As communities on Steemit launch, here we begin with the Astrology community.
Who shall arrive, it'll be interesting to see. What all shall be shared, it'll be fascinating to find out. What illuminating dialogues are yet to be had, it'll be awesome to participate in.
I, myself, am far from any sort of professional astrologer. Yet, as I've gone deeper and deeper into exploration of the esoteric field over the last decade, I've found it increasingly intriguing and illuminating just how precise an art & science it can be in giving language to the process of our ascensionary, archetypally-transformative journey through the dimensions of time.
As an introduction, to set the tone of this freshly-birthed community, I'd like to re-share a post written a couple years ago.
May those who've been well-engaged in astrological studies find it just as inspiring as those newer to the field. And may our shared journey ahead be an enriching one for all... 🙏
To many, “astrology” equates to those shitty horoscopes in the back of the daily newspaper; some haphazard fortune-telling Mumbai-jumbo; a ludicrous notion that distant planets and stars have some magical effect on blessing or cursing our lives.
And understandably so, given there have been tremendous amounts of misunderstanding on and misinterpretation of the “subject” as a whole.
The domain of astrology is not one easily understood.
Not only are there incredible amounts of depth within the body of astrological knowledge, there are also certain skills of perception and thinking one must adequately develop in accompaniment with the informational side in order to properly interpret.
It’s not a linear science, deduced to straightforward “cause-and-effect” simplicity.
Moreso, it could be akin to a quantum science - which might be considered one side of the coin; the other, being an interpretive art.
The coin as a whole, perhaps even a form of alchemy.
Why study astrology?
It’s not just a matter of planets and their “influences.”
It’s a study of life.
Of patterns.
Of the interactional dynamics between a variety of forces.
Of archetypes and the alchemical relationships between them as they evolve through processes of maturation.
Of cycles of time.
Of the factors driving human psychology.
Of Laws of nature.
Of how and where we fit into this larger holographic reality as living entities extracted from and re-writing genetic code.
Of a grand organizational design (G.O.D.) operating on impeccable principles of physics, chemistry, and biology.
Of ourselves. And of others.
To begin grasping what wealth of wisdom astrology holds, one might best begin with an foundational approach/attitude towards the body of knowledge which eliminates common false misconceptions of it upfront.
Such an outlook has been magnificently captured in this quote:
We have free will and no planet or star ‘makes’ anything happen. They merely indicate the larger patterns we live within, and by understanding those patterns and what they symbolize, we are in a position to be in harmony or disharmony with the inner and outer ‘reality.’ ~unknown
Whether it’s astrology, tarot, The I Ching, Kabbalah, or other similar esoteric systems or decendent knowledge bodies from ancient mystery schools... none of these were intended for the superficial uses of divination many have adopted them for. Rather, they were cultivated as frameworks through which to derive understanding of the nature and patterns of time and our evolutionary journey through it.
While some approach astology as something to "believe or disbelieve in", such an approach is just as fundamentally flawed as were one to consider chemistry, psychology, English, or physics as "something" to "believe in."
They are not concepts to be "proven/disproven," but subjects. Or bodies of knowledge.
To approach an entire body of knowledge as something to "believed in" is something of an illogical fallacy - a starting point from which the mind is mislead, for it prevents an exploration of the contents through a broad, flawed generalization & judgement of information into "good/bad," "right/wrong," "true/false" - rather than opening into a full-spectrum in which everything has its place, time, and value.
As with any esoteric subject - esoteric defined as follows:
Many who have not yet been initiated into the awareness of the higher degrees of information tend to overlay preconceptions and misinterpretations which kill the inquisitiveness required to access expanding consciousness.
Learning ceases as soon as belief - in or against - kicks in.
The consequence of such belief is typically not an increased receptiveness to wisdom, but the closing of mind to information which contradicts with one's preconceptions. Thus, effectively making the believer increasingly stupid through self-denial of access into 'new' neural networks containing information comprising broadened perspectives.
This is an important dynamic to remain aware of when discussion subjects such as astrology, as these types of fallacies frequently taint conversations of them amongst those whose beliefs impede discovery.
