Astrology for Beginners, by David Pond

Astrology for Beginners

Š Linda Townsend

About the Author David Pond (Olympia, WA) is an astrologer, author, speaker, and international workshop leader. David has a Master of Science degree in experimental metaphysics and has published eight previous books on metaphysical topics, including Llewellyn’s Little Book of Meditation, Astrology and Relationships, Chakras for Beginners, and Chakras Beyond Beginners. David has been practicing astrology for over forty years and consults with clients, helping them work with their astrology to find meaningful and fulfilling lives and to strategize through times of transition.

Astrology s r e n n i g e B For Learn to Read Your Birth Chart

D avi d Pon d

Llewellyn Publications Woodbury, Minnesota

Astrology for Beginners: Learn to Read Your Birth Chart © 2020 by David Pond.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Edition First Printing, 2020 Cover design: Shannon McKuhen Interior art: Llewellyn Art Department Llewellyn Publications is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Pond, David, author.

Title: Astrology for beginners : learn to read your birth chart / by David Pond.

Description: First edition. | Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn Worldwide, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “Learn how to read your birth chart according to the signs, planets, aspects, houses, and other astrological basics”—Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019035857 (print) | LCCN 2019035858 (ebook) | ISBN 9780738758206 (paperback) | ISBN 9780738758350 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Astrology. | Birth charts.

Classification: LCC BF1708.1 .P66 2020 (print) | LCC BF1708.1 (ebook) | DDC 133.5—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019035857 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019035858 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.

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Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Printed in the United States of America

Other Books by David Pond Llewellyn’s Little Book of Meditation (Llewellyn, 2018) Astrology and Relationships (Llewellyn, 2017) Chakras Beyond Beginners (Llewellyn, 2016) The Pursuit of Happiness (Llewellyn, 2008) Mapping Your Romantic Relationships (Llewellyn, 2004) Western Seeker, Eastern Paths (Llewellyn, 2003) Chakras for Beginners (Llewellyn, 1999) The Metaphysical Handbook (with Lucy Pond, Reflecting Pond Publications, 1984)

To all those seeking greater understanding in their lives through the study of astrology—may the stars be with you!

contents

List of Tables and Figures xv Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1 What Astrology Can Do 3 What Astrology Cannot Do 4

One: The Birth Chart 9 Two: The Signs of the Zodiac 15 Attributes of the Signs 16 The Four Elements 19

x • Contents

The Three Qualities 25 Polarities 27

Three: The Twelve Signs 29 Aries 30 Taurus 34 Gemini 38 Cancer 43 Leo 47 Virgo 50 Libra 54 Scorpio 58 Sagittarius 62 Capricorn 66 Aquarius 70 Pisces 75 Sign Polarities 81

Four: The Planets 87 Planetary Rulers 90 The Sun 91 The Moon 93 Lunar Cycle 96 Using an Astrological Calendar 102 The Ascendant/Rising Sign 103 Mercury 105 Venus 107 Mars 111 Jupiter 116 Saturn 121

Contents • xi

Introduction to the Outer Planets 126 Uranus 130 Neptune 136 Pluto 141 The North Node/South Node Axis 146 Chiron 149

Five: The Houses 151 Hemispheres 153 Quadrants 153 Empty Houses 158 First House 159 Second House 160 Third House 161 Fourth House 162 Fifth House 163 Sixth House 164 Seventh House 166 Eighth House 166 Ninth House 168 Tenth House 169 Eleventh House 169 Twelfth House 170

Six: Aspects 173 Major Aspects 174 The Question of Orbs 178 Phases and Aspects 179 Are All Squares Created Equally? 180 Major Aspect Patterns 181 Planetary Patterns 187

xii • Contents

Seven: Retrograde Planets and Intercepted Signs 197 Retrograde Planet in a Chart 198 Children with Mercury Retrograde 199 Tips for Mercury Retrograde Periods 200 Intercepted Planets and Signs 201 Signs on Two House Cusps 204

Eight: Chart Interpretation 205 The Big Picture 206 Hemispheric Emphasis 206 The Energetic Blueprint of a Chart 208

Appendix One: Write Your Own Astro-Story 211 Sun 212 Moon 212 Ascendant/Rising Sign 213 Mercury 213 Venus 214 Mars 215 Jupiter 216 Saturn 217 The Outer Planets 218 Uranus 218 Neptune 219 Pluto 219 Chiron 220 North Node 220 South Node 221

