Chinese Horoscopes Much More Than An Animal

These days, when it comes to Chinese horoscopes most people know which of the 12 Chinese animals they are, based on the year they were born. However, nothing in life is ever that simple.

If all there was to it was 12 animals that would mean there wouldn’t be much variation between the characteristics of people, just 12 types, or possibly 24 if you consider male and female.

Well I can tell you there is FAR more to a Chinese horoscope than knowing which of the 12 animals you are.

The first thing to remember is that Chinese horoscopes are based on the Lunar calendar not the solar one, that is why Chinese New Year falls anywhere between the middle of January and the middle of February.

So you see if your birthday is during this period you may not be the dog you thought you were, you may be a pig instead!

But, with 12 animals in the list each twelfth year the animal is repeated as they cycle through – doesn’t seem so complicated? Well unfortunately the Chinese calendar works on a 60 year cycle not a 12 year one. This means that each animal occurs 5 times in the 60 year cycle (12 x 5 = 60) and each one is unique so there are actually 5 types of each animal.

So if you are a Rat, you could be a Rat on the roof, or a Rat in the field, or a Rat in the Warehouse, or a Rat on the beam or finally a Rat on the mountain.

Then there are the 12 Palaces, Ming, Brothers and Sisters, Marital, Man and Woman, Wealth, Sickness, Moving, Servants, Officials, Property, Fortune and Virtue and finally the Parents Palace. Each Palace influences a different aspect of your life.

There are 5 elements, Wood, Metal, Water, Fire and Earth and 37 Stars and they all come together to produce a unique chart just for you.

The key to it all is your 8 character horoscope determined from your year, month, hour and time of birth, 2 characters for each, – in Lunar years of course.

In fact your very own personalised Chinese horoscope has so many possible variations that there are millions and millions of combinations

So you see with all these parts that make up a full Chinese horoscope it is not enough just to know that you are a Pig or a Dog or a Cock.

Astrology Refuted: They Should Have Seen It Coming

A comedian once showed a newspaper to his audience. The headline read, "1-800 Astrology Business Goes Under: They Should Have Seen It Coming." Everyone laughed, including me. We chuckled at the irony of a real contradiction here. If such a business could provide the service they claim, then its owners should have succeeded where other businesses failed. In fact, if they really knew the future, they likely wouldn't bother with this business at all. They would simply raid the stock market with a perfect investing record. We all somewhat instinctively know this, even those of us who have never had the occasion to sit and think it through carefully.

But this pseudo-science has another problem that concerns us. It's adherents who create the garden-variety horoscope columns (found in most any newspaper) spotlight a basic contradiction. On the one hand, they pretend to tell your future based upon the timing of your birth and the alignment of the stars and/ or planets. Philosophers have called this assumption "astral determinism."

This means simply that the stars and planets determine your future, hence the phrase, "written in the stars." On the other hand, however, when the predictors finish telling just what will befall you, they move onto the next part of the column. They offer advice. But this advice you may take or leave, as though you have a free choice to make, the outcome of which no star determines.

So they assume astral determinism when predicting, and then assume its opposite when advising. One simply cannot have it both ways. The only way to resolve this contradiction derives from saying that the heavenlies determine SOME things, but not others. This avoids contradictory impulses, however, at the cost of engaging a purely arbitrary (pick and choose whichever you like) approach to what stars do and do not determine about your life. And yet their charts promise a principled (non-arbitrary) way to know the future. So this option makes no logical headway either.

Either way then, assumptions necessary to the trade of star-traffickers show themselves bogus. The whole thing turns out a useless mirage. Astral determinism thus represents a phoney idea, and we can show this with a little logical rigor.

Finally then, we wish to add logical insult to mystical injury by noting that our refutation of astral determinism posits a fairly clear and obvious problem for their trade. And like the bug who never quite manages to avoid the fast-approaching windshield -- they should have seen it coming.

Astrology : A Science or Superstition?

Human beings have always been curious to know their future. Whenever someone is in difficulty and cannot easily come out of it, he wants to know whether the days of his misery will come to an end at all. And if yes, then when? When one invests a great deal of time, effort or money into some project, it is natural to wonder whether that investment will bear some fruit. There have always been people around who have successfully predicted future events. Their methods have been different - some people can simply look into the future, some use tarot cards, some draw up an astrological chart which we call horoscopes, some read the lines in the palms of people. One cannot deny that future has been accurately predicted many a times and by many a people. Each successful prediction proves that it is indeed possible to correctly predict future.

In the ancient times, astrologers were held to be in great esteem by the people. There was no difference between astronomers and astrologers. In fact, astronomy and Astrology were not considered to be two different subjects. Many will be surprised to know that most of the renowned scientists of the past, including Sir Isaac Newton, were astrologers too. In ancient India Astrology was known as "Jyotish Shastra" which included predictive Astrology as well as what we know as astronomy. Needless to say that the astrologers of that era were all great mathematicians too. An accomplished astrologer was called "Trikal-darshee" : one who could see past, present and future. It would perhaps not be an exaggeration to say that Astrology was considered to be the foremost branch of science.

Slowly over a period of time this subject came into disrepute.

How Astrology lost its exalted status?

It is a fact of life that people emulate successful, popular and respected persons. Seeing the social status enjoyed by astrologers, charlatans started masquerading as astrologers. They learnt a few tricks of the trade and started duping gullible people. It was and still is a very lucrative business. An astrologer earns money by making predictions while giving no guarantee that any of his predictions will turn out to be true. There is no money back guarantee :-). Once an astrologer sets up shop, people start coming to him in the hope that may be he will be able to foresee their future correctly. The astrologer is in a wonderful position. For example, he may make predictions about ten persons, getting only one prediction right. The nine persons, about whom he predicted wrongly, will never come back to him. But the tenth person, about which the astrologer was able to predict correctly, will not only come back to him again but also refer many other persons to him, citing personal experience. In this way, the business of an astrologer always flourishes, no matter how he himself fares in his trade. But the downside of this was that astrologers, as a group, started being seen as a lot of dubious persons like politicians of the modern age. Once such impression started gaining ground, Astrology as a subject no longer remained attractive to intelligent persons. People, who had talent, started to pursue other fields of knowledge. Over a period of time, the inevitable happened. No talent, worth its salt, chose to pursue Astrology as a vocation or a hobby and the outcome of this is for everyone to see in the present times.

