On You And Others
The Influence Of The Stars
UND E R S TA N D I N G A S T R O L O GY
Octopus Books
First published in 1973 by Octopus Books Limited 59 Grosvenor Street, London Wl © Octopus Books Limited ISBN 0 7064 0147 6 Produced by Mandarin Publishers Limited 77a Marble Road, North Point, Hong Printed in Hong Kong Right) The angles that the planets form with each other are important in astrology. Some are favourable, in others the planets react adversely on each other. The diagrams show the beneficent sextile and trine aspects (60° and 120°); the adverse square and opposition aspects (90° and 180°); and the semi-sextile and semi-square angles (30° and 45°), which have little influence
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A ST R O L O GY
The Influence Of The Stars On You And Others
UN D E R S TA N D I N G A S T R O L O GY : T h e Infl u enc e of S ta r s on You a n d Others
second sign
taurus 4/21 – 5/21
fourth sign
cancer 6/22 – 7/22
015
048
first sign
aries 3/21 – 4/20 007
third sign
gemini 5/22 – 6/21
fifth sign
leo 7/23 – 8/21
sixth sign
020 056
virgo 8/22 – 9/23 062
Part one
A History of Astrology Roger Salto 030
Co ntent s
last sign
pisces 2/20 – 3/20
143
seventh sign
tenth sign
libra 9/24 – 10/23 085
capricorn 12/23 – 1/21 eighth sign
127
scorpio 10/24 – 11/22
eleventh sign
aquarius 1/21 – 2/19
095
nineth sign
sagittarius 11/23 – 12/22 101
Part Two
Part Three
The Celestial Code
The Horoscope
070
110
Donald L. Stern
Peter J. Clark
135
020
T h e Infl uence of S ta rs on You a n d Others
UN D E R STAN DI N G ASTR O L O GY
Airy and ruled by Mercury, all its qualities radiate from the symbolism of duality and a changeable (mercurial) nature. It is said to produce intellectual brilliance, imagination and liveliness; or superficiality, unscrupulousness, two-facedness. Gemini people make good actors, but it can also be the sign of schizophrenia.
third sign
♊
gemini 5/22 – 6/21
Gemini
Part one:
A History of Astrology Roger Salto
What do an educationist, a film star and a gynaecologist have in common? Answer: they all believe in astrology. A leading member of New York’s Board of Education recently advocated the use of astrology in solving classroom problems. British actor, Roger Moore, stated that in a crisis he would immediately telephone three people: his agent, his bank manager and his astrologer. In the late 1960s a Czech gynaecologist developed a system of birth control based on the theory that a woman is infertile when certain planetary positions are operating.
ness for many thousands of years and the system that is practised today has changed little in its essential elements since antiquity. The best-known aspect of the horoscope, the zodiac, is familiar to most people through the astrology columns of the press; but few readers of these columns realize the full complexity of a properly cast horoscope or understand the astronomical basis of the system. There are three main elements in any horoscope, or ‘chart’ as astrologers call it: the signs of the zodiac, the planets and the houses. The signs are 12 divisions of a belt of stars that stretches around the earth. This belt follows the path known as the ecliptic, the line that the Sun appears to trace around the earth each year. The ecliptic does not coincide with the equator, but is at an angle to it and crosses it at two points whic mark the beginnings of spring and autumn (the equinoxes). The two points where the ecliptic and the equator are farthest apart mark midsummer and midwinter (the solstices), and the latitudes on which they lie are known as the tropics (from a Greek word meaning ‘turning point’). If you project the ecliptic into the sky and widen it to 8° you have a strip of constellations through which the Sun passes, rising in a different one every month. This is the zodiac.
