So, You Want to Learn Astrology?
Written by Madison Wade
Jan 2021
A practical guide to the first steps to learning astrology.
There are thousands upon thousands of informative resources you can get lost in while trying to learn astrology. It’s a huge commitment as well as a journey into your spiritual practice to start taking astrology seriously. Before you dive into learning, here are some things to consider.
What is astrology?
Astrology is a celestial based divination system traditionally used for predicting worldly affairs and events. Ancient Hellenistic astrology has its roots in the Greco-Roman period. Since its birth, it’s been given a modern touch and morphed into a tool used for self-discovery, depth-psychological analysis, and event prediction based on the position of stars, planets, and constellations in the sky at the time of your birth. Studying the sky is a beautiful way to add understanding to the way you perceive the world and the reality you’re living in!
The essential elements of someone’s birth chart include the famous big three: sun, moon, and ascendant, along with (traditionally) 5 other planets that signify energies (Ex. Venus being the planet of love, aesthetics, and relationships). The planets are modified by signs, which express archetypes and how the planetary energies function. They can show up literally or figuratively in your life based on which house they are placed in. For example, having Venus in the 2nd house might mean your financial security is based on love or meaningful pleasurable relationships. Before you go bonkers with all the technical stuff, here are some things to ponder.
Types of Astrology
There are two different kinds of astrology, Vedic (Indian astrology) and Western astrology.
When studying Vedic vs. western astrology, it’s essential to identify which system you want to work with, seeing as they are entirely different. The sidereal zodiac is “the idealized vision of the ecliptic into 12 signs of 30 degrees that are roughly aligned with the constellations” (Brennan 217). In comparison, the tropical zodiac is “the idealized division of the ecliptic into 12 signs of 30 degrees each that is aligned with the equinoxes and solstices” (Brennan 217). Vedic astrology takes the precession of the equinoxes into account, while western focuses on the fixed position of the sun in relation to earth. According to the precession of the equinoxes, the signs have moved one degree backward every 72 years (BecVar). The tropical zodiac is based on equinoxes, solstices, and the division of light and dark across the earth. The conceptualization connected to the dichotomy of light and dark is visible in the work that western astrologers do (in relation to the meanings of the 12 signs corresponding with seasons). Based on constellations and fixed stars outside of our solar system, Sidereal introduces us to very in-depth methods of analysis and categorization methods, like the nakshatras (see On Nakshatras below).
The math over hundreds of years shows the tropical zodiac has moved approximately 24 degrees backward, making Pisces’ constellation occur during the spring equinox rather than Aries. Because of this zodiacal division, certain practices are specific to tropical western astrology versus sidereal Vedic astrology. It’s essential to research and understand each method’s motivating factors to specify what kind of astrology you would like to learn.
Learn Your Philosophy!
Its crucial to carefully consider the fundamental philosophy of astrology. There are various schools of thought that are used to approach the astrological practice, rooted in the ideas of Plato, Ptolemy, stoicism, and many other influences from the Greco-Roman period.
You can take four philosophical positions on astrology: Complete determinism (fate), partial determinism (free will, to some extent), signs, and causes. Finding your stance concerning these four perspectives will add substantially to your practice.
What is your take on the argument of fate vs. free will? Understanding this age-old philosophical debate is an essential concept to unlock in your practice. It helps determine how you’ll read charts and what kind of advice you’ll give to clients. Fate is understood to be predetermined according to divine reason, while free will is the ability to make choices and determine the outcomes yourself. I insist that you dive into this topic to get an in-depth understanding of how the interplay of fate and free will comes to fruition while learning astrology.
Are planets signs/omens of events, or are they directly causing reality to happen? Some philosophers believed the planets were signs from a divine source that indicated events and the karma you have accumulated throughout lifetimes (the topic of reincarnation is a whole other can of worms to open). This take on astrology is similar to reading tarot. Other historical thinkers viewed the planets as the physical causes of energy manifestations and events, like an extension of physics. It’s beneficial to incorporate this distinction into your practice for spiritual reasons because it can be interpreted as a reflection of what astrology means to you personally. This understanding of signs vs. causes will shift the lens with which you read someone’s chart.
Find Your Community!
My personal Astro journey began with researching tons of astrology content online, then realizing that wasn’t enough for me — I needed to more. I decided to make a Twitter account and follow a ton of Astro-twitters to be hands on within the community. A lot of the engagement I found came from replying to people’s posts and comments in threads. Getting involved is a great way to begin active conversations and make friends! I heed you this warning: beware of toxic spiritualists online — you have to learn how to delineate between which accounts are healthy and which ones aren’t. Social media can be very damaging to self-esteem, so it’s best to follow extremely informed accounts with backgrounds in astrology or make visibly informed posts on their accounts.
Once you find your teachers, many of them will offer links to third party sites that can provide extra content, usually for a monthly price. This is not only an excellent way to learn and engage more but also support the astrological community! You’ll gain direct interaction access to the practitioner via posts with certain content sites, depending on the astrologer. You’ll be able to engage with posts they create and learn more about a specific astrological research topics. It’s really a matter of finding an astrologer you trust, connect with and admire.
Happy Learning!
Books & Resources for Beginners:
Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas
Planets in Transit by Robert Hand
Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan
Acyuta-bhava Dasa’s (Adam Elenbaas) First Year Astrology Course
** I’m currently taking this. It’s awesome!
NightLight Speaker series on various topics
Foundations of astrology:
Astrology as a practice of healing: twitter thread
Chris Brennan & Richard Tarnas interview on ‘Cosmos and Psyche’
On the foundations of nakshatras
Philosophy:
Chris Brennan’s talk on Fate, Free Will, and Astrology
Community:
Thread of Astro-Twitters to follow
The Astrology Podcast: Youtube
Bibliography
BecVar, Brent. “Introduction to Jyotish: Vedic Astrology.” chopra.com, Chopra, 07 November 2013, https://chopra.com/articles/introduction-to-jyotish-vedic-astrology. Accessed 17 January 2021.
Brennan, Chris. Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune. CO ed., Denver, Amor Fati Publications, 2017.