There was one more very important reason for Astrology becoming one of the lesser fields of knowledge. It was the decline of India, the fountainhead of human civilization, and its loss of status as the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient world (see How India lost its Glory). The Islamic hordes, who attacked and looted India many a times and later ruled that country for hundred of years, had no respect for priceless works of art, the magnificent architecture and the other exalted areas of human endeavor. They destroyed most of the ancient temples, burnt down libraries like Nalanda and Takshshila and permanently took away innumerable books of infinite wisdom from the future generations of humanity. A great amount of recorded knowledge was lost, astrological books included. This loss proved to be irreparable, as the then Indian society became engaged in ensuring its survival and a constant struggle against the aggressors. The few people, who had some invaluable texts and scriptures with them, were hard put to preserve the remaining works of ancient sages. That is why, when one studies Astrology , he feels as if some vital links are missing. With the Hindu philosophy losing its ground it was natural that Astrology would lose its prominent place too. As the modern science developed and the scientific temperament gained ground, with the dearth of genuine astrologers, Astrology started fading into oblivion.

The criticism and The defense

Astrology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons. First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often goes wrong. Secondly, if one takes his horoscope to different astrologers, they make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person. These facts force people conclude that Astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers' benefit.

One cannot deny that the reasons cited above are valid. Nonetheless, there is some element of prejudice against Astrology which also plays some part in the denigration of this science. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.

A man falls sick due to some disease. He goes to his neighborhood doctor. The doctor advises him to go for some tests. After seeing the results of those tests and considering the patient's symptoms, the doctor concludes that the man has contracted some particular disease say, Sickosis :-). He prescribes some medicines and the patient goes home in the hope of getting rid of the sickness as soon as possible. After taking the medicines for next two days, the patient finds that the medicines are not working the way they were supposed to work. He goes back to the doctor and the doctor changes the medicines and the person starts responding to the second set of medication immediately. Within a few days, the person is back to his old healthy self.

What would have happened if the person had not responded to that second set of medicines? Most probably he would have gone to another doctor. That doctor would have advised him to go for more tests, diagnosed his problem as per his own knowledge and experience and treated him accordingly. Again, there would have been the same probability of the patient getting rid of his disease.

So, in the end it boils down to problem of correct diagnosis. As soon as the disease is identified correctly, it can be treated successfully. The doctor's problem is to identify the disease correctly, given the symptoms and the results of the tests conducted. In fact, he guesses the disease based on the symptoms the patient displays and to confirm his suspicions the doctor asks the patient to undergo a particular set of tests. If the doctor's first guess is proved wrong, he suggests another set of tests to the patient aimed at confirming his second best guess of the disease.

There is one more element which may mar the chances of the patient getting better: the test results. If the lab conducting those tests makes a mistake, the doctor is bound to be misled by the results. It has also been observed many a times that even with the same symptoms and the same set of test results, different doctors may diagnose the problem differently.

The same thing, when happening in the context of Astrology , is proffered as a proof that it is not a science. When a doctor makes a mistake, his skills are blamed not the Medical Science. But if an astrologer fails, it is Astrology which is considered a pseudo-science. If doctors can arrive at different conclusions on the basis of same data, why astrologers should not be allowed to differ with each other. If you take the blood samples of the same patient to different labs, you are almost certain to find differences in their findings. If the machines built with all our scientific knowledge at our disposal make mistakes, no one denigrates modern science itself. But when it comes to Astrology, people are only too ready to dismiss it. Perhaps, by doing this, people want to prove that they have, what is called, scientific temperament.

Why Astrologers go wrong in their prediction?

Lack of knowledge: This is perhaps the foremost reason. Most of the astrologers, after learning a bit, find it difficult to resist the temptation to start making predictions. A certain percentage of their predictions do turn out to be true since they have learnt a little bit of Astrology after all. They cannot hold themselves back from showing off their half baked knowledge. Another reason if the temptation to start reaping, as soon as possible, the fruits of their efforts made in learning the subject. Once the customers start flocking to them, they lose the urge to keep learning further. Also, they are left with little spare time to make further efforts to learn more. They get too busy duping people.

Lack of Talent: In the modern times, since the pursuit of this subject is not considered very respectable, persons of genius do not take up the study of Astrology. They would rather prefer to become scientists, engineers, doctors, littérateurs, artists etc. This does not help the development of Astrology nor does it help add to the knowledge or find the missing links in this subject. Currently, there are no serious research projects related to this field. Thus this base of knowledge does not get updated.

Incorrect Data: As the very basis of Astrology is mathematical, the data such as time of birth etc. must be accurate. If this data is incorrect, the horoscope and consequently the interpretation of it is bound to be faulty. The position of cusps, house divisions, and the planetary positions at any given moment needs to be accurate too. The numerous ephemeris differ from each other so much that it seems incredible. One must follow the most accurate data (for example, from NASA) for calculations, in this age of science. Normally, astrologers tend to take the easy route, that of following some ready-reckoner sort of things, leading to inaccuracies in their calculations.

