Imagine you are standing in the open air, facing the Sun at its highest point - at noon. As Sun is in front of you, you are facing the direction South. On your left is East, on your right is West. Behind you is North.
Because the Zodiac Wheel turns every day, and every month, the Zodiac Sign that you will be facing (though - not seeing) will depend upon the season.
Below is the configuration of Zodiac Wheel in Summer Solstice, 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere, as it perfectly represents what Zodiac Wheel is all about.
On your left is East, and this represents Spring Equinox.
In front of you, where the Sun is at its peak during the day, high above - is South, and Summer Solsctice.
On your right, there is West, and the point of Autumn Equinox.
Bahind you is the North, and Winter Solstice point.
On your left-front - you have the rising Spring Signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini.
On your right-front - you have the peaking and descending Signs of Summer: Crab, Leo, Virgo.
On your -right/back - you have descending Signs of Autumn: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius.
On your left-back - you have ascending Signs of Winter: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.
You can already feel how different qualities Zodiac Signs may have, according to the rhytms of Nature.
The highest point of the Sun in the sky is similar to its daily route. We have days and nights - as we have bright and dark season.
Mornings are like Spring.
Afternoons are like Summer
Evenings are like Autumn
Nights are like Winter.
In this way we can now feel each quarter of the Zodiac Wheel, its vibe. What happens in the morning and up until noon? What happenes in the afternoons? What we usually do in the evenings? And night is of course for most of us - the time of sleep, rest and dreaming.
So contemplate on this for a little while..
In the next part, you will deepend your understanding of the Zodiac Wheel in regard to the Tree of Life.
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Tree of Life
The Wheel of the Year (which is Zodiac) rules Seasons, and this we can see directly in nature, in the symbolic Tree of Life, a sacred and meaningful symbol around the world.
If we place it in the center, early Spring twigs are on the left (East) where the sign of Aries is, and where the Nature in the Northern Hemisphere is waking up to life, buzzing and making its quick progress.
A month later, those twigs turn into flowers (as this is a garden tree, bearing fruits). This is the month of Taurus.
In late May and in June, the tree is flush with fresh greenery, and the air is buzzing with life.
More about it later in the part: Journey Through The Year - the Zodiac Circle.
As with the Seasons observed in Nature, there is a time for growth and there is a time for rest. Each sign of the Zodiac has a particular vibe, that we can decode, observing what is going on in Nature, and what people tend to do when they live in tune with the changing Seasons, the turning of the Wheel of the Year.
I invite you to contemplate your own Tree of Life, wherever you live, according to your place. Perhaps you live more up North, where Spring starts a bit later. This would mean, that people born under the sign of Aries are more delicate in their nature, not as robust as in the South, where Spring starts earlier. Make some notes of your observations.
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The Four Quarters
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| Spring quarter is more focused on Self Summer quarter is more focused on Home Autumn quarter is more focused on Others Winter quarter is more focused on the World |
The Spring signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini are mostly centered about Self.
The Summer signs: Crab, Leo, Virgo are mostly concerned with Home.
The Autumn signs: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius are mostly centered on Relations, Others.
The Winter signs: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, are mostly concerend with the World.
This relates to the seasonal activities people were performing over the centuries.
From this observation, insights and intuition, people have notices, over the ages, that people and events being born during the a specifc month have some similar attributes and attitudes. This we can translate to our modern understanding.
Starting with the East and Aries - this was for centuries a sign of New Year, Rebirth and Renewal, and Easter holiday comes always within this Zodiac sign. It takes its name from the lambing season - the promise of survival. Aries is sometimes a Lamb, sometimes a Ram. The more passive side of Aries is 'Being' and the more active side is 'Adapting'.
Taurus the Bull, is well known as a sign of wealth, of fertility. Its passive side is 'Having' - they perceive themsleves and the world throuh these lense, and of course they want to have a lot of fine things, so the active side is 'Accumulating'. This is why people born in this month can work hard, and are sturdy to achieve what they want.
Gemini, the two people palying or talking - are about intelligence, the use of the mind, thinking processes. They love to connect with others and have connections.
Study each sign and see if the people you know, and the Sun sign under which they were born, relates to those traits. You may understand them better.
To help you with this, we have another wheel, that will explain how each Zodiac sign is relating to the world:
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| Sun-Wheel and Zodiac Characters copyright Rena Sance |
Let's start with Summer signs:
Crab people are mostly about Feelings, and they are very protective, 'Protection' is their way of life.
We can translate it as I feel - I need, as they understand their own needs and those of closed ones, especially family members.
Leo sign is about creative, joyful energy. Playing and Recreation are the main forces, and they like to get what they want. This makes them a bit funny and royal at the same time. It is often said, that life is a stage they are on.
And Vrigo, a very down-to-earth sign knows what to do, according to rules, procedures, and likes to fill in the obligations, duties. When Virgo see something to do - he/she will do it. I see - I do. But 'seeing' is also understnading. Virgo needs to reason what he/she is doing and why, what purpose does it serve. It has to be tangible.
This chart will help you understand more the people you meet in your life. Astrology is about learning the perspective of others, and honoring it; not impose or project your own values onto others.
Contemplate each sign, and try to feel, see and sense for a moment their worldview.
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Houses - Domains of Life
As of above character traits, there is also a correlation to material matters in each sign and this is very helpful when you want to consider placement of other planets and the Moon in any given astro-chart.
Hereis a quick-view description of what each Zodiac sign represents in astrology:
As you we go along the wheel we will have more clear ideas what each sign represent and how rich this meaning is.
