ASTROLOGY
Astrology is the practice of using the sun, moon, planets and other heavenly bodies to explain events of the past or present and foretell the future. It is also used (more so in some cultures than others), to determine ‘personality types’ based on date of birth, place of birth, etc. to find the perfect mate for dating and relationships.
There are many different flavors of astrology practiced in the world and they can be broadly classified into 3 different categories Western, Vedic and Chinese
Western Astrology
In Western astrology, the apparent annual path of the sun through the constellations is divided into 12 parts of 30 degrees each called zodiacs, starting with the spring equinox of the northern hemisphere. Hence, March 21 to April 20 is Aries. The rest of the zodiacs are Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces in order. Western astrology looks at the position of the Sun in the backdrop of stars (sidereal), as opposed to a fixed position.
Due to the ‘wobbling’ motion of the earth on its own axis (or precession of the equinoxes) the zodiac signs of Western Astrology no longer match the original constellations after which they were named (star formations grouped together to form well-known figures in the sky).
The planets are an important consideration in Western Astrology. Each planet represents the ‘drives’ in individuals coming under their spell. Each planet, different from astronomical planets, represents a particular drive and is also the ruler of one or two zodiac signs. The ‘planets’ are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Ceres.
The construction of a horoscope is fundamental in Western Astrology. Horoscopes are prepared for any moment in time – usually at birth (natal chart), commencement of a business or any important event in a person’s life. This consists of a chart of the skies consisting of the heavenly bodies at that moment.
The horoscope is divided into twelve parts called houses, which represent twelve different ambits or spheres of activity in a person’s life. Usually the 7th house represents love, relationships and marriage. Astrologers attempt to interpret this by determining the position of the planets in relation to the different houses, among other things.
Vedic Astrology
An important element in Vedic astrology, is that the zodiac signs match the corresponding constellations at all times. Practitioners of this tradition use the so-called ‘sidereal’ zodiac, taking into account the sidereal motion of the earth.
In addition, Vedic astrology also places some degree of importance on the orbit of the moon around the earth. The moon is said to traverse through 27 or 28 divisions of sky (13 degrees, 20 minutes) once in the orbital period of 27.3 days. Each of these divisions, known as a Nakshatra, is identified by the stars in them, the starting point of which is opposite the star Spica – or the start of ‘Aries’ which is termed Meshadi. The other Nakshatras go eastwards from that point.
Each of the Nakshatras is governed by a dasha which is termed ‘planetary period’. There are nine dashas which in order are Ketu (South Lunar Node), Shukra (Venus), Ravi or Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Rahu (North Lunar Node), Guru or Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shani (Saturn) and Budha (Mercury). According to Vedic astrological practices, the dashas are key in forecasting the life of an individual.
Chinese Astrology
In Chinese Astrology the zodiac comprises of the signs of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (ram or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar .). The earth’s equator is divided into 12 and each part represented by a sign. There is no constellation linked to it as in the Western and Vedic traditions.
Each sign also corresponds to a particular month and also a particular year and combines with a system based on the five elements of Chinese Cosmology, (wood, fire, earth, metal and water in their Yin and Yang forms) to give a 60 year cycle, which always starts with Wood Rat and ends with Water Boar. Further, the Yin years always end in an odd number and the Yang years always end in an even number.
One point to note with care is that these years represent Chinese years, which start on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month of the year – which can fall on any day between January 21 and February 20 year. It is usually the second (very rarely the third) new moon after the winter solstice. This fact should be taken into consideration when determining the Chinese year of those born in January and February – they could well have been born in the previous Chinese year.
The number 12 is used in Chinese Astrology because it represents the orbit of Jupiter (rounded from 11.86).
Source – http://www.wikipedia.com