A Beginner’s Guide to Astrology

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The surge of astrology on the internet has made many people genuinely curious about what it is. Astrology is the practice of interpreting earthly events through celestial phenomena—historically also called “star divination” or “horoscopy.”

In the early stages of human culture, when knowledge and productivity were limited, people struggled to understand many natural phenomena. As a result, they often linked good or bad fortune to specific occurrences in nature. Early astrology relied on observations of the sky to predict major events such as the outcomes of wars, the rise and fall of nations or tribes, and the fates of rulers and ministers. Over time, its scope expanded to include individual destinies and everyday matters. As the motions of the Sun, Moon, and the five visible planets became better understood, astrology developed various systems and complex calculation methods, which added to its aura of mystery. In antiquity, astrology was typically controlled by the state and formed a major part of official astronomical institutions. Most ancient astronomers were also astrologers, and early astronomical works often included astrological material. Surviving Chinese astrological texts include Li Chunfeng’s “Yisi Divination” from the Tang Dynasty, Qu Tansida’s “Kaiyuan Divination Classic,” Wang Anshi’s revised “Secret Garden of the Spirit Platform” from the Northern Song, and the Ming Dynasty’s “Observing the Stars and Playing with Antiquity.”

In medieval Europe, some monarchs treated astrologers as senior advisers, consulting them about major political decisions based on celestial omens. Over time, Western astrology increasingly focused on personal horoscopes. By calculating the positions of the Sun, Moon, and the five visible planets in the zodiac at a person’s birth, astrologers cast a “natal chart” to interpret one’s life path. While astrology draws tenuous connections between celestial events and human affairs and lacks scientific rigor, it nevertheless contributed to the development of ancient astronomy. The need for divination encouraged careful sky-watching, and many of China’s rich records of celestial phenomena were compiled for astrological purposes. These records are valuable historical treasures and remain useful for addressing certain questions in modern astronomy. Ancient astronomers often doubled as astrologers, and many early astronomical texts include astrological content. Chinese Astrology

In the East, divination has been practiced since the Neolithic era. At the same time, China’s cosmology began taking shape, especially in medicine. Diviners used the shoulder blades of cattle or turtle shells (turtles were revered for intelligence and longevity and thus thought to offer wise counsel), hollowed at specific points. After posing a question to a royal ancestor, they would insert a heated rod into the hollows. The resulting cracks (recorded in oracle bone script, a precursor to the “I Ching”) were interpreted to foretell the future. The earliest evidence of divination, dating to around 4000 BC, was found in northern China.

During the Shang Dynasty (circa 1500–1030 BC), some diviners served the king year-round, helping determine policies and governance, assess the timing of hunts, and predict whether future harvests would be favorable or not. Such questions were inscribed on turtle shells or bones, often phrased in paired positive and negative forms. People later discovered these fine inscriptions and regarded them as secret records. To date, over 100,000 oracle bone characters have been cataloged.

Oracle bones drew official attention, leading to excavations at Anyang, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty (Henan Province). Work began in 1920 and continued until the Japanese invasion in 1937, yielding more than 150,000 fragments. The oracle-bone method disappeared after the Western Zhou (circa 1050–771 BC) overthrew the Shang. The “I Ching” became the principal oracle, and people began using yarrow stalks from a sacred plant to consult it. This practice developed a profound literature grounded in the interplay of yin and yang and their generative combinations.

Besides the Chinese finds, sources on Asian divination were preserved in Tibet, a region relatively spared from warfare. There, teachings attributed to the legendary emperor Fuxi (circa 2852–2738 BC) were found; he was said to have written on divination and astrology. According to legend, during his reign a creature with a horse’s body and a human head emerged, bearing the eight trigrams on its back—symbols that later formed the basis of the “I Ching.”

Aspects (i.e., Angles)

Aspects are the angular relationships between planets, measured in degrees of separation along the zodiac. Drawn as lines within the chart, aspects show how planetary influences combine, indicating where traits harmonize or conflict. The main aspects are conjunction (0°), opposition (180°), square (90°), trine (120°), and sextile (60°). A conjunction blends two planets’ energies (not necessarily harmoniously). Trines and sextiles are supportive; squares indicate tension or conflict; oppositions signify polarity and the need for balance. Minor aspects include the semi-sextile (30°, a weaker sextile), the semi-square (45°), and the sesquiquadrate (135°), which can indicate friction with vitality. The quintile (72°) is a creative aspect that invites transcendence.

• The Moon’s motion and aspects: As Earth’s satellite, the Moon’s rhythmic cycles play a major role in both celestial patterns and nature.
• Apparent motion: In charts, the Moon progresses counterclockwise—from new to full—then wanes back to new.

Lunar Phases

Earth orbits the Sun once a year, while the Moon orbits Earth about 13 times a year. From Earth we see varying amounts of the Moon’s sunlit half: at new moon it is not visible, then it waxes through first quarter and gibbous to full moon, when the visible portion is fully lit, and then wanes. The synodic month—the cycle from new moon to new moon—lasts about 29.5 days.

• Lunar phase: In a birth chart, the Moon’s phase reflects psychological tendencies.
• New Moon: A time of mystery, quiet, contemplation, and seeding intentions.
• First Quarter: Energy builds; decisions and action are emphasized.
• Full Moon: Culmination—plans come to fruition (or fail).
• Last Quarter: A time to review, learn lessons, and integrate experience.

Signs of the Sun and Moon

• The Sun (conscious personality) and the Moon (the feeling life) are the two luminaries that describe a person’s psyche, harmonizing yin and yang within the same individual.
• The ever-changing Moon
• Due to its rapid cycle, the Moon symbolizes shifting moods and everyday concerns. This nuance appears in French expressions like “bien ou mal luné” (in a good or bad mood) and “lunatique” (moody).

Comprehensive Interpretation

A thorough interpretation revisits the same themes wherever they appear in the chart. For example, a Moon opposition Saturn can point to emotional sensitivity and family themes; if the Moon also relates to Venus and Jupiter, while Mars in Pisces ties into the Sun (opposite Pluto) and Mercury, the picture widens. A Moon–Saturn configuration linked to a Libra Ascendant might highlight health or back issues; viewed through the 6th house, the Moon can also speak to work and daily routines.

Modern astrology does not aim to foretell fates detached from people’s will. Instead, it describes psychological functions and how they play out in real life, exploring developmental potential and suggesting pathways that can lead to positive change while acknowledging difficulties. Rather than strict determinism, it assumes that challenges can be transformed into opportunities.

Transits

In predictive work, transits are central because they mark periods of change through their inherent tendencies. In the natal chart, transits are planets moving across sensitive points such as the Ascendant, Midheaven, or personal planets (from the Sun to Mars). Transiting planets activate the potentials of the points they touch.

The more personal the natal point (Ascendant, Sun, Moon) and the slower the transiting planet, the stronger the effect. For instance, Uranus—taking 84 years to circle the zodiac—will eventually stimulate all points in a chart; when it transits the Moon, it is well known to correlate with life changes at different ages (marriage, divorce, birth). Saturn takes about 29.5 years to complete one orbit and can cross any natal point up to three times in a lifetime—less sweeping than Uranus yet still significant. Multiple concurrent transits often interrelate, forming aspects to one another and to various natal points, shaping the overall experience.