To index page To next lessonLESSON TWO
Introduction
Again, congratulations. Now that you have passed the exam in lesson one, you are ready for a concise lesson in the history of astrology. One important thing in this and all the lessons - you will come across words you do not know - look them up. You will thereby develop your vocabulary for later use as an astrologer.
The term "prehistoric" is literally a misnomer. How can anyone possibly relate the history of something which existed before history itself? Nonetheless, we have to depend on "prehistoric history" to determine the origins of astrology. Like many other ancient studies, arts and crafts, astrology existed long before anyone sat down and recorded the thoughts of astrologers "for the record."
That astrology was one of the world's most ancient studies is shown by the astrological symbols which are the same today as on the ancient caves, tombs and pyramids. Mesopotamian tradition places the first primitive zodiac somewhere between 8000 and 6000 B.C.!! Not only is astrology a universal language today but a universal language connecting all races and all nations back through centuries of history.
Actually the story of man's quest for an understanding of the heavens begins long before the time records were written. There exists very little doubt that astrology is the father of all science. It is perfectly logical to assume that astrologers were the first wise men in even the most primitive of civilizations. Pinpointing the exact beginning of astrology is pure folly because as we have already said, it is perfectly feasible that astrology is older than man himself. Surely the conceptual method of astrology is as old as the universe itself and the evidences of it on life, as we know it must be as old as that life itself. When the Sun goes into total or partial eclipse, animals become restless and anxious; they seem very cognizant of some sort of imminent danger. The beautiful music of the birds ceases and apes leave their trees to band together for mutual protection. (This calls to light an amazing branch of astrology about which there has been very little published. We are presently conducting an in-depth investigation into astrology of creatures because we feel so strongly that the answers to the problems facing all species are inherent within the zodiac.)
The easiest method for us to discover the reason why ancient astrologers occupied such a respected position in even the earliest of civilizations, is to put ourselves in their places. For primitive man, the sky was lavished with marvelous and awesome wonders. We must make an effort to imagine the way of life of the days when men wandered in nomadic tribes over the expanse of the Near East and subsisted from the land around them. Try and imagine yourself in that prehistoric world and let the bare sensory experience of that world be your ultimate source of knowledge.
The first and most evident phenomena you would notice is the alarming alternation between night and day. It is light and warm during the day but colder and dark at night. There is a great bright ball in the sky which appears and disappears coinciding with the periods of light and dark. Daylight ends when the "thing" reaches a direction opposite to that from which it started. Like anything else you must give it a name and you call it the "Sun".
Clearly, it is an object of the most immense power. It provides you with warmth and daylight and, in addition, is the brightest of all the objects which shine down from above. At night, you can notice that the situation is very different. The Sun is no longer visible, yet, there are numerous specks of light which illuminate the heavens. These you call stars, and they seem to appear in the same places night after night.
However, there are some stars that do not fit into these patterns because they never really stay still in the sky but continually weave and wander in and out among the rest. These stars seem to wander and have their own lives quite independent of the other stars that move around the sky together. Because of their very distinct motion, you refer to them as "the wanderers."
At night there is another body, seeming to take the place of the Sun, which appears regularly. Similar to the Sun it starts its journey from one side of the Earth and ends up on the other. It is most confusing because it continually changes its shape. Although it does not keep us warm, it does provide us light at night and seems to have a peculiar effect on the bodies of water which surround us. Again you must find a name for it, and you come up with the word "Moon."
As you and your contemporaries soon discovered, your most obvious need was for some sort of a calendar to guide your daily actions. It was the changing shape of the Moon which provided you with the most satisfactory answer, for the 29 1/2 day interval between one new moon and the next was neither too long nor too short. It was simple to remember and easy for counting long periods of time. The use of the Moon's phases as a calendar was extremely valuable for night expeditions for it told when to expect bright nights and when to expect dark ones. The earliest human civilizations relied on herding, farming, fishing, or hunting and were at the whim of the vagaries of nature. The creation of the calendar limited natural crop disasters for it taught man to plant at the most opportune time. The actual definition of the Sun and Moon and the creation of the calendar produced Man's first astrological knowledge. The door was opened and what was to follow can only be properly labeled wisdom.
