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  • Mythology of Scorpio, Leo, and Cancer

    There are many variants of the mythology of Scorpio, but nearly all of them also include the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. In some versions, Scorpio was an assassin sent by Artemis to kill Orion.  The reasons vary. Sometimes, it’s out of rage at her defeat at his hands.  In another, it’s to protect the bull of Taurus, and in another, it’s for his bragging of his skills and glory in hunting (Artemis believed in hunting only for food). And in yet another version, the scorpion was a punishment for Orion’s pursuit of the goddesses of the Pleiades.
    Regardless of the version you like to believe, the assassination of Orion plays out again and again every night in the stars.  Orion is opposite Scorpius in the sky, so as the scorpion arrives on the scene, Orion “dies” by dropping below the horizon.
    Leo and Cancer both owe their existence–and their deaths, unfortunately–to the great Olympian hero, Hercules. 
    Hercules was charged with killing the vicious and giant Nemean Lion.  None of his weapons could cut through the lion’s skin, so he was finally forced to wrestle it to the ground and strangle it with his bare hands.  
    Hercules kept the lion’s skin, and it came in very handy.  His next task was the Lernean Hydra, a dragon with seven heads.  And, as if multiple heads weren’t enough of a problem, when any head was cut off, two more would grow in it’s place!  The Lion’s skin helped protect Hercules from the heads while he set about to find a way to kill it.
    Hera, Zeus’s wife, wanted Hercules dead.  She sent a crab to distract Hercules from his fight with the Hydra.  Unfortunately, Hercules was only distracted long enough to crush the crab under his foot.  Hera placed the crab in the sky to remember it’s sacrifice. 

  • Traits of the Tiger

    The third sign of the Chinese Zodiac is the Tiger. In the Eastern world, it is the Tiger who is considered the king of beasts, as opposed the lion of the West. In keeping with the sovereignty of the Tiger, those who carry this sign are respected and feared. They are said to bring with them power, good fortune and an air of royalty. Many believe powerful Emperors will be reincarnated under the sign of the Tiger.

    Tiger people typically have magnetic personalities and they usually assume an air of authority. Other people are drawn to the energy and natural leadership of the Tiger.

    Courageous and fearsome, Tigers will face most situations with confidence and grace, even when leading others into dangerous or uncertain circumstances.

    On the other hand, Tiger people are calm, gentle mysterious and soft. They are fiercely loyal, and tend to have long lasting, stable friendships, even as those relationships rock with the moods of the Tiger.

    Enthusiastic, determined and optimistic, Tigers are often admired by those who know them. Tigers are very secure with themselves and their decisions. They are comfortable following their instincts and enjoy the unpredictable.

    Tigers do well in a business atmosphere and do well to start their own business. Tigers enjoy doing things themselves and thrive under the pressure of new, exciting experiences. They face the unusual or difficult with unwavering confidence.

    Those born under the tiger are usually straightforward, open and honest. However, they do not respond well to feeling trapped, emotionally. In this situation a Tiger will either withdraw completely or will become aggressive and attack the person trying to corner him.

    Once they calm and recover their confidence and security, the Tiger will return to the situation and try again.

    In general, the Tiger is a sound partner, and a reliable friend. Having Tiger in your life will assure that life is never boring.