Contents • xiii

Appendix Two: Astrological Keywords 223 Sign Keywords 223 Element Keywords 227 Quality Keywords 228 Planet Keywords 228 House Keywords 232 Aspect Keywords 233

Glossary 235 Recommended Reading 239 Index 241

tables and figures

Tables Table 1. Signs, Planets, Symbols, and Orbits 11 Table 2. Signs, Elements, Qualities, and Polarities 19 Table 3. Signs and Their Planetary Rulers 91 Table 4. Orbs 179

Figures Figure 1. The Cycle of the Four Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water 17 Figure 2. The Three Qualities: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable 26 Figure 3. House Cusps 152 Figure 4. Hemispheres 153

xv

xvi • Tables and Figures

Figure 5. Quadrants 154 Figure 6. Angular Houses 155 Figure 7. Succedent Houses 156 Figure 8. Cadent Houses 156 Figure 9. Major Aspects 174 Figure 10. Grand Square 182 Figure 11. T-Square 183 Figure 12. Grand Trine 184 Figure 13. Kite 185 Figure 14. Mystic Rectangle 186 Figure 15. Stellium 187 Figure 16. Bundle 188 Figure 17. Bowl 189 Figure 18. Seesaw 190 Figure 19. Tripod 191 Figure 20. Splash 192 Figure 21. Splay 193 Figure 22. Funnel/Bucket 194 Figure 23. Locomotive 196 Figure 24. House Cusps and Interceptions 202

acknowledgments

I

would first like to acknowledge my sister, Lucy Pond, who introduced me to the wonders of astrology when I was a young man. She was my first astrology teacher and I will be forever grateful to her for opening the gate to what has turned out to be my life path. I would also like to thank the many clients over the years who have shared their innermost world with me, allowing me to learn from them how astrology has manifested in their lives.

Editing a book on a topic as complex and filled with as much jargon as astrology proves to be no small task. In this regard, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Andria Friesen, owner of Friesen Art Gallery in Ketchum,

xvii

xviii • Acknowledgments

Idaho, for her willingness to wade through the first draft of the manuscript with the eyes of a beginner to help me see it from the perspective of someone new to astrology.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge my wife, life partner, and chief editor, Laurie. Along with being there with me as we have built our astrology practice together step by step, her contributions to bringing this book to completion are immeasurable. From her willingness to discuss and offer feedback on the beginning stages of the writing to helping edit each stage of the manuscript with her exquisite eye for detail, her invisible, loving attention has helped shape, form, and refine this book.

introduction

A

s you begin your study of astrology, you are opening a door to a greatly expanded understanding of yourself and others. Astrology is the language of the stars and the stories they tell. Your study of astrology will teach you the alphabet of this celestial language so you can read the language and discover the stories your birth chart can tell you about yourself and your connection to a much larger reality than you were previously aware of. As you begin your studies, all of the symbols may seem totally abstract and void of meaning. But as you delve deeper, you will realize that what you’re studying already exists within you. It will start to sound familiar as your awareness shifts from “out there” to “in here”

1

2 • Introduction

and you begin to realize that astrology is giving you a map for understanding what is already going on within you.

As you learn about your own personal astrology, you will immediately become aware that you are connected to the universe in ways you never could have imagined. You will begin to see the deeper meaning of your life and feel more aligned with a greater sense of purpose. As you become more aware of the specific details of your astrology chart, you will begin to understand why you are the way you are—your strengths and where you should expect success in life as well as your weaknesses and vulnerabilities and how to overcome them. Your astrological chart can reveal your emotional needs, your natural intellectual tendencies, what you value in a relationship, how you can best assert yourself, what types of interests would be rewarding and enriching to pursue, how you deal with authority issues, and where you need to develop self-discipline to be successful. It can also show you how to develop your spiritual resources of intuition, vision, and transformation to align with your soul’s purpose.

Yes, your birth chart can reveal startling truths about your character and even the root causes of persistent challenges that keep recurring in your life, as well as what you can do to resolve those conflicts within yourself. For all that astrology can illuminate about your true nature, the one important issue it cannot reveal is what choices you will make with your free will. We are not puppets being pulled around by planetary strings; we all have free will to make choices.