If a person delves into the history of any of the great civilizations of mankind, he finds that almost all of the early writings reflect an uncritical belief in the influence of the stars and extra-celestial beings upon the behavior of mankind, the animal and plant kingdom. Just as all the prehistoric civilizations independently came to an acceptance of the idea of some order of Supreme Being, primitive man also came to remarkably similar beliefs regarding the influence of the heavenly bodies upon man.
The first chapter of Genesis contains references to the zodiac, although the account is incomplete. Some astrological historians speculate that the zodiacal cycle may have been complete in the original Genesis, but that the various translators did not understand the significance and so were unable to properly turn the signs into their native tongues.
When the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal (669-626 B.C.) came into power at Nineveh, he decided to add to the collection of the royal library. Some of his contributions were clay tablets which described the astrology of the ancient Babylonians, who in turn had borrowed the substance from their Sumerian invaders. A series of the clay tablets was attributed to Sargon I, King of Agade (3000 B.C.), who wrote what has been called The Day of Bel.
Recently, some clay tablets were unearthed near the site of Babylon which show that the Babylonians knew an astoundingly large amount of early astrology, dating as far back as perhaps to 8000 B.C.
But it was not only in the primeval origins of the Tigris and Euphrates, the cradle of life, so to speak, that ancient evidence is found. All around the Mediterranean Sea, early artifacts show the existence of astrology. Even more mysterious is the fact that the ancient Chinese, Hindu, Mayan and Aztec cultures show extensive use of astrological signs and methods. This points up a most remarkable fact. If you met a reasonably intelligent man from the other side of the world, e.g. China - and you did not know a word of his language nor he one word of yours, - you both would have an immediate language through which you could relate to one another - the signs of the zodiac! The language of Astrology naturally transcends all spoken languages. It is truly the universal language of all mankind. (See Illustration I, Arabian Zodiac of the Middle Ages.).
One of the more ironic anthropological finds was the Mexican calendar stone, which was discovered early in Mexican history by a group of unknowing people who promptly re-buried it. It was not until centuries later that the stone was rediscovered. Its earlier finders did not understand the astrological significance of the stone's markings and they feared what they did not understand.
Other theorists place the beginnings of astrology in such fabled placed as Atlantis and Lemuria. Although many poets and philosophers have talked of Atlantis and Lemuria (or "Mu," for short), there has never been any exact proof that they existed.
Mesopotamian culture is believed to be the basis for astrological thought in the Western world, although there have been many significant contributions from the Orient. Like other arts and sciences, astrology is believed to have spread via the trade routes from Babylon to Egypt, from Egypt to Greece and from ancient Greece to the Roman Empire.
That astrology had a great place in the lives of the ancients is indisputable. One of the earliest Roman books we know of is the Astronomican, a first century A.D. poem by Marcus Manilius. Ptolemy, the great mathematician and astrologer of the second century A.D., wrote Four Books on the Influence of the Stars, or Tetrabibilios in Latin. Shakespeare's plays, which are based on early writings such as Plutarch's Lives, are replete with references to the respect accorded astrological predictions. ("Beware the Ides of March," as one well known example.)
At the same time that Ptolemy was summarizing the astrological knowledge that had been accumulating for centuries, counter-attacks on these beliefs were being prepared in various quarters both Pagan and Christian. The most powerful of these attacks came from the Christian apologists who were then finding their voices. Usually, the Christians simply turned the tables on their attackers rejecting necromancy, oracles, divination, augury, and astrology, all as being inventions of demons. The Christians were not opposed to astrology because it was unscientific, but because it was, they thought, immoral. It is interesting to note that the majority of Christians also tended to think that science was immoral too.
St. Augustine had a tremendous influence on the development of Christianity, which implies that he was one of the principal molders of the world in which we live. His arguments against Astrology were among the best known in the Middle Ages. Although his arguments were so vehement, he readily admits in his "CONFESSIONS" that he was turned from astrology not by argument but by hearing that a certain wealthy landowner had been born at precisely the same moment as a wretched slave on his estate.
