Next Big Book Thing: Excerpt: An Astrologer’s Journey by Kelly Lowe

The Language of Astrology, Abridged Words to Guide You on Kelly’s Journey (If you are unfamiliar with the language of astrology, you may find this brief “glossary” helpful.)

Your Chart – Everyone has one. Your astrology chart is the picture of the sky at the moment and place you were born. It speaks volumes about who you are. If you don’t like your chart and always wished you were born under a different sign, blame your parents—or the stars—not your Astrology Counselor.

Natal Planet – Where a planet was at the time of your birth, not the planet on which you were born. Most of us were born on earth, and those who weren’t usually won’t admit it.

Let Your Sun Sign In – Your Sun sign refers to the sign

of the zodiac that your Sun was in at the moment and time of your birth. Your Sun sign describes your personality. If you don’t like your personality, you can’t hire a lawyer and change your Sun sign

like changing your name. My advice is don’t fight it, use it. There are wonderful possibilities in all the signs.

Aries – pioneering, independent, competitive, intolerant, aggressive
Taurus – patient, steadfast, conservative, materialistic, thorough
Gemini – literary, versatile, adaptable, analytical, curious

Cancer – self-sacrificing, receptive, cautious, reserved, persevering
Leo – commanding, generous, ambitious, optimistic, opinionated
Virgo – ingenious, witty, studious, methodical, skeptical
Libra – persuasive, tactful, intriguing, undecided, judicial
Scorpio – secretive, penetrating, intellectual, investigative, temperamental
Sagittarius – jovial, progressive, philosophical, frank, zealous
Capricorn – laborious, forceful, scrupulous, thrifty, domineering
Aquarius – inventive, intellectual, diplomatic, independent, humanitarian
Pisces – intuitive, compassionate, introspective, loquacious, clairvoyant

My House or Yours – Understanding the houses in

your chart takes you deeper into the language of astrology. Have you heard it said that accidents often happen in your own house? Well, good things happen there too. Knowing your chart can help determine how your story plays out.

In Western Astrology the astrological chart is divided into 12 houses. A house is an arc in space that represents 30 degrees. Hence, 12 houses equals 360 degrees. Each house represents an area of your life. And each house has a ruling planet, which is also known as a correlating planet ruler. I know that’s a lot to grasp, but remember this: The houses tell us “where” something is going to happen.

1^st house: Aries, Mars—your physical body
2^nd house : Taurus, Venus —your finances and values 3^rd house: Gemini, Mercury—your education and the way you communicate
4^th house : Cancer, Moon—your home and family 5^th house: Leo, Sun—your children, your love life, and your creativity.
6^th house: Virgo, Mercury—your health and your work environment
7^thhouse: Libra, Venus—your marriage or partnerships 8^th house: Scorpio, Pluto—your sex life, inherence and joint finances
9^th house: Sagittarius, Jupiter—your higher education and philosophy

10^th house: Capricorn, Saturn—your career and public image
11^th house: Aquarius, Uranus—your hopes, goals, dreams and wishes
12^th house: Pisces, Neptune—your subconscious attitudes

Ascendant – Your ascendant is the Sun sign that was on the horizon at the moment and place that you were born. It is referred to as your “window to the world.” If your Sun sign doesn’t seem to completely describe you, peeking out “your window” might help you see your world more clearly. Don’t be afraid to look. What you see might be a pleasant surprise.

Transits – Planets are always on the move. Transits are the constant rotation of the planets as they orbit the Sun. As they enter a house they tell us “when” something is going to happen. This is especially obvious when following the transit of the Moon. If you unexpectedly find yourself falling in love, and you’re not dancing the bossa nova or drinking margaritas, it may be the Moon to blame.

Aspect – refers to the relationship or distance of one planet from another. The aspect of planets acting together can alter or increase their individual influence. We begin to see there’s more to the language of astrology than just knowing the difference between an earth sign and a water sign. Astrology counselors train many years—and sometimes shed many tears—before beginning their practice. So … if you are an amateur sitting at home trying to render your boyfriend’s chart … well, let me just say we don’t want anyone getting hurt. And finally …

Planets in Action — In the language of astrology the Sun and Moon are both planets, no matter what your 8^th grade science teacher might say.

Sun – your inner being
Moon – your emotions
Mercury – you mental perception
Venus – your attitude about love and your self worth Mars – your energy level
Jupiter – your guardian angel
Saturn – your tester and teacher
Pluto – your transformer
Uranus – your intuition
Neptune – your compassion
Elements — Each Sun sign is assigned an element which helps describe its characteristics. The elements are Fire, Earth, Air and Water
Aires, Leo And sAgittArius are the Fire signs—known for their feisty high spirited energy.
gemini, LibrA And AquArius are the Air signs—known for their mental and intellectual equity.
tAurus, Virgo, And CApriCorn are the Earth signs—known for their logical, concrete and practical nature.
CAnCer, sCorpio And pisCes are the Water signs—known for their sensitivity and keen intuition.