The Fundamentals of Astrology

All of life can be conceived symbolically as one grand cycle. By analogy, three important areas can be studied and compared within a circular framework: human life, nature, astrology. For humans, the circle may represent a lifetime, from birth to death; for nature, the succession of the seasons through a year; in astrology, the zodiac, depicting the signs and their positions. The circle on which these three worlds are based is divided by two axes: one horizontal, one vertical. To travel through a cycle, one need only begin at the left end-point of the horizontal axis and proceed in a counter-clockwise direction until one arrives back at the beginning.

The four most important points on the circumference of the circle are where the two axes touch it:

1. Spring (Vernal) Equinox - Aries
   
2. Summer Solstice - Cancer
   
3. Fall (Autumnal) Equinox - Libra
   
4. Winter Solstice - Capricorn
   

The Grand Cycle of Life is shown here progressing in a counter-clockwise direction, where the starting point is designated at the spring equinox, representing rebirth.