Beginning to Study Astrology

ukdesifem

Well-known member
No, that's not what I meant. No rising is bad, nor lends to being a bad person per se. :biggrin:

Just saying I could understand why Hitler was as we was, as Scorpio Rising has a "dark" persona. Of course Hitler had specific positions/aspects that made him evil. But there are/have been/will be evil people of all risings/Ascendants.
 

Love2Know

Well-known member
No, that's not what I meant. No rising is bad, nor lends to being a bad person per se. :biggrin:

Just saying I could understand why Hitler was as we was, as Scorpio Rising has a "dark" persona. Of course Hitler had specific positions/aspects that made him evil. But there are/have been/will be evil people of all risings/Ascendants.

I dont think aspects make you bad.. i think your choices of where to direct your energy do.. in my opinion. Plus i do not trust.. always the way people interpert aspects.. a lot is weird astrological discourse which comes from random peoples feelings or views or a place of bad abd fear and not good.. i find a lot of indian astrologers do that because it is very culturally specific. Like my sun op mars sounds worse when reading it than it is. I imagine someone in a war country with a great chart having it a lot worse... everything is relative to the socioeconomical enviornment and how the people view it.... a pampered person could experience the same amount of grief as a poor isolated person with the same aspect but the rest of the world might not.... also my merc 12 always been a better communicator than most of my peers.
 
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ukdesifem

Well-known member
I dont think aspects make you bad.. i think your choices of where to direct your energy do.. in my opinion. Plus i do not trust.. always the way people interpert aspects.. a lot is weird astrological discourse which comes from random peoples feelings or views or a place of bad abd fear and not good.. i find a lot of indian astrologers do that because it is very culturally specific. Like my sun op mars sounds worse when reading it than it is. I imagine someone in a war country with a great chart having it a lot worse... everything is relative to the socioeconomical enviornment and how the people view it.... a pampered person could experience the same amount of grief as a poor isolated person with the same aspect but the rest of the world might not.... also my merc 12 always been a better communicator than most of my peers.

This is true, I'd agree.

"The stars impel but don't compel" as they say :biggrin:
 

Senator

Active member
There is an essence also which can not be grasped by anyone wants to study...i.e
It is written in your chart if you CAN be an astrologer or not.
 

ellie

Well-known member
Well, when you are looking at your own chart, it will be the most difficult to interprete it by yourself. Astrology in my opinion is a research which complete your knowledge of yourself - but that is something what us occupy the whole life! We are too much nearby to ourselves, that makes us blind :sick:. For me I found it always easier to interprete charts of people who are unknown to me. Even the charts of my relatives are not so easy for me, and I don't know, why it is so. I suppose that astrology as an insight in our inner world is a similar mannor with an analysis. There also it isn't easy to do it alone yourself.

Sunny

would have to agree completely 100%...
 

Thirdteenth

Well-known member
With the myriad of choices the Internet presents to those who wish to begin studying astrology, things can get confusing. People who have barely even looked at a chart are suddenly zooming off to investigate hypothetical planets, thousands of asteroids, and arcane techniques.

How do we keep those interested in astrology from developing AADD (Astrology Attention Deficit Disorder)?

Simple - encourage new students to stick to the basics until they have a complete grasp of astrology’s core. Unless the student has a firm grasp of basic concepts, there is nothing to build upon.

Astrology, if it is nothing else, is a language. And what is a language? It is expression of the mind. Taking this into consideration, how does an infant (or anyone else really) learn a language? Do they immediately start constructing complex sentences out of thin air? No – they learn a few key words an build upon them. Verbs like “eat,’ “go” and “make.” Nouns like “mama,” daddy,” and “tree.” Simple thoughts can then be expressed, like “Mama go tree” – then those can be modified and strung together into more complex expressions.

This is how I teach my astrology students. Lean the basics first, because when it starts to get more complex, you have the basic tools to make sense of things.

When I get a new beginning student or class of students, I always ask them for their definitions of astrology. Usually, the answer is “Oh, it’s the signs and stuff.” Or, “Well, I’m a Cancer so it’s very emotional thing for me.”

I then tell them that I use two definitions of astrology. One is four words: “As above, so below.” The other is slightly more words, but basically the same meaning: “The study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in correlation with the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs.”

Then, I point out to them that there is no mention of “signs” in either of the definitions. I tell them, “It’s going to be quite a while before we talk about the nature of the signs – they are just modifiers of the most important things in astrology – the Sun, Moon and Planets. These are the language of astrology’s verbs. Then we are going to look at the Houses, which are astrology’s nouns. This will take us the better part of 11 or 12 meetings – before we really study Signs and what they are.”

The first seven meetings cover, in order Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, The Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. There is homework after each meeting. Each student is asked to come up with ten verbs for the body we are studying that meeting. It’s more difficult than it sounds at first, they usually figure out. We go over the verbs at the next meeting before we start in on the next planet in the sequence. After the first seven sessions, I do one session on Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The next sessions concern the Houses as nouns – divided into Angular, Succedent and Cadent.

