How to graduate from Astrology 101

[FarEastUranus]

The advanced folks here:

I am wondering if you feel that this forum is really helpful in improving your skills synthesizing charts, or is it mostly entertainment and escape, which of course has all of its validity?

Once we understand the basics of signs, houses, aspects, the Astrology 101 stuff, what I find the most difficult is to discern patterns and synthesize the bits and pieces into a coherent story that really resonate with the native's deepest concerns.

Besides it being a skill and a talent, a calling and a gift, what made you progress the most as an astrologer? What made you break through to advanced level? What were the "aha" moments?

Please share your most memorable experiences here so that we can learn from you!

 

[Moog]

I don't consider myself advanced, but relative to the forum, I probably am.

It takes years of study to become a basically competent astrologer, able to understand a good range of astrological 'issues'. People spend their lives doing it, and learn all the way.

Look at lots of charts. Take some charts and really work them. Figure out what makes particular people tick, why they are what they are and not something else. Look at the charts of extraordinary people. Look at the charts of people experiencing temporary but notable changes and try to figure out what's going on. Document it.

I get very opinionated on this matter, but I think most astrologers aren't working with a full toolkit, so no wonder it's tough. A lot of what is lost to the West still lives in the East. You need to explore everything, or you're likely to have huge holes in your knowledge and skillset.

If I want to look at what's relevant to a person at any given time, I read their dashas. People aren't the same throughout their life. You can't just look at the natal and know which parts of it are temporally more significant.

Some 'aha' moments I can recall;

Understanding the importance of houses and house rulerships
Discovering the dasha system
Realising the significance of mutual exchanges
Realising the value of 'turned' houses
Getting to grips with naabhasa yogas

It's probably more like a trickle of useful things that I found and studied and applied and then became part of a body of knowledge.

 

[miquar]

Hi. This is a very good idea for a thread. I have to say that when I've run beginners courses in psychological astrology I've advised the students to stay away from forums like this until they are most of the way through the (30 week) course. And I'm glad that when I started studying astrology there were no internet forums. The reasons I have doubts about forums for learning astrology in the early stages are firstly that some of the views expressed are ill-conceived, imo, and secondly that when you start out you need a coherent set of core techniques with which to experiment, and there is a great deal of diversity on the forum, as well as frequent emphasis on peripheral chart factors.

My own view is that the best possible ways to learn astrology are to read many books by the best authors, and as Moog says to practise on people you know, and people for whom you have access to biographical information. Look at books with schemes of how to find the main themes in the chart, like The Inner Sky, by Steven Forrest, The Chart Interpretation Handbook, by Stephen Arroyo, or The Art Of Chart Interpretation, by Tracy Marks. You don't have to follow them by rote, but you can compare them to your own way of approaching a chart and reflect on whether or not you want to make changes to your approach.

The authors I would recommend (as a Western Psychological Astrologer) include Liz Greene, Tracy Marks, Steven Forrest, Stephen Arroyo, Howard Sasportas, Darby Costello and Pauline Stone. They are all deeply insightful and also use accessible language.

The paragraph in your post about the native's deepest concerns suggests to me that you already have a very mature approach to astrology, and that its just a matter of becoming more fluent at handling the symbols. One of the reasons that I come on the forum is to try to nurture this fluency in myself, and my intention when looking at a chart is always to do my best to fulfil the aims which you set out in that paragraph, rather than treat the features as distinct from one another. If you look at some of my opening posts on 'read my chart' or 'why is this issue occurring?' type threads, you might or might not get some useful pointers. Sometimes I focus on certain parts of the chart which seem especially relevant, but usually try to keep the chart as a whole in mind.

 

[JUPITERASC]

Once we understand the basics of signs, houses, aspects, the Astrology 101 stuff...

That's a process that never ends, particularly since there are several branches of astrology i.e. Sidereal, Western, Vedic, Traditional. An excellent place to discover good astrological information is http://www.skyscript.co.uk/ that also has many free articles as well as links available to free online astrology books.

And an excellent Sidereal Western site is http://www.westernsiderealastrology.com/ as well as http://www.solunars.com/

...what I find the most difficult is to discern patterns and synthesize the bits and pieces into a coherent story that really resonate with the native's deepest concerns.

Besides it being a skill and a talent, a calling and a gift, what made you progress the most as an astrologer? What made you break through to advanced level? What were the "aha" moments?

Please share your most memorable experiences here so that we can learn from you!

