Astrology: Art and Science

by Sandy Anastasi

Overview

"I am excited for you that you've discovered this book, and more importantly, are on your journey to discovering and exploring the miracle of you through astrology. Sandy's book will be pivotal for you as well. There's a part of me that feels so excited for what you are about to embark on ... Let the discovery begin!"
--Psychic medium John Edward
"Sandy's understanding of human psychology and personal relationships helps readers shift away from an old notion of Astrology as "fortune telling," to a more contemporary understanding and use of it as a relevant tool for knowing one's self in relation to the people and events we co-create in our lives."
--Mary Spremulli, MA, CCC-SLP. Voice Aerobics, LLC
Learn the psychological foundation of each sun sign.
Learn the ages-old meaning of each planet and how its energy affects you.
Learn how to create a simple solar astrology chart.
Learn what the astrological houses are and what they mean.
Learn the basics of chart interpretation almost instantly.
Learn where astrology came from and how and why it works.
Learn to apply your understanding of astrology in your daily life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452583921
Publisher:	Balboa Press
Publication date:	11/20/2013
Pages:	346
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

Read an Excerpt

ASTROLOGY: Art and Science

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By Sandy Anastasi

Balboa Press

Copyright © 2013 Sandy Anastasi
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-8392-1

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CHAPTER 1

What is Astrology?

What is Astrology?

Astrology is the study of the movement of the stars and planets through the heavens and how their energies affect us from birth to death. Ancient sources tell us that all the other sciences are outgrowths of astrology, including astronomy. In fact, they tell us that astrology is the oldest science known to man.

Astrology, like psychology, helps us understand our characteristics and abilities and, how the energies of the planets bring about circumstances for change and growth throughout our lifetimes. An astrology chart will show all of your potentials, both good and bad. It sheds light on the past and predicts future probabilities. Astrology can be used for personality analysis or for prediction of events. You can use it as a tool for self-discovery and self-development. You can use it to explore and understand your relationships and your family dynamics or to find your spiritual path. Astrology can be an aid in identifying and repairing actual or potential health problems.

Some astrologers use it as an aid in financial investments or to help find things or people. Some astrologers have successfully used it to predict elections and outcomes of events and to foresee and gain insights into Earth-changing events. Astrology also is one of the means some practitioners use to discover past lives and to gain insight into the soul's journey after death.

Most importantly, perhaps, the artful use of astrology can aid you to make better and wiser life choices.

Every culture on the planet has its own version of astrology. The most common type in the Western world is Earth-centered astrology. But there is a school of astrology used to look at cosmic events that puts the Sun at the center, which is called heliocentric astrology. The Chinese zodiac is lunar based, whereas most Western astrology systems are solar based. Hindu astrology is based on the sidereal zodiac and often uses the moment of conception, whereas Western astrologers use the moment of birth to cast the natal chart. Native American Indians had their own system of astrology, with the Moon and solar cycles being an integral part of most tribal traditions.

All of these systems are effective. They are all different. But they are all worthy of investigation by the curious student of astrology. The one used in this book is an Earth-centered, Western approach to astrology, which is the most commonly taught and used in the Western hemisphere.

Astrology is a metaphysical science that has attracted millions of people worldwide for centuries—because it works.

A Brief History of Astrology

No one has any idea how old astrology really is or even where it originated, though that subject could easily be a matter of hot debate between Eastern and Western astrologers. Every early culture has left indications that some form of astrology was practiced within it, including ancient Egyptians Mesopotamians Greeks Chinese Africans and Mayans.

The earliest astrologers had to not only cast their own astrology charts or star maps, but they had to chart the planets' movements as well! Be glad you are studying this in the twenty-first century, where computers can do these things! I do think it is important to know how an astrological chart is derived, which is why I wrote Intermediate Astrology my second astrology book. It teaches a simple method of chart construction and how to identify and interpret the aspects, or energetic connections, among the planets in your chart.

But for students who would rather forego the technical aspects of this science, today there are countless Internet sites, smartphone apps, new age stores, and libraries that are more than happy to employ a computer program to construct your natal chart for you, as well as my own website, www. sandyanastasi.com. All you need to do is to supply your date, place, and time of birth.

Both prior to and during the Middle Ages, astrology was the principal science in Europe. Every king had his astrologer. Nostradamus, the most famous of all psychics, predicted future events that astonish us to this day using astrology, as well as a crystal ball. Astrologers cast birth charts of royal children to foretell the greatness these children would or would not achieve. Children were betrothed based upon whether their natal or birth charts were compatible. Astrologer acted in the capacity of both predictors and advisors. Special astrological charts were cast to foretell the outcome of events or of coming disasters.

