
Welcome and thank you for your interest in what I hope will be a fulfilling and exciting course. You've taken a first step today toward a working understanding of Astrology. This lecture will give you a heads up of what's ahead - the course content and the structure I'll be using to help develop a practical, working knowledge of the elements that make up a Natal Astrology reading and give you the foundation to begin what I hope will be deeper personal research into Astrology.
Let's take a second to stand back and take a wide view of the working parts of Astrology.
One of the benefits of the computer age is we no longer need to calculate charts by hand - a laborious and time consuming task performed by our Astrologer forebears. This section shows you how to generate a chart quickly and easily using free internet resources, software or apps.
This is a .pdf version of most of the course content - it's optimized for a tablet, desktop or phone and comes in a single page or spread page version to suit your preferred device and for readability. The single page version is also provided in case you'd like to make a printed version of the manual to take with you wherever you go.
Signs are the most visible part of Astrology to the mainstream and represent the starting point for all who take this journey. Let's overview what you'll be learning in this section.
What is a Sun Sign? How do signs and constellations link? This introduction overviews the signs of the zodiac by answering these questions and will lean into the other content within this section.
Fire, earth, air and water. Each sign connects to an element and understanding elements is a first step to unlocking the core personality traits of each Sun Sign.
Modalities reveal how the energy of a sign express, and explain why signs are direct, stubborn or take the long way about getting what they want.
The no-nonsense, all action straight shooter of the zodiac, Aries starts the zodiac off with a bang.
Delicate yet strong, sensitive yet blunt - Taurus is all about the finer things in life and the time taken to enjoy them.
Magisters of banter, influence and the mental bob and weave, Geminis are the master communicators of the zodiac.
The astonishingly accurate emotional radar of Cancer is a blessing and occasionally a curse.
To Leo life is a stage and the world is an audience. How does fixed fire even work?
The fate of the perfectionist is to see the world in all its imperfections.
Equality, peace and fair play - Libra is the equalizer of the zodiac.
Dark, intense and sets hearts racing - Scorpio is like good coffee.
The adventurer, wanderer and philosopher - the sign that lives on the horizon.
Hard work, discipline and time - the tools of the empire builder.
The inventor, agitator and reformer - all in one strange package.
The mystic connected to magic, music and the cosmos.
Reinforce your knowledge of the signs by printing and using these flashcards for self-testing. These cards are available as images that you can import into your favourite word processing or desktop publishing program or as a printable PDF file.
Get a heads up on the section ahead and find out how houses are the platform that the natal chart build on.
Houses lay down a structure for natal astrology and a framework for the telling of the story of our possible lives. Confused? Don't be - this section will cover the houses, their rulership and how the natal chart is constructed.
Houses tell us where to look on a chart for answers to questions, points of congestion and opportunities or strengths that are there to be utilized. This section will be your road map on the houses and the areas of our lives that they rule.
We've learned about the default zodiacal wheel and the flow of the 12 signs in an ordered universe. Natal astrology restructures the wheel of the zodiac based on your birth date, time and geographical location and this is the first step toward the fundamental and unique you of natal Astrology.
Keywords are an excellent tool for memory-tagging content as we progress through this course and I've provided some printable resources to reinforce learning as you go. This lecture will show you how to use those keywords to build interpretive profiles of houses and signs and will also foreshadow how we'll be linking in other keywords later in this course.
A breakdown of Aries in each house. Please not the first house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Aries.
A breakdown of Taurus in each house. Please not the second house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Taurus.
A breakdown of Gemini in each house. Please not the third house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Gemini.
A breakdown of Cancer in each house. Please not the fourth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Cancer.
A breakdown of Leo in each house. Please not the fifth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Leo.
A breakdown of Virgo in each house. Please not the sixth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Virgo.
A breakdown of Libra in each house. Please not the seventh house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Libra.
A breakdown of Scorpio in each house. Please not the eighth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Scorpio.
A breakdown of Sagittarius in each house. Please not the ninth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Sagittarius.
A breakdown of Capricorn in each house. Please not the tenth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Capricorn.
A breakdown of Aquarius in each house. Please not the eleventh house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Aquarius.
A breakdown of Pisces in each house. Please not the twelfth house is not included as this is the house traditionally ruled by Pisces.
