Check out Ana Isabel's latest FAQs, from what is a rising sign, Mercury going retrograde and whether the Full Moon really affects your behaviour
What is a rising sign or Ascendant?
This is a term which is often used and many people are unaware of its meaning. Just like the Sun rises on the eastern horizon, so does the Moon and all the planets and constellations. The Rising sign/ Ascendant is the constellation that you would have seen rising on the eastern horizon at the moment that you were born.
The Rising Sign is very important because it is indicative of your moment of birth. People are often surprised when I describe their birth experience to them. I can do this because your birth story is written in your astrological chart.
More significantly, your birth experience can influence the way you view the world. If you think about it, first impressions are very important. When you first start a new job, or go to a different country those first few moments when you arrive can colour your perception of the place. How much more so for a new born baby, who leaves the safe cocoon of his/her mother’s womb to enter what will either seem like a welcoming, friendly world, or a dangerous and hostile one. It all depends on the birth experience. Even psychologists are beginning to realise the extent to which those first few moments can imprint certain attitudes towards the world.
So, the Rising sign shows us our attitudes towards the world and this has a bearing on how we project ourselves in it. If we feel it is friendly, we are likely to meet new people openly, smiling. If we feel that it is threatening, we might find it difficult to trust and so are very cautious are watchful when we meet new people. We might feel the world is unfriendly, judgemental and so are very shy. There are many possibilities as to what image we want to project.
Often we are unaware of how others perceive us. We may want to project a certain image but either feel unable to do so due to shyness or find that others completely get the wrong idea about who we are. Looking carefully at the Rising Sign in a chart can help us better understand the dynamic between what we’d like other people to see and why, and what they are actually seeing.
If you’d like to find out what you’re rising sign is, you can visit my website: www.lifeastrologer.com
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Often when reading your horoscopes you may come across this term, but it is rarely explained. This is a good time to learn about it, as Mercury is retrograde from the 29th of October to the 18th of November.
Before we were able to launch satellites into space and mount space missions, all astronomical observations were made from this planet. Our perspective depended on what we could see from Earth. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and in monitoring its movements over the centuries, astronomers noticed that Mercury never moves too far ahead of the Sun. That is to say that it is never more than one constellation away from the Sun. So if, for example the Sun is in the sign of Libra, Mercury will never be in Sagittarius or Leo. It might be in Virgo, or in Libra or Scorpio but never further away than one sign from the Sun. It’s the angular relationship of its orbit around the Sun as seen from Earth that gives the impression of it either moving forwards or backwards. i.e. retrograde. You could liken it to the visual illusion of moving backwards on a stationary train, whilst observing an adjacent train moving forwards. It does this about three times a year, approximately every four months for about 22 days.
Symbolically, Mercury is the planet of the mind. When it appears to be moving backwards, we often find ourselves rethinking old ideas, going back to finish unfinished projects, reassessing, redoing, reconsidering. This is quite appropriate during this time. The down side is that often redoing, or rethinking can cause disruption in our daily routines or our best laid plans. This means that we may be feeling tired, stressed and disorganised.
There are further consequences to this period of readjustment. If our plans change, they are likely to affect someone else's plans, and this may have a knock on effect as they in turn have to change their plans, and so on. I have long learnt that while Mercury is retrograde, appointments which are in my diary are subject to change. Last time it was retrograde, none of my clients actually turned up on time for their appointments. All with very legitimate reasons, were either late or early. In one case, one hour early.
Another possible consequence of stress is that we make mistakes, this can lead to accidents or to things needing to be redone. Sometimes old mistakes are only uncovered during a Mercury retrograde period, causing havoc as things need to be undone or readjusted.
You might guess that this is not the best time to make decisions, and you would be right. With everything unsettled and in flux, it is best to wait for Mercury to turn direct and things to settle down a bit. Two years ago a much-loved cat needed to have surgery. The date was set and I noticed that Mercury was retrograde. My partner and I deliberated long and hard over whether we should wait, knowing that this is not a great period for precision. We decided that she needed the surgery too urgently to wait any longer. On the set day, we were called early in the morning by the clinic to reschedule, because the vet was sick with a terrible cold. We rescheduled for when it was direct. Best laid plans!
This also is not the best time to travel as you might find that during this period strikes might upset your plans, equipment fails, trains and planes are late or your details are lost in the computer. Make sure you back up anything you do and if it's possible, you avoid signing contracts during this time. Being the planet of communication, Mercury going retrograde also means that the scope for misunderstandings and miscommunications is great. Double check any agreements and if you're not clear, ask for clarification. This is not a time to assume anything.
