Astrological Frames of Reference

Although there remain controversies regarding the frame of reference to be utilized in the analysis and interpretations of destinies - meaning, the zodiac or the band of constellations along the ecliptic from which to measure the movement of the planets - there are factors that remain constant. These are:

1) The planets (or what used to be referred to as the "wandering stars") visible to man, namely, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, mars, Jupiter and Saturn. (The Moon, although considered by science as a satelite, is included as one planetary body that exerts a significant influence on earth.  The other known planets - uranus, Neptune and Pluto - are not  included by the Hindus in their analysis, on the basis of their being outside the "vision" of ordinary men.

These are instead considered to signify "mass" effects. Some other astrologers, especially in Continental US and Europe, include in their studies, the Moons of Jupiter and the larger bodies in the asteroid belt orbiting between mars and Jupiter.  The Hamburg or Uranian School even has some theoretical trans-plutonian planets in its system.

2)   The Nodes of the Moon. Although these are invisible points, the ancients, including present day Hindu astrology, have attached significance to these positions.

3)  The Ascendant or Eastern Hori­zon, and the Midheaven or highest point in the Ecliptic. These are sensitive points in the horoscope, and serve to distinguish individuals who are born on the same day. A difference of four minutes in the birth hour, moves the Midheaven by one degree, and the Ascendant by several degrees depending on the latitude of the place of birth, or capital city of a country.

4)    The twelve signs of the Zodiac, namely, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. As men­tioned above, this frame of reference or background of the planets is of two schools — those who take the Fixed or Ascendant remain the same for all astrologers use the Equal system which divides the circle into twelve equal sectors using the As-is starting point. These houses do not necessarily coincide with the twelve le Zodiac. Thus, one born under the Sign Aries at, say, six in the afternoon the Sign Aries in the Seventh House.

One other factor upon which astrologers importance is the matter of  “aspects” or the distance between the planets. The Hindu astrologers count the houses  separating the planets, while astrology computes the actual degrees between these bodies. There are several important aspects under consideration everytime a chart is computed. They are classified as "evil" or difficult, and  "benefic" or easy. The difficult as­pects are those about 45, 90, 135 and 180 degrees.

The conjunction, or zero degree is either difficult or good depend­ing on the significance of the planets in aspect to each other. The good aspects are 30, 60, 120 and 150 degrees. Since the angular distances between planets are seldom partile or exact, astrologers use "orbs" or ranges allowing for the inexact­ness. Of course, the effects — whether difficult or easy — diminish if the orb becomes wide.

Since astrology is concerned with interpretation of the positions of the planets, the different factors of the horos­cope have their specific significances which astrologers (or the interpreters) synthesize or weave together in coming up with logical predictions.