When I noted the value of reading astrology books in order to learn the basics of Sidereal AND Western as well as the basics of Traditional AND Modern

 

[miquar]

Hi again. Just noticed your question about the Aha moments. The two that come to mind for me are:

The realisation that a technique of any kind is only there to point the astrologer in the right direction. Just recently I posted somewhere that imo the techniques which we use (such as aspects and their orbs, or element counts) are not sharply defined. As we interpret the chart, we are trying to understand the archetypal bare bones shown in the chart. But we are doing this so that we can understand how these bones are given flesh in the actual life-experience of the native, and how else the archetypal patterns shown in the chart could be fleshed out. When looking at the archetypal patterns shown in the chart, it is futile to worry about whether or not an aspect is just out of orb, or exactly how strong a particular element will be according to an element count. While on a qualitative level we need to stay close to the archetype when looking at the chart, quantitatively it makes no sense to try to rigidly rank this aspect as more significant than that aspect. People sometimes ask which is the most powerful planet in their chart. They are the only people who can answer that question - and they won't find the answer looking at their chart. A rough guide can be given based on such things as angularity and rulership, but no definite order of strength can be given.

The other thing that comes to mind is the realisation that rather then list all of the individual factors and then try to fit them together like a jigsaw, you can just let two or three or more symbols speak to you at the same time. If you look at some of my posts you'll hopefully see some examples of that.

 

[JUPITERASC]

The question interestingly asks for advice on "How to graduate from Astrology 101"

For those who are interested in obtaining a certificate, there is a reputable online college offering courses taught by well known advanced astrologers at http://www.kepler.edu/home/

 

[waybread]

I think you just have to read, read, and read.

Aspects are just crucial, and so often astro-students seem to stop with "planets in signs" and "planets in houses." An aspect will tell you whether two planets are likely to cooperate or compete; and by orb, whether their relationship is a major force in the person's life, or more of a "sometime thing."

I think too few students learn about rulerships, in the sense of which planets, signs, and houses rule which phenomena.

Then most times, you really need to spend time with a chart. Get to know it. Formulate some hypotheses about the person, but then go back with a critical eye to see if the rest of the chart supports your surmises.

Astrology is a work of synthesis. It helps if you are a more panoramic type of thinker, interested in complex systems. Can you see the forest, as well as the trees?

Learning astrology goes a lot faster if you look at real questions posed by real people in real time. I am mindful of Miquar's concerns that people not read charts before they're ready; but it's OK to say you're a newbie when reading a chart for someone. OPers' feedback-- when they give it-- is really valuable for honing your skills.

 

[miquar]

Hi Waybread. When I encouraged the students not to go onto a forum too soon, I was worried about what they would read rather than what they would post! I do agree that people should start to try to interpret charts very early on in their studies. The habit of synthesising rather than listing should be formed as soon as possible imo.

 

[gen6k]

1. learn the deep descriptions of all the signs from many sources. (learn the order of the signs from aries to pisces)
2. read about the functions of all the planets from many sources.
3. contemplate how the planetary energy and sign energy combine.
4. look at the natal chart with intepretations.
5. learn the major aspect mode.
6. read a few natal interpretation books on aspects.
7. learn the houses and what each house rules both in modern and traditional terms.
8. look at many forum charts to see how its all placed together.
9. learn the more detailed sections of the natal. rulerships, triplicity, essential dignities, reception, shapes.
10. do some interpretations for people.

once you learn these steps. deeply learning each planetary and sign energy what they could mean for the sphere of everyday life.
then it is possible to move on to any section of astrology that you would like. without learning the "symbology" it is impossible
to do more advanced things. everything else is built on these parts and its a matter of soaking up what it means.

sources are: bookstores, online webpages, ancient online texts, forums, youtube videos.

the hellenists see the planetary climate having an effect on the persons complexion and build for example. this is not a direct phenomena in modern astrology.

http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/images/redspot.gif
for example sagittarius actually has a reddish complexion and sagginess.

11. learn synastry through dynamic and composite chart. look at a few synastry books.
12. look at your current transits and read some transit interpretations and books.
13. do some other techniques like progressions, solar return, time-tables.


what i think is the most viable system is modern hellenistic basically compression psychological into situational. then really crossing every border with the correct energy of the symbol.

