What is the basis of astrology?

What is the basis of astrology? This is a question I answered on Quora.

It is based on capturing a moment in Time in relation to a given place on the Earth. It is taken from the perspective of the Earth in context with the solar system.

The zodiac framework (whether tropical or sidereal) draws on the properties of the Greek four elements, on the notion of duality and the process of change. The scheme results in 12 unique signs (or segments) in a circular arrangement.

The planets in the scheme are the moving parts. They represent reliable (we know where they were a thousand years going back or a thousand years going forward) and meaningful moving parts – indicators if you will. What they each symbolise has been developed over thousands of years of observations.

Ancient astrology had only seven (visible) planets, that included the Sun and Moon. Modern Western astrology may include ten or more. The Sun and Moon remain treated as planets in the scheme.

For a lot of Western astrologers, the only star involved in the arrangement will be the Sun. But some do draw on other “fixed” stars. Asteroids may also be included in the scheme.

The resulting birth-chart, for a moment in time and place, will include the whole arrangement – 12 signs, the planets and 12 houses. The houses can only be generated by an exacting time of birth, otherwise they are left out.

The whole scheme is treated as symbolical and meaningful – which extends to TIME being symbolical and meaningful. And it is this that, I suggest, most people fail to grasp about astrology.

I hope this helps.

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Links you might also like:

The Twelve Star Signs
What is a birth-chart and how can it help me understand myself better?
Book: Learn to Read Your Birth-chart in 5 Steps