SCOPE EDUCATIONAL - Educational Text - Edited Eric Biss
Introduction
The basic philosophy behind Astrology is the idea that we live in a holistic universe, that there is a deep interrelationship between the whole and its parts, and that anything, be it an event, a group, or an individual that is born at a particular point in time and space in a sense embodies the whole universe focused at that point. Obviously it is impossible to determine the state of the whole universe from a particular point in time and space, so in Astrology we take the Solar system as the greater whole and regard the patterns formed by the Sun, Moon and planets as seen from a particular time and place on earth as a reflection of the forces acting at that time and place. In natal astrology, astrology applied to individual human beings, the Sun, Moon and planets symbolise basic human needs, desires or urges which we all possess. It is the ever changing interrelationship between these basic functions or archetypes, and their relationship to the horizon at the time of birth, that are used to symbolise the personality structure of a human being. The birth chart is a symbolic map of the solar system as seen from the earth at the time and place of birth. The chart is comprised of three basic factors.
(1) The aspects (angles) formed between the Sun, Moon and planets, as seen from the earth. These are indicated by the lines on the chart.
(2) Each planet is located in a particular sign of the zodiac. The symbols for each sign are placed around the edge of the chart, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.
(3) Each planet is also located in a particular house in the chart. These are indicated by the twelve sections of the chart.
It will be seen that although many people may have, for instance the planet Mars in the sign Scorpio in the first house, or the planet Venus in the sign Capricorn in the tenth house, and hence have certain traits in common, the number of ways in which the three factors of planets, signs and houses can be combined is infinite.
Your birth chart is therefore a unique blueprint of your personality, everyone is different. At birth, the chart represents a set of potentials, it describes the "form" of your personality, the contents must be added through the experiences of life.
THE PLANETS
The Sun, Moon and the planets:- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, represent specific functions, drives, or urges within the total personality. Just as in the body the various organs; heart, kidneys, liver etc. perform their own specific functions yet operate as part of a total system; so the planets can be regarded as symbolising the 'organs' of your total personality. The aspects (angles) between the planets show how these functions interact with each other.
THE OUTER PLANETS
The planets beyond Saturn:- Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, move through the signs so slowly that the sign positions of these planets refer more to the generation of which we are a part, rather than individual characteristics. It is the house position that shows where we will meet with the principles expressed by these planets in our lives. The aspects of these planets to the personal planets indicate our degree of attunement to the principles they represent.
The trans-Saturnian planets cannot be seen without the aid of a telescope. Therefore they represent powerful forces that are beyond conscious control. These planets connect us with forces and levels of reality beyond our experience as individual human beings. They do this by breaking down the boundaries of the ego (symbolised by Saturn), to allow the inflow of higher ideals and goals into our ego-centred minds. This can often mean the total disruption or destruction of the outer and inner structures of our lives in order to make this possible.
ASPECTS
A conjunction is where two planets are at the same place, and their energies are merged together. Trines (120 degrees), and sextiles (60 degrees), between two planets indicate an easy flow of energy between the functions involved, they therefore show aspects of your personality that work harmoniously together indicating inherent abilities or talents. Squares (90 degrees) and oppositions (180 degrees), show that there is some stress or tension between the two functions involved. Squares and oppositions between planets therefore indicate inner conflicts and tensions (conscious or unconscious) that throughout your life you will be forced to recognise and express in a positive way. If you are not conscious of these inner conflicts, they will be confronted through seemingly 'fated' external events or in relationships with others, particularly when the planets involved are activated by transits. A tolerance or "orb" of about 8 degrees is allowed either side of the exact aspect, but the wider the orb, the weaker the influence. There are also a number of minor aspects, these are not shown on this chart. They have a smaller orb of influence, and their effects are not always so noticeable.
This is not to say that trines and sextiles are "good" and squares and oppositions are "bad". A chart dominated by flowing aspects may indicate someone for whom everything comes too easily, they will therefore lack any real motivation and may not achieve much during their life. A chart with many stressful aspects, on the other hand, may indicate someone who driven by his or her own inner conflicts, can achieve something of real worth in their lives. The stressful aspects are just as necessary to us as the flowing aspects, and most of us are a fairly even balance of both. The activity of each planet is further modified by the sign in which it is placed, the effects of these modifications in your particular case will be described in the chart analysis.