These early astrologers were primarily interested in using astrology as a tool for prediction, and largely, they were able to do so with astonishing accuracy. One history tells of an astrologer who predicted that a king would die by a lance piercing his helmet, and the prediction not only came true but also at the exact time it was predicted to happen!

Today, unsurprisingly, most people associate astrology with the ability to tell the future, although in this sense, here in the Western world, it is no longer as accurate as it was during the Middle Ages. Experienced astrologers can still make the same kind of potentially accurate predictions, but individual consciousness has changed. Modern man is exerting more freedom of choice than ever before in the history of our planet. As a result, more often than not we are able to alter the circumstances of our lives, thereby averting potential disasters in them. For this reason, modern-day astrologers find themselves more and more often in the role of counselors as opposed to fortune tellers.

Astrology today tends to focus more on what it can tell us about personality and how those personality traits affect someone positively or negatively. In fact, future predictions are usually offered in the form of suggesting several possible ways a person having their chart read could use the energy at work. It is in this way that the twenty-first century astrologer can help his or her client to make more intelligent life choices. The astrologer can tell what energy is coming into the life of the client and how, based upon the positive and negative personality traits in the client's chart, he or she is most likely to react. Then the astrologer can outline other potential ways of dealing with the energy, also based upon the client's positive and negative personality traits. This gives the client something very special. It gives him or her choice and a better grasp on his or her life through choice. What a wonderful gift to give!

The astrologer can also provide the client with the expected duration of time that any energy coming into the client's life will last. What another wonderful gift that is to give. It all starts with understanding the basic meanings of the planets, signs, and houses, which you will be learning about shortly.

Surprisingly, it is easier to make valid and unchanging predictions for large groups, such as nations, than it is for individuals, since these, composed of so many individuals, find it much more difficult to change from a chosen path of action. Hence, individuals have more freedom of choice than nations do.

In the Western world, astrologers have long been aware of the fact that personal choice alters outcome. This is only now becoming more accepted in the Eastern world, where astrologers have traditionally been more fatalistic in their approach.

Astrologers have been employed throughout history by both governments and religious groups. Astrological symbols appear on walls in caves throughout Africa and also in the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The early Roman Catholic Church used astrologers and astrology, which is one of the reasons astrological symbols are prominent in many ancient religious paintings. Many people are unaware that the US government employed the services of an astrologer during World War II. The astrologer was Sidney Omarr, and his services were used largely to keep the US government aware of what Germany's next military moves might be, as he made an effort to second-guess Hitler's astrologer!

And many astrologers believe that Ronald Reagan chose his time to be sworn in as governor of California based on astrological guidance. Why would choosing the time to be sworn in be an asset? Because the time he was sworn in was the birth time of his tenure in office—and by choosing his own time, he could choose a chart that would enhance the characteristics he desired in his governorship! You could use the same concept in choosing a birth date for a business you are forming, a move you are making, or a relationship you are beginning.

It is significant to recognize that governments still use astrologers. Some things are worth keeping.

No history of astrology, however brief, would be complete without mentioning Evangeline Adams. Modern-day astrologers owe a great deal to her. She was the personal astrologer of J. P. Morgan, the shipping magnate. During her tenure as his astrologer, the magnate became very successful. Because of J. P. Morgan's enemies, Evangeline was arrested and jailed under a form of the vagrancy laws that originated in England and were brought to the United States.

Unfortunately, these laws are still active today in many states and limit the ability to legally practice many other sciences in the metaphysical field. But in all fifty states astrology is legal, thanks to Evangeline Adams. J. P. Morgan supplied an attorney that agreed to represent her if she first proved to him that astrology was real and that it worked. This she did over a period of time, teaching the attorney astrology using her jail cell as a classroom. On the day of her court appearance, Evangeline was asked to use astrology to do a personality analysis of the judge's son, which she did with such accuracy that the judge threw the case against her out of his court. His decision holds to this day.

Astrology Basics

The study of astrology must start with a psychological and energetic understanding of the planets, signs, and houses, which is what this book is about. Such insight gives each individual enormous understanding of the principles underlying every aspect of our world, including, of course, personality.

Armed with such knowledge, you can better understand cause and effect and the inter-relationships between things and people. I am also advocate teaching basic astrology to children so that they might come to understand each other's differences, and learn to cherish them rather than despise them.

Imagine being able to have true insight into why you do or do not like someone. Wouldn't it be easier to work with or live with that person if you knew the cause? Then you could find a way to accept and interact with that person, or with clear conscience to just avoid him or her. And wouldn't it make life a lot easier for couples if they not only knew and understood the things that attracted them to one another, but also could plan for the time when their needs would change and those attractive things might be overshadowed by negative, disruptive ones? Through astrology they might even know when those disruptive events or behaviors would end—or if they would end and how to best deal with them until that time or infinitely, if needed.