This simple set of cards will let you test your knowledge and help build your memory of Houses. Print them and carry them with you wherever you go.
Planets add real depth and character to the natal chart. In this section we'll be discussing the nature and the role of planets in Natal Astrology.
The planets introduce chaos into the otherwise structures system of houses and signs. While the outer planets take an eternity to make their rotation of the Sun, the inner planets move like caffeinated greyhounds and their impact on the natal chart is as profound as it unpredictable.
The speed that planets make their orbits in has a profound affect on the natal chart. The faster, personal planets affect us individually while the slower, outer planets can take more than a center to complete and orbit and impact entire generations. This lecture discusses this concept in greater depth.
Planets - like people, are influenced by their surrounding and the company they keep.
The center of our solar system and the anchor of the zodiac - the Sun represents the ego and self.
With her rulership of the waters of emotion, the Matriarch represents the subconscious.
If the combined parts of you form a party, then the Ascendant is it's duly elected representative.
A gifted orator and smooth persuader, people meet your Mercury first.
Even though she often leads you into trouble, you can't stay mad at her for long.
Mars is our any time, anywhere, anyhow right now self.
Jupiter promises growth, expanded consciousness and travel and more often than not delivers.
He's harsh, cruel and controlling because he loves you.
One day it's world peace, the next it's a two-headed sheep.
Like the great book say - "Not all those who wander are lost."
Refuse, transformation and total annihilation - it's quite the resume.
This lecture uses keywords to show how we can incorporate our newly developed knowledge of planets into interpretation of the natal chart, and takes a us one level deeper into unlocking the full Natal Astrology chart..
How do we deal with an empty house - a house devoid of planets in Astrology? The answer is quite simple and the meaning may not be as dire as you think.
Aspects provide the tethers that hold our otherwise unruly planets in place and creates networks of energy across the natal chart. Aspects link planetary energies in positive or negative behavioral flow patterns and tell the most accurate story of how we keep all the competing pieces of our lives together.
This lecture overviews this section and introduces how aspects apply on a Natal Astrology chart.
Aspects, depending on their factors, are either Major or Minor in scope and the degree of the aspect determines whether the aspect is positive or negative. Find out more in this lecture.
Planets in sufficiently close proximity to one another on the chart are in a conjunction pattern, and fuse their energies.
This aspect reflects one of the smoothest and most natural flows of energy on a natal chart between points and signals where easier rewards may be found.
With a little work, a Sextile aspect can also unlock opportunity, rewards and satisfaction.
Oppositions often signal internal conflict and clashing motivations or desires. Sounds familiar? Find out more.
If you're the kind of person who gets in your own way or continually puts your foot in your mouth then this is the aspect you'll want to look for on your chart.
If you've pushed your flash cards to the limit and have squeezed all the knowledge possible out of them then there's a next level to their usage. This will help develop and grow both your interpretive skill and intuition and I think you're going to like it. Check out this lecture to learn more.
Fun fact - did you know that an online course like this is called a "MOOC" or Massive Open Online Course? Another fun fact - did you know that statistically 5-15% of people who start a MOOC bring it to completion? I thought I'd bring this up now because you're in the home stretch and so close to joining that special 5-15%. And that makes you awesome.
We're going to take everything we've learned in this course and bring it all together in this final section. Our knowledge of signs, planets, houses and aspects will be tested and I'll provide you with some priorities to help you organize and focus your information and lines of inquiry.
This lecture plays down a plan for making a natal reading. You'll learn where to start, where to focus and how to find answers to questions from a natal chart - each of which we'll be expanding on in the lectures ahead.
The Sun, Moon and Ascendant - the Big 3 of astrology. Why are they so important and what do they mean to a person on a natal level?
With such an overwhelming and random amount of chart data it's important to know where to start, what to prioritize and how to rank what you're looking at. This lecture points to where you should be putting focus if you're going to avoid being dragged down the rabbit hole of conflicting information and infinite possibilities.
Being able to read major patterns is an excellent way to get a feel for the lay of the land before starting. Looking for the shape planets make on a chart and recognizing major planetary aspect patterns on a chart provide a starting template for interpretation.
