Why You Need To Go Deeper To Really Benefit From Astrology
by Kriss Lumsden
My teacher, Steven Forrest, said, “I’ve never met anyone who had these two qualities: they didn’t believe in astrology and they knew a damn thing about it.”
We all know our Sun sign. I’m an Aquarian. You might be an Aries or a Gemini. There are 12 signs. So if we only knew about our Sun sign, it would mean 1/12th of the population would be just like you. Of course that’s ridiculous and if that were true I wouldn’t believe astrology works either. Truth is, there are 2 luminaries (Sun and Moon) and 8 planets (Yes, I’m including Pluto). That increases differences amongst people greatly. But wait, there’s more! There are also 12 houses in a chart wheel. These houses are determined by the hour and minute of your birth. Just a few minutes can mean the difference between a 3rd and a 4th house Sun, each motivated by completely different agendas. This is just the tip of the iceberg and you can see why most people don’t want to bother knowing “a damn thing about it.”
What I want to convey to you is that
Astrology is the most self-empowering tool I have ever found. Even if you only know a little bit more than the person next door, the a-ha’s will come flying in.
The three most important things to first know about your chart are your Sun sign, your Moon sign, and your Ascendant (Rising sign).
You already know your Sun sign, so you are one third of the way there. For those of you that say you are on the cusp, well you aren’t. You are either one or the other. Your chart will tell you which. Let me explain the function of each of these three things in your chart.
Sun:
The Sun is your soul essence. It is who you are deep in your very core being.
It is the “you“ your soul has chosen to evolve into.
The seeds of your Sun sign are there when you are born. Like all seeds, they need to be watered and fertilized. But we are never born into a controlled environment. There are weeds and invasive plants all around us, just as there are many companion plants as well. We need to find solar nourishment by growing through the shade and shadow of the other plants (plants in the form of family, friends and society). Your Sun seeds are determined and they will continually draw in challenges in order to strengthen and grow. When you don’t identify with your Sun sign, it is usually because outside influences have made it difficult for you to see your own solar light.
Moon:
The Moon is your emotional body. It can really run the show when you don’t have an understanding of it. When we are faced with a situation that triggers a “fight or flight” response, the Moon is the first one on the scene.
She is instinctual.
Some basic example of Moons responding in this situation: a Cancer Moon will retreat into her shell, an Aquarian Moon will detach and become distant and cold, a Leo Moon might create a big dramatic scene, and a Taurus Moon will plant itself and refuse to budge. These are unconscious behaviors. When you understand your own Moon sign, you will understand how you operate emotionally in the world. You will see how you can take the higher road and respond consciously while still honoring the Moon.
Learning about my Moon sign literally changed my life.
Ascendant:
Your ascendant is the sign that was rising the moment you were born. It is the wrapping paper on the gift of you. It is what people see when they first meet you. It is your style. It colors how people see you and it also colors how you see the world.
It is the mask you wear.
Put an Aries Ascendant on an Aquarian and you will see someone at the front of the protest rally risking arrest. Put a Capricorn Ascendant on that same Aquarian and you will find them running the campaign headquarters. Both of them are working towards the betterment of humanity, but with a completely different flavoring.
Putting all three, Sun, Moon and Ascendant together is the art of an astrologer.
Computers can spit out meanings for each of these things individually, as if they existed in a void, but it takes a gifted astrologer to synthesize everything along with the rest of the chart. All Cancers or Leos or Libras do not look alike… and now I hope you can see why. So if you want or need some insight on how you are wired, call an astrologer… or two… there are all kinds of those also!
You can find me over at https://krisslumsden.com
