ASTROLOGY
Using the wisdom of the stars in your everyday life ASTROLOGY
Using the wisdom of the stars in your everyday life
Senior Editors Bob Bridle, Emma Hill US Editor Kayla Dugger US Executive Editor Lori Hand Art Editor Alison Gardner Editor Alice Kewellhampton CONTENTS
Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling
Jackets Coordinator Lucy Philpott
Senior Producer (Pre-production) Luca Frassinetti Senior Producer Ché Creasey THE STORY OF ASTROLOGY 10
Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier
Managing Editor Dawn Henderson What Is Astrology? 12
Managing Art Editor Marianne Markham Astrology Through the Ages 14 Art Director Maxine Pedliham
Publishing Director Mary-Clare Jerram Astrology Today 16 Astrology and Psychology 18 Illustrated by Keith Hagan The Astrological Mindset 20 First American Edition, 2018
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
It’s More Than Just Your Sun Sign 22
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
Copyright © 2018 Dorling Kindersley Limited
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Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-1-4654-6413-2
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Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 SpecialSales@dk.com Printed and bound in China A WORLD OF IDEAS: SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW www.dk.com THE PLANETS 58 An Overview 60 The Sun Identity and life purpose 62
The Moon Instinct and protection 64 Mercury Communication and learning 66 Venus Love and pleasure 68 Mars Assertion and action 70 Jupiter Growth and opportunity 74 Saturn Authority and maturity 76 Uranus Change and liberation 78 THE ZODIAC SIGNS 24 Neptune Imagination and transcendence 80 Pluto Power and transformation 82 An Overview 26 Chiron Healing and compassion 84 Polarity, Elements, and Modes 28 Aries March 21–April 20 32 Taurus April 21–May 21 34 Gemini May 22–June 21 36 Cancer June 22–July 22 38 Leo July 23–August 22 40 Virgo August 23–September 22 42 Libra September 23–October 22 46 Scorpio October 23–November 21 48
Sagittarius November 22–December 21 50
Capricorn December 22–January 19 52 Aquarius January 20–February 18 54 Pisces February 19–March 20 56 Ac THE HOUSES 86 An Overview 88
1st House Self and personality 90
2nd House Possessions, money, and finance 92 3rd House Communication 94 4th House Home and family 96
5th House Creativity and children 98
6th House Health and well-being 100 7th House Relationships 104
8th House Intimacy and shared possessions 106 9th House Quest and adventure 108
10th House Career and vocation 110
11th House Friendship and community 112
12th House Service and sacrifice 114 YOUR BIRTH CHART 116 An Overview 118 The Ascendant-Descendant 120 The MC-IC 122 The Moon’s Nodes 124 The Wheel of Rulership 126 The Aspects 130 Aspect Patterns 132 Casting a Birth Chart 136 Reading the Whole Birth Chart 138 Case Study 1: Amanda 144 Case Study 2: Jack 148 UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF 152 LIFE EVENTS 196 An Overview 154 An Overview 198 Identity 156 Meeting New People 200 Change 158 Planning Celebrations 202 Uncertainty 160 Taking a Risk 204 Troubled Times
162 Key Moments in Relationships 208 Habit 164 Starting a Family 210 Health & Well-being 168Parenting Decisions 212 Leisure 170 Competing 214 Personal Projects 172 Handling Disagreements 218 Relationships 174 Fights and Tension 220 Relatives
176 Separation—Should I Stay or Go? 222 Friendship 178 Saying Sorry 224 Romance & Sex 180 Changing Careers 226 Marriage 182 Relocating 230 Professional 186 Taking Time Off 232 Career 188 Finances 234 Money 190 Health Issues 236 Motivation 192 Facing Retirement 238 Beliefs 194 Bereavement 240 Resources 244 Glossary 246 Index 248 Acknowledgments 256 8 Foreword FOREWORD AN INWARD ART
For many centuries, astrology centuries, it has been part of
that life is a biological accident, held an honored position
the great flow of thought that with no inherent meaning or as a source of wisdom,
constitutes the Western esoteric
purpose. The birth chart is thus
self-knowledge, and connection
or mystery tradition, alongside
both your individual map, showing to a magical world beyond or alchemy, Kabbalah, and magic.
