For those who may be encountering the principles of astrology for the first time and therefore know very little about it, it might help to have a quick and simply overview to explain how it works.

Nobody can really explain astrology 'scientifically' as there are a number of opinions on how it works, yet not can be proven. There are of course a great number of people who think it is all rubbish and although we can understand that with all the triviality that is expressed around it in the popular media, suffice it to say that at its highest level it does indeed work - and often amazingly so at that. Ultimately, it is only in the doing that an individual can know fully for themselves, so we hope that what follows will inspire everyone new to it, to test it out and prove it to themselves.

Unlike the old notion that the planets of our Solar System send down mysterious, invisible rays that affect and direct our lives on the planet we now view that movement of the planets as being synchronized with activities that are happening within our lives, or more specifically, within our psyche.

I think that everyone nowadays is understanding that everything we see, do and touch is energy. The Signs of the Zodiac, the astrological Planets and Houses therefore are viewed as differing archetypal energies that affect us all. The astrological chart therefore a symbolic representations of these various energies, and their relationship to each other, set at a precise moment in time - most usually at the time of birth.

The astrological Planets - 10 in number, although other items are additionally used by many astrologers- are the same planets that we identify with as being in our Solar System.

However, whereas we all accept that those planets revolve around the Sun scientifically, astrologers instead calculate the position of the planets as they are symbolically seen to rotate around the person or location in question at the time of calculation. This is because, symbolically, we all feel ourselves to be the center of our own universe and therefore, symbolically, the planets will revolve around us! Similarly, the Sun and Moon are deemed to be planets too, astrologically. Although this again is only considered in the symbolic astrological world that everything is set in.

Each of the Planets therefore represent a single principle of primary energy that makes up our inner psyche. These are defined as...

SUN The essential core identity, or inner spirit, around which the rest of our personality revolves.

MOON Our instinctive, reactive, emotions & feelings.

MERCURY Our logical mind and how we learn, reason & communicate.

VENUS The way we express, and receive, love & affection.

MARS Our active, combative and willful desire nature.

JUPITER Our inner need for expansion, truth and faith.

SATURN Our inner fears, limitations and material challenges.

URANUS Our inner determination for freedom, change and individuality.

NEPTUNE Our inner attraction for escape, detachment and spirituality.

PLUTO Our inner compulsion for destruction, control and transformation.

The Signs of the Zodiac are viewed also as energies that are spread equally around the ecliptic that circles the Earth. However, instead of these being primary energies, they are more like modifying energies that affect the primary energies of the planets significantly as these planets pass through each of the Signs. The 12 Signs can therefore be identified as being...

ARIES Expressing ourselves through new ideas, leading, pioneering and expressing a lack of caution.

TAURUS Expressing ourselves through

GEMINI Expressing ourselves through

CANCER Expressing ourselves through

LEO Expressing ourselves through

VIRGO Expressing ourselves through

LIBRA Expressing ourselves through

SCORPIO: Expressing ourselves through

SAGITTARIUS: Expressing ourselves through

CAPRICORN: Expressing ourselves through

AQUARIUS: Expressing ourselves through

PISCES: Expressing ourselves through

The astrological Houses are 12 imaginary divisions that reach out from the central point of the chart where the subject is at the point of calculation. The each represent particular areas of human existence that are highlighted by their location within the Zodiac, or especially if any of the Planets are located in them. The 12 life divisions of the Houses are...

1ST HOUSE

2ND HOUSE

3RD HOUSE

4TH HOUSE

5TH HOUSE

6TH HOUSE

7TH HOUSE

8TH HOUSE

9TH HOUSE

10TH HOUSE

11TH HOUSE

12TH HOUSE

With all this in mind, it is the astrologers job to interpret what the various energy patterns mean to an individual, or event, when a Chart is calculated. This is no easy procedure as its really a question of blending all the energy implications of the 10 Planets, the 12 Signs and the 12 Houses at once - in addition to other things that are best left for a less brief explanation of how astrology work.

It has to be said also that it is almost impossible to do an significant interpretation in any meaningful way when working 'blind' (i.e.not having the person in front of them) although even then a quite impressive interpretation can often occur. That said, the real value of astrology is that if the subject and the astrologer work together as a partnership to assist a more personal and relevant interpretation, then it will turn out even more accurate to that person's inner psyche and life.

Finally, it should be remembered that astrology really is not about fortune-telling or predition. Neither is it possible the tell whether the subject is male or female, rich or poor, good or bad, simply from looking at their Birth Chart. The principles of what is going on within the person astrologically and psychologically is identifiable. But quite how the are expressing themselves in that person's life, or how well or positively they are expressing their full potential and dealing with the challenges they could well be having to deal with, are not really ascertainable from the Birth Chart alone. That is why in all situations of counseling, healing or analysis it is essential for both the professional and the client to be together to work through everything as a partnership together.

What followings in this particular archive therefore is related solely to the Signs of the Zodiac. The extensive research notes of Samuel H. Weir are focused on the effects of all the planets in all of the Signs so that readers will get the pure colors of this astrological palette. It must be remebered however that none of these interpretations will work as they are read in isolation. The will need to be blended with all the other indications by all the other planets in the Signs within a Birth Chart to have full meaning. Quite often an individual will have quite contradictory indications relating to different Planets in different Signs and it is therefore the job of the experienced astrologer to blend all these various indications in to a more balanced interpretation the represents the whole person, not just facets of them.

Finally, for anyone considering that true astrology is trivial and irrelevant, it will be seen from the following research notes by Samuel H. Weir that it is far, far from that. Indeed to know and interpret all these astrological implications contained within a single Birth Chart requires a great deal of serious understanding, almost intuitive perception and yet an exacting, scientific-like evaluation of all the facts. Note also that his astrological findings are not solely related to the psychological realm. They often touch on the physiological too, providing definite research challenges in terms of medical and diagnostic astrology too.