Astrology shows what you have been given to work with but not what you have done with it. Both the high-road and the

Introduction • 3

low-road options are available to you every day, and what choices you make are entirely up to you.

What Astrology Can Do I have worked with thousands and thousands of people with their astrology charts over the last forty-plus years, and one thing I’ve learned is that I can never look at a person’s birth chart and assume I am going to know everything about the individual. The chart shows the core patterns a person is born with and a range of potential expressions.

I have grown to believe that each birth chart is appropriate for the person living that chart. It’s as if this astrological pattern you were born with was somehow arranged by you and your soul as to reflect the appropriate lessons for you to learn in this lifetime. I cannot prove the validity of this perspective, but I like to approach astrology with this attitude.

From this point of view, there are no good or bad charts, no good or bad signs, no good or bad aspects. Each birth chart is made up of the planets, signs, houses, and aspects that reflect the appropriate patterns for that individual to work with in this life. This attitude would be important to adopt before you share your astrological knowledge with others. Invariably, when other people find out that you are studying astrology, some will want to know what you can tell them about their signs and charts.

As you begin your studies, it is likely that you will have your favorite and least favorite signs, based on your experiences with people of those signs. This is natural, but keep in mind that each sign has its beauty and every planet has a healthy function. You will want to hold this attitude as your

4 • Introduction

standard and a measure of when you are ready to share your astrological knowledge with others.

The more you study astrology, the more you will find the beauty in all the signs, even the ones you have resistance to at first. Otherwise you run the risk of falling victim to the old adage “A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing,” and you could end up passing on your negative experiences of certain signs and give naive individuals a negative view of their astrology. This would be most unfortunate, as we want everybody to see their highest potential in their birth chart rather than leave with a negative feeling about themselves. So first challenge yourself to find the beauty in each of the signs before imparting your knowledge to others and you will be honoring a great creed for sharing information with others: “First, do no harm.”

What Astrology Cannot Do We are going to spend most of this book exploring what astrology can do for you, but I think it is important to discuss what astrology can’t do at the start. We have already discussed the importance of allowing for free will, and the limitations of what astrology can do stem from this freedom of choice. I would also like to stress another important issue that comes from my experience. In all these years, there has never been a single challenging planetary placement or aspect in a chart that I have not seen someone handle masterfully and create a healthy, fulfilling life, even with charts that are typically considered “difficult.” The point is that there are no inherently bad charts (or aspects within them) that cannot be worked with to find a healthy path.

Introduction • 5

Your birth chart doesn’t limit you, although it is true that every chart has some challenging aspects, just as every life has its challenges. Your astrology doesn’t cause challenges in your life, but it certainly can reveal the specific nature of the core issues that you may face along the way—and, most importantly, what you can do to resolve those issues. There is always a way! We don’t want to look at challenging aspects as limiting. It is healthier to look at them as tests. Pass the test and you have greater freedom.

Sixteen-year-olds want to pass the test to get a coveted driver’s license because much greater freedom and mobility will be available to them by doing so. Looking at challenging aspects with this same attitude is helpful: pass the “test” and you will have greater freedom in your life, without the hindrances that were previously troublesome. We could say that there is a skillful and an unskillful way, a high road and a low road, for dealing with all the aspects in your astrology chart; and the “difficult” aspects in your chart reveal skills you need to, and can, develop to master the challenges.

Another limitation of astrology that comes from free will is that a chart cannot reveal the level of consciousness a person is operating on, nor how far a person has come on their evolutionary path of awakening. A chart doesn’t reveal how much self-development work an individual has done, such as seeking counseling to resolve issues or pursuing consciousness training of various sorts, like taking up meditation to train oneself to work through issues inwardly at the source.

Doing some inner work opens up a world of opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.

6 • Introduction

Yes, your birth chart stays with you your entire life, reflecting the core themes you will experience, but you can get more skilled at working with those dynamics over time. Once you resolve the conflicts in your chart, you will be free to use the same energies in any way you choose. You will evolve.

The person who has done some inner work is better prepared to work through the issues that a birth chart reveals, because that is where the work with astrology takes place—in here, not out there. We study the planets out there, but they represent a constellation of forces within our own consciousness. Learning to see the issues we are dealing with externally as manifestations of issues going on within our consciousness is the golden key to resolving them. This is the high road of using astrology: to see the issues, problems, disappointments, frustrations, and so forth that we might be dealing with in the outer world as having their source within our own consciousness—and then figuring out what we can do to resolve those issues.