Then, finally, there are sessions on the signs – the adverbs. First taking them on as Elements, then as Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable, then looking at where the Planets fit into each sign (or not) dignity wise. This usually takes three classes overall, depending on how well the students are integrating things. Aspects (Ptolemaic at this point only) as adjectives are then discussed for one class – as the stage has been set for their energies by the previous discussions.

Then, and only then, do we really begin to explore chart synthesis, after learning how to do basic chart calculations. Any other techniques are not for basic classes.

The total of beginning class sessions should take around 16 meetings. You’ll notice that fully half of those sessions concern ONLY the Sun, Moon, and Planets.

Why? Because they are the most important thing in astrology.

You can’t do any sort of astrology without them.

This is a really useful thread 💕 and I must say thank you for providing your technique to us on here because it is very much a gift (in my own subjectivity). I am still fairly a beginner and I have been through a moment in my studies of wondering where should I start. There are hundreds and hundreds of article, newspapers, literary books, blogs and more that discusses astrology but never really gives a narrow road for beginners to tread on. When a beginner, you are excited and want to explore everywhere so again I am happy that this issue was addressed here. I will surely be using your method. Thank you :love:
 

JUPITERASC

Well-known member
This is a really useful thread and I must say thank you for providing your technique to us on here because it is very much a gift (in my own subjectivity). I am still fairly a beginner and I have been through a moment in my studies of wondering where should I start. There are hundreds and hundreds of article, newspapers, literary books, blogs and more that discusses astrology but never really gives a narrow road for beginners to tread on.

When a beginner, you are excited and want to explore everywhere


so again I am happy that this issue was addressed here. I will surely be using your method. Thank you :love:
When faced with the smorgasbord of tools and techniques
found in Traditional Astrology
the beginner Astrologer often finds themselves asking
that singularly important question: "Where to begin?" :smile:

Steven E. Birchfield speaks about how best to orient ourselves
when beginning to read a natal chart traditionally.

There is a vast landscape of tradition, practice, and practicality
which one of the leading luminaries
within the field of Traditional Astrology in the world today
guides us on our journey
towards the heart of a grounded approach to Astrology.
Steven Birchfield on Reading A Natal Chart using Traditional Astrology :smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmRFKkW1riQ&feature=share


.
 

Thirdteenth

Well-known member
When faced with the smorgasbord of tools and techniques
found in Traditional Astrology
the beginner Astrologer often finds themselves asking
that singularly important question: "Where to begin?" :smile:

Steven E. Birchfield speaks about how best to orient ourselves
when beginning to read a natal chart traditionally.

There is a vast landscape of tradition, practice, and practicality
which one of the leading luminaries
within the field of Traditional Astrology in the world today
guides us on our journey
towards the heart of a grounded approach to Astrology.
Steven Birchfield on Reading A Natal Chart using Traditional Astrology :smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmRFKkW1riQ&feature=share


.

Thank you for sharing such a resource 💖 I will definitely be listening to him tonight and making notes.
 

Humanitarian

Well-known member
Very well put. The Church typically advised against the masses gaining too much knowledge and therefore not able to be controlled. They have typically used it themselves however for a long time. God created the Universe and we are part of it all. Keep them dumbed down and in fear has been the modus operandi of the church.

To be a genuine astrologer is to know that your beliefs only deepen when you know that there is a Godforce, whatever that may be, not a person as we know it and certainly not restricted to "He". I would suggest. We all know that the Bible has been adulterated, misinterpreted and edited to suit the prevailing authorities and their agendas.
Claire, this is a very good post as my parents are Evangelical Christians and they despise astrology, so thanks for helping me with my religious dilemma!
 
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JUPITERASC

Well-known member
Claire, this is a very good post as my parents are Evangelical Christians and they despises astrology,
so thanks for help with my religious dilemma!
keep in mind that being fourteen therefore underage
and so still living at home with parents
then
the parents are paying for everything :)
Under Vietnam laws, minors are defined as people under 18 years old

so another four years until legally able to work & pay for own living costs
and rent own home to freely study astrology :)



.
 

Humanitarian

Well-known member
keep in mind that being fourteen therefore underage
and so still living at home with parents
then
the parents are paying for everything :)
Under Vietnam laws, minors are defined as people under 18 years old

so another four years until legally able to work & pay for own living costs
and rent own home to freely study astrology :)



.
I won't stay in Vietnam after 18 years though, because I'm going to study abroad some day, not study in Vietnam like majorty of Vietnamese people in Vietnam
 

Humanitarian

Well-known member
Very well put. The Church typically advised against the masses gaining too much knowledge and therefore not able to be controlled. They have typically used it themselves however for a long time. God created the Universe and we are part of it all. Keep them dumbed down and in fear has been the modus operandi of the church.

