Friday August 30th 2002 - edited by Bernard Fitzwalter This week in Astro News: ~ How does the Sun move...? ~ ~ AstroDiary ~ A reader wrote last week to ask how the sun could move from sign to sign when it was stationary at the centre of the solar system with all the other planets, including the Earth, going round it. Good question. The answer is that astrology uses the geocentric viewpoint, where someone standing on the Earth looks at the sky and watches the planets moving across the sky and from sign to sign. When we see the sun changing signs it is caused by the Earth going round the sun and not the other way round, but that isn't really the point. Think of it as being similar to the way a clock works. Whether the clock is driven by quartz crystals, cogs or whatever doesn't actually matter; what we want to know is what time it is. Not in a scientific or absolute sense, but in a personal one. When the hands point to 7.30, for example, it will mean different things to different people – the movie starts in ten minutes, in half an hour you'll be seeing your boyfriend, you've just missed the train at twenty-five past, or it's bedtime for little ones. None of these, of course, are actually caused by the way the hands point on the clock face – it's what we take their signal to mean that matters. Astrologers take the positions of the planets as seen from earth, and provide pointers as to what this might mean for you in whatever kind of life you live. Just as looking at your watch tells you whether you're early or late for what you intended to do, so looking at a horoscope should give you the mood of the moment, and provide insight to help you approach what you're doing that little bit differently – and maybe reach a happier and more successful outcome. Ancient astrologers were always asked to determine the right moment for important undertakings. There are good times and bad times in each day; roughly speaking, mid-morning and early afternoon are best for most things, but precise times differ with the seasons. Wouldn't it be a good idea if someone devised a watch with a 'lucky' hand on it, to tell you when the moment was right? They'd sell a fair few of those, I'm sure... AstroDiary Advance booking for major astrological events: September 6 – 8: Astrological Association of GB, Annual Conference. Swansea University. Call: 0208 880 4848 or email: astrological.association@zetnet.co.uk; web: www.astrologicalassociation.com September 26 – 29: British Association for Vedic Astrology Fifth International Conference, London. 01794–524178; Email: bava@btinternet.com; web: www.bava.org Please double-check with the organisation before attending any events listed here - we cannot accept any responsibility for events changed/cancelled. Are you holding an astrological event - especially one outside London!! - that you would like others to know about? Write to jon@cainer.com with subject heading: Astro Events with website links. Please note - we cannot promise to include ALL submissions but will do our best. Research into Astrology and Infertility by Pat Harris, MSc., D.F.Astrol.S. I would like to thank everyone who has responded to my earlier notices on Jonathan's website and who volunteered to take part in the research that I am conducting as part of my PhD in astrology and health psychology at Southampton University, UK. I now have quite a number of people taking part which will help me in conducting my study into factors that may or may not correlate with fertility treatment outcome. I should have a progress report out soon. However, I am still looking for women who are currently pregnant - not necessarily as a result of fertility treatment - and who would like to contact me about details of my research to see if they would like to take part. My email address is: pharris@interalpha.co.uk New Service is Top for the Charts The Astrological Association of Great Britain is proud to announce that you can now speak LIVE to an expert astrologer. For an instant in-depth telephone consultation about your full horoscope call 0845 120 1416 or +44 207 436 9101 (a confidential 30-minute reading costs £29.50, payable by credit card. Or cheque/postal order from UK.) Lines are open 9am-9pm GMT, Monday to Friday. A few weeks ago, the Astrological Association of Great Britain launched this new, live fixed-fee, telephone chart reading service. It has since proved big hit with callers from all over the world. AA President Roy Gillett told Astro News: "I am delighted with the warm response that we have had. Once, if you wanted a reading of your full birth chart, you would have to struggle to find a genuine, reputable astrologer. Then, you would have had to make an appointment and travel miles. Now, at last, there's a quick and easy way to get your questions answered by a real expert - from the comfort of your own home." Mirror reader Julie Roberts from Rochester was equally enthusiastic. "I rang last Tuesday and spoke to an astrologer called Maria. Within moments, she was telling me details about my childhood that she could not possibly have known... then she said some fascinating things about my future. If you missed any of Friday's Astronews articles, click on the Archive Thought for the Day link in the left hand frame.