Earlier in the 4th century there was a certain aristocratic Roman intellectual and Christian who wrote a massive defense of astrology that is still today regarded as an astrological classic. This particular writer, Julius Firmicus Maternus, held that because the astrologer meditates between human soul and celestial being, he must lead a pure and austere life. The human soul itself is a spark of that divine mind that exerts its influence through the stars. Therefore, Firmicus concluded astrology is a useful and elevated pursuit; its truth can be tested experimentally.
Aside from Firmicus, there were some less well-known writers who appear to be looking backward, but who in fact, would have been very much at home in Europe a thousand years later. Solinus who wrote a hodgepodge geography that was much used in the middle ages was interested in occult medicine. He sometimes refers to the discipline of the stars and repeats from earlier writers a description of the horoscope of the city of Rome itself. This particular retrospective horoscope apparently revealed that Rome's first foundation stone was laid by Romulus on the eleventh day of the Halends of May between the second and third hours when Jupiter was in Pisces, the Sun in Taurus, the Moon in Libra, and the other four planets in Scorpio.
The zodiac, the Greek word meaning "circle of animals," at this time had been meticulously categorized by careful observation into twelve distinct symbols which described the particular terrestrial situation when the Sun was in that part of the sky.
The sign Aries, then, the Ram, describes in its sudden rush, the initiate appearance of the spring corn, while Taurus, the Bull, denotes the gathering charge and the natural growth of plants and mating of animals. Gemini, symbolized by the Twins, expresses the proliferations and interconnection of the ecological pyramid. When the Sun is in the sign Cancer, the sign of the Crab, nature invariably seems to be full of liquid succulence, each plant and animal charged with the sap of life. At high summer Leo the Lion's strength and mane demonstrates the Sun's fiery power. Leo precedes Virgo which symbolizes the harvest and the seed for next year's season. The sign of Libra, the sign of the scales of balance, which signals the autumnal equinox, describes the process by which summer's heat becomes milder before the cooling off decay process of nature transforms into the sign of death in Scorpio. Sagittarius brings the year to a period of serious reflection, implied by the archer looking back as he gallops towards the winter solstice. The fish-goat sign of Capricorn denotes the transition point from the old to the new as the sun begins to climb again. The man pouring water to the ground, symbolized in the sign Aquarius, is the time of the winter rains, and the Fishes, Pisces, indicate the living but unseen movements beneath the soaking earth which precede Aries and the first day of spring, the commencement of the cycle.
Like other branches of knowledge, there was little progress in astrology during the Dark Ages. Astrology itself seemed to have vanished from western consciousness. Yet, in the tenth century, the civilization of the West was reawakened to the mysteries of astrology because of the emergence of Arabic translations that had been the only survivors of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin originals.
At any rate, the discovery of the Arabic manuscripts began a new era of astrological interest culminating with the masterly works of Abelard of Bath, who discussed the achievements of the East in regard to culture and science in comparison with the stagnant learning of the West. Abelard pointed out the influence of the planets on nations, and dovetailed his astrological wisdom with the sciences of mathematics and animal behavior. He was also an alchemist, a scientist who tried to turn base metals into gold. Although their experiments were doomed to failure, the alchemists paved the way for other modern sciences.
From the time of Abelard to the twelfth century, the original learning of the West was returned to it via Arabic translations, which added their own unique brand of eastern wisdom in passing. As the reawakening progressed, scholars demanded more and more knowledge, and there was a great rebirth of mathematics, astronomy, astrology and the experimental sciences.
The great awakening of knowledge led, of course, to many spectacular scholarly arguments, with the usual extremism on all sides. Although most of the people of the time were comfortable with both astrology and religion, scholars were fond of trying to prove that one or the other was "better" or even the "only" true knowledge. This began a division that exists to our day, with people erroneously assuming that if you believe in astrology, you can't believe in God and vice-versa.
In the twelfth century, some scholars contended that astrology was the only truth and that religion was all superstition. Other philosophers took exactly the opposite viewpoint. In spite of all, the common man took the sensible position that religion and astrology were perfectly compatible and could exist side by side.
