If you went around to my friends and asked about me, sooner or later the “secret” would come out that I like the witchy shit. Ever since I got my grubby child hands on books about palm and tealeaf reading, ancient civilizations, and mythology, I’ve been hopelessly intrigued by any and all things Weird and (Un)Natural.
Getting into astrology has been a more recent addition to my harem of interests. What sucked me into astrology in the first place was a search for direction. It wasn’t anything big; I was flailing around for ideas about what might be good career tracks for me to take. Having a chronic illness and being on disability, I wanted whatever work I did to support me without steamrolling straight over my mental and physical health. I wanted what felt like the biggest of pipe dreams; work I wouldn’t hate, wouldn’t starve doing, and wouldn’t put me in an even earlier grave than I’m already slated for. So, when rational means didn’t really give me any insight on surviving in the midst of a greed-driven, bleed-them-dry, capitalistic employment landscape, I turned to irrational means for ideas. What did I have to lose, really?
So what is Astrology?
Though Wikipedia defines astrology as a pseudoscience, it also points out that it’s existed since the second millennium BCE (at least that’s how far back the records go – so far), meaning it’s been historically practiced since before the year 2000 BC and has been found in nearly every culture that used a calendar. So, if it is all fake, it can be said that it’s a useful enough fakery to not only endure thousands of years, which is pretty impressive all on its own, but to still be used widely today. The Wikipedia article does a good job of giving a brief overview of astrology around the world and through history and is a good starting point if you really want to study the evolution of what we understand as astrology today. In a nutshell though, astrology is a practice that uses the placement of various heavenly bodies for guidance, insight and information regarding people and events on earth.
While some might think that astrology is about predicting the future with finely honed precision, cutting free-will out of the equation, in my experience and learning (which is, admittedly, still beginner level) it’s more like…weather prediction. You have meteorologists who study weather patterns and tell you what the weather is likely to be based on those patterns. Astrology looks at that pattern of the planets and the events that have coincided with certain planetary placements and based on those patterns they predict what the same or similar patterns coming up will bring. If you’re home when it rains and the rain doesn’t affect your day, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it never rained at all. Likewise, the planets might be perfectly aligned for you to meet your soulmate, but if you haven’t bathed in a week, dress like you slept in a dumpster and snarl at everyone you come across, no amount of planetary pull is going to help you find love.
Astrology and the Dilettante
The most common experiences with astrology are horoscopes and charts. Horoscopes are usually bite-sized bits of advice or info about what the general planetary “weather” is for any given day, week or month. Usually these are divided up by sun signs, though I read for my “Big 3” signs, which are my sun sign, rising sign (also called an ascendent) and moon sign. The Big 3 are considered to be the “core” of a person’s personal astrology. Depending on who you ask, reading horoscopes for your rising sign instead of (or in addition to) your sun sign will give you a more accurate horoscope.
I never found horoscopes relevant for me, even the ones custom tailored to my personal planet placements and chart. On the whole, what goes on in my day-to-day life and what goes on in the grand celestial conga line never line up – though, keep in mind I’m a disabled homebody who prefers crafts to clubbing and sewing to socializing, so most of the popular topics covered by horoscopes (romance, money and careers) don’t apply. Still, I like reading them and I do find them useful. Like agricultural calendars (which are also rooted in the movements of the moon and stars), astrology is cyclical, a vast pattern of ebb and flow, high points and low points. Horoscopes are an opportunity to check in and evaluate if I’m in a rut; if my horoscope says it’s a great time to connect with others, I can pause and try to remember the last time I saw my friends or talked to my family or even just spent some quality time with myself that wasn’t work. Alternately, when the dreaded Mercury retrograde pops up, it’s a good sign not to make myself crazy trying to push new things through, but to look back on what’s already going on, how it went and catch my breath if I’ve been in hustle mode for too long. Horoscopes can give you an opportunity for reflection and a nudge to do something more in tune with the cycles of nature around you, if you choose to see them that way.