Destiny of the subject: It may so happen that the fate of the person who wants his future read, does not favor the person in knowing his future. This idea may seem far fetched but it is not. Even in modern times, with all the development of medical science, patients keep dying of fully treatable diseases. If a person is destined to die of pneumonia, he will in spite of the fact that millions of people around the world are successfully treated for it every year. If fate can play a role here why cannot it play the same role regarding Astrology.

The very nature of Future: Modern science divides the universe in two parts: known and the unknown. It is believed that whatever is unknown today, will become known tomorrow. Over a period of time, every thing will become known one day. But the enlightened sages have said that certain aspects of the existence is unknowable. These things do not belong in the domain of human knowledge. Certain aspects of future also belongs to the same domain.

Anyone, who will study Astrology with an open mind, cannot dismiss it as something without merit. It is an easy task for astrologers to correctly tell certain things about a man, such as his physical characteristics, diseases he is likely to get afflicted with, his temperament, his overall success in life in terms of money he earns or fame he achieves, the nature of his profession etc., simply by looking at his correctly drawn horoscope. It is in the matters of details and the timing of events that astrologers tend to go awry. What is needed is a fresh approach to the subject. Brilliant minds should take it up for study, correct some anomalies and misconceptions which this science has acquired over the long past. Then only this subject can regain its rightful place as a serious and important branch of knowledge.

Do You Love Reading The Daily Horoscopes Part II

How many time have you felt an instant attraction to someone you’ve just met? Well, the explanation is simple…you have encountered the powerful forces of the Zodiac. It is all revealed in your daily horoscopes. The intensity of the love you feel in your relationship is influenced by the twelve Zodiac signs.

More important are that the signs of the Zodiac are divided into four categories known as Elements. These natural elements; Fire, Air, Earth and Water houses at least three of the twelve Zodiac signs.

And they don’t stop there…each Zodiac sign has a unique pattern of behavior called modes. The amazing appeal of these modes is their ability to depict the types of action that each sign will take when dealing with people. Wouldn’t you want to learn how they affect your relationships?

Introducing the first mode Cardinal, it is straightforward in its dealings but also expects fast results. The signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are included in this mode. The impact on your relationship can make your head spin with the pace of Libra’s and Aires rapid fire decisions. However, Cancer and Capricorn offer a nurturing and patience environment that can enhance a relationship.

The next mode is Fixed, it is methodical, organized and often exhibits an unyielding disposition in relationships. The signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are associated with this mode. In a relationship, this may explain the need for one partner to dominate—take control—during intimacy. On the other hand, a need for total control during the day can often lead to being a submissive—relinquishing control—during intimacy.

The final mode Mutable, is open to change, needs variety, and is very flexible. The signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are included in this mode. Satisfying! That one word describes your relationship. Even better are the qualities of these signs that reflect an openness vital to keeping the passion flowing in a relationship.

The fact is that each mode offers a dazzling array of personal qualities to enhance a relationship. Best of all is the ability of each sign to identify and nurture the positive traits…and have a satisfying connection based on the relationships between the elements and modes. Your daily horoscopes are a powerful tool…if used wisely can accurately determine simple ways to intensify the romance in your relationship. One thing’s for sure…you can control the harmony in your relationship.

Do You Love Reading The Daily Horoscopes, Part I

Have you ever wondered why you feel an instant attraction to certain people? These intense reactions are pre-determined by a powerful astrological principle commonly known as horoscopes.

The daily horoscopes not only list the Zodiac signs for each month but also each signs’ distinctive personality type. The fact is that conflict in a relationship often arises when two incompatible personality types are in disagreement. The Zodiac sign’s listed in your daily horoscopes can be used as a guide to understanding the innate qualities and personality traits of your partner.

And that’s not all…the twelve Zodiac signs listed in the horoscopes are actually divided into four separate categories know as Elements. These four natural elements; Fire, Air, Earth and Water houses at least three of the twelve Zodiac signs.

Now the first element Fire, houses the signs Sagittarius, Aries and Leo. The individual personality traits are action-oriented and vibrant. What does this mean for you? Well, look to add different levels of spontaneity to your relationship.

Air, the second element houses the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. With inquisitive and innovative personality traits—open and honest discussions about relationship issues are satisfying. Best of all their curious nature are a welcome addition to spicing up any relationship.

The fertile element Earth houses the signs Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus. The personality traits are task-oriented and savvy. Gentle nurturing will relax the tendency of Earth to hold back feelings in a relationship.

A cooling mist, Water the final element houses the signs Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. Water has a keen understanding of people’s needs and a patient temperament. Even better is the high level of confidence and satisfaction manifested in its relationships.

There you have it…the four elements that houses’ the twelve signs of your daily horoscopes. Discover the personality traits of your partner by exploring your horoscopes—embrace them. Use them to add intense passion to your relationship. You’ll be glad you did!

Sagittarius Sign North Node - Your Soul’s Mission and Path to Fulfillment

The nodes (south and north node) are two points in an astrological chart that possess priceless information about one's karmic past and soul-destined future.Calculated by using the birth data of the individual, the nodes symbolize the unique life path that one is on and can answer many questions about his own, as well as his partner's, inner struggles and desires -- answers that can transform not only his relationship but his life.

Since there are twelve signs of the zodiac, there are also twelve unique nodal positions -- each pair of nodes (north and south) representing two opposite signs of the zodiac. For instance, a Sagittarius sign north node is paired with an Gemini sign south node because they are opposites. And because they are opposites, they create a clear picture of the dualistic struggle that resides within the Sagittarius north node/Gemini south node individual.

Often, the individual is unaware of the war taking place inside, a situation that could go on for years. As time passes he is dumfounded by his inability to progress in life - professionally, emotionally, and spiritually. He doesn't understand why he keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again and continues to dwell on the past as he desperately dreams of the future.

All of us have our own set of visible (and invisible) struggles to work through -- obstacles that the Nodes of the Moon can help us isolate and resolve while simultaneously freeing us to move forward on our destined path.

