STEPH,
I don't know if you posted the first rant because you were mad that i didn't answer your email, but i am going to post it, because its quite different from your response, and i don't want people thinking i'm a jerk when i am certainly NOT:
smilingsteph said:
You are correct that many people are on here to ask for free info.....But would it not be fun to use the knowledge you have worked so hard to obtain to help others, is that not was astrology is about?? Why the knowledge if you dont plan on helping others??
to answer your question, though, after spending so much money on books and software, and as you acknowledged, "the knowledge i have worked so hard to obtain", yes, i want to help others, but its a service, and you want to make sure you are not being taken advantage of, if so, then get paid for your time and energy.
it is pointless to explain the rulerships/dignities for every planet and meanings, then the houses, you can get books with much more info, detailed info. once you understand, then i recommend getting software, which can run up to $300 if you get the best.
i notice you are a nurse.... do you want to work for free? i would think that the reason you would choose to be a nurse would be to use your extensive knowledge you have studied so hard at school, worked so hard to pass your boards, to help others? isn't that what being a nurse is for?
Astrology, if you want to become a serious astrologer,you have just as much studying to do as you would to be a nurse. that's what i was trying to tell you, but you got the wrong idea. probably more time, because you can study for years and years, because there are always knew methods out there
for example, tertiary progressions, (which are explained in the PREDICTIVE ASTROLOGY book that i looked around for you last night at 3 a.m. so i could give you the correct spelling and author) is a different type of progression system discovered by a German astrologer in 1951. its based on one day after birth = 1 lunar month. therefore, 13.5 days after birth is = approx. 1 year. so, if you are 25 years old, to find this progression, you multiply 25 x 13.5, which = 337.5. then you divide 337.5/365 (days in year)= .9, which is just under 1 year after your birthdate... that means your tertiary progressions are 9/10 after the day you were born for your 25th year, which is 10.8, which i would guess, end of october-eary november. so, you would go around the date, once you figure it out with your ephemeris, to locate any planetary activity, such as a new moon, full moon, eclipses, as they will mark important times in tertiaries.
this is really knew, and not much has been written about it, but people still use them, and in fact, they really do line up with important events... this is a good method to use to play around with dates when trying to rectify a birth time because the time can be off 4 minutes, and that would be 4 months off when using certain methods of progressions for predictions!
if you SERIOUSLY want to learn how to be a professional astrologer, these are the steps i am taking, and take it for what its worth.
READ the books i recommended. they are VERY GOOD, and my teacher is a book reviewer for dell horoscope and also reviews software. i am fortunate because i am able to get really good titles without having to waste money on junk b/c someone else has already done so.
once you learn the basics, practice on friends and family. i practiced on acquaintances at work. YES, everyone laughed at me, they still do, even when i predict that they are getting a phone call from a certain person and it happens the date i tell them it will be. these are my "guinea pigs" but don't bother unless you have exact birth times... it will be a waste of your time if you are learning.
when you are done with the stellas book, and lighter side of astrology book (second one is short and to the point, so simple to understand, i really recommend it for a beginner, but i don't know, your messages sounds like you don't know much, your post makes you sound knowledgable) then you will have gotten the grasp of planets and meanings.
after learning planets and meanings, there is a rulership book that is a must, its like an astrology dictionary, its called "THE BOOK OF RULERSHIPS" by rex bills, you will need this once you learn more, and you won't know how you went without it.
NEXT you need to get books on aspects. there are two books that are intermmediate and advanced and an easier one, but i am not going to go look through my library upstairs if you are going to yell at me. if you want to know, i'll get back to you.
AFTER you know that, i would recommend getting a book about houses, there is one called the 12 houses that is excellent.
..... are you starting to see how much money and time and effort it takes to learn this? and this is just to interpret your basic natal chart. but learning this is ESSENTIAL because its the building blocks for everything else, everything is based on these principles.
so you want to be an astrologer, you can do predictive astrology, which uses progressions and transits, and you have to also learn midpoints because transits and progressions activate midpoints as well as planets, and then there are fixed stars, too. a midpoint can mean more than a planet if placed on an angle.
there is also the asteroid book by demetra george, pretty much accepted as the best book on asteroids, and then there is chiron, which is a planetoid, i believe, but i think its still being debated.
So next step i would recommend is getting a few close friends, and keep your notes together. don't be afraid to highlight and underline your books unless you want to spend three times longer copying down all the pages, unless you know shorthand! write down notes, charts as needed and keep it organized in your notebook (liek a 3 ring binder is what i use, with tabs for different areas and subjects). keep ALL your charts ALL your interpretations. the reason i suggest close friends is because you will always be able to keep tabs on them throughout the years, and add your observations in your notebook as you learn more, and they can give you honest feedback. for composing a natal chart, its good to try w/someone you don't know because you won't write down things that you arleady know due to a bias... understand? predictions, use close friends, natal, anybody.
for example you cast a chart for susie, you tell her in her horary chart she will get a promotion at work in X amount of time. then, you use your software ( A MUST if you want to be a professional astrologer, or learn advanced astrology) and track her progressions and transits. you notice that Transit Uranus is right on her 10th angle (MC) at such and such time, while her progressed Sun is also making a harmonious aspect to the MC at the same time... do you see how 3 different methods will integrate and help you check your work?
most people go by the rule though not to jump to assumptions based on one aspect. If you read that people with sun conjunct pluto can mean they had a powerful father, and they had issues, didn't get along with dad, it doesn't necessarily mean that. now if you have sun conj. pluto in LEO in the 10th house, sun's ruler, and house of father (looking up father and what symbolizes father would be an example for the rex bills book), and maybe aspecting saturn, the planet of father also, these would be more than one indication that your assumption is correct...