Searching for the inner source of outer problems gives you something you can work with and have control over— your own consciousness and how you choose to respond to life. When you see others and conditions in the world as the causes of your happiness—or your frustrations—you have essentially outsourced the conditions of your well-being to sources you have no control over whatsoever.

This is one of the key benefits of studying your birth chart—it gives you the map for knowing yourself from the inside out.

Being a professional astrologer has been a wonderful career for me, giving me the opportunity to help people find

Introduction • 7

their true path and a fulfilling lifestyle, just as it has done for me. I am quite delighted to write this book to teach you how to read the language of astrology so you can discover more about your true nature through your birth chart. You needn’t be a professional astrologer to benefit from studying your chart. With what you will learn from this book, even as a beginner, you will gain valuable insights into why you (and others) are the way you are—so let’s begin!

one The Birth Chart

W

hen you look at a person’s birth chart, also called a horoscope or a natal chart, it will always be made up of the same core components, uniquely arranged in each individual chart: • The signs of the zodiac • The houses (the twelve pie-shaped divisions of the circle, numbered one through twelve) • The planets (including the Sun and the Moon) • Aspects (the lines you see in the center of the wheel, connecting various planets at different geometric angles)

9

10 • Chapter One

In this book, we will start with a discussion of the signs, followed by the planets, houses, and then aspects. We will then cover chart interpretation, and there will be a section to guide you through interpreting your own birth chart.

The aspects reveal if the connecting planets are supportive of each other or are in a challenging alignment. In this book, we will explore the major aspects only: the conjunction (0 degrees), sextile (60 degrees), square (90 degrees), quincunx (150 degrees), and opposition (180 degrees).

The birth chart is the hard science of astrology and is calculated based on the astronomy of where the planets were at the exact place, date, and time of your birth. Thankfully, computer programs and online services are now available that can readily generate your chart. (See the bibliography for some website options.) When you first look at your birth chart, the array of symbols and numbers you see probably won’t mean a thing until you learn what each of the strange symbols represents. It is necessary to first memorize the meaning of each of the symbols and signs (table 1) and is quite worthwhile to practice drawing them until it seems natural to help ingrain their meanings.

We all have all the planets and all the signs within our chart and our psyche. As you study the planets and signs, find them within your own psyche. These are universal archetypes within us all. When you study the signs, it is helpful to think of the people you know of each sign, but also find them within. Even if you do not have planets in a particular sign, that sign will still be on the cusp (edge) of at least one of the houses in your chart, influencing the activities related to that particular house.

The Birth Chart • 11

Sign

Sign Symbol

Planet/ Planetoid

Planet Symbol

Duration of Orbit

Aries

1

Sun

s

365 days

Taurus

2

Moon

o

28 days

Gemini

3

Mercury

y

88 days

Cancer

4

Venus

v

224 ½ days

Leo

5

Mars

m

22 months

Virgo

6

Jupiter

j

12 years

Libra

7

Saturn

t

28–30 years

Scorpio

8

Uranus

u

84 years

Sagittarius

9

Neptune

n

165 years

Capricorn

0

Pluto

p

248 years

Aquarius

-

North Node

d

19 years

Pisces

=

South Node

D

19 years

Chiron

,

50 years

Table 1: Signs, Planets, Symbols, and Orbits

The core components that make up a birth chart are shown in table 1. They are essentially, the who, how, and where of the characters in the play of your life. I like to think of you being the director of the play. The planets are the cast of characters you have been given to work with, the signs are the roles each cast member is to play, the houses are the settings where the roles are being played out, and the aspects are how naturally supportive or challenging your cast members are with one another. You are the director, so you can tone down certain characters of your cast and encourage stronger expression

12â€ƒâ€˘â€ƒChapter One

of other characters at your discretion, but the chart shows the natural characteristics of your cast before you begin to work with them.

This is a healthy way to approach studying these core components of astrology to keep it all in perspective. As the director, you are going to want to know the range of the strengths and weaknesses of each of your cast members. As you study your chart as the director of the play of your life, consider each of the planets as characters in your play that you have been given to work with to create a cohesive and interesting story line.

