Over the past couple of days, I’ve taken a few minutes to jot down some thoughts about what makes a good astrologer.  Some of these thoughts are adapted from the Code of Ethics from ISAR, the International Society for Astrological Research – a group to which I belong and whose code of ethics I subscribe to.  This list is by no means complete, but it is a good starting place.

A Good Astrologer:

-         Strives never to bring harm to a client.

-         Respects privacy and confidentiality and never divulges his or her private clients identity or personal information.

-         Practices only according to his or her own capabilities and refers clients to other professionals (specialist astrologers, doctors, therapists, lawyers, etc) when needed.

-         Maintains a professional relationship with his or her clients and students - establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life.

      Does not interpret a third-party chart (for example if a woman brings the data of a man she's interested in for interpretation) without the expressed consent of the third party.

-         Insists on accurate data.

-         Informs their client of exactly what they can expect and explains and agrees upon fees prior to a consultation.

-         Does a synthesis of an entire chart and doesn’t focus on one placement.

-         Works with the client and his or her natal chart – and doesn’t make pronouncements on what a configuration MUST mean.

-         Doesn’t frighten nor create false hope in a client and lets the client know that each astrological factor can mean a variety of different things.

-         Examines different techniques, but doesn’t immediately embrace them without research.

-         Doesn’t plagiarize (use other astrologers’ work and presents it as his or her own).

-         Doesn’t cut-and-paste from other astrologers’ work or quote from other astrologers’ work without attribution.

-         Is happy to answer specific questions about theory, technique, and application in a public forum.

-         Does not seek to interpret a non-public person’s individual chart in a public forum.

-         Knows how to calculate a chart by hand, even if they use a computer programs – because otherwise how would he or she know if they input the data incorrectly and are using an erroneous chart?

-         Constantly strives to learn more about astrology.

-         Actively participates in or supports astrology organizations.

-         If he or she lacks certification, works toward certification and/or embracing a code of ethics.

-         Owns registered copies of commercial astrology software programs, not “cracked” ones or uses freeware programs – Paying for programs keeps developers (usually other astrologers) working on new and improved programs.

-         Doesn’t mind constructive criticism when they err.

-         Defends astrology when it is attacked.

-         Is a good representative for the astrology community, embodying true professional behavior.

An area of confusion amongst inexperienced astrologers and those totally ignorant of how astrology is practiced is the difference amongst tropical signs, sidereal signs and constellations.

Here’s an overview:

Tropical Zodiac – Is 12-fold division of the Ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth) which starts with the Vernal Equinox as 0 degrees Aries with each sign having 30 degrees - used in Western Tropical astrology.

Sidereal Zodiac –  Is 12-fold division of the Ecliptic based on an ayanamsa value as the projected from the Vernal Equinox for the 0 Aries point to supposedly correct for precession, each sign having 30 degrees.   These are mostly used in Vedic astrology, also known as Jyotish.  There are several ayanamsas currently in use by different schools of Vedic astrological thought, such as Lahiri ( the official Indian government ayanamsa), the Fagan-Bradley, the Rahman, and the Khrisnamurti.  All of these are around 24 degrees forward of the Vernal Equinox.  Thus, someone who has the Sun placed at 1 degree Aries in the Tropical Zodiac, the Vedic position would be 6 degrees Pisces.

Constellations – The zodiacal constellations do not really have specific, completely agreed upon boundaries.  They are not each 30 degrees in length.  Most astrologers (except for some Western Siderealists) do not use the constellations to measure planetary movement.  Due to precession, the constellations do not correspond with the Tropical Zodiac, nor do the constellations fit into Sidereal Signs due to the inexact and varied size of the constellations. Astrology debunkers frequently set up a “Straw Man” argument about this because they don’t know how astrology is really practiced.

One must realize that no one of these ways of measuring planetary positions against the background of the Ecliptic is correct or incorrect – they are just different ways of measuring the same thing.  They all describe the 360 degrees of the Ecliptic. One may use different tools or markers an object’s length, the length itself remains the same. Just as 4 inches equals 10.16 centimeters equals 1 hand, it’s all the same length - just a different measuring system.

Retrogradation is the apparent backward motion of other planets in the Solar System as seen from Earth against the background of the Zodiac.  Of course these planets don’t actually move backward, they just appear to because of their relative orbits and of the Earth around the Sun.

Think of it as traveling on a fast train and passing a slower train.  From your perspective, the slower train appears to be traveling backward, but it is actually moving forward, just at a slower rate of speed. But with planets, it’s not about speed but the rate which they change their angular relationship.

A planet as seen from Earth is direct, retrograde or stationary in motion.  When direct, the planet will eventually appear to slow down, stop, and then reverse its direction.  After turning retrograde, the planet will apparently increase speed until it eventually slows down in preparation for another station – then turn direct, starting the cycle over again.

The planets inside Earth’s orbit of the Sun (Mercury and Venus) behave differently in their retrograde action than planets outside the Earth’s orbit (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto).  The Sun and Moon are never retrograde because the Earth directly orbits the Sun and the Moon directly orbits the Earth.

Mercury is retrograde three times per year, and stays retrograde for about 24 days.  Three successive retrograde periods will form a loose grand trine shape against the Zodiac.

Venus only goes retrograde once about every 20 months for about 40 days.  If you plot the positions of the retrograde stations for five consecutive occurrences, it will form a pentagon.

Mars is retrograde for about 80 days about once every two years – when Earth is between it and the Sun.

The other planets - due to their slower movement – are retrograde for a large portion of each year.  They appear retrograde when the Earth is between them and the Sun.  The approximate number of days they are retrograde are: Jupiter – 120, Saturn 140, Uranus- 150, Neptune-160, and Pluto 160 or more.

What do natal retrograde placements or retrograde movement in relation to a natal chart mean?  In classical astrology, a retrograde planet is an Accidental Debility – a weakening of its expression.  Some say that retrograde planets make one internalize the planet more rather than express it outwardly.  Some say that retrogradation lightens a planet’s expression, while others say it intensifies it.

One thing students and astrologers would pay close attention to is where the planets station in relation to their natal charts.  Stations, whether pausing toward retrograde or direct, are high-focus areas for that planet’s expression.  Below is a list of upcoming planetary station days and Tropical Zodiac placements:

(SR=Station toward Retrograde, SD=Station toward Direct)

Venus SD             3 Feb 06        16 Capricorn 01

Mercury SR            2 March 06            26 Pisces 55

Jupiter SR            4 March 06            18 Scorpio 52

Mercury SD            25 March 06            13 Pisces 11

Pluto SR            29 March 06            26 Sagittarius 45

Saturn SD            5 April 06        4 Leo 23

Neptune SR            22 May 06        19 Aquarius 49

Uranus SR             19 June 06        14 Pisces 44

Mercury SR            4 July 06        1 Leo 22

Jupiter SD            6 July 06        8 Scorpio 59

Mercury SD            28 July 06        21 Cancer 04

Pluto SD             4 Sept 06        24 Sagittarius 05

Mercury SR            28 Oct 06        25 Scorpio 05

Neptune SD            29 Oct 06        17 Aquarius 02

Mercury SD            17 Nov 06        9 Scorpio 04

Uranus SD            19 Nov 06        10 Pisces 49

Saturn SR            5 Dec            06            25 Leo 04