So do you want to learn astrology as a hobby? or do you want to work as one? if you are going to try to have a career, you use the same friends who you have been forecasting for free, help you by recommending clients. you start of course with a lower fee, build your client base and charge higher when you get better and more popular, just like anything else.
I don't know if i'm getting through properly, but I gave you a lot of information to help you get started. i'm trying to say that if you want to learn astrology, you need to either pay a teacher, or learn on your own, and then ask for help. like, say you are confused when you find an interception, and you don't know what interceptions are or what they mean. then you post a question and ask about them, and someone will explain that houses are not based on degrees, and interceptions are more common the further away from the equator they are.
but nobody is going to "teach" by casting charts for you, or analyzing your birth chart. you say you don't want anyone writing charts, but your only posts were several about finding your necklace, which i found odd because i had just posted the same one, and then one with your birth time saying you would like to discuss knowledge, which is fine. HOWEVER adding your birthtime is a subtle way to ask someone to read your chart, is it not? eventhough you didn't flat out ask, that's why i was making the suggestion to try on your own. when i posted my necklace question, i didn't ask for an interpretation. i was interpreting it myself, and i got stumped about some rulerships, so someone helped me with the rest that i got stuck on, but if you read it, i tried myself. we aren't psychics, although astrology helps your intuition for sure, it takes a long time to analyze certain things, even my astrology teacher can't help me when he's busy with clients.
plus, i wanted to give you advice so you would be taken seriously. posting 5 threads asking for someone to find your necklace and one with your birth time doesn't sound like someone sharing insight, it sounds like someone asking for a chart. i wanted to help you rephrase it so that maybe you would get more responses and someone might try and give you more help and advice.
i just gave you tons of information, stephanie. look, if you want to do a trade, why don't you post something like that? that way you can share your insights on someone's chart and they can do the same for yours.
i didn't mean to offend you, you just didn't come off sounding like you want to be an astrologer, because then i think you would be attempting charts, not asking to get them done. big difference asking someone for work done for free and feedback.
but nobody's judging you, i don't know why you got so upset, and i don't know why you sent me a contradictory email either. you say in your post i'm judging you, or mocking you after i try to help you out, and how you have knowledge of astrology, or something like that, then email me and ask why don't i use knowledge i HAVE worked hard to obtain to share. Sure, i'll share, but i mean ask specific questions while you are learning, not for a chart interpretation.
by the way, the give away that you are a beginner is that you gave your birthtime (again) when asking for someone to find the necklace...not sure you understand, but i'll try and explain. astrology is like a weather forecast, it shows trends, opportunities, and nothing specific unless its something major, like a marriage, a crisis, graduation, etc. a necklace wouldn't show up in your birth chart. and those opportunities are found by comparing your chart to transits, and secondary, minor, tertiary progressions, and more stuff...
the software does the math, i'd recommend SOLARFIRE. its expensive, but if you want to go cheap, ASTROGRAPH STANDARD is ok, but i don't like it now that i know more. plus, i find it very buggy.
Finding a necklace is done by a method called horary. AGAIN, if you really want to learn i can find books in my library for your liking if you WANT TO LEARN. you cast a chart like a natal chart for the time of an event of the time the question is asked and you go from there, but its the hardest branch of astrology and you have to learn about ASTROLOGY 101. once more, i recommended the constance stellas book because it touches on different branches of astrology, there are so many! that will make it easier for you to understand.
I spent way too long responding to your post, but i hope you appreciate the knowledge i have shared with you, because it did take (and still takes) a lot of hard work and effort, i study constantly.
as for friends, not sure why you care what they think? so what, you know? i guess i'm different, but i'm kind of secretive about everything anyway, but when i was ready to cast natal charts, thats when i asked friends to volunteer and help me out. once you have knowledge and can explain what you know, you will sound more credible.
my most skeptical friends call me now when they have questions.
another reason i don't do free charts for people, (and when i say 'doing a free chart' i mean no info, just a question, and that's it-- as opposed to a chart that's partially interpreted, just wanted help with a meaning or something) is because why would i spend all my energy doing a chart for a stranger when i can use it to make charts for my friends, family, and myself? right now i'm working on a method for sports astrology, so honestly, i'd rather try and predict baseball games this summer, and win bets on them than look at a random birth chart, lol!
i guess if you keep up with your enthusiasm, follow through and learn more, you will understand what i'm trying to explain to you.
i get off my soapbox now, AND I'M NOOOOOOOT JUDGING YOU OR THINKING ANYTHING ABOUT YOU GOOD NOR BAD FOR NOT KNOWING YET!!!!! i hope you appreciate the advice and don't yell at me again.
Joanna