12 Things You Didn’t Know About Astrology

1. Kepler, Copernicus, and Galileo were all astrologers first and astronomers second. They studied the planets to obtain more accurate data regarding planetary movement to use in their astrological readings.

2. Your sun sign does not necessarily reflect the constellation where the Sun was located when you were born. The Tropical Zodiac is aligned with the Earth, not the stars.

3. The equinoxes and solstices reflect the sun’s ingress into what is known in astrology as a Cardinal Sign, or turning point.

Hemisphere	Season	Event	Zodiac Sign Ingress
Northern	Spring	Vernal Equinox	Aries
Southern	Spring	Vernal Equinox	Libra
Northern	Summer	Summer Solstice	Cancer
Southern	Summer	Summer Solstice	Capricorn
Northern	Fall	Autumnal Equinox	Libra
Southern	Fall	Autumnal Equinox	Aries
Northern	Winter	Winter Solstice	Capricorn
Southern	Winter	Winter Solstice	Cancer

4. The markings on a globe known as the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are where the Sun is directly overhead for the respective solstices. The Sun is directly overhead on the equator for the equinoxes.

5. Many Native Americans have sacred sites known as Medicine Wheels where they go to pray and meditate. It has twelve divisions based on the lunar cycle with meanings that line up with those of the Tropical Zodiac used in western astrology.

6. There are several different zodiacs. Western astrologers use the Tropical zodiac described above. Vedic astrologers in India use a sidereal zodiac based on the constellations which is approximately 23 degrees different from the Tropical version. Some use a whole sky zodiac that uses all constellations.

7. Certain cultures interpret the meaning of constellations differently depending on the season.

8. Authority figures from the emperors of the Roman Empire to modern day Popes know astrology works but don’t think their subjects are to be trusted with what it can reveal because they want to maintain control.

9. The Magi’s knowledge of astrology is what led them to the Christ child.

10. Total solar eclipses carry strong astrological implications along their path of visibility. When an eclipse path crosses a country (like the one on August 21, 2017) it portends a country divided.

11. Your sun sign is only one small part of who you are. If you don’t feel as if you “fit” the description it can be explained by the placement of the Moon, ascendant (sign on the eastern horizon when you were born) as well as the planets. Another possibility is a cluster of planets (known as a stellium) in another sign.

12. Mercury and Venus are never more than two zodiac signs away from the Sun. Astrology is geocentric with those two planets between Earth and the Sun, limiting how they are viewed.

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