6 of Astrology's Most Frequently Asked Questions

Astrology is a truly enormous field of study. It has been developed over thousands of years … and in that time, most astrologers have determined the answers to just about every tricky question there is! If you're stumped by a question about your natal chart or astrology in general, you may just find the answers you seek here!

I was born when the Sun was changing sign. What is my Sun Sign?

A personal astrology reading depends on having an accurate time of birth in order to make an accurate reading. If you don't know your time of birth within the nearest 15 minutes, we would always recommend that you interpret the guidelines in an astrological reading fairly broadly.

What is the best way to learn about astrology?

Firstly, by getting a personal reading done. See how the planets and positions relate to events you remember and identify with in your own life. Then take a class in your local area - one-to-one learning is always best, in our opinion!

Why do people with the same birthday have such different lives?

For starters, they must also be born in the same year for the planets to be at exactly the same places. Secondly, if their birth times are different, that can mean some major positioning changes in their chart, also.

How do the planets affect our lives on Earth?

There are two broad answers to this question. One is a theory typified by Carl Jung's writings, that the symbolic significance of the planets and their positionings affects our collective unconscious. The other is that there are currently undetected (but not necessarily undetectable) forces emanating from the planets that exert an influence on our lives directly.

Is it bad luck to read old star signs/predict the future with astrology/do relationship astrology?

There is nothing in astrology which creates bad luck - unless you create it yourself with a subconscious belief that doing a particular astrological activity will cause bad things to happen to you.

I don't know the time of my birth … how can I find it?

Talking to your parents is usually the best option. Even if they don't remember an exact time, a personal astrology reading will be much more accurate if you can tell an astrologer the vague time of day you were born.

I Found Love

I had just about given up all hope of ever finding love compatibility with somebody until I stated consulting somebody with the knowledge of astrological signs. It seems that I had been attracted to the wrong kind of guys and their signs were clashing with mine.

I really never paid any attention to my horoscope or all that goes along with that. I was rather skeptical about astrology and if it really played any kind of role in who we pick as a life partner but one of my good friends lives by the signs and mentioned that I should give it a shot. So I gave up dating for a while and began getting my readings and started studying what kinds of men are best for me. After I understood it better I got myself back out there and finally hit the jackpot.

I met my now husband at a coffee shop near my office. He actually spilled his coffee on me which was very odd because that became a very accurate horoscope prediction for me. I had read it that morning and it said that I would find romance but it would start out on the damp side. I thought that was a pretty good sign that the coffee spilling on me was the damp part of the reading. He offered to pay for the dry cleaning and then asked me out for dinner. That was three years ago; we were married just one year after we met.

I will never again doubt what an astrological reading has to say; they’ve been very accurate for me and only wish I had known about it sooner. I guess the information was there for me to see; I just didn’t want to see it. There is a lot of truth written by the zodiac signs.

I Believe

After my divorce I was pretty gun-shy when it came to getting back out in the world and starting to date again. I was terrified of the whole process and after a few really bad dates that fear and anxiety got worse. Then a friend of mine suggested I start checking my horoscope concerning the best times it is for me to meet new people. I kind of laughed it off but let her help me get my true daily readings to pinpoint the best days for dating.

She also showed me how I can research love compatibility in weeding out those men who just don’t match up to what my readings suggest as my perfect match. After a few weeks I started putting this new theory to work. It was very odd but the men I started dating were all more tuned into the things I liked and we had much easier conversations.

I was introduced to a great guy a couple months later and after checking our love compatibility I realized how really perfect he was for me and me for him. We started dating exclusively and got engaged a year later. We enjoy many of the same things and our conversations are easy and fun. I immediately felt very comfortable with him as we became close friends and I truly felt like he was my soulmate.

We are getting married in three months and my life couldn’t be better. I had never believed in astrology and all the stuff that goes along with it but now I’m a true believer. I’ve begun helping other friends to understand the real meaning around their astrological signs and many of them have found happier and more fulfilling relationships because of it. I’m really thankful to be given this second chance at love and I might not had found it if it weren’t for my friend teaching me about my readings.

It’s Written in the Stars

I’ve never been one to put much thought into an astrology prediction but a few months ago I tagged along with a friend when she went to get a reading. I was curious about it so I decided to get a reading for myself. I had always thought it was like you see in the movies where the lady is looking into a crystal ball and gives a broad prediction. It wasn’t anything like that; in fact, the person doing the readings was a middle-aged man who gave readings in his home.

The first thing he said was that he knew I was a skeptic and that I thought an astrological reading was fake, which was true. But then he started giving me some details about my life that were amazingly on target. The only personal information he asked from me was the day and month I was born and from that information he detailed a very spot-on reading concerning how I was doing in my life.

He showed me what it meant to get a personal astrology reading and that many people come to him for guidance when they are at crossroads in their lives. Then he told me that within two weeks I would be working a different job. He also said that I would experience a major traumatic event within a month. I still wasn’t putting much weight into his predictions and didn’t think much about it.

The very next week I was given a promotion and began working a different job. Two weeks later a very close friend of mine died in a car accident. Some people might explain the astrology prediction as coincidence but I think there is a lot of merit in astrology and the readings. I have made an appointment to go back for another reading; I’m just very curious and think there is more to this than I ever imagined.

