A little background on astrology itself and some terms to help you understand what is meant when an astrologer starts

yammering. In ancient times when people would look up at the sky theyd see stars. They noticed the whole canopy of the sky moved around with the changing of the seasons and that helped in finding food because when certain constellations were in certain places it meant winter was coming and animals migrated and plants hibernated or died. The same was true of knowing when spring and new life was on its way by looking at the stars. Eventually people began to notice some stars moved and wandered in a certain path in the sky. These were the planets (meaning wandering stars in Greek) and they followed the path called the zodiac (Greek for Circle of Animals). Early on people assumed these wanderers were gods living in the heavens and ruling our lives below. Thousands of years later (moving from the Old Stone Age here to the Renaissance) astrologers began to understand that the planets were rocks in space but still believed they controlled our fate. As late as the early nineteen hundreds astrologers still thought there was some unseen force that bound our fate to the movement of the planets. By the mid-twentieth century Astrologers began to embrace free will over fate. After all if something is fated it cant be changed so whats the point in knowing about it? But Destiny is different from fate in that fate is going to be no matter what and destiny is a course our lives are headed that will end up in a certain way if not changed. The idea took hold in the 20th century that the planets by an as yet undiscovered medium exerted a subconscious influence on our destiny (not our fate) like subliminal advertising but more powerful. This idea held that while the planets influence us unconsciously and thereby shape our destiny, we can, by be becoming aware of their influence take control of our destiny. Since no medium has ever been discovered for that influence, astrologers today take a different approach. Basically its not a matter of cause and effect nor of influence but of the universe being a fractal or hologram. The modern concept has it that we are connected with the planets by the rhythms of the universe and both the planets and our inner selves are dancing to the music of the cosmos. Connected to universal patterns, the planets also move with the same higher forces as we do like streams of energy that carry us onward, and therefore they correspond to what is happening with us. Nevertheless, because the old concepts have become so ingrained in the language of astrology terms like influence and cause and effect seep in. In the Bronze Age, the Age of Aries, the signs and constellations of the zodiac were the same. Back then, on the vernal equinox, the sign and the constellation on the eastern horizon at sunup was Aries. The sign of Aries was also the Constellation of Aries. Due to an astronomical phenomenon called precession the sign on the eastern horizon at sun-up on the vernal equinox is now either in late Pisces or Early Aquarius. The two constellations overlap a bit so there is some debate as to if were actually in the very early degrees of the Age of Aquarius or still in The Age of Pisces. In Tropical astrology zero degrees of the sign Aires is the point in the sky that is on the eastern horizon at the time of the vernal equinox and every sign is 30 degrees after that no matter which constellation is on the eastern horizon. With Sidereal Astrology zero degrees of Aries is zero degrees of the constellation Aries no ifs and or butts. This is the difference between Western astrology and Eastern astrology (such as Vedic A.K.A. Hindu astrology). In the West we mostly use Tropical Astrology and the Eastern hemisphere mostly uses Sidereal astrology. A birth chart is also called a Natal Chart and it simply is a snapshot of the sky (the zodiac, planets and horizons) at the time a person was born. The Ascendant (A.K.A rising sign) is so called because that was the sign ascending or rising over the eastern horizon at the time you were born. At the 12 noon position (determined by both the time and latitude of birth) is called upper culmination, the Midheaven, the Medium Coeli (MC for short) is also the cusp of the 10th house. The birth chart is divided into 12 Houses each with its own meaning. The planets have their own meanings too. And the signs get their meaning from combining the elements (think states of matter), qualities (think wave theory with attack,

sustain and decay) and gender (yin/yang or active/passive). Add to this mix are the aspects the degrees of difference between the planets. For example 120 degrees apart is called a Trine and considered a soft aspect meaning things are flowing and you have nice luck etc., but you dont likely learn a lesson that helps you grow as a soul, as a person. Hard aspects like 90 degrees called a square are hard aspects and are often strict teachers who make life painful or difficult but also a tremendous growing experience for the soul. Transits are an animation (as opposed to a snapshot) of where the planets are now (and are moving toward) in comparison and in relation to your birth chart. Progressions move the planets of the birth chart based on an ancient statement a year for a day but since the statement was a bit cryptic there are many different ways to progress a chart. Moving the Midheaven a day of r every of life then moving the planets and house cusps by the same number of degrees is one popular way or progressing a chart. Another is finding the exact number of degrees the sun moved using a days of the suns movement for every year of life and advancing the rest of the chart by the same number of degrees or (arc). There are many more. Progressions like Transits are read in comparision and relation to the birth chart. This only skimmed the surface.