The elements and modalities of the Big Three may not be consistent with the deeper energy flow of a chart. If you've ever wondered why a person doesn't seem to come across in a way that's consistent with their particular Big 3 then this lecture may explain why.
The attached resource below will help you to calculate elemental and modality dominance easily. Instructions for use are included.
Attached is a downloadable resource that will allow you to easily work out the elemental and modality balance of a chart.
Understanding how love manifests and expresses on a natal chart prepares you for at least 70% of the questions you'll be asked when doing a natal interpretation.
It's common for people who feel their life has fallen into a rut or who believe they are living without purpose to want guidance and clues on where they'll find career fulfillment, the positive challenges they're missing or how to get out of their own way on the career ladder.
The adorably feisty Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is already making a name for herself with her strong personality. We're going to look at her Natal Chart for indicators of the royal she'll be when she's an adult. This lecture brings all we've learned - including the content strategies of this section, to bear in a final exercise.
STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO START WITH ASTROLOGY?
Does it feel sometimes like the entire Internet knows more about astrology than you do?
Learning astrology online can be hard.
Most astrology websites and Facebook groups assume that you know the basics. Trying to cover that knowledge gap can be confusing and can result in countless lost hours as you try to piece everything together enough knowledge to make a start. Wouldn't it be great to be able to lock down the foundations of astrology all in one go?
The great news is you can. This course will guide you through the core elements of astrology. Are you are taking those first steps toward self discovery? Or wanting to expand your service range as a tarot reader or health practitioner? Have you set a goal to learn bigger and better forms such as predictive, relationship or even soul-centered astrology? If your answer is yes to any of these questions then course was made for you.
WHAT THIS COURSE OFFERS
Learn with confidence - topic by topic. Discover the core elements of astrology by focusing on the key components one by one. Each topic is broken down and explained and in later sections we combine what we've learned.
This course features more than three hours of high quality video. No shaky or dim mobile phone recordings or boring hours of watching a stranger talk.
Your knowledge is challenged as you go with quizzes and instructor marked assignments that test you as you complete each section. You'll know when you're ready to move on to new content.
It's designed to cater to different learning styles with downloadable learning aids and a beautiful course book to help you build your knowledge if you're more a reader than a watcher.
You have lifetime access to course content using the Udemy learning platform. Struggling with a subject? Needing to revise a topic? Your answers are a click or a swipe away, 24/7.
:: COURSE CONTENT
1: OVERVIEW
Let's take a look at those major chunks of astrology and how your course is structured. you'll also learn how to create and print your own natal astrology chart - keep this close to you as you discover the course content. You'll discover new things about yourself too!
2: SIGNS - EXPLAINED
ELEMENTS: Are you the live of the party or feel everything in life? Are you on a journey of discovery or is all about the money? Learn about elements and how they shape each sign.
MODALITY: Do you take life head on, have the fortitude to stand in the face of adversity or easily distracted by life's bounty? Find out about your sign's modality.
Get a deeper understanding of each sign - what drives them, their strengths and weaknesses and the key words that define them.
3: HOUSES - EXPLAINED
Love. Career. Communication or family. Twelve houses rule the key areas of life. Learn about each house and how houses stretch the canvas for astrology.
Why is every person's astrology chart different? Learn the core of natal astrology - the astrology of your birth sign and get a first glimpse of you through the eyes of the zodiac. Learn why the sign ruling your third house is most likely different to the sign ruling the third house of your friends, family or spouse.
How does Virgo love? What kind of parent does a Scorpio make? How does Aquarius handle money? You'll explore each house through the eyes of each sign.
4: PLANETS - EXPLAINED
Personal or transformational? Learn about the planets that shape us as individuals and the planets that shape entire generations. Why do you find communication difficult? Where does luck live on your chart? Keep finding yourself locking horns with the boss or getting into legal strife? The planets explain all.
Why is Aries so direct? Why is Capricorn so driven? Learn which planets rule which signs and why this is important. And learn which planets are weakened in which sign.
5: ASPECTS - EXPLAINED
Squares, trines and oppositions - maybe you've heard about them but haven't known what they mean or why they matter. Aspects wire your chart together and define the relationships between the different facets of your life. Do you find your family never seem to like your choice of partner? Do you struggle to separate love and sex? Why is making money so difficult for you when it seems so easy for others? Find out why.
