How long did it take you to know what your talking about in Astrology ?

[Chrysalis]

I'm not sure if my merc rx in my chart has something to do with my brain being like a sieve, or im just too impatient, but i find i need to keep going over things, over and over, and its annoying, i want it all to sink in at once, and its not.

I started studying Astrology seriously in summer 2016, thats like 2 years worth of hard core studying, and im still not where i want to be.

I know Astrology is an ongoing life journey lesson, and we learn new things all the time, i know all that, and this is what i love about it too, as i love to learn new things.

But in two years i feel like i should know more than i do, with natal im only skimming the surface, horary i think i've got it, but i don't think i have.

Am i just dumb, idk, how long did it take you to be sufficient in Astrology...at least to be able to read a Natal chart confidently ?

 

[IleneK]

I'm not sure if my merc rx in my chart has something to do with my brain being like a sieve, or im just too impatient, but i find i need to keep going over things, over and over, and its annoying, i want it all to sink in at once, and its not.

I started studying Astrology seriously in summer 2016, thats like 2 years worth of hard core studying, and im still not where i want to be.

I know Astrology is an ongoing life journey lesson, and we learn new things all the time, i know all that, and this is what i love about it too, as i love to learn new things.

But in two years i feel like i should know more than i do, with natal im only skimming the surface, horary i think i've got it, but i don't think i have.

Am i just dumb, idk, how long did it take you to be sufficient in Astrology...at least to be able to read a Natal chart confidently ?

Dear Chrys,
Twenty years with confidence.
I did interpretations at ten years without confidence. This following five years of weekly study classes with an astrologer and having read all books on astrology that I could get my hands on. No kidding. There is a lot to it, as you are noticing.
You are an excellent student. Put in the time with actual astrology resources, if you have the interest, and you will be an excellent astrologer. And if not, there are so many other wonderful things to do in this world...
Best to you always,

 

[Chrysalis]

Dear Chrys,
Twenty years with confidence.
I did interpretations at ten years without confidence. This following five years of weekly study classes with an astrologer and having read all books on astrology that I could get my hands on. No kidding. There is a lot to it, as you are noticing.
You are an excellent student. Put in the time, if you have the interest, and you will be an excellent astrologer. And if not, there are so many other wonderful things to do in this world...
Best to you always,

No illenek, i want to do Astrology, i do have the interest, i have deep interest, but i thought by now i should be further along in my study's than i actually am, and its frustrating me, as everything im listening to/reading is not fully sinking in, i actually think i have dyslexia or something.

Everybody else is so intelligent on here, and i feel so inadequate.

I've felt like giving up so many times, but i feel like i've swum in the middle of a deep ocean, and don't know how to turn back....seriously i feel stuck, like i cant swim forward or back.

 

[conspiracy theorist]

The criteria I used to test my actual astrological skills, as opposed to having mountains of theoretical knowledge and reading behind my back, is to actually read charts, carefully noting the response of those I read for actual confirmation that I what I said hit the mark, and not just courtesy congratulations from well-meaning people. After a lengthy period where I was waiting for my beginner's luck to run out, I finally accepted that I actually am doing proper astrology. That was at the 3rd year mark and this will be my 7th year of serious astrological inquiry.

Relax and take your time. You might be following some of the discussions going on in the forum and beyond but you have to read them within a certain context. Some of the people who you see frequent this forum have been interested in astrology for decades, and have a lot of experience behind them in regard to their various research efforts and such. Some of these persons are nearly twice your age. I bet if you knew the background of some of these folks that you would calm down yourself and your doubts about your abilities.

And come on, count the amount of people here who take part in high level astrological discussion -- the number is less than 10, consistently. If you are aware of the 50 people who are more advanced than you, can't you also see the hundreds and thousands who you outclass? Isn't your chart full of Libra? Apply some proportion to your judgements.

 

[katydid]

I learned how to calculate charts by hand, 53 years ago. I have studied, pondered, researched, attended many conferences, and taken and taught classes, done many hundreds of readings for clients back in the day-----and the more I study, the more I realize that I know very little about the art of Astrology. I probably know about 10% of what there is to know.

