stellArium & ethereal counterparts

  Twelve bronze animals of the Chinese zodiac from the Garden of Perfect Brightness. (ArThemis) Astrology is based on a set of universal principles. In Western astrology, each person’s chart carries energetic patterns that present a multitude of options at any given moment, depending on factors such as environmental, socioeconomic and cultural circumstances, as well as karmic load, DNA, and innate abilities. In other words, a birth chart is not a map of frozen formulas. When combined with elements like consciousness and free will, it offers insight into how we attract and experience situations, as well as how we respond and make choices at pivotal moments. Every astrological inquiry depends on the unique energetic structure of a chart, the specific context, the timing of events, and the astrologer’s capacity to interpret all these layers meaningfully. It is not about offering a one-size-fits-all answer, but rather about uncovering a deeper awareness of how an individual is naturall...

. . . Even if the Great Year, typically described as a roughly 25,920-year cycle caused by the precession of the equinoxes, is best known today from Plato’s writings and later Hellenistic astrology— the concept of long cosmic cycles was shared across ancient cultures and their astrological systems: it is part of a shared ancient understanding of time as cyclical rather than linear. Astrology is part of only a handful of cultural traditions. Each astrological system reflects the distinct worldview and philosophical foundations of its culture. These systems can generally be categorized as either solar-based or lunar-based, which reflects the broader cosmological emphasis of their respective traditions. The connection between planetary positions and personality traits for instance, is mostly emphasized in Western astrology, which is a very recent system compared to all others. It is rooted in Greco-Roman thought, later influenced by Renaissance humanism, and the modern field of psychology...