The Sun is your main character, whose role is central to the story line your play revolves around. The Moon is your feminine leading actress, who provides the emotional depth and personal drama of your play. Mercury is your narrator character, whose role is to reveal the story by communicating with all the other characters. Your rising sign (Ascendant) is the persona, or mask, your leading character wears throughout the play. Venus is your supporting romantic feminine lead in your play, while Mars is your romantic masculine character, asserting his prowess in the script.

Jupiter is the benefactor in the play, opening doors and providing opportunities for growth for your leading character. Saturn is the strict authority figure your leading character encounters, bringing order and structure to the play but coming down with heavy-handed discipline and difficulties when crossed or ignored.

Uranus is the unexpected visitor in the play, whose appearance brings disruption, chaos, and ultimately changes of direction in the plot, with unexpected developments brought

The Birth Chart • 13

into the story. Neptune is the mysterious character in the background of the story, and you can’t tell if she is going to be a helpful or a harmful character. She is a mystery and will reveal different sides of her character depending on how she is approached. When approached with honor, she illuminates the path and empowers the faith of the characters in the play; but when not honored, respected, and treated with the dignity this mysterious priestess of the light deserves, she will feed every fantasy and illusion the characters have, leading inevitably to these soap bubbles bursting and the disillusionment and despair that follow.

Pluto is the sinister and powerful figure who casts a dark shadow of intimidation and a threat of doom into the story when first encountered. No matter what your characters try to do to avoid this malefic character, his devious, underhanded ways always undermine any attempt to avoid him until he is ultimately confronted and won over to become an ally rather than a threat. In battling this sinister foe to win him over, your characters develop tremendous power to overcome their own weaknesses and discover a sense of purpose and direction in life.

Let’s begin our study of the birth chart with the signs.

two The Signs of the Zodiac

T

he signs of the zodiac have the same names as the constellations but are not connected or influenced by them.

The ancient Babylonians first named the zodiac by dividing the sky into the four seasons of the equinoxes and solstices, with the beginning of Aries being aligned with the vernal equinox, the first day of spring. Thus the zodiac and the signs are intimately connected to the seasons, with the first day of Aries always falling on the vernal equinox.

The astrological signs are archetypes in the collective consciousness that we all carry within. We all have the entire zodiac in our chart and soul—all twelve signs somewhere on the circle of our individual birth chart. We will be exploring

15

16 • Chapter Two

each sign as if it were a person with these characteristics, but it is not just the Sun sign that makes up an individual, and all the other planets can be in other signs. The signs modify the expression of the planet in that sign. For example, we all have Mercury and the capacity to learn, think, and communicate, but what sign Mercury is in shows your specific learning and communication style. Even if you don’t have any planets in a particular sign, that sign still “rules” at least one of the houses in your chart (which means that sign is on the cusp of that house), so you will want to get familiar with all the signs.

It can be helpful to have a copy of your birth chart on hand as you study each of the signs so you can see where each one is in your chart. What house a sign rules tells you where it is important in your life.

You will see that the characteristics of each sign have not been randomly assigned but are born out of an order of each sign leading to the next in a cycle. The meanings of each sign are based on a combination of the sign’s element and its quality and polarity. There are four elements of three signs each, three qualities of four signs each, and two polarities of six signs each.

Attributes of the Signs There is a famous quote attributed to Sherlock Holmes in response to his assistant probing into how he was able to solve a particular mystery: “It’s elementary, my dear Watson.” He then would go on to explain how he was able to deduce the solution from the elemental clues of the crime—understand the core elements and you can deduce the greater meaning.

So it is with astrology—learn the core meaning of the four

The Signs of the Zodiac • 17

elements that the twelve signs fall in and you will have gone a long way in being able to deduce the meanings of each of the signs. When you divide the twelve signs by the four elements, you get three signs in each element, which are arranged through the zodiac in a repetitive pattern of fire, earth, air, and water (figure 1).

