27 Jan What the Stars Have in Store for You

People have been looking at the stars since the dawn of time. In the era long gone by, when the skies were clear and there was nothing but these majestic celestial bodies to light up the night, we quickly gained a lot of respect for them, and tried to use their position as a means of determining some predestined paths that our lives could take. All the ancient civilizations from India to Egypt to Central America studied astronomical events in great detail in hopes of using the information they had gathered to foretell significant worldly events. Fast forward to our modern times, and people now have the ability to combine the scientific know-how with the ancient wisdom to map out the movements of the planets very precisely, leading to more accurate readings. Yet, many of the predictions fail flat and some are so generalized as to be pertinent for the largest percentage of the population – using a similar strategy to psychics, like cold reading, shotgunning, the Forer effect and ambiguous statements.

Some studies, like the one that observed 2000 children born within minutes of each other  found that they were wildly different in terms of character, career paths and so on, despite what their natal charts would suggest. Although astrology does not really measure up to scientific standards, many people still believe in it, so we will be giving it a fair shot, taking a detailed look at its philosophies and methodologies.

Understanding the Basics of Astrology

It is a well-understood scientific fact that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and so in astrology it is believed that for all the motions of cosmic bodies there is motion mirrored within Earth on a much smaller scale. Energy is the essence of all things – it can turn into matter and vice versa, but can never be destroyed or replicated. Our universe is ever-changing, and matter and energy within it are in constant motion, interconnected and bound by causality. The idea is that all these elements affect us on a genetic level, with some of our sensibilities and character traits being developed based on the positions of the celestial bodies in relation to Earth. The main premise in astrology is that the force from the celestial bodies roaming through the cosmos – i.e. their gravitational pull and radiation – affects the microcosm that is the human body. At the moment of our birth the Earth, Sun, planets of the solar system and even distant stars that form the common constellations are all aligned in a certain way, influencing us on a deep level.

Methods of Interpreting Astronomical Events

The changes of the positions of celestial bodies can be monitored to reveal the effect they will have on different aspects of our life using what is known as Natal Astrology. A unique natal chart can be made for each individual where things like their character, strengths, weaknesses and favorable lifestyle choices can be interpreted.

In the same vein, astrologers can look at the position of the celestial bodies to determine a favorable period for a particular type of undertaking. A natal chart of the person undertaking the project can also be cross-referenced with the position of the planets and stars in a particular period of time to find a favorable time for smaller-scale projects that are closely related to the fate of a single individual, e.g. buying a car. There is also astrocartography, where the natal chart is cross-referenced with different geographical locations to ascertain a location on Earth where the person will be able to thrive or to determine whether an undertaking, e.g. proposing on your holiday or a business trip, will go over smoothly. The cosmic influences are believed to be slightly different across the globe, in part due to the differences in the strength of the Earth’s gravitational pull – which varies depending on factors such as latitude, altitude, as well as the surface shape of a geographical area and its geological composition – and in part on the direct exposure to the celestial bodies. For instance, the same body will weigh 0.5% less somewhere on the Equator than on the poles, and 0.29% less at 30.000 ft. (9.000 m) than at sea level. Due to these factors the same body will weigh 0.5% less in Kandy, Sri Lanka than in Anchorage, Alaska, so the extent to which Earth’s gravity counteracts the influence of the gravitational pull of celestial objects can be slightly different depending on location. At the same time, people on the Northern and those on the Southern hemisphere will not see the same constellations on the sky, and the visible constellations will also vary depending on the season.

Conclusion

Astrology is based around a perceived influence of the position of planets and stars in our lives, stemming from their particular alignment at our point of birth and their movements from there on out. However, the methods used in astrology are based on dubious theories, and it’s important to note that, even astrologers themselves, who believe optimal life paths can be calculated and certain important events predicted, agree that what the stars have in store for each and every one of us is not totally clear, as it is further affected by the choices we make in life.

We have a much greater effect on our own lives than the various external factors do, so what the stars have in store for us should be much less of a concern than what we are doing to improve ourselves and attain  success, love and happiness.