We all know that knowledge is power...and that's why I offer a bit of it to you...to give you the strength and courage you need to not only live, but thrive.

This week I'd like to begin with a brief overview of the Sagittarius sign north node/Gemini sign south node position.

To start, let's take a look at some keywords. These words describe the polarity between these two opposing signs and can offer you a glimpse of the soul journey that the individual with this nodal position is on.

Just remember that the south node represents the comfortable but not necessarily healthy habits within your personality - patterns that have accumulated over lifetimes that now need to be acknowledged and released.

The north node, on the other hand, represents your soul's potential - the direction of the future...the behavioral habits that will lead you to greater happiness and the kind of life that you will find fulfilling.

Here are a few Gemini sign south node traits that should be put to rest, sort of speak, if the individual with this nodal position is to live an emotionally rich life:

Inconsistent, deceptive, nervous, tense, unreliable, distracted, moody, gossipy, easily bored, unfocused, manipulative, scattered, lost in the present, high-strung.

Here are a few Sagittarius sign north node traits that this individual might at first find foreign but eventually will need to embrace if he is to connect to his true soul potential and live the life he was meant to live:

Optimistic, straightforward, truth-seeking, ethical, goal-oriented, futuristic, philosophical, love for freedom, love for nature, love for travel (intellectual, spiritual, and/or physical), desire to teach.

The journey from a Gemini sign south node to a Sagittarius sign north node will not be easy. But then again, neither is anything else in life that’s worth doing.

Obstacles are simply strategically placed hurdles meant to remind us of our inner strength and hidden needs. Therefore, as long as the Sagittarius sign north node individual remembers that his soul is creating the kind of life he needs in order to evolve as a spiritual individual, he will make it through the transformation just fine.

The following are some of the hurdles that the Sagittarius north node individual must overcome in order to feel a sense of direction in his life;

• He must release his fear of commitment

• He must explore who he is at the core; what he believes in and what he is willing to defend

• He must stop participating in gossip and trying to pass others’ opinions as his own

• He must realize that constant duality in thought and action only leads to unsteadiness and confusion

• He must learn to make choices

• He must seek higher knowledge

• He must practice speaking his own truth

• He must let go of all that is superficial within himself and devote his life to searching out the real and natural

For only when the Sagittarius sign north individual masters the lessons mentioned above, will he be able to create the soul-connected existence he so desperately seeks.

The north node path is offering the Sagittarius sign soul an opportunity to gain wisdom, strength, and freedom. But it is still up to him to decide whether to accept the gift.

Having said all that, it might not be such a bad idea for the Sagittarius sign north node soul to surround himself with as many people and symbols that can support his journey. By encircling himself with people who understand him and symbols that exude the Sagittarius sign energy, he invites the support needed to follow his internal voice and path to fulfillment.

Now, if you’re reading this article and it's your mate that has the Sagittarius sign north node, and you do that for your mate, well...that's just about the greatest gift that you could ever give him/or her.

The Beauty and Wisdom of Chinese Astrology

Chinese Astrology

Like Western Astrology, Chinese Astrology uses twelve different signs or symbols to define twelve basic groups of human being. These are known as the Chinese Animal Signs. Akin to western astrology, the Chinese system uses a person or an events birth date as the basis for his / her / its sign.

"This is the animal that hides in your heart." - old Chinese saying -

Chinese zodiacal signs run within a (Chinese calendar) year based system. Each Chinese sign has a different animal name and correlates to one Chinese calendar year. Chinese astrology is interwoven into the Chinese calendar and its 12-year cycle of animals (aka Chinese Zodiac). The fortune-telling aspects of a persons animal sign is determined according to the movement of the heavenly bodies (i.e. planets) across the Chinese constellations in the sky.

Planetary Positions

The position of the five planets at the time you were born determines the destiny of your life. Your Chinese animal sign acts like a lens through which your fate is projected. This system of computing ones fate and destiny is still used regularly in modern day Chinese astrology.

The Planets and Chinese Elements

The ancient Chinese astronomers called the five major planets by the names of the Five Elements. Each element adds deeper meaning to each of the Chinese Animal Signs.

Venus = Metal: Determination, leisure, success, individuality, demanding

Jupiter = Wood: Late bloomer, advisor, counselor, faithful, entrepreneurs

Mercury = Water: Forceful, trustworthy, leadership, creativity, healer

Mars = Fire: Enthusiasm, decisive, adventure, love, perseverance

Saturn = Earth: Wisdom, peaceful, logic, disciplined, explorer

Chinese Constellations

The twenty-eight Chinese constellations (xìu) are quite different from the eighty-eight Western constellations. For example, the big dipper (Ursa Major) is known as dou; the belt of Orion is known as shen, or the "Happiness, Fortune, Longevity" trio of demigods. The seven northern constellations are referred to as xúanwu. Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in Taoism belief.

Chinese Mythology

In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many fairy tales. For example, the Summer Triangle is the trio of the cowherd (Altair), the spinster maid fairy (Vega) and the "tai bai" fairy (Deneb).

The two forbidden lovers were separated by the silvery river (the Milky Way). Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, the birds form a bridge across the Milky Way. The cowherd carries their two sons (the two stars on each side of Altair) across the bridge to reunite with their fairy mother. The tai bai fairy acts as the chaperone of these two immortal lovers.

The Beauty of Chinese Astrology

Chinese astrology is one of the most beautiful expressions of spiritual identity that we have been given. Through metaphors and imagery the longing of the soul to become one with the infinite is clearly expressed. Unlike western astrology Chinese astrology deals with the metaphysical aspects of life through a dreamlike narrative. The needs of the spirit are seen as through the eyes of a child.