0 Capricorn - Aquarius

Sagittarius 9

Earth

Water

Air = Pisces

1 Aries

Water Fire

11 12 1 2

10 9

Libra 7

Air

8 7 6

3

4

Earth

5

Earth 2 Taurus

Scorpio 8

Fire

Virgo 6

Fire Air

3 Gemini

Water

Leo 5

Cancer 4

Figure 1. The Cycle of the Four Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water

Each of the three signs in a particular element will share the common attributes of that element. We will learn how the quality and polarity of each sign further distinguish the signs from one another, but it is the element that will show

18 • Chapter Two

the basic core temperament of a sign. The cycle of the four elements begins like this: Aries: Fire Taurus: Earth Gemini: Air Cancer: Water Then the cycle repeats with the next four signs in the zodiac: Leo: Fire Virgo: Earth Libra: Air Scorpio: Water And again with the final four signs: Sagittarius: Fire Capricorn: Earth Aquarius: Air Pisces: Water The three signs in a given element share that element’s common attributes and thus have similarities.

Each sign will be of a particular element, quality, and polarity (table 2). As you learn the meaning of each of these, you will be able to combine keywords for each combination, giving you insights into the meaning of the sign.

The Signs of the Zodiac • 19

Sign

Element

Quality

Polarity

Aries

Fire

Cardinal

Assertive/Yang

Taurus

Earth

Fixed

Receptive/Yin

Gemini

Air

Mutable

Assertive/Yang

Cancer

Water

Cardinal

Receptive/Yin

Leo

Fire

Fixed

Assertive/Yang

Virgo

Earth

Mutable

Receptive/Yin

Libra

Air

Cardinal

Assertive/Yang

Scorpio

Water

Fixed

Receptive/Yin

Sagittarius

Fire

Mutable

Assertive/Yang

Capricorn

Earth

Cardinal

Receptive/Yin

Aquarius

Air

Fixed

Assertive/Yang

Pisces

Water

Mutable

Receptive/Yin

Table 2: Signs, Elements, Qualities, and Polarities

The Four Elements There are four elements, which you could think of as the four temperaments through which the human psyche functions: fire, air, earth, and water.

Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius—The Motivators Fire gives off heat, energy, and light, giving fire-sign individuals an energetic, high-spirited, warm, and radiant nature.

Fire signs display a zest for life, as if life was a “get to” experience rather than a “have to” experience. Fire is spirit, and fiery people radiate this as light—an outpouring of creative spirit, drawing attention to its radiance. Just as fire needs fuel to keep burning, fire signs need activity to fuel their enthusiastic, lively personalities. The fire element imbues one with

20 • Chapter Two

the confidence of the “can do” personality and inspires the belief that “if it can be done by someone, I can do it.” Fire fuels creative inspiration, and the fire signs thrive on inspiration and project this creative energy into all they do.

The confidence and willingness to take action often leads to leadership roles for the fire signs, which they willingly take on.

An excess of fire can lead to a domineering personality with an excessive focus on the self and an insatiable need for attention. An inability to rest and relax can lead to periodic burnout cycles from overexerting themselves for too long.

People with excessive fire in their personality can overwhelm others with their need for everything to be special or dramatic—their inability to just chill.

A lack of fire leads to a lack of confidence and initiative.

Fiery people get where they are going in life thanks as much to their confidence as to their competence, while a lack of fire reveals a temperament more comfortable with getting where they are going based on their competence, not their confidence in promoting themselves.

It is not unusual for someone with a lack of fire to be in a relationship with someone who has considerable fire in their personality. It often works out that way with missing elements in a chart—you attract someone to you who has your missing element.

Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn—The Builders The earth signs are down-to-earth, logical, and projectoriented, bringing into manifest form the inspiration fueled by the fire signs. Following through and bringing things to completion with persistence and patience is the way. Real,

The Signs of the Zodiac • 21

genuine, and sincere, earth signs are the least pretentious of the elements and value being appreciated more than adored.

Earth signs are highly resourceful and competent in the ways of the world, adding to their ability to be successful. They seem to know how things work in the real world and often demonstrate an uncanny amount of common sense. Earth signs focus on the functionality of what they are interested in and prefer to study information that can be integrated to enhance everyday life.

Earth signs place a high value on the material world, possessions, and their work in the world. They are sensual, the most embodied of the elements, appreciating and relying on what their senses reveal. They can have a deep appreciation for the earth itself and their connection to nature. Their focus on sustaining, maintaining, and improving their material world can lead to a comfortable lifestyle.

An excess of earth leads to a person who becomes stuck in routines and perhaps is too practical for their own good.

The workaholic is overly focused on the earth element, becoming one-dimensional and missing out on so many of life’s joys that come from breaking out of a routine to explore, expand, and deepen one’s experience of life.

