the 9th House:

Sun: Basic self. Virgo: Methodical, organized. 9th House: Travel, philosophy.

Moon in Gemini and in the 6th House:

Moon: Moods, home. Gemini: Light, intelligent, many interests 6th House: Work, practical effort.

The Sun in Virgo in the 9th house indicates that she is philosophical (9th house) and meticulous (Virgo). Her Moon is in Gemini in the 6th house, so she feels comfortable in an environment where she can work and improve conditions, and where there is a free flow of ideas, variety, talk, play, and flexibility. Her careful and meticulous philosophical self is in conflict with the light, happy, constructive feelings that she feels inside. Although I know very little about Mother Teresa's real personality, I suspect that she loves to see the curiosity, wonder, and playfulness of children (and adults) and that she is very happy to see people freed from the bondage of their health problems so that they can talk, smile, explore, and share. She is a religious person who traveled far from home (Sun in the 9th house) and a very principled and conservative demeanor as a Catholic nun (Sun in Virgo), and she is most comfortable in an atmosphere of achieving practical and real results every day (Moon in the 6th house), and probably she also feels comfortable facing a large variety of different challenges each day, rather than living in an environment that is very predictable from one day to the next (Moon in Gemini). Her need to do practical work (Moon in the 6th house) is in conflict with her interest in philosophy and travel (9th house), but she resolves this conflict by accomplishing practical things in a remote area. Interestingly, she is a Catholic nun with traditional values (Sun in Virgo) in a multicultural environment in India (Moon in Gemini), an interesting contrast, and one that works very well; she is fully accepted in her role and in her orientation, and she asserts her identity (Sun is her identity) in a multicultural setting (Moon in Gemini) successfully. Successful people are able to find clever ways to make the seeming contradictions in their chart work together. A successful person does not transcend their astrological influences; she creatively expresses them in ways that bring out the highest potential, as Mother Teresa has done. We have also learned a little secret about Mother Teresa: although she is very principled and philosophical (Sun in Virgo in the 9th house), she also feels comfortable in an environment of play and variety that is not overly serious (Moon in Gemini).

Here are some interpretations of various authors of our report options:

SUN IN 9TH HOUSE

World travel, foreign cultures, and studies which expand your intellectual horizons and broaden your understanding of the world are very attractive to you.

You have a philosophical turn of mind and are concerned with seeking answers to the big questions of life or getting the overview of any situation. Abstract concepts and/or plans for the future occupy your mind much of the time.

-Gina Ronco (Merlin)

Your vision is lofty. You concentrate on the "big picture" and the far away seems more interesting than the close and familiar. You can be a good risk taker. Your energy and idealism can be quite an inspiration to those around you. When you are in your "people person" mode of operation your interests gravitate toward the outdoors, sports and competitive activities.

-Bob Mulligan (Indra) The Sun in the houses represents the departments of life most strongly affected by the individual will and power potential. Ninth house position indicates a dynamic interest in spiritual and religious pursuits, especially in realms of higher education, religion, law, and philosophy. You have a highly intuitive mind, and may have flashes of inspiration that can help you to solve problems. You could have visions of the future that border on prophecy. You are likely to be interested in distant places and their culture, art forms, and traditions. You will probably have strong moral convictions by which you guide your life. Your beliefs may not be traditional, and you need to be extremely careful to avoid any tendency to impose your religious and moral views upon others.

-Riley Goodwin (Alpha Imprints)

MOON IN 6TH HOUSE

You have a sympathetic nature and instinctively reach out to people in need of help. You also have a deeply ingrained tendency to want to improve or "fix" other people's lives, which can be annoying to the person who has no desire to be changed or "helped" in this way. For you, affection and caring must be expressed in tangible acts or service of some kind.

- Gina Ronco (Merlin)

You have an unconscious need to find the origin of what isn't working. You are capable of working in routine and menial jobs as part of your larger career picture or as part of a social process that allows you to transcend a sense of personal responsibility.

- Bob Mulligan (Indra)

The Moon in the Houses indicates the areas of daily activity through which your feelings are manifested, and gives clues to the type of activity on the domestic scene. Sixth House position can indicate a fluctuating state of health strongly influenced by your emotions--in some cases, hypochondria and psychosomatic illnesses. Your emotional states will also influence performance in your work area, and could cause many job changes. You need to practice harmony in all areas of your life, and discipline in your dietary and work habits. You like pets and small animals.

-Riley Goodwin (Alpha Imprints

Mother Teresa also has Mercury square Pluto. The orb is about 2 1/2 degrees, so it is not as powerful as the Uranus opposition Neptune aspect or the Sun square Moon aspect, but it is still important. Notice that the Mercury square Pluto aspect is an out-of-sign aspect: Pluto is at the end of Gemini and Mercury is at the beginning of Libra. Normally, a planet squaring a planet in Libra would be in Cancer or Capricorn, but in this case Pluto is in Gemini. We will not attach any significance to the fact that the aspect is out-of-sign, but I am pointing it out simply because out-of-sign aspects sometimes confuse students of astrology in that they become accustomed to in-sign aspects, and have difficulty recognizing an out-of-sign aspect when it occurs.

Here are the basic facts regarding this aspect:

Mercury: Speech, writing, conscious thought, logic. Square: Struggle, need to overcome, make a change. Pluto: Obsession, compulsiveness, fanaticism, sense of mission.

Putting this together, we see that Mother Teresa has strong views, strong mental focus, and a need to have a sense of mission or purpose, fueled by strong convictions. When we think of Mother Teresa, we think of a person with a very strong sense of purpose and mission!

Now let's look at the zodiac sign and house placements to see how these flavor the interpretation:

Mercury in Libra and in the 9th house:

Mercury: Speech, writing, conscious thought, logic.

Libra: Partnership and friends, tolerant.

9th House: Travel, philosophy.

Pluto in Gemini and in the 7th house:

Pluto: Obsession, compulsiveness, fanaticism. Gemini: Light, airy, many interests, intelligent. 7th House: Partnership and friends.

