Astrographix ~ Astrology as Art

Birth Charts

Introduction to Birth Charts
Birth Chart Features
Birth Chart Reference Guide
Sample Birth Charts
Order a Birth Chart



Astrology Basics

Introduction to Western (Occidental) Astrology
The Signs of the Zodiac
Sun, Moon and Planets
Introduction to Chinese Astrology
The Twelve Animals
The Five Elements
The Lunar Calendar

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Orbits:
The orbits of the planets are ellipses with the Sun at one focus - though all except Mercury and Pluto are very nearly circular.

Relative Sizes:
One way to visualize the relative sizes in the solar system is to imagine a model in which it is reduced in size by a factor of one billion. Then the Sun is about the height of a man. The Earth is about the size of a grape and orbits about 1 city block from the Sun. The Moon orbits about a foot away from the Earth. Jupiter is the size of a large grapefruit and is 5 blocks away from the Sun. Saturn is the size of an orange and is 10 blocks away; Uranus and Neptune, the size of lemons, are 20 and 30 blocks away.

The above composite shows the nine planets with approximately correct relative sizes.



Astrology maintains that all living things are linked to forces caused by the constantly changing positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets that make up our solar system. Five of the planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - have been known ever since man began looking at the heavens. Other planets - Uranus, Neptune, Pluto were discovered after the invention of the telescope and are generally referred to as "the modern planets" by astrologers.

The Sun The Sun
The center of our Solar System
The Moon The Moon
Earth's only moon
Mercury Mercury
1st Planet from the Sun
Venus Venus
2nd Planet from the Sun
Mars Mars
4th Planet from the Sun
Jupiter Jupiter
5th Planet from the Sun
Saturn Saturn
6th Planet from the Sun
Uranus Uranus
7th Planet from the Sun
Neptune Neptune
8th Planet from the Sun
Pluto Pluto
9th Planet from the Sun

Western, or occidental, astrology is based on the yearly passage of the Earth around the Sun. Chinese astrology is based on a sixty year cycle of the Moon. The combination of monthly based western astrology and lunar year based Chinese astrology has been found to provide a surprisingly accurate picture of the inner and outer person.

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Astrographix ~ Astrology as Art
Aries  (March 21 - April 20)Taurus  (April 21 - May 21)
Gemini  (May 22 - June 22)Cancer  (June 23 - July 23)
Leo  (July 24 - August 23)Virgo  (August 24 - September 23)
Libra  (September 24 - October 23)Scorpio  (October 24 - November 22)
Sagittarius  (November 23 - December 22)Capricorn  (December 23 - January 19)
Aquarius  (January 20 - February 19)Pisces  (February 20 - March 20)

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