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Many people know their sun sign and read their horoscope. You may even know what your moon and rising signs are, but the truth is that astrology goes much deeper than that, and can tell you more than who to date next and how the full moon will affect you (though it’s useful for those things, as well).
In all actuality, there is a whole lot that the stars can help you assess, and Allure wants to help you dip your toes into that universe. Additionally, we’d like to help you squash some of the misconceptions that are floating around out there. Here are some of the most common misunderstandings many folks have about astrology.
Myth #1: You have a singular zodiac sign, and that alone defines your chart.
Who wants just one sign when you can explore a dozen (or more) factors in your chart?
When someone asks you what your sign is, maybe you've always replied with an answer like, "I’m a Taurus." But what you’re really saying is that you were born when the sun was in the sign of Taurus. (Or, more precisely, you’re saying that you were born when the sun was in Taurus, according to Western astrology.)
This is only part of the picture, though; our solar system stretches far beyond the star at its center, and there's so much more to your astrological chart other than the sun. Your chart features the moon and all the other planets, as well — in fact, it also includes some asteroids.
For instance, you also have an "ascendant" or "rising sign." This is the sign that was rising or on the horizon the moment you were born. Your rising sign colors both your outlook on the world and how you’re seen by others. It’s often the first impression that you give people upon meeting them.
The placement of the moon in your chart is also a big part of your emotional makeup. It can symbolize your relationship with your mother, how you feel things or deal with your emotions, as well as what makes you feel comfortable and safe. This sign the moon is in will tell you how you move through your emotions and the house it’s in tells you a particular area of life which is emotionally important to you.
Then there's every other planet out there as well as some asteroids. This birth chart 101 article by fellow astrologer Aliza Kelly can help you out.
Myth #2: Astrology is random.
Every few years, astronomers, academics, and other various skeptics trot out the same tired debunker — that astrology is wrong because of the precession of the equinoxes, an astronomical term explaining that due to the earth’s tilt changing over time, all the zodiac signs are off by a month. Astronomers also like to say that there is a 13th sign that astrologers don’t know about. A Minnesota astronomy professor said it in 2011. The BBC said it on a show called “Stargazing Live” in 2015. NASA said it in 2016.
Many astrologers wrote rebuttals to these ideas, including a brilliant and detailed skyscript.co.uk article by veteran British astrologer Deborah Houlding, author of The Houses: Temples of the Sky and founder of the School of Traditional Astrology , in which she takes apart all the debunkers’ arguments. In response to people saying astrology is wrong due to the precession of the equinoxes, she cites the Tetrabiblos (among others), a 2nd century text by Ptolemy, which explains why astrologers don’t take this phenomenon into account.
When addressing astronomers’ introduction of the new astrological sign Ophiuchus, Houlding writes, "Different cultures, and even the same cultures at different periods of history, have recognized varying numbers of constellations in this region of the sky... However, the zodiac itself, being a mathematical division of an astronomical circle, has only ever been divided into 12 equally spaced 'zodiac signs.'" Therefore, Ophiuchus may very well lie on the sun’s path but the sky is divided into 12 even sections, not 13.
Astrology is based on precise math. The 360-degree circular chart is based on our 365 day year. The circle is equally divided by four based on the two astronomical points called the equinoxes (when the sun’s path crosses the celestial equator) and the two astronomical points called the solstices (when the sun is at its highest and lowest points on its path in relation to the celestial equator.) This was the ancients’ guide for placing the four cardinal signs in the zodiac.
When the sun is at the spring, or vernal, equinox, it begins Aries, the beginning of Cancer is the day of the summer solstice (June 21), the beginning of Libra is the autumn equinox, and Capricorn starts on the winter solstice. These four 90 degree sections are further divided by three, which gives us a total of 12 signs. Astrology uses a circle divided equally into 12 sections, each being 30 degrees. (This graphic from Houlding's article explains it particularly well.) And that’s why there isn’t an Ophiuchus.
Myth #3: Astrology is a monolith.
Astrology has specialists, just like woodworking, medicine, architecture, and journalism. Even the most successful and brilliant professional in any field has their forté. The best brain surgeon in the world is probably not a very good podiatrist. Like medicine, astrology has numerous branches and offshoots, and it’s a lifelong study. No one can ever know all of it; there is always more to learn. It is possible, however, to break it down by culture, time period, or a specific method of study and learn that way. Here are just a few of the specialties out there.
Modern astrology — What most people know today as “astrology” is the astrology of the 20th Century which combined elements of psychology with astrology. It also brought in new ways of calculating complex math in the chart adding more nuance and subtlety to interpretation and there is more of an emphasis on free will and choice.
Traditional/Classical Astrology — Traditional astrology is an umbrella term for all the interpretation techniques from before the mid-19th Century revival. These can include Greco-Roman, Arabian, Medieval, and Renaissance European systems of astrology. These older techniques can be more deterministic.
Vedic astrology — Vedic astrology is a system from ancient India. According to AstroWiki, it varies greatly from Western astrology in many ways, including its use of the sidereal zodiac, which acknowledges all the signs of have moved about 24 degrees) and its emphasis on the moon rather than the sun.
Uranian astrology — Uranian astrology is a development from the mid-20th Century which, in addition to the traditional and modern planets, includes an additional eight hypothetical points of energy each with their own meanings and symbols.
Myth #4: Figuring out your horoscope is the main point of astrology.
Many people think astrology is only used to create horoscopes. But actually, anything can have a birth chart (also called a natal chart) — a country, a company, your cat, your last party, your last relationship, even your last tweet. Here are just a few of the myriad uses for astrology.
Horary Astrology — Horary is used for asking yes/no questions with specific time constraints, usually three months or a season.. You can ask, “Will I meet someone this fall?” or “Will I get called in for that interview?” It can also even be used to find lost objects like your phone charger.
Mundane Astrology — The word “mundane” in “mundane astrology” comes from the Latin mundus which means “world.” This type of astrology looks to the stars to understand current events, history, countries, and world trends.
Electional Astrology — If you want to choose the right time for something, you use electional astrology. Use it to plan important events such as surgery, weddings, or a business launch.
Myth #5: Your natal chart stays the same, meaning you are hopelessly doomed to repeat everything.
Good news: Many people think of astrology as fixed and unchanging, but it’s actually very fluid. A person has one natal chart (which works as a blueprint for the life they will lead) but that chart continues to move and change, just as we change throughout our lives. Additionally, there are various tactics that can be employed for advancing the birth chart, but these are a bit too complicated to go into unless you understand the specifics of reading one.
Suffice it to say that each person will have a few different charts active at all times. You will have a natal chart, a progressed chart, a solar return for that year etc..
For instance, if a baby is born when the moon is at 28 degrees of watery, dreamy Pisces, by a few months, their progressed moon will now be in fiery, impulsive Aries. The sun progresses through as many as four signs in a person’s lifetime. A person born at the beginning of Aries will progress into Taurus at age 30, Gemini, at 60, and Cancer at 90. A person born with a planet retrograde can have that planet turn direct by progression and vice versa.
So there you have it. These are some of the most common misconceptions I have come across. There are still a few more and even the most astrology-savvy people can feel a little lost. It’s a massive subject with a ton of information, and a lot more nuanced than most people realize.
Read more stories on Allure:
- The 12 Zodiac Signs and Their Personality Traits, Explained
- A Beginner's Guide to Lucid Dreaming & How to Do It
- Our Readers' Choice Awards for 2022 Are Here
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