Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ascendant?

The Ascendant (also known as the rising sign) is the sign rising in the east at the time of your birth. The Ascendant is calculated based on 1) your full date of birth, 2) exact time of birth including a.m./p.m., and 3) location of birth (city/state/country).

What are the houses?

An astrological chart is in the shape of a circle with 12 pie-shaped sectors. The 12 sectors or wedges are the "houses" of your chart, areas of human concern such as: self, money & values, home, partner, career, friends, children, etc.

What if I have no planets in a house?

No planets in a given house does not mean that nothing is going on in that area of life for you. To get clues to that area of life, we use the ruler of the empty house, its house position, sign, and aspects. Of course, all of this is related to the Sun, which is the focal point of your chart. Your chart is a whole pattern, integrated by your consciousness, ethics, and your soul’s desire for experience.

What is the Part of Fortune?

The Part of Fortune is not a planet, but a mathematical calculation based on the position of your Ascendant, Moon, and Sun. The Part of Fortune acts similarly to a Jupiter influence by sign and house, giving support for the activities of that house.

What does Mercury retrograde mean?

A retrograde planet is not moving backward, but APPEARS to be moving backward. Retrograde planets, natally or by transit, encourage us to REFLECT, REVIEW, and REWORK, which may mean starting a thing over several times before we get it the way we want it. However the process of reflection, review and reworking tends to yield more fullness of understanding and mastery eventually than if we had just done it right the first time.

All planets and asteroids can retrograde, symbolized by "Rx." The Sun and Moon do not go retrograde. The Earth is not used except in heliocentric astrology; western astrology normally assumes we are looking at the universe from the viewpoint of being on Earth.

Mercury goes retrograde three times a year for about 3 weeks at a time. People who have Mercury Rx natally have less of a challenge with transiting Mercury Rx, since they are naturally very reflective. Mercury retrograde can be challenging in business and other interpersonal relations that require agreements to create a reality. Business volume and sales can decline remarkably during this time, and cars, computers and other communications equipment can break down more often now. Contracts should not be signed during this time, nor important agreements made, nor important projects initiated, as the people involved may change their minds or back out of the deal. The very worst time to attempt these things is the day Mercury goes stationary Rx. Routine business usually runs as usual, but Mercury retrograde is a good time to clean up paperwork. Check and recheck any outgoing correspondence, or documents, or numbers. Hold promotional mailings until Mercury goes direct, plus 3 days to pick up speed again after turning direct. The day that Mercury goes stationary Rx and also stationary direct, plus or minus a couple of days, can be disorienting mentally, so make allowances.

Even the general public has heard of Mercury Rx. But much more is made of Mercury Rx by a fear-based public than is really necessary. No need to be fearful, just prudent. If you have done normal preparations for your activities and done maintenance on your possessions, the likelihood is that any inconvenience of this transit will be minor or negligible. Make allowance for others changing their minds, wanting to reflect on things, or not quite having their act together as usual. Use the extra time to put your paperwork and databases in order, and to catch up on your reading. But do back up your files!

What are Transits and Progressions?

Astrologers update a chart with transits and progressions, meaning they add present-time information to your natal chart to show major trends, growth, opportunities, challenges.

Transits are where the planets are in present-time and how they relate to your natal chart (birthchart). Astrologers look mainly at "major transits" of the slow-moving planets, the outer planets in our solar system, when placing transits on your natal chart, in order to view major trends.

Progressions are a mathematical calculation only, yet reflect major trends or directions in life. The progressed Moon moves around your chart at about one degree per month, and shows the area where you have a lot of psychic attention at any given time. The progressed Sun shows major soul cycles, staying in a sign for 30 years. A progressed planet changing sign reflects an opening or breakthrough in the way you do things, or approach some aspect of life, and signals the closing of a door on an earlier chapter of life ("been there, done that").

What is Horary?

HORARY is a branch of astrology that deals with asking specific questions. A horary chart (a "horary") is the chart of a specific question; it is the birth of a question. A horary is literally the chart of the HOUR – the chart of NOW. A horary requires a questioner, and a recipient of the question. If a horary question is left on the astrologer’s answering machine, the time the astrologer hears the question is considered the time of the question. The question is not complete until it is received and heard. (It is possible for an astrologer to pose a question to himself, however, so he is both the questioner and recipient in that case.) The location and aspects of the Moon are of special interest in horary astrology. Horary is used to find lost objects, and has many more practical uses.

What is a void-of-course moon?

A void-of-course (VOC) Moon occurs when the Moon makes no more major aspects before it leaves a sign. VOC Moon is used in horary astrology, which tracks the Moon as it moves through a sign. Horary notes the major aspect of the Moon just preceding the question, then each succeeding major aspect of the Moon until the Moon leaves the sign. The aspect preceding the question "leads into" the question, often "sets up" circumstances for the question to occur, helps to birth the question. The aspects following the question tend to show the course of how the question will work out, probabilities. VOC Moon and aspects of the moon are also used in daily activities planning.

Why so much focus on the Moon? The Moon has to do with where our psychic attention is, how we feel as we "read the energy" in our environment, and the support we seek in order to accomplish our goals.