He was not the first to use astrology for this purpose. The Indian Astrological Magazine of November, 1967, carried an article on ‘Planets and Family Planning,’ which stated that the Indian government was wasting its money on pills, loops and other physically and morally harmful devices, and urged the use of planetary methods instead. This is only one of the uses to which astrology is being put today. All over the world people are making decisions on the basis of astrology - from the businessman who consults his stargazer before buying a property, to the housewife who looks at the horoscope column of her daily newspaper to find out if she should do the shopping that day. So great has the demand for celestial advice become that there are now many companies offering computerized horoscope analyses. To thousands of people all over the world astrology is an important part of their lives. Traditionally the first sign of the zodiac is ArTo its practitioners it has been a serious busi-
ies, because the Sun rose in Aries at the spring equinox some 3000 years ago. But since then the equinox has moved backwards into Pisces and will soon enter into Aquarius because of what is known as the ‘precession of the equinoxes’. This causes the equinoctial points to move slowly around the zodiac at the rate of one sign in approximately 2000 years. Some astrologers attach great importance to this movement. Hence the widespread emphasis on the coming age of Aquarius. Because of the precession of the equinoxes the traditional signs of the zodiac no longer coincide with the constellations whose names they bear. Whereas an astrologer would say that someone’s birthday was in Virgo, traditionally the sixth sign of the zodiac, an astronomer would say that the date fell in Leo, the fifth sign. The astrologer is referring to a purely symbolic constellation tied to the time of year, the astronomer is referring to an actual group of stars. So there are really two zodiacs. First, there is the tropical zodiac, whose co-ordinates are the solstices and the equinoxes, the turning points of the solar year; this is the one that most traditional astrologers use. Secondly, there is the ‘sidereal’ zodiac which follows the
actual positions of the stars in the sky. The existence of these two zodiacs raises a considerable dilemma, and opponents of astrology rightly point out that when an astrologer refers to, say, an Arian person he is really talking about a Piscean - unless he believes that the signs are related not to the constellations but only to the months of the year. There is a strong movement among astrologers to recognize this objection and adopt the sidereal zodiac, calculating horoscopes by reference to the actual constellations in the sky.
Diagram showing the zodiacal belt around the earth. The Sun rises in a different sign of the zodiac every month.
May 22 – June 21
021
THIRD SIGN
Gemini
Section one: Gemini & Personality
022
Section TWO: Gemini & Health
024
Section three: Gemini & Love
026
Section four: Gemini & Career
028
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UNDERSTANDING ASTROLOGY
THE INFLUENCE OF THE STARS ON YOU AND OTHERS
♊
022
Gemini
May 22 – June 21
023
The children of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, they enjoy being constantly on the move, collecting news and exchanging gossip. They are restless people, always seeking new contacts. Gemini is the sigh of the heavenly twins, and his happiest relationship is with a brother or sister who is approximately the same age as himself. He likes to have a boon companion with whom to share his adventures, who will argue, and play games, with him. A great talker, words are his weapon and he uses them when he is in a tight spot. He is master of the art of the kind of half-truth that gives an impression contrary to the facts. A great wit, his curiosity is endless. But although he wants to know something about everything, he does not have time to study any subject for long. He is easily bored. Geminians are often good with their hands, and some are mechanically-minded. With their clever fingers and quick alert minds they are versatile people, who are able to adapt Left) Modern astrological clock in London.
themselves quickly and expertly to a variety of activities.
Gemini & Personality
P
eople born with the Sun in Gemini are interested in communication of all kinds: speech, writing and travelling - especially short excursions that do not take more than a day - are some of the forms of communication to which they are attracted.
THIRD SIGN, SECTIO N O N E
All Geminians are fond of gadgets - anything that cuts down drudgery and makes for speed. If you are invited to dinner by a Geminian friend, you can expect to have a meal that is quickly prepared, either precooked or out of a tin. Gemini has no taste for slaving over a hot stove when there are so many other more exciting things to do.
GEMINI Quick-witted Gemini is associated with yellow and with Mercury Metal: Quicksilver Jewel: Emerald Plants: Lily-of-the-valley; lavender Tree: Chestnut
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Part TWO:
The Celestial Code Donald L. Stern
In astrology the earth is the centre of the universe, the pivot around whichall the heavenly bodies revolve; and the signs of the zodiac, the planets and the houses are the three key elements in a multitude of meaningful celestial combinations. The planets are the active forces of astrology, and interact with the signs of the zodiac which, otherwise passive, affect the way in which the planetary powers make themselves felt. The houses, representative of specific areas of everyday living, determine in what aspects of life these forces become apparent. THE SIGNS OF ZODIAC The zodiac consists of 12 separate divisions of a belt of stars which encircles the earth, following the ecliptic, the path apparently traced by by Sun around the earth each year. It can be compared to a highway along which the Sun, Moon and all the planets appear to travel. The Sun rises in a different sign each month. Certain traditional personality traits or qualities are associated with each sign, and these gain or lose importance in a horoscope through the positioning of the planets within the signs. Most people know their Sun-sign, the sign of the zodiac in which the Sun stood at the time of their birth; although this affects an individual’s personality and way of life, its effects are modified by a number of other astrologi-
cal factors. Each sign has its planetary ‘ruler’, a constant tie-up, and each is associated with one of the four elements: earth, air, fire or water. THE PLANETS To early man, all mobile heavenly bodies moved around the earth, and were therefore basically the same. Hence the Sun and Moon, for astrological purposes, are planets, though vastly important ones. The planets interact extensively with the signs (the zodiac without ☉ SUN the planets is a highway without traffic) ac- A major god of numerous mycording to their positions on the horoscope, thologies, and so the domi☽ MOON enhancing a sign’s meaning here, diminishing nant astrological planet, and one of the most powerful A major goddess of most there, counter-balancing its effect elsewhere. They also interact with one another by means of the angles created by their different positions (the ‘aspects’) which can change individual planets’ effects. Because they bear the names of Graeco-Roman gods their traditional qualities reflect much of the mythological nature of those deities, though the qualities of the luminaries, the Sun and Moon, seem to be associated with the actual nature of those bodies as perceived by earthbound man.
