return to astrology, metaphysics
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I was recently sharing a conversation with another person of a metaphysical bent and when the topic turned to astrology they expressed their concern with the “predestination inherent in astrology.” They said they felt we controlled our own lives and spoke of those who consulted an astrologer or an ephemeris (list of daily planetary positions) to find how they should respond to almost every situation. My friend said they put much more stock in free-will than they felt astrology did.
This was interesting to me because it was so different from my own view of astrology, which I see as reflecting a much deeper and more profound expression of will than was possible without it. Please consider my understanding of astrology and what it says about us, our will and our place in the scheme of things. First a little background on my view of things; the following is my understanding and belief about the framework with which astrology works:
I believe that we are all different aspects of God, the one of which all is a part. All of the universe is one and connected as parts of the one. There is a nature to each point in space and time. The character of that point is reflected in anything which is born at that moment just as you reflect the family into which you are born. Anything passing through that space/moment is impacted, if only momentarily, by its nature, just like a boat on a wave. An incarnating soul, a still connected part of God, may choose a space/moment to be born which supports its purpose for the life it is beginning. Strengths, gifts, talents, weaknesses and challenges reflective of that local moment form a foundation for the soul's unfolding journey. Because that birth begins an unfolding stream of interacting planetary energies as the earth, sun, moon and planets continue to move in relation to each other and their birth positions, the soul chooses not only a vehicle but a terrain supportive of its life journey.
Given this view of things, I would like to offer three analogies as to how we can use astrology to help us more effectively understand ourselves and our choices, and thus more effectively apply our will.
Horoscope as a Schematic, Blueprint or Flight Manual:
“Know thyself.” Inscription on the Oracle of Apollo The better we understand ourselves: our strengths, weaknesses, abilities, desires and motivations (conscious and unconscious), the better choices we can make. Before a pilot is allowed to fly an aircraft, she is required to learn the craft and prove her familiarity with the model. She is then “certified” in that aircraft. Yet even then she would not take off without being certain that the manual for that aircraft was in her flight bag in case she needed review or reference. The manual reminds her what the plane can and can't do, what it does well and what needs to be done carefully.
We humans normally come by our own operations manual through trial and error. We find that we do some things easily while others struggle with them and yet other skills come to us only through difficulty if at all. We find our mind works quickly or deliberately. Our emotions are clear and accessible or hidden and confusing. We are confident and expressive at work and with friends but clumsy and insecure in romance. All of these delightful facets define us as the unique expressions of life which we are, but how much better we might pilot our plane if someone had shown us the flight manual. How many crash-landings might we have avoided, how many wasted miles might we have saved.
A horoscope can be a useful tool in understanding the self. By exploring what the chart reveals about talents and challenges, which arenas are more conducive to gratification and which are less rewarding or important, we can gain insights into ourselves and ease our way. A person who thrives on the appreciation of others (which might be indicated by prominent Leo placements) might be happy in an acting career. A person who tended to be critical, whose eye went naturally to the crooked painting on the wall, could find a rewarding path in quality assurance and avoid problems in customer relations. Someone who might have been prone to relationships with persons with drug/alcohol issues, might more easily come to understand the nature of Neptunian relationships and choose partners who were intuitive, psychic or spiritual.
Our being who we are, with our abilities and limitations, does not deny our free will, it defines it and the effort required for its expression. As we broaden and deepen our understanding of our various facets, we can more effectively turn them to pass and reflect our light.
Horoscope as Map
Just as our pilot would not take off without the flight manual for their aircraft, they wouldn't taxi without a map showing where they are, where they are going and what's in between. How far are they going? How much fuel will they need? What obstacles are there and what other flight-paths might they intersect? How high are any mountains along the way and is that an altitude their plane can handle?
In addition to telling us about ourselves, the rich symbolic language of astrology can reveal the terrain over which we travel and how we are equipped to handle it. A birth horoscope is not a static thing, it unfolds over time as the planets continue to move in relation to each other and to their birth placements. Studying these movements, or “progressions” can reveal the most favorable timing and even the most favorable choices.
Knowing that the next 18 months is going to be a period when personal energy is less easily abundant might indicate that certain projects would best be postponed. The next two months being fertile for romance, might make this a good time to take that cruise. Understanding the astrological energies and what arenas and what timing most favor our choices, can make our journey more pleasant, more fulfilling and less fraught with crises or at least make the crises more productive. The lay of the land does not deny our free will but knowing it allows us to better choose our path and direction.
Horoscope as Weather Report
The last item which our pilot would toss into their flight bag would be a weather report, showing if they are headed into clear or cloudy weather, headed with or into the wind and if there are any storms or dangers to consider in choosing their path.
As the weather report tells us what is going on in the atmosphere, the current position of the sun, moon and planets relative to themselves and the birth chart gives us information about this time and its energy climate. One particular time may be volatile or prone to accidents. Now may be a time when those in authority are prone to be receptive so it is a good time to make your proposal or ask for a raise. It is better to choose a flight-path with the wind at your back over one where it opposes you. The weather does not deny our freewill but the sun shines and the rain falls regardless of our heed or our preparation and it's nice to have brought your umbrella.
The Nature of Free Will and the Astrological Framework
Truth and Consequences: The first question which underlies this discussion is the truth and nature of astrological information. Either astrology can give us accurate and useful information about ourselves and our circumstances or it cannot. If it can't, it would best be dismissed, but if it can then the information is there whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not and whether we use it or not. Like medical, financial or diet information we must set out to learn the most and find the best guidance we can.
Cause or Effect: Traditional astrological writing paints planetary influences as causative. Jupiter is benefic and its placement in the second house made one financially fortunate and prone to wealth; Mars is malefic and it being in Gemini the third house at a difficult angle with one's Sun caused car accidents due to inattention or Saturn's restrictive nature when placed in the first house limited a person and weakened their physical body. This older style of analysis certainly sounded heavy handed, causative and, frankly, predestined.
On the other hand, if the soul chooses a point in space/time to incarnate into a set of circumstances which lay the foundation for its mission and choices, that foundation becomes an expression of free will rather than a denial of it. But it is a higher, rather than a lower will (more on this below.) In this framework Jupiter in the second house reflects expansion in the arena of values and possessions. While this person might be born to wealth or earn it more easily than others, they would also have to learn balance in spending so it was not easy-come-easy-go. There would be a number of other lessons which come with this placement. A first house Saturn would reflect a serious nature. Where physical energy might be limited, another expression might well be a strong focus on the saturnine traits of responsibility and discipline. That which taught caution could also produce a builder.
In earlier times there was much less latitude for personal choice. The energies of the life could seem much more like something inflicted on one, than like a foundation for his choices.
Higher and Lower Will: How often have you spoken with someone who came through a situation which seemed awful only to hear them describe it as the best thing that ever happened to them? How often has someone been presented with a difficult situation over and over again until, when they “got it” and learned the lesson, the circumstances suddenly disappeared. The higher will of a person learning to refuse abusive relationships can keep presenting them with abusive partners until their lower will makes the appropriate choices. This may be a relatively simple lesson easily learned or could be a central crucible of the lifetime and one learned only after much suffering. Which it proves is a reflection of their choices, of their free will.
The fact that one cannot flap their arms to fly is not a denial of their free will. It is an expression of an ineffective choice and an opportunity to learn more appropriate ones.