Astrology gifts us with understanding

Essential to the study of astrology is consideration of the planets and how they relate to exact place and time of birth. Most of the time, the very spot, geographically and temporally, that someone was born can be pinpointed. This solid bit of information is essential to an analysis, then, of what was happening there and then with the planets. The horoscope presents, generally speaking and at least in part, a synthesis of the planets and the life of an individual, given this information. In other words, the moment someone is born the planets are arranged and structured and situated in a particular way. Once that moment of birth has passed, another moment begins and the planets, which move continuously in the sky, are rearranged, restructured in relation to one another, resituated. Each moment brings with it a different sky, you could say. Astrology gifts the curious with information regarding this elemental construct, and it is from that point that astrologers begin their analysis of a person's temperament, social and internal influences, and life challenges and joys.

When and where you were born are important for analyzing your horoscope. Just as important is knowledge of how each planet signifies a particular dimension of the experience of being alive. The sun, moon and the eight planets that make up our solar system constitute the major planetary influences in astrology. Gifts of these spherical, gaseous bodies are many, from the beauty they provide stargazers, to heat and light, to gravitational pull. They also represent life experience and are essential to what the horoscope presents to an astrologer. Following are five of these celestial bodies and what they represent:

• The Sun: spirit, true self, life's mission, the personality's source of energy
• The Moon: soul, baseline instinct and emotion of the self, home, safety, nurturing energy
• Venus: discovering and sharing beauty, aspects of friends and lovers that attract you, creative expression
• Mars: sexuality and action, energy that pushes out in the form of aggression, vitality, passion, courage
• Jupiter: growth, movement out toward your destiny or dreams, adventure that results in accomplishment and faith in the support you can expect from the Universe