personal character and calling, as
behind the mundane and material
It is the product of a philosophy well as reflecting something sphere of life.
that places us inside an ensouled
bigger—your unique place in the Astrology was first formed cosmos in which everything is ever-turning wheel. in ancient societies in which interconnected and everything
Esoteric simply means “inner” humankind viewed itself as has meaning.
or “hidden,” so astrology is,
intrinsic to the living whole—not
As such, it stands in contrast to
essentially, an inward art that
detached observers, but participants
the contemporary view that we are places the focus on interior
in the drama of the skies. Over the
isolated within the universe and
experience and the exploration Foreword 9
The personal horoscope encompasses every conceivable ar
life, from birth to death and all stages in between. It reveal
motivations and needs—what drives you to do what you do
where you go, and seek what you seek. of the hidden patterns that
drives you to do what you do, go knowledge. It opens up underlie each human life, and
where you go, and seek what you
psychological awareness, shows
indeed life itself. From this place
seek. It describes both the literal
you the talents and skills at your
of self-knowledge, we can begin
and the psychological and gathers disposal, and shows how you
to understand better the world
up past, present, and future into
might become the best version of
around us—our relationships with one integrated model.
yourself. But it also allows you to
other people and the experiences
In short, we might say that your
devise helpful strategies and ways we encounter.
chart is a map of your soul’s intent
forward in times of crisis, difficulty, The personal horoscope
and how you manifest this in the and doubt. encompasses every conceivable
world through being the person
In this book, you will find all these
area of life, from birth to death that you are.
layers—a guide to the richness and
and all stages in between. It reveals At the same time, astrology
depth of your own inner world, as
your motivations and needs—what
is also a very practical form of
well as a practical guide to life. CAROLE TAYLOR C 1HAPTER THE STORY OF ASTROLOGY 12 The Story of Astrology WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?
AN ANCIENT PRACTICE FOR MODERN TIMES
The kind of astrology practiced today,
Astrology can be defined as the practice of reading the
based on the concept of the birth chart
or “horoscope,” has its roots in the
movements and patterns of the planets and other celestial ancient world of Babylon and Greece.
bodies and correlating them with life on earth. It rests on a To the Babylonians, we can credit the
invention of the zodiac and the practice
view of the cosmos as holistic and interconnected. of attributing meaning to the
movements of the planets as conveyors
of divine will. These ideas were
subsequently taken up by the Greeks Astrology past and present
after the conquests of Alexander in
Many people today view astrology as
the 4th century BCE and, shaped
archaic and irrelevant, belonging to a
by Greek cosmology and beliefs, they
bygone era. Yet the practice of astrology
eventually gave rise to the horoscope
has persisted and, indeed, has found we are familiar with today.
new relevance in the 20th and 21st
centuries. In the heart of the scientific What is a horoscope?
age, there is perhaps more than ever
A horoscope is a stylized picture of
a need for an alternative view that
the heavens, drawn for a particular
addresses our human desire for
time and place. It is a geocentric or
meaning and spiritual connection.
Earth-centered model—a view of the What Is Astrology?13
The birth chart is a holistic image of you. Its symbols
describe both inner and outer circumstances and all levels
of your personal history and experience.
sky that puts the observer in the center
horizon at the time of birth). Later, the
of the wheel with the heavens arranged
word came to signify the whole birth
around them, above and below the
chart, and this is the meaning it still has
horizon. It is thus a person-centered
today. A horoscope can also be called a
view of the cosmos that acknowledges a birth chart or natal chart.
meaningful link between the two.
