AS ABOVE, SO BELOW: What is Astrology and How Does it Work?

So, you’ve heard about astrology and maybe you know your sun sign and a few basic personality traits related to that sign. Or maybe you even know a bit more than that by reading a few descriptions of things in a book. But do you feel like you understand what astrology is and how it works?

Spoiler. Astrology isn’t just a series of memes or a silly parlor trick.

It is actually a really nuanced and complex language that can be an amazing tool for making meaning out of your life, purpose, self, others and the world at large. And knowing it can be one of the most profound and healing ways of becoming more authentically YOU and living the life of your dreams.   

So, what is astrology?

I always find it funny that people say they don’t “believe in” astrology and while I understand the sentiment, it doesn’t make sense in my mind because astrology is not a belief system. It is a language.  Saying you don’t believe in astrology would be like saying you don’t believe in Japanese…as though it’s in question whether the Japanese language exists.  And we all know that it very much exists.  That’s just a fact.

Often times, people say they don’t believe in astrology when what they really mean is that they aren’t feeling resonance with what they’ve heard of astrology.  Perhaps they don’t identify with an astrologer’s interpretation of their sign.  Or they heard that certain signs aren’t compatible, but they are in a loving relationship with their “incompatible” lover.  There are many reasons why someone might feel turned off to astrology given the way it is often misrepresented, the main one being that most of the astrology we hear in media, on the internet, etc. is based solely on sun signs.  And your sun sign, although important, is just a fraction of your whole chart.  It’s like one sentence in the whole multi-volume story of you.

The basic idea behind astrology (which btw, has been around for centuries and was originally based on many years of observation), is that what happens in the Cosmos, is reflected on Earth (and vice versa). That the patterns we perceive happening there, are also happening here on Earth.  We mirror each other.

As above, So below

When you were born, the planets were located in particular places in the sky and relating to each other through angles, from the vantage point of Earth. Imagine that this map of the sky then imprinted on you as you came into this world. That you are now the complexity of that moment moving through this life and interacting with everyone else who is also an imprint of the moment they were born.  So, you are the Sun in whatever sign it was in the moment of your birth, but you are also the Moon and where it was, Venus where it was, the relationship between Venus and your Sun, and so on and so forth with all the planets and all the relationships happening in that moment.  This creates a lot of parts within you, relating in various ways, harmonious and conflicting alike.  And then, in each moment since your birth, including this very one while you are reading this, the planets are relating with your imprint in various ways and affecting the way your life unfolds. But I digress. That’s a blog post for another day.

Sounds complex, right?  This complexity and nuance is why we are all unique beings with varying personalities, interests, values, and paths!  And why who you are as a “insert sun sign here” or how a transit will affect you can’t really be summed up in an instagram post. Like I said before, who you actually are could fill volumes of books and requires weaving together a story out of many parts and relationships between parts of you. Its juicy stuff!

How does astrology work?

The ancients who learned this language of the sky, gave each of the planets, the places in the sky they were moving through, and the relationships between them names and attributes by observing what was happening up there and what was happening down here simultaneously until patterns of potentials began emerging.  And those patterns have been refined over time into the archetypal language we now know as astrology.  There are many different branches of astrology that differ in a lot of ways, but they are all archetypal languages based on the relationship between the Cosmos and life on Earth.  

You might be wondering what the heck an archetype even is?

An archetype is a first model or prototype, if you will, of a concept/idea/trait that is universally understood.  The planets and signs are astrological archetypes that we all relate with in different ways, but that we ALL know and recognize. Since we all know these archetypes, we understand and recognize them in others.  

For example, you might know a few people who have important astrological placements (Sun, Moon, Rising) in the sign of Virgo. If you observed these few people, you would likely notice that there are some similarities between them, but that they are quite different people, as well. Maybe they all love to be of service in some way, or like to plan and organize certain things. These are archetypal Virgoan traits that might be expressing themselves in wildly different ways, but are there nonetheless. Each of us has every planet and every sign in our natal chart (that imprint from the moment you were born). You are able to see these Virgoan traits in others because you also have Virgo in your chart (even if you don’t have any planets or other important points there). 

I think of it like this…

Each of us has all the planets and all the signs in our charts, but in this life, we are here to express, embody, and learn about the energies of the signs in which we have planets and points.  We can think of them as our wheelhouses or domains for this life.  Some of us are working just a few archetypal energies, and some of us are working quite a few. It depends on your chart.

For example, I have a lot of planets in the signs of Pisces and Aquarius, so my traits/interests/gifts/experiences tend towards the realms of spirituality/creativity/dreams (Pisces) and information/humanity/visionary pursuits (Aquarius). I still have all the signs in my chart, but I am here to represent and work with the archetypal energies of Pisces and Aquarius in this life.  Another person might have a lot of planets in Taurus and Capricorn and they would be here to express and work with the energies of steadiness/pleasure seeking/beauty (Taurus) and integrity/legacy building/practicality (Capricorn). 

This is a simplistic breakdown because there are sooooo many other considerations, as well, but you get the idea, right?

You are a complex being living a complex existence and your chart is a map to help you navigate the nuance. It can help you learn about and accept all that you are here to embody/express/experience.  And in those moments when you feel lost, it can help you remember who you are and why you are here.

That is POWERFUL. 

I hope this musing helped you understand this ancient and magical language a little better. If you want some help getting to know yourself and remembering your purpose in this life through astrology, I would be honored to guide you!  Check out my offerings to learn more.