influences in a horoscope. By denoting the sign one is born under - the Sun-sign beloved of newspaper astrology columns - it stamps itself on much of the basic personality. Its qualities are hot and bright - warmth of emotion, great vitality and creativity, ambition and leadership, a concern with rational matters, the conscious mind.
mythologies, embodying the female principle and in every way the Sun’s opposite - governing night, the irrational and occult, depth of feeling, and the unconscious mind - for which an archetypal symbol is the sea, which is in actuality ‘governed’ by the Moon. The moon’s changeability links it with this personality trait; traditional associations with purity and chastity are no longer as common as they were.
095
EIGHTH SIGN
Scorpio
eighth sign
scorpio 10/24 – 11/22
A watery sign, which seems unsuited to the creature, ruled by Mars and some say by Pluto. The scorpion symbolism brings in qualities like cruelty, secretiveness, treachery and the like. On the positive side, Scorpios are said to be immensely energetic, purposeful and practical; and, frequently, darkly passionate.
♂
102
Scorpio
T h e Infl uence of S ta rs on You a n d Others
UN D E R STAN DI N G ASTR O L O GY
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The medical man of the Middle Ages cast his patient's horoscope as automatically as a modern physician measures his blood pressure. Astrology and medicine were intermingled; a birth chart pinpointed tendencies to specific illnesses, and the parts of the body were linked with the signs of the zodiac. Today, doctors regard all men as equals, astrologically speaking, but the fascination of the old zodiacal associations lingers on. Who doesn't know an Aries with a scar on his face or head? Or a Virgo who really enjoys her ill-health? Scorpios weak spots are the genitals, the bladder and the anus.
October 23 – November 21
103
EIGHTH SIGN, SECTIO N THREE
Scorpio & Health
V
ery strong physically, Scorpio is seldom ill. In spite of this, people born under this sign often have a preoccupation with illness, which leads many of them to enter the medical profession in one capacity or another. For this reason Scorpio is perhaps the most difficult patient of all; he always knows best! His weak spots are the genitals, the bladder and the anus, and he sometimes suffers from retention of urine and constipation. The tight control under which he holds his emotions seems to be communicated to his body, and to upset its functions. If Scorpio is ill he probably will not admit it until he reaches a point where he can no longer control the illness. He then submits to treatment with bad grace.
If he does not find a kind and understanding partner, he may suffer from sexual frustration which makes him a cruel and bitter person. He seems to feel that if he is unhappy he must make others suffer too. Scorpio is occasionally afflicted with sexual diseases, although most people born under the sign know better than to become infected with them. Whatever he may say,
Scorpio does not believe in permissiveness. Always interested in drugs and poisons - he does, after all, have a poisonous sting in his tail - Scorpio will often treat himself with extremely strong medicines. On the other hand, he sometimes goes to the opposite extreme and will not take any kind of remedy at all.