Putting all this together, we get this interpretation: a person is driven (square) by deeply felt (Pluto) ideas (Mercury). Mercury is in Libra in the 9th house, which means that the person's ideas are broad and philosophical (9th house) and focused on communicating with others directly and as equals (Libra). Pluto in Gemini in the 7th house means that the compulsiveness is concerned with relating to others. Notice that we have mentioned that there is a heavy emphasis on relating to others in this aspect because Mercury is in Libra and Pluto is in the 7th house, and both Libra and the 7th house put an emphasis on relating to others.

In conclusion, the Mercury square Pluto aspect means that Mother Teresa's is driven by her strongly held philosophical convictions, and she feels a need to communicate them to the world. She wants to communicate and share these ideas. Interestingly, Mother Teresa is more of a person who communicates through actions rather than words. From her birth chart, we conclude that she may have found out at an early age that it is difficult to convince anyone of anything with words, and the convincing will occur through action, and probably she values very much the impact that her work has on the thinking of others who see the example she has set, in addition to the satisfaction she gets directly from the people she helps.

Notice also that her Mercury is 2 1/2 degrees before the 10th house cusp. Any planet on an angular cusp (1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th cusps) is very strong, and with her Mercury near the 10th house cusp, her Mercury is prominent. Based on this, I expect that she will be remembered historically for her thoughts and ideas as well as her work. As I said in an earlier lesson, it is important to let the chart inform us, and not just project what we know on the chart. Even though I think of Mother Teresa as a person known for her actions, not her ideas, her prominent Mercury indicates to me that her ideas, particularly on relationships to other people (Mercury in Libra square Pluto in the 7th house) will have a great impact and play a more important part in her life than I am aware of at this time from what I know about her from short news stories, etc.

In this last paragraph notice that astrology explains the motivations and driving forces behind a person's behavior. It tells us the meaning and purpose of people's lives. People react to astrological influences in different ways. Mother Teresa's Mercury square Pluto aspect is not as obvious to some people as her Uranus opposition Neptune, and her Sun square Moon aspects. This is partially due to the fact that the Mercury square Pluto aspect is weaker, but it is also probably because we do not know Mother Teresa very well. We only know the simple basics of her life. All people are complex. Analyzing charts of people that you know and to whom you can talk about their charts is often more helpful as a learning tool than analyzing charts of famous people because we do not know the famous people as well. Analyzing the chart of a famous person whose writings, music, life story, etc. you know very well is, of course, more instructive than analyzing the chart of one that you do not know as well.

We will not interpret the 2 weakest aspects listed at the beginning of this lesson because I want to give you the opportunity to apply the ideas that you have learned so far with another person's chart, which we will do in the next class. Also, it is a good idea to focus on only the strongest features of a chart at first.

Interpreting another Chart Class 15

Today we will:

1. Practice chart interpretation using another famous person's chart. 2. Learn what a T-square pattern is.

The chart given on the right is that of a famous person. The only hint I will give you is that it is the chart of a male. At the end of this lesson I will reveal who it is.

Write down on a piece of paper the major aspects in the birth chart shown above. In order to focus on aspects that are strong, let's limit the orb to 4 degrees. In other words, look for conjunctions, oppositions, and squares with a maximum orb of 4 degrees. Please take your time to make sure that you have made as complete a list as possible. It is a good idea to give yourself 3 to 5 minutes to locate them all. [After you are confident that your list is accurate, click here to see the correct listing of major aspects]-

Mercury conjunct Saturn is the strongest aspect, and it is by far the most significant aspect in this chart. What do you think it means? Remember to "mix" the meanings of the two planets, and then tone them by the sign and house placement of the 2 planets. Please give yourself at least 5 minutes to come up with an interpretation; you may want to write your interpretation on a piece of paper. [After you have formulated your interpretation, click here to compare it to the one that I have come up with]

How does your interpretation compare to mine? Perhaps your interpretation is more thorough than mine, and you may have picked up on a few ideas that I left out. Notice that my interpretation emphasizes the meaning of the aspect: logical and structured (Saturn) thinking (Mercury) and I use the zodiac sign of Aries and the 10th house to tone the meaning of the aspect. The theory that I use is that the zodiac sign and house will not "overpower" the aspect, so even though Aries is impulsive and spontaneous, this will not overpower the concentration and focus of the aspect: Aries will give an innovative quality to the ideas that are born from the concentrated thinking. Not all astrologers will agree with my method of interpreting charts! However, I believe that it is extremely important to use a consistent, and clear method for your chart interpretation!!! Even professional astrologers can be inconsistent in the way they approach the chart interpretation. There is such a vast amount of information in the chart that it is very difficult to maintain a clear and unambiguous method of interpreting the chart. Of course, if you are too rigid in your approach, it will make it difficult to learn new methods and techniques of interpreting, but a great many students of astrology become very confused and frustrated by not having clear guidelines for how to interpret the chart.

Were you able to "mix" the meanings of the 2 planets and color them with the meaning of the houses and signs? There are thousands of variations that one can come up with, but your interpretation should in some way reflect the meanings of the planets involved, and the signs and houses they are in. it is difficult to say whose interpretation is right or wrong. Here is the interpretation of Mercury conjunct Saturn according to two of the experts who write our interpretive reports:

Your mind is serious and deep, and you will rarely offer an opinion on any matter until you have thoroughly considered and studied it. You have excellent powers of concentration and enjoy studying or thinking deeply in solitude. You have an aptitude for research or doing mental work which requires precise, organized thinking, attention to detail, and a methodical approach. You are conservative and something of a skeptic, and may be narrow-minded and closed to new ideas, especially if there is no concrete proof or scientific verification of them. Socially, you are rather reserved, uncommunicative, and uncomfortable with light, frivolous conversation. -Gina Ronco (Merlin) This aspect provides order and logic to the thoughts and communications of Mercury. It will help in projects or endeavors that require careful planning and discipline to carry them out. It can provide structure to the imagination and vivid powers of visualization.

