Astrology outlook too passive? Also some questions regarding astrology.

[EyeCanBlackStars]

Many people when they think of astrology, they think: fortune telling, future prediction, and just giving into fate. I think persons actually in the field of astrology probably don't have that same outlook, but I am not sure, because I don't know anyone in this field well enough to have had this conversation.

My understanding of astrology is that it is the observance of cycles, I commonly think of it more specifically as the observance of physical cycles that interface with the more subtle features of life. So by this astrologist can explain why people have the particular attitude and life drama pretty successfully, just by looking at their charts and using a variety of techniques. Anyone that works in the field of education will be able to observe different dynamics in each generation. One particular year everyone will be hyperactive or unruly, and the next generation everyone will be taller and more well composed and intelligent. So using astrology you can predict and explain the nature of events by referring to charts and intuition.

My lack of understanding of astrology leaves a large hole in my understanding, but still I have an opinion on it. Many people think astrology helps them make decisions by going with the flow of nature and capitalizing on that.

What would be an attitude towards astrology which is not passive in my opinion? Actively working to influence the cycles. I think of time in life as a bunch of rings and shapes. When we go through time we are moving along these circles of influence as if we are walking around a clock actually many clocks at the same time. The entire circumference of the clock being different lengths of times, some being 3 seconds, some 37 hours, other 12 years, etc.

I believe awareness is the first step to truly utilize this beautiful feature of life. Then once you realize you are going in circles, and whenever you get to a certain location on the circle you have unfavorable influence about you, why not make it better? Why not pour your energy into that road stop, plant some seeds, so next time you come around you'll be greeted by something beautiful.

People say certain things are unfavorable, things are disharmonious, these two people wont get a long because of their two different signs. Why not work on that, pump energy into the cycles, to change the entire cycle to how you want to. For instance a man always feels stressed on Mondays, well if he puts energy into not getting stressed on Mondays, that carries momentum into the following weeks. Every effort carries momentum. That is where I think the true power in astrology lies, if one knows the cycles, he can drop a stone every time he passes the same spot, and this way he will have lots of concentrated influence available when he hits that time in the cycle. Perhaps people can even draw from the location in the cycle even if they aren't in that particular location on the "clock".

Also, anyone have any insight into the importance of astrology to the human soul? If you assumed people were reincarnated to obtain something through the worldly experience, then what is the importance of their lives being impregnated with astrological influence?

Thankyou
Eye

[Briony Haldane]

I'm not an astrologist either Eye, but have recently had a karmic astrology reading done, which was quite fascinating and answered for me some of the kinds of questions you are asking.

Our charts are not static, the same each time we incarnate, they are "chosen" in accordance with our contract. The influences in our charts that we each experience, can be resisted or ignored or worked with consciously to receive benefit and understanding of ourselves and our path/life circumstances.

I don't know enough about astrology to know whether we can influence our "cycles", but what we can influence is our readiness to tackle what our next challenge is. Bringing awareness to anything improves our ability to benefit from our experience. If we use the metaphor of an onion, with recurrent cycles, we have the ability to penetrate to the next level in this transit, rather than remaining at the same layer.

I think that the astrological influences in our lives are tied in with us choosing our contract and path. The experiences that we encounter and the personal influences we deal with are meant to support our journey and in a sense are one of the tools we can choose to use as we progress along it.

[Jelena]

I don't know everything about astrology, but I know it can be of a great help on your way. I think you can't change the cycles,but you have a choice when you know how the planets will affect on your life for a current period. You have the choice to work with the flow,or just let the opportunities pass you by. I think it's a chance to be in the right place,or do something when the planets support you. It can make your chances bigger or smaller..you can know when the time is right to do a big change or something like that.

I think astrology is more worth when you want to get to know yourself better,or people around you.

Once I've got a character analysis.It was really amazing to "read yourself"

[Haruth]

Firstly I should indicate that I am not an astrologer, although I have studied it deeply for many years.

Astrology, for me, is the rump of a great knowledge, most of it lost. The most common argument thrown into the pot is that of "how can planets hundreds of thousands of miles away influence a tiny human?" And it's true - any energetic influence that another planet can affect on us individually is entirely swamped by the proximity of the same influence of the planet we are standing on. This misses the point, which I think you have captured wonderfully EyeCanBlackStars. The planets do not influence us at all in this rather naive manner. Their movement through the skies simply mirrors our own movement through our own cycle.

