There is a huge misconception about astrology. That somehow the positions of the moon, sun, planets and asteroids affect our circumstances and that one can forecast the future by studying the cosmos.

Astrology is recorded as old as measured time. There are many different approaches to astrology, but they all adopt the same thought that there is an interrelationship between the heavens and earth - that there is a connection - that they share a common bond of time and space.

Astrology is the study of the cosmic cycles and events as they are mirrored in our earthly environment. The belief is that these planetary patterns attempt to shed a little light on the movement of everyday life. Astrology strives to give us a little better handle on events that we may perceive as chaotic at times.

The moon is the most popular celestial body that we recognize as affecting our moods, our menstrual cycle and even the ocean tides. The moon goes through four phases every 29 ? days: The first quarter is the New Moon; then there is the second quarter, third quarter which is the Full Moon; and then the fourth quarter. This is what we call the waxing and waning of the Moon that continues in an absolutely, without question, unmistakeable pattern.

The Sun works the same way. The sun will return to the solstice points just as predictable as the moon. The solstice points are spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The planets also have a predictable pattern. They each have their own particular fixed orbit around the Sun. The Moon, Sun and planets all have a predictable, repetitive connection to one another in space. All of these patterns are called cycles in astrology.

Therefore, astrology is the study of these events where there is a cycle or a return back to where they started. It's a huge cosmic clock that has a never-ending tick.

A horoscope is merely a slice in time of this astronomical cosmic dance. The only time this ticking stops is when there is a "moment in time." Such as a date or a date of birth. The exact time this clock records a moment, there is a specific planetary arrangement of the cosmos. We take pictures to record a moment in our life. The same is true for the exact planetary arrangement at the precise moment we were born. The planets had to be in some exact order when you were born.

My astrologer, the late Mr. Thomas Seers who was an internationally known astrologer, explained it to me this way. He said, "a horoscope is merely a blueprint of the location of planets at the exact time and place of your birth. This map or "chart" represents a circle of 360°, which is the path that the Sun appears to follow through the sky (or Earth's orbit around the Sun), called the ecliptic. This 360° is divided into twelve 30° sections (or houses). These twelve houses are referred to as "Signs of the Zodiac," or "Sun signs." This indicates in which house the Sun was found at the time of birth. Since there are twelve sun signs, we can look at these signs as being twelve different flavors of pie. Each piece of pie would have its own unique taste and smell."

The signs always follow an unchanging pattern - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Because of leap years, time zones, and other factors, the exact day and time when the Sun enters a particular sign varies slightly from year to year. The exact time when the Sun enters a sign for a specific year and location must be determined before a chart can be established. The Sun is either in one sign or the other, it cannot be in two places at once. That would be impossible. The dividing line between two signs (or two 30° sections/houses) is called a "cusp." Hence the statement, "I was born on the cusp." When this happens, it is essential to crunch numbers mathematically to determine where the Sun was at that exact moment in time.

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