It was during the Middle Ages that astrology began to branch out into its four branches as explained in Lesson One. These, again, are:
The writers of the Middle Ages were well aware of the meaning of astrology. Chaucer refers to astrological theory in a casual way, so as to intimate that astrology was not only accepted by the masses he portrayed, but that it was as much a part of their lives so as to be beyond debate. Astrological symbols and references are woven into the very fabric of his Canterbury Tales. As a matter of fact, Chaucer actually cast horoscopes for characters such as the lusty Wife of Bath. According to the good Wife, she owed her sensuousness to the fact that her horoscope placed Mars in Taurus.
Another medieval writer who placed heavy emphasis on astrology, side by side with religion, was the great Italian author, Dante Alighieri. References to astrology are contained throughout the Divine Comedy. Milton, Spenser and later Shakespeare used astrological allusions abundantly in their works.
As the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance, astronomy also enjoyed a rebirth of interest. In the latter part of the 13th century, mathematician Johannes Campanus is reported to have systematized the division of the horoscope into the twelve houses of the zodiac. Like Hippocrates and Paraclesus, the founders of medical theory, Campanus was a physician. He was both doctor and chaplain to Pope Urban IV. In the 15th century, Johann Muller, a professor of astronomy and author of several books on trigonometry, published a translation of another of Ptolemy's books on astronomy called Almagest.
During this period, astrology and astronomy were still intertwined, and one important exponent of both was Tycho Brahe, a Dane who lived in the 16th century. In addition to working with metal instruments, Brahe studied the tables of Copernicus (an early follower of astrology) and perfected and corrected them. He brought the study of the planets into such a precise form that his brilliant pupil, Johannes Kepler, used Brahe's study of the celestial bodies - particularly Mars - to discover his triple laws of universal gravitation. Other discoveries of Kepler were later utilized by Sir Isaac Newton in his study of dynamics. (Sir Isaac was also an astrologer.)
Kepler was an avid astrologer and designed one of the early telescopes to assist him in his study. Kepler strongly believed that astrology and religion were irreversibly enmeshed. It was his feeling that God made man from the elements, and the elements were absorbed by man from the stars as man absorbed food and drink. From this, he concluded, that "man must also, like the elements, be subject to the influence of the planets."
Galileo made many scientific inquiries into clocks and telescopes. He, too, was an astrologer who wrote and published two books containing horoscopes which were personally erected by him.
The most famous astronomer of all during this period was Michel de Notre-Dame, known popularly as "Nostradamus." Many of his predictions came true in his lifetime; others came true shortly afterward, such as the rise of Cromwell and the birth of Napoleon. He also predicted the exact date of the end of World War II.
It was said of Nostradamus that he feared that the world was not ready for the whole truth and that he was afraid of adverse effects from some of his predictions. Consequently, he wrote many of his predictions in deliberately obscure verses which astrologers who followed him to this day have been trying to decipher.
William Lilly was the most renowned astrologer of the following century. Typical of the age in which he lived he was very knowledgeable in a number of arts and crafts, from medicine to writing. (Note how many astrologers were also in the field of medicine.) He was a professional astrologer who wrote one of the earliest books of prophecies in "almanack" form. He also published a famous book called Christian Astrology, modestly treated of in three volumes. He had a penchant for solving crimes by horoscope and for predicting calamities. One such prediction brought him a great deal of notoriety. By careful mundane astrology he forecast and announced the fact that a large fire would take place soon in London. Not long afterward the great fire of London broke out and Lilly was summoned before the committee of inquiry set up by the House of Commons. He was eventually acquitted of any wrongdoing since he had only forecast the fire but had nothing to do with its origin.
During this same 16th and 17th century period very learned men studied astrology along with philosophy, theology, medicine, law, physics and mathematics. Since the study of these subjects required readings in many different languages, the scholars of the time routinely learned languages other than their own, in addition to ancient Latin, Greek and sometimes Arabic and Hebrew.
Those were the days of educational and wealth separation, either a man was very rich and very well educated, or he was very poor and had no education at all. Typically, there were people who took advantage of the situation. The highly scientific inquiries of the scholar were plagiarized, and watered down to simplistic notions and sold to the poor in their most elemental form. Astrology was no exception. For those who had some knowledge of reading, there were "penny dreadfuls" in their early forms of almanacs and handbooks. For the completely illiterate, there were charlatan star-gazers and others who would write what they called a horoscope in an instant for whatever fee the traffic would bear. Unfortunately there are many who do it today.