A lack of earth can lead to an ungrounded personality and an inability to sustain a consistent lifestyle. When there is an absence of the earth element in a chart, there is a desire to fill the void, often leading to a very materialistic focus. Some people with a lack of earth demonstrate the ability to play with the material world as if it were a Monopoly game, leading to the “fortunes won, fortunes lost” phenomenon. Their ability to roll the dice in their financial dealings can indeed lead to periodic

22 • Chapter Two

great success, but without the discipline and follow-through of the earth signs, they can have difficulty maintaining their position, and move on to other interests.

Another way that a lack of the earth element in a chart often works out is through relationships. The person with a lack of earth often attracts a partner with considerable earth, with the earth-sign person keeping the person with the lack of earth grounded in the here and now.

Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius—The Communicators The air signs are the mental, intellectual signs of the zodiac and value learning and the exchange of information. Just as the wind circulates the air, air signs need to circulate, thriving on the exchange of ideas and information that comes from social interaction. Air signs have a hunger to learn and stay informed, often becoming excellent communicators and never running out of ideas and topics to talk about. Books, conversations, and media are all sources of the information that air signs thrive on.

Air signs can be adventuristic and spontaneous, but they tend to make their decisions from their head, not their emotions. They can seem detached or cool to the emotional sensitivities of others at times, with the attitude of “it just doesn’t make sense to feel that way.” Air signs can be elusive when you want to pin them down, using their cleverness and communication skills to divert the conversation if they choose not to talk about something An excess of air can lead to a detachment from personal emotions—someone who is all “up in the head.” Air can become scattered, like being blown by changing winds, making it difficult to follow through on particular projects. Pursuing

The Signs of the Zodiac • 23

the next idea can be more exciting than following through on something that no longer holds their interest. It is not uncommon for this type of highly talkative person to attract a rather silent partner who patiently listens.

A lack of air can work out in a few different ways. Those with a lack of air in their chart are often “learning specific” in their learning interests, demonstrating their greatest interest and intelligence in very specific topics rather than a general interest in all topics. Another manifestation of a lack of air is people who are voraciously hungry to learn. To substantiate the missing element, these individuals may gather books and degrees or find a partner who is well informed and keeps them informed. Those with a lack of air are typically uncomfortable in social situations that require a great deal of communication and chatting.

Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces—The Feeling Types The water element is of the emotional realm, and the water signs are meant to feel their way through life rather than think their way. The water signs are the most introspective and introverted of the signs and often prefer quiet alone time to social gatherings. Because of their sensitive nature, they are already processing a great deal of information inwardly, and it can be overwhelming for them to be among too many other people. The water signs invariably feel all of the emotional undercurrents of what is going on beneath the surface of others. Water signs can be compassionate, with a desire to truly understand others, as well as artistic and poetic by nature—the dreamers.

Emotions are meant to be explored, experienced, and processed by the water signs. This emotionality leads them to be

24 • Chapter Two

the least understood of the elements, with the other elements often seeing them as moody and too sensitive. But just as the natural rhythm of the great oceans leads to never-ending cycles of high and low tides, water signs also respond to these tides in healthy or unhealthy ways. It makes all the difference for watery individuals to think of their emotional cycles as outward and inward instead of up and down, as if one were good and one were bad.

There are many healthy inward-turning, introspective activities for water signs to engage in, such as reading certain books, listening to certain types of music, spending quality alone time in nature, and enjoying the musing time required for all creative activity. Water signs need some quality alone time to process their many and deep emotions. This periodic inward-turning time is often misunderstood by others, who might ask them, “Is something wrong? You seem quiet.”

Water signs have to put up with the fact that quiet is often seen as wrong by others. Yet they have to deal with this tidal rhythm in one way or another: either with resistance, leading to a moody temperament, or by exploring it introspectively in healthy ways. Water signs are inward-turning during the low tides of their natural cycles. Finding healthy inwardturning activity is a key to their well-being.

Water signs value personal emotional connections with others. They get to know you through their empathetic nature, commiserating with your sufferings and celebrating your joys.

Excess water in a chart can lead to such a high level of hypersensitivity that it makes it difficult for these individuals to distinguish their own emotions from those of others. This

The Signs of the Zodiac • 25

can be overwhelming and can lead to a sullen disposition and an inability to let go of wounding experiences. Water needs to flow, and when the water signs attach to a particular emotion, difficulties can arise. Oversensitivity to the troubles of others can lead to carrying the woes of others, inadvertently adding to the suffering. People with excessive water can feel themselves to be too sensitive to handle the harshness of the world.