Life and Astrology

Chinese astrology like Western astrology is only one of the paths to divine knowledge. Other avenues toward ultimate truth are all around us. The song of a bird, the sound of the sea, or the cry of a newborn child are all whispered hints of the natural order of things.

Astrology Signs and Planets Reveal Who You Are

But people are starting to take a new look at astrology.

The well-known astronomer/astrophysicist, Dr. Percy Seymour of Plymouth University, wrote in his book "The Scientific Basis of Astrology," that

"The resulting fluctuations of earth's field are picked up by the nervous system of the fetus, which acts like an antenna, and these synchronize the internal biological clocks of the fetus which control the moment of birth. The tuning of the fetal magnetic antenna is carried on by the genes which it inherits, and these to some extent will determine its basic genetically inherited personality characteristics. Thus the positions of the planets at birth are not altering what we have inherited genetically but are labeling our basic inherited personality characteristics."

If a renowned scientist is confirming what astrologers have been saying for thousands of years, it is time for us to take notice and take advantage of the marvelous resources that an astrological birth chart can reveal for you. No longer can we condemn astrology as superstition, because it has been proven that the zodiacal position of the planets and signs at the time we were born actually reveal who we really are. You can actually confirm this for yourself with a little investigation.

The astrological birth chart can reveal your life purpose, the lessons that you need to learn, your unique gifts, talents, relationships to other people, and your psycho-sexual profile.

Astrology can show your sexual likes and dislikes. These preferences are revealed by the position of your Venus and Mars at he time you were born. A skilled astrologer can describe these desires quite clearly and help you understand them. He can also help you understand your sexual relationship to another person. Can you imagine the value of having such information at your fingertips.

If you wish to determine whether or not you are sexually compatible with your partner or a possible mate, you would first need to locate the sign positions of Venus and Mars (e.g., my Venus is in Gemini and my Mars is in Aquarius) at the time and place of your birth. Then you would need to learn how these planets function in those signs and how they relate to the sexual energy of the other person. You can find more information about this at this location.

Harmony Of The Spheres

Everyday we witness synchronicity in the Universe. There is a harmony to the planetary cycles and if we listen for the tune, and become acquainted with the rhythm, we can dance in synchrony with the song called Life.

In order to demonstrate to those who doubt, I want to talk a little more about the subject of harmony. Antoine de Saint-Exupery once wrote; “All that is essential is invisible to the eye.” He was clearly being philosophical in his musings. We cannot ‘see’ Love or Consciousness but neither do we question whether they exist.

However, lets discuss the quote from a more tangible perspective.

Recently it was revealed that a new security deterrent has been launched on the market. It is a box, the size of a speaker, which can be mounted in ways akin to a CCTV camera. The device is placed in areas of high crime, or where youths tend to congregate on street corners. It has been shown that groups of teenagers cause distress and concern to elderly pedestrians, local shopkeepers and homeowners. The box emits a noise that is only audible to teenagers and those in their early twenties. The noise is so loud and irritating that the youths cannot bear to be around it for any length of time and quickly disperse.

This remarkable development is called a Mosquito The noise is delivered in high frequency, short wavelengths (pulses) and the device works on the fact that from our mid twenties, the human ear experiences a big drop in its ability to hear upper frequency sounds.

Let’s repeat the salient point; The device is totally inaudible to those above 25 years of age !

Now, we take it for granted that animals have different aural abilities. These ultrasonic devices are commonplace in the form of dog whistles or cat deterrents. However, what does this development indicate when it is apparent that a proportion of our population have access to information that the rest of us don’t?

We can be flip and cite this as the reason that teenagers like music which adults find distinctly unpleasurable – we now know they are literally hearing something different to us. The implications though are worthy of further sensible discussion, for this device takes ESP out of the realm of the occult and places it slap, bang into the High Street! It has to be viewed as a tacit vindication of those who have long professed to possess the gift of Clairaudience (the ability to hear things not audible within normal hearing ranges).

Our military forces have probably been using these techniques for years, just as they use remote viewing and other ESP techniques, yet deny their existence to the masses. However, what I want to focus on here is that this is yet another invisible force hidden within the usage of wavelength.

Our ethers are already full of invisible wavelengths – TV signals, phone and radio signals. Infrared. Microwave, X-ray, Gamma rays and yet we can see none of them. Some are discerned by us as noise, some as heat and, I would posit, some by an invisible feeling which we know as intuition.

It is apparent that by slight alterations in the length, amplitude and phasing of soundwaves their manifestation is altered in the physical world. At certain frequencies (speed of light) we can hear our favourite Radio chat show. Just a slight alteration and we may be able to tune into the nearest airport control tower or the telephone conversation of other people. What else are we able to tune into?

And furthermore what, or where, is the internal dial or mechanism which once found could allow us to naturally tune into ‘invisible to the eye’ information?

Did you know that the light which we ‘see’ is really just an energy? The brightness at which we view a light source depends upon the number of photons which strike our eyes. Photons contain wave packets of information. A large number of photons mean the light source appears bright, fewer make it dimmer.

The colours that we perceive aren’t really there either. The colours that we do ‘see’ are determined by the wavelength – a shorter wavelength makes us see something as blue-er, a longer wavelength appears redder. Fundamentally then, all electromagnetic radiations are the same but each carries a different energy. This energy is distributed in a wave pattern known as an harmonic. Thus all of life can ultimately be related back to a number.

When we look at the use of certain rhythmic frequencies we can also see that they possess a power. We all know the story of the opera singer who can shatter glass. Stories abound of string instruments which start playing themselves when notes of a similar frequency are played nearby. And let’s cast our minds back to the opening of the London Millennium Bridge.

Here, in an extract from Wikipedia, is what happened: The Millennium Bridge opened in London on June 10, 2000 but unexpected lateral vibration (resonant structural response) caused the bridge to be closed just 2 days later for modifications. The movements were produced by the sheer numbers of pedestrians (90,000 users in the first day, with up to 2,000 on the bridge at any one time).

