Tag: astrology health

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).

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.

The White Tiger of the West is the third symbol of Chinese constellations as used in astrology. It represents the West and the season of Autumn.

The White Tiger is made up of seven Mansions. They are the Legs, the Bond, the Stomach, the Hairy Head, the Net, Turtle Beak, and the Three Stars.

The Legs mansion is made up of the following Asterisms: Legs, Outer Fence, Celestial Pigsty, Master of Constructions, the Southern Military Gate, the Flying Corridor, the Auxiliary Road, Wang Liang, and the Whip. Those in the West would recognize these stars as the constellations Andromeda, Pisces, Cetus, and Cassiopeia.

The Bond Mansion is made up of six Asterisms: The Bond, the Official in Charge of the Forest, the Official in Charge of Pasturing, the Square Celestial Granary, the Ricks of Grain, and the Great General of Heaven. The starts that make up this Mansion lie in the modern constellations of Aries, Pisces, Cetus, Fornax, and Andromeda.

The Stomach Mansion contains the following Asterisms. The Stomach, the Celestial Foodstuff, the Circular Celestial Granary, the Mausoleum, the Celestial Boat, Heap of Corpses, and Stored Water. All of these stars can be found in Aries, Taurus, Cetus, and Perseus,

Next in line for the Tiger Mansions is the Hairy Head, made up of the Hairy Head, Celestial River, Moon, Yin Force, Hay, Celestial Meadows, the Rolled Tongue, the Celestial Slander, and the Whetstone. These stars are in the constellations Taurus, Aries, Cetus, Perseus, and Andromeda.

The Net Mansion is one of the largest, comprising the Net, the Whisper, the Celestial Street, Celestial Tally, the Feudal Kings, the Celestial High Terrace, the Interpreters of Nine Dialects, the Five Chariots, the Pillars, the Celestial Pier, the Pool of Harmony, the Celestial Gate, the Banner of Three Stars, the Imperial Military Flag, and the Celestial Orchard.

The Turtle Beak Mansion is made up of the the Turtle Beak, the Deity in Charge of Monsters, and the Seat Flags asterisms.

Finally, the Three Stars mansion contains the Three Stars, Punishment, Jade Well, Screen, Military Well, Toilet, and Excrement asterisms.

“Hey, the constellations don’t line up anymore!”
When the ancient Babylonians first started tracking the motions of the heavens, they divided the sky into 30 degree increments and gave each section over to the rule of a constellation.  This is the Zodiac, the band of the sky that all of the heavenly bodies move through.  It’s a strip of sky about seven degrees across.  But they didn’t count on precession.
The Earth is slightly tilted on it’s axis.  Because of this, the constellations don’t stay in the same place.  Over time, the North Pole slowly points to a different star, and as this happens, the circle of the Zodiac slowly spins around the planet.
In a nutshell, the constellations move, but astrology doesn’t.  Astrologers measure the sky based on their positions on the Vernal Equinox, and not by what stars are actually in the sky.  So, they might say “the Sun was in Aries when you were born,” knowing full well that the sun was really in Pisces.
This has caused quite a stir in the astrology community.  On one side, you have the astrologers who have adjusted their charts to account for the drifting constellations.  Some of them have even corrected an ancient mistake and added a thirteenth sign, Ophiuchus, to their Zodiac, who shares his slice of the sky with Scorpio.  These astrologers follow what’s called a Sidereal system, focusing on the positions of the stars themselves.
On the other side, you have the Tropical astrologers.  They believe that the constellations are irrelevant, because they were merely place-holders or handy symbols that were used to mark the divisions in the original system.  Their view is that the horoscope is designed to measure the influence of the planets in regards to earth, and not the influence of the stars behind the planets.  The horoscope is built from the Vernal Equinox, after all, and not from one of the stars in Aries.

The ninth position on the Chinese Zodiac is held by the ever contradictory Monkey. The monkey is known across China for honesty, justice, sorrow and adultery. At the same time, the symbol of the Monkey is worshiped as a “Great Sage, Equal with Heaven”

Honesty and trust are the top features of this sign. You can trust a Monkey person with your deepest, darkest secrets and those secrets will go to the grave with your Monkey. In business, your money, ideas and the very company itself is well protected in the hands of the reliable Monkey.