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The editors and publishers would like to thank Andrzej Bielecki, Christopher Bradbury, Roger Daniels and Peter Henville for their informative diagrams and illustrations, and are especially indebted to the following for the photographic content of Understanding Astrology:
Barnabys Picture Library: 55, 59, 67,109, 111, 112,113,114, 172, 173. Biblioteca Marucelliana, Florence: 15. Bodleian Library Colour Filmstrip: 1, 6, 8, 26, 28, 80. British Museum: 3, 15, 22, 25, 29, 48, 81, 131. Camera Press, London: 63, 65, 69,170,171, 172. Campo Santo, Pisa. Photo: Nadi, Pisa: 19. Mary Evans Picture Library: 27, 73. Foundation Saint-Thomas, Strasbourg: 14. Glasgow University Library: 54, 76. Sonia Halliday: 38, 39, 41. Michael Holford Library: 4, 25, 27, 38, 39, 40, 42. Annie Horton: 156-168. Istanbul University Library, Istanbul-Bayazit: 17. Erich Lessing/Magnum: 14. Mansell Collection: 40, 41. Popperfoto: 106,107,108,109,110, 111, 112,113,115,116,117. Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier, Germany: 18. Ronan Picture Library: 13, 71. Ronan Picture Library and E.P. Goldschmidt & Co Ltd.:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 53, 118. Ronan Picture Library and The Royal Astronomical Society: 23, 77. Science Museum, London/Photo David Swann Š Aldus Books: 9, 18. Snark International: 2, 9, 61, 75. Spectrum Colour Library: 79, 169, 170. State Institute for the care of historical monuments, Prague: 24. G. Tomsich/Spectrum Colour Library: 11, 26.
INDEX
Alchemy, astrology and, 53 Aquarius, 16 career and, 167 characteristics of, 36, 102-3 health and, 129 love and, 152-3 personality and, 116 Aquarius, Age of, 11, 171-3 Aquinas, Thomas, 16 Arab astrology, 16, 17 Aries, career and, 157 characteristics of, 31, 82-3 health and, 119 love and, 132-3 personality and, 106 Ascendant (horoscope), 13, 50-1, 51 Aspects (planetary), 54-5, 57 Astrolabe, 19, 26 Astronomy, 13,18-20, 49 Augustine, 16 Babylonian astrology, 13-14, 27 Berosus, 14 Brahe, Tycho, 18, 24 observatory of, 21, 23 Cancer, 11 career and, 160 characteristics of, 32, 88-9 health and, 122 love and, 138-9 personality and, 109 Capricorn, 12, 13, 15 career and, 166 characteristics of,
35, 100-1 health and, 128 love and, 150-1 personality and, 115 Chinese astrology,’ 75 Christianity, astrology and, 16-18, 25 Churchill, Sir Winston, 63, 65, 69 horoscope and, 62-77, 66 Copernicus, 18-20, 20 De Gaulle, Charles, 66 Descendant (horoscope), 13, 50-1, 51 Ecliptic, 10, 11 Egypt, 14, 18, 25, 27 Ephemeris, 51 Equinoxes, 10-11 precession of the, 11, 170-1 Galileo, 18, 21 Gemini, 10 career and, 159 characteristics of, 32, 86-7 health and, 121 love and, 136-7 personality and, 108 Greece, 14-15 Horoscope, 48-79, 71, 75, 76 how to cast a, 49-53 interpretation of, 53-5 Houses (horoscope), 13, 43-7, 53-4 Huxley, Aldous, 68 Jantar Mantar observatory, 79 Johnson, Lyndon B., 66, 68 Jung, Carl, 24 Jupiter (planet), 33, 35, 36 attributes of, 40
Kepler, Johann, 18, 20, 71 Leo, 11, 12 career and, 161 characteristics of, 33, 90-1 health and, 123 love and, 140-1 personality and, 110 Leo, Allen, 24 Libra, 14 career and, 163 characteristics of, 34, 94-5 health and, 125 love and, 144-5 personality and, 112 Lilly, William, 20-1, 76 Lowest Heaven (horoscope), 13, 51, 51 Mars (planet), 13, 31, 34 attributes of, 40 Maternus, Julius Firmicus, 16 Medicine, astrology and, 14-15 Mercury (planet), 32, 33, 108 attributes of, 39 Midheaven (horoscope), 13, 50-1, 51 Moon, 27, 32 attributes of, 38 Moore, Roger, 9
Neptune (planet), 36 attributes of, 42 Nero, 15-16 Nostradamus, 2$ Old Moore’s Almanac, 21 Perre le Lorrain, 18 Pisces, 16 career and, 168 characteristics of, 36, 104-5 health and, 130 love and, 154-5 personality and, 117 Pisces, Age of, 11, 170-1 Planets, 13, 37-42, 49, 53-5, 73 Pluto (planet), 34 attributes of, 42 Ptolemy, Claudius, 14, 16 Raphael, see Smith, Robert Cross Raphael’s Almanac, 23 Rome, 15-16 Sagittarius, 14 career and, 165 characteristics of, 35, 98-9 health and, 127