The bridge was on the route of a major charity walk and it was an exceptionally fine day. The initial small vibrations obliged the users to walk in synchronisation with the sway, increasing the effect, even when the bridge was comparatively lightly loaded at the beginning of the day. This swaying motion earned it the nickname the Wobbly Bridge. Attempts were made to limit the number of people crossing the bridge: this led to long queues, but dampened neither public enthusiasm for what was something of a white-knuckle ride, nor the vibrations themselves. Resonant vibrational modes have been well understood in bridge design. However this was the first time a bridge had displayed this type of pedestrian excited lateral motion. This motion was caused by the human reaction to small lateral movements in the bridge, which set up a driven harmonic motion in the bridge. The bridge had to be closed, not only because it was impassable but because these rhythms set up a vibration which has the power to damage the structure of the bridge.

Theories exist in esoteric literature that it was knowledge of this force that helped build the Pyramids. Certain rhythmic sound frequencies when used positively are said to have the power to levitate heavy objects, whilst when used at another vibrational frequency, sound has the power to destroy, such as in the fall of the Walls of Jericho - 'the Priests blew the trumpets, the people shouted and the walls fell flat'.

Chording into the symphony that governs life is our avian population. Birds are thought to set up resonances through their song. These trigger certain manifestations in the natural world, such as the opening of certain flowers, or signals which order the behaviour of other wildlife, flora and fauna. Where the destruction of our birds would leave us in the event of a global ‘Bird Flu’ pandemic, is a subject worthy of great consideration.

There are infinite demonstrations of the synchrony in the Universe emanating from the harmonic rhythms which flow through every facet of life. Nowhere is this more readily available for scrutinisation than in the study of Zipf's law.

The Ethics of Divination Choosing Your Seer

Professionals have their regulatory bodies and codes of practice, but individuals involved in mystical work are often self taught. This can leave them feeling they are in something of a black hole when it comes to dealing with the public appropriately. From the point of view of the client, it makes it difficult to know who to choose for a reading.

Ethical principles should guide all practitioners of the divinatory arts, whatever their field. Talking with a group of astrologers confirmed for me that the same types of problems face all “readers” whose clients have come seeking advice: dealing with difficult questions; the possibility of tragic events; what to do when people have depression or issues they cannot handle alone, and especially, avoiding dependency and the pressure it places on the practitioner. It is dependency on the reader that I will discuss here and how readers and their clients can avoid the problem.

Initially, I would say, be clear about motives. As a practitioner, I think the best position is to have a set of strong values with regard to your work that accord with your spiritual perspective. Being a person who tries to live her life by Buddhist teachings I ask myself, “What is my motivation in doing this kind of work?” The answer that initially springs to mind is to help others by giving them the insights gleaned from a reading, but it is more than that. It is to empower others to choose for themselves how to deal more effectively with problems in their lives by giving them information. Encouraging clients to become dependent on more and more readings is not ethical.

Client dependency usually occurs when people have a simplistic view of divination. They believe that a reading reveals “Fate” – a future written in tablets of stone that cannot be avoided. They see themselves in the role of puppets on a stage where larger forces are pulling the strings. If they get the “wrong answer” to their queries then real stress can result and clients can pressure readers to tell them what they want to hear by asking the same question again and again, until they get the “right” answer. It’s easy to forget how much the client invests in what a reader says and how careful readers need to be when faced with someone overwhelmed by life problems.

The Tarot cards show potentials, trends and possibilities for a person at any one time. At no stage does that person lose their free will. Readers need to show clients how they have choices and need to be proactive in their lives. “If you follow this path, then X may occur. If you follow that path then Y is more likely”. Does anybody get a new job or a new romance if they don’t make some moves towards their goal? A good reading should show ways of making desirable changes.

If you are a client looking for a reader who can give you real insight into your possibilities then you should be looking for someone who has the insight to explain things in this way. At no time should you feel you have lost control of your choices. The purpose of divination is to seek guidance not intimidation. Both “seers” and clients need to adopt an exploratory frame of mind in a reading rather than a predictive one and clients should ask, when they book a reading, “How do you work? Is there only one answer to a problem or am I free to explore the possibilities open to me?”

The Difference between Transits and Progressions

While the words Transits and Progressions are quite different, there is a tendency among astrology students to muddle the meanings of these two fascinating aspects of astrology. Often they are used interchangeably, which sometimes causes some confusion as to what kind of effective power either has in influencing what one feels and experiences in life.

To begin with, Transits and Progressions both emerge from the same starting point for the individual. They both start from the natal chart and the exact positions they were in place when life began.

Moving forward, however, they both follow different concepts. The Transits move through the solar system along their appointed orbits, year in and year out. Every time a transit finishes a 360 degree cycle of the heavens, it begins again to repeat it in the next cycle. Thus, the transiting Sun returns to its same place every year, then continues on to repeat its next cycle.

Progressions, on the other hand do not function this way. Starting from the natal birth degree they move forward in relation to the birth chart in a much slower way than the Transits.

To see this, consider the difference between the Progressed Moon which moves approximately 1 degree a month, and the Transiting Moon which moves approximately 1 degree every 2 hours.

In another example, the Sun Transits all 360 degrees of the zodiac once each year, yet if we Progress the Sun, we only progress it one day for each year of life or approximately 1 degree a year. Again, the Progression is much slower than the Transit.

Yet, a far greater difference between Transits and Progressions has to do with the fact that in the instance of transits, our natal planets remain fixed in the original stamp of our birth. Progressions, on the other hand, while not ignoring our original natal placement, make the assumption that as our life goes forward, so too do we, and as a result- experience on some levels progressed degrees, further along than our birth degrees.