  • Astrology Terms

    Astrology may or may not be “science,” depending on who you ask.  But, one similarity it does bear to science is a large collection of terms.  Natal charts and horoscopes can be as simple as “your sun sign is Gemini.”  Or, they can be extremely complex, taking into account exactly where and when the individual was born, where each of the planets, sun, and moon were positioned at that moment, and then measuring how each of those bodies related to each other.
    The starting point of any astrology work is the Sun Sign.  This is one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and is the constellation the Sun was passing through when the person was born.
    A Horoscope, as far as the public is concerned, is that little nugget of advice printed with their sign in the newspaper.  But the full Horoscope as designed by the astrologer is more than that.  It’s a complete map of the planets with regards to the constellations and each other.
    Once the planets have been mapped, then their Aspects can be measured.  The Aspect is the measure of the angle formed by drawing lines between the planets.  The two most important Aspects are the Conjunction (which is a very small measure, less than ten degrees), and the Opposition (a very large measure, nearly 180 degrees).
    The Houses are equivalent to the signs of the Zodiac, but they’re also dedicated to certain aspects of the person’s life.  One House is devoted to finances, another to health, for example.
    Each planet orbits the sun at a different speed.  Mercury, right next to the sun, races around it in a matter of weeks, while Pluto plods along in an orbit that takes centuries.  Occasionally, the Earth will pass a planet, and it will seem to be “moving backwards.”  Think of riding a fast train while passing a slow moving one–the slower train will appear to be backing up, even though it’s moving forward.  This optical illusion is called Retrograde, and these periods of backwards motion show up in horoscopes and action.

  • Mythology of Taurus, Aries, and Gemini

    The constellation Taurus is one of the oldest symbols.  It’s been associated with a bull even as far back as Babylonian times.  In ancient Egypt, Taurus was associated with Apis, a bull-like incarnation of the god Osiris.  In the Old Testament, Moses destroyed the Golden Calf.  And in ancient Greece, Taurus commemorated the romance of Zeus and Europa–because Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful white bull to distract her, and carried her off to the island of Crete.  Their son, Minos, became the king of Crete, and built a maze to hold another bull figure–the Minotaur, who was eventually killed by Theseus.
    Aries is another constellation that has always been associated with a single image.  Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome, all of them considered Aries to be a ram.  In Greece, Aries was most associated with Jason and the Argonauts, in the story of the quest for the Golden Fleece.
    Jason was a victim of prophecy.  Jason’s father was killed by his brother Pelias.  Jason was spirited away to protect him, but an oracle warned Pelias that the boy would return.  Jason was raised by the centaur Chiron (who is represented by the constellation Sagittarius).  When Jason challenged Pelias, the pretender told Jason he would give him the throne in return for the Golden Fleece.
    Jason built a ship called the Argo, and crewed it with the Argonauts, some of the greatest heroes of Greece.  Even Hercules sailed on the Argo.  And with their help, he was finally successful.
    Two of the Argonauts were named Castor and Pollux.  They were twin sons of Zeus and Leda; one was immortal, the other was not.  They were inseparable.  At one point along the quest for the Fleece, Castor was killed, and immortal Pollux begged Zeus to let him die as well.  Instead, Zeus placed them in the stars, side by side, never apart.
     
     

  • Traits of Pisces

    The last sign, Pisces, the two dancing fish, is the most deep and sensitive sign of them all. Ruled by both Jupiter and Neptune, Pisceans are creative and adaptable, but not very organized. Traditionally, Pisces is considered to be at the highest spiritual plane.

    Pisces is the ultimate artist of the Zodiac. There are more Piscean poets than any other sign, and their empathy for others is legendary. No other sign is better able to understand another’s pain like Pisces. At the same time, Pisces is the most free-spirited of all the Signs, too.

    The empathy of a Pisces makes them not only artists, but also perfectly suits them for nursing and medical careers.

    All of the Water signs—Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces—are sensitive. But the other two have one thing that Pisceans lack, and that’s the hard outer shell. Pisces do not have the natural defenses around their sensitivity, and when insulted or hurt, will often “swim away” and hide. Pisces is very good at withdrawing from the world or turning invisible.

    There is a bright side to that invisibility talent, though. It manifests as an almost chameleon-like ability to fit in. Pisces will happily join into their mate’s hobby—not because they’re interested in the hobby itself, but because learning it allows them to understand their mate better.

    Many Pisceans are fascinated with movies and photography. There’s a natural affinity there, because film—like Pisces—is very sensitive and picks up everything it sees.

