Astrology is best known for daily horoscopes published online and in newspapers. It's been used as a tool of divination for thousands of years. But astrology's biggest strength is in how it can be used for personal and spiritual growth, and for releasing karmic debt. In recent years, astrology has even become a powerful tool to licensed therapists who use it to help clients access their natural strengths as well as overcome their weaknesses.

The natal chart is the best place to begin to learn astrology. In studying the natal chart, you learn how our sun signs define our personalities, how the Moon shows us ways we relate to the world and integrate our emotions, and Mercury describes how we communicate with others and process information. The planetary bodies in the natal chart, their house positions and signs, describe a person's potentials and limitations. We can use it to grow personally and spiritually.

Once the basics of the natal chart is learned, you can move onto understanding transits, and how the movements of the planetary bodies in relation to the natal chart affect your daily energies and undertakings. Later, you can learn about progressions as well, which help you pinpoint the best times to do certain types of activities. Transits and progressions are what astrologers use to develop horoscopes. But unlike the Sun sign horoscopes you read, you can create your own that are tailor made from your specific natal chart, the exact day, time, and place you were born.

There are many sites on the internet that provide chart construction as a free service. You can also buy some software packages that do chart creation and provide some interpretation as well. Lastly, there is some great free software that casts the charts for any time period.

But having your chart is not enough, and software that prints out canned descriptions is limited in its helpfulness. To get the most out of your natal chart and current transits, you really need a good astrologer. An astrologer looks at the relationships of the planets in respect to their signs, houses, and positions, and s/he knows enough about all of the signs to see patterns emerge. Software doesn't do this. An astrologer also weighs out the balance of elements in the chart, and this gives indications of whether a person is going to struggle with emotions, creativity, intellect, and where they seek a solid foundation in life.

The alternative to getting a good astrologer is, of course, learning astrology yourself. Astrology is a huge field and takes a lot of time to study. We Gemini's find such studies a fun challenge. It's a fascinating topic, with many layers and levels. You can learn how to use astrology to grow personally and spiritually, and it will also help you understand those around you much better.

I have been studying astrology off and on since the last '70s. Recently I became a member and newsletter editor for the South Bay Astrological Society.

My new astrology site is Cosmic Pathway

Astro Deinst
Art Charts
The Star Keepers
AstroWin Free Astrology Software

Great Books