People born under the sign of the Monkey are especially adept when it comes to taking stock of a situation and making good snap decisions. And, the Monkey person always knows what’s going around her. She can hear and absorb information from others’ conversations, making that emergency decision even easier.

Of course, the flip side is that the Monkey remembers everything you ever say to them. Of course, that can come back to bite you later.

Intelligence, quick thinking, creative genius make this sign well suited inventing new ways of doing things and new items. Of course, monkeys are good at creating trouble, too.

This combination of traits also means the monkey will hold you accountable if you commit a wrong against them. Their reputation is very important to monkey people, and they will not stop until they even the score. To outsiders, this tends to make them look like master manipulators, but really they’re not.

The monkey is usually content with themselves and their lives. They have morals, but they tend to change with the circumstances. This usually has the tendancy to make a mess of things, but in true monkey form, the monkey person doesn’t stick around long enough to help clean up the mess.

Capricorn is the workhorse of the Zodiac, working his way up the ladder of success, slowly and steadily.

Goats have a strong sense of tradition and structure, and make excellent teachers. They respect history and believe in passing on an inheritance. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, which means that they take the long view on things. Like the tortoise racing against the hare, they know too well that “slow and steady wins the race.”

Capricorns are probably the most far-thinking of all the signs. Where Sagittarius and Leo are partying for the moment, Capricorn is planning his schedule four years in the future. But this focus on the future comes with a price.

Capricorn can get so preoccupied with the future that he starts to focus on death, and then becomes easily and deeply depressed. It’s very easy for a Capricorn to fall into a “woe is me” attitude, worrying about the never ending series of bad things that always seem to hit them at their most vulnerable. Thankfully, because of their long-term views, most Goats can overcome this handicap by just putting their head down and working even harder.

Capricorns understand the meaning of sacrifice, because each of those hurdles that force them into the long and slow path to success means sacrificing something to overcome them.

Capricorns tend towards black, which is perfectly suited to their depression. They also lean to the traditional in home and style and especially food. Goats tend to eat plain and straightforward meals rather than something exotic.

Capricorns tend to do well in large corporations, where their work ethic allows them to work their way up a long ladder. Capricorns are also uniquely suited to handling numbers and data.

Finally, because of their traditional outlook and innate teaching skills, Capricorns make excellent parents. Children give them an heir, someone to pass along the family legacy to, which is one of the core pieces of the Goat’s makeup.

The element of Wood represents the direction East. Those who are born with this element tend to yearn for stability and tradition.

In China, wood is also associated with bamboo. Bamboo, of course, is a strong, flexible, and long shoot which grows in marsh areas. If follows then, that wood people are flexible, emotionally strong and dependable. A wood person will stick with you through good and bad times, unwavering of their support.

Wood people are interested in social issues and strive to leave the poor and helpless of our world with a sense of independence and change. Although, they can be idealistic and that trait can be the cause of emotional angst when plans don’t follow the perfect path.

Wood people do well in social work or working with children.

Working with others is easy for wood people, as they truly enjoy the process of cooperation and compromise.

Like trees, wood people seek to expand their roots. They enjoy learning and thrive in social situations. Wood people do not do well as hermits or loners, lack of interaction with other people will lead to unhappiness.

Spring is the season of growth and newness. Represented by browns and greens, spring is the season when life begins and flourishes. The same is said of those with the wood element. They are sensual, and are able to see the beauty in every day situations. Wood people will be productive in all they strive to accomplish

Generous and warm, wood people spread happiness, confidence and joy where ever they go.

However, wood also carries with it anger. Wood people are prone to temper.

In the body, wood element rules the liver and gall bladder. Yin people must take great care to keep the liver in top condition, for this is their week point. Those with Yang orientation, the gall bladder is the point of concern.