6: INTERPRETATION
in the final section we combine everything we've learned so far in this course and learn how to build and interpret a basic natal astrology chart. You'll learn how to quickly find powerful patterns at a glance. How to find love, career and how to weigh up the balance of a chart.
These same skills can be used and developed to build your own natal chart or the charts of others and provide foundations to perfect as a reader and an astrologer.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
This course focuses on the core fundamentals that are consistent with all schools of astrology. Your course outcome is a strong understanding of how all the pieces fit together and how to use them to make informed decisions about how astrology works for you. You'll have what you need to take on bigger topics or different schools of astrology an to truly begin your astrology journey.
Some of the things not included in this course are alternate house systems, asteroids and minor aspects. These are extensions of the content you'll learn in this course and a natural progression for self-learning.
:: REVIEWS
★★★★★ It's a full, complete astrology course, with lots of useful information. It's also well organized and even though it's not easy information, it is all perfectly explained so everyone can understand what's the topic about. I strongly recommend it.
> Ruth C. Calvo Izazaga
★★★★★ I have just started the course and I would like to say it is very interesting, the explanation is clear. The didactic material and videos are really well done. Thank you so much! I recommend this course. It is a good way want to discover the world of astrology.
> Andrea Guariso
★★★★★ This course was very easy to follow and informative. It is well thought out, and caters to many different learning styles. Mr.McKinnon is very knowledgeable and always responded to every activity and assignment. I highly recommend this course for anyone who is interested in learning about astrology at any level.
> Bekah Osborne
★★★★★ This course is an excellent introduction to astrology. The videos and the resources are extremely helpful and full of information. The assignments make you think and allow you to apply the concepts learned. I’d recommend this coursework anyone especially those who are new to astrology.
> Tiffany Durham
★★★★★ This laid the foundational knowledge for which I was looking - now on to analyzing my chart for deeper clarity. Thanks!
> Tracey Whitehouse
★★★★★ So much useful information and great resources out there to utilize!
> Destiny Giebe
★★★★★ absolutely stunning.
> Adrienne Lidicky
★★★★★ I am still overwhelmed in a very positive way! I was not expecting this load of information. Had to stop multiple times and literally live by my notes and get everything jotted. It is very precise and insightful. It pairs theory with practical examples, which makes learning way more effective and quick. Still feel I need to go over and over some sections just because I was not having any previous knowledge. I am confident this will provide me solid foundations to progress further and eventually get to understand how to read for others and see what's coming in more detail. I also really valued the huge effort on graphics (not all teachers do) and the content per se. I was amazed by the quality, consistency and professionalism across the video lessons and the manuals. The voice-over is steady, fascinating...no noises on the background therefore understandable and refined!
> Elisa Reinaudo
★★★★★ I am not familiar with how to read a birth chart, let alone create one so im looking forward to learning how to do that. I have basic knowledge now with the houses, signs, and planets.
> Rebecca Rankin-Tremblay
★★★★★ Very accurate and easy to follow. I highly recommend!
> Angelica Loughrey
★★★★★ It was a great experience. Entire course content was so self explanatory & elaborative that anyone who is having real interest in Astrology can learn lot of new things. Thanks Damian for helping me with this course and new knowledge.
> Geetika Bhatia
★★★★★ Really enjoyed the format of this course - so much ore interesting than just watching someone sit there and talk. Much more aligned to my learning style - signing up for the Modern Astrology Natal Introduction course based on this. Thank you!
> Ruby Turner
★★★★★ I really enjoyed this course! The course material was laid out in a very concise and understandable way, while the curriculum also was relatable and very easy to understand. I also liked that the instructor required students to engage with the material via interactive assignments. This really helps to make the information stick in your mind because you are called to apply it within the parameters that it is presented. I found that along with learning new concepts, my existing knowledge was also affirmed. This course made it easy for me to understand my own natal chart, thus helping me to answer some life long questions. My interactions with the instructor directly have also been very positive, I look forward to taking more courses from him in the future and am excited to open this new chapter in my learning. If you are interested in astrology for either personal or professional reasons, you definitely owe it to yourself to take this course!