Now, charts, especially birth charts, are fascinating to me. Charts are the meat of astrology. They are longer reports of planet placements from any point in time and including any number of planets, asteroids, stars and mathematically derived points such as the Midheaven. Yes, there are charts you can do for romantic compatibility, event planning and god knows how many other things, but the sheer scope and variety of information I’ve gotten just from my birth chart is awesome. The personality stuff alone can be in depth – my chart readings have covered topics like early childhood trauma, the personalities of my parents, even past lives (yes, there are people who do past life chart readings), but that’s only scratching the surface. Chart readings can also include what work environments are the most supportive, even suggesting specific career fields. For romance, a reading goes deeper than just what signs to avoid; you can get info about what flirting style works best for you specifically and what the planets have to say about how you function emotionally in relationships. For example, my readings have stated that I have trust issues for days, which is absolutely, 100% true. Charts can even be read for random stuff I didn’t even think was possible; from my astrologically supported ideal writing routine to what my best astrological home decor is to beauty routines by sign and element type and more. Really my birth chart is like fun toy that never gets boring. There’s always some new way to translate my chart, something new in it to discover. A birth chart, once you start diving into it, isn’t just some static image; it’s an evolving map of the person you can be. I think that’s pretty fucking neat.
Nothing about astrology is static, really. The weekly horoscope you get in your inbox is only a tiny specific slice of vast picture. There’s a lot of variation, from different systems of astrology (Tropical, Sidereal, Draconic to name a few), to different chart styles within a system (the two most common I’ve seen are Whole Sign and Placidus chart systems), to the individual interpretation styles of each astrologer reading the placements – and those are just the ones most common to Americans. I’ve had my birth chart read by four different readers and while each reader sees roughly the same chart (depending on the house system they use), each reading I’ve gotten has had enough differences that I could probably get the same chart read every year and come away with a different experience and a different understanding of that chart. And the really fun part is, most of it rings true. Where one reader’s interpretation of a sign doesn’t sound like me, another’s interpretation of the same sign will hit dead on. It really is like asking someone what kind of person they think you are, getting a different answer each time, but seeing a lot of truth in every answer regardless.
A Few Tips
If you want to check out astrology for yourself, but don’t really know where to begin, or have tried and gotten totally overwhelmed and confused…well, here are some of the steps I took when stepping into the star pool.
- Don’t buy a book (not yet anyway). Books are great resources, but for me, I found astrology easier to learn by breaking it down into tiny chunks, instead of trying to plow through a book that covered a bit of everything at once. Your mileage may vary, but if astrology feels like too big a subject to grasp, start with a tiny piece.
- Study yourself. Studying my own chart bit by bit worked for keeping my interest and seeing how interpretations of planet placements translated into human experience – namely my own, which I like to think I’m an expert on. As you get more comfortable, it can be really insightful to compare your chart with others to see how similar placements can vary in their expression, but to start with, study yourself.
- Start cheap. While there are plenty of places to get free and/or low-cost charts done, here’s what I suggest: don’t get a chart that’s only an image like the ones on Astro.com. Aim for a chart that gives you a basic interpretation of your signs and planet placements, such as a computer-generated one. These aren’t as pricey as getting your chart read by an actual human astrologer, but it’s a good starting point for learning the basics. I actually suggest getting two or three of these cheaper charts to compare their interpretations and see where they are similar and where the descriptions are a little different.
- Start simple. Focus on the basics. Now what “basics” mean can vary depending on why you want to learn astrology. If you want to start on understanding the personality aspect of reading a birth chart, then starting with studying your Sun sign, Moon sign and Ascendent (also called your rising sign) is a solid starting point. Most astrology stuff I’ve read refer to this trio as the Big 3 and it represents the core of the personality represented in the chart. If you have specific areas that you’re interested in, start with those. For example: your 6th house, 10th house and Midheaven are a good combo to study for insight into your career. The 6th house rules daily routines and health (good info for avoiding daily grind burnout) while the 10th and midheaven govern public image and highest aspirations – where you can really shine in the world. There’s a lot of information in a chart, so to begin with, stick with the core basics – the signs, the planets and the houses they reside in. Later, when you’ve gotten very comfortable with those, you can expand into the more brain-melting stuff like decans, aspects, and asteroids.
