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What is Astrology?
Since the 3rd millennia BC, astrologers have put together and drawn from a body of inspiration about planetary cycles that has served many generations. The reason for its longevity is that it has proven to capture elements through observation that help us to understand our place within the greater cosmos. The Forbidden City in China was built to reflect the cosmos above. Pyramids were erected as ancient observatories to monitor celestial movement which coincided with rainfall. The many mythical stories about Zues, Marduk and other heroes who overthrow old regimes can be tied to the precession of the equinoxes from Taurus and Bull Worship to Aries, as a single hero overthrew the old pantheon.
Like the Greek story of the abduction of Persephone, virtually every culture has a myth about the movement of Venus during the time that it is hidden below the earth. In ancient times it was called Lucifer (bearer of light) and was said to be an imposter of the sun. It appeared brightly in the sky either before sunrise or after sunset and sometimes disappeared altogether beneath the earth. In the Hebrew texts, Isaiah compared a prideful Babylonian king to Venus when he wrote: “Lucifer who has fallen.” The subsequent mistranslations led to a different mythology. Kulkulkan of the Mayan world also embodied how Venus flies through the sky only to disappear below the world like a snake embodying the Feathered Serpent.
Tracking the Sun through Ancient Observatory
Describing why astrology works is always a challenge. In my opinion and as a Taoist, I believe that we are all a small microcosm of the larger organism. Your birth chart is a snapshot of the sky at the moment of your birth so much like physical DNA, perhaps you imprint the universal message of the cosmos as the soul’s energetic journey. When I do the chart of a newborn, the parents are always amazed to see the child present behaviours exactly as suggested by the chart. Generations of children seem to come forward embodying the transformative message of conjunctions or aspects that lead the world toward a higher truth.
The moon pulls on the tidal flow and we are composed of the exact makeup of the earth so why wouldn’t everything around us have an effect? In dreams water is a symbol of our emotional condition just as the moon describes this in our chart. Jupiter is responsible for sunspot activity which interferes with telecommunications on the earth. The planets influence each other and ultimately all of life on earth.
However, astrologers are not after scientific explanations. Rising ocean temperatures create hurricanes that recede as waters are returned to optimal levels. In September prior to hibernation, hungry bears will break into houses in the mountains and then disappear when the snow comes. In the same way, astrologers simply document and share repetitive causal phenomena. When Neptune moved into Aquarius and Uranus was in Pisces astrologers predicted the outcome. The lines separating humanity (Aquarius) would dissolve (Neptune) because of a revolutionary change (Uranus) to sacred beliefs (Neptune) using technology (Uranus) so that humanity could progress beyond dogma and illusion (Neptune). In 1993 these planets were conjunct in Capricorn (government and business) and the European Union was created. Neptune dissolves boundaries while Uranus creates a new frontier.
Today we are lucky to be part of a world that is moving toward greater tolerance and understanding as self empowerment (Aries) is enhanced via technology (Uranus) using the power of social media. Pluto remains in Capricorn ensuring that economic, environmental and financial considerations are transformed. The spotlight remains on unscrupulous or non sustainable environmental practices where the rug is being pulled out beneath those in power. The attack on Monsanto, online petitions, crowd funding sites and wikileaks are all a part of the transits of the times.