Types of Astrology
Natal Astrology
Mundane Astrology
Astrometeorology
Horary Astrology
Electional Astrology
Medical Astrology

Natal Astrology
Today the most widely practiced branch of astrology is natal astrology, which concerns itself with the character and destiny of individuals. From the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the time and place of birth, the practitioner of natal astrology attempts to analyze the basic nature and predisposition of an individual, and to forecast future life trends. It is this branch of astrology that is the primary concern of this book. It should be mentioned that there are several other important branches of astrology besides natal. These are widely practiced yet have a lower public profile.

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Mundane Astrology
Mundane astrology concerns itself with historical and political trends. This includes predictions of changes in government, election forecasts, wars, or the astrological analysis of a nation's history. Mundane astrology was the earliest known type of astrology, practiced at least 4,000 years ago by astrologers in ancient Mesopotamia.

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Astrometeorology
Astrometeorology is the study of correlations between planetary configurations and the weather. This branch also dates back to the origins of astrology and is still practiced today. The weather forecasts in popular almanacs were, and often still are today, based on astrometeorology. There is now scientific research that supports some astrometeorological principles (for example, see Science (1962), Vol. 137, pp. 748-750).

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Horary Astrology
Horary astrology, which means the "astrology of the hour," is a technique that is used to answer questions with a chart cast for the time the question was asked. This branch of astrology, which does not require an exact birth time, was widely practiced during the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. It is still used by many of today's practitioners of natal astrology.

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Electional Astrology
Electional astrology is concerned with computing in advance the best time to take important actions such as opening a business or getting married. In the past, merchants relied greatly on this technique, and ships were launched for the first time, or set sail for distant ports, at precise times set by astrologers.

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Medical Astrology
Medical astrology is concerned with the analysis of disease through astrological symbolism. It was practiced by Hippocrates, Galen, Culpepper, and many other physicians throughout history. One common technique used by medical astrologers of the past was to calculate a horoscope for the time that the patient became ill and took to bed, or was injured. An analysis of such a chart gave the practitioner insights into what might be the best treatment for the patient. In earlier times, medical practitioners frequently relied on herbs for cures. Each herb was linked to a specific astrological symbol.

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