Libra, for example, is about Esteem (also as in estimation, calculation, and respect), Culture, Contracts, Court (law, marriage), Rest (what we activiely do to rest, like going to the theatre or art gallery), and Parnters.
Scorpio is about Passion, Power, Secrecy, Scrutiny, Military and Posessions. When you read those lines, you get a sense of how this sign operates. It is very powerful, almost militant-like, loves investigating secrets in any way, and is always very passionate, especially about power as authority or empowering others.
Sagittarius stands for Curiosity, Sincerity, Ethics, Philosophy, Adventure, Travel. each Sagittarius loves to expands his/her horizons, go beyound, have adventures, is interested in life from more philosophical point and relates to other often in a blunt way as sincerity is at its core, but it does not mean to hurt anyone.
This chart will help you further on with the placement of other celestial bodies in an astro-chart of any particular person.
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Sun, Moon and the Planets
As the Sun, Moon and other planets go round the sky (the ecliptic) they pinpoint a segments of time (vibe) where we are born. It is interesting to know what they tell about our personalities.
Each of the planets have a vast range of meaning but for an easy grasp - it may come down to one simple and single term:
SUN - Core
MOON - Mood
MERCURY - Mind
VENUS - Heart
MARS - Will
JUPITER - Role
SATURN - Lore
We start the astro-chart analysis with Sun placement. This is a general core of a person.
Moon is the second most important object, influencing our life on Earth in quite remarkable way. This may translate as our general Mood in life, what emotions, feeling we usually have and experience.
Mercury is our Mind, how we think, what we like to think about, how our mind works, what we put our attention to, what we are interested in.
Venus is our Heart and this relates to our relations with the whole world, what we like and dislike and of course - how we perceive Love in partnership - what we give and what we expect to receive.
Mars describes our Will, ways of action, what is our bheaviour, what we tend to fight for, what is our drive, but also where conflicts may occur.
Jupiter directs us to the field of our Role in life - in general terms. It may reffer to career, but hardly on its own. It is what role-models we follow, what inspires us.
Saturns refers to the Lore - both the ancestors but also what lore we want to leave for future generations. It connects past and future. It tells about the background we came from that influences us in a subtle ways all our life.
Let's have another look:
SUN - Core - (Persona)
MOON - Mood - (Emotions, Habits)
MERCURY - Mind - (Thinking)
VENUS - Heart - (Love, Likes)
MARS - Will - (Action)
JUPITER - Role - (Inspiration, Guidance)
SATURN - Lore - (Heritage)
As it happens, those seven main celestial bodies corelate to the chakra system in our bodies.
The Solar System is a big Chakra System:
Sun is the Crown, shining over us and around us, and when we awaken - also through us.
Moon is the Third Eye. In a dormant state - it rules over our emotional life and moods - hence women and men with stron Moon - are so variable in their behaviour and reactions - because of the Moon cycles. When person is awakened - it gives Intuition and contact with upper planes.
Mercury is the Throat Chakra. Communication. Speech. Thinking. Inteligence. In dormant state it tends to tell half-truths, when we awaken it is an ability to create spells - words of power.
Venus is the Heart Chakra. In unawaken person it is usually full of likes and dislikes (grudge), and the pursuit of happiness, pleasure and material love. When awaken it is unconditional love to all.
Mars is the Solar Plexus. The name is somewhat incoherent, yet the Will sits in our stomach. In normal life this is the sit of our ego-driven impulses. Awaken person have the Will to change the world even if it is on a very small scale.
Jupiter is the Sacral Chakra. Here, ideas and babies are born. And we know with our gut feeling what is right for us - this is the guidance - if we are awakened. Otherwise we folow the rules and roles of society which not always are coherent with our own true values.
Saturn is the Root Chakra. What we have inherited from our ancestrors, our lineage, and what we will likey leave when the body goes into ashes, into the roots. Saturn means serious business and this is what we are most serious about in our life, what matters most in the background of our awareness. Also what we have brought from our family home, what was most important to the family patterns. In awakene state Saturn becomes a sage, a wise person who can teach others about the subject related to the Zodiac sign.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are generation planets, and they bring a vibe, an aura and issues related to whole generations of people. Having such a planet near one of the other, more personal ones, means that you are somehow involved in generational aspects of life.
Look at your own chart, which you can easily aquire for free in many websites, and see how the planets may form your character. Are there any striking revelations? Perhaps you will need a bit more time to contemplate each planet at a time, as this is a lot of knowledge, as you can see.
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Planets as Rulers
The main seven celestial bodies are rulers of one or two Zodiac signs. This means they 'feel' at best there. For example, Mercury (Mind) 'rules', and 'feels' very good in Gemini and Virgo.
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| Zodiac Signs and their Benefactors. |
The Sun rules Leo.
The Moon rules Crab.
Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo.
Venus rules Taurus and Libra.
Mars rules Aries and Scorpio.
Jupiter rules Pisces and Sagittarius.
Saturn rules Aquarius and Capricorn.
If you have any of the planets in its ruling sign - it means its influence is very strong.
On the other hand - if any of the planets is in the opposing sign, ex. Moon in Capricorn - it means its influence is weaker and somewhat challenging.
This is why those born in Aquarius are a bit 'off' as this is a sign where the Sun is in opposition to its ruler - Leo. Those people feel distant and detached for the most part, even if they involve in somemthing it is more of a dream-like state, not being quite here, having their heads above, which means also being inventive.
With such knowledge and approach, it is easier to understand the complexities of astrology and an individual astro-chart. It becomes easier to interpret the various positions and aspects and relate them to our life - for better understanding, for inner growth, for Knowing Thyself and others.
Next part is dives deeper into the Zodiac Wheel.
