Reflections

Regarding this commitment to one's views, and speaking from a personal point of view, I don't like confrontation. I don't like having to defend myself but I equally dislike being laughed at or criticised for believing in what I do. Astrology is a part of that but it's only worth defending for as long as I remember to respect the other's views. I can only then hope that they will respect mine. It's too easy to let it all become a personal crusade while losing sight of the bigger picture: quite simply, that it takes all sorts. Sometimes I realise that what I'm really disliking the most is not the fact that someone disagrees, but that I am not getting the same level of tolerance back that I'm giving. But I also find that, if I stay clear on what I believe, the respect eventually finds its way back to me. One reaps what one sows, after all: it's a feature of the wyrd. The signals you send out come back to you in an appropriate form.

One, the other, both?

To me, a birth chart is rather like a tarot spread. There are any number of ways of interpreting it, but some impressions spring to mind more readily and those are the ones I use. Somehow, that chart captures the potential of the person, his or her birth moment into the wyrd. But not every element of the chart will be expressed, or allowed to flow, because of that individual's choices. If, for example, we take an opposition aspect, this can mean either an objective flow of energy, increasing the potential of wherever it lands in the chart, or it can mean a conflict between two opposing poles. This is why the argument against astrology that people who are born under the same configurations are never identical fails. Of course they aren't the same! They each make their choices in the wyrd, with the collection of energies they have at their disposal, and develops according to those choices. Astrologers understand that, but those who criticize without sufficient knowledge do not always take the trouble to wait for an explanation.

This is also why astrology can seem so incredibly daunting to the newcomer and needs to be treated with great caution and respect. I should imagine that the student of astronomy has similar thoughts and feelings. Will I ever master this? Will I choose the right interpretation? But of course it's possible, once the right set of mind-tools and mind-sets are implemented. One cannot learn astrology by rote; it must be said that the same applies to astronomy. Both require an open mind and a retentive memory in order to make those connections, but the way the connections are made are different.

Light skies

It's also amazing how, lost in all that space, one's emotions and intuition flow and let you know where you truly are, without the distractions of logic, fear and other people. It's a good way of gaining perspective: and perspective is a better platform from which to practise any discipline.