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Astrology: Just Getting Started?
A thread on a few very basic things I wish I'd known at the start of my astrology journey; including do's and don'ts, etiquette and where to find the information you need.
(Note: Not about interpretation!)
A thread on a few very basic things I wish I'd known at the start of my astrology journey; including do's and don'ts, etiquette and where to find the information you need.
(Note: Not about interpretation!)
Brief intro - astrology is more than just your sun ("star") sign! You also have a moon sign, a Mercury sign, and so on. In this thread I aim to help you understand how to find out more.
V. basic terminology!
Placements: Where the planets are placed in your chart- sign and house.
V. basic terminology!
Placements: Where the planets are placed in your chart- sign and house.
Houses: Areas of life. Divisions of the great circle containing the sun's orbit as seen from earth. A house system is a method of calculating this.
Aspects: The relationship between the planets in your chart as shown by lines between them and a table. Opposition= 180° apart, etc.
Aspects: The relationship between the planets in your chart as shown by lines between them and a table. Opposition= 180° apart, etc.
First, you need your chart! For a complete, accurate chart you'll need your birth date, time, and location. If one is missing, your placements will probably be inaccurate. This is most evident in your ascendant/rising sign (and consequently the houses), and your moon sign.
With the date, you can generate a timeless chart, just be aware some early/late degree placements could change signs and it won't be the full picture.
DO: Go for a circular chart!
DO: Go for a circular chart!
DON'T: Use a table chart. They look easier to begin with but they're actually harder to read and could hinder your process. Especially if you're planning on asking others for their opinions, which I'll get to later.
The circular chart up there is from http://astro.com , which is what I and most people recommend. The first table chart is from the iPhone app Co-Star and the second from Cafe Astrology, if you're curious. The app is often plain incorrect, so I'd definitely avoid it.
On astro go to Free Horoscopes > Drawings and Calculations > Extended Chart Selection. This might be controversial, but I'm gonna recommend you use the Whole Signs house system to begin with. Most sites default to Placidus, so that's often what people start with, including me!
There's nothing wrong with it, I just think Whole Signs is a tad simpler. But it's up to you! To do that though, go to Options for zodiac and houses, House System, and find whole signs. But again, you can leave it as Placidus! I'd ignore the rest of the page for now.
You've got your chart, great! It probably looks completely meaningless to you at the moment. Lots of sites can do free computer generated reports for you, including astro (usually using Placidus). I first used alabe and astrotheme before astro. You might as well shop around!
Though I do just want to mention that these aren't a substitute for readings with real astrologers. They're fine as an introduction, but as they are computer generated, they're impersonal and it's likely some of the descriptions for certain placements won't gel well together.
Reading (not interpreting) charts is easier than it looks.
Green: Planets in the signs.
Blue: Houses.
Purple: Aspects.
Pink: Elements and modalities. C F M = Cardinal, fixed, mutable. F A E W = Fire, air, earth, water.
As for what these mean - google is your best friend!
Green: Planets in the signs.
Blue: Houses.
Purple: Aspects.
Pink: Elements and modalities. C F M = Cardinal, fixed, mutable. F A E W = Fire, air, earth, water.
As for what these mean - google is your best friend!
DO: Look it up yourself! Just google things like "moon in Gemini", "sun in 6th house". I recommend getting to grips with your signs first, then houses, then aspects - which are a little harder to read, but this'll help when you reach that point. http://astro.com/astrology/in_aspect_e.htm
Though I do think @mercuriusgeorge has a great blog post about this that is definitely worth having a look at here: https://www.mercuriusgeorge.com/blog/finding-your-footing-pt-1-astrology-on-the-internet-is-a-jumbled-mess
DON'T: Ask astrologers "tell me about my chart" unprompted if you aren't paying! This can be a career, so it can be rude to ask for freebies.
Asking for info on specific placements can sometimes be okay, if relevant. Always be polite, and this still depends on the person.
Asking for info on specific placements can sometimes be okay, if relevant. Always be polite, and this still depends on the person.
DO: Follow astrologers on twitter, tumblr, blogspot, facebook, youtube, whichever platform you like! But be aware of any who frequently post sign hate, overly generalise, only use sun signs, or are irresponsible ("all geminis are cheaters" "8H sun always means death" etc).
DON'T: Take everything you read at face value. There's a lot of misinformation out there and it can be easy to trust that people who seem like they know what they're doing actually do.
After that, I recommend books! I know investing money into this can feel like a big decision (it took me a while anyway!), but the books I've read helped me a lot. I really recommend it! You can find lots of great book recommendations on twitter.
Lastly, making an astrology-specific tumblr helped me learn SO much, and now the same with twitter. I'm not telling you to do this, but if you've been considering it and doubting yourself... do it! What have you got to lose?
I really hope this helped a little! Happy learning!
I really hope this helped a little! Happy learning!
Thank you for reading 
Do you think this was helpful for complete beginners to astrology?
Do you think this was helpful for complete beginners to astrology?
