Just getting into astrology, I have some questions.

[intheflow]

First off, I'm delighted to see such an active group here! Gives me hope that I'll have people to talk with as I explore this spiritual tool.

So here are my questions:

1a) What are good web sites to learn from and get decent horoscopes from?

1b) I've found Jonathan Cainer, who I like a lot, and have been reading Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology for over a decade. I've also found Astrodienst, which has some helpful charts and a nice astrology primer, and this place called Astrology Zone which is okay, but doesn't really move me. Are these sites good, bad, or so-so?

2) I keep hearing about Mercury being in retrograde. What does that mean exactly, and how long will it last?

3) I am an Aquarius with a Leo moon. Is it at all significant to me that the lunar eclipse we just had was in Leo during Aquarius, and that the solar eclipse in August will be in Aquarius during Leo? This is the question I've been trying to determine the most, but I think it's too particular to my chart to be in general astrology info.

I guess that's about it for now. I've always been drawn to astrology by my rational mind has kept me from looking into it deeply. Now my life has turned upside down; what was rational before is completely chaotic now. So it's definitely time to revisit my old assumptions about the way the universe works, and this is part of that journey. Thanks in advance for your help!

[skater314159]

1. Glad to have you here!

I've just started posting here... I have been doing and following Astrology for most of my life, but I am just now flexing my wings on being a "practicing" or "professional" astrologer... I'm a chaplain who uses the traditional Greek and Roman Classical Astrology.

1)Those sites seem to be pretty good - I recommended Astrodienst myself to some friends who wanted to learn more. I think its good. Another site that I just love (well, I'm a geek, so why wouldn't I love it?) is Wikipedia - which has a whole Astrology Portal!

I have mostly books, because I'm a bibliophile, so if you want someone to make up a list for you to hit Half-Price Books or your local library, I'd be more than happy to do that for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Astrology

2)Well, I could go on about this for a while, but it means that the usual peaceful, good vibe flow of Mercury (Hermes in the Ancient Greek Pantheon) is a bit static-y and jumbled. Messages will get garbled, you might misunderstand what others are telling you - or you might confuse others with your words and meanings, travel plans could go totally awry, intellectual matters don't turn out the way you predicted... and other stuff that has to do with the areas of life that Mercury watches over.

If you are an air-y or intellectually oriented person, Mercury retrograde can really piss you off... even if you are usually laid back and cool! I've been tenser and more easily agitated during this Mercury Retrograde, but being aware of it helps me to deal with it more effectively... which I think is what we are supposed to learn from astrology - how to get along with others through learning about ourselves and the universe.

3) I can do a chart and reading for you if you'd like... and I wrote about the 6th eclipse, am gonna write about the ones coming up on 20th Feb and the August ones too soon ... here's my blog (if you wanna read more) http://demosathene.blogspot.com/

As I said, I'm just getting started (I'm really a shy geek, so this is a VERY big step for me) but I'd love to discuss more with you!

:loveya: :grouphug:
WELCOME TO THE ASTROLOGY GROUP AT DU!!!!:hi: WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU!!!

:hippie:
skater pi

EDIT: I added some more to the Mercury Retrograde part...

[intheflow]

4. Ooh, I can't wait to check out the wikipedia info!

This is a great reply, and thanks for hugs!

The bit about Mercury in retrograde is very, very helpful; I am all about the garbled messages these days! LOL. Very frustrating indeed to this intellectually-oriented person. Tell me, how long must I endure this frustration? Is Mars going to be in retrograde all year, or will it be more short-term? (Please, please, please let it be the latter!)

I''m going to go check out your blog, too. I read in a thread you posted that you were going to start doing this for a living, which I think is very cool. You say you're a chaplain--are you ordained clergy (i.e., a professional chaplainas as opposed to a profesional spiritual guide)? I'm asking because I just jumped off the ordained clergy track, so I'm hungry to find others who have also had that experience...
*on edit: never mind, I see in your blog you were never on the organized religion track. But seeing your MTh gives me hope of having a use someday for my MDiv. :hi:

[skater314159]

6. Yay!!! A kindred spirit!!!

Mercury goes direct on the 20th of this month :woohoo: !