- Riley Goodwin (Alpha Imprints)

Both authors have presented excellent insights into the Mercury-Saturn aspect. Saturn gives discipline, restraint, structure, and focus to anything it touches. I particularly like the way that Gina Ronco has pointed out ways in which this restraint affects the functions of Mercury; for example, the thoughtfulness and unwillingness to speak about something before thinking it through and the need for concrete proof are excellent insights. Riley Goodwin's observation that a Mercury Saturn aspect gives powers of visualization is a good concept: the focused and steady mind can hold a thought and visualize things and Saturn confers also the ability to see abstractions or essential foundations of something. Learning how the planets interact in aspects, and how the signs and houses affect the meaning of the planets is an endless studying, and one never stops learning. However, if you stick to the basic principles and a clear method of interpreting, you will be able to gain extraordinary insights into people after a relatively short length of study.

If you were able to find the Mercury conjunct Saturn aspect, and interpret it reasonably well, then you have made a big step towards being able to analyze and interpret astrological influences. Congratulations! You now have a key for unlocking the secrets of other people, and over the next several classes you will learn how to use this key with greater confidence.

There are two other aspects that we need to analyze: Jupiter square Pluto, and Jupiter opposition Uranus. Notice that Jupiter is involved in both of these aspects. Locate Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto in the chart wheel above. Notice that Jupiter is opposite Uranus on the chart wheel (as expected since they form an opposition aspect). Jupiter is also square Pluto. Note that Pluto must be approximately half-way between Jupiter and Uranus. Here is why: Jupiter is opposite Uranus, or in other words, about 180 degrees. Pluto is square Jupiter, which is 90 degrees, and 90 degrees is half of 180 degrees. Pluto therefore must be about 90 degrees from Uranus as well. If you calculate the angular distance between Uranus and Pluto, you will find that it is 96}34', which is a square with a 6}34' orb, outside the 4 degree orb that we are using, but still a weak square aspect. You can also see this aspect on the aspect grid shown to the left. A planetary pattern where 1 planet is opposition another planet and a third planet is square to both of these planets is known in astrology as a T-square pattern. We can say that "this person has a Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto T-square in his chart". Albert Einstein has a Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto T-square in his chart.

[If you had difficulty finding Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto in the chart wheel, click here for help] -

[If you had difficulty finding the Uranus square Pluto aspect in the aspect grid, click here for help] - INTERPRETING A 3 PLANET PATTERN

There are several situations where we analyze 3 planets together instead of just 2 planets. You have encountered one of these situations: a T-square pattern. In the case of this person, one of the 3 aspects is weak (the Uranus square Pluto aspect is greater than the 4 degrees we originally chose as our allowable orb) but let's analyze this T-square anyway; even though one of the aspects is weak, most astrologers would consider this pattern to be a valid T-square.

Here is my interpretation for this T-square:

-This person is enthusiastic and has a sense of inner mission to achieve something very big. He utilizes creative ideas that are carefully thought out to develop and build his very large plans. His ideas are likely to have a big impact on a large number of people.

Analyzing three planets mixed together with 3 different zodiac signs and 3 houses can produce a variety of ideas. As long as your interpretation emphasized the correct major themes, you are on the right track. You are beginning now to understand why astrology is an endless study. Each astrologer will emphasize slightly different issues, and the best astrologers are able to focus on the specific ways in which the planetary energies function and influence the person. Let's look at our brief interpretations for these planets, signs, and houses:

Jupiter: Expands whatever it touches. Large, extravagant, happy.

Aquarius: Friendly, active in society, intelligent, impersonal, urban.

9th house: Travel, broad view of things, philosophy, politics

Uranus: Unstable, spontaneous, impulsive, innovative, undisciplined.

Virgo: Methodical, organized, fussy, precise, critical, cold, harsh, demanding, helpful, clean, perfectionist.

3rd house: Attention to immediate environment. Way of understanding and learning.

Pluto: Obsession, compulsiveness, fanaticism, sense of mission. Emotionally driven.

Taurus: Plodding, steady, practical, conservative. Loves nature.

11th house: Organizations, clubs, social activities.

Let's analyze how I built my interpretation:

First we look at the meaning of the planets involved: this T-square gives the person the desire to expand (Jupiter) with spontaneity (Uranus) and a sense of mission and purpose (Pluto). In other words, we expect the person to be enthusiastic, outgoing, and intent on reaching greater heights. Now let's look at the influence of the houses and zodiac signs:

Jupiter in the 9th house means that this person has an extremely large view of things. He looks at the very large, broad picture, and perhaps travels extensively in order to expand his view. Because Jupiter is in Aquarius we expect that his great vision is a vision that he shares with others or concerns scientific, political, or social conditions. Aquarius is focused on collective, larger systems rather than personal ones.

This very expansive Jupiter is energized and made more impulsive by its contact with Uranus. The spontaneity and freedom of Uranus operates in a methodical manner and in a manner focused clearly in his immediate environment (in Virgo in the third house). From this, I conclude that this person's grand visions are inspired by original and innovative insights into the workings of things directly before him in his immediate environment.

This combination is further affected by Pluto which makes this person compulsively driven by his grand vision and original insights, and his excitability (Uranus) is strengthened by his persistent inner drive (Pluto in Taurus).

Note that for the 11th house (Pluto is in the 11th house) has keywords of "organizations, clubs, social activities), which is similar to the Aquarius (Jupiter is in Aquarius) keywords of "active in society". An organization or club is a way of being active in society. The repetition of this theme in the person's chart indicates his great interest in large social situations and systems.

