1. Introductio n Astrology for Beginners: Part 1 All text © copyright Charles Jameson 2015 astrologyschool.net

2. Welcome! Astrology is a vast subject, so today we’ll be just covering some of the essentials. Aims for today: –Give you a general understanding of astrology as a way of seeing the world, and help you to ‘think astrologically.’ –Provide you with specific ways of looking at a natal horoscope and be able to make a few meaningful interpretations. –Show you how to use a free online tool to create your own natal horoscope, based on the time and place of your birth.

3. Approximate schedule for today 10.45 – Part 1: Introduction 11:15 – Part 2: Planets 12:15 – Part 3: Planetary combinations 12:30 – Lunch break 1:00 – Part 4: Signs (of the zodiac) 2:00 – Part 5: Looking at example horoscopes 2:30 – Part 6: Creating your own horoscope 3:00 – Part 7: Houses (of the horoscope) – time permitting 3:30 – Finish up

4. What is astrology? Astrology is the study of the correlation between events in the heavens and life on Earth. It is one of the oldest organised bodies of knowledge in the world, and has been practiced by many cultures for thousands of years. In the West, astrology was once considered by academics and the elite as a serious and important area of knowledge. The ‘scientific revolution’ in the late 17 th century changed all that. Modern science (and religion) has largely rejected astrology as heretical and/or ‘superstitious nonsense’ … although they have never really investigated it, beyond a superficial level.

5. Why learn astrology? Astrology shows you that there is more to life (i.e. a bigger picture) than meets the eye. It confirms other dimensions: spiritual, metaphysical, magical. It is important in herbalism, making talismans, kabbalah, alchemy, (natural) magic and possibly tarot. Astrology can help you learn more about yourself, about other people, and the world in general. Astrology is ancient and cosmic universal wisdom, accessible to all and written in the stars, not some external authority or dogma.

6. Astrology and life Up until the late 17 th century, astrology was widely respected, e.g. in medical circles, as an intellectual pursuit. It was considered ‘normal’ that our lives had some correlation with celestial events (not in terms of ‘fate’). It was considered normal that pretty much everything had an astrological correspondence, every plant, object, part of the body, etc was ‘governed’ by a planet or could be described in astrological terminology. This was part of the great ‘chain of being’ For instance, Culpeper says that mint was governed by Venus, so mint harvesting, planting, etc should be done on a Friday (Freya’s day), Venus’s day, at a Venus hour.

7. Types of Western Astrology Natal – the study of an individual’s horoscope or birth chart, looking to understand our uniqueness and how that plays out during the course of our lives. Medical is a branch of natal. Electional – Choosing an astrologically favourable moment to do something (start a business, plant a crop, etc) Horary – Ask a question, get an answer – no birth data required! The horoscope is set for the time of the question, and it will reveal the answer. A bit like Tarot. Mundane – The astrology of nations, corporations. Looking at how the planetary transits affect particular countries (e.g. fall of Berlin Wall).

8. Astrological approaches Traditional – astrology as practiced prior to about 1900 in all it’s glory, before it was simplified. Modern – astrology after 1900 – Jung, archetypes, emphasis on myths, free will. Many modern astrologers are shifting focus to back to some of the traditional ideas, thanks to new translations of original texts, and personal computers (which speed up the horoscope calculations) My astrological approach is a mix of about 70% traditional, 30% modern.

9. What is a ‘horoscope’? It’s a diagram, a representation of the positions of the planets etc for a particular location and time on Earth. A ‘natal’ horoscope is the horoscope for an individual, based on their time of birth. A horoscope is sometimes referred to as a ‘chart’. You can use astrology software to create a horoscope – I’ll demonstrate how to do that later, using a free web tool. Here’s an example of a horoscope… HORIZON UNDER THE EARTH EAST ‘RISING SIGN’ or ‘ASCENDANT’