What is Electional Astrology?

Electional astrology elects or selects a time to begin or "birth" something very important, such as a marriage or business.

What is Corporate Astrology?

Corporate astrology is the chart of a corporation as an entity in itself. The incorporation date and location is used, and the Sun is positioned at the midheaven, symbolizing the leader or CEO. The DBA ("doing business as" or fictitious business name) date, time, and location are often used for a sole proprietorship. If the business does not have a DBA, then the time that the business first received money or had its grand opening may be used. Corporate charts reveal many facets of business dynamics including: corporate image, leadership, marketing, sales, staff, community relations, reputation, venture capital and other funding, communications, lawsuits, and more.

How accurate is Relocation Astrology?

If you know your exact birthtime, relocation astrology is very exact and accurate. There are several approaches to relocation astrology, a very popular one being AstroCartographic maps, which use midheaven (MC) and 4th house cusp (IC) lines. These lines have a very wide orb of several hundred miles, and as such, they are mostly useful as background information to the astrologer, even though this system has been the most widely promoted and sold to the public over years.

I consider the person’s birthchart, their career, and what they want to accomplish by relocating, then highlight several of their local space lines over all continents. I also include the 5 major asteroids. If someone desires to live life "on purpose," they find it helps enormously to be on what I call their "planetary support lines," their most positive local space lines. Otherwise they tend to flounder and can’t get anything much going, feel alienated, at odds, have difficulty achieving their goals.

As a final refinement, relocating the person’s chart to a particular city on one of their planetary support lines gives more detailed information about how they’re likely to experience life circumstances there. The person will always have their natal chart, but a relocated chart yields a specialized kind of practical information for use while in that location.

Relocation mapping is good for a lifetime, and it has been my most popular reading over the last 10 years.

What about planets at 29 degrees of a sign? – At 0 degrees?

The 29th degree always brings a great fullness of whatever that sign represents. For example, Venus at 29 degrees Pisces in this case would have compassion, intuition, refined aesthetic sense, spiritual and romantic love. I find the focus is very much on the sign in question, in this example Pisces, and then when the planet goes into the next sign by transit or progression, there is a big burst of energy, a mini-explosion into a new area, a new way of being.

Planets at 29 degrees and at 0 degrees are very powerful, one in an experienced, confident, even masterful way, and the other in a fresh, innocent, and impulsive way that demands attention.

Now in a natal chart, the 29 degree planet will likely progress to 0 degrees of the next sign fairly soon after birth, so both influences operate. The person still has all the 29 degree sign experience for the course of the lifetime, yet *branches out* and moves into the new sign as well, giving *lots* of possibilities since adjacent signs are quite different.

Later, the planet may progress into yet another sign, which adds even more richness and complexity to the way the person creates his life. We pick up so much experience and perspective as we go along, this makes for a very rich lifetime if we can appreciate it.

What does it mean for a planet to be "on the cusp"?

A cusp is a point marking the ending of one sign and beginning of another, or the ending of one house and beginning of another. You may hear people speak of their Sun sign as "on the cusp," for example on the border of Libra and Scorpio. If the person has not had their chart professionally calculated, they may not know what Sun sign they are. They are actually one Sun sign OR the other, but they may speak out of ignorance, and may have been told that they have qualities of both signs because their Sun is near the cusp. I disagree with this interpretation. If a person has their Sun near a cusp, I say they have qualities of both signs only if they also have planets in the other sign in question, for example a Scorpio who also had planets in Libra. See also notes on 29 degree planets above.

What kinds of questions can I ask in a reading?

I ask clients to bring questions, concerns or issues with them to help focus the reading and make it more meaningful for them. Here is an opportunity to get objective input on your questions, and new hypotheses for consideration. Using this input, you check to see what rings true for you, and you make your own decisions.

Any question is fair game for consideration. However we may discuss the question itself and may upgrade a question to one that is more fruitful when necessary, a question that will yield a better answer in terms of your personal empowerment and growth. The effort of grappling with questions, and learning to ask more fruitful questions, is a very valuable part of the astrological process.

In preparation for the consultation, list your questions. Your list may start off with general areas you want to address. Then begin "taking off the layers" of each question, asking more and more specific questions, what you really want to know, based on your real considerations and ongoing conversation within yourself. This preparation is an important part of the process, something you can do at your leisure at no cost, and will improve the quality of your reading enormously. It’s just like the rest of life — you take initiative and ask for what you want, then what comes back is more likely to address your specific needs. You practice making the effort to "dig in" and "go deeper," articulate what may be subliminal, denied, habitually glossed over, or assumed. You overcome taking a passive approach to life, and now take a more proactive, responsible approach that helps you achieve your goals.

Ascendant (ASC) or "Rising Sign"

On the far left of the chart, in the 9:00 position if you were to consider the analogy of a clock, is the Ascendant by sign and degree. The Ascendant or Rising Sign is the sign rising in the east at the time of your birth.

