What is Astrology and when was it invented?

Astrology is an ancient practice that interprets the movements and positions of celestial bodies to understand human affairs and terrestrial events. Dating back to Mesopotamian civilizations, astrology has evolved into a complex system of self-discovery and cosmic insight.

It’s important to emphasize – astrology is not astronomy.  While astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects, astrology interprets their symbolic meaning in our lives. Meaning is something humans create, it’s a part of our objective reality as well as most personal and subjective interpretation. As such, astrology will always be an interesting place for introspection or connection with others around us, no matter if you think it’s “true” or not.

In that regard, understanding astrology is both an intimate and a social effort. What we see reflects our experiences. Our experiences are based on the external world as much as the internal world. These experiences are translated from the cosmic language – each planet talks and represents a part of our psyche and our society. But how can something that started in ancient Mesopotamia have value now?

Understanding astrology 101

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with information when you see your natal chart for the first time. It looks like trigonometrical algebra – you know, the “when will I ever need math in real life” stuff from the high school. 

As with any complex topic, the best way to understand astrology is to pick apart its most important features: zodiac signs, planets, houses and transits – and learn to connect them for ourselves.

So the answer why do we still like astrology is simple: yes, we’re talking different languages now, technology is stronger and stranger than any ancient magician could even dream about, but at its core, astrology is a way to communicate what makes us humans and our experience as human beings. 

Astrology always deals with our most common human traits. And that’s why it’s also intimate: in the end, it’s our own body, our own thoughts and our own feelings that live the experience. 

So our general approach to astrology needs to be as it was a place of learning and communication. It is broad so anyone can fit in yet it’s personal as it speaks directly and only to you. Natal chart is the starting point for understanding astrology and how it can contribute to your life.

Step 1 – Your natal chart

If you are just starting to learn about astrology, please do a calculation of your natal chart so you have a visual image of what we’re going to learn from here. Natal chart is a representation of the sky at the moment you were born. From there, you will find out where in the sky each planet was. 

The basic knowledge you should search for is:

1. your Sun sign

2. your Moon sign

3. your Ascendant

With this, you can unravel the story written in your natal chart and build upon. What you are looking for are placements of those planets, that is, where they were in the sky at the moment you were born.

We’ll go in more details later, but right now just get familiar with those terms. Find where these three are and in simplest of terms think of the Sun as your ideal image, of your Moon as emotions and your Ascendant as how you represent yourself to the world.

“But where exactly are these three placed?” you might ask. In the zodiac houses. For the Sun, this is pretty much well established: during August you will be in Leo season, but during February most of the time you will be in Aquarius season. For other planets, this timeline is not followed – it needs to be calculated.

Step 2: Zodiac Signs, Your Celestial Identity

The zodiac wheel, divided into 12 signs, forms the foundation of astrological interpretation. Each sign represents unique traits and energies. We will not go into details of each sign here – there’s plenty of content that will go in details regarding this.

Zodiac signs are literally a piece of the sky marked by constellations that are visible from the Earth. Symbolically, they represent a time and place where certain characteristics take shape. Once a planet is in that field, the planet takes upon itself the characteristics of that field while simultaneously affecting that field with its own power.

Let’s take an example of the Sun sign, most commonly referred to as “my sign” when we’re asked about astrology. 

If the Sun is the field of Scorpio it means that what the Sun represents – ego, ideal image of selfhood and identity – takes upon the traits of Scorpio – deep, assertive, passionate and intense are some of the most common features.

If the Moon is there – it speaks to us that our emotions tend to be as volatile, blunt and potentially sadistic, as that’s what the Scorpio sign represents.

If your Ascendant is there it means your mannerism, persona and expression are intense, guarded, forceful.

Zodiac signs are like the rules of the game – they shape what the player (planet) is and what it will most likely do in the field. But planets themselves have an agenda of their own. As you maybe know, planets were the actual gods for ancient societies – so of course they have a saying as well.

Step 3: Planets, Cosmic Players in Your Life Story

As mentioned, if the Zodiac is the rules of the game, then the planets are its players. Zodiac signs are the notes and planets are the instruments of the orchestra.

Each planet has a special significance that is based on the human psyche and our collective life. Just a brief overview is this:

• Sun: Represents your core identity, ego, and sense of self;
• Moon: Governs your emotions, instincts and your emotional triggers;
• Mercury: Rules over communication, economy, mind, technicalities and intellectual pursuits as well as spiritual waypoints;
• Venus: Symbolizes love, beauty, incorporation, art, relationships and women in general;
• Mars: Represents personal energy, assertiveness, war, and men in general;
• Jupiter: Governs expansion, authority and spiritual growth;
• Saturn: Rules over limitations, discipline, karma and responsibility;
• Uranus rules over unexpected change, originality, and technology;
• Neptune governs spirituality, illusions, and the subconscious;
• Pluto rules transformation, power dynamics, and the cycles of death and rebirth.

So let’s take a specific example again: if you want to know more about what your natal chart can tell you about how you see and receive love, your aesthetic affinities – search for Venus. 

If your Venus is in Capricorn you will aim for a love life that’s on the surface calculated and distant but also, deep below it, secure, stable, steadfast and enduring. These are the qualities you’d look for in a partner as well: someone grounded, faithful and willing to endure the bad along with the good.

To conclude – in astrology, each planet represents something, some idea or a fact that’s a part of our life; of human life in general. Where it lands in your chart – that’s how it will be expressed in your life.

But how will I know where will it be expressed?

