Before diving into the twelve archetypes, it can be helpful understand a few high level concepts. If this is too much for you, please feel free to skip this or toss out what I am saying. Astrological concepts are not for everyone, but they may be helpful to you in understanding. Everyone learns differently and applies concepts with different techniques. If concepts don’t fit your techniques, don’t use them. If they do, use ‘em! 

 

Important Concepts of the Zodiac

 

1. Archetypes & Energy - the twelve signs describe twelve main energies that run through signs, houses, planets, and aspects

The twelve signs are like twelve flavors. The flavors of each sign are consistent across signs, planets, houses, and aspects. Meaning, the energy is very similar between the first sign, the first house, aries, and a conjunction aspect. They have similar flavors.  They're concepts all resonate with the same basic idea. These twelve ideas are also called ARCHETYPES. But flavors come in different forms. Strawberry ice cream and strawberry pie both taste like strawberry but they are not the same thing, just like Aries and the First house are not the same thing. But they do have the same flavor, and taste very similar. One of my favorite astrologers, Mark Jones, said in a lecture that the twelve archetypes are like, “the twelve notes of a symphony. The twelve notes of an octave that make a symphony sift through their endless subtle variations of their infinite combinations.”   They are not the same energy exactly, rather, manifestations of the same energy in different ways. You may not have many planets in Cancer, but if you have a lot of planets in the fourth house, this will enhance Cancerian energy in your chart. By learning the twelve signs, you are understanding so much about astrology that you may not even realize. Everything comes back to the wisdom hidden in the endless energetic details of these 12 signs.

 

2. Cycles

Cycles are the state of nature, we are constantly in flux. The moon is new, then full. The seasons change, life dies, life blooms again. Astrology is all about the cycles we experience in nature, and how they apply to the development of our egos & souls. We’re born, we live, we die. Our souls seek to find themselves, they settle down, they evolve. We know ourselves, we know others, we know ourselves with others. Cycles are apart of astrology (especially evolutionary astrology). Aries (the first sign) represents the beginning of the cycle while Pisces (the last sign) represents the end of the cycle. Each sign shows a unique phase of the development of the ego, as a smaller chunk of a much larger cycle. For example, Gemini is the first air sign, so it represents the ego learning language, communication, and intellect. Hence, Geminis are chatty and social and curious. It can be helpful to keep this in mind when learning astrology to understand each sign, and how they work together to form the entire zodiac wheel.

 

3. Northern Hemispheric Perspective

Please note that all seasonal analogies are derived from a northern hemispheric perspective. This concept is used by many astrologers. Seasonal analogies apply to the southern hemisphere. These are the two sides of the same coin. As above, so below. I prefer using the northern hemispheric perspective because I enjoy relating it to my environment. Theories and techniques have to complement each other, and if this theory does not benefit your technique, don’t use it. Feel free to ignore or disregard these analogies if they do not benefit you and serve your practice. 

 

4. Sacred Patterns & Sacred Ordering

After each sign comes another sign to expand and correct any flaws or shortcomings from the sign before it. All energies are interconnected and active. The mandala lays down specific elements and energies at specific times and places to create specific patterns. Yes, thank makes no sense when you first hear it. But bare with me. There are sacred patterns in the astrological mandala that gives the idea of astrology a bit more creedence. Think of it like this, each zodiac sign follows a rhythm of Fire, Earth, Air, Water. Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable. These patterns are next to each other, opposing each other, and interacting with each other.