Astrology for the New Age. Marc Allen

and careless passion, we can discover the “discriminating wisdom” — the power to differentiate and analyze. In some respects, this is the opposite of the wisdom which sees the oneness of everything.

      When we openly confront our fears, we can find the “all-accomplishing wisdom” — the ability to take care of business.

      When we confront our anger, it becomes transmuted into the “mirror-like wisdom” — the ability to be a mirror for others, to reflect their true nature and level of awareness.

       A message to myself –

       Don’t reject the sadness,

       Don’t reject the sorrow,

       Don’t reject the suffering

       And the pain

       Blessed are these things

       For thru them we grow

       Into true understanding

       Of our way

       What is a Chart?

      A chart is a picture which represents the solar system — quite accurately, actually — as it appeared or will appear to us at any particular time in which we are interested.

      The Ascendant, or the line directly off to the left from the center (at the 9 o‘clock position), represents the Eastern horizon, where the Sun and the Moon and all the planets rise. The Midheaven (at the 12 o’clock position) shows which planets are directly overhead. The cusp between the 6th and 7th houses (at the 3 o‘clock position) is the Western horizon, and the Nadir (opposite the Midheaven, at the 6 o’clock position) shows what planets were directly below us, below the horizon.

      Because the solar system is relatively flat (with the exception of Pluto, which is way off the plane of the rest of the solar system), it appears to us here on Earth as if the Sun and Moon and all the planets rise in the same place, travel thru a similar path thru the skies — the ‘ecliptic’ — and set in the same place. The background of this path just happens to be a series of 12 constellations, which from ancient times have been known to us as the Zodiac, and which form a convenient means of mapping the positions of the planets. For purposes of convenience, each constellation is said to comprise exactly 30° of the circle (so that the 12 constellations equal 360°, the full circle).

      So, a chart is an actual map of the solar system, as it appears from earth. If you were born at noon, the Sun will be directly overhead, in the Midheaven; if you were born at sunset, it will be on the 6th-7th house cusp, the ‘Descendant’; if you were born at dawn, it will be on the Ascendant; if you were born at midnight, it will be on the Nadir.

      All of these are considered power points.

       Your chart is a picture….

      Your birth chart is a picture of the constellations and planets around you at birth…

      An astrological chart is a mandala, a picture of yourself… Just gazing at it in its general form can give you a lot of information…

      The 12 Houses start with the first House at the Ascendant, and move counter-clockwise, dividing the whole cycle of existence into 12 different phases or areas of experience. The Houses are numbered 1-12 on the chart blank.

       The Hemispheres

      There are two different sets of hemispheres in a chart — dividing it East and West, and North and South.

      By dividing the chart East and West (left and right, like the top diagram, opposite page), we have the path of Will on the left, and the path of Surrender on the right…

      People with planets predominantly on the left side of their chart will deal primarily with will — the conscious directing of their course. People with planets predominantly on the right side of their chart will deal primarily with surrender — acceptance, going with the flow, like water…

      By dividing the chart North and South (like the bottom diagram, opposite page) we have two other hemispheres, the path of the Sun above, and the path of the Moon below.

      People with planets predominantly on the top half of their chart will deal with activity in the world (and beyond, if it gets into the 11th and 12th houses). People with planets predominantly on the bottom half of their chart will deal primarily with inner growth and inner being.