This is the secret which, I believe, the ancient astronomer priests uncovered. Various physical, psychological and emotional crises meet us as we move from birth to death. Our reaction to these crises depends largely on those we have successfully (or unsuccessfully) passed through already on our journey. By mapping the movements and interactions of the planets over millenia, and noting how individuals reacted at each stage of the celestial dance, in the full knowledge of the manner in which that individual had developed up to that time, certain general conclusions could be made.

Certain transits (stresses) had generally noticable effects on particular character types, whilst leaving others unaffected. Character types can be identified by which part of the cosmic dance they entered the world (the natal chart). Specific movements of the dance, depending on what part of the dance first touched us, affects each uniquely, but nevertheless profoundly, whether we accept it or not.

In short, each is unique, and uniquely synchronised with the planetary movements. Sun sign astrology pigeon holes 6 billion unique individuals into a rather limiting 12 character type boxes. Little wonder that sometimes our daily horoscope touches millions, whilst leaving a similar number completely non-plussed.

Anyone that works in the field of education will be able to observe different dynamics in each generation. One particular year everyone will be hyperactive or unruly, and the next generation everyone will be taller and more well composed and intelligent.

I don't know about the specifics of behaviour, intelligence, etc, but have always thought this would be a good study.

Although not an educator, I have spent many miserable days hanging around schools waiting in dread for the bell to ring... I hated that contract - hundreds of kids swarming over delicate and expensive equipment and completely uncontrollable (all teachers are saints... )... and couldn't help but be intrigued by hair colouring. One year everyone in the kindergarten seemed to be dark haired, a couple of years later it seemed to have swung that the majority were light haired, and it then seemed to swing back again. I had never noticed this when I was a kid myself... and perhaps it had more to do with the fact that I was moving around the country all the time - so local gene pools and all that. But it did strike me at the time.

What would be an attitude towards astrology which is not passive in my opinion? Actively working to influence the cycles. I think of time in life as a bunch of rings and shapes. When we go through time we are moving along these circles of influence as if we are walking around a clock actually many clocks at the same time. The entire circumference of the clock being different lengths of times, some being 3 seconds, some 37 hours, other 12 years, etc.

I'm not sure we can influence the cycles per se. We can only observe them, and using the information at our disposal make the most of the challenge (or the blessing) that comes with that particular cycle. Although I firmly believe that these cycles are within ourselves, there is an aspect which makes us unaware that these influences are from within, their effects become somehow externalised as the fates, luck (good or bad), or some other method of failing to accept responsibility for finding ourselves where we do through the culmination of past thoughts and actions.

I believe awareness is the first step to truly utilize this beautiful feature of life.

I concur. Astrology is a wonderful tool to aid in this process. What needs to be recognised is that astrology provides a unique and powerful road map. It is not the destination, nor is it the journey, but every step along the road is carefully prepared for each of us. Being aware of what is around the next corner allows time to prepare for the next phase in our lives, and through that preparedness the journey becomes one of enjoyable expectation, rather than a hotch potch of reactionary incidents one after the other.

For instance a man always feels stressed on Mondays, well if he puts energy into not getting stressed on Mondays, that carries momentum into the following weeks. Every effort carries momentum.

I feel this is more short term. More bio-rhythm (an area worth researching ) than astrology. I feel astrology is more about the bigger picture, the long view if you like. Although, being a science based on the character and psychological potential identified by the aspects inherent in the natal chart, there may indeed be something to be found which adresses this in atstrology too.

Also, anyone have any insight into the importance of astrology to the human soul? If you assumed people were reincarnated to obtain something through the worldly experience, then what is the importance of their lives being impregnated with astrological influence?

I feel you have touched on the very core of the matter. Viewing astrology as a series of markers bringing love, money and luck into your life misses the point entirely.

Mercury brings a message not for you! He brings the message, at the time alloted which best suits the soul and its development. He whispers a reminder. If we react at all, it is not us, but our soul which reacts. The message may not be one which suits our mundane preferences and free will can lead us into more and more frustration by ignoring the call. Some aspects are trivial, and can be readily ignored, but those which are central to our learning objectives in this life time will present again and again with increasing intensity until we can no longer ignore it! We find ourselves acting 'out of character', ignorant of the fact that, actually, this very action is at the core of the 'soul' character identified in our astrological chart.