Taurus, the second sign of the Zodiac, is the Bull. Focused on security and stability, the Taurus is the most faithful of all the signs.
Strong, silent, the most introverted of all the signs, Taurus is likely to be cautious and controlled. Thos born under Taurus are very practical and determined, well grounded and in touch with nature. They take things as they come, without worrying or stressing. They have strong values, and tend to think long and hard about their decisions. Once they’ve made those decisions, it’s easier to move mountains than to change the mind of a Taurus.
Nothing personifies Taurus more than the Greek myth of the Minotaur, or bull-headed man, when it comes to stubbornness. Once those hooves are dug in, Taurus is just not going to move.  But the Taurus will probably deny that they’re being stubborn; they prefer to call it “sensible.”  Or “patient.”
Normally calm and reliable, Taurus is content to be left alone, with a very long fuse….but if that fuse ever burns, watch out.  Taurus has a temper.  Push him to his limits, and the phrase “bull in a china shop” takes on a whole new meaning.  Taurus very seldom gets mad, but when they do, they don’t just get a little annoyed, they get furious.  It may take weeks for the dust to clear after a Taurus tantrum.
Taurus likes to build his fortune, slowly and steadily; he loves money and material possessions, though he isn’t stingy.  He can be very generous, especially to friends and family.
Strong, dependable, and peaceful, Taurus is like a rock in the Zodiac, with his patience and calm.  He can be the most stable and  trustworthy of all the signs…just don’t try to rush him into anything.  Or ask him to change his mind.

Just as the lion is the king of the jungle, Leo is the king of the Zodiac.  Leo is a fire sign, falling right in the hottest part of the summer at the center of the year—which is perfect, since Leo loves to be the center of attention.
 
Leo is a born leader, cheerful and optimistic.  They conquer obstacles the same way a lion conquers their foes—like a hunter, who spots his prey, stalks, and pounces.  Leos tend to be very focused on their goals and ambitions.
 
Leo is a model of generosity, with one of the biggest hearts of the entire Zodiac.  They love to share.  They are also the life of the party, always prepared to order a round of drinks or offer up a hilarious joke.
 
Leos like to do things on a grand scale, with special attention to clothing and cars.  Leos attract attention, and the things they own tend to reflect this.
 
One weakness that Leos need to beware of is arrogance.  Being natural leaders, Leos can sometimes fall into the trap of expecting other people to “take care of” those annoying details that should be beneath them.  Not only are they natural leaders, they expect to be the leader, and will fight for that position when challenged.  They don’t like changes to the routine once their leadership role has been established.
 
These are the same things that haunt a Leo through a career.  Their ambition makes it difficult for them to “climb the corporate ladder,” and the worst sort of job they can find themselves in is the one where they are “just one gear in the machine.”  Their impatience to take the reins will sometimes drive them out of the workforce and into their own business or entertainment.
 
Leo loves to get in front of a crowd.  They are natural class clowns and show-offs, and professionally or not, enjoy performing or presenting.

We have now entered the Chinese Year of the Fire Pig. Because 2007 is an odd year it is considered Yin.

By examining the Chinese animal signs, it is expected to be the best year for those born under the House of Tiger. Goats, Rabbits and Pigs can expect a very good year, filled with many of the advantages the Fire Pig has to offer. Roosters, Dragons, and Dogs will also feel the positive effects of the Fire Pig, although to a lesser extent than some of the other signs.

For Horses, Oxen, and Rats the results will be mixed, with ups and downs. For those with these signs 2007 will be unexceptional.

Monkeys and Snakes, however will feel the wrath of the Fire Pig.

All signs should be watchful against being made a fool of during the year of the Fire Pig, for he is the ultimate jester and takes his joy at the folly of humans. This is a year to be content with the decisions and nature of others. Live and let live.

Indulgence, sex and sensuality the realm of the Fire Pig. Luckily for most of us, the Fire Pig also brings with it patience, and calm.

Lost or stolen items are likely to turn up this year. And, if you are dishonest in your business dealings, that fact will come to light. This would be a good year to change any dishonest practices.

All things have a beginning and an ending, birth, death and rebirth are natural cycle of the universe The year of the Fire Pig brings the death part of this cycle. You may find yourself tying up loose ends, finishing major projects, meeting long term goals and even saying goodbye to loved ones.

You may comfort yourself with the knowledge that all things that end bring on new beginnings, and this is a time for preparing for the new.