Unfortunately, Saturn is retrograde till the 3rd of MAY!!! Pluto goes retrograde on the 3rd of April, and Jupiter on the 10th of May... so this year is going to have some very "interesting" vibes to it.

Yeah, I never declared a single religion, so I'm not ordained... I just am a professional spiritual guide who helps people of all faiths, including "none", learn more about their path and enjoy their journey. You have an MDiv? Wow.


We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

:yourock:

If you have a MDiv, you should totally be a chaplain... man, I'm a wuss, I could barely stand academia long enough to get my MTh!

You DEFINATELY ROCK!!! Wow.

[ccpup]

2. two answers for you

Mercury Retrograde is good for reviewing, reworking, rewriting, research and re-configuring plans. Not a great time to begin anything new as, when Mercury goes direct, what you've put in place will need to be changed in some way. Maybe big, maybe small. But Mercury Rx is good for stepping back and re-doing things that need to be re-done.

Solar Eclipses don't often manifest in one's chart unless the Eclipse itself is EXACTLY conjunct or in opposition to a personal planet or point (Ascendant or MC, etc). Taking place in the Aquarius-Leo axis doesn't necessarily mean it will demonstrably affect you in your life. Although you may want to keep an eye on the Houses Aquarius and Leo inhabit in your chart and the things ruled by those Houses.

Hope this helps.

[intheflow]

3. Thanks. Your answer brought up another question.

Is my chart static, like a snapshot or a map, fixed at my birth? Or does it change based on the rotation of the planets? Is a chart both of those at once? As you can tell, I'm in the VERY rudimentary phases of exploring this. :hi:

[stellanoir]

5. No your chart is no more static than you are still a new born.

We grow through progressions and transits, or not.

That's where free will is involved.

The only other things I'd add to what's been said about Mercury retro (which ends on Feb 18th @ 9:57 pm EST) is that it's wisest not to over schedule stuff. It's a great time for sorting out misunderstandings and is no convoluted astrological excuse for complacency.

It happens for 3, 3 week intervals for the year. That's roughly 20% of the time and is vastly over rated or under rated depending how you look at it.

and on edit- yes the eclipses are significant depending on the house and orb. They are potential healings but one generally needs to work with those energies.

Welcome to this cozy and generally friendly forum.

[ccpup]

7. your chart is your chart

Although I wouldn't call it "static", wherever Neptune is, whatever your Ascendant is, wherever your Sun is, none of that changes.

Your chart WILL, though, -- as StellaNoir hinted at -- be affected by transits, secondary progressions, tertiary progressions, etc and so on. Transits, progressions, etc and so on are the opportunities we have (and which we've agreed to before incarnating in this lifetime) to learn lessons, face challenges, succeed or "fail", enlist the help of others (physical or celestial) or LEARN how to enlist the help of others.

So, although the birth chart doesn't change, per se, it is very alive and always offering you the opportunity to choose differently, act (and react) differently, and live the more enlightened elements of your planets, where they're placed and who they're working (or not working) with -- per the aspects they make with one another -- in this lifetime.

But your birth chart -- the location of the planets , their natal relationship to one another and the angles (MC, Asc, IC and Descendant) -- is your birth chart until the day you up and leave and travel to another dimension.

[eilen]

8. Hi! I'm new too!

I am also starting to learn astrology although I am not exactly new to it. My mother was/is an astrologer --she and my step-father so I grew up hearing the language, some things I understand but some I don't. I am lucky that I have someone to ask questions of though.

My mom recommended some of the older books -- Alan Leo, Robert Hand (I guess _Planets in Transit_ is somewhat of a classic), Isabel Hickey, Linda Goodman's Sun Signs.

I like Amanda Owen's website (google her name, it will come right up) as well as tarot.com. I will have to check out the ones you mentioned.

[I Have A Dream]

9. Welcome to the group, intheflow!

I also recommend Astrodienst. As you know, it allows all kinds of charts to be created for free.

I go to lots of other sites when I'm doing searches for specific topics, but I don't go to any other site regularly except for this group, which I consider to be my spiritual home and family.

By the way, I'm an extremely left-brained person also -- I'm a programmer by profession. However, I feel an irresistible draw to spiritual things, so I have to go where my heart leads me regardless of what my innate abilities are.

:hi: