Questions from Readers 1

I am happy to answer questions from readers who are serious in learning about astrology and reading their own charts.

Q: I was born on September 23^rd. I notice some newspaper columns have me under Virgo and some Libra. Which is correct?

A: You were born on the cusp between Virgo and Libra. The only way to be certain of which sign you were born under is to get a natal chart constructed. Even looking up the date in an ephemeris (a book that shows the daily planetary positions as well as the signs) would give you an idea of what sign the Sun was in on your day, but a chart using your time of birth would be more accurate.

Q: Can you look at a chart and tell what sort of illness a person can get?

A: There is Medical Astrology, and yes with certain planets in houses and in aspect, an experienced astrologer can see sensitive areas in a person’s chart that could be cause for concern, physically as well as mentally.

Q: What exactly are the Nodes? Why are they called Dragon’s Head and Tail?

A: North Node, or Dragon’s Head (Caput Draconis) and South Node or Dragon’s Tail (Cauda Draconis) are sensitive points on the ecliptic. Even though all planets except the Sun and Earth have Nodes, only the Moon’s Nodes are significant as far as human destiny is concerned. North Node stands for karmic credit – your karmic objectives in this lifetime. It reveals soul growth and evolution. The house placement shows the area of life in which you need to develop, or become aware of.  The South Node represents karmic debt or things left over from your past life shows what urges drive our lives as well as connections with regard to relationships. In comparison charts, relationships that seem fated usually have a South Node connection. Used also in transits as the Nodes signify major releases of certain energies shown by whichever planet aspecting or houses the Natal nodes reside.

Q: When I list my time of birth, should it be exactly what it says on my birth certificate or should I convert it to standard time?

A: You should always use what is listed on your birth certificate. Many astrologers will ask you to double check the AM/PM part; most certificates list the time as it reads on the clock with no conversion. The astrologer will change it or the software used will automatically convert it if it is daylight savings or war time, or in some cases, both.

Q: What do you call a chart that uses two people’s birth info?

A: Comparison, Compatibility or Relationship Chart, which are used when a couple first encounters each other. A Composite Chart is constructed of two natal planetary placements divided to make one chart. Many astrologers use the Composite to see how the world sees this relationship or where the tension lies in the relationship. This can also be for other pairings -- mother and child, brother and sister, etc.

Q: Can you recommend a beginner’s astrological textbook that is easy to understand?

A: Yes, two come to mind. My interest in astrology started with a book by Alan Oken called “Alan Oken’s Complete Astrology: The Classic Guide to Modern Astrology.” Another great beginner’s book is “Chart Interpretation Handbook: Guidelines for Understanding the Essentials of the Birth Chart” by Stephen Arroyo. Check and see if these books are available online through Amazon.com.

Q: Professional astrological software is a little more expensive than I can afford. What astrology freeware or shareware do you recommend?

A: I can think of 3 sites. I started with Astrology for Windows which is software developed by John Halloran, which led to getting the deluxe software later Halloran. AstroWin is another and finally, Astrolog.