I have a library of about 500 Astrology books, collected over the years. But so many time I will pick one out, look up something, feel like I am reading it for the first time, then see a pencil notation, I made years ago, lol...[Mercury exactly opposed Jupiter in natal chart]

 

[waybread]

Chrysalis, 2 years of "hard core studying" still put me in the beginners' ranks.

My situation is that I began studying astrology during a "dark night of the soul," because I was looking for answers as to why I felt so deeply unhappy then. Because open admission of my astrological studies would have horrified my co-workers and, in their eyes, reflected badly on the entire department; not to mention some of my family members, I simply read a lot as a very solo, closet student.

17 years later, I retired about the time I found out about this forum and the one at Astrodienst. Hesitantly at first, I began to read charts for people on line. I learned as much from just a couple of years of chart-reading for real people in real time as I had during my prior years of study.

So I would suggest that you also plunge into some simple themes in chart-reading, if you're not doing so, already. Ideally the feedback you get will show you how astro-themes manifest in people's lives in a way that reading about them won't.

However, once you feel competent in one type of astrology, you may want to go forward and learn another.... and another. Several years ago I decided to go beyond my base in modern natal chart readings, to learn the basics of horary and traditional western astrology, where I now feel somewhere between a beginner and intermediate.

When I make mistakes, my confidence dissipates! So there's not a final hurdle for me.

With all best wishes for your journey, W.

 

[Lykanized]

I've replied to you before about mercury rx. I have it too. Some people say it 'works backward', which may have some substance. The gist of what I said before is that I feel it makes you more given to big picture, holistic thinking. So it's possible you have an intuitive understanding, but what you're working on is the smaller parts and how they fit into the big picture, that intuitive vision. But I'm mostly working from my own experience in writing this

I wouldn't say it's a negative thing. I think that once you get it, you'll really really get it because you'll understand the whole AND how the smaller parts fit into that whole

Another aspect of natal retrogrades is introversion. It doesn't mean you're necessarily an introvert, but that this part of your self is possibly introverted in nature. Introversion is about the self, it's about depth. Extroversion is about breadth. It's quite possible you feel you're not getting it basically because you're looking for a certain level of depth that you haven't reached, but once you do reach it, you'll feel extremely sure of yourself in astrology and whatever you study

 

[JUPITERASC]

No illenek, i want to do Astrology, i do have the interest, i have deep interest
but i thought by now i should be further along in my study's than i actually am
and its frustrating me, as everything im listening to/reading
is not fully sinking in
i actually think i have dyslexia or something.

Everybody else is so intelligent on here, and i feel so inadequate.

I've felt like giving up so many times
but i feel like i've swum in the middle of a deep ocean, and don't know how to turn back
....seriously i feel stuck, like i cant swim forward or back.

Relax, tread water - float - read, study, vigilantly practice

the following DOCUMENTARY was Published on 7 April 2018
and provides detailed information of astrologys past
discusses observations of the Moon, Venus and so on
Kingdoms of Sumeria
Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform DOCUMENTARY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnXAMYC4BPw
Babylonians and Sumerians
contributed some of the most important discoveries and achievements.
Not only did Sumerians have a complicated law system (including juries)
medicine (including invasive procedures)
ships and navigation
but more remarkably, an amazingly advanced knowledge of astronomy.
Astronomy began with the first settlements of agricultural societies.
Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is today Iraq
was the birthplace of civilization almost 10,000 years ago.
It is in ancient Sumeria that we find the oldest records of the study of astronomy.
Babylon and Assyria were later civilizations in the same geographic area
and inherited the Sumerians' astronomical traditions
and many of their myths and legends surrounding the skies.

 

[conspiracy theorist]

Check out this pdf, specifically chapter 6 which is entitled "How to relax and Let your Automatic Success Mechanism Work for You". It speaks to why brute forcing your way to astrological understanding isn't going to work. It might help you to see that beating yourself up is also a waste of energy.

http://www.2asuccessdreamblog.com/w...ycho-Cybernetics-by-Maxwell-Maltz-shaanta.pdf

 

[IleneK]

No illenek, i want to do Astrology, i do have the interest, i have deep interest, but i thought by now i should be further along in my study's than i actually am, and its frustrating me, as everything im listening to/reading is not fully sinking in, i actually think i have dyslexia or something.

