Using Flash Cards to learn Astrology
written by M.E. Arthur
In the beginning,
when you are just a novice adventurer into the stories seen in the natal
astrology charts, it is confusing, very confusing. All those little symbols
just don’t make any sense to the untrained eye. It is like learning a foreign
language or your math skills all over again.
Remember how
you learned to add, subtract, and memorize the sounds of the alphabet??
Right, the good old flash cards and there is nothing wrong with using them
now. The more you practice, the quicker you will learn. Limit your practice
sessions to just 15 minutes per session, any more than that will be self
defeating. You want to know them and understand them, not just have them
memorized.
This is the
crawling stage of learning, be patient with yourself. It takes time to
learn and if you want to you will. It just takes a little practice
1.Draw the symbols for the
planets, signs of the Zodiac, and the aspects clearly and carefully.
2.On the backs of the cards
write the names of each symbol. Write no more until you have the names
memorized, going further at this time will just confuse you.
3. After you have learned
the name of each symbol (glyph), and only then, add some key words, again
on the back of the card. Make it as simple as possible.
4.Learn the words associated
with the glyph. Take your time, you are learning the basics of astrology.
Here you don't want to just memorize, you want to be able to comprehend
the meanings of the glyphs as fully as you can.
5.All right, now make twelve
more cards for the houses. It is alright to keep these in order since it
is easier to understand something that does follow a pattern.
6.Study the function of
each house.
7.Lay the house charts out
in a circle, just as you would see them in a chart, House One being on
the lower right side of the chart and House Twelve being on the upper right.
8.Add signs to each house
and read the key words together. See how the different signs change the
temperment of the houses.
9.Start to add planets to
the houses and signs.
10. Read the keywords together
seeing how the houses are altered by the planets that are placed in them.
Remember to use your imagination.
11. Make them into a story.
This is what you are doing when you read charts is creating a story from
what you see. Astrology is an analogy, a tale of what might happen. Ultimately
although we can’t change what our traits are we can change our reactions
to them and chose the paths we will follow.
The aspects
and the planets should be practiced separately. I like using James Braha’s
“How to be a Great Astrologer” to help decipher personality qualities indicated
by the aspects, although any good book you are comfortable using will do.
It all
comes with time. It all takes patience. If you keep working at it, one
day it will just be there. It will be like some one just opened a window
and suddenly everything can be seen.