> Rachel Maii
★★★★★ I got an understanding off different programs for astrology. I´ve been searching for it.
> Sandra Bäckman
★★★★★ I enrolled in this course after years of interest with the topic of Astrology, and I'm glad I finally did! I had my natal chart read by my aunt last 2014, and since then I was very curious as to how the stars aligned and how they gave the perfect explanation as to how I've become and more. This course is very thorough and broken down into 6 different section so you can understand and have time to absorb and internalize the vast topic of astrology. From the basic astrology (aka zodiac signs) to actual interpretation of a natal chart. Plus, Damian is quick to answer my questions and messages, and that didn't leave me in a puzzled or questioning state for something in the course that was personally unclear for me. He's an amazing teacher. Thank you Damian. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COURSE to everyone who wants to know themselves better or know why they are in a certain situation. Gives an extra meaning to the saying "we are all made out of stars!"
> Michelle Eleazar
★★★★★ Engaging, interesting, informative, captivating are only a few words that can describe this amazing course. Overall the best course I have taken in Udemy, easy to follow, visually engaging, definatelly recommended!!!
> Carlos Vega Cumberland
★★★★★ Very enjoyable. There's a lot more to astrology than I expected but I am enjoying the training style a lot.
> Lisa T
★★★★★ I'm really enjoying this course. A great course delivery style in small and to the point packages rather than dragging monologues and I feel myself being drawn in and learning. Hope you do more!
> Sonja Souter
★★★★★ I was hoping for a lot from this course and I'm very happy with what it's delivering. Solid, structured but entertaining and interesting. A lot of what I've tried learning in the past is falling into place for me now.
> Brett Wong
★★★★★ A really good course - I'm enjoying the presentation and the video work is very entertaining - so much better than hours of watching someone talk which is where I lose interest with other courses. But more importantly I feel I'm really learning a lot. I spent last night and some this morning just going over the ebook on my iPad and it's really beautiful. I hope more courses from this writer are on the way.
> Elgin Mors
★★★★★ This is great. Exactly what i was looking for and taught in a way that I learn best!
> Vincent Flores
★★★★★ This course is excellent! Is has been challenging and informational. I feel like I've learned so much! I definitely need to go through it again to make sure I've got all of the details. I hope Damien comes out with more courses!
> Dayan Morgan-Sylvaen
★★★★★ I love the resources, the printable cards to use to study. The information is clear and concise. Great course!
> Alisa DeHaan
★★★★★ Very interesting and good summary of the main concepts. I was deeply impressed! Thank you so much!
> Marcela Roxana Farcasescu
★★★★★ It is an excellent course to get introduced clearly into astrology principles. There are many examples, and it touches many aspects that are well put together at the end. The support material, exercises and communication with the facilitator were excellent.
> David Laferrière
★★★★★ I've gone through Sections 1 & 2 so far but felt compelled to leave my first Udemy review. Damian is an exceptional teacher, did a phenomenal job with the video edits, and explains things very well. I wanted to understand some basic astrology and he is delivering that in spades. This is a fantastic course.
> Rachel Rofe
★★★★★ The information is well edited and keeps moving,every engaging
> Sheree Greek
★★★★★ Easy to undetstand with the way he explains it is straight forward.
> Michelle King
★★★★★ I’m enjoyed the course, both the content and delivery style. I loved the fact that the author provided both narrative and written summaries – catering for various learning styles, and also used well known people as examples, which enabled the student to put their learning's into context . The resources were great too. I learnt so much, and some interesting things about myself (and others!!). I found it very easy to navigate. Astronomy is WAY more in depth that I imagined.
> Lyn Heynen
★★★★★ Very pleased with this course. It has an interactive approach which I really like and it covers a broad range of difficult to explain information in a really creative way. I've eager to learn more about astrology and this has given me a really solid start. Thank you!
> Jimmy Hedgeman
★★★★★ I've just finished 10 of 77 courses... still fair bit to go but it's been great - learn lots of new things already. The facilitator has deep knowledge of the subject. I have no basic knowledge prior to this course but I found every content is delivered very well - make it easier for me to understand. Love the video and manual, developed thoughtfully, beautiful and informative. Looking forward for more. Thank you!
> Dessi Sandi