Naturally, these excesses cast the science of astrology in a poor light as being the property of fakery and quackery. Johannes Kepler pointed out that the uneducated were an easy mark for these sensational predictions, portents and signs to give meaning to their lives of "quiet desperation." Kepler accurately predicted that astrological frauds would prey on these instincts, but insisted that this in no way discredited legitimate astrological pursuits, no more than medical quacks discredit licensed physicians.
In spite of the efforts of Kepler and other scientists, these charlatans cast a gray cloud over the science of astrology in the eighteenth century.
It was not until the later 19th century that astrology again rose, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the charlatans. One of the reasons for the renewed interest was the closer contact with nations of the Far East, particularly India.
Two writers in particular are responsible for the rebirth of astrology in the late 19th and early 20th century. One was a man, Alan Leo; the other a woman, Isabelle Pagan. These two astrologers performed extensive research into ancient astrological texts and have written what are considered by astrologers to be classics. Alan Leo's works on the position of the Moon at the hour of one's birth are still foundations for present texts, and Isabelle Pagan's penetrating analyses of character determinants according to zodiac signs are the basis of serious astrological studies today.
In our century, much of the hokum formerly associated with astrology has disappeared. We still have "instant" horoscopes in the daily papers and there are those who take them quite seriously. The sober student knows that these are very general in nature and give only the broadest analysis of people born in any year under the widest range of their sign. Yet, it would seem that the "daily horoscopes" are taken only as seriously as they are intended, and that there is a tremendous revitalization of interest in the deeper and more scientific aspects of astrology.
The number of people currently interested in astrology on a world wide basis is legion, but to illustrate the compatibility of modern astrology with modern science, let us consider two stalwarts in the world of twentieth-century science - Albert Einstein and Carl G. Jung.
Einstein, of course, needs no introduction. This greatest modern scientist of them all had a deep rooted respect for astrology and is quoted as having a marked appreciation for the "cosmic religious sense." By this, Einstein meant that the heavens played an incontrovertible part in the destiny of mankind and his physical world.
Carl Jung is perhaps less renowned, but among astrologers he is a guiding light. Jung was the protege of the often mentioned Sigmund Freud, and, even though he later disagreed with Freud on several points, Jung remains one of the very greatest psychiatrists of all time.
Dr. Jung devoted the time necessary to establish the relationship between behavior of people and the movement of the stars.
He went so far as to cast the horoscopes of 800 of his married patients and to compare the findings in a scientific work called Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche. Jung studied the combinations of the Sun and Moon signs as they related to husband and wife. Jung, who had an astrologer as a member of his staff, was quoted by Astrologie Moderne as saying:
"There have been many striking analogies between the astrological and the psychological event or the horoscope and the characterological disposition . . . One can expect with considerable assurance that a given well-defined psychological situation will be accompanied by an analagous astrological configuration. Astrology consists of configurations symbolic of the collective unconscious, which is the subject matter of psychology." Lesser known was Dr. L.D. Broughton, who wrote in the Monthly Planet Reader, Jan. 1, 1861, that the secession of South Carolina would lead to civil war (an idea widely scoffed at then.) Dr. Broughton also accurately predicted that the nation would not see peace until the summer of 1865. Dr. Broughton's work was based on the pioneering principle that the passage of Uranus through Gemini was a hostile omen. Later many astrologers would forecast a major war when Uranus next returned to Gemini - which occurred in 1941 and 1942.
Mark Twain was another famous person who dealt in astrology as an avocation. He no doubt might have done more in astrology if he had known that his charting of his own death was more accurate than he dared dream.
Although astrology is a pure science, containing many unproven theories similar to such sciences as physics and chemistry, many people have used astrological predictions to definite financial advantage. While it has been common for years in eastern countries for businessmen to consult their astrologers before making important commitments, western business people are just beginning to realize the distinct advantage of this practice (which may explain why many eastern countries have a decided stability while western civilization seems to be in a constant state of turmoil).