Thus, the Progression is an overlay, or another layer that while not ignoring the natal degree position, acts as what experiences the individual is becoming familiar with in life, in addition to their starting degree.

Karmically, the person evolves from their natal degree with the possibility of learning and earning all the potential in the ensuing degrees that their progressions take them to.

Imagine if you will, an individual born with their Sun at 29 Scorpio. This would indicate a very high degree of evolvement in the Sign. Since there are only 30 degrees in a sign, the Progressed Sun, in this instance, would leave Scorpio and enter Libra when the individual is approximately one year old.

For the next thirty years, it would progress through Libra, even though the individual is still a Scorpio. As a result, the person, karmically finishing their Scorpio lessons early in life, because of attaining a high degree of learning in these lessons in past lives. In this incarnation they are now learning how to refine, and use all their intense depth and understanding in more social ways as a partner to humanity because of how their Progressed Sun teaches them through Libra experiences.

All through life, the individual will feel the Transits, and even though their Progressed Sun would be in Libra, they would nevertheless feel any transit over their 29th natal degree Sun in Scorpio, which stands during their entire lifetime as their blueprint for this incarnation.

However, as each year gives them Progressed experiences of Libra, they learn to deal with life with Libra overlays to the Scorpionic root source. They grow more cultured and refined in how they deal with Transits and are much less volatile and over-reactive than they would have been if their Sun were at an earlier degree in Scorpio, which would not progress into Libra until half a life time later.

Thus, the Transits and Progressions, because they are quite different, both work together in their different ways, to help explain how an individual karmically learns to evolve towards a more fulfilling and complete existence.

The Karmic Effect of Astrological House Size

Although it becomes necessary to use an equal house system when the birth time is unknown, the advantage of working from an exact birth time and having exact size houses makes an incredible difference in understanding the horoscope.

Karmically, we are not all born equal. Many past life experiences have changed us so that we enter this life with different strengths and weaknesses and different lessons to learn. Some of these lessons require little effort and are quickly dispensed with during childhood. Others may be so complex and involve so much integration with others that they may in fact take an entire lifetime or even more than one lifetime to resolve.

There are two astrological factors that have a great influence on how karma gets worked out. The first of these is transits. Remembering that the natal chart contains dormant potential. It is the planets transiting sensitive spaces in the natal chart that unlocks these potentials and causes us to confront the challenges in life from which we will grow.

Transits that spend more time over any of our natal planets will obviously bring out a longer confrontation of how to use the planetary energy correctly. Thus, the outer more slower moving planets, which can sometimes spend months or years transiting any of our planets can represent important life lessons being brought to our attention.

The second of these two factors, is Progressions, which symbolize how we progress from our life starting point as each measured time period in our life moves forward. Here the karma of one's life long lessons becomes even clearer, because when we look at outer planet progressions which move so incredibly slow, we might find that some forty or more years later, the progressed planet is still affecting the natal planet, not too far from the degree it started at.

I mentioned the Transits and Progressions for an important reason. They demonstrate in no uncertain way, how individuals are affected when these traverse through any astrological house in the horoscope.

Transits and Progressions will spend much more time moving through larger astrological houses than smaller ones. As a result, the karmic lessons they are bringing to the fore, become a focal point of the individual's life for a much longer time period and get worked on with much more intensity and effort.

Look at the largest two houses in the horoscope (they will necessarily be opposite each other) and you will find the areas in life that are requiring the most karmic work in the current incarnation. The good part of this is, they of course hold within them, the most fulfillment and evolution that can be karmically reached!

Karmic Compatibility and Dating

The world of dating is never an easy one. It is both very apprehensively exciting and often intriguing. Yet, strange as it may seem, most first dates do not result in lasting relationships.

The question of Karma enters into dating behavior at the very beginning. In fact, if you think about it, people always have karmic "baggage" that they have caused long before any dating relationship began.

As a result, while thinking they are pursuing a relationship possibly either for friendship, sex, love, or maybe even marriage, - they are in fact seeking a karmic partner, someone who can help them deal with and evolve their own past life karma, that they have brought into this incarnation.

This brings us to some very startling realizations. Firstly, it means that two individuals, meeting for the first time, are already programmed according to their own karmic paths, each with their own set of lessons and tests, both past and future that influence their lives.

There is an old astrological saying that tells us, - "When the student is ready, the teacher is there!"

In other words, if we are ready to learn a particular karmic lesson (because we have completed preliminary lessons that lead up to it), we are very likely to meet someone who has just the right information to become our teacher. In essence our consciousness has brought this about because we became ready for it.

The lesson to be learned will dictate the karmic compatibility of the relationship.

Not all things that we have to learn are easy. Very often, our greatest strides are made through struggle. Thus, if we assume that whenever somebody comes into our life, we are going to learn something from them, as well as teach them something in return, then we are well on the path to karmic enlightenment, for this makes us open to the clues we will be getting, for the deepest answers our subconscious is asking.

If we meet someone who has a calm soothing planetary conjunction to our own chart, perhaps Venus in good aspect to our Sun, then we are likely to become involved in a calm and soothing relationship, because we are karmically ready for this.

If we meet someone whose Pluto is afflicting any of our planets, then we can expect a relationship with much intensity, strife and struggle. Yet, this too is what we are karmically ready for, because we are about to learn something that we could not understand in any other way.

Everything in life happens for a reason, and if we can awaken our minds and hearts to be open enough to learn these reasons, then we will find much to our amazement, that while we might not find ourselves personally compatible with someone, as a result of difficult chart contacts, we might nevertheless be karmically compatible with them, if we but listen to the reason why they are in our life.

For this reason, it is important to look a little deeper when studying the synastry aspects for compatibility between two individuals, - for if people are somehow thrown together regardless of some difficult aspects, there must be a karmic reason for such a relationship to exist, that is overriding the personal wishes of either.