In this picture will be found the 12 What your horoscope tells you
signs of the zodiac as the bounding
The birth chart is a holistic image of
wheel of the horoscope, plus at least
you. Its symbols describe both inner
the Sun, Moon, and the planets from
and outer circumstances and all levels
Mercury out to Saturn (and often of your personal history and
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, too), plus
experience, from the physical to the
any other celestial bodies that the
psychological. Everything you are and
astrologer drawing the chart would like
do is somehow contained within its
to include, arranged around the wheel dynamic picture.
according to their position in the sky.
Your chart is thus a reflection of
The word “horoscope,” meaning
your unique character. It acknowledges
“watcher of the hour,” originally
and validates your deepest feelings,
referred to a very particular point in the
concerns, and desires, showing what
birth chart—the rising sign (that is, the
is meaningful to you and how you can
zodiac sign that is rising on the eastern find ways to shine. 14 The Story of Astrology ASTROLOGY THROUGH THE AGES A BRIEF HISTORY
in the sky. The Babylonians were skilled
Astrology began in Mesopotamia. From the melting pot of astronomers who carefully documented
the ancient world, it spread to Europe via Islamic scholars, the cycles of the planets. It is from the
Babylonians that we have the zodiac,
flourishing in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
a device based on the constellations
Falling from favor during the Enlightenment, it has re-emerged
through which the Sun travels during
the year and created to regulate the in modern times.
calendar and to chart future planetary
movements, making prediction possible.
Gradually, the zodiac became unhooked The origins of astrology
from its constellational backdrop and
Most cultures have practiced some
became the collection of 12 equal-sized
form of sky watching, using knowledge
zodiac signs we recognize today.
of planetary movements as inspiration
for religious rituals and monuments
The ancient world: Greece & Rome
and to chart the passage of time and
Astrology spread from Babylon to
the changing seasons. There is
Greece and Egypt. Alexandria became
evidence, for instance, that lunar cycles
the intellectual center of the ancient
were being recorded as early as 25,000
world, and it is here that the concept
years ago. It seems a natural part of
of the horoscope was born. It brought
human experience to seek meaning
together the Babylonian zodiac with Astrology Through the 15 Ages
There is evidence that lunar cycles were being recorded as early
as 25,000 years ago. It seems a natural part of human
experience to seek meaning in the sky.
Greek notions of the four elements and The Medieval and Renaissance The 19th and 20th centuries
the celestial sphere, alongside Egyptian periods were a high point in
Astrology saw a marked revival toward
symbolism. It also infused astrology
astrology’s history. It was taught in
the end of the 19th century with the
with Neoplatonist philosophy, with its
several universities as one of the
increased interest in spiritualism and
belief in a magical correspondence
seven liberal arts and formed the
Eastern religion and philosophy. between sky and Earth.
basis of many medical practices. Every
The psychiatrist Carl Jung was
By the 2nd century CE, horoscopic
court had its astrologer-astronomer,
powerfully drawn to astrology. Drawing
astrology was fully formed and popular
and even popes consulted astrologers
on Jung’s theories of archetypes and
in Rome, where it was favored by for advice.
the unconscious, the 20th century saw emperors and commoners alike. However, the Renaissance also
the development of what is known as
brought a new spirit of humanism “psychological astrology.” Astrology in the
and a search for scientific knowledge. Middle Ages & Renaissance
Astronomers such as Johannes Kepler Astrology in the 21st century
After the collapse of the Roman
practiced astrology but sought a more
While astronomers reach literally for
Empire and the fall of Alexandria,
scientific version of it. Philosophers
the heavens, astrologers understand
astrology was kept alive by Islamic
such as Bacon, Descartes, and Kant
the cosmos to be as much within as
scholars who translated astrological
emphasized rationality and science
without, the two things inextricably
works into Arabic. Their work was as the route to truth. linked. As in ancient times,
in turn translated into Latin, eventually As Europe moved into the
contemporary astrology emphasizes
finding its way into Europe during
Enlightenment, astrology fell out
how we might fruitfully live our lives the 12th century. of favor.