Who is our mystery person? [Click here to find out who he is] . I would say we were very accurate in describing the major theme for this person in the strongest aspect in his chart, Mercury conjunct Saturn: he uses structured thinking that is pioneering. He pioneered an entire new foundation for physics! Some of the ideas we presented for his T-square pattern are also accurate: His vision was, indeed, vast. His concern with larger social structures is evident in his involvement in anti-war activities and pacifism in his later years. Although we can see technical mental expertise in both his most important aspect, the Mercury conjunct Saturn, and in his Uranus in the third house in Virgo, much of our discussion might have inclined us to expect that our mystery person was a developer of new ideas in economics or politics rather than physics. An interest in astronomy certainly makes sense, given the vast reaches of his vision, but the extraordinary technical genius is perhaps a little surprising, and we did not see anything that indicated his extraordinary level of creative genius. Still, we were able to identify key characteristics of Albert Einstein: after all, he was, first and foremost, a person who quietly analyzed and studied a subject until he understood it thoroughly, and his Mercury conjunct Saturn aspect is conspicuously the strongest aspect in his chart. He was also one of the most progressive thinkers of all time, and his vision and encompassing view is indicated in the T-square of Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto.

As you study these charts you will begin to develop your own unique insights and understanding of how the astrological influences operate. As long as you can pick up on the main keywords, you are on the right track and in time you will begin to see things "click" for you. Analyzing charts of people you know very well, such as family and friends, often brings a great deal of insight as well.

Outer Versus Inner Planets Class 16

Today we will learn: 1. The difference between an inner and outer planet and what influences they have.

While interpreting aspects in the charts of Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein I have utilized some ideas that I have not described explicitly. One of these ideas involves the relationship of inner planets to outer planets in the birth chart. Astrologers often refer to inner planets and outer planets. The inner planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars (obviously we are again employing the astrological tradition of referring to the Sun and Moon as planets when astronomically they are not, of course. planets). The outer planets are Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Jupiter and Saturn are neither inner nor outer planets, although often they are considered to be more like the outer planets than the inner planets.

The inner planets control functions that are essential to life as we know it. They influence activities that are, in a sense, more fundamental. Mercury, for example, influences the way we think, Venus the way we love and appreciate beauty, Mars what we achieve and do, and the Sun and Moon have pervasive influences over our basic identity and moods. All of these functions of thinking, and feeling and doing are very fundamental components of our lives. Uranus, on the other hand, gives us creativity and innovativeness. A person can survive quite well with little creativity and inventiveness, although life might be rather dull, still the person would be reasonably functional. Without thought or feeling, though, the person would be more like a vegetable or a robot, something more removed from the normal human condition. Similarly, Neptune gives idealism and imagination which, similar to Uranus's creativity and innovation, is not extremely important for survival, but does make life much more interesting and meaningful. Pluto gives drives and compulsions from deep within oneself, also not a function critically important for survival.

Jupiter and Saturn fall in between the inner planets and outer planets. Their functions are not quite as fundamental as those of the inner planets but more important for physical survival and functioning than the outer planets. Jupiter gives growth and expansion. Saturn gives structure, organization, and discipline. Without Jupiter's astrological influence, we might imagine a world where humans did not explore, expand their mental horizons, and even physical growth would be stunted; there would be little development and life would be much more stagnant. Without Saturn's astrological influence, people would not show up at work on time, keep appointments, be responsible to each other, everyone would be completely unreliable, and, like babies, undisciplined and uncontrolled. The difference between inner and outer planets affects the way we interpret aspects. When interpreting the aspect, most astrologers tend to make the outer planet an adjective that modifies the influence of the inner planet. Many astrologers do this so naturally that they take it for granted without consciously thinking about it. For example, a Mercury- Uranus aspect can be described as innovative (Uranus) thinking (Mercury). "Innovative thinking" is a clear concept that people can relate to. If you reverse the order, making Mercury the adjective and Uranus the noun, you would have something like "mental innovations" which also makes sense but it is more common to make the outer planet the adjective and the inner planet the noun. Both approaches are valid, and you may wish to use both in your analysis. Many people, on the other hand, emphasize in their interpretations the inner planet being modified by the outer planet.

THE OUTER PLANETS ARE ALSO GENERATIONAL PLANETS

Another perhaps even more important issue to keep in mind is that outer planets move much more slowly than inner planets; an outer planet stays in a zodiac sign for years. Uranus is in a zodiac sign for about 7 years, Neptune in a sign for 14 years, and Pluto in a sign for about 21 years on average. Here are the sign positions of Neptune and Pluto in recent years:

From mid 1940's to mid 1950's: Pluto in Leo, Neptune in Libra From late 1950's to 1970: Pluto in Virgo, Neptune in Scorpio From 1971 to early 1980's: Pluto in Libra, Neptune in Sagittarius From mid 1980's to 1994: Pluto in Scorpio, Neptune in Capricorn From 1994 to 2008: Pluto in Sagittarius, Neptune in Aquarius

To summarize some of the characteristics of these generations: A person born around 1950, for example, is born in the heart of the "me" generation. With Pluto in Leo, this is a person who shares with his age group a strong sense of personal individuality and concern with their personal development, and a great deal of idealism about peace and brotherhood/sisterhood (Neptune in Libra).

People born in the mid 1960's have strong values and ethics (Pluto in Virgo), but they also have intense imaginations that can lead to unhealthy extremes (Neptune in Scorpio). These people sometimes express the Pluto in Virgo energy by being extremely clean, neat, and conservative, and others in this generation are lured to the macabre or drugs (Neptune in Scorpio).

People born between about 1971 and the early 1980's do not have the Scorpio energy of the previous decade (Neptune in Scorpio) or the next decade (Pluto in Scorpio). This group is more liberal (Libra), optimistic (Sagittarius), and not as prone to be as emotionally intense or extreme as many of the people a little older or a little younger than they are. A similar effect will be felt as we enter the 21st century; with Pluto in Sagittarius as the next millennium begins, we know that people born during this time period will be focusing on the future, large issues and big dreams, and with Neptune in Aquarius, they will not be as emotionally intense and emotionally complex as many of the earlier generations.

Of course there is a huge amount of variation in individuals during any time period because the zodiac signs of Neptune and Pluto are only 2 very relatively small astrological influences compared to the many, many other influences at work. Still, they do have some relevance and importance and sometimes can help when studying someone's birth chart to better understand them.

