Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays - Theresa Cheung - Страница 9

Astrology regards personality and destiny as being influenced by the state of the cosmos at the exact moment of birth. The sun, the moon and the planets are seen as basic energies or life forces, and these forces take on different expressions depending on their position in relation to the place and time of a person’s birth. A birth or natal chart, also known as a horoscope, records the position of the planets when a person is born. It also looks at how these planets move over the course of their life and the influence such cosmic shifts can potentially have.

Astrology is an ancient practice dating way back in time to Babylonian, Egyptian and Aztec cultures. For centuries in the West, astrology was chiefly used for divination (fortune-telling) purposes by nobles and royalty. It fell out of favor in the seventeenth century and, as science developed, it was dismissed as superstition, but it never completely lost its appeal. In the early twentieth century interest in astrology re-emerged, this time not as a predictive technique but rather as a psychological tool for greater self-knowledge or awareness.

From the 1960s onward the popularity of astrology began to rise, with increasing numbers of people seeking a spiritual perspective on life. Today, astrology is not so much seen as a divination tool but as a self-help or personal-growth aid to finding meaning in life. Another modern development is that astrology is no longer regarded as complicated and requiring professional interpretation. These days anyone can learn about astrology and use its wisdom as a way to help them understand themselves and fulfill their potential.

Most of us know and identify with the characteristics of our sun sign—for example, Aries, Taurus and so on. The sun travels through the 12 signs of the zodiac through the course of the year and so when someone is said to have been born under Pisces, they were born when the sun was passing through the portion of the zodiac named after the constellation of Pisces. Each of the 12 signs has defining personality traits, with the elements of fire, water, earth and air also affecting each sun sign.

The 12 sun or zodiac signs correspond roughly to the 12 months of the year, and each of these sun signs symbolizes archetypes or universal life experiences. In your life you need to journey through the entire zodiac wheel of life and understand the experiences of all the other sun signs, but your sun sign reveals the major personality characteristics you are born to learn and express.

Although two people born under the same sun sign may share general personality traits, the reason they will not be entirely the same personality-wise is that the positions of the other planets will be different, depending on their motion on the day and at the time and place of birth. For example, as the sun travels through the zodiac sign over the course of a month, it passes through three periods of time called decanates, making each decanate approximately ten days long. Each decanate adds the influences of its own associated planet and sign to the basic influences of the sun sign. Therefore, by considering the decanate as well as the sun sign, you can fine-tune the reading for an individual’s birthday. Let’s look at an example. An Aries born sometime in the second decanate (March 31 to April 9) will be under the additional influence of the second decanate sign of Leo and the star associated with Leo, which is the sun. The ancient Egyptian astrologers considered the decanates to be as important as the sun signs themselves.

Progressions are another important consideration, especially for predictive purposes. The sun takes about thirty years to journey (or progress) through each sign of the zodiac and, in a person’s lifetime, it will typically move through three to four zodiac signs, depending on the lifespan of the individual and their date of birth. Each time the sun progresses from one sign to another, this indicates a significant birthday or time in life when there is likely to be a dramatic change in either circumstances or outlook. For example, the progressed sun of a Scorpio born on November 9 will move into Sagittarius at the age of 13, into Capricorn at the age of 43 and then Aquarius at the age of 73. That’s why you’ll notice that in each of the 366 profiles I have made reference to specific ages.

Fixed stars associated with a particular day of the year also exert additional influences, and other astrological factors come into play, but if decanates and progressions sound confusing, don’t worry. You don’t need to have your birth chart drawn up or to consult complicated tables to use this book. I have taken all the calculations and relevant interpretations into account when compiling each birthday profile. All you need to do is read your profile and let it inspire you to reach your full potential.