14. take a look at every astrological system to build up more dynamics. including vedic, financial, medieval, uranian, magi, horary, mundane, historical, etc. you can even learn something about competition with sports astrology, bonatti wartime, legal astrology, etc.

astrology has several time modes.
the natal chart is the main energy
progressions is a more temporal expression of natal energy.
horary or transit time is the realtime communication of the sky with the layers of
the self. well its dervied from the natal ultimately, but is seen as in the air.
when current time combines with natal time it creates an extentional pocket.

it can be easier to jump from synastry to transits if you take the concept of combining two chart energies and getting an output instead of between two people between situation and self with a transit intepretation set.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/97033299/Planets-in-Aspect-Robert-Pelletier

you have to learn everyones sign in real life though.

well you do have to keep it in the system, but when reading interpretations. take the energy outside of just memorization. its more of a sandbox. once you get a handle on all the energies its a matter of systemic appropriation.


this is a type of compression:
when looking at an attribute
look at it like an infinite series.

think it terms of

physical attribution
environmental situation
psychological
medical
metaphysical
orientation (what is the person an archetype of)
creative action

its really up to your own skills to come up with whats important. you dont have to do it in a rigorous order the only thing that you need to drive you is wanting to find something out. you do have to build it up like an algebra.

many moments of learning astrology are intense because of how arbitrary it is from anything else. it functions on a cross syndiffeomorphic type of plane of every subject.

the important natal moment is realizing your constitution over and over again from many perspectives and finding out how you function and your natal fate. then the important transit moment is when something negative happens and you realize what it was and you find a way out of it. that is why it is important to learn the event-orientated astrology of traditionalists along with the intensity signature of energies. its important to actually use astrology to make yourself a better person and assert your direction.

its even a division of layers of conscious experience. starting with the assertive being and ending in the spiritual dimension.


the influence of astrology is unfolded from mesopotamian astrology. the traditional astrological field with the personal planets and saturn cover most of the dynamics, but the more recent pluto range can cover more complexity. then magi has right ascension and uranian has midpoints and tnos.

try not to miss a developmental step such as evolutionary astrology though which is the case that astrology is open-ended and it becomes a shift of the same energy.

some people even get in to astrological weather which is a type of mundane astrology. in spring the flowers are budding and theres a certain bright poigency. its not the white blue faintedness of the pisces region. then around may 5th the buddings become green and a darker concentrated color. around may 21 the sky starts getting lighter and aireyer and we see the shift in to gemini. june is the receptive watery part of summer, and some of july is the hottest part of summer which is the leo stage. in august then we see a calming down and a practical planning mood in virgo. when late fall starts coming it starts getting kind of eerie from the shift and really dark this is the scorpio stage.

the amount of energy that you have each part of the year is in the receptions to the planets in the sky if youre an earth sign you probably feel more vital during the virgo stage. not all the time because of outer transits, but if mars is in virgo as well your energy would become fortified.

this is why you have to get down to the essence and structure in order to see how the energy is present in situations.

the best time to learn astrology is during a major uranus or neptune transit. neptune in the 9th is probably sufficient. uranus sextile mercury perhaps. the way and consciousness youre under when you learn astrology is going to somewhat stay. it would shift under pluto for example. you probably don't want to start astrology under saturn to sun. it would be easier to grasp the platform of astro logic under uranus for technicality and vision or neptune for spirituality and imagination. saturn of course would make you more thorough. when two metaphysical transits combine is probably the best time to experience it. the point is that sometimes its a matter of waiting and timing. a good amount people in the west dont realize the spiritual harmonics for example until a certain activation then their entire world view changes and they see how dull it was.

 

[FarEastUranus]

The habit of synthesising rather than listing should be formed as soon as possible imo.

Right. Because if it's just listing, any website could do that.

But how do we learn to synthesize?

 

[IleneK]

Right. Because if it's just listing, any website could do that.

But how do we learn to synthesize?

Practice, practice, practice. A lot of practice. Just keep trying. It's like synthesizing any other kind of material.

You can also observe how others do it here on the forum. Look at the chart and read their synthesis. Even if the content is incorrect, you will observe how the information is woven together.

 

[JUPITERASC]

...But how do we learn to synthesize?

Read and learn and then also - as IleneK advises:

Practice, practice, practice. A lot of practice. Just keep trying. It's like synthesizing any other kind of material.

You can also observe how others do it here on the forum. Look at the chart and read their synthesis. Even if the content is incorrect, you will observe how the information is woven together.

'Delineating Natal Chart' details step by step basics as well as examples at: http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48463

 

[waybread]

Right. Because if it's just listing, any website could do that.

But how do we learn to synthesize?

One method that I found helpful when starting out is in Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky, a book I highly recommend. It's a bit hokey, but he recommends applying archetypes to each of the signs. Leo, for example, might be the king or queen-- or the player. Aquarius might be the exile or the revolutionary. Then he starts with the basic triad: the sun is one's core identity, the moon is one's soul, the rising sign is like a mask one wears.