The main point we want to emphasize in today's lesson is that the outer planets move much more slowly than the inner planets, and consequently they stay in zodiac signs much longer than the inner planets, and, as a result, large groups of people have the outer planets in the same zodiac sign. This similarity in the age group greatly influences the culture, lifestyle, and attitudes of that age group. Looking at the signs of the outer planets, particularly Neptune and Pluto, lets you know a lot about the generation that the person is a part of, and the generation that they are a part of has a big effect on their individual psychology as well.

Saturn stays in a zodiac sign for about 2 1/2 years, Jupiter stays in a zodiac sign for about 1 year, and Mars stays in a zodiac sign for about 2 1/2 months. The Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in a zodiac sign for about 1 month. The Moon is in a zodiac sign for about 2 1/2 days.

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

The ASC and MC Class 17

Today we will learn:

1. What the Asc and MC are.

2. Some vocabulary: house cusps, angular cusps or angles, angular, intermediate cusps.

3. How fast house cusps move.

4. What astrological factors are dependent on having a precise birth time.

In previous lessons you learned how to determine what house a planet is in. For example, Albert Einstein's (his natal chart is shown above) Jupiter is in the 9th house and his Sun is in the 10th house. You also know that there is a line separating each house on the chart wheel. This line is known as the house cusp. The 9th house cusp, for example is where the 9th house begins.[Click here to see this illustration] Einstein's 9th house cusp position is 17}48' of Aquarius. The 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th house cusps are especially important. They are more important than the other cusps. These 4 cusps are sometimes referred to as the angular cusps or sometimes simply angles . The angular house cusps have been highlighted in red in the above chart wheel. The other cusps (2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th) are sometimes referred to as the intermediate cusps to distinguish them from the angles.

A planet conjunct any of these cusps becomes "highlighted" in the chart; that planet becomes stronger and more important for the person. Other aspects, such as the square, trine, sextile, etc., are also used to the angles. Aspects to intermediate cusps generally are not considered to be important.

Note that the word "angles" has 2 completely different meanings in astrology! An angle can refer to the distance between 2 points such as when, for example, someone asks "what is the angle between Sun and Jupiter in her chart?" and it can refer to the 4 cusps such as when someone says "she has Jupiter on an angle" which means that Jupiter is conjunct either the 1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th house cusp. Another way of phrasing this statement is "she has Jupiter angular".

Albert Einstein does not have any angular planets. The planet that is closest to being angular is the Sun, which is 11 degrees from the MC. Usually a planet must be within a few degrees of the angular house cusp to be considered angular.

The first house cusp is also known as the Ascendant, and often abbreviated "Asc" in printouts. The 10th house cusp is also known as the Midheaven or MC. "MC" may seem like a strange abbreviation for Midheaven; it is an abbreviation based on the Latin term for Midheaven which is Median Coeli.

The 4th and 7th house cusps are less often referred to by their names than are the 1st and 10th house cusps, but the 7th house cusp is sometimes referred to as the Descendant or Dsc for short. The 4th house cusp is sometimes referred to as the IC (from the Latin Immum Coeli), and on rare occasion referred to as the nadir, although technically the 4th house cusp is not the nadir! The nadir is the point directly beneath us and the 4th house cusp is only approximately, but not precisely, beneath a person (we will not delve into the astronomy of this phenomenon in greater detail now).

There is one very important point to keep in mind when analyzing angular planets or aspects to angles: the birth time must be very accurate to know if the aspect really exists! House cusps are moving very rapidly, going through the entire zodiac of 360 degrees in 24 hours, which is equal to 1 degree approximately every 4 minutes. Suppose that you were born at 11:30 AM according to your birth certificate, and you have 9 degrees of Libra rising. Perhaps your birth certificate is not accurate, and you were actually born at 11:22 AM, 8 minutes earlier. In this case, your house cusps would be about 2 degrees earlier (1 degree per 4 minutes) and you would actually have about 7 degrees of Libra rising. Since a few degrees makes a big difference in the strength of an aspect, a birth time that is inaccurate by more than about 5 minutes would have some significant differences in the aspects to the angular house cusps. In case you are wondering how to interpret the Asc, MC, DSC, and IC. The answer is simple: the Asc has the same astrological meaning as the first house, and the MC also has the same astrological influence as the 10th house cusp, the DSC is the meaning of the 7th House cusp, and the IC has the same meaning as the 4th house cusp.

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

The Moons Node Class 18

Today we will learn: 1. What the Moon's nodes are. 2. There is an astronomical similarity between the tropical zodiac, the Moon's nodes, and the Ascendant. 3. The astronomical terms "great circle", "celestial equator", "ecliptic plane", heliocentric, and geocentric, and the mathematical term "intersect". 4. A brief definition of the astrological influence of the Moon's nodes.

On many of the chart wheels that you produce in the Kepler program you see the symbols A and Q. These are the glyphs of the Moon's North Node (A) and the Moon's South Node (Q). The Moon's nodes are where the paths of the Sun and Moon intersect. Keep in mind that we are looking at the sky from the point of view of a person. We all know from astronomy books that the Moon is traveling around the Earth as the Earth travels around the Sun, but we only know this from reading astronomy books. If you looked out at the night sky every night for several years and you made careful observations of where the Sun and Moon are, you would find that they travel through the constellations in almost the same path. The 2 paths are almost the same, or, in other words, they are slightly different.

Are you familiar with hula-hoops? They are plastic round rings that are fun to play with. If you wiggle your hips in the right way, the hoop will stay up and not fall to the ground. Imagine 2 hula-hoops circling around a person, and imagine that the hula-hoops stay in the same position as they twirl around the person. The hula-hoops appear as they do in the illustration to the left. Notice that they cross each other at 2 points, and these 2 points are opposite to each other. This is exactly what the Moon's Nodes are like. One of the hula-hoops represents the path of the Sun and the other the path of the Moon. Where the 2 paths cross each other are the Moon's Nodes. The Moon's North Node is where the Moon travels upwards to touch the Sun's path, and the Moon's South Node is the opposite point where it travels downwards to touch it.

