What is astrology?
Astrology is the study of the connection between the motions and positions of celestial objects and events on Earth. It is one of the most well-known and accepted methods of divination.
Since the beginning of civilization, human beings have looked at the sky with a sense of awe and have observed, studied, and recorded the movement of the stars, planets, and the moon.
Our ancestors have used astrology to forecast the weather and changing of seasons. This knowledge was used primarily in agriculture, as a basis when to plant and harvest crops. In the course of time astrology was used to predict events, natural disasters, to guide kings, emperors, and rulers in conquering lands, and in making decisions. They used their findings of the celestial bodies as a tool to survive.
Astrology has evolved into more than just a tool for survival. Combined with science, psychology, geography, math, and other studies, astrology is used as a means of divination – to find meaning and insight. For some mysterious reasons, the patterns in the sky, the planets, and our birth chart manifest events and possible occurrences on earth.
Today, the most widely-accepted and prominent practices in astrology are Jyotisha or Vedic, Chinese, and Western astrology.
How does astrology work?
Our birth or astrological chart present images of the positions of the sun, moon, planets and their angle, at the time of our birth. An astrologer analyzes and interprets our birth chart and will provide insight of how the unique position and movement of the celestial bodies at the exact moment we were born are connected with our lives.
Through an astrologer’s translation, we learn more about our personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, relationship, clues into their future, and everything else that affect our spirit. A reading will give us a comprehensive view of our lives and points us to the right direction in terms of our career paths, the events you will most likely experience in your lifetime, your relationships, skills and talents, and many more.
Why is astrology getting popular?
One of the reasons is that we are interconnected through the internet.
Astrology is gaining recognition and acceptance online especially the internet-savvy millennials and gen X, who have access to astrological information at their disposal.
What used to be only found in newspaper and magazine columns has grown into hundreds of websites that does not only focus on horoscopes but have delved into love, career, money, health, compatibility, home, relationship, and other important areas of life.
We all know our Sun sign or star sign. It is a simplified practice of astrology which looks at the position of the earth and the surrounding constellations and planets at the time of birth, which is located inside one of the twelve zodiac signs: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius.
These, and other important aspects such as our moon, ascendant, midheaven signs, and other details of our personal natal chart are calculated and read by an astrologer can be found online.
In-depth readings of other methods of divination that uses astrology or are a great complement to astral readings such as tarot and numerology are also available online. Tarot Prophet, for example, gives a 3-card tarot reading for free.
These personalized and free readings that are available at our fingertips also explains why astrology is gaining popularity.
Another reason is that astrology helps us understand life’s mysteries and why we act like we do, why we are more attracted to certain personalities, among others. These insights into the characteristics of people we interact with help us to better adjust to each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It also helps us resolve conflicts as a result of differences of personality traits.
When faced with trials, hardships, grief, depression, or anxiety, we turn to astrology for guidance.
Readings give certainty in trying times. It is normal for us to explore tools that enable us see what to expect in the future, what energies are coming into or surrounding our lives in the coming days, or to know when is the best time to take action to resolve a conflict or achieve our goals. These knowledge allow us to be positive, combat stress, and make decisions easily.
To attain more control over your life, we seek the help of professional astrologers to guide us in choosing the perfect date to get married, or get the exact timing to successfully launch a business, buy or sell our homes, schedule surgery, travel, relocate, and other very important life decisions.
Lastly, Vedic astrology aids spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, and mantra practices which have become increasingly observed these days.
In Vedic astrology, our astrological chart tells us the type of spiritual practices that best suit our true self. But at its core, it is all about creating balance through these practices of relaxation, happiness, escaping materialism, and spiritual growth – something that we all strive for in the modern world.
Final thoughts.
Astrology, although still considered by some as controversial, is exponentially gaining praise and following. This is because people have realized that astrology is not fortune-telling. It is more valuable than that.
Astrology, in its essence, is about knowing who we really are, why we are here, and why things are happening. We look at astrology as a tool that we can use to judge or understand things that we cannot grasp.
We are all connected because of the internet. However, we are bombarded with bad news more than we can handle online because it sells well than good news. Mystical knowledge and insight are important because they liberate us from the negativities that we are experiencing on a daily basis. Inside, we are positive that things will turn out okay.
The information we learn from astrology, like any other disciplines, allows us to navigate life’s uncertainties and offers alternative ways of coping and surviving. When used correctly as a tool, it can help us look at ourselves in ways we haven’t considered and give us purpose so we can reach our greatest potential.
Whatever situation we are in, astrology will always be a fun and great source of information worth exploring.