We are here to learn. The planets map out the curriculum. We can either embrace the process, and be empowered by accepting the responsibilities we have for ourselves and others, or we can flounder in an education system which has no time or resource for those who ignore the lessons. None can fail, but by deeply knowing ourselves, our strengths, weaknesses and flaws, and by positive preparation for the next lesson, before it begins, astrology opens the way for a much more enjoyable experience of school for the soul.

[Justyne]

Brilliant insight ECBS, BRAVO!

As for your question:

...anyone have any insight into the importance of astrology to the human soul? If you assumed people were reincarnated to obtain something through the worldly experience, then what is the importance of their lives being impregnated with astrological influence?

There is a great difference between esoteric astrology and the kind of astrology you often find in magazines or newspapers. The importance of ones life being impregnated with astro influences I would think, is to bring to that specific soul the tools needed to get them through the life at hand and to learn the lessons that are chosen before the soul incarnates here on Earth.

One is given certain traits before entering the Earth plane now whether they choose to use these traits or not are a product of their own free will. As Sri Yukteshwar said, "The law of gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as well as after him." And I believe this is the answer to what the importance of astrology impregnating our lives. It is the natural order of things. I find this statement to provides an accurate, yet poetic overview of the science of astrology and its affect on the soul (I say so based on my personal experience). I can't explain why or how astrological influences works, I just know that it does.

Namaste'

[Celtaur]

Also, anyone have any insight into the importance of astrology to the human soul? If you assumed people were reincarnated to obtain something through the worldly experience, then what is the importance of their lives being impregnated with astrological influence?

I think it's because being in the physical world is where we are influenced by the astrological influences. The physical world being a plane of energy, where the astrological energies are found as well. Our soul then enters this domain of existence for it's unique experience. Whenever one is reincarnated in the future, they will inherently receive the imprints of the future planetary influences according to their aspects which are dependent on each of their locations.

How the planets interact with each other is dependent on space and time. At one's moment of birth all the planetary influences are relative to their location in space and that person's location on the planet which is unique and shall likely never repeat in the future. What is happening with the planets now, will not happen again in the future in precisely the same way, there will always be a factor of modification that will cause a different pattern of energies. Couple this with the current social structure of the persons living situation at that time dependent on family, location, peers, etc., the energies are unique to each person and thus the soul will have those unique experiences it is meant to. Plus our individual choices and free will coupled with these factors creates a dynamic unseen in any other life but our own in each place and time.

The worldly experience includes the astrological influence, and thus we each are uniquely provided our own set of energies in each moment according to our chart in aspect to the current movements.

[Briony Haldane]

Celtaur:

we each are uniquely provided our own set of energies in each moment according to our chart in aspect to the current movements

That being said, we each have choices as to how we will interact with these energies. Astrology does not "control" us, it provides us with the opportunities we need to work with for our contracts, but our response is up to us. We can act/react in any way we choose.

[Celtaur]

Celtaur:


That being said, we each have choices as to how we will interact with these energies. Astrology does not "control" us, it provides us with the opportunities we need to work with for our contracts, but our response is up to us. We can act/react in any way we choose.

Absolutely. Amen to that.

Plus our individual choices and free will coupled with these factors creates a dynamic unseen in any other life but our own in each place and time.

I think Astrology is part of the framework, part of manifestation of the world as a template for our experience, and we are able to move within that framework, expand within that framework relative to our choices.

Free will is an important factor in manifesting our lives, but destiny is as important. Destiny could be seen as the laws of the universe. If I fall off a cliff, I will fall to the bottom, it is destined that gravity will take me to the bottom. But I can, with my free will, work within the laws I understand and having considered the dangers of walking on the edge of the cliff, strapped on a parachute beforehand, to change the outcome of that possible fall.

I think astrology can work in the same was as a universal law such as gravity. The astrological influences on each individual are unique because the laws laid down by the astrological chart for the personality and soul experience are different from person to person. Each person has a unique framework, it's a layer of existence. I do think that the universal laws, such as gravity, the need for oxygen, etc., for existence, are at the basic, foundation level. The astrological influences are at a higher level, a subtler, yet still powerful, level of vibration that we interact with.