Financial Astrology: Understanding the Different Types of Astrology

I have decided to switch gears, again, this month. One of the things that I am noticing out there in the New Age and Astrological community is people are having a seemingly difficult time with the difference between types of astrology. If they understand those differences, even more still are sort of duking it out over which are better. However, mostly, I think the crux of the issue lying in the fact that many are conflating natal astrology with mundane astrology: and this holds particularly true of astrological explorations of political and financial concerns. I wanted to explore this for you just a bit, so that you can better understand how certain things are used, why, and how that can benefit you in terms of exploring finances via astrology.

Much of this stems from a two factors:

• People who are not astrologers or have very limited knowledge and understanding of astrology attempting to become experts in this area or presenting themselves as such. I won’t get into that one a whole lot here: but you really have to be careful.One of the reasons I adore working for AstrologicAnswers- not to sound all cheerleaderish: they don’t engage in many of the red flag behaviors for this. There’s a reason: because that’s not how they roll and ethics are important. At some juncture, I may blog about those red flags and how you can find a reputable astrologer. Not tooooday, though.
• The differences between traditional astrology and modern astrology. Which, technically, there really isn’t a whole lot of difference: it’s all about the astrologer who’s working on it and their attitudes about certain things. However, it’s those attitudes which often keep people from truly understanding what a vast and important set of tools the full scope of astrology has to offer.
• People who are incredibly well versed natal astrologers, who don’t understand mundane astrology- but muddy the water a bit with predictions one would make using something like horary or mundane astrology. Natal astrology is awesome, and it’s complex- please don’t get me wrong. But it isn’t mundane or horary astrology.

Traditional Vs. Modern Astrology

For brevity’s sake: I am not going to go into all the ins and outs of the differences here because that would be an even longer article than this is probably going to be. However- there are a few surface level differences you should know.

When we get into the basics of how traditional astrology works, the foundation is: As Above, So Below. This does not mean you are at some fatalistic mercy of the planets, the stars, and otherwise. It means that what’s going on up there, what’s going on down here- acts as a sort of reflection. Though I do tend to use terms like “this energy does” and “that energy does”- this is more reflective of my own personal belief system and less an indication of how the nuts and bolts of traditional astrology works. I actually work with a hybridization of both mindsets: seeing the value in them both. I will not, however, ever tell you that you are doomed to failure because of the planetary positions, that you MUST know these transits to make good decisions, or that Mercury retrograde- or any other retrograde- is a huge giant boogie man that will ruin your life. Those things just aren’t true.

What is true is that there are certain dynamics at play and the way those things play out is illustrated by astrology- and therefore, can be used a number of ways to help you.

Another thing often seen in more modern astrology: Sun sign emphasis, generalizations, and anxiety-inducing rhetoric about certain transits or events. I disagree with many staunch traditionalists that you cannot give people a general overview of how these things may play out- yet, at the same time: I also feel it’s important to know how they interact within your particular chart before you assume they’ll have that generalized impact. There’s a hard balance there in how you express these things: but it can be had. I also tend to believe that when you do sort of begin to think about things in this way: it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You tell yourself that life’s going to get really horrible- for whatever reasons, and your choices will reflect that, likely, making your life pretty horrible. The same can be said for good things, too. Having greater confidence and positive thinking won’t cause opportunity to get FedEx’d to your door- but, it will enable you to see when opportunity is there, and feel like you can grab it. What astrology should do, is more or less hip you to some of the trends at play and give you more information to do just that.

We are talking about a system that started sometime over 2000 years ago. There are traditions that have gone by the wayside, there are advancements that have been made in our understanding, and mindsets vary from astrologer to astrologer. Now, when you get into more Western traditional astrology- you’re looking at working with things like the 4 Elements, energy and otherwise. Of course, Eastern disciplines have their own variant on this, and it’s likely, that’s where this comes from.

Understanding the patterns that make up our life is important, and this is where natal astrology certainly comes in. These things are displayed in your birth chart- but, as astrologers, we also need to take into account the way a person is, now. Not just what we see in the chart. Free will is important and respecting it means the understanding that personality and temperament do play a factor. I can tell you that your chart shows you to be a person who may make very rash, impulsive decisions: but, if your life experience has taught you not to, you just won’t. Maybe you did before, and you were hurt, or maybe other elements of your chart would tell us that your mother had a tremendous influence on you: and she raised you not to. I’ll get more into how we must also look at the chart as a whole in my August Astrology Lesson. The fact remains: You still have choices, and you still make them- planets or no.

Kind of in summary, what I am about to go into- the differences and how each can help you: well, the traditional astrologers are more likely to understand them and work with them than some of the more modern astrologers I have seen. I know this all sounds a bit judgmental, but it’s honestly not. I started out very much that way, myself, kind of avoiding the more complex areas but studying them and poking them with a sort of stick: until finally, I started working with political astrology, reading further and the lightbulb went on: “Hey, you know, maybe I should be more open to this.” I don’t regret it a bit. The ways I’ve grown and the things I’ve learned are amazing- and continue. Let’s take a look at the branches you’ll most commonly see across the board: but also, how they apply to financial astrology.

Horary Astrology

I think a lot of people would expect I’d start with Natal Astrology- this is what most are familiar with. However, if we look at these three branches as it pertains to predictions: horary comes first for a few reasons.

It’s pretty easy to see why horary astrology is often considered the primary branch of astrology- think about history and how things have gone. It wasn’t until very recently that recording the time of birth was even a factor- believe it or not, many didn’t even know their birthdays. So, it makes sense why it got put into use on that level alone.