A decent ephemeris will show you the planetary placements of anyone in your life. Yet, this is only the first step. From this, you can list the aspect contacts these placements are making to your own chart. It is at this point that most people have highly emotional reactions either positive or negative upon realizing each chart contact. The only trouble is that these reactions, although quite personal, are highly subjective, and as a result cannot see the objective truth of why a relationship exists.

There are many good books on synastry that can explain these chart contacts more impartially than you can. Yet, it is important to look past the direct effect of one planet on another, to see the reason why you would be drawn into a specific relationship at all, for if you could find this out as well as what you are learning from each chart contact, it would certainly enhance your karmic journey in this incarnation.

The Total Solar Eclipse

Astronomer Johannes Kepler did not have the benefit of sophisticated telescopes or computers yet, in the 17th century, he was able to establish a proven harmonic relationship between the planets. In his third law of planetary motion Kepler states: The orbital period of a planet is proportional to its distance to the Sun This was first revealed in his seminal work Harmonice Mundi or 'Harmony of the World' in 1619. It is also known as the Harmonic Law.

Kepler’s discoveries still hold firm today and corroborate the Pythagorean based theory, that the fabric of our existence is woven with number.

One of the ways that we can visibly observe the presence of this theory is in the relationship and planetary intervals between the Sun, Moon and Earth. More specifically in the observation of Eclipses that occur in regular, repeating numbered patterns known as The Saros Cycle. On Earth we can witness anything between two and five solar eclipses in a year. The periodicity of each cycle is 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours and there are some 70 eclipses (lunar and solar) in each Saros series, spanning 1,260 years.

The Sun is but one star amongst an infinite number of others, within an infinite number of galaxies. However, without this star and indeed the solar system, life would just not exist. Although, in the greater scheme of things, the Sun is a fairly insignificant star, its size may be better appreciated when I tell you that, hypothetically, it could accommodate one million planets the size of Earth. Being approximately 109 times the diameter of the Earth, the Sun is 400 times greater than the Moon’s diameter, whilst the Moon is approximately one-quarter the Earth’s diameter.

In one of the most beautiful displays of perfection and synchronicity known to Man, under certain conditions the disc of the Moon is able to completely blot out the light of the Sun, which throws a path of darkness over the surface of the Earth. It is an event known as a Total Solar Eclipse.

Due to its distance from the Sun and Earth, and the plane of its orbit when it comes between them, the Moon will periodically cover the face of the Sun in various degrees of obscuration. Thus we can have Total, Annular, Partial and Non Central eclipses.

The next one in the Saros cycle, is a Total Solar Eclipse, which will occur on Mar 29 2006 at 10.11:21 GMT for duration of 4 minutes and 7 seconds. The area of darkness that the Moon’s shadow will cause is known as the path of totality. This eclipse has a path of totality that sweeps up from Brazil crossing the South Atlantic Ocean and making landfall through Togo, Benin. Nigeria, Niger, Chad,Libya and Egypt and then extending on up through Turkey and ending in Mongolia.

With the introduction of space probes such as SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), those in scientific community are beginning to understand the forces that the Sun can have upon the Earth. Particular attention has been paid in recent years to the impact of Solar Flares and sunspots on the Earth.

In brief, sunspots are the visible affects of the Sun’s magnetic forces. Sunspots have now been shown to have the greatest affect upon life on Earth when they are either most prevalent at times of Solar Maximum (around 100 sunspots), or most absent (zero sunspots) known as Solar Minimum. In yet another display of collaboration within the Universe, this sunspot cycle lasts for around 11 years - just short of the Eclipse cycle, enfolded within the longer-term solar activity cycle that lasts for 80-90 years. (Known as the Gleisberg cycle).

At times of maximum sunspots the Earth's gravitational field is severely impacted causing migratory animals to lose their bearings, whales to beach themselves and lose directional ability. Power outages occur, electronic equipment, including mobile phones can go haywire and satellites in space can even be destroyed. Conversely, between 1645 and 1715 in a period known as the ‘Maunder Minimum’, the lack of solar activity led to the period known as the Little Ice Age.

It is therefore safe to extrapolate that if alterations to the surface of the Sun causes recognisable terrestrial events, that the entire light of the Sun being obscured from the Earth is going to have enormous consequences. Something that observers of rhythm and pattern (also known as astrologers!) have known since the beginning of civilisation.

This upcoming eclipse is one of three in the last century to occur in the sky at the 8th degree of the zodiac (8 Aries). The other two were in 1968 and 1987. This one however is expected to be the most potent. We judge this by the fact that the other two were not total eclipses and they did not last for even one minute of time. This eclipse is 4 minutes and 07 seconds in length.

The fact that we also have planets aligning with the Galactic Centre at the time of this eclipse and in angular relationships (or harmonic resonance) with other planetary bodies will also prove significant.

Empirical evidence shows that eclipses have most impact on those countries that lie under the path of totality and those for whom the degree of the eclipse resonates with their birth moment in someway. By this I mean that any person, country or manifest object whose inception involves 8 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Capricorn or Cancer) is likely to experience events that mirror the celestial event.

Using our theory of number underpinning the Universe, the conjunction of two planets is thought to resonate to the number one, the number of Unity. Within 'Unity' all that is enfolded will unfold in the course of the cycle and indeed, continue to unfold further through subsequent cycles.

As the disc of the Moon is symbolically ‘putting out’ the light of the Sun, this correlates with events, which possess a quality of death and rebirth ‘the ending of one phase of being and the beginning of a new’. As the cycle unfolds the Sun, Moon and other planets will make aspects to the original eclipse degree of 8 Aries, triggering International events at those places where the eclipse is either visible, or is rising or setting at that location, or makes transits to chart positions.