So you might have the king (Leo) with the soul of the exile (Aquarius) wearing the mask of the peace-maker (Libra).

I think the rising sign is much more than a mask, I think of it as your embodiment or physical being-in-the-world, complete with all of your personality attributes.

Then of course, the moon might be Mom, your emotional nature, or your needs.

But you get the idea.

Another book I found very helpful was Stephen Arroyo on the four elements. Take a look at whether the person's chart is primarily earth (practical, material), air (mental), fire (action, initiative), water (feeling, emotional) or some type of blend. Or perhaps one or two elements are missing. This will give you the person's basic orientation to life.

As will aspects. Is there a lot of easy flow in the person's life? Or a lot of tension and a feeling of being opposed a lot?

It is also helpful to think of the planets as though they were members of a committee or extended family, having a discussion around the table. The members are Miss Venus, Madame Moon, the old curmudgeon Saturn, the brash young Mars, and so on. Some of them get along famously, others typically quarrel among themselves.

But this all takes time.

An analogy for chart synthesis might be a stage play or film. The director has to keep in mind not only the characters and actors, but also the plot development, actors' cues, blocking, costumes, lighting, props, and so on. S/he has to be able to synthesize all of these details to mount a successful production.

 

[JUPITERASC]

SYNTHESIS

Going with the idea of a 'performance' or 'play' then there are 12 basic 'backdrops' to the theatre or movie of the natal chart these are of coures: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces


THEN Each of those 12 'backdrops' can occur as an individual 'background or cusp' to each one the 12 basic 'scenes' aka 'houses' - that is dependent on the time of birth

1. Birth/Self/Appearance/Vitality/Strength

2. Resources, material comforts, earnings and all issues concerning wealth or of a financial nature including the manner of attaining wealth, personal goods and belongings, assets, income, gain, money lent to others, profit (or loss when afflicted), support and assistance from others. http://www.skyscript.co.uk/temples/h2.html

3 Brothers and sisters, cousins or general members of the family (not parents, they belong to the 4th scene aka house). Neighbors and local neighborhood. The environment in which we live and work. Short journeys or those made on a regular basis. Letters, rumors, reports, messages and messengers. Communications generally. Newspapers, magazines, telephones, postal service. Written deeds and contracts. Speeches and debates. Our ability to express ourselves and communicate to others. Languages, mobility skills and self-expression http://www.skyscript.co.uk/temples/h3.html

....and so on, each 'scene' features one of the 12 'houses'... those are the basics, one may formulate an analysis as complex or as basic as one chooses... The planets are the 'actors' performing before the 'backdrop' of the 12 'signs' while within any one of the 12 basic 'scenes' or 'houses'. Scenes may 'merge' according to planetary aspect and taking into account that planets in each others houses affect the 'script'

Experiment

 

[gen6k]

theres all types of archetypes as well. these archetypes are like fuedal-modernist society like third estate type archetypes. theres some really ancient like Roman, Egyptian, Greek archetypes as well. also more modern archetypes like culture industry archetypes.


newer doesnt necessarily mean worse. robert hands book planets in transit is probably the most comprehensive books on transits ever written even if he thinks were going to die.

older books are perhaps less psychologically comprehensive and have weird artifacts that dont make sense. if interpreted correctly they could make sense, but generally most interpretations are up in the air both old and new. people that say yeah "capricorn is dry" all we need is traditional are just not mentioning that they participate in modern society.



heres a visual astrology power point.
http://www.visualastrology.co.uk/Flash_lecture/lecture_mainpage.htm

egyptian astrology
http://www.astrologyoftheancients.com/egyptian-astrology/

One method that I found helpful when starting out is in Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky, a book I highly recommend. It's a bit hokey, but he recommends applying archetypes to each of the signs. Leo, for example, might be the king or queen-- or the player. Aquarius might be the exile or the revolutionary. Then he starts with the basic triad: the sun is one's core identity, the moon is one's soul, the rising sign is like a mask one wears.

So you might have the king (Leo) with the soul of the exile (Aquarius) wearing the mask of the peace-maker (Libra).

I think the rising sign is much more than a mask, I think of it as your embodiment or physical being-in-the-world, complete with all of your personality attributes.

Then of course, the moon might be Mom, your emotional nature, or your needs.

But you get the idea.