Finally if you are stressed, you are more prone to being absent-minded, so make sure that you take extra care of your keys and any objects you are likely to put down absent mindedly. This is a classic time for locking yourself out of the house, losing keys, glasses, etc.
If you’d like to know when Mercury is retrograde next year, you can visit my website www.lifeastrologer.com where I have posted all the dates for Retrograde Mercury from the present to the end of 2007. It is also worth noting that some of us begin to feel the Mercury effect about a week before it goes retrograde and it may take up to a week after it goes direct, before we feel things settling down.
Why do horoscopes in different magazines give different dates for each of the signs?
The calendar is designed for our convenience. This means that it is slightly out of synch with the earth’s movement around the sun. It takes the earth approximately 365 and 1/4 days to go round the sun. Consequently, as our calendars have 365 days, this means that we need to add up those quarters, which accounts for why we have an extra day (29th February) every four years (leap year). This slight misalignment between our calendar and the Earth’s movement means that the date in which the Sun moves from one sign to the next varies from year to year. This can make things confusing for those born on the cusp, that is, the border between two signs. If you were born on a cusp and would like to find out which sign you are, you can visit my website: www.lifeastrologer.com , where I have listed the Sun’s movements from 1920 to 2006. All you need to do is find the year you were born and look up your birth date. Now at last you can know definitely which sign you are.
What exactly is a 'sun' star sign?
The sign that you are refers to the place in the sky where we see the Sun at the time of the year in which you were born. All observations of the Sun are made from the Earth and so are Earth centred. From the earth, we see the Sun in different parts of the sky at different times of year. Over the centuries we have mapped the skies with constellations like the Plough or the Great Bear. Each of the signs of the Zodiac is also a constellation. Stating which sign the Sun is in, is like finding a building on a map. It tells us where in the sky the Sun is. This means that this month the Sun always appears in the constellation of Virgo until the time of the autumn equinox. This year the Sun will be in the sign of Libra on the 24th.
Why can’t I relate to my Sun/ Star sign?
The 12 signs of the Zodiac represent 12 archetypes of human behaviour. It is important to remember this because no one is an archetype. We are all multi-faceted and behave in different ways according to whether we’re at work, with our friends or with our families. The sign that you are only tells us which constellation the sun was in when you were born. To fully understand an individual’s personality and drives, we would have to consider the signs that the Moon, and the planets were in when you were born. This is exactly what a birth chart does. It is a snapshot of the sky, charting the placement of all the planets, the Sun and Moon at the moment of birth. If you’re not typical of your Sun sign, then we would need to consider what else is going on in your birth chart. Is the Moon in a sign opposite to the Sun, etc.
Is it true that Full Moons really affects our behaviour?
As I write this, the Moon is full and very bright in the sky. It is beautiful, but as usual, I am noticing that people around me are behaving very erratically. This is especially obvious on the road, as I always notice people driving more impatiently, aggressively and taking more chances than usual. Look out for people pulling out in front of you unexpectedly, signalling left and turning right, etc. Of course people do this all the time, but I do notice that around the time of the Full Moon it is much worse.
Long before I became an Astrologer, I worked for the Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto, Canada. I soon noticed that around the time of the Full Moon things went quite mad. The number of people brought in by the police or ambulance was much higher and even those who came in under their own steam for regular treatments, were much more erratic. It was obvious that we were more stretched and consequently stressed. The rule was at Full Moons to expect the unexpected.
There is a good reason for this. The Full Moon represents the culmination of a cycle. It is symbolic of a peak being reached. This means that if you have a problem that has been building up for a while, it is likely to reach a crisis point at the time of the Full Moon. This is also why decisions are often made during this period. A crisis may need prompt action forcing a decision. This being the case, people are likely to be feeling stressed and so very impatient, and irritable. At this time of the month, it is advisable to put stress busting strategies into place. So get out the candles, the lavender oil and run yourself a hot bath.
If you’re wondering when the next Full Moon is, you can visit my website www.lifeastrologer.com where I have posted all the dates for Full Moons from the present to the end of 2007. It is also worth noting that the period leading up to the peak of the Full Moon are equally powerful, so you may feel it 2 or 3 days before the peak. Things also take a while to calm down so some of us may have to wait a couple of days after it peaks for things to be settling down.
Ana Isabel is an astrologer with over 10 years of experience. She is influenced by Jungian fields of psychology and combines this with astrology to provide a healing experience for those seeking guidance. Besides doing private consultations, she is often heard on LBC Radio. Ana also organises workshops designed to help individuals learn to read and understand their own birth charts. For more information on private readings or workshops, visit her website www.lifeastrologer.com