It is rather extraordinary that in ancient times astronomers calculated technical astronomical details, such as the moon's nodes, with great precision, and it may seem equally extraordinary that astrologers took a great interest in them, and even perhaps more extraordinary that astrologers even today find them to be astrologically significant. Astronomically, there is a similarity between the Moon's Nodes and the Ascendant. Do you remember what the Ascendant is? At sunrise, the Sun is on the Ascendant. The Ascendant is the point where the Sun's path crosses the horizon. Like the Moon's nodes, it is the point where two circles intersect. This very important point deserves to be reiterated: The Ascendant/Descendant are, astronomically speaking, extremely similar to the North Node/South Node: Both of these are the points of intersection of two circles. A circle in which we are at the center in astronomy is called a great circle. The horizon is a great circle. If you stand up in a field where there are very few tall buildings nor high mountains, etc., you can turn around and see the horizon in every direction. It is a circle with you in the middle. The path of the Sun is also a circle with you in the middle. Where these two great circles touch each other are called the Ascendant and Descendant. The Moon's path forms yet another great circle. Where the Moon's path touches the Sun's path are the Moon's North Node and the Moon's South Node. Two great circles, just like the hula-hoops, touch each other at 2 points and these 2 points are opposite to each other.

In our discussion above, I have talked about where 2 circles "touch" each other. Actually, there is a specific term used in mathematics to describe where 2 shapes, such as the 2 great circles, touch or cross each other; the term is intersect

Interestingly, the tropical zodiac that we use is also based on the intersection of 2 great circles! There is another great circle called the celestial equator. You are familiar with the earth's equator. It is half-way between the earth's north pole and south pole. Imagine there is someone living precisely on the equator right now and looking up at the sky and pointing to the star directly over his head. Imagine there are also other people at the same moment living in other countries that are also precisely on the equator are also looking up at the stars directly over their heads. Suppose that there are dozens of people doing this at a particular time. If you placed a dot on a map of the sky to represent the star that each one sees, what shape would you create by connecting all of these dots? A circle. This circle is simply the equator extended out into the sky, and it is known in astronomy as the celestial equator It is also a great circle. The 2 points where the sun's path intersects the celestial equator are 0 degrees Aries and 0 degrees Libra (in other words, 0 degrees and 180 degrees) of the tropical zodiac.

Just so you can impress your friends (and also because you may encounter this term on occasion in astrology books!), I want to mention that the Sun's path in the sky has a name; it is called the ecliptic plane. Note that the Sun's path in the sky from our point of view is identical to the earth's path in the sky from the Sun's point of view, so you can define the ecliptic path as either the path of the earth around the Sun (as seen from the Sun's point of view), or as the Sun's path around the earth (as seen from the Earth's point of view). There is also a term for "from the Sun's point of view" which is heliocentric. Viewing things from the earth's point of view is called geocentric.

We have learned that astrologers do not only interpret the influence of planets, they also utilize sensitive points in the sky in their analysis. One kind of sensitive point is where 2 great circles intersect. The Moon's nodes, the Ascendant and Descendant, and 0 degrees of Aries and Libra in the tropical zodiac are all sensitive points created from the intersection of great circles. Why the intersection of great circles should be astrologically significant, like most of astrological theory, remains a mystery.

INFLUENCE OF THE NODES:

What is the astrological influence of the nodes? Many astrologers see the North Node as a point where positive interactions with others can take place. Other astrologers say that the North Node is a karmic point of destiny, a direction that is good for a person to pursue and in which fulfillment can be found. These interpretations have something in common, but one interpretation emphasizes the North Node as a point of contact with other people whereas the other interpretation emphasizes the North Node as a point of personal destiny and fulfillment. The South Node appears to often be less positive and uplifting in its influence. The South Node is a place where old, habitual relationships or actions take place. Some astrologers who are of a mystical and metaphysical orientation say that the nodes are connected to a person's past lives, and the Moon's South Node represents old karmic situations and the North Node is a point of destiny where a person can work through karmic debts to find greater fulfillment.

SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

Other Aspects Part I Class 19

Today we will: 1. Learn the "second rule" of interpreting a chart: Locate the strong trines, sextiles and quincunxes.

INTRODUCTION:

We have learned one basic rule for interpreting the birth chart: Analyze conjunctions, squares, and oppositions in the chart that have a small orb. The second rule that we will use is very similar: Analyze trines, sextiles, and quincunxes that have a small orb.

METHOD OF INTERPRETING

I want to emphasize again that the method of chart interpretation that I am teaching you is not the only method. There are many dozens of different approaches, with hundreds of variations of each of these methods. I do not want to overwhelm you with many alternative theories. It is better, I think, to learn one method that works and to develop a deep, intuitive feeling for that method, not just a lot of intellectual data about the method. By going through the exercises of identifying the important astrological factors and writing down your own thoughts about these astrological influences, you will develop your own ability to interpret the birth chart. Then compare carefully your analysis with the one that I present to see how your thinking compares to mine. By doing this, you will develop the skills and confidence to begin interpreting the birth chart. THE SECOND RULE:

We will use an orb of 3 degrees for trines, 1 1/2 degrees for sextiles, and 1 degree for quincunxes. These are small orbs; we want to focus on major influences so that we do not cloud our understanding of the birth chart with more subtle influences. By focusing on the major issues first, we will put the chart into the correct perspective. Also, we want to emphasize a technique that virtually all astrologers agree with, and most, but not all, astrologers use larger orbs.

Study Mother Teresa's aspect grid above and write down on a piece of paper the trines, sextiles, and quincunxes in her chart. The trine aspect is 120 degrees, its symbol is b, and it appears in green in the aspect grid. The sextile aspect is 60 degrees, its symbol is n, and it also is green in color. The quincunx aspect is 150 degrees, its symbol is ?, and its color is brown.