Another book I found very helpful was Stephen Arroyo on the four elements. Take a look at whether the person's chart is primarily earth (practical, material), air (mental), fire (action, initiative), water (feeling, emotional) or some type of blend. Or perhaps one or two elements are missing. This will give you the person's basic orientation to life.

As will aspects. Is there a lot of easy flow in the person's life? Or a lot of tension and a feeling of being opposed a lot?

It is also helpful to think of the planets as though they were members of a committee or extended family, having a discussion around the table. The members are Miss Venus, Madame Moon, the old curmudgeon Saturn, the brash young Mars, and so on. Some of them get along famously, others typically quarrel among themselves.

But this all takes time.

An analogy for chart synthesis might be a stage play or film. The director has to keep in mind not only the characters and actors, but also the plot development, actors' cues, blocking, costumes, lighting, props, and so on. S/he has to be able to synthesize all of these details to mount a successful production.

 

[JUPITERASC]

Also as contributors on this forum of course we all have our own preferred methods, some modern, some traditional, some vedic, some sidereal and there are those who take into account all of those as well as the fixed stars... others prefer mid-points and also Uranian astrology

Given all of these myriad astrological techniques, it is not unusual for a beginner who is unaware of these basic differences, to feel confused!


So it is a great idea to read, re-read and do more reading as well as then experiment, experiment, experiment before deciding one's own personal preference.

Astrology is well rooted in ancient techniques and there are many translations of ancient authors that would reward studying.

BUT it is not necessary to spend any money at all in order to have freely available to you ancient astrological techniques that have amazingly survived for near enough two thousand years – because they are available in the form of a FREE pdf translated by a Professor Riley at http://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/rileymt/Vettius Valens entire.pdf

 

[*emma*]

The advanced folks here:

I am wondering if you feel that this forum is really helpful in improving your skills synthesizing charts, or is it mostly entertainment and escape, which of course has all of its validity?

Once we understand the basics of signs, houses, aspects, the Astrology 101 stuff, what I find the most difficult is to discern patterns and synthesize the bits and pieces into a coherent story that really resonate with the native's deepest concerns.

Besides it being a skill and a talent, a calling and a gift, what made you progress the most as an astrologer? What made you break through to advanced level? What were the "aha" moments?

Please share your most memorable experiences here so that we can learn from you!

IMo there is no aha moment
You have to read and graft hard to even scratch the surface and it takes years and years, there is no short cut, but astrology is a tool like tarot, in the end if you make a statement its by your judgement from all considered angles

astrology is a magic art blended of history science and human intuition, you cant box it or prescribe it

it works when you work with it, read read and practice charts as others have said

As for forums they are not relevant to your learning as such they are they to exchange ideas with fellows

U have to be wary of the web its a wild west of everything and anythinv

 

[Zarathu]

IMo there is no aha moment

Actually it wasn't that way for me. I actually remember the week that suddenly astrology coalesced into a language I could understand, and the previous week I was still just translating it.

When I had memorized enough keywords for everything and enough concepts, suddenly looking at the data in the charts made sense.

 

[JUPITERASC]

Actually it wasn't that way for me. I actually remember the week that suddenly astrology coalesced into a language I could understand, and the previous week I was still just translating it.

When I had memorized enough keywords for everything and enough concepts, suddenly looking at the data in the charts made sense.

Imagine building a massive and ancient jigsaw puzzle... gradually, the 'picture' begins to appear more and more complete...

"aha! that's the piece that goes there, and that piece goes over there.. I wondered where that piece went..." is a process that is frequently repeated.

Some of the pieces are missing, lost now in the mists of time, since important writings have been destroyed by war or simple prejudice.

Nevertheless, the basic picture can be discerned and those 'aha! moments' continue to recur more frequently - and there are different levels of 'ahas'... some are minor 'aha's' some are major 'aha's!' and each time the 'astrological picture' increases in clarity

Of course, not everyone agrees on the ways astrology 'works' and there are many skeptics, so ultimately its up to the individual to decide whether astrology has meaning or not

 

[Justine]

There is, imo, only so much we can do as students reading books and trying out what appeals.

What opened my mind up astrologically was going to my first astrology conference. To speak the language, to hear other people's takes on familiar areas/topics, was energising. My enthusiasm grew hugely by hearing one side of a topic, then another, then another, then going home and trying out the options I'd come across.

I have tapes too from conferences (some I've attended, some not). Even the best of book learning comes perilously close to creating a self-taught situation, as we, often unconsciously, don't stay with what could be uncomfortable, etc.

Random thoughts from a long-time student of "the Art". Justine