A notable exception to this generality was J. Pierpont Morgan, who regularly employed a sincere (and very successful) astrologer named Evangeline Adams. Evangeline had an office in Carnegie Hall from which she advised many outstanding individuals at what was then considered (early 20's) a very high fee of $25 per hour. Actors and actresses by the dozens, including the great Caruso, regularly appeared at her door, in addition to the solons of Wall Street. Later in her life, she was sponsored by a consumer product company in a program which was aired nightly to millions of radio listeners. She also wrote many popular books, including the best-selling The Bowl of Heaven.
Today, once again, astrology is a revered and honored serious study which has touched the educated masses with the astounding depth of its logical beauty. This transitional process has occurred for a number of definable reasons. People in general, have been let down by the conclusions which astronomy (and related sciences) have arrived at in describing man's relationship to the universe and are looking and relying more and more on astrological interpretation. Another contributing reason is that many highly accepted and respected sciences are gathering evidence data describing an integrated network of celestial, terrestrial, and ecological relationships. These vast studies have revealed a relationship between occurring phenomena on earth and certain astrological configurations. Many of the ancient traditions which guided our brothers and sisters of the past are commanding (and getting) the respect of our contemporary scholars and professionals. Certainly no intelligent person can deny that advanced physics and psychology are on the frontiers of philosophy and mysticism. Now that the earth is being viewed as a whole, known to be influenced by galactic, stellar, solar, and planetary forces, many astrological laws are constantly being verified and the process will certainly expand as we discover more and more about our relationship to the universe. Astrology is now in the process of being honored, as it was in the past, by those who perceive no separation between Heaven and Earth.
No one needs proof of the popularity of astrology in our day. A quick review of the books and magazines at the nearest bookstore should provide plenty of evidence. Such respected journals as Science and the Wall Street Journal have published articles sympathetic to astrology. There are over 30,000,000 people in the United States alone who now have a more than passing interest in astrology and the number grows every day.
Recent world-wide recognition of astrology as a useful science appeared as a result of statements by two outstanding men - one in the Eastern Hemisphere and one in the Western Hemisphere.
In Czechoslovakia, Dr. Eugen Jonas, a reknowned psychiatrist, revealed that he had been charting his women patients' horoscopes since the 1950's. Relying on these charts, he has been able to determine their fertile periods with a 98% degree of accuracy. He has also, by use of these charts, been able to decrease deformations of birth, avoid miscarriages and even enable his clients, in many instances, to choose the sex of their new born. As a result, the vast majority of Czech women rely on his charts rather than any artificial devices, pills or drugs which often produce side effects.
In New York City a former President of the Board of Education, Isaiah Robinson recommends that astrology should be used among the 1,100,000 school children under his jurisdiction. He indicated that if you place certain children in with certain teachers, conflict will be present just because they have certain birth signs which produce this aura of conflict.
The history of astrology reads very much like a graph of the stock market. (The New York Stock Market receives an average of 7 phone calls a week requesting the time, date and exact location of the beginning of the stock market!) During the days of prejudice, astrology was clouded by lack of knowledge. Now that the public mood is one of open mindedness and world wide communication is instantaneous, astrology has bloomed and is flourishing like a geranium after a long winter.
During all ages, there have been those who would take advantage of the public's readiness to believe anything that can be "foreseen" about the future. The serious astrologer must fight not only the narrowness of those with closed and empty minds, he must carry the standard against those who would in all earnestness delude the public into thinking that a casual glance at the heavens can foretell the coming events of people, of the world and of the universe.
Conclusion
The functions of astrology for your own personal benefit, and on a much broader scale, society in general are endless. We will specify a few here for introductory purposes for you, but we want you to understand that the potential number of uses or benefits in Astrology is equal to the infinite number of possible zodiacal combinations. It will take you some time to become proficient in this field because you are dealing with a profound science which concerns itself with the improvement of human existence both on the individual and societal basis.
Most of the people who will approach you for astrological assistance will want to know immediately just how it is that astrology can help them. You, as a qualified astrologer, can be helpful to them in an infinite number of ways. Here are just a few of the areas in which your astrological services can be helpful to your client.
