The Best Way to Learn Astrology

1) Start noticing the sky.

Look up throughout the day, and especially at dawn or dusk. What do you see? Get a planner or moon phase tracker. Can you spot the correlation between the moon’s phase in the sky and your planner?

Start to notice your moods, dreams, daily frustrations, and questions alongside the moon’s sign and phase. Just note things down for a few months. Then review and observe patterns — for example if you always feel really good or bad when the moon is in a certain sign.

Begin keeping a journal — either in your planner or a separate notebook. Writing consistently will help you know when astrology is working for you — and when it isn’t. What doesn’t work will give you as much (or more) information as what does.

2) Find your birth chart.

For this you’ll need to get the time you were born. If you were born in the US in a hospital this will be listed on your birth certificate. Use a chart calculation tool (there are many free online, I used astro.com when I started).

Can’t find your birth time? You can get a lot from astrology without knowing it. To start you can look up the chart of your birthday at 6:00am — check to see if the sun in the chart is falling in the first house. If not, adjust the time a little one way or the other so the sun is on the left of the chart, near the number “1” which is marking the house, or area of life.

Astrology works in mysterious ways. I suggest diving in without overthinking your birth time. If you want to go further, there are astrologers who specialize in chart rectification which can help you arrive at a probable birth time. There’s also a lot you can do yourself by examining the important events of your life and testing out possible rising signs, but you’ll need to learn the language of astrology first.

3) Learn the language of astrology.

Keep a key to the glyphs (symbols for the zodiac signs and planets) where you can see it daily. (You can find one here). Become familiar with these symbols of astrology.

Read and learn about astrology. There are many great intro books to astrology that can be found at your local library or bookstore. There are also many great astrology podcasts. For a quick reference to the meanings of the Signs, Houses, and Planets I offer a free Quick Guide to Astrology here on Patreon.

Start taking notes on what you read about astrology and what you experience. Begin an astrology study journal you can add to any time you find a quote, resource, or piece of information that speaks to you.

4) Personalize astrology with your RISING sign and HOUSE topics.

Astrology was the first way people began dividing their lives into topics and using this as a lens to get perspective on their strengths and weaknesses. Many popular personal development systems today use this principle. Knowing astrology will help you adapt any of them to your life more quickly. You can find house keyword charts for each one of the 12 rising signs here in the "Learn Astrology" collection.

There are many different methods of calculating astrological houses — they’re kind of like planner layouts. Most astrologers I know have experimented with more than one method. It comes down to personal preference. I use the Whole Sign house system because it’s simple and sky-based, and it works for me. Another popular house system is the Placidis system, but there are many options out there.

No matter what method you use, look for an upcoming transit like a New or Full Moon. Now, find what area of life this happens in based on your rising sign.

5) Find an astrology forecast to listen to/read consistently.

Write down the parts of the forecast that resonant with you in your planner, and when the month is over note how that information helped (or didn’t!). There are SO MANY wonderful forecasts out there, and of course I publish one here on Patreon too. When I started out learning astrology one of the first forecasts I found was Anne Ortelee’s weekly podcast.

6) Look at astrology charts.

This is the heart of what astrologers do, and where the information comes from for their various translations of the energy in the sky.

Astrology charts can be worked with in a variety of ways. You can let your analytical side kick in, and you can go on your gut feeling or intuition. Most astrologers blend both. It’s about finding the mix that works for you. If you’ve experimented with tarot or other divination tools, astrology charts can be used the same way. The best way I’ve heard divination defined is this: it is answering a question with a metaphor. Astrology offers us a powerful, nature based metaphor to see multiple cycles in relation to each other — from the fast moving Moon to the slow pace of Saturn and beyond.

Charts can be colored, used in altars or grimoires, and meditated with. One of my favorite things to do with a chart is to make a physical representation of it using natural objects such as acorns or rocks. This may seem similar to mandalas, or crystal grids, but it will not be symmetrical and the asymmetry can teach us about the relationships in the chart. We have historical documentation of astrology “boards” like game boards, with pieces that were moved around. The earliest astrology charts were likely drawn in sand or earth.

I highly recommend printing several copies of your birth chart and experimenting with different ways to work with it. Astrology is an ancient system which has only recently become digitized. For millennia humans have been working with their hands as well as minds to unlock the mystery of charts.

7) Trust you’ll encounter the right information at the right time.

Learning astrology is a lifelong journey. Focus on what resonates with you. Take your time to process and absorb the information. In the beginning learning astrology is like any other language, so expect a learning curve.

What may be useful to some isn’t useful to all, or useful in every season of life, and that’s okay. Your journey is your own. Astrology is meant to be empowering and useful to you, now, in the present moment.

Blessings for your journey with astrology!