    The Piscean’s sense of style is practically none at all. Pisces is far more concerned with spiritual enlightenment than on the annoying little detail of whether or not their socks match. Personal style is trivial and meaningless in a monastery. Far more important than style is the emotion attached to things; the furniture may not match, but the battered rocking chair that Aunt Edna told her stories from, that’s important, it stays put.

  • Planning the Chart

    The actual drawing of a horoscope is very simple in theory, but carries a variety of complex calculations. The horoscope chart can be considered a two-dimensional snapshot of a four-dimensional concept—because the horoscope is meant to not only track the locations of the planets in space, but to tie them down to an exact time, also. It’s a snapshot of the solar system at the moment a person was born.

    First, and most important, we need to know the exact place and time that a person was born. Obviously, not every detail will be known, but the more accurate the better. The time has to be calculated against GMT, or Greenwich Mean Time, and the location has to be translated into latitude and longitude.

    Why is location important? Because one of the most important aspects of the horoscope is the Ascendant, or the constellation that was rising at the birth. That constellation is different depending on where the birth happens. Two people born at the exact same moment on opposite sides of the planet will not have the same horoscope.

    Next, the astrologer draws a circle (or, in a more modern setting, hits the “print” button). This circle represents the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the Houses they rule.

    The last thing needed is an Ephemeris. This is a chart that tells the locations of the planets on a given day.

    With all of these pieces in front of the astrologer, he or she is now ready to create the chart. Using the Ephemeris, the location of each planet is calculated and noted. The Sun and Moon, though not really planets, are still counted as such for purposes of the chart. Each planet will fall into one of the twelve Houses.

    After that, lines are drawn to connect the planets so that their angles (called Aspects) can be measured. Close aspects—the Conjunctions—have an amplifying effect, making their influence stronger, and wide aspects, called Oppositions, have a countering effect.

    Once all of the drawings are done, the astrologer can write out the results, in language like “Mercury is in your house of Health, conjunct to Venus in the house of Children.”

  • Traits of Sheep

    Eight in the circle of Chinese Astrology is the Sheep. Some cultures refer to this sign as the Ram or Goat.

    Whichever you call them, people born to this sign are creative, interesting and emotionally sensitive.

    Sheep have a flair for the artistic. Their innate sense of drama and rhythm make them great actors and musicians. In fact, almost the entire list of “famous Sheep” is comprised of well known actors, cartoonists and musicians. These are beautiful people, who enjoy creating beautiful things.

    Sheep people should gift themselves with a career or hobby in the creative arts. Painting or fashion design, or crafting will provide a terrific outlet for all that wonderful Sheep energy.

    On the same token, Sheep people need to surround themselves with beautiful things. They can not function when their environment is in disarray or just plain ugly.
    Those for whom the Sheep rules are considerate and respectful They will never dream of intentionally hurting your feelings, and being sneaky or manipulative is against their very nature. If a Sheep injures in any way, they will quickly step up and do all within their power to make amends.
    The Sheep can be needy and dependant. They need the approval of their family and friends and can sometimes demand a lot of reassurance.
    Sensitive and loving, Sheep oftentimes have trouble coping with the harsh realities of our modern world. They cry while watching the news and ache for the crime or war victim. It doesn’t matter that they have never me this person, or that they are half a world away. The pain and level of caring is the same as if it were themselves or their best friend.
    Sheep tend to avoid confrontation. Tense situations pull at their natural love of all things. Sheep thrive when they feel protected and loved.

  • Traits of the Pig

    The last symbol in the circle of Chinese Astrology is the Pig. In western culture, this sign is often renamed the Boar in order to avoid any negative association with some of the slang definitions of the word pig.

    Trustworthy, dependable, peaceful, and reserved, these are the cornerstone traits of the pig.

    People born under the sign of the pig are quiet and reserved. To strangers a pig person will come across disinterested and aloof. They make acquaintances easily, and usually seem to have many friends. However, true friendship is a matter that must be closely guarded. You must earn the trust of the pig to be granted the honor of close friendship. They share their feelings with precious few.