Step 4: Houses, where the Cosmic Drama Unfolds

The 12 astrological houses found in your Natal chart represent different areas of life, from personal identity to career and relationships. Your birth chart maps planets to these houses, offering insights into how celestial energies manifest in various aspects of your life. 

Let’s say it like this to continue the analogy: if the zodiacs are the notes, if the planets are the instruments then houses are the audience where the play will occur. 

By looking at the houses, you’ll find your ascendant, by some considered the most important aspect of your natal chart. Ascendant is how you show yourself to others: the ideas that you think and the way you present them to others. By the ascendant, all other areas of your everyday life are also set up; these areas are what we know as the houses.

Let’s take a look of what each house represents:

• First House: Self-image, physical appearance, personality, and approach to life.
• Second House: Income, resources, material possessions, and values.
• Third House: Communication, siblings, neighbors, short-distance travel, and daily routines.
• Fourth House: Home, family, roots, nurturing, and personal comfort.
• Fifth House: Creativity, romance, self-expression, children, and love affairs.
• Sixth House: Health, work, service, routine, and daily tasks.
• Seventh House: Partnerships, marriage, business relationships, and close friendships.
• Eighth House: Intimacy, shared resources, transformation, and personal power.
• Ninth House: Higher learning, philosophy, religion, travel, and expanding horizons.
• Tenth House: Career, public image, social status, and leadership.
• Eleventh House: Friendships, social groups, hopes, aspirations, and dreams.
• Twelfth House: Spirituality, unconscious mind, hidden aspects, and self-sacrifice.

So if you have a Saturn in Aquarius, in the 12th house, you might have a difficult time with your unconscious mind (12th house) accepting the boundary (Saturn) between the collective and individual, idealism and pragmatism (Aquarius).

Step 5: Planetary aspects, the cosmic Relationships

And finally, we can take a look at aspects – the natural ways the planets move forward and sometimes backward from our perspective shape certain relationships between them. 

We can check how the planets are configured in two ways: firstly, the one in your natal chart, that is fixed and tells the story of you. 

Secondly, as the planets constantly move, they shape the heaven above us and the earth below. Transits, the temporary movements of planets relative to our natal chart, influence our experiences and challenges, they are the hand of destiny that grabs us at times or leads us on others. 

(and for a fun fact, most of the daily horoscopes are usually made of current transits entering a house depending on its position). 

Let’s list a few examples of planetary aspects: 

• Opposition: Represents opposing forces that need to be balanced.
• Square: Indicates tension and challenge that can lead to growth.
• Trine: Signifies harmonious energy that promotes ease and flow.
• Conjunction: Symbolizes merging energies that can create new beginnings.
• Sextile: Represents opportunity and support that facilitates progress.

In other words, here is how instruments interact with each other: giving support, or creating a tension, playing an interlude for something nice or a grand finale when we’re finally at our limit.

Debunking Astrological Myths

As you explore astrology, be aware of common misconceptions:

• Daily horoscopes are generalized and not specific to your unique chart. They do provide a fun possibility of your future day, but should remain as a superficial suggestion. There’s nothing wrong with that, fun has its place in life you know?
• Astrology is a tool for insight, not a deterministic force. Astrology deals with possibilities, our fears and most cherished wishes. It’s on us to find meaning in what we see – just like with everything else.
• Critical thinking is essential when applying astrological concepts. No one and nothing should tell you what you can and should do. But thinking about planets, zodiacs and natal chart houses can inspire you to re-think your options, nudge you to better options and motivate you to make positive changes. What’s probably the most frightening at some level – it leaves the decisions to you. 

Conclusion: Your Cosmic Journey Begins

Astrology is a body of knowledge about the human experience that’s existed and been practiced for thousands of years. Sure, we’re not choosing the best day for the coronation of an emperor, but we get nervous right before a big Friday night event; having a sick horse is a much bigger inconvenience than a flat tire; we loved differently in ages past, yet we do love others even now. And just as ancient Babylonians looked for guidance in the sky, so are we doing now, to clear out what we want and how to prepare for what we do not want.

Suddenly, new paths of understanding myself and my place in the world and history become open. I can decide on my own will where and how to head forward. Of course, there is also an irrational but pleasant feel of being aligned with the universe. 

Practically, it’s a good conversation starter and it gets people to open up a bit more easily. On the other hand, astrology can also be a place of spirituality, an opportunity to connect with something beyond our psyche.

It’s not a science but it can be an introspective tool, a social engagement tool and finally, a spiritual path as well. By understanding astrology and what it can offer you create a starting point to enrich your life with a lot of ideas, and do it in an engaging, personal yet approachable way.

Natal chart is your first tool towards understanding what astrology can offer to you individually.

• Start off with the basics – take a look at your birth chart and search for your Sun, your Moon and your Ascendant. 

• Start by this because those represent some of the most important features of your total Self – what your core is, what your feelings tell you and how others perceive you. 

• You can expand more by searching for specific planets and their placements – if you want to know about your love life, search for Venus, about your health, search for Mars, about what’s to provide learning experiences – seek for Saturn’s guidance.

• Learn about Zodiacal significations. Start with your own, know the deep history behind what you were given, then proceed toward understanding the signs of your closest ones. That will increase the chance of learning.

• To understand astrology it’s not just about understanding something that exists in a vacuum; more than anything, life is just like astrology, an interconnected tapestry of sounds and instruments. Planetary transits, how they are related to each other and what is the relationship between their placement is something we should find in our everyday life. 
• Finally, always remember that astrology is not deterministic. No matter what was given to you in your natal chart, how planets are arranged and where they land, it’s up to you to take the learning experience and grow with it. In the end, the most important celestial body in your life is right here on Earth – you!