Astrology is the study of the influence of stars and planets on human lives, but if however, you’ve read your stars or horoscopes in a magazine and have disregarded the whole idea, I don’t blame you. That—what’s known as Sun sign astrology—is like looking at one tiny grain of sand on a vast stretch of beach. Although very important, it is only a minute part of a much larger, complex and intricate study of how the planets weave a magical dance—or what Pythagoras called ‘the harmony of the spheres’.
When you were born all the planets and other celestial bodies were in different parts of the sky and in different zodiac signs which are reflected in your Natal Birth Chart. This chart is a snapshot of the sky at the exact moment you came into being, like a life map and blueprint of your spiritual DNA which holds the key to your unique personality and life purpose. It highlights all your deepest passions, nuances, desires, inner conflicts, confusions and dilemmas.
Most people know what their Sun sign is—that’s the horoscope you would read in the paper. People state ‘I’m a Gemini’, for instance, but what they are actually saying is, ‘The Sun, our star, the centre of our solar system which makes all life on earth possible was in the sign of Gemini when I was born.’ The Sun represents your identity, your star quality, your essence and vitality. It plays a significant factor in your fundamental personality, which further creates your conscious self and ego structures.
The Moon however reflects your inner world of feelings, your emotional reality, along with your subconscious habitual behaviours, patterns and reactions. Your moon energy is what you do once home and alone, how you self-soothe and comfort yourself, the part of your personality that perhaps only close family or friends get to see. Knowing your moon sign alone can help unlock your inner world since it rules how you process emotions. Maybe you get frustrated because you find it difficult to tap into your emotions, so perhaps your moon is in Capricorn or Aquarius? Or maybe like me, you cry at TV adverts—the Moon was in a water sign at the time of my birth.
However, there are another seven traditional planets that represent a different part of you and your psyche/personality somewhere in the sky in one of the twelve signs of the zodiac and are not necessarily in the same sign as your sun or moon. Your birth chart not only shows what zodiac signs all these planets fell in at the time of your birth, but it also further splits them into different areas or what’s known as ‘Houses’ in astrology. These represent different areas of life such as the self, family, communication, career, relationships, etc.
Now your birth chart does not change, but as the planets in the sky, in real-time (known as transit planets) continually move around the zodiac, they activate or trigger different aspects of your natal birth chart. This helps you to know what type of energy is available to you in each passing moment and what lessons you may be facing, not to be restricted by the information but to assist you in making wiser choices. People watch the weather forecast, right?! If it shows heavy rain for the morning, you might choose to leave your gardening for the brighter afternoon. You can’t stop the rain, that’s the nature of life, but you can plan your day better. Knowing what cosmic weather or planetary energy is at play, to me, is no different really. However, what I found most rewarding was what I uncovered from understanding my own natal birth chart. All my deepest nuances, needs, desires, inner conflicts, confusions and dilemmas were not some fault or malfunction but could be explained by the energies that were present at the time of my birth. As such, I came to fully accept myself exactly as I am. By accepting myself, I became more tolerant, patient and less judgemental of others, accepting them exactly as they are too.
I feel I was divinely guided to study astrology because it really helped me through my biggest challenge of all, my ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2016. Having astrological insight didn’t stop my trauma and experiences however, but did give me an understanding where I could logically see and conceptualise what I was so deeply feeling and experiencing. It also helped me to accept the impermanence of all things, which during difficult times is a relief, to know that nothing stays the same. ‘This too shall pass!’ a fitting Persian adage written by the ancient Sufi poets. You see, astrology when used correctly is like a road map for your life, and for me, forewarned is forearmed.
So in summary then astrology shows trends and possibilities and what is available energetically within (our natal birth chart) and also around us (transit astrology). Of course, what you do with those possibilities and how you navigate your life through the decisions you make is totally up to you. We will always have free will and can work with the universe in a symbiotic way, but it is a choice that only you can make.
If you are interested to learn more, please consider following my Facebook page or Instagram page where I regularly post astrology updates and cosmic insights. Just type my handle ‘egmasteringme’ in the search bar then like and follow. If you are interested in having a reading please check out my website for further details www.emmagholamhossein.com.