HEALTH
One of the most crucial areas of service the astrologer can provide is advising his client of his fundamental health potential. This is a very delicate field and we have a very specialized segment of study devoted to it so that you will be quite competent to provide solid advice in this area. Using traditional astrology, it is also possible to warn which areas of the body may be weak and should be specially watched and checked by a doctor and at what times this is likely to happen.
CAREER GUIDANCE
You, as a qualified astrologer, will be able to provide your client with invaluable advice as far as what occupational potential he possesses and in which field he is most likely to succeed. We also devotes precious study time in an Advanced Course to this most delicate area of professional advice. Many will come to you, in this particular area, because they are restless in their present job, and they feel they need a change. You can direct them to make the most beneficial moves along these lines.
LOVE GUIDANCE
Probably one of the most fascinating and most demanded astrological services available to your client is guidance through their love and sex problems. This area of astrological phenomena is referred to as SYNASTRY (a term for the comparison of birth charts). In Synastry you, as the astrologer, by careful chart comparison can assess just how well two people are suited for each other. You can define for them the areas they are most likely to get along in, and those areas in which they are most likely to experience disagreement. You can also define sexual potential, attitude, and feelings and guide people through the natural traumas that they will undoubtedly experience. Are you beginning to realize the incredibly significant position you are about to occupy in society? The advice that you can ferret out to clients will be both professional and accurate. You will be able to patch up failing marriages, to recommend remedies and cures to all the ills of love. You are becoming a refined specialist in every sense of the word. In every marriage there are difficult times, and as an astrologer, you will not only be able to see such periods approaching, but you will also be quite capable to differentiate between a permanent break and temporary ones.
FAMILY AND CHILD GUIDANCE
You can also guide people through the natural inherent family problems which any family is sure to experience. You can advise parents on how best to deal with their children and also on just what to expect from different children as far as emotional problems are concerned. You will be able to assist in every phase of the natural domestic experience. The personal insight and wisdom which you gain will only be exceeded by the individual and social benefits which are derived from your concentrated analysis.
SELF KNOWLEDGE
Most people, although they do not want to admit it, do not know as much about themselves as they would really want to. This is an area where astrology can be of incredible significance for everyday people. Astrology can accurately reveal, through a careful analysis of the transits, the days when someone may be feeling strangely impatient or those peculiar days when their temper may be snappy. So too the easy days when someone will feel particularly relaxed are readily evident in your careful analysis of their horoscope.
In short, (once you have completed our prescribed course of study and attained our standard levels of competency) you will then assume the position of an astrologer and place yourself among that select group of people who dedicate their lives to guiding other people through the most delicate periods of their lives. If you are not interested in practicing professionally you can simply employ your knowledge to further your self-wisdom and to help your close ones, family and friends. You may also want to practice just for a hobby. The possibilities are endless. The knowledge you will gain from your practice is a more complete understanding of why the world is the way it is and the reasons for all the incredibly different types of people. You will know the whys to all the questions which perplex you.
We will now, in the next lesson, turn to the specifics of Astrology. You will often be called upon to defend astrology and/or why you believe in it. The first 2 lessons give you the answers for this type question. You don't have to memorize those 2 lessons, but you should have the knowledge contained therein at your fingertips. In this way no one will be able to ridicule or attack your belief in Astrology.
ASTROLOGICAL AGES TIME TABLE
8423 B.C. begin Cancer Age
6274 B.C. begin Gemini Age
4125 B.C. begin Taurus Age
1976 B.C. begin Aries Age
544 B.C. begin Sagittarius sub-age
365 B.C. begin Capricorn sub-age
186 B.C. begin Aquarius sub-age
7 B.C. begin Pisces sub-age
172 A.D. begin Pisces Age (Aries sub-age)
351 A.D. begin Taurus sub-age
530 A.D. begin Gemini sub-age
709 A.D. begin Cancer sub-age
888 A.D. begin Leo sub-age
1067 A.D. begin Virgo sub-age
1246 A.D. begin Libra sub-age
1425 A.D. begin Scorpio sub-age
1604 A.D. begin Sagittarius sub-age
1783 A.D. begin Capricorn sub-age
1962 A.D. begin Aquarius sub-age
2141 A.D. begin Pisces sub-age
2320 A.D. begin Aquarius Age