I don't know anything about astrology other than my own sun, moon and rising signs, and the element and planet(s) associated with each sign. Where/how to I begin to educate myself in this area?
astro.com There you can create your own chart for free. cafeastrology.com is awesome too, and their services are more in depth.
If I may comment on the idea of distant stars having effect. I would imagine they actually do, however because they move in the chart so slowly it seems like the entire human race would have the exact same chart and since that would mean we would have no conception of it anywhere else, it would be something funadmentally different to the human experience. As for animals having it, it certianly seems so. Charts have been cast for Cities, Countries, and Events with accuracy, so doing it for animals seem highely logical.
Those who understand them, what is a simplified way to explain a double yod? Having Pluto in Virgo 5th house, Neptune in Scorpio 7th house & Venus as well as Jupiter in Aries 12th house? I am working on a reading for someone who is very well versed in astrology & I'm looking for any good info I can get regarding this topic...oh yeah, Aries is intercepted in the 12th house, as well.
If you look at the 8th house of death & regeneration you can actually tell quite a bit about someones death in this lifetime...for instance, Vebus in your 8th house indicates that you will gain monetarily through inheritance or possibly through your partner, it also shows that you will have a peaceful death...Uranus in the 8th house, not so much..
Gravity is not counted in Astrology, at least not as a relevant matter, but Mercury is a better example, once the status of Pluto is still debated. I like to think in the solar system as an organism and that way the planets of the solar system are seem in a more "systemic" way, the fixed stars influences are also counted in astrology. From my point of view they are influences of "outer" organisms. There are many interpretations for the functioning of astrology. Some - very prestiged through history - don't even try to be "physical", but rely on symbolisms and synchronicities - like the planets could be interpreted as "letters" designing a meaning, without trying to approach any physical strict conection on it. Astrology is not, in itself, a metaphysic kind of study, it's a practical one, based on experience. People believe in it by experience, after this, they tend to find an explanation for the "weirdness" of it. The philosophy history is full of debates about it, from Aristotle statements about Gods and particulars, to the endless discussions between free-will and determinism. If people believe in it by mistake is another debate, but it's definitely a "practical" study- that adds depth to metaphysic and religion, but is not origined by them.
Usually past lives - in astrological practices that believe and deal with it - are associated with the "South Node" position and aspects. Vedic astrology has much about this subject, the nodes (called "Rahu" (North) and "Ketu" (South)) are very important in it.