THE SIGNS
During the course of a year the Sun, as seen from the earth, appears to move in a circle against the background of the stars, this circle is known as the ecliptic. The axis of the earths rotation is inclined at an angle to the plane of the ecliptic, so, if the earths equator is imagined to be extended into space, it cuts the plane of the ecliptic at two points known as the equinoxes. One of these points, the vernal or spring equinox, is taken to be the beginning of the circle and is known, both in Astronomy and Astrology, as the first point of Aries. Astrologers then divide the ecliptic into twelve sections of 30 degrees each thus generating the twelve signs. The autumn equinox is directly opposite the first point of Aries and is the beginning of the sign of Libra. When the Sun is at these points, days and nights are of equal length. During the summer months the Sun appears to rise higher and higher in the sky, reaching its highest point at midsummer or the summer solstice, the beginning of the sign of Cancer. This is the time of the longest day and shortest night. Similarly, it reaches its lowest point in the sky in midwinter or the winter solstice, the beginning of the sign of Capricorn. This is the time of the shortest day and longest night.
The signs of zodiac therefore, has nothing to do with actual star constellations, but is based on the relationship between Sun and Earth.
THE HOUSES
You will see that the chart is divided into twelve sections. These represent the division of the space surrounding you at birth. The sign on the first house "cusp" (the line that marks the beginning of the house) is the sign that was rising over the horizon at the time and place of your birth this is your rising sign, (or Ascendant). The sign on the seventh house cusp is the sign that was setting at the time of your birth, the line between the first and 7th house cusps therefore represents the horizon. Planets in the upper hemisphere were therefore above the horizon at the time of birth, and planets in the lower hemisphere were below the horizon; planets in the left hemisphere (left of the line joining the 10th and 4th house cusps) were rising in the east and planets in the right hemisphere were setting in the west. Each house represents a specific area of life experience. The positions of the planets in these houses therefore show in what areas of experience the effects of these planets will be most noticeable. The Ascendant is an important point and has its own particular meaning.
THE ASCENDANT
The ascendant is the sign that was rising over the horizon at the time of birth. More than any other chart factor, the sign of the ascendant to be accurate is dependant on both time (it changes by 15 degrees every hour) and place of birth (someone born at the same time on the opposite side of the world will have the opposite sign on the ascendant or “rising”). As such, it is the sign that brings us into physical incarnation, and the planet that rules that sign is said to be the ruler of the chart, or our planetary ruler for this lifetime. Hence the sign and house position of the ascendant’s ruler are of particular importance. The ascending sign shows the way in which we approach life and the world in general. It can be related to what some psychologists call the persona, the mask we place between our inner selves and the world. As such it shows the way in which we are perceived by others, at least their first impressions of us. The ascendant represents the manner in which we must express ourselves in order to feel secure, and also the filter through which we perceive life and its challenges. It is the cusp of the first house, the house associated with our personal identity and self expression and represents the kind of energy and types of activities that we need to enliven us physically.
The first six houses up to the 7th are all below the horizon and, are concerned with areas of life in which we seek to establish our own sense of individuality.
The houses from the 7th to the 12th are above the horizon, and represent the experiences involved in seeking to function as part of a wider social environment.
TRANSITS
The planetary patterns symbolised in your chart remain fixed throughout your life, but the planets still continue to move around the zodiac after birth. Each planet has ts own characteristic cycle. For example, Mars takes two years to complete one full cycle, Saturn takes 28 to 30 years. In doing so they pass through the houses of your chart, and make aspects to your natal planets, bringing about experiences that are related to the nature of the transiting planet, the house it is passing through and the planet being aspected. The technique of transits therefore allows the timing of specific experiences, from times of opportunity to major life crises. This brings an understanding of why you have experienced certain things in the past, the reasons for your present experiences, and what you may experience in he future. Transits cannot predict precise events but only the type of experience you will have at a certain time. At all times you have free will as to how you react to these experiences, and whether the planetary energies involved are used positively or negatively.
