When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Appears

A THREE PART ARTICLE

Ann Cortese , BS. , MPS

Ann Cortese has been a Professional Astrologer and Counselor for 40 years, Member of NCGR, ISAR and past member of AFAN and AFA served as Board Member of the NCGR Fairfield Connecticut Chapter of NCGR and studied under Charles and Vivia Jayne, Donald Yott and Meria Epstein of New York City. Taught Astrology and a five year course in Tibetan Buddhism for the MCNJ, teaches astrology classes and gives private instructions, lectures, holds group readings. Private practice includes personalized taped readings for clients. Available for Natal Chart, Solar Return, Present Transits, Sec. Progressions and Solar Arc, and Compatibility readings. Gift certificates available. All readings include a Meditation CD. 

Are you Curious about the secrets of the STARS? Would you like to learn how the Zodiac can come alive and aid you in achieving your goals, lead you to a path of personal growth and spiritual development?

Would you like to know how conflicting energies can be transmuted into positive action and change your relationship into the relationship of your dreams? Would you like to explore the Universe within?

Come along then, walk with me as we learn the language of the stars, find out how you and a “significant other” can dance to the music of the spheres. Come along and learn what Astrology is, how it works, why it works. Come join with me in achieving your personal goals, stimulate your creativity, and open up new vistas of life thereby leading to the fulfillment of your dreams!!!

What is Astrology?

Astrology is a combination of two disciplines: it is a science and an art.

It is a spiritual science, a blueprint for our Spiritual Growth, denoting the relationship between the personal universe within and the larger universe outside of oneself: the Cosmic Universe.

It is in the construction of the individual Astrological chart that we recognize that Astrology is a tightly knit, logical, precise mathematical science. The astrological chart is constructed by the use of specific coordinates of the Longitude and Latitude of the individual’s geographic place of birth, the individual’s time of birth, the time difference between Greenwich, England and the place of birth, and other mathematical coordinates.

In interpreting the horoscope, the mathematical aspects of the relationship of the planets to one another is used. The main aspects are planets squaring one another by of 90 degrees, trines of 120 degrees, sextiles of 60 degrees inconjuctions of 150 degrees and oppositions of 180 degrees. In addition to the main aspects other degree aspects are also considered. In certain types of readings, namely the directed solar arc, the arc of the sun is calculated in relation to the planet placements and the angles of horoscope.

Once the chart is established mathematically, the interpretive art of the reading comes into play. Interpretation is not only an art but it requires sensitivity and skill to present the reading in such a way that allows the client to come to their own realization of the work that needs to be done to develop their personal, spiritual, emotional and intellectual growth. The Astrologer is, in effect, a catalyst to assist the client to achieve that end. The Natal Chart can be likened to a road map. It is a living breathing entity, identifying areas where we can, by use of free will, transform our lives.
The Natal Chart shows us our life’s trends, our weaknesses and strengths, and where conflicting, or negative energies may manifest. The Professional Astrologer, through years of study and research, can make certain deductions regarding upcoming trends. By determining the position of the planets within specific houses, signs the planets are in, and the mathematical relationship of one planet to another, he/she can make certain deductions and recommendations regarding the possible use of these energies. We must be cognizant of the fact that the planets only cast energy. It is we who, by virtue of the choices we make in the use of those energies, allow them to manifest in a positive or negative manner. Through the casting of the chart and studying it, and interpreting it the Astrologer is able to grasp where the client stands on their path of evolution. A working definition of Astrology could well be, “It is a unique system of the interpretation of planetary action and the resulting interaction it produces in the human experience.” For everything there is a season. A time to love and a time to hate. A time to live and a time to die. Life is cyclical. Planetary movement is cyclical. The secret of an astrological reading is the secret of time: a given moment in time. Carl Jung said,

“Whatever is born in this moment of time has the quality of this moment in time.”

Are these aspect of Astrology open to question? 

Yes, of course, The theories of some of the great Psychologists such as Freud, Jung, Maslow and others are still being debated, questioned, interpreted and reinterpreted…and ….as in the science of Astronomy, the mysteries of our very existence in the Universe are still being pondered and questioned. While there has been much progress made to enlighten us with regard to planets in our galaxy, many remain that may never be solved.

PART II

HOW DOES ASTROLOGY WORK?

Astrology has a language of its own. It is a language of symbols that represent the planets, the signs of the Zodiac and the mathematical aspects between the planets. The Horoscope, or the Natal Chart, can be likened to a road map. It delineates how you can get from point to another, from one level of growth to the next. Some of the roads are clearly marked, smooth and easy to travel over, Other roads may be in poor condition, needing repair, while still others may be insurmountable and may need complete restructuring-or- may call for a complete change of direction. The Horoscope is a blue print of our character and our potential for both spiritual and personal growth. It can help us identify where we can transform our lives. The chart shows what CAN happen NOT what will happen. We must keep in mind that Man has free will in making choices.