    Once you have won the trust of a pig, you will find them to be open and giving. They cherish their friends and enjoy finding ways to show how much they care.

    Their natural honest and dependable nature allows others to trust them easilly, and they would never even dream of breaking that trust.

    Pig people are usually shy. Pigs are content to work behind the scenes, away from the limelight and they typically do not seek credit or recognition.

    Quiet and introspectful, pig people are at home with nature. They would much rather go for a quiet hike than hang out at the mall. At the same time, they prefer to be homebodies. They feel secure close to home and do not like taking risks or exploring new territory.

    Pig people are very concerned with what is socially acceptable. They are not trendsetters, preferring instead to follow rather than lead.

    Reflective in nature, pigs will withdraw from a problem or disagreement to consider the situation. When they return, it will be with an eye to solving the problem to make both parties happy.

  • Retrograde

    Imagine riding in a speeding train, and passing a slower train. Both trains are moving straight ahead, but as the trains are passing, the slower train appears to be moving backwards, at least from the point of view of the riders on the fast train.

    This same effect occurs with the planets. As the Earth passes (or is passed by) other planets in the solar system, for a while, they appear to slow in their path across the Zodiac. Then they stop altogether, and backtrack against their paths for a short while, and stop again. Finally, they get back up to speed again, and return to where they started.

    The entire period—from the point where the planet started to slow down, through the backwards motion, until the planet “catches up” to itself and passes the point where it started from—is called Retrograde. It’s a fairly common and straightforward event in astronomy, but it takes on a whole new meaning in astrology.

    Retrograde periods are traditionally regarded as times when humans have little control. This is when things that are fated to happen actually happen.

    Mercury, for example, turns retrograde three times a year. From February 14th, 2007, to March 28th, 2007, Mercury is in retrograde. On March 8th, 2007, it finishes the backwards motion and begins moving forward again.

    Mercury rules information—conversation, communication, thinking and education. When Mercury is in retrograde, these things will have “glitches” thrown in—disrupted communications, collapsed negotiations, and general misunderstandings, usually because some vital piece of information has been lost.

    Venus turns retrograde every eighteen months. During this period, emotions—which Venus rules—become muted. Venus in retrograde is the wrong time of the year to redecorate, start a relationship, or get married.

    The planets beyond Venus have longer retrograde periods, that are further and further apart (Saturn, for example, is in retrograde from December 6th, 2006 until August 7th, 2007).

  • A History of Western Astrology

    The history of Astrology begins around 2000 BCE, in ancient Babylon.  There, they began to develop a complex system of celestial omens.  The priests used the positions of the planets and the stars to state the desires of the gods.  They would document the movements in the sky and the earthly activities that followed them, and build a list of good and bad omens.  For example, if a full moon and a cloudy sky were followed by a great victory over an enemy the next day, then “full moon with clouds” would be recorded as a good omen.  Over time, this system spread across the ancient world.
    The Egyptians were very focused on astronomy, with good reason.  The Sun and Sirius were used to predict when the Nile would flood.  Traditionally, Rameses II is known for defining several of the signs of the Zodiac.
    Horoscopic Astrology made its first appearance in Alexandrian Egypt.  This new version of Babylonian and Egyptian astrology focused on the positions of the planets and constellations at the time of a person’s birth.  Ptolemy codified the system in his work Tetrabiblos, and very little has changed to this day.
    Through the middle ages, astrology and astronomy were almost interchangeable.  The majority of the early astronomical observations of sun, moon, and planets were all done by astrologers.  Where much of astrology was forgotten in Europe during the dark ages, the Persians kept the knowledge alive, and returned it to Europe with the Renaissance.
    With the Scientific Revolution starting in the 17th century, however, the two began to split apart, with astronomy becoming a science and astrology viewed more as occult superstition.
    In the twentieth century, astrology became popular in the United States around 1900 to 1950.  Astrology writers also tried to simplify some of the more confusing parts, which made astrology more available to the general public.  As a result, today there is a market for astrology books and “sun-sign” predictions.


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