To be a genuine astrologer is to know that your beliefs only deepen when you know that there is a Godforce, whatever that may be, not a person as we know it and certainly not restricted to "He". I would suggest. We all know that the Bible has been adulterated, misinterpreted and edited to suit the prevailing authorities and their agendas.
Yes, as when I started to come back to astrology in January this year, I've gradually placed more importance in God/Source/Brahman/Monad than other deities of the world. I don't refer to god as "He", but rather as "Source", as God is both masculine and feminine in nature.
 

JUPITERASC

Well-known member
.


When faced with the smorgasbord of tools and techniques found in Traditional Astrology
the beginner Astrologer often finds themselves asking
that singularly important question: "Where to begin?" :)


Steven E. Birchfield speaks about how best to orient ourselves when beginning to read a natal chart traditionally.
There is a vast landscape of tradition, practice, and practicality
Steven Birchfield on Reading A Natal Chart using Traditional Astrology :)





.
 
With the myriad of choices the Internet presents to those who wish to begin studying astrology, things can get confusing. People who have barely even looked at a chart are suddenly zooming off to investigate hypothetical planets, thousands of asteroids, and arcane techniques.

How do we keep those interested in astrology from developing AADD (Astrology Attention Deficit Disorder)?

Simple - encourage new students to stick to the basics until they have a complete grasp of astrology’s core. Unless the student has a firm grasp of basic concepts, there is nothing to build upon.

Astrology, if it is nothing else, is a language. And what is a language? It is expression of the mind. Taking this into consideration, how does an infant (or anyone else really) learn a language? Do they immediately start constructing complex sentences out of thin air? No – they learn a few key words an build upon them. Verbs like “eat,’ “go” and “make.” Nouns like “mama,” daddy,” and “tree.” Simple thoughts can then be expressed, like “Mama go tree” – then those can be modified and strung together into more complex expressions.

This is how I teach my astrology students. Lean the basics first, because when it starts to get more complex, you have the basic tools to make sense of things.

When I get a new beginning student or class of students, I always ask them for their definitions of astrology. Usually, the answer is “Oh, it’s the signs and stuff.” Or, “Well, I’m a Cancer so it’s very emotional thing for me.”

I then tell them that I use two definitions of astrology. One is four words: “As above, so below.” The other is slightly more words, but basically the same meaning: “The study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in correlation with the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs.”

Then, I point out to them that there is no mention of “signs” in either of the definitions. I tell them, “It’s going to be quite a while before we talk about the nature of the signs – they are just modifiers of the most important things in astrology – the Sun, Moon and Planets. These are the language of astrology’s verbs. Then we are going to look at the Houses, which are astrology’s nouns. This will take us the better part of 11 or 12 meetings – before we really study Signs and what they are.”

The first seven meetings cover, in order Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, The Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. There is homework after each meeting. Each student is asked to come up with ten verbs for the body we are studying that meeting. It’s more difficult than it sounds at first, they usually figure out. We go over the verbs at the next meeting before we start in on the next planet in the sequence. After the first seven sessions, I do one session on Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The next sessions concern the Houses as nouns – divided into Angular, Succedent and Cadent.

Then, finally, there are sessions on the signs – the adverbs. First taking them on as Elements, then as Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable, then looking at where the Planets fit into each sign (or not) dignity wise. This usually takes three classes overall, depending on how well the students are integrating things. Aspects (Ptolemaic at this point only) as adjectives are then discussed for one class – as the stage has been set for their energies by the previous discussions.

Then, and only then, do we really begin to explore chart synthesis, after learning how to do basic chart calculations. Any other techniques are not for basic classes.

The total of beginning class sessions should take around 16 meetings. You’ll notice that fully half of those sessions concern ONLY the Sun, Moon, and Planets.

Why? Because they are the most important thing in astrology.

You can’t do any sort of astrology without them.
Thanks for the detailed and “step for step” explanation on how you operate. This will be very helpful for any newbie. Newbies just need to learn how to be patient and not be so curious about what happens next.
 

Xeno

Member
newbies better quicker understand that astrological experience about 5-10 years - is very small

it's a theory of Life it can't be learned and only could be understood through real life with daily analysis for many decades

so it's a long long way
 

Eman

Well-known member
As a person just starting out, I would think to become a competent and trusted astrologer it would take a long time to sort out the minutia. Some people probably can do better readings because they have a gift of " sight". More like a psychic. So far it's looking so daunting to me that I'm just focusing on the planets, the houses, the Nakshatras,and the ruling dieties to paint a gross idea of the people I know. Each thing could be studied on its own for years. An Astrologer told me decades ago that I'd be good at astrology, but really, I would never want to take the responsibility of making g predictions for anyone. It's too heavy. I think it's almost better for people to just read the funny papers version for themselves, unless there is a forensic purpose. I truly think there is a reason that some people emerge from the womb screaming bloody murder, and others come out quiet and calm. They still have memory of the last time around. But I am hooked on studying Vedic astrology now because of the spiritual dimension. Good Luck to all the newbies out there, and Thanks to all the more experienced folks for your help. I really appreciate it.
 
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