- Compare and contrast. What helped me get a better grasp on interpreting a chart was comparing different interpretations of specific placements and seeing where the patterns were. For example, my sun sign is in Aquarius. What that means to one astrologer can be radically different from what it means to another. This isn’t a bad thing; my dad is also an Aquarian, and we couldn’t be more different from each other. He’s much more the stereotypical aloof, kooky humanitarian who lives for shock value. His rebellion (a very common Aquarius descriptor) is organizing protests and doing subversive radio shows. Mine is advising my relatives about how to navigate Medicare, mending and making my own clothing and learning to grow food hydroponically at home. Not every Scorpio is a broody, angsty, secretive person – one of my best friends is a Scorpio and she’s the one usually talking me out of my frequent broody funks. So, take a bit of your chart and explore its different interpretations before expanding into other areas. Don’t overwhelm yourself though reading every interpretation out there – try looking up no more than three sites for their definitions.
- Don’t take it so seriously. Probably the best bit of advice I ever got from my dad was to never take anything “too seriously.” You’re not “broken” if the things on your chart don’t describe you at all – you might get more relevant information using another house system or another brand of astrology, your birth information might be off for any number of reasons (such as not having your birth time), or you just might be the kind of person that exists outside the rhythms of the Universe. If you approach astrology with a spirit of open curiosity, you’ll probably find some fun, interesting and maybe even useful food for thought.
Resources
These are websites and readers I’ve personally used and enjoyed, so feel free to check them out!
Mystic Medusa – Has a selection of affordable charts, including the Astro Home Decor one I mentioned. If you want to spring for the Mega Mystic membership, you can also get weekly, monthly horoscopes, but also daily horoscopes personalized to your specific birth chart. I like Mystic’s fun, relatable language, which shines in the blogs posts. Definitely recommend this for getting a funky, fun auto-generated birth chart to study.
Astro-charts – Another great place to get affordable auto-generated birth charts. Where this place shines is that, along with the basics, their charts include diagrams and keywords for specific chart aspects and included neat info such interpretations of your chart patterns. The keyword breakdown should be helpful for those new to understanding charts.
Aeolian Heart – Aeolian Heart is one of the first astrologers I’ve ever followed and was my first chart reader. Her ebook on understanding charts is great, so snag it if you can. Her seasonal forecasts are delightful to read; she has a lovely, poetic way of writing that’s very enjoyable to read.
Thea Wirsching – Including asteroids in a chart reading is a more recent development in astrology, but they add a fascinating extra dimension to chart readings. Thea specializes in reading the asteroid Ceres in a chart, which centers around relationships with food and self-care. It was such an interesting reading. If this is a topic that interests you, check it out.
TheBeautyWitch – I got my most recent chart reading from Alise aka The Beauty Witch. Not going to lie, it was pricey, but it highlights the main benefit of getting chart readings done from a live human – she pointed out recurring patterns in a way that auto-generated reports just can’t do. Plus, her beauty and fashion advice was a really fun bonus.
Jeanna K – Taking Jeanna’s class Astrology for Writers: How to Make Your Writing Work for You was an eye-opening experience as I learned a whole new way to read my chart. It is also pricey, so no rush in spending your money on it. Honestly, if you get a good enough grasp on the signs, you can probably work out the information for yourself. Still, if you’d like guidance, then this self-paced class will certainly give you that.
Astro.com – The online HQ for Astrology charts Astro usually comes up as default resource. You can generate a free birth chart here with staggering variety- from changing the house system used (Placidus is the usual default, but many readers use the Whole Signs system too – not sure? Whole Signs is a little easier to read), to controlling how much information appears on a chart, to adding all those extras such as aspects, decans and asteroids. The only downside is that the free charts generated don’t come with any interpretations included, so you’re just getting an image of the chart and a listing of the placements. If that’s all you want. however, then this is the place to go.