A lack of water can manifest as a lack of understanding of people’s emotional issues and sensitivities, with the attitude of “why not just get over it and move on?” A person with a lack of water in their chart who has developed compassion for the sensitivities for others can serve as a tower of strength and support for others during emotional crises without getting pulled into the undercurrent.

The Three Qualities The qualities (figure 2), also called modalities, are the three different modes of energy that influence the signs: cardinal (initiating), fixed (consolidating), and mutable (adapting).

There are four signs in each quality: Cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn Fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius Mutable: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

26 • Chapter Two

0 Capricorn

nal

Fix

ed

Mutab le

11 12 1 2

inal

Card

Mut

able

Libra 7

Virgo 6

d

xe

inal

3 Gemini

5

Card

2 Taurus

4

d

xe

Fi

Cardinal

8 7 6

3

Scorpio 8

Fi

d

xe

Fi

10 9

Mutab le

1 Aries

Mutab le

di Car

- Aquarius

= Pisces

Sagittarius 9

Leo 5

Cancer 4

Figure 2. The Three Qualities: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable

Cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn The cardinal signs initiate each of the four seasons, and this theme of initiating, starting new projects, and throwing themselves into what they are doing with great intensity is the hallmark of cardinal energy. They don’t back down from a challenge and actively pursue their ambitions with such singleminded focus that they can seem insensitive to anyone in the way of their pursuits. Cardinal signs want an active, dynamic life to satisfy their tremendous drive.

Fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius The fixed signs are the middle sign of each season—its culmination—and this theme of consolidation is at the heart of fixed

The Signs of the Zodiac • 27

energy. The fixed signs possess a strong willpower and are not easily dissuaded from their determination to follow through on their plans. They hold their ground, even to the point of being stubborn at times, but this same tenacity allows them to hold onto what they believe in and bring projects to completion. Resistant to change, the fixed signs like consistency and can be depended on to stand tall for their values.

Mutable: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces The mutable signs are the final sign of each season and mark the ending of one season and the preparation for the next.

This ability to see what is ending and sense what is coming makes the mutable signs the most adaptable of the signs in terms of making changes. They deal with challenges and obstacles by adapting to the situation, learning from what is currently going on, and making adjustments to their plans accordingly. This adaptability can drift into aimlessness and a tendency to let go of their plans too easily and lose direction if they simply adapt and go with the flow.

Polarities We can also divide the twelve signs into the two polarities of assertive/receptive, with six signs each in a recurring pattern.

This polarity could also be called masculine/feminine or yang/ yin, to describe this alternating cycle that the signs exhibit.

Fire and air signs are assertive/yang energy and earth and water signs are receptive/yin energy.

Yang/masculine/assertive: The fire and air signs—Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. These signs

28 • Chapter Two

tend to be more extroverted, outward-seeking, and assertive in nature.

Yin/feminine/receptive: The earth and water signs—Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. These signs tend to be more introverted, inward-seeking, and receptive in nature.

Body, Mind & Spirit / Astrology

Simple Astrological Guidance for Self-Development and Conscious Living Concise and direct, this easy-to-use guide provides everything needed to uncover the secrets of your birth chart and reveal amazing insights about your true nature. You’ll gain an incredibly expanded understanding of yourself—and others—with this book’s extensive information and examples.

Professional astrologer David Pond introduces you to the most important topics of astrology, including the zodiac signs, planets, houses, aspects, and more. He then builds on the basics to teach you how to interpret your astrological chart and those of the people in your life. From planetary patterns and Sun signs to retrogrades and cusps, this book brings the stars down to earth so you can study astrology with ease.

David Pond is an astrologer, author, speaker, and workshop leader. David has a master’s degree in experimental metaphysics and has published eight previous books on metaphysical topics, including Llewellyn’s Little Book of Meditation, Astrology and Relationships, Chakras for Beginners, and Chakras Beyond Beginners.

David has been practicing astrology for over forty years and consults with clients, helping them work with their astrology to find meaningful and fulfilling lives and to strategize through times of transition. He lives in Olympia, Washington, and can be found online at DavidPond.com.

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