The Ascendant is your "calling card" in the world, what you project to the world as personality and appearance, often relating how the physical features are formed, and shows natural gifts and talents you don’t have to work too hard to develop. The Ascendant is often what people first see about you, and what qualities or personality they depend on you for, for good or ill. The Ascendant is a factor in personal health and wellness. Other astrological indicators such as Sun, Moon, and planets near the Ascendant point to additional personality traits. The Ascendant seems to enjoy a variety of interpretations among astrologers.

Transits and progressions to the Ascendant correlate to changes in a person’s sense of himself as an individual, self-confidence, way of being in the world, appearance, and body.

Midheaven (also known as the MC)

The Midheaven is the top of the chart, in the 12:00 position using the analogy of a clock. The Midheaven is also known as MC or medium coeli. The Midheaven by sign and degree is a point relating to high visibility, career, fame, or destiny (due to factors you have previously set in motion). In addressing career success for a person, an astrologer may look to the ruler of the MC by house, sign and aspects, in addition to other factors.

Transits and progressions to the MC correlate to developments in career, career empowerment, relationship to persons in authority, becoming one’s own authority, taking responsibility, and increased visibility.

WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

Light that meets obstacles will be reflected or scattered by them. That means that part of the light is sent into different directions. And that is a good thing, because otherwise we could only see things that emit light of their own, such as the Sun and fire and lamps, but not the ground or a tree or a wall. If the light changes direction in the same way across a large area, then we call it refraction or reflection of light. If the light goes randomly in all kinds of directions, then we call it scattering of light.

How well scattering works depends on the size of the obstacles (particles) and on the wavelength of the light.

A cloud in the sky is made up of very many droplets of water, which are really small but yet much greater than the wavelength of the light. In such a case, all wavelengths (colors) are scattered equally well, and that’s why such a cloud looks white.

Fog is like a cloud that lies on the ground, so it is also made up of very many very tiny drops of water. If you stand in a fog at night near a street light or lamp, then it seems as if part of the light doesn’t come from the lamp but from the fog around the lamp. That light did in fact come from the lamp and was on its way in a direction very different from that towards your eye, but then bumped into a fog droplet and was redirected towards your eye after all. Because your eye can only see where the light came from last, it looks as if the light didn’t come from the lamp but fromt the fog droplet instead.

If the diameter of the scattering particles is less than about one tenth of the wavelength of the light, then the scattering is much easier for smaller wavelengths than for longer wavelengths (namely, inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength). This kind of scattering is called Rayleigh scattering, after mister Rayleigh who explained it. Blue light has a wavelength that is about half as large as that of red light, so blue light is scattered about 16 times easier than red light.

Atoms and gas molecules (like those in the air) and tiny dust and smoke particles are small enough that they can produce Rayleigh scattering of light. Part of each light ray that comes from the Sun and travels through the atmosphere is scattered, and this part is mainly the blue part. Blue will be lacking from light rays coming directly from the Sun to your eyes, because it was scattered into many different directions, so the Sun looks a bit yellow (because if you take away blue from white light then you get yellow). Of light rays that pass you by, some blue light is scattered in all directions, and also towards your eyes, and that light does not seem to come from the Sun but rather from the air molecules that scattered it towards you. That’s why the sky looks blue.
http://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/AA/en/antwoorden/licht.html#v155

EXPLAIN BLACK HOLES

One of the things that the theories of Newton and Einstein predict is that in exceptional circumstances gravity can get so strong that not even light can escape from it. To create such a case you must compress matter very very hard, much harder than we can do on Earth. A body that has such strong gravity that not even light can escape from it had to look black, so it has been called a "black hole" for about the last 40 years. Calculations of the life of stars show that only the heaviest stars will end their life as a black hole. The Sun is not nearly massive enough to turn into a black hole.

Nothing at all (whether it be material, radiation, or information) can escape from inside a black hole. The outer boundary from inside which nothing can escape is called the event horizon. You cannot see, feel, or measure the event horizon. If you fall into a black hole then you won’t notice it when you pass the event horizon, but once you pass that boundary then you cannot escape from the black hole anymore.

Something that most definitely does not follow from the theory of Newton, but that does follow from the General Theory of Relativity of Einstein, is that gravity distorts the structure of space and time. Here again, this is only measurable in very extreme circumstances or with very accurate measurements. Karl Schwarzschild from Germany applied, around 1916, the General Theory of Relativity to the inside of a simple black hole and found that the theory predicts that the distortion of space and time at the very center of such a black hole becomes infinitely great. Such a point at which the predicted distortion of space and time is infinite is nowadays called a singularity, and the predicted singularity at the heart of a simple black hole is called, after its discoverer, a Schwarzschild Singularity.

The most important thing to know about black holes is that they do not have special sucking powers just because they are black holes. The gravity of a black hole is of the same kind as the gravity of any other thing. If you replace the Sun by a black hole with the same mass as the Sun, then the planets will continue in their orbits just like they did around the Sun, and with the same orbital periods. The gravity at 1 million kilometers from the center of the Sun is just as strong as the gravity at 1 million kilometers from the center of a black hole with the same mass as the Sun.