WHAT IS ASTROLOGY?

Astrology is the science of how the planets affect our lives here on earth. On a gross level, most of us feel happier when the sun is shining than when it is cloudy; the moon affects the tides and the menstrual cycle. These are the more obvious signs of influence, but astrologers seek to observe, study and interpret the movement of all the planets and their inter-relationships so as better to understand the human psyche.

THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY

For as far back as archeologists can trace, people have found meaning in the movement of the planets. The theories of the Chaldeans, Babylonians and Sumerians influenced later societies and there are references to astrology in the Bible, in Greek and Roman scientific treatises and in the work of classical Indian and Chinese philosophers.

In western society, right up until the late seventeenth century, astronomers and astrologers worked together to understand the complexities of the sky. In the Middle Ages, an astronomer was necessarily an astrologer and throughout Europe, court astrologers would draw up charts to determine the best time to wage war, to crown kings, to make treaties.

It was only with the advent of scientific method in the early eighteenth century that astrology was forced underground by the prevailing sway of rational humanism. Only in the last twenty or thirty years has this ancient and subtle science been brought again into the public domain.

WHAT ASTROLOGY CAN DO

Astrology is not a cure-all: it cannot tell you how to live your life, nor can it say for certain what will happen. It can, however, chart patterns in a person's life and thereby suggest likely outcomes - or ways in which a person might deal with the difficulties on the horizon.

As such, it is an exceptionally powerful tool, through which we are able better to understand ourselves - what brings our passions to the surface, what inspires us, why we react in the way we do. It can also help us to realise our potential, by highlighting those areas of our lives where we might develop ourselves and where we might hold back.

Beyond the analysis of character, astrology can show the ways in which the future might unfold, and how we might best deal with this unfolding. It can suggest the best times for setting up a business or for making a change in one's life; some astrologers, who specialise in medical matters, can indicate the possible ways in which a disease might be treated.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT FROM YOUR ASTROLOGER

• complete confidentiality;

• the ability to listen and work with you to understand your chart and what it signifies for you;

• a readiness to change their opinion in the light of what you tell them;

• a jargon-free explanation of the symbolism in the chart in relation to your own situation;

• practicality, rationality and an acknowledgement of their own limitations in reading your chart;

• a charging policy which reflects both the serious nature of astrology and the realisation that some people are richer than others;

• a good sense of humor.

Above all, remember that, in order to get the best out of a session (or a written analysis), you need to work with your astrologer. After all, they are only there to help you develop what you already have and to realise your own potential.