Everybody else is so intelligent on here, and i feel so inadequate.

I've felt like giving up so many times, but i feel like i've swum in the middle of a deep ocean, and don't know how to turn back....seriously i feel stuck, like i cant swim forward or back.

You are doing so incredibily well, Chrys. You are intelligent and we all have dylexia to some degree of another. That won't get in your way. Your rather unkind and, I think, unfair judgment of yourself is the only problem that I see here now, my friend.

You just need to give yourself some more time [patience ] and perhaps broaden and deepen your study beyond looking at charts to learn? [and btw looking at charts is extremely helpful, and which I did and continue to do to this day]

 

[Chrysalis]

I want to thank everyone who has responded, im not going to respond individually, as i don't feel i really need to.

I HAVE read each and everyone one of your replies, and im grateful, and i have taken something, from each and everyone's reply.

In my natal i have sun/saturn tight conjunction in virgo, and im sure this is where my lack of self worth and self doubt comes from the most. Ive always been hard on myself, ive always felt the need to prove myself to extremes, i never feeltlike im good enough for anyone or anything, i always put myself down and always strive to be the very best in what im doing.

Ive realized im putting way too much pressure on myself, in everything i do, i want to look perfect, i want my home perfect etc, and as from getting into astrology i want to learn all i can, and everything i can, and be the best i can....

Reading replies this helps me realize that this takes time, Astrology is not an overnight job, even the most talented astrologers will learn something new each day.

But i'm the sort of person who wants to learn everything at once, and gets frustrated if this doesn't happen, and then in turn forgets things.

Jupiters gave me some links which i will definitely look at, so thanks jup.

CT has also, and he's also given me things to think about....especially about the "depth" part. I always want depth in everything...but with regards to studying astrology, this can get overwhelming for me...as it has done. I will be checking out CT's PDF.

CT i don't know what it is about you, but i really like you, in a "i admire you and connect with you" sort of way.
Thank you for your replies on my sorrowful thread.


Illenek its gotta be my sun/saturn that's doing this to me in virgo, im always striving for perfection, and it can really get to me when i still don't feel good enough. I always put myself down in every way, this aspect is really hard to have trust me. It makes it worse that ive never had anyone to help me alll my life with this aspect.

Lykanized about merc rx being introversion, thats me to a tee, if i have problems i deal with them myself, i never reach out to people, to me that's weak, i keep a hell of a lot of stuff to myself and never ask for help.
But then merc rx also affects my learning too of having to go back over things constantly to enable to sink in.

You've got merc rx, but your much more intelligent than me, so your okay.,,,well you seem okay.

WaybreadYour journey is similar to mine, i won't go into mine and bore you but it is similar.
The only good thing though is in my birth chart, i realise my mars/pluto/venus conjunction in libra ...the stuff ive gone through to do with these aspects, was not my fault, i needed to go through these things to grow soul wise, so i now don't hold no hatred anymore.

However, once you feel competent in one type of astrology, you may want to go forward and learn another.... and another. Several years ago I decided to go beyond my base in modern natal chart readings, to learn the basics of horary and traditional western astrology, where I now feel somewhere between a beginner and intermediate.

Yes i feel like im getting bored with horary already, im trying to learn synastry now without fully even understanding natal...i like to jump the gun.

 

[IleneK]

Chrys,

You wrote:

Illenek its gotta be my sun/saturn that's doing this to me in virgo, im always striving for perfection, and it can really get to me when i still don't feel good enough. I always put myself down in every way, this aspect is really hard to have trust me. It makes it worse that ive never had anyone to help me alll my life with this aspect.​

I have Moon Saturn with Virgo rising, so I get your Sun-Saturn, especially in Virgo. It's a challenge and it is also an opportunity for you to work with it, so that ultimately it will serve you more and undermine you less. I have every confidence that through study of the symbolic meanings of Saturn you will open up your world.
An excellent title to assist in this undertaking is named Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by world renown psychological astrologer Liz Greene. And she has written a ton of astrology books that might be of interest to you.

If decide you want to take a look at her book on Saturn, I would be glad to talk with you privately about the contents of the book or any question you might have.

Wishing you the best, Chrys.

