Charting your future
By
Imhotep
"And at night I love to listen to the stars. It is like five hundred million little bells ... And there is a sweetness in the laughter of all the stars."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince
Yes, there is a special sweetness in every one of us: a distinctive characteristic that is altogether lovely. The unique characteristic, or a combination of characteristics, can be viewed as a roadmap that charts the future of an individual, unravels the mysteries of innermost secrets and presents solutions to personal problems.
The logic of the deduction is undeniable which is why Al-Ahram Weekly is launching the new horoscope feature this week, compiled for our readers by the esteemed Imhotep.
Astrology is the oldest recorded science. Ancient man must have gazed at the planets and stars in wonderment. At some distant date, the ancients concluded that there was a close correlation between earthly, mundane, matters and the wondrous celestial phenomena. Interestingly enough, various ancient civilisations arrived at much the same conclusions. In China, India, Mesoamerica, Mesopotamia and Egypt the cyclical movements of the stars and planets mesmerised men and formed the basis of their scientific and mathematical experimentation.
Sun-sign astrology is a legacy of that ancient tradition. Contemporary man also reaches out to the secrets of the stars. The burgeoning interest in sun-sign astrology in different countries around the world attests to a wider international fascination with metaphysics, spirituality and esoteric mysteries which cut across cultures.
It is absurd to try to summarise even the essence of sun-sign astrology in half a dozen paragraphs. And, I shall not attempt to do so. Suffice it to say that to decode and then to elucidate the significance of sun-sign astrology is a complex "science", or shall I say, art.
Astrological interpretations should differ dramatically from the now largely discredited, doctrine of predestination. There ought to be no irreversible, pre-ordained futures, no zero options. Astrology points instead to tendencies and highlights personality traits and the challenges that might accompany different personalities as well as the opportunities likely to present themselves to the individuals concerned and the lifestyles and careers that might best suit them.
The Zodiac is made up of 12 different Sun signs: Aries (21 March-20 April); Taurus (21 April-21 May); Gemini (22 May-21 June); Cancer (22 June-22 July); Leo (23 July-22 August); Virgo (23 August-22 September); Libra (23 September- 23 October); Scorpio (24 October-23 November); Sagittarius (24 November-23 December); Capricorn (24 December-21 January); Aquarius (22 January-19 February); Pisces (20 February-20 March). Not all individuals who share a Sun sign are exactly alike. My Sun sign, for example, is Pisces. My Ascendant, or Rising sign, is Leo. The first is the real me, my genuine self. The second is my outward or public persona. So even though I am at heart a gentle dreamer, generally congenial, compassionate and understanding (Piscean attributes), I might come across as competitive, combative, self-indulgent and flirtatious (Leonian attributes).
The exact geographical location of one's birth and precise time of birth determine the Ascendant, or Rising star of an individual. A few minutes or a few degrees of latitude or longitude can alter one's Ascendant.
To complicate matters further, my Love (Venus) sign is Aries, and my Passion (Mars) sign Gemini. My Healing (Chiron) sign is Aquarius. Therefore, I am not exactly like the millions of other Pisceans that roam the globe.
It is highly unlikely that an individual would be, say, a Sagittarian (Sun sign), while also having Sagittarian Love, Passion, Healing and Rising signs. If so, they would be very typically Sagittarian -- with the Sagittarian characteristic personality traits intensified.
I look forward to exploring more about the wondrous Sun signs next week, so until then I wish all a pleasant and blissful week.
Look out next week for Imhotep's reading of Sagittarius
