New Client Introduction To Astrology

Which type of Sun sign are you?
Free Will plays a role in how you live your life, which is consistent with teachings found in many religious institutions around the world. This idea chisels away at the idea of “pre-destination”, or a fate that cannot be undone or altered. To determine how you experience cosmic energy, it is necessary to understand which type of Sun sign you are. There are three types, and the difference between them is a matter of choice. Consequently, how you experience planetary energies is vastly different depending on the path that is chosen.

#1- Higher Vibrational Path (Spiritual): These individuals seek greater understanding to master their purpose for living, and usually accept that everything happens for a reason. They have open minds, and are generally responsible for their state of happiness. Knowing that every problem has a common denominator (self) they are willing to ask questions until they seek an understanding…a process that continually unfolds as they grow. Knowledge is power, and utilizing different tools for self growth (including astrology) is the key to better understanding of self and of the Universe. These individuals eventually experience unconditional love, and those on this path are aligned with Masters like Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mother Theresa and so on. They make up about 25% of the worlds’ population.

#2- No Vibrational Path:These individuals don’t choose the Higher Path or the Lower Path, and consequently are “stuck” in the middle. These individuals are easily influenced by fads and trends, and tend to live life on the surface. Deeper understanding of Universal Truths is not considered important, or as is often the case, they don’t even know what this means. Survival is based on meeting needs, rather than on fulfilling an abstract feeling of contentment. The concept of a balanced life embraces recognition of the body, mind and spirit as separate (but equal) elements of the human experience. Individuals on this path tend to focus heavily on the body, and not as much on the mind and spirit. Although one can attend church services on a regular basis, it does not mean that the Soul has been elevated. People in this category don’t ask a lot of questions, especially of authority figures, and are content with satisfying basic needs. Such needs are centered on maintaining jobs, relationships, paying the bills and the like. Although these needs are basic to everyone on every path, the emphasis on the material world is over inflated, and offers nothing to the Mind and Spirit of a whole human being. The concept of the consensus or herd state applies to this path, and they make up approximately 70% of the worlds’ population.

#3-Lower Vibrational Path: Although a small percentage of the population fall into this category, they represent the individuals who lack moral or ethical standards that are designed to influence us to live better lives. These standards are reflected into the laws of the land, which set boundaries on what people can do before facing consequences. Basically there is a lack of respect for everything and everyone but themselves. Consequently they are driven to commit acts that disregard the law, and may even harm others. Driven by a need for self gratification, they obtain what they want without a moral compass to guide them. People on this path represent a challenge to the much larger population pool, because apart from the harm that is potentially inflicted, the financial implications of rendering justice is carried by the majority. These are not completely lost souls, but if and when the time does arrive that they should see the “Light”, hopefully there are others there to help them.

Devine Will
Having been given the choice of using your Free Will, there are times when you experience an event that totally changes your course, and usually pretty quickly. Such events are associated with Eclipses, which typically occur in pairs as Solar and Lunar Eclipses. They are the wild cards of the zodiac, and interestingly, not everyone will experience them. In other words ten people born on the same day will find half affected, and the other half will not notice a thing. Simply looking at a natal chart does not tell us whom among the ten will experience the Eclipse, hence the idea of receiving a message from God. As astrologers, we are not speaking on behalf of God, but perhaps can give clues as to where in your life you may experience the Eclipse. Eclipses are like gigantic cosmic “shoves” or “kicks in the pants” that spiral your life in a different direction, often arriving when your old situation no longer serves you.
Solar Eclipses tend to be “event” oriented, whereas Lunar Eclipses tend to be “emotionally” oriented. Typically there are two sets of Eclipses each year (sometimes more), about six months apart. The signs they occur in represent issues for all of us to address, as each of us has the sign of the Eclipses somewhere in our charts. The order in which they occur is also relevant, as which Eclipse comes first reveals some interesting details. When a Solar Eclipse occurs first, an event occurs and about two weeks later the Lunar Eclipse reveals how we feel about that event. If reversed, a Lunar Eclipse highlights an emotional event that dictates what we may set into motion at the Solar Eclipse. These are not mild events, but rather life changing ones.

Eclipses are determined by the placement of the Nodes, which are also known as the Dragon’s Head or Tail. The Nodes speak to our life purpose and mission, as well as to key teachers that touch our lives. One Node represents the past, and the other the future. The Nodes are complex, and reducing them to a few words is impossible. But knowing that the Nodes speak to our Soul’s evolution, Eclipses can be seen as times when our Soul gets an opportunity to make a leap of growth.

Retrogrades
Most planetary bodies experience a phenomenon that is more optical illusion than it is real, a process by which a planet moves forward, then slows down and goes backwards, before slowing down and resuming forward motion. This zig-zagging process means that a planet spends more time in a particular part of the zodiac than normal, in fact almost three times longer. Consequently it seems reasonable to assume that the area of your personal chart could feel the impact of a retrograde. Other factors like having a natal planet being contacted by the retrograde will determine further insights, but keep in mind that not every retrograde affects our charts. Some do, some don’t. But knowing when they do can go a long way to being better prepared to deal with them. Retrogrades of Mars, Venus and Mercury affect most of us by either personally touching our chart; or having someone close who’s being affected. There are “do’s and don’ts” to be aware of during these times, and utilizing these guidelines will make the retrograde easier to experience.
The most amazing thing about retrogrades is that they are actually optical illusions. By tracking a planet through the night sky using a telescope, what we actually see is a planet orbiting the Sun. However because our viewpoint is from planet Earth, it creates the image of a planet going backwards, hence the term retrograde. So this assumes an optical illusion is having an influence on human experiences, which may sound crazy, but they do! Spend time watching and reviewing retrogrades, and you soon realize that these cosmic events are logic defying and mind boggling. The idea of God as creator of all that is, allows us to see such cosmic events as gifts of understanding using the planets as a language.

Retrogrades of slower moving planets aren’t as easy to track, unless you’re tracking events over a longer span of time. Journaling certainly helps, but most of us can pay attention to planets like Saturn or Jupiter in their respective backward and forward paths. What we see are times for processing and reviewing during the retrograde period itself. Once they turn direct it’s like the faucet is turned on and they deliver their goods. Things start to really move forward, and more progress is made during the forward periods. Keep in mind that some people are born with retrograde planets, and they experience retrograde periods a bit differently, and with not as much potential stress.
Retrogrades of Mars, Venus and Mercury have similar patterns to watch for, and the number one idea to remember is that “things don’t work out as they appear to be”. If something develops just prior or during a retrograde, take a step back and avoid doing anything major. Something’s missing, and given the time for the energy to unfold, often reveals an outcome different than expected. These can also be times for an “old matter” to come roaring back, creating frustration in some cases. Rather than get upset, remind yourself that these retrograde periods can give us a chance to clear up an old matter. Also retrogrades can give us a chance to catch up on old unfinished projects, rather than start new ones. Perhaps they can be best described as “two steps forward and three steps back”. Although you still manage to get something done, expect that a glitch or hiccup might slow the progress you make. And finally, retrogrades can bring something/someone from the past back into our lives. Simply put “a blast from the past”.