Celebrity Natal Charts: Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)

He may be the furthest you can get from an astrological soul, but Jeff Hanneman of the death metal band Slayer is just as shaped by the forces of the planets at the time of his birth as anybody else is! He was born on January 31, 1964, in Oakland, California, and although the time is unknown, we can get a good idea of what the universe has impressed onto Jeff Hanneman from his natal chart. We delve into his inner workings.

Intro to Jeff Hanneman

Jeff Hanneman is best known as the founding member of the band Slayer. He is the lead guitarist for the band, as we ll as the lyricist for some songs. His lyrical material often pertains to death, war, butchery, and so on. His songs include Raining Blood, Seasons in the Abyss, Angel of Death and War Ensemble.

Elements in Jeff Hanneman's Natal Chart

Earth is the element most emphasized in Hanneman's chart, with 43% of the planet's positions and angle falling into the earth category, 28% in air, 22% in water and 8% in fire. The earth propensity shows that he is efficient and not overly emotional -- which can certainly be seen in his lyrical content. The secondary dominance of air shows a taste for travel, as well as a certain flexibility and mobility.

Modalities in Jeff Hanneman's natal chart

44.8% of the planets are in the mutable modality, showing that Hanneman is always hungry for new experiences, new ideas and to evolve. He is seen to change things around him and change himself rapidly. However, Hanneman has been in Slayer for nearly 30 years .. he must be itching for a change!

Planets in Jeff Hanneman's chart

Venus, Neptune and Mercury are those most important in Jeff Hanneman's natal chart. Here the chart indicates that cold and logical reasoning and clear thoughts are not necessarily Hanneman's guiding principles - heart and soul are. The chart shows his strong artistic side, that can sometimes be detrimental to efficiency, logci and detachment.

Explaining Angles in Astrology

There are no more individual points in an astrological reading than the four main angles -- the Ascendant, the Descendant, Midheaven and the Imum Coeli. Today we're getting a little technical, looking at how each of these angles is determined and what they mean in a chart. Both budding astrologers and people interested in the theory behind their personal astrological reading should find today's introduction to angles in astrology useful!

The Ascendant

The Ascendant is defined as the angle which was coming up over the Eastern horizon at the exact time of one's birth. It is also known as the Rising sign. Every four minutes, the degree of the Ascendant changes, which is why personal astrological readings need to have an exact time of birth in order to be most useful to you.

The Ascendant is seen to be as important as the Sun Sign. It influences the appearance of a perons, both physically, emotionally and in general personality terms. In many charts, it also represents a person's goals in some form. It is an astrological angle that has a huge impact on personality, and you'll often find comments about it near the start of an astrology reading.

The Midheaven or Medium Coeli

The Midheaven is determined as the cusp of the tenth house at the moment you were born. This angle also affects how you present yourself to the world at large, like the Ascendant. It is also strongly associated with career choice.

The Descendant

The descendant is the opposite of the Ascendant - the angle that was descending over the western horizon at the exact time of your birth. The Descendant changes every four minutes also, and is more concerned with your inner or personal life. It also marks the cusp of the seventh house.

As well as going some way towards defining what your inner life looks like, the Descendant shows how you relate to those close to you. Since the seventhhouse is the house of partnerships and marriage, there is plenty of love compatibility information to be found in the Descendant.

The Nadir or Imum Coeli

This point is opposite the midheaven point - the point furthest north in an astrological reading. It is concerned with traditions, shelter, security, protection, and nurturing. It represents your most private activities.

Seduction Tips: The Water Signs

Love compatibility is a crazy little thing! If you’re trying to figure someone out (someone of the male persuasion!), it can be a little difficult to start out. People put their best face on, and rarely say what they actually think ... only what they think you want to hear. While having access to a guy's natal chart is obviously the best way to start trying to figure out his personality and influences, it can come off as a bit freaky asking about his birth time and place when you've only been on a couple of dates! Today we check out one of the next best things - a general guide to seducing guys by their zodiac sign.

Seduction tips for Cancerian guys

Cancerian guys are usually quite sensitive and protective - they are very family oriented and quite committed. Help him feel secure, help him through any sort of crisis, and generally be there for a Cancerian, and you should have the keys to his heart! Don’t be afraid to be tender with these guys ... they adore being stroked, having their hands held, and resting your knee against theirs as you are talking or watching a movie.

Seduction tips for Scorpio guys

Scorpio guys are intensely sexual - and in fact, you can usually say that the way to his heart will be through his pants! Scorpios aren't one to take physical intimacy lightly - there must be an emotional connection for them to want and enjoy sex. They feel things intensely - so complete, brutal honesty, about anything that is 'bad' as well as good, is a great way to seduce them.

Seduction tips for Piscean guys

Love astrology says that Piscean guys are almost always looking for their soul mate ... they want someone to share their lives forever, to be there through ups and downs, to save them from themselves, and be saved by them in return. These guys are compassionate and gentle, and very responsive... just make it obvious that you want to seduce him, and his reciprocity mode will kick in!