We will leave out aspects to the Asc and MC because, as we mentioned in an earlier lesson, the accuracy of these aspects is dependent on having a very accurate birth time, which we can not be absolutely assured of, even when recorded on a birth certificate, and for teaching purposes, I think it is best to use only factors that we can be absolutely assured exist. We will also not include aspects to the Moon's nodes.

Take some time now to make your list of aspects, and do not continue reading past this point until you have done this (if you continue reading, you will see what the list is, and not have the opportunity to see if you can determine it for yourself).

------continue reading past this point after you have made the list of aspects------

There is only one aspect with the criteria that we specified: Mercury trine Moon with a 1 degree 54 minute orb. There are several other trines and sextiles in the chart, but they either involve the Asc, MC, North Node, or the orbs are larger than the very small orbs which we are allowing. Incidentally, if you are interested in aspects to the Moon's Nodes, you may be wondering why the South Node is not included: it is not necessary to include it for the aspects we have studied so far because if a planet trines the North Node, it is sextile the south node, and vice versa. A planet conjunct one node is opposition the other, and a planet square one node is also square the other, so having aspects to the north node allows one to identify aspects to the other node as well, since the nodes are always directly opposite each other.

INFLUENCES OF TRINE, SEXTILE AND QUINCUNX:

The trine and sextile aspects give a harmonious relationship between the planets, an ease and facility in expressing these planetary energies, but sometimes a laziness or lack of motivation in developing the potential of the two planets. Because these aspects do not challenge or disturb the person, sometimes the person may overlook or be unaware the importance and potential of this astrological influence in their lives. The quincunx aspect is similar to a square aspect in that it challenges a person, but the quincunx aspect is not as likely to be a major theme in the person's life; it tends to not as often be a pervasive issue that affects a person's entire life as the conjunction, opposition, and square do. The quincunx is an issue the person deals with in life, but may not be a central theme in the person's life. Many astrologers believe that the quincunx often inclines towards illness or accidents when not handled well by the person.

Please take some time now to write down on a piece of paper your thoughts on what the d trine s aspect means. Include the influence of the houses and signs in your interpretation. By the way, you can either write your thoughts on a piece of paper that you later discard, or you may want to put all your notes into a notebook of your observations, thoughts, insights, and things you have learned so that you can refer to it again in the future.

------continue reading past this point after you have written your interpretation of Moon trine Mercury------

Here is my interpretation: Mother Teresa is a great listener, she empathizes well with other people, and is able to put into words the feelings, attitudes, and concerns of other people. She could be a good writer of fiction, a good counselor or therapist, and she has an aptitude for sociology and history. She is likely to employ these talents successfully in her work and career and be recognized for her talent and contributions in these areas.

Here is how the interpretation can be derived:

First I take the basic meanings of the planets involved, Mercury and the Moon. Here are our notes on these 2 planets:

Mercury: Thought, speech, writing, communication.

Moon: Nurturing qualities, moods, emotions.

The trine aspect gives ease and facility with the planets, so the person has a facility for understanding and communicating (Mercury) inner, personal, and emotional issues (Moon) of people. Then I color this basic interpretation by the signs and houses. Because this trine is in air signs (Gemini and Libra are air signs), this emphasizes the use of this energy to verbally express these inner issues, which is what a counselor, therapist, or writer of fiction does. With the Moon in the 6th house, and Mercury at the end of the 9th house and near the MC, I am inclined to believe that she will use this talent in her work (6th house is work and practical service). Many people have extraordinary talents that they use for their own personal interests, but do not employ them in their work, for example, but I would expect this not to be the case here. The elevated Mercury (the term "elevated" in astrology mean a planet near the MC) gives her the ability to project these qualities successfully in the world. Based on this interpretation, I believe I have learned something about Mother Teresa: her success in working with the needy is facilitated by her great rapport and ability to communicate with people about their personal situation. In addition to undertaking the onerous tasks of cleaning, feeding, bathing, and caring for these unfortunate people, her ability to communicate with them is essential. In fact, I rather suspect that she views her work as having more to do with sharing with people and communicating with them and bringing clarity, respect, and understanding to all, rather than as a work of sacrifice and struggle. Sometimes we are a little surprised by what we see in the chart, and often this is because our pre-conceived notions of what the person is like are not completely accurate. This is why you can learn a great deal of astrology by doing the charts of people that you know well or who you can talk to because then you get immediate feedback on how the astrological influence operates in their lives. We cannot get this kind of feedback from Mother Teresa, although we can research information about her through biographies, etc. to see if our interpretation makes sense.

Also, let me point out that an astrology chart is, according to many astrologers, a set of potentials, it is a diagram that shows us forces that work on a person, but it does not tell us how the person responds to these forces. Successful people invariably maximize the potential of their astrology chart, while people who are lost or confused often fail to even manifest the qualities that are represented in the astrology chart; astrology often tells us something about a person that is deeper than their behavior, appearance, or what they are like: it tells us what forces are at work behind these appearances. The astrological influence combines with environmental and genetic factors and the free will of the person. When counseling a person, most astrologers recommend that the astrologer use the astrology chart as a tool to uncover the motivating forces at work, and work with the person to discover ways to maximize the potential that is within them. Because people are complex, and can repress, project, and creatively weave energies together in various ways, it makes it difficult to completely sure of how accurate an interpretation is. However, when you work with people directly, you often can see the astrological influences so clearly operating in the person's life that the relevance and importance of the astrological influence is completely and absolutely obvious and evident.

Let's now look at how one of the authors of our interpretive reports interprets Moon trine Mercury:

Mercury Trine Moon: You would be an excellent teacher or counselor for you listen sympathetically, and encourage others to express their inner thoughts and feelings. People trust and confide in you, and you are able to read between the lines and to sense what their feelings are as well as what they are saying. You work well with and understand women, and the emotional, feminine side of life. You are articulate on personal (rather than factual or technical) subjects. Keeping a diary or journal would be satisfying for you. You also have a talent for learning languages. - Gina Ronco (Merlin) Talented,

Tomorrow we will analyze Albert Einstein's trines, sextiles, and quincunxes. SUMMARY AND PRACTICE TEST

Other Aspects Part II Class 20

Today we will:

Analyze the strong trines, sextiles, and quincunxes in Albert Einstein's birth chart.