 

[Chrysalis]

Chrys,

You wrote:

Illenek its gotta be my sun/saturn that's doing this to me in virgo, im always striving for perfection, and it can really get to me when i still don't feel good enough. I always put myself down in every way, this aspect is really hard to have trust me. It makes it worse that ive never had anyone to help me alll my life with this aspect.​

I have Moon Saturn with Virgo rising, so I get your Sun-Saturn, especially in Virgo. It's a challenge and it is also an opportunity for you to work with it, so that ultimately it will serve you more and undermine you less. I have every confidence that through study of the symbolic meanings of Saturn you will open up your world.
An excellent title to assist in this undertaking is named Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by world renown psychological astrologer Liz Greene. And she has written a ton of astrology books that might be of interest to you.

If decide you want to take a look at her book on Saturn, I would be glad to talk with you privately about the contents of the book or any question you might have.

Wishing you the best, Chrys.

Thanks for the book recommendation, i will see if i can get this, ill look on ebay, i do feel i need to learn about saturn more in a positive light, as with saturn so close to my sun, i feel he holds me back and constantly undermines me, for a reason yes, but one i'm not sure about, i feel victimized, when i expect saturn's not really victimising me, but learning me a lesson.

Having venus/pluto/mars...and then a saturn/sun on top is so diminishing, i feel like a hopeless dirty weed, that so wants to be a flower, but keeps getting trampled on, i grow a little bit and i get diminished again and again......therefore the weed gets weaker and weaker and starts doubting itself and its ability to grow.

I'll keep studying anyway.

 

[Whoam1]

I'm not sure if my merc rx in my chart has something to do with my brain being like a sieve, or im just too impatient, but i find i need to keep going over things, over and over, and its annoying, i want it all to sink in at once, and its not.

I started studying Astrology seriously in summer 2016, thats like 2 years worth of hard core studying, and im still not where i want to be.

I know Astrology is an ongoing life journey lesson, and we learn new things all the time, i know all that, and this is what i love about it too, as i love to learn new things.

But in two years i feel like i should know more than i do, with natal im only skimming the surface, horary i think i've got it, but i don't think i have.

Am i just dumb, idk, how long did it take you to be sufficient in Astrology...at least to be able to read a Natal chart confidently ?

I read charts intuitively and I was almost fully comfortable after a few months but I'm no professional. I think the years don't so much as help you read a chart in the way you are thinking but rather give you more tools to utilise and more systems to interpret each natives chart(s). I've learned it all wrong, different astrology branches have system they want you to follow, a sieve method in most of them actually. I however didn't do this, I look at a chart and use symbolism, then I cross reference different points and practices in different methods (joytish, tropical, sidereal, draconic, Vedic etc.). I come back to a chart using the form in which the user wants it read and I feel it out. No form will ever except this but I do the same thing with religion, I try not to limit things to one system for sake of simplicity, and although unorthodox, people who have studied astrology tend to respect my ways as they too realise that saying one system one way describes 8 billion people accurately is inately sort of absurd.

I think your too focused on goals, whilst goals are good, happiness comes before success. Learn to love the journey not the results. I dont know if you remember when I was coming up with ideal people I saw in others charts, but I looked at three different chart I had never seen before and saw royality in all of them, the turned out to all be queens. So to doubt my methods completely is immature.

Go with you gut, mistakes happen, people will always think your methods are wrong, (anyone who doubts this I will doubt you and your methods just of of spite) but realise that one method doesn't disprove another, this is in no way a science. Your are merely mortal and as long as you know how to learn you are set (as thought takes no physical space in the universe it is by nature infinite, we can learn everything when there is no end to it).

 

[waybread]

Chrysalis, a type of astrology I highly recommend is choice-centered astrology. Basically all of the planetary placements have multiple meanings. The key is to seek out empowering meanings vs. disempowering meanings, that are nonetheless consistent with the core meanings of the planets, signs, and houses.

So, for example, sun-Saturn can mean "low self-confidence" but it could also mean a "disciplined identity" or identifying (sun) with Saturn's more positive qualities like self-discipline and the capacity for hard work. Humility is a quality that can be very positive, as well. Saturn tends to reward his apt pupils later in life. (I'm a senior with sun opposite Saturn, and believe this is true.)