Norse and Greco-Roman astrology differ in their interpretation of the planets, houses, and runes (signs). Given its foundation in pagan and Northern European tradition, Norse astrology provides a better spiritual and psychological understanding for people of Northern and Central European heritage. Because it generates stable house definitions regardless of latitude of birth, it is also more appropriate for those born more than 30 degrees north of the equator.
planets – Perhaps the most striking difference between Nordic and Greco-Roman astrology is how they describe planetary energy. Norse astrology uses the gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon, and unlike the Greco-Romans, the Norse are equally balanced between men and women. The most important planets are Odin the Moon and Freyja the Sun. The feminine planetary energy manifests with Mercury representing Skadhi, Venus representing Frigga and Neptune representing the Norns. Masculine planetary energy manifests with Mars representing Thor, Jupiter representing Freyr, Saturn representing Tyr, and Uranus representing Loki (who sometimes assumes a female form). The northern and southern declinations of the Moon represent Heimdal and Hel. In Norse astrology, the planets have strong affinities with the houses, but less relationship with the runes. On the contrary, the Greco-Roman planets have strong affinities with the signs (rulerships), but little relation with the houses.
Houses – An equally compelling difference is the definition of houses in Norse astrology. In contrast to the arbitrarily placed Greco-Roman houses, Norse astrology uses the eight solar houses of ancient pagan tradition. The meaning and location of these eight houses is intuitive and clear. The eternal dimensions of the day vs. night and me vs. others define how the houses work within our natal horoscope. The Night-West house is affiliated with the Norns, the Night house with Skadhi, the Night-East house with Frigga, and the East house with Freyja. The Day-East house is affiliated with Thor, the Day house with Freyr, the Day-West house with Tyr, and the West house with Loki. Odin, the eternal wanderer, has no affiliation with any house.
runes – Nordic astrology uses 24 runes of the same size to define the positions of the planets along the ecliptic. In addition to providing greater detail, they are a better description of the cosmic forces that influence our lives in the 21st century. These runes form an alphabet of universal archetypes by which we can explain the attributes of our world and of ourselves. In contrast, Greco-Roman astrology tries to represent these forces through the symbolism of subhuman animals. The runes are eternal, since they are independent of the millennial drift of the constellations.
Nordic astrology is a superior alternative due to the gender balance of its planetary energies, the intuitively clear meaning of its houses, and its stable, archetypal runes.
Copyright (c) 2011, Franz Josef Stern