Astrology

Start writing...What most people know about astrology is their "sign," which refers to one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. This is a form of sun-sign astrology, which is the astrology upon which newspaper horoscopes are based. It is probably the simplest form, because nothing more than the date of someone's birthday is needed to generate a sun-sign horoscope.
Astrology is the study of the influence that distant cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, have on human lives. The position of the sun, stars, moon and planets at the time of people's birth (not their conception) is said to shape their personality, affect their romantic relationships and predict their economic fortunes, among other divinations.
Some divide astrology by the end result that is intended
Astrology divides the circumference of the sky into twelve equal compartments — six within the visible sky, and six within the sky that is not visible to us due to it’s being on the opposite side of the earth.

Unlike the stellar constellations, or signs, which appear to rotate through the night sky, the houses remain fixed in their place. In other words, the first house always begins at the eastern horizon, and the seventh house always begins at the western horizon.

Mundane Astrology - This is used to examine world events and make predictions about national affairs, wars and economies.
Interrogatory Astrology - This branch can be further subdivided, but generally refers to astrology that seeks to make specific predictions or analyses about the subject's objectives or events within the subject's life.
Natal Astrology - This is what most people think of when they think of astrology. Natal Astrology seeks to make predictions and analyses based on the date of a person's birth. It's based on the idea that everything that happens to something is expressed at the very beginning of that thing, sometimes known as the Law of Beginnings
Astronomy is a science that studies everything outside of the earth's atmosphere, such as planets, stars, asteroids, galaxies; and the properties and relationships of those celestial bodies. Astronomers base their studies on research and observation. Astrology, on the other hand, is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth. If you're interested in the solar system and the planets, other celestial objects like asteroids and comets, other galaxies and the rest of the universe, what makes up space, and the possibility of alien life or space travel, astronomy is the field you're considering.
Vedic astrology has been practiced since before recorded history. For instance, ancient Indian culture used a calendrical system that relied on accurate tracking of the moon, stars, and planets. The ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which is believed by many to be over 5,000 years old, includes many references to astrological signs and calculations. Astrology was not only used to judge a person’s character and destiny, but also for practical daily necessities, such as planting grains, harvesting, and planning weddings and other festivals.
Astrology is a complex and sophisticated science. Drawing from thousands of years of theoretical and applied knowledge, an astrologer interprets the arrangement of planets and stars to see how they reveal a certain course of events on earth.

In this section, we’ll look at the key elements of the astrological science: the signs, the houses, and the planets. Although this is just a basic overview of the main building blocks of astrology, it will give you a “big picture” of what this fascinating and useful practice involves.
Even though the solar system is three-dimensional space, all of the planets orbit along the same plane, known as the ecliptic. This means that, in the course of their travel, all the planets pass through the same star formations, also known as constellations.

In astrology, there are twelve specific constellations, or “signs,” which divide the 360° orbit along the ecliptic plane into twelve segments of 30° each. Collectively, these twelve signs are known as the zodiac.

Each sign has a unique symbol and set of characteristics which give it a kind of personality of its own. Think of each sign as a different kind of environment which the planets travel through. In addition, each sign is owned by a particular planet. This means that when the planet passes through that sign, it is in its home, or native environment.