Greetings and a question or two

[alcyone]

Hello,

I wanted to jump in and introduce myself. I am somewhat new to astrology, I grew up with a parent really interested in it so learned a bit as I grew that way. I have just taken up a greater interest in it myself this past month or so and have been studying everything I can get my hands on relentlessly. I feel I am kind of at a point now where I understand most of the fundamentals and I am waiting for it to click, I suppose, to learn how to put it all together and form something useful out of it.

I am practicing by doing the charts of my friends and family which leads me to a question I have for those who read charts:

Have you found that reading/interpreting charts for people you are close to is easier or does it create more difficulties for you?

I am somewhat on the fence about this. On one hand, it is helpful to see something in the chart of a close friend that validates their behavior and makes me feel like I am progressing and learning more about correctly interpreting things. On the other hand, when I find something that completely contradicts what I know of the person, I am prone to feeling lost like I am still just not getting it. Especially if most of the chart does not seem to fit what I see in them.

I know that people are very deep and that we all have inner thoughts and feelings we sometimes don't share with even our closest friends, which helps explain the contradictions I find. I would just like to know what others think of this.

[RayAustin]

Well, keep in mind that people are also contradictory in their personalities, and also that, people act differently around people they know well as opposed to strangers, or being in different environments.


Welcome to the forum.
Ray :)

[wilsontc]

alcoyne,

You said
I understand most of the fundamentals and I am waiting for it to click, I suppose, to learn how to put it all together and form something useful out of it. I am practicing by doing the charts of my friends and family...when I find something that completely contradicts what I know of the person, I am prone to feeling lost like I am still just not getting it

This is why it is generally best to do your OWN chart first. YOU know YOU best and so you can quickly figure out whether or not your interpretation makes any sense. ONLY after you have done your own chart and understand it very well so that it makes sense (and maybe finding out a few things about yourself you hadn't known before!) should you move onto doing charts of any other people.

Self-centered,

Tim

[alcyone]

Thanks for your comments!

In regards to the last comment, I do study my own chart as well, but I do see your point of only studying my chart until I get a firmer grasp on things.

[astrologer50]

Welcome,

First you should remember that Astrology is a form of psychology, to know thyself and then others. When looking at 'aspects' in particular its bit like breaking down and compartmenalising 'facets' of your personality, which is not the normal way of looking at things......

I found it easier at the beginning to do strangers chart, cos if you simply just do friends, you may well upset them. It's always best to look at the positives in a chart and 'tactfully' describe the possibilities of the negative traits. Which sometimes its not easy.

Just a quick glance at elements and quadruplicities, north and south hemispheres can tell you an awful lot. Most important starting point, is Asc, Sun and Moon signs and the chart ruler and aspects of sun moon and chart ruler.....

[The_Sundance_Kid]

Hehe, as well as myself, I found it easier to do the charts of acquaintances. If you offend them it doesn't matter! And also, with people you only vaguely know, you can pick up on alot of things that you don't with your friends, as we become accustomed to our friends. That helps with some parts of chart interpretation.

And when it comes to the more personal stuff, my own chart was the best example.

[waybread]

I usually find it easier to do charts of people I know, because I can infill so many details, but the danger is that I force the "foot" to fit the "shoe".

A couple of things about mismatches between the chart and the person's actual personality and life.

(1) Sometimes people do not fill their potential. Maybe sometimes they shouldn't. Perhaps a woman who looks like she has a horrible temper has learned to control it. Maybe sometimes they should fill their potential, but can't for all kinds of reasons: not enough money, crummy childhood, strong family expectations for conformity, and so on. Sometimes you can read these off a chart even without knowing the person (likely money troubles) and sometimes not (the person is a member of an oppressed minority.) Also, people are growing and learning. A young person might not have filled her potential yet. Sometimes this will only happen after a major transit.

2.) Each planet, sign, and house has multiple meanings, and it can be hard to see which meaning manifests itself in a chart. In a woman's chart, for example, Venus is her femininity/female sexuality, what she attracts and is attracted to more generally, her sense of aesthetics, the arts, money, relationships, and then some. The 3rd house reveals communication and thought patterns, but it also includes siblings, one's neighbourhood, and short-distance travel. So it is important to read widely about the various meanings if you are looking at, say, Venus in the 3rd house. So it is therefore important to read widely about primary and secondary meanings of planets and houses.

3.) Aspects, in my book, are just crucial! Sometimes people know "planets in signs" and "planets in houses" but seemingly ignore the aspects, which will tell you how two or more planets get along. Generally a favourable aspect will mean someone embodies the positive face of a planet/sign/house, and a hard aspect will suggest they struggle with the negative qualities. It can take a lot of detective work if somebody has multiple aspects to a planet, some easy and some afflicted.

4.) Correct birth times are also just crucial. If someone can't give me an accurate birth time, I will dispense with houses altogether, rather than work with house cusps that could be completely wrong. If you can't accurately determine someone's 2nd house, you can still say something about their money by reading their Venus. If someone wonders about their long-term relationship prospects, you can look for Libra, for example. Without a known birth time, some astrologers will use a "solar" house system that puts the sun's sign as the first house and then use a whole-sign house system.

5.) I think you are correct that some charts are easier to fathom than others. Scorpio/the 8th house/Pluto are notoriously secretive. Gemini isn't secretive so much as s/he just doesn't care to dwell on his/her self. [Well, unless the Gemini has a bunch of Leo or Cancer going on.]

But as an astrologer, you can just suggest what you see to people (tactfully, of course) and ask them to give you feedback. Tell them you're just learning. If you see a nice Venus/Neptune trine, for example, you can say something like, "You seem to have a lot of artistic ability, even if you haven't expressed it [in school yet, in your career, as a hobby....."]

Good luck with your astrology, alcyone! It does take time and practice.
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Sundance Kid--I did respond to your PM if you are reading this--hopefully you got it this time.

[The_Sundance_Kid]

Cool- read the message Waybread, will respond eventually... this current Aquarian-Mars fit of energy is rapidly crashing and burning.

I tried to read the charts of my sisters at the beginning. Couldn't do it at all. I realised I didn't know them that well. There are just some things friends talk about that alot of siblings do not. Friends and acqaintances are good because they are more numerous, and because you can often pick out the ones you think are interesting and study them, or pick out traits first and then look at the charts. So pick out the artistic ones, and the aggressive ones etc. The more extreme, the better you will understand the archetype.