I remember the day I discovered astrology and it was an extremely exciting time. I was introduced to it in my early teens, but I don’t think the major psychological impact of the subject hit me until I was about 22 years old. I remember buying more advanced book at this age; the ones that went past Sun signs. My real involvement with astrology happened when Uranus (Astrology) was transiting my natal Sun in the 7th house and this was the first time in my life I bought a computer and connected to the internet (Uranus). I also joined my first astrology forum (Uranus) and so for the first time in my life I could discuss my interests with others (7th). Following on from Uranus’ transit though the seventh house and it crossing over my Moon-Mercury conjunction, I bought plenty of books off the internet on the subject.Many people who first become interested in astrology read every book they can find on the subject. Most of us are hooked on astrology, and are eager to have our charts drawn up and interpreted. We still don’t know why astrology works, but it works. Maybe it defies all rational explanation, but we find new insights about people, and it is evident the analogies of the universe as the macrocosm and man as microcosm was something that applied. The idea of the causality between the universe and the individual was accepted as a fact.
On a mental level the world opened up, and the world of ideas and the design behind life was very exciting. It was kind of like an Alice in Wonderland experience when she opens up a door to a whole new world, and I looked to the universe to answer my deepest questions about life. I never knew how far the rabbit hole would go, and I still haven’t given up looking for the truth. Knowing astrology has definitely changed my view on life (Uranus in 3rd house), and has also enhanced it in so many ways.
Astrology has existed for over 6,000 years, and astrology experienced a real decline for a number of years. At one point in time astrologers were being persecuted and threatened with the death penalty. According to the history of astrology we owe much to Alan Leo for its resurgence in the 19th and early 20th century. Alan set up a sort of “sweat shop” of astrologers who calculated charts for him and he had assistants writing out his observations. From what I have read it was the cheapest form of publication and was simply made up of pieces of paper stapled together and sent out. Nonetheless, it sent the information out and the public could have easy access to the art of astrology.
Astrology became massively popular in the 1960’s/70’s and one huge trend behind this change, happened when we moved away from the fatalistic readings that had been used in traditional astrology, and included a more psychological point of view and thought of astrology in terms of greater consciousness for man.