in rhythm with the heavenly pattern. 16 The Story of Astrology ASTROLOGY TODAY
A REVIVAL OF INTEREST IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES
applauded for his accuracy and offered
Most people first encounter astrology via Sun-sign col a w
umns eekly slot. Soon other British newspapers started their own
and yet this is a relatively recent invention, a commercial astrological columns.
application whose simplicity belies the complexities of the Naylor invented a system based on
the 12 zodiac signs. He placed in order full horoscope.
each sign in the position of the
first astrological house, noting where
the planets fell around the wheel. Thus,
for anyone born with the Sun in Aries, The Sun-sign column
the sign of Aries is placed in the position
In 1930, an astrologer named R. H.
of the 1st house; for anyone with the
Naylor wrote an article for a Sunday
Sun in Taurus, the sign of Taurus is
newspaper about the horoscope of
placed in 1st house position; and so
the new princess, Margaret. The article
on. This allowed him to create 12 short
proved popular, and he was asked to
forecasts based on the one piece of
produce more, this time writing a piece
information everyone knows: their own
that predicted an aircraft disaster later birth date.
that year. When a British airship
Sun-sign columns have waxed and crashed in France, Naylor was
waned in popularity. Many professional Astrology Today 17
In recent times, older traditional forms of
astrology have been revived and renewed for a contemporary audience.
astrologers reject them as too
concept of archetypes, and the Self wisdom from beyond the usual
simplistic while acknowledging that
as the product of an individuation
orthodox sources, reaching out to
without them, most people would
process have made a very fruitful
nonmainstream belief systems and
never know that astrology exists at all. marriage with astrology.
spiritual traditions that feel more
relevant to the zeitgeist. This renewed Traditional and Astrology now
interest in magic and mysticism psychological astrology
Astrology is now enjoying a surge
permeates literature, fashion, film, and
In recent times, older traditional forms
in popularity, particularly among
many other areas, with astrology as a
of astrology have been revived and
the millennial generation—and with
significant strand in this upsurge of
renewed for a contemporary audience.
unprecedented access to astrological
alternative spirituality. It addresses Perhaps the most significant
information online, for many, this
deeper questions of meaning and
development though has been the
curiosity now stretches well beyond
purpose but allows each person to
incorporation of depth psychology,
Sun signs to include awareness of the
decide for themselves what kind of
resulting in “psychological astrology”,
whole birth chart. Many no longer see
cosmic force or mechanism might be at
which has flourished over the past
it as throwaway entertainment, but as
work. It is a practical tool that can be
few decades. Psychology has provided
something with substance, meaning,
learned and applied to every kind of
what astrology naturally lacks—a
and the ability to provide answers in
life context, but it also speaks to our theory of human behavior and times of crisis.
need for mystery and spiritual
personality development. For instance, Uncertainty about the future
connection, a counterpoint to the
Jung’s theory of the unconscious, the
certainly pushes many to seek life rationalism of modern science. 18 The Story of Astrology ASTROLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR CHART
seeks to address and which astrology
Astrology is an imaginative yet practical art, applicable to also speaks to with its unique language of symbols.
all aspects of life. The symbols of the chart connect inner
Astrology encourages self-knowledge
psychology to outer circumstances—thus, the better w and s
e know elf-reflection, a more thorough
understanding of who you are and
ourselves, the more harmonious and productive our lives can be.
why you do what you do. It can also
help you to understand better the
people around you, enhancing your
relationships or at least showing you Astrology as a guide for life
what the purpose of those relationships
We all need a little guidance now and might be in terms of your own
then. Most of the time, life might run personal story.
smoothly, but in times of crisis or
It is also eminently practical. For
uncertainty, it is useful to have a tool
example, if Saturn is active in your
that allows you to glimpse underneath
chart, it suggests this is not a time to
the surface to see what might be going
expand and branch out, but a time to on at a deeper level.
focus your energies and knuckle down.
It is this level of life, the inner
If Uranus is active, the best way to
meaning of events, which psychology
respond might be to assert your will,