Granted, it is understandable how some may derive conclusions such as "astrology is false," based on the "evidence" of others lining themselves up to have their beliefs in it be proven false - by default, of having posed inaccurate theories based on elements of the subject.
For example, some "believers" in astrology often believe certain aspects or transits to be "good" or bad." Some old-school practitioners of vedic astrology, in particular, have their foundational outlook framed with a highly-pessimistic lens - insisting that "negative transits" would typically "cause" "bad" events to happen.
This entire outlook is flawed at its root.
To clarify, let's consider an astrology reading akin to a weather report...
To someone firmly established in a limited black-or-white, dualistic frame of mind, they might have the belief that "rain = bad." From such a belief, one might conclude that a weather report of rain equates to a "bad day," bringing "bad things."
Of course, this is not the absolute case.
It is true that on a rainy day, one might be more susceptible to slipping and falling on a slippery sidewalk or getting into a car accident IF they weren't being slightly-extra cautious. But, rain is no guarantee there will be any accident. Ultimately, the outcome comes down to a matter of how the individual responds to the conditions posed by the weather - and his/her beliefs.
While one person may get grumpy because of rain, another may rejoice, jumping and playing in puddles.
While one culture might see rainy days as "gloomy," "dreary," or "not nice" - other cultures, such as the Balinese, may view rain as blessings.
Thus, whether it's an actual weather report identifying conditions of temperature and preciptation or astrological reports identifying planetary positions - the entire purpose is not a matter of feeding the dualistic mind with fuel for its immature good/bad, true/false judgements, but to serve in clarifying the environmental conditions of the seasonal cycles being moved through.
The astrological reports, however, may be significantly more complex to translate.
While there is no guarantee that any single aspect/transit may manifest in any specific outcome, the degree of unpredictability is raised due to the quantum-alchemical nature of the system: the forces any single planetary body might exert upon an individual cannot be analysed in isolation, as a myriad of other forces also factor into the equation.
Other aspects and transits, for one.
The consciousness and character of an individual, for another.
For example, a hard Mars opposition or square transit might imply conflicts and forewarn of heated troubles; however, how the period of time plays out is far more dependent on the degree to which a person has cultivated patience, compassion, and adaptability than on any sort of “chance” or predetermined star blueprint.
And as one grows in the degree of their character, it becomes self-evident: the point of 'tools' such as astrology is not to predict the future. Nor to "explain" the present.
Rather, they may utilized to draw upon a wealth of insight into the dynamics of this space-time matrix we find ourselves in, so as to increase our awareness of self as progressing through our quantum, evolutionary journey and make better-informed choices aligned with the nature of seasons being moved through - bringing light into shadows and blind spots, such that we may be better prepared to reap when it's time to reap, sow when it's time to sow, and respond to the flow of circumstances in ways that guarantee the ascension of our character as we proceed maturely in adapting ourselves to each phase of our development - *phases which the language of astrology assist in articulating.
Whether we’re embracing the newest of breakthrough insights in quantum physics, returning the wisdom of the ancients, or hopping onboard the Tesla train and learning from his famous quote:
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration...
From simulation theory to the holographic model of looking at the universe, etc, etc... humanity has emerged into a new paradigm acknowledging that everything IS energy.
And as per the the effects of the moon on the ocean, no one can deny the electromagnetic forces of planetary bodies exert influence upon the phenomena of our shared realities.
Consider planetary positionings coordinates of this energetic grid/matrix we call “reality.”
(Three aspects mapped through astrology: the core Self, interrelational dynamics with others, and our unfoldment through the dimension of time.)
Will any particular shift in the underlying electromagnetic forces have effects upon life existing within the system? Of course.
And maybe they might not always be direct and predicable. After all, the playing field does not determine the outcome of the game.
Nor does it depend upon the cards we are dealt - but rather, how we play the cards we’re dealt.
How we respond to the conditions of the matrix/system/grid we are operating in - struggling against forces at play, or harmonizing to ride the waves of shifting tides as nature progresses through its flawlessly-executing, Law-governed cycles.
So in conclusion, returning to the starting question...
Why astrology?