As we did with Mother Teresa's chart, we will analyze only the very strong trines, sextiles, and quincunxes in Einstein's chart: we will use an orb of 3 degrees for trines, 1 1/2 degrees for sextiles, and 1 degree for quincunxes.

Study Albert Einstein's aspect grid above and write down on a piece of paper the trines, sextiles, and quincunxes in his chart. There are several ways to find the aspects: you can look at the aspect grid, you can look at the colored lines drawn in the center of the chart wheel between the planets, or you can just look at the planets in the chart wheel, looking for planets in nearly the same degree and then counting the number of zodiac signs that separate them (but if you choose this last method, be sure to not miss out-of-sign aspects). Use whatever method you feel most comfortable with..

Remember to leave out aspects to the Asc and MC because, as we mentioned in an earlier lesson, the accuracy of these aspects is dependent on having a very accurate birth time, which we can not be absolutely assured of, even when recorded on a birth certificate, and for teaching purposes, I think it is best to use only factors that we can be absolutely assured exist. We will also not include aspects to the Moon's nodes.

Take some time now to make your list of aspects, and do not continue reading past this point until you have done this (if you continue reading, you will see what the list is, and not have the opportunity to see if you can determine it for yourself).

------continue reading past this point after you have made the list of aspects------

There are 3 aspects that meet our criteria are: Mars trine Pluto with a 2 degree 11 minute orb, Moon trine Venus with a 2 degree 28 minute orb, and Sun sextile Pluto with a 1 degree 13 minute orb.

Notice that Pluto is involved in 2 of the aspects: Pluto is trine Mars, and Pluto is sextile Sun. If you look at these aspects on the chart wheel, you may notice the pattern that is illustrated to the left. We have drawn thick green lines from Pluto to Mars, and from Pluto to the Sun to show that they are aspected. Because Pluto is approximately 120 degrees from Mars, and Pluto is approximately 60 degrees from the Sun, then the Sun must be approximately 60 degrees from Mars because the Sun is about half way between Pluto and Mars. Actually the Sun is about 56 1/2 degrees from Mars, which is a sextile with a 3 1/2 degree orb, much larger than the 1 1/2 degree orb that we are allowing. In the diagram to the left, we have drawn a thin green line between the Sun and Mars anyway, many astrologers would say that the Sun-Mars sextile does exist but it is weak, and others would say it is out of orb. In any case, Pluto does trine Mars and sextile the Sun.

Now write down on a piece of paper what you think these aspects mean.

-----Do not continue past this point until you have written your interpretations-----

Pluto trine Mars and sextile Sun gave him a sense of inner purpose, perhaps even a sense of mission, and an inner drive to achieve his goals. This is not one of the images that comes to mind when we think of Einstein: we think of his genius, and also his great compassion. But Einstein made many of his discoveries while he was a patent officer for the government; this gave him sufficient free time, which he employed to follow his interests. Pluto motivates a person from deep within; Pluto drives a person to follow their inner calling. Einstein had a natural, innate (trines and sextiles) compulsive inner need (Pluto) to achieve the things (Mars) that he felt were personally meaningful (Sun). The importance of his natural, innate sense of directedness and sense of purpose can be easily overlooked as important ingredients in his personality; it is the nature of trines and sextiles to be overlooked because they are so natural and innate to the person that they are taken for granted. With his Sun in Pisces in the 10th house we know that his goal is to discover greater mystery or beauty or magic through his efforts, and Einstein made it very clear that his work was not the dry academics that many people imagine when they think of physics and mathematics - it was almost a religious experience for Einstein. Mars is in the earth sign of Capricorn trine Pluto in the earth sign of Taurus, emphasizing his ability to come up with realistic and practical solutions through steady, persistent effort. Pluto is in the 11th house, which indicates his inner drive is fueled by a sense of larger systems.

Einstein also has Moon trine Venus, which shows that kind (Venus) feelings (Moon) are natural (trine) to him. He does not have to try to be kind and compassionate; it is natural for him. With his Moon in Sagittarius in the 6th house, we can see that he is kind but not extremely sentimental; he feels more at home in an expansive (Sagittarius) atmosphere. His kindness expresses itself as his inclination to lift people out of their limited, narrow perspectives into a world that is filled with awe, wonder, and greater possibilities. Venus is in Aries in the 11th house, emphasizing the non-sentimental nature of his kindness and warmth; he urges people to loosen their hold on narrow traditions, and feel how good it is to be in awe of the vastness of creation, and to be lifted (Sagittarius) out of our limited views into a fresh (Aries) and exhilarating feeling.

Trines and sextiles weave their way into a person's life, but without becoming the focus of attention. The focus of Einstein's attention is on analysis and research (Mercury conjunct Saturn). The sextiles and trines in his chart are qualities that he embodies while he pursues the interests and challenges presented by the hard aspects.

In conclusion, I would say that much of the analysis we did of Einstein make sense, but frankly it does not appear that his genius and his choice of physics was evident. In the latter half of the 20th century, astrologers have pioneered many new theories, such as harmonics and midpoint theory, and some astrologers feel that these new theories hold the promise of unraveling many more secrets. Even without the insights of these newer techniques, we can better understand the nature of people and help guide them with the information received from the birth chart. For example, imagine if Einstein's parents complained that he spent too much time following his own interests and was not doing everything required in school, and he was not very social, preferring to spend tremendous amounts of time reading, studying, and working on his innovative ideas. After looking at his chart, we could say "Good, he is doing exactly what he needs to do; leave him alone". When a person is not expressing the qualities in the chart, then we know something is out of tune; the person is blocked or in conflict, or being too influenced by others, and we need to help the person find his/her own inner resources to follow a path that is more suitable, meaningful, and personally fulfilling.