The Horoscope is a blue print of our character and our potential for both spiritual and personal growth. It can help us identify where we can transform our lives. The chart shows what CAN happen NOT what will happen. We must keep in mind that Man has free will in making choices.

The Horoscope shows: Life trends, Points of Strengths, Weakness, Conflicting energies, (two energies at cross purposes) areas of the ability to succeed.

What can you learn from a Horoscope reading?

1. You can learn about your character, your personality, how to make changes in your character and learn how by changing your character you can change your destiny.

2. You can become aware of up coming trends in your life and prepare for the challenging ones and cash in on the beneficial ones.

3. You will learn about the use of Yin and Yang energies, every planet and aspect has a positive and negative energy….the Yin and the Yang.

4. You will learn to listen to your inner voice and thereby raise the level of your consciousness.

5. By raising your level of consciousness you will view the people and the world around you in a different light.

As a bookkeeping system, Astrology has 3 ledgers:

A Debit Ledger: The result of a depleted spiritual bankbook, better known as Karma.
A Credit Ledger: The result of cumulative good works, the conformity to the essential nature of ones own character: to thine own self be true.
General Ledger: in which we find the Capital Gains the Spiritual Bank Book that has earned income from past lives.

Part III

WHY DOES ASTROLOGY WORK?

In the immortal words of Carl Sagan ( a distinguished Cornell University Astronomer, Pulitzer Prize Winner, and author) “we are star stuff”. In his book entitled “Cosmos” ( which appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List for 70 weeks) he devoted a whole 27 page chapter to “ The Lives of the Stars”’ he says and I quote, “The Nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood and the carbon in our apple pies are all made of the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff. We are a carbon-based life form. We are, in the most profound sense, children of the cosmos.” Since the time of Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton scientists have sought to deduce a connection between terrestrial magnetic phenomena and celestial phenomena. It has since been found that there is indeed a scientific correlation between planting crops with the lunar phases of the moon and the more bountiful yields of crops. There is no seed or plant that will not respond to a magnetic field by remendous acceleration in growth. The Earth’s magnetism activates an enzyme system in fruits and vegetables that can trigger a loss or gain of protons which speed up the enzyme process and causes ripening.

In 1962, DR. Robert O. Becker of the V.A. Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., claimed that the Astronauts who invade the magnetic force field of other planets between the Earth’s atmosphere will exhibit aberrations. This proved true with both the American and Russian Astronauts. Dr. Becker found that the electromagnetic field in our environment has a profound effect on behavior and biological cycles. He has shown concrete evidence that psychotic breakdowns correlate with variations in the Earth’s magnetic field and have a direct effect on the admissions to mental hospitals. In the esoteric field we call this electromagnetic field “an aura.” It has also been found that electro magnetic therapy has been used in the treatment of advanced cancer, on third degree burns over the entire human body, and when a human organism is exposed to two lines of powerful magnetic forces intersecting at right angles the effects can be disastrous. There is a sense of structure and order in the Universe and there is a structure and order in Astrology. So, where then is the dividing line between the scientific and the esoteric? Is there one at all?

I would be remiss if I did not mention that for centuries Astrology fell into disrepute because like so many things on Earth it fell into the wrong hands and was used as a fortune telling gimmick. People were exploited by the Astrologers-or- Seers who were seeking to gain from it instead of to give through it. The Spiritual Astrologer is one who aspires to Higher Law. The spiritual Astrologer knows that he/she is only a channel through which the Higher Power flows: a mere catalyst in assisting to raise the level of consciousness of those who are seeking to evolve in their personal and spiritual development. The Spiritual Astrologer knows that the ALL is in all…..All the answers to all our questions, our dilemmas are all inside. The Spiritual Astrologer knows that everything is created inwardly and then projected into the world of manifestation. The Spiritual Astrologer becomes the Healing Agent in the process of assisting the individual in accessing the answers from within. In conclusion, we can postulate-or-claim that the movement of all things in the Universe is correlated: everything is in a systematic relationship to everything else –or- to each other.. This is the reason Astrology is what it is, how it works and why it works.

©AnnCortese, BS, MPS Apr.1, 2007. All rights reserved.
Bibliography:Frawley, David: The Astrology Of The Seers:Passage Press, Salt Lake City, Utah 1990
Goodvage,Joseph: Astrology: The Space Age Science: Parker Publishing Company, Inc. West Nyack, N.Y. 1966
Sagan, Carl: Cosmos: Random House, N.Y. 1980
Science at NASA: X-Ray Star Stuff: http//space science.com July 18, 2000