Astrology gives us a tremendous advantage in moving through life. I personally believe that astrology's greatest gift to us is self-understanding. Yet its use as a predictive tool that can help us to make better and wiser life choices is indisputable in my opinion.

The natal (or birth) astrology chart, often called the birth chart, gives a wonderful insight into personality and character potential. The well-known psychologist and astrologer Carl Jung was among the first astrologers to utilize a psychological approach to astrology. He found that years could safely be saved in the clinical treatment of his clients by using astrology. Study of the natal chart led him straight to the problem areas. Often patients will cover their major issues by focusing their complaints away from those issues. An understanding of the problem through study of the natal astrology chart prevents that. It allows the psychologist to go straight to the problem, without having to first work through those layers of defense and misdirection that the patient may have erected. Many subsequent astrologers, including me, have had the occasion to work with clients who brought our chart delineations to their psychologist. The psychologists were amazed at the accuracy of the information and were able to help the clients more quickly and directly because of that information. What a wonderful tool, when used properly and integrated with other fields!

It is my sincere hope that in the future astrologers and psychologists may work closely together, or perhaps even integrate the two fields, to better serve the needs of their clients and patients.

The approach used to understand the planets and signs in this book will be a psychological one. This is not because I am trying to make a psychologist out of anyone, but rather because I've discovered that a strong foundation in the psychology of how a planet or sign works will give you the best all around insight into reading charts, regardless of how you intend to eventually use your astrology.

Some Types of Astrology

Psychological or personality-based astrology tells about a person's character and personality traits, good and bad. Using this type of astrology, you can gain insight into a person's history, motives, desires, and needs, even their family experiences. This is the most common type of astrology and, this is where the astrological journey begins for most people. Psychological or personality-based astrology is a phenomenal tool for knowing yourself and for improving your relationships with others, as well as every other aspect of your life. This book's primary purpose is to focus on this area. No matter what other forms of astrology attract you, a good foundation in this area of astrology is necessary.

Spiritual astrology can be based upon the factors of the natal chart to better understand the soul's purpose in this life, or can be based upon the mundane, esoteric, and hierarchal rulers of the signs as given by Alice Bailey—but that is an advanced astrology that is beyond the scope of this book.

Predictive astrology uses such things as transits, progressions, and solar arc progressions to determine what is coming up in your life. Transits are where the planets are right now. When an astrologer looks at where present transiting planets are passing through the natal or birth chart, he or she can see what things in that chart are being activated and worked on. Progressions and solar-arc progressions are advanced techniques that astrologers use to mathematically move the planets in the birth chart forward a tiny amount each year. This movement shows the gradual growth of the personality. Transits and progressions can be used together to give very accurate predictions. It's like the progression is the archer pulling back the bow string and the transit is the arrow being released. Since these are advanced techniques, they will not be discussed in this book; but if your interest lies in predictive astrology you should definitely plan on studying this facet of astrology.

Relationship astrology explains the positive and negative ways two or more people may interact based upon psychological studies of their birth charts. In relationship astrology it is possible to see not only the problems two people may have, but also their best solutions. By progressing the two individual's charts, or analyzing the transits to them, predictions and future guidance may also be given.

Medical astrology helps to isolate areas of potential health problems and what means can be used to deal with them as determined by the birth chart and transiting planets.

Horary astrology is used to answer direct questions or to find objects or people.

Financial astrology involves prediction of the stock market and economic patterns and is especially useful in our changing times.

Electoral astrology is most often used for selecting a time or date to hold an event but is sometimes used to help predict the outcome of political elections.

Weather—and Earth-change astrology, including the prediction of seismic events, is and area of study for many leading edge astrologers today.

These are just some of the more common types of astrology that you may encounter in your own journey of discovery. All are worth pursuing.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from ASTROLOGY: Art and Science by Sandy Anastasi. Copyright © 2013 Sandy Anastasi. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction, xxi,
Overview, xxiii,
Chapter 1: What is Astrology?, 1,
Chapter 2: Astrology Charts and the Art of Reading Them, 15,
Chapter 3: Introducing Aries and Taurus, 43,
Chapter 4: Introducing Gemini and Cancer, 77,
Chapter 5: Introducing Leo and Virgo, 117,
Chapter 6: Introducing Libra and Scorpio, 157,
Chapter 7: Introducing Sagittarius and Capricorn, 201,
Chapter 8: Introducing Aquarius and Pisces, 243,
Conclusion: Where Do You Go from Here?, 289,
Suggested Reading, 295,
Becoming an Astrologer, 297,
Glossary Terms, 299,
End of Chapter Exercise Review Key, 309,