I mentioned before the notion of As Above, So Below- and, horary astrology works with exactly that. The idea being that the questions we have, at the exact moment we ask them: is what an astrologer working with horary astrology works with. When your astrologer notes the question was at say, 2:15 am- and fully understands what you’re asking, this is where we begin. Additionally, as horary works with this time of question, rather than birth data- you can see how that would be less to put together in order to answer a question. Instead of dissecting the person- oh ew, that’s a bad way to put it: instead of dissecting a person’s particular attributes, potential habits, and the like: you can simply read the question. Many feel that this is a more direct way to get exact details, as well as looking into the timing of events.

Natal Astrology

So, now, we get into natal astrology, which, is of course, based on a chart constructed using your exact day, month, year, time and place of birth. This is going to map out the events in your life and the personality attributes you have that will emerge. I will go more into all of that in August’s Astrology lesson, as well.

When we’re looking at someone’s personality- we’re sort of also taking into account what kind of temperaments they have, and this can be a tremendous aid in figuring out how a person may react to given situations. That is part of why it can be used in a predictive sense, but, as I mentioned above, this really just goes into how those things may impact your tangible reality- the way you do things. So, we get into what a natal chart is- and basically, it’s just a snapshot of where the planets and otherwise happened to be as it relates to the horizon: at the moment of your birth. The time, the season, phase of the moon and otherwise are also important.

A good natal consultation with an astrologer should focus on your birth chart, but also: charts that may be made up based on that birth chart. This can help to better delve into patterns, behaviors, events, and interactions with others. Another area that is the topic of so much debate between astrologers is this: karma, past lives, and the condition of your soul and its particular journey. Rather frankly, I find this debate to be a bit on the egoist side, regardless of which side the astrologers involved in said debate happen to be on. I think what it boils down to is belief- and, there is plenty of information out there for an astrologer to determine whether or not they want to work with it or not. There is, however, very little evidence that there is a “right” answer or a “wrong” answer to whether or not that can be done. I’ve never been that big on hanging my own beliefs on anyone: but, I happen to believe that yes, you can. I do not, however, think someone who says you cannot is wrong for believing that way- or conducting their readings that way: it’s only when they attempt to hang those beliefs on others I get kind of twitchy.

Anyway, rant aside: natal astrology can be a powerful tool in predictive astrology merely by way of noting patterns at play. However, being very honest with you, I consider it just one approach, and one part of a much bigger toolbox and generally prefer a more all-inclusive method for predictions or forecasts. While I recognize that many more modern approach astrologers will stick to the natal astrology- and it’s fine that they do: I don’t believe that it gives you the most comprehensive approach there is. It is, however, a wonderful tool- and an excellent place to begin the process of better understanding a lot.

Mundane Astrology

This is one I fully plan on writing up in a lot more detail, at a later time. Because mundane astrology is just fascinating- it’s not the negative connotation that mundane tends to inspire, that’s for sure. Technically speaking, mundane astrology is the astrology of nations, events, and it all works with the charts of leaders and countries, lunations, eclipses, outer planetary conjunctions, and the cardinal ingresses- as well as quite a few other things. Though similar to other charts in that they are still influenced by transits and progressions, charts drafted for mundane astrology usually involve major events. For instance, when we get into that whole Sibley chart debate- it’s because people cannot agree on when the Constitution was actually signed, or if other events would mark the birth of a nation, the varying rectifications of any of these things, and the fact that Sibley was in London: okay, the list goes on and on depending on which astrologer you talk to. It’s debated. There you go. Astrologers do that, a lot.

When we use mundane astrology- particularly as it relates to money, we’re talking about national or global financial conditions as they relate to how those planets relate or what houses- not that dissimilar to your natal chart. Another way this works is in looking at the particular transitions as they relate to major historical events and noting the patterns there.

Debate aside for a minute, if you look at the natal chart for the US: you can see that the second house- the house most use to look at financial conditions has three planets. One of those is Venus, which rules currency. When you consider something like a Pluto opposition, you can deduce that major financial changes will result and, looking at history in tandem with when such things have occurred before, you’ll find that it often ties together. Because we do have a global economy, you also factor in the conditions at play for other nations, as well. (The Pluto thing was just the best example off the top of my head: it’s definitely a variety of things.)

I think a good example would be several squares that were in transition right around October of 2012. Uranus went into Aries- 11th house, which can denote a fiscal crisis and a dip in employment. It formed a square with a Jupiter transit to the 2nd house/Cancer, and that forecasts financial loss. Throw in the progressed Moon in Libra/5th square the Sun in Cancer/2nd: and even MORE financial challenges are shown. Finally, you get that third square with the progressed Sun being in Pisces/10th and Uranus in the 1st/Gemini and this showed massive changes in leadership as well as the way they seemed to just cling to their lobbyists. Think about all the proposed cuts to Medicare that took place and the protests against it, the economy did, in fact, get better a little during that 4th quarter, but then as impressive as that may have seemed: unemployment was a statistical nightmare due to well, it looked like it got better until they factored in those who just gave up. If you recall, this was also about the time people started discussing raising that Federal Debt Ceiling in earnest. That entire year, we also saw quite a bit of turmoil in banking- mostly in favor of calling them to the carpet and holding them responsible for the housing bubble burst. Anyway- I could go on, but you get the idea.

It’s easy for me to sit here and say in retrospect what happened and all these things: but, now, imagine you have that ability before the fact, and this is what mundane astrology is used to do.

In Conclusion

So, here are the differences between all of these different factors at play when I am working with financial astrology- I hope you’ve enjoyed a bit of a peek inside how these predictions are made, what differences there are